Playing second fiddle
So much for the NFC as a power conference.
After gathering what looked like its strongest contingent of talent in years (i.e. the signings of Terrell Owens, Edgerrin James and Drew Brees) heading into this season, the NFC has once again come up looking inferior when it comes to measuring the league's elite. The "vaunted" NFC East, which was supposed to be the toughest division in the NFL, has taken a backseat to the resurgent AFC West, which has placed three teams in the top eight of this week's rankings. And in head-to-head battles, teams like San Diego, Baltimore, Indianapolis and New England all seem to have a leg up on the NFC's heavy hitters. Outside of Chicago (which just lost to the Patriots this week) and Dallas (which is the only team to beat the Colts this season), the NFC may offer nothing but lambs to the Super Bowl this season.
As for the rest of the NFL, here is a look at how the league stacks up heading into Week 13.
THE TOP 12
1.San Diego Chargers (9-2) – Going 4-0 without linebacker Shawne Merriman, who was serving a suspension, is quite impressive, but this week's tilt at Buffalo is a classic trap game. The arrest of reserve cornerback Cletis Gordon is the latest embarrassing off-field incident this season. Don't be surprised if there is a character cleansing this offseason.
2.Indianapolis Colts (10-1) – Losing tight end Dallas Clark (suffered knee injury in Sunday's win over Philadelphia) could hurt, but Ben Utecht can fill in admirably. It would be a far bigger issue if the injuries to right tackle Ryan Diem and safety Antoine Bethea linger. Did anyone notice wide receiver Marvin Harrison's sulking Sunday with the concentration on the running game?
3.Baltimore Ravens (9-2) – If anyone was questioning the Ravens' mettle, that shouldn't be the case after seeing Baltimore dominate Pittsburgh. The 17 points and 215 yards in the first half gave yet another glimpse of an offense that's coming around quickly. If this team can go 2-0 the next two weeks (at Cincinnati, at Kansas City), the Ravens should be, at the very least, the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
4.New England Patriots (8-3) – Quarterback Tom Brady's little juke on Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher is the essence of why he'll be remembered as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Losing leading tackler Junior Seau for the season is a big blow to this defense. The linebackers have no depth heading down the stretch.
5.Chicago Bears (9-2) – Bank on it: quarterback Rex Grossman will bounce back big against Minnesota. But his uneven play is going to haunt this team come playoff time.
6.Dallas Cowboys (7-4) – Perhaps it's karma that the Cowboys found their franchise quarterback in Tony Romo without having to spend any draft picks or dole out huge contracts. It makes up for all the money wasted on the likes of Drew Henson, Quincy Carter and Chad Hutchinson.
7.Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) – Don't look now, but the Chiefs have been surrendering just over 13 points a game over the last four contests. Coach Herm Edwards has gotten the offense to buy into running the football and trusting the defense to hold onto leads in the fourth quarter.
8.Denver Broncos (7-4) – In defense of quarterback Jake Plummer, the Broncos have surrendered over 22 points a game over the last five games. That defense looks far from dominant. That said, the offense needs a spark and Plummer looks like a shadow of the player he was when he arrived in Denver.
9.New Orleans Saints (7-4) – Whether it was the Falcons' drops or the hail mary at halftime, the Saints caught an awful lot of breaks against Atlanta. But at the very least, winning Sunday's game without wide receiver Marques Colston speaks volumes about how far this offense has come.
10.Seattle Seahawks (7-4) – Even with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's four turnovers, Seattle's offense looked like something that will have to be reckoned with down the stretch. Then again, Green Bay's defense isn't exactly staunch. But considering the disarray in the rest of the NFC, this still looks like a team with a good shot at a Super Bowl run.
11.Carolina Panthers (6-5) – The interception Washington safety Sean Taylor made late in the fourth quarter might be the worst Jake Delhomme pass I've ever seen. Still, sitting him down at this point in the season isn't a good option. Not with the rest of the NFC looking like it's going to be a wide open run to the playoffs.
12.Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5) – Coach Jack Del Rio was right: the Jaguars looked listless at the start of Sunday's game. But if the Jaguars need motivation at this juncture of the season – while they're in the midst of fighting for a playoff spot – it might hint at a lack of leaders within the locker room.
RISING
Cincinnati Bengals (6-5) – Running back Chris Perry's broken leg ends a monumentally disappointing season. With the offensive line finally finding some chemistry, it will be interesting to see what Marvin Lewis does when tackle Levi Jones and center Rich Braham are healthy again.
