Foxboro Blog Top 12: Week 15

Very surprisingly, two of last week’s top four teams took a tumble in Week 15.  That means that the Patriots, who I assumed would be stuck at the #5 spot for the rest of the year will now get an opportunity to move up a bit.  That’s the good news for New England.  The bad news is that their path to the Super Bowl now likely runs through the teams that hold the #1 and #2 spots in our rankings.  The Pats certainly were able to overcome their woes on the road this past Sunday against Buffalo, but that’s a whole lot different that winning in San Diego and Indianapolis.  Onto the rankings…

Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
1		2	1	14-0	vs. Jets
		The Colts get the #1 spot in the rankings by virtue of being the only undefeated team remaining.  I’m really pulling for the Jets or Bills to end this thing once and for all.  When the Pats went 16-0, they had one close call. Indy’s had about 7 by my count.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
2		3	1	11-3	@ Titans
		The best team in football right now.  However, undefeated is undefeated. I’ll give Indy their week in the sun, but don’t be surprised to see SD at the top of the pile when everything is said and done.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
3		4	2	13-1	vs. Buccaneers
		Losing a game could be the best thing for the Saints.  Trust me, that pressure can be brutal and probably wouldn’t help New Orleans’ Super Bowl chances.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
4		5	1	9-5	@ Jaguars
		The Patriots are looking better every week.  That trend better continue if they hope to make it past the divisional round of the playoffs.  Baby steps are the key for this young defense.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
5		6	1	10-4	vs. Broncos
		This could certainly be a Super Bowl season for the Eagles and their potent offense.  The question is whether their D is championship-caliber.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
6		4	2	11-3	@ Bears
		It’s been two very ugly losses in the past three games for the Vikings.  That’s not something you want to see as the playoffs approach.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
7		7	N/A	9-5	@ Chiefs
		The Bengals held serve with the Chargers last week. They probably lack the polish for a long playoff run, but that didn’t stop Arizona last year.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
8		11	3	9-5	@ Redskins
		That loud noise you heard last Saturday was a collective sigh of relief from the Cowboys nation when their season was saved by defeating the previously undefeated Saints.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
9		10	1	9-5	vs. Seahawks
		The Pack lost a close contest to Pittsburgh, which kept hope alive for a Green Bay/Minnesota divisional round game.  In my book, there are nine teams with a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl this year.  The Packers are the last in the crop.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
10		8	2	9-5	vs. Rams
		The Cardinals followed a loss to the Niners with a non-dominant effort against the Lions.  They can try to reverse the trend against the Rams this week.  All I can say is that struggling against the bottom-feeders is not a good sign for your chances in the playoffs against the league’s elite.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
11		12	1	8-6	@ Steelers
		I’d rather see the Patriots fall to #4 and play the Colts in the second round over San Diego.  On the other hand, I’m not overly happy about playing Baltimore, who legitimately seems on track for the top Wild Card spot..
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
12		N/A	N/A	7-7	vs. Ravens
		Pittsburgh kept its ailing season alive last week.  This Sunday, Baltimore is on tap.  Not only will one of these teams be bounced from the Top 12 by next week, but one may also be dropped from the playoff picture as well. Regular season games don’t get much bigger than this!