1. San Diego (13-2, Last week’s ranking: 1) – Despite his last minute heroics against the Seahawks, Philip Rivers hasn’t looked good in a month, which should be somewhat concerning to the San Diego brass.

 

2. Baltimore (12-3, Last week’s ranking: 2) – Steve McNair ran an efficient, productive offense against the Steelers, a fact that could lead the Ravens all the way to Miami.

 

3. Chicago (13-2, Last week’s ranking: 3) – Coach Lovie Smith replaces Rex Grossman with Brian Griese in the fourth quarter and the backup promptly leads two scoring drives to help Bears beat Detroit. What this shows is that Grossman can’t afford any slip ups in the playoffs.

 

4. New Orleans (10-5, Last week’s ranking: 5) – It appears Reggie Bush is finally hitting the holes faster as evidenced by his 126-yard performance against the Giants. With Bush and Deuce McAllister in fine form, the Saints have as good a chance as any team in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl.

 

5. New England (11-4, Last week’s ranking: 7) – Tom Brady had one of his better games of the season last Sunday in Jacksonville, directing three long touchdown drives against one of the better defenses in the league.

 

6. Indianapolis (11-4, Last week’s ranking: 4) – It’s hard to believe this team was 9-0 to start the season. Even the Colts’ offense has looked ragged during this 2-4 stretch.

 

7. Philadelphia (9-6, Last week’s ranking: 9) – Most of the attention during Philly’s three straight wins on the road is placed on Jeff Garcia – and rightly so – but the offensive line deserves credit for being such a stabilizing unit all season long.

 

8. Dallas (9-6, Last week’s ranking: 6) – Off all the things that ail the Cowboys right now, what has to top the list is the lack of pass during the team’s last two lopsided losses.

 

9. Denver (9-6, Last week’s ranking: 11) – That 99-yard scoring drive by the Broncos in the third quarter against Cincinnati is all you need to know about Jay Cutler’s ability.

 

10. N.Y. Jets (9-6, Last week’s ranking: 10) – The Jets had an impressive win over the Dolphins, but this isn’t the time to get over confident. While the Raiders – New York’s final opponent of the season – can’t score, their defense is underrated and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

 

11. Tennessee (8-7, Last week’s ranking: 12) – They may not make the playoffs this season, but one thing should remain a priority: The Titans should surround Vince Young with more playmakers and then watch him blossom into a megastar in a hurry.

 

12. Cincinnati (8-7, Last week’s ranking: 8) – From Brad St. Louis’s bad snap on the final extra point, to Carson Palmer missing wide open receivers, to an awful penalty on the onside kick, there’s plenty of blame to go around for the Bengals, who now need a lot of help to make the post-season this year.

 

13. Seattle (8-7, Last week’s ranking: 14) – Backing into another division title is something Seattle coach Mike Holmgren won’t be bragging about anytime soon.

 

14. Kansas City (8-7, Last week’s ranking: 18) – Snapping a three-game losing streak against Oakland will mean little for the Chiefs if that doesn’t equate to a playoff appearance.

 

15. Jacksonville (8-7, Last week’s ranking: 13) – Don’t bury Byron Leftwich’s career in Jacksonville just yet. David Garrard had a golden opportunity to lead the Jaguars into the playoffs and blew it.

 

16. N.Y. Giants (7-8, Last week’s ranking: 16) – It’s incredible how the Giants can still advance to the playoffs despite losing six of their last seven games. But, hey, that’s life in the NFC these days.

 

17. Buffalo (7-8, Last week’s ranking: 19) – I don’t care what your kicker tells you Dick Jauron, attempting a 46-yard field goal into a strong wind in the final minute should’ve been the call. He’s an NFL kicker and is paid to make the tough kicks.

 

18. Atlanta (7-8, Last week’s ranking: 17) – Offensive coordinator Greg Napp has exactly one week to dust off his resume and look for another coaching job.

 

19. Green Bay (7-8, Last week’s ranking: 23) – So did Brett Favre play his last game at Lambeau Field? Don’t hold your breath for a quick answer. It wouldn’t surprise me if he drags out his decision like he did last season.

 

20. St. Louis (7-8, Last week’s ranking: 22) – With Steven Jackson becoming an elite running back this season, I wonder if Bill Parcells is regretting not taking the Rams’ tailback when he had the chance back in 2004.

 

21. Pittsburgh (7-8, Last week’s ranking: 15) – The Steelers do have the players in place to rebound from a dismal season. The question remains whether coach Bill Cowher will be there to see it through.

 

22. Carolina (7-8, Last week’s ranking: 24) – Sixteen weeks into the season and I still find it hard to believe that this team is under .500.

 

23. Miami (6-9, Last week’s ranking: 20) – Is Miami’s franchise quarterback even on its roster? It’ll be interesting to see if coach Nick Saban keeps the status quo in the off-season.

 

24. San Francisco (6-9, Last week’s ranking: 21) – The 49ers should be an improved team at the start of next season but coach Mike Nolan still have some work to do to get his team playing more consistent.

 

25. Minnesota (6-8, Last week’s ranking: 24) – Amazingly, the Vikings could muster only three first downs against the Packers, the lowest total in a game in team history. That should say it all.

 

26. Washington (5-10, Last week’s ranking: 25) – Only one more week before owner Daniel Snyder begins to think about revving up his private jet to lure more high-priced underachieving free agents. Wait, I think I hear the engine starting right now.

 

27. Arizona (5-10, Last week’s ranking: 27) – One of the most overrated stats of week is Edgerrin James surpassing the 1,000 mark for the season. If that were truly impressive, the Cardinals would be a playoff contender heading to the final game of the season.

 

28. Houston (5-10, Last week’s ranking: 29) – I have no smart remarks for the Texans this week. That was a very impressive win over the Colts last Sunday.

 

29. Tampa Bay (4-11, Last week’s ranking: 30) – Despite some new-found success, Tim Rattay is not the quarterback to lead this team into the future.

 

30. Cleveland (4-11, Last week’s ranking: 28) – I was convinced early in the year that the Cleveland organization would give coach Romeo Crennel one more season to turn this franchise around. Now, I’m not so sure.

 

31. Oakland (2-13, Last week’s ranking: 31) – The Raiders haven’t scored more than 14 points in their last eight games. It’s not secret that improving the offense is going to be the team’s top priority in the off-season in order to get out of this five-year abyss.

 

32. Detroit (2-13, Last week’s ranking: 32) – The Millen Man March drew a grand total of 100 people last Sunday, making this season one long amusing punch-line after another to the rest of the league.