NFL Power Rankings Week 12

Whadaya know? I'm getting the rankings up before any of the games this week! It's week one of the NFL network sticking it to the majority of NFL fans as two 10-1 teams face of on their over-priced, under-available station! Some of my friends are going to a bar to watch the game, but I won't give the No Football the Live network the satisfaction. I call for a boycott! The greatness of the NFL used to be that everyone could see their games. Now they are going the way of MLB, and I don't like it one bit! But I digress. On to the real reason for this post: Just My Opinion: Just The Facts Power Rankings:

1)New England (11-0) Last week: 1

Philly actually made NE look mortal! They found a weakness in the NE defense: the in route! Of course, this just means that Jedi Master Belichick (or is he Sith? I suppose that depends on which team you root for) will devise a way to stop it. He is like the robot on The Incredibles: When you find a way to defeat it, it finds a way to overcome it. I considered dropping NE to #2 following this poor defensive performance, but I didn't think that GB or Dallas could overcome Brady and Co. So here they stay, at #1.

2)Dallas (10-1) Last week: 2

Shame on you for piling it on! 34-3 over the hapless Jets! (Oh, wait, you don't play in Foxboro, so it's ok if you do it.) The big show-down is this week! You're playing to force GB to come to Dallas in the postseason. You certainly don't want to have to head to the frozen tundra in January! Your secondary is suspect, but without a running game to keep you honest, you should be able to defeat Favre and the Packers. I think you'll win by 4.

3)Green Bay (10-1) Last week: 3

Had you beaten Detroit like Dallas beat the Jets you might actually have visited the #2 spot this week, but you allowed Kitna a chance to win! If you want to defeat Romo, you can't give him the same opportunity, he'll capitalize.

4)Jacksonville (8-3) Last week: 4

You are one of the participants in the best game that people will actually see this week as you showdown against your division rival the Colts! Garrard is approaching an NFL record of most passing attempts without and INT! You're firing on all cylinders and I think you leave Indy after handing Peyton "False Start" Manning his third loss of the season!

5)Indianapolis (9-2) Last week: 5

Shame on you for piling it on! 34-13 over the hapless Falcons! (Oh, wait, you don't play in Foxboro, so it's ok if you do it. And it was ok when you did it in 2004 and 2005, too. But again, not a team run by Belichick, not a team from NE, it's acceptable.) Still no Harrison, no Freeny, not looking like you once did. You are struggling (and losing) to teams that you shouldn't be (TN, HOU, SD). I believe (yes, and hope) you fall into the grouping of the 9-3 after this week!

6)Pittsburgh (8-3) Last week: 5

Welcome back to the top 5. You beat Miami 3-0 and normally winning by such a small margin over a team that may go 0-16 would plummet you on the list (maybe even off the list!) But no one can fault you in a game where a punt hit the ground and stuck like a javelin! You're ground crew falls a few notches, but you over came the swamp that they called a field, the rain, and the fish to win the game. That is no small feat.

7)Detroit (6-5) Last week: 8

For the second week in a row you've lost the game and moved up in the power rankings! Having a chance to win on Turkey day over Green Bay when you were down by three scores is something to be proud of. You couldn't close the deal, but the fact that there was even some doubt raises you up to #7.

8)New York Giants (7-4) last week: 6

Four interceptions. Three run back for six points! I could understand it if you were playing your brother, or that team that piles it on... but no one, no one should lose 41-17 to the Vikings! Is this yet another late season collapse? Should NY be looking for a new QB? Looks like the little brother isn't going to live up to the hype!

9)Cleveland (7-4) Last week: 10

Cleveland has moved up! The first time in team history they are at #9! I don't think anyone thought the Browns would be 7-4 at this point in the season. I also don't think anyone thought they'd be in the top 5 for total points scored! And their back up QB is Brady Quinn! I expect more great things from this team!

10)Tampa Bay (7-4) Last week: 9

You beat Washington by only 6. If you are as good as the "experts" are claiming, it never should have been that close. With Cleveland's success and your difficulty with the Redskins, you two switch places. At least you're still on the list!

Off: None: There weren't any truly impressive performances by any of the fringe teams (SEA, SD, StL (just kidding)) and no massive monumental collapses (save perhaps the Giants) that