Foxboro Blog Top 12: Week 13

This is a Top 12 first – no movement at all for the top half of the board.  I guess that’s what happens when you have an undefeated team and the five teams below them all winning by healthy margins. In other news, the Raiders and Bears made me look like a fool last week, opening the door for a New York resurgence.
 

Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
1		1	0	12-0	vs. Raiders
		Much like the Patriots in 2007, as the weather takes a turn, we can expect some closer games for the Packers from here on out.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
2		2	0	9-3	@ Redskins
		I was tempted to knock down the Patriots for the final score, but the truth of the matter is that they were up on Indy 31-3 in the fourth after playing offensive players on defense.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
3		3	+1	9-3	vs. Colts
		The Ravens finally decided to not play down to the level of their inferior competition.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
4		4	0	9-3	@ Titans
		New Orleans continues to hang tough and fight for the bye week with the NFC South all but wrapped up.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
5		5	0	10-2	@ Cardinals
		San Fransisco continues to hold serve on the #2 seed, knocking out win after win.  Now they have to avoid falling into the same trap that Dallas did last week.  I’m thinking they’ll be ok.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
6		6	0	9-3	vs. Browns
		There’s four 9-3 powers in the AFC and any one of them could earn the #1 seed.  Pittsburgh has one tough game left – @SF.  If the Ravens drop a game, and the Steelers beat the Niners, then Pittsburgh would have the tie-breaker over New England and get homefield throughout.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
7		9	+2	9-3	@ Bengals
		Give credit to the Texans.  They are down two quarterbacks but are still giving the AFC elite all they can handle in the standings.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
8		8	-1	7-5	@ Panthers
		The Falcons are essentially playing for a wild card after faltering in Houston.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
9		12	+3	7-5	vs. Bears
		The Broncos are just winning.  At this point, you could argue that only Green Bay is hotter.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
10		8	-2	7-5	vs. Texans
		Cincy is going to have a rough time making the playoffs if they go 0-4 against the Ravens and Steelers.  They’ll have an even harder time going anywhere in the playoffs if they can’t can’t beat them either.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
11		N/A	N/A	6-6	@ Dallas
		The Giants have had a brutal schedule and performed quite admirably against the Top 2 teams on the board.  That counts for something even if they’ve dropped 4 straight.  It’s all about beating Dallas twice for them now.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
12		N/A	N/A	7-5	vs. Chiefs
		Ugh.  Just when you thought they were dead…