One-two punch
The big show has arrived. For at least a few quarters, anyway.
For now, the Christmas Eve matchup between Indianapolis and Seattle gives us the Super Bowl appetizer – a nice, late-season snack serving the class of the AFC and NFC and featuring the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the rankings. While the Colts aren't planning to play their starters late into the game, it wouldn't be a shock to see it happen anyway. Pride tends to take over in big-game situations.
As for the bottom of the rankings, some shuffling has finally taken place, as Houston surrendered its hammer lock on the basement. The Jets now have that honor, but with Houston and San Francisco poised for a season-ending train wreck, Herm Edwards' club will have to fight hard to keep its dubious spot.
THE TOP 12
1.Indianapolis Colts (13-1) – If this was a young, fragile team, you'd worry about the loss to San Diego. But it will simply give the Colts something to chew on before the playoffs. This is still the NFL's best team.
2.Seattle Seahawks (12-2) – Seattle gets its shot at the No. 1 spot in the rankings this week. And since the Colts will at least begin the game with their starters, the Seahawks will get a legitimate chance.
3.Denver Broncos (11-3) – With a solid finish, Jake Plummer deserves a Pro Bowl nod. His touchdown total may not be has fancy as some other quarterbacks, but Plummer's production and efficiency put him among the top five or six quarterbacks in the NFL at this point.
4.Cincinnati Bengals (11-3) – Peyton Manning has been good, but Carson Palmer is the NFL's Most Valuable Player. It's his award to lose the rest of this season.
5.New York Giants (10-4) – The use of Brandon Jacobs as New York's goal-line running back has cost Tiki Barber touchdowns, and in turn, will cost him some MVP votes. But he's just as valuable to his team as Carson Palmer is to the Bengals and Peyton Manning is to the Colts.
6.San Diego Chargers (9-5) – The Indy win was impressive, but it only makes the Miami loss more haunting. The Chargers could end up with 11 wins and still miss the playoffs.
7.Chicago Bears (10-4) – The decision to make Rex Grossman the starting quarterback was an easy one. But Kyle Orton shouldn't be buried. For a rookie, he performed admirably at times. And the fact that he's going to get better should bode well for the Bears' quarterback position in the future.
8.New England Patriots (9-5) – Everyone is talking about Tedy Bruschi with the defensive revival, but Rosevelt Colvin has meant just as much. The chaos he's creating is translating into some increased production for teammates, too.
9.Carolina Panthers (10-4) – Rod Gardner's release was no surprise. He was a massive bust. Now the Panthers will go back to the drawing board at the No. 2 receiver spot this offseason. They don't have the cap room, but Reggie Wayne sure would look nice next to Steve Smith.
10.Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5) – With Cleveland and Detroit left on the schedule, the Steelers should skip to the playoffs. But if they falter in the next two weeks, they don't deserve to be in the postseason.
11.Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) – This team needs Byron Leftwich to make any noise in the playoffs. David Garrard is just good enough to beat bad teams.
12.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5) – The last thing the Buccaneers needed was to lose Kenyatta Walker to a knee injury. Losing Tampa's top pass blocker only means more headaches for Chris Simms.
RISING
Washington Redskins (8-6) – Hold the phone. The Redskins have their hands on a playoff berth. All they have to do is hang on. How old is offensive lineman Ray Brown? He once blocked for a backfield of Neil Lomax and Ottis Anderson.
THE MUDDLED MIDDLE (in alphabetical order)
Atlanta Falcons (8-6) – Anyone else think Jim Mora Jr. looks like his head is going to pop sometimes? He definitely has his father's genes ("PLAYOFFS!?").
Baltimore Ravens (5-9) – If Kyle Boller finishes the season with a flash, it makes the Ravens' debate at quarterback a whole lot more difficult. Then again, that's a good thing. Boller won't be 25 until the offseason, and Boller playing well is what the Ravens need more than anything else.
Buffalo Bills (4-10) – Mike Mularkey may not have done it on purpose, but leaning on an infamous Hank Bullough line about "taking the sail out of your wind" isn't exactly encouraging. There's nothing like recalling the scars of the most disappointing points in franchise history.
Cleveland Browns (5-9) – Romeo Crennel shouldn't get the award, but it would be a nice to see him get a few votes for Coach of the Year. He deserves a little tip of the cap for keeping the Browns competitive almost all season long. Just wait until he has a healthy roster of his own players.
Dallas Cowboys (8-6) – Cue the questions about whether Bill Parcells will walk away if the Cowboys miss the playoffs. It's not going to happen. He loves this team more than he will admit.
Detroit Lions (4-10) – Sunday's fan revolt mirrored the Lions' season – big on promise and short on delivery. As for Dick Jauron, he may want to remain the head coach, but he's not the right fit, either.
Kansas City Chiefs (8-6) – The tackling against the Giants was an absolute joke. That may be the crushing loss that seals Dick Vermeil's retirement.
Miami Dolphins (7-7) – The offensive production has risen almost 10 points per game since coordinator Scott Linehan left the coaching box for the sideline. But before everyone gets too excited, consider that three of the four games have come against also-rans Oakland, Buffalo and the Jets.
Minnesota Vikings (8-6) – I have heard some lame excuses after losses, but Mike Tice's complaints about the Metrodome's JumboTron operators took it to a new level.
Oakland Raiders (4-10) – It's been overshadowed by a season of ugliness, but LaMont Jordan has had a solid season. And while his 3.8-yards-per-carry average hasn't been stellar, his offensive line hasn't exactly opened a lot of holes.
Philadelphia Eagles (6-8) – The critics should get off Donovan McNabb's back already. When healthy, he's one of the NFL's top quarterbacks. Period.
St. Louis Rams (5-9) – The Mike Martz buyout is only a matter of time. It shouldn't drag on further than the first week of January.
Tennessee Titans (4-10) – Injuries and suspension have made Travis Henry's first season in Tennessee a washout. He still has the ability, but Henry's productive days are beginning to fade from memory.
FALLING
Arizona Cardinals (4-10) – Losing Kurt Warner for the remainder of the season is the capper. At the very least, he was giving the Cardinals something to look forward to heading into the offseason.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
28.Green Bay Packers (3-11) – Honestly, you have to pity this team after it lost Samkon Gado on Monday night. But cheer up, Packers fans. At least you've won the right to audition Rod Gardner for two games.
29.New Orleans Saints (3-11) – Jim Haslett can say whatever he wants about wanting to coach this team next season. The demand for a contract extension is the crowbar he's using to pry himself free of Tom Benson's disaster.
30.Houston Texans (2-12) – After fourth-quarter collapses led to three straight losses by a combined 10 points, Houston finally put one away in the first half. Now we can put to bed those conspiracy theories about throwing games for the No. 1 pick.
31.San Francisco 49ers (2-12) – A win would be nice, but first things first. Alex Smith has got to get at least one touchdown pass before the end of the season.
32.New York Jets (3-11) – Brooks Bollinger is starting to look like a silver lining to the season. At the very least, the Jets know they have some talent to work with if they can't find a more palatable alternative at quarterback.
