Dave Shephard@www.TrevRogers.com

1 (1) Indianapolis Colts (10-0)
This team still have the offense, but what happened to the defense last week? If they clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs - and they should - they may not even need their defense. Think about it - their first two games would be in the RCA Dome, and the Super Bowl is at the Ford Field in Detroit - which will have the roof closed no doubt - giving the Colts three straight indoor games. That’s going to be trouble for any team that has a shot at playing them - just ask the Broncos how well the Colts play at home.

2 (2) Seattle Seahawks (8-2)
That was a much closer game than it should’ve been. The Seahawks should’ve crushed the 49ers, but in the end, a win’s a win, and that’s all that matters. With a win this week against the Giants and a St. Louis loss, the Seahawks can clinch their division. Even if they don’t do it this week, it’ll be done. Could this be the new powerhouse in the NFC?

3 (5) Denver Broncos (8-2)
They’ve got a two game lead over the next closest team in their division (San Diego), but they have to keep playing hard, because they could still be caught - however unlikely that may be. The Broncos are a very balanced team, and barring an all too familiar Plummer melt down, they should make the playoffs. Can they beat the Colts on turf though? Not unless the pass defense starts to improve.

4 (8) San Diego Chargers (6-4)
It’s startling to think that a team this good could very well miss the playoffs entirely. Right now the two wild card spots are between the Chargers (6-4), whoever doesn’t win the AFC North (Pittsburgh 7-3, Cincinnati 7-3), and the Kansas City Chiefs (6-4). They may have to run the table, and that’s going to be difficult as they still have to face Indianapolis. However, if the Broncos lose the right games, the Chargers will have a shot at stealing the division on the last week of the season.

5 (3) Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)
Carson Palmer and the Bengals put on one heck of a show against the Colts, but it just wasn’t enough. Turns out Peyton Manning can still whip the ball around the field and destroy a defense at will. Now the Bengals will have to face the Baltimore Ravens and hope they don’t fall like the Steelers did last week.

6 (6) Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)
They lost to the Ravens in overtime, but they don’t drop any positions because Big Ben is expected back this week. However, going into Indianapolis to take on the Colts makes his return bitter-sweet. If they can somehow pull out the victory (and it’s possible) the Steelers will send a very clear message that they are Super Bowl caliber.

7 (7) New York Giants (7-3)
They pretty much ended the Eagles seasons, and knocked another team out of the NFC East race. However, Eli Manning is going to face one of his most difficult tasks thus far - beating the Seattle Seahawks, the top team in the NFC. If he can pull it off however, the race for home field advantage in the NFC will become completely wide-open again.

8 (9) Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3)
They struggled against the Titans, and that’s not a good sign when you’re fighting for a playoff spot. However, their next game is against Arizona, so the Jags should easily become 8-3. They’ll need it to, because their fighting for a wild card spot. The good thing about being in the AFC South - you get to play the Texans. The bad thing - you have to play the Colts.

9 (10) Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
They sit on top the NFC East - but the rest of the schedule is a dozy, as they only have one losing team left to play. Scheduling could be the very thing that prevents them from winning the division, and it may even keep them out of the playoffs. That being said, we’ll know how good this team really is after Thursday’s game against the Broncos.

10 (13) Chicago Bears (7-3)
The Chicago Bears at 7-3, who would’ve thought? The defense played fantastic against Carolina, dropping Jake Delhomme for 8 sacks, and they’ll look to do the same this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

11 (4) Carolina Panthers (7-3)
All of a sudden the Bucs have caught them in the NFC South playoff race. They got manhandled all day long by the tough Bears defense, and they can’t allow that to continue if they want to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender, as everyone thought they would be at the beginning of the season. This week against Buffalo should be a good bounce back week for the Panthers.

12 (12) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
They may have saved their season with the win over Atlanta, as it puts them in prime position to push for a playoff spot. This team could be very dangerous in the playoffs, they’ve got a head coach with Super Bowl experience (Jon Gruden), and their defense can make plays at any given time - as the Falcons found out last Sunday. This week’s game against a Bears team that completely destroyed Carolina will provide an excellent test to see if the Bucs are playoff worthy.

13 (11) Atlanta Falcons (6-4)
The loss to the Buccaneers last week may be the game that keeps them out of the playoffs, and the remaining schedule isn’t in their favor - they have to play Tampa Bay again, and Carolina twice. The NFC South will come right down to the wire - but the good news is Michael Vick has been playing much better recently. It’ll have to continue if the Falcons want a playoff spot.

14 (16) Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
Well playoffs are unlikely, they’re not completely out of the question either. The Chiefs still have a game left against the Broncos - in Arrowhead. However, they have to be more consistent down the stretch to pose any kind of threat in the AFC West.

15 (17) New England Patriots (6-4)
They should make the playoffs with no problems, their remaining schedule isn’t that tough and Tom Brady can perform under any circumstances. However, with all the injuries they’ve racked up it’s unlikely they’ll be able to defend their title as reigning champions, and what’s worse is they might end up giving it to the Colts.