THE MUDDLED MIDDLE (in alphabetical order)
Atlanta Falcons (5-6) – The drops from the wide receivers have gotten to be mind-numbing. If this team doesn't put together some kind of rally, this could be a shakeup that involves the front office, too.
Buffalo Bills (5-6) – The Bills look like they've got a shot to go into the offseason with a lot of positive momentum. Quarterback J.P. Losman had a pretty impressive run during the Bills' 3-1 stretch in November: four touchdowns, one interception, a 67.7 completion rate and a quarterback rating of 95.0.
Green Bay Packers (4-7) – Wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings look like a potent 1-2 punch going forward, but the Packers have a decision to make with running back Ahman Green. Despite his rumored demise, he's done enough this season that he'll likely draw some healthy short-term free agent offers. If quarterback Brett Favre comes back for 2007, it's hard to imagine the Packers sticking an inexperienced running back behind him.
Miami Dolphins (5-6) – The 4-0 November was nice, but this isn't a playoff run in the making. Not with New England, Jacksonville and Indianapolis still on the schedule. Running back Ronnie Brown's broken hand is going to put quarterback Joey Harrington in a severe pinch.
Minnesota Vikings (5-6) – With Chester Taylor poised to break the 1,000-yard mark this week, he's silenced all of the critics who said he couldn't be a centerpiece running back. At the very least, the Vikings know they have a workhorse to build around.
New York Jets (6-5) – Mike Nugent is starting to look like the kicker that had the Jets so excited when they drafted him in the second round of last year's draft. Since missing two short field goals in the season opener, Nugent is 11-for-12 and hit a career long 54-yarder against Houston on Sunday.
New York Giants (6-5) – Say what you want about whether he should have said it, but coach Tom Coughlin's criticism of quarterback Eli Manning's final interception was dead-on. With the injuries and dearth of leadership, this team looks destined to finish 8-8 and out of the playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) – Defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley's missed flight and deactivation against Indianapolis just highlights what has been a tremendously forgettable season for the highly touted first-round pick.
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-7) – If something doesn't change with that offensive line play soon, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger isn't going to finish the season standing upright. And the longer Bill Cowher's contract situation drags out, the more rumors will continue to float about him coaching another NFL team in 2007.
St. Louis Rams (5-6) – Quietly, running back Steven Jackson is having a Pro Bowl season. He's on pace for 2,200 yards from scrimmage.
San Francisco 49ers (5-6) – The passing offense sorely needs tight end Vernon Davis to bounce back as soon as possible. Running back Frank Gore can't be the only reliable option.
Tennessee Titans (4-7) – That was the Pacman Jones the Titans thought they were getting with the sixth pick in the 2005 NFL draft. The game-changing interception was impressive, but his punt return Sunday was like something you see in a video game.
Washington Redskins (4-7) – After watching him go 1-on-1 with Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith on Sunday, it looks like cornerback Shawn Springs has still got some juice left in his legs. Tight end Chris Cooley might have an outside shot at the Pro Bowl … if it wasn't such a popularity contest.
FALLING
Cleveland Browns (3-8) – Wide receiver Braylon Edwards' explosion on quarterback Charlie Frye was worse than anything Dallas' Terrell Owens ever did on the sideline to his quarterbacks. Add it to his other conduct this season, and maybe it would be a good move for the Browns to send a message and sit Edwards next week.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
28.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-8) – With one touchdown in 11 games this season, running back Carnell Williams' celebrated NFL start couldn't seem further away. And things are only going to get worse for this team with frigid December games in Pittsburgh, Chicago and Cleveland left on the schedule.
29.Houston Texans (3-8) – You can't fault quarterback David Carr for all the short completions. Until the Texans show they can crank up a consistent running game, they'll continue to face safeties playing deep center.
30.Arizona Cardinals (2-9) – If safety Adrian Wilson was playing anywhere else, he'd be a household name. His two 99-yard touchdowns this season (one on an interception, the other on a fumble return) might be this season's most remarkable defensive feat.
31.Detroit Lions (2-9) – The way the Lions treated Miami quarterback Joey Harrington in his return (like blaring "Piano Man" on the stadium sound system as he took the field) was shameless. Other than the fan base, this is a franchise that deserves all the hard knocks that come its way.
32.Oakland Raiders (2-9) – First the tuck, now the illegal forward pass. Talk about getting jobbed over crummy NFL rules. Don't be surprised if there is a rule tweak this offseason that says whenever a player spikes a live ball, it's automatically a fumble.
