Foxboro Blog Top 12: Week 11

The quicker they rise, the quicker they fall.  The Giants, who had a meteoric rise from off the board to the #2 spot in a matter of weeks, have plummeted 8 spots following their loss to Philly.  With games looming against New Orleans and Green Bay, they may not be long for the Top 12.  Echoing those sentiments are the Lions, who join the Bills as unexpected contenders who have cooled off as the leaves turned colors.  Then there are the faithful Packers, Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, and Saints who have dominated the top half of the board for much of this season.  It’s not an overly exciting week for the Top 12, but with QB’s dropping like flies there’s plenty room for debate regarding the rankings this week.  Hopefully Week 12 will shed some light on how things should truly stand.
 

Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
1		1	0	10-0	@ Lions
		The Packers could be set up for a fall this coming week against Detroit.  I think the Lions will play them tough, but too many people are expecting the upset.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
2		2	0	9-1	@ Ravens
		This next game is a huge test for the Niners.  Beat Baltimore, and no one will be able to doubt them any longer.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
3		5	+2	7-3	@ Eagles
		The Patriots’ defense has been slowly getting better week by week.  At this point, given their play and remaining schedule, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t take the AFC’s top seed.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
4		7	+3	7-3	vs. 49ers
		Baltimore has served its time for losing to Seattle, and can now take their rightful place above the Steelers, who they beat twice.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
5		4	-1	7-3	@ Chiefs
		You could argue that the Steelers should be above the Pats, but they lost to the Ravens twice, who lost to Seattle, Tennessee, and Jacksonville.  The Patriots haven’t lost a game this year when they’ve actually hung on to the ball.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
6		6	0	7-3	vs. Giants
		This game could have huge playoff implications for the Saints.  It could be the difference between heading to San Fran or Lambeau in the divisional round.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
7		8	+1	6-4	vs. Bengals
		Give credit to the Bengals, they hung tough with Pittsburgh and Baltimore. However, they will likely need to beat one of those teams to eventually wrap up the last AFC wild card spot.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
8		11	+3	6-4	vs. Vikings
		The Falcons are hanging around, staying alive, and waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting powerhouse in the playoffs.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
9		10	+1	7-3	@ Raiders
		The Bears would be up near the top of the board if they hadn’t lost their quarterback.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
10		9	-1	7-3	@ Jaguars
		Ditto.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
11		3	-8	6-4	@ Saints
		@ New England, @ San Fran, @ New Orleans, vs. Green Bay.  With those surrounding games, that loss to Philly on Sunday was inexcusable for the Giants.  They absolutely needed to seize that opportunity.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
12		N/A	N/A	6-4	vs. Dolphins
		I truly believe the Giants are better, but if the remaining schedule is any indication, the NFC East may very well run through Dallas.