16 (15) Washington Redskins (5-5)
They’re all but finished for the season. Their faint glimmer of hope will turn into a cloud of misery if they lose this week against the Chargers, as a loss will pretty much seal the deal. 10-6 might not be good enough to make the playoffs in the surprisingly competitive NFC, and that could be the record the Redskins very well end up with.

17 (20) Oakland Raiders (4-6)
All those close games at the beginning of the season have come back to haunt the Raiders, as they look like they’ll miss the playoffs again. This team is better than its record indicates, but that’s not going to matter. You can be the best team in the world, but if you don’t make the playoffs, you’re not going to be able to prove it.

18 (21) Detroit Lions (4-6)
They’re playing the role of spoiler for the rest of the season, attempting to drag down other teams into the depths of hell with them. They’ll get their first chance this week against the Atlanta Falcons, as a loss may be enough to eliminate the Falcons from the playoffs. It would almost definitely eliminate them from NFC South contention.

19 (25) Cleveland Browns (4-6)
The team is still playing hard, and it showed in last week’s shut out of the Miami Dolphins. This team is going to be playoff bound very soon, just as soon as they find a quarterback for their future. Three years from now, I’d be willing to bet we see the Browns over .500 and in the playoffs. Just not this year.

20 (14) Buffalo Bills (4-6)
Ouch… there’s really not much else to say. J.P. Losman didn’t play great by any means, but what about that defense? They let Drew Brees play pitch and catch all day, and they looked like fools doing it. For all the preseason hype - this team really fell apart.

21 (19) Philadelphia Eagles (4-6)
Speaking of pre-season hype and falling apart… I said it last year: The Eagles will not return to the Super Bowl, so they better win it now. They didn’t win it, and they’re not returning to the Super Bowl. Most people (myself included) thought grabbing Terrell Owens was a terrible idea, and that it would come back to haunt them. So it was said, so it was done.

22 (18) Miami Dolphins (3-7)
Welcome to the no-playoff zone, although from last week’s performance, you can tell that they deserve to be there. It wasn’t a great team that shut them out - it was the Cleveland Browns. Nick Saban can only overcome the lack of talent for a certain period of time, and that time has passed.

23 (23) Tennessee Titans (2-8)
They play good enough to just barely lose, as they’ve don all season. They’re a young team, and they will bounce back - eventually. The players who stick around are going to look back on these games later in their careers, after they’ve won some 3 point games. After all, you have to lose before you can win.

24 (30) Minnesota Vikings (5-5)
Even if they miss the playoffs, the season sweep over the hated Green Bay Packers has got to feel good. However, the playoffs aren’t completely out of the question. They’d need a small miracle to make them, but it’s possible. Doubtful, but possible.

25 (29) Arizona Cardinals (3-7)
At least Kurt Warner has one thing to be happy about - he went back to St. Louis. And beat the Rams. If the rest of the season is a waste (and it is), he can always be thankful for that one victory. It doesn’t seem to matter how much talent you put on the Arizona Cardinals - they just can’t seem to win.

26 (27) Baltimore Ravens (3-7)
A win over the Steelers, even without Ben Roethlisberger, is enough to boost the Ravens slightly. That being said, this team is not who we thought they were at the start of the season. Jamal Lewis is a shadow of his former self, and even the defense has had numerous let downs during the season. Time to rebuild, or at least find a quarterback.

27 (26) New Orleans Saints (2-8)
They made a game of it against the New England Patriots, but they just didn’t have enough gas left in the tank to pull of the upset. They could’ve made one of the greatest sports stories of all time, but the team couldn’t pull together and do it. It’s hard to blame them though, considering they’ve had all of 0 home games this year. San Antonio just doesn’t feel the same.

28 (24) Green Bay Packers (2-8)
Oh Favre you came back for this? Why’d you come back? Anyone looking at the Green Bay defense could’ve told you this was going to happen. You can’t really account for the injuries, and the Packers are better than a 2-8 team when healthy - but not by much.

29 (22) St. Louis Rams (4-6)
It’s tough to put anyone below the Packers, but if you’re the team that loses to the Arizona Cardinals - this is where you belong. Kurt Warner cast the last wave of water on the dying flame that was the Rams playoff hopes. With Marc Bulger down, the Rams are playing for next year.

30 (28) New York Jets (2-8)
What a season this has been. People expected a return to the playoffs, and here’s where they end up. 2-8, out of the playoffs, rebuilding - despite having a fundamentally talented team. They may be able to salvage some pride this week against the New Orleans Saints, but if not, they still have two games against the Patriots coming up.

31 (31) San Francisco 49ers (2-8)
Almost… almost pulled off what would’ve been a huge upset, and a big hit on Seattle’s playoff hopes. Unfortunately, almost just isn’t good enough, and it’s been a year of “almost” for the 49ers. They almost won a few games, they were almost better than USC - almost. Maybe next year.

32 (32) Houston Texans (1-9)
Here’s the good news - they’re playing the team the Arizona Cardinals beat last week. Here’s the bad news - they’re still the Houston Texans. The expansion franchise still has yet to get off the ground, and it may be some time before they can do that. I wonder if David Carr will still be around by then?

About the Author

Dave Shephard writes for TrevRogers Sports, which can be found at www.TrevRogers.com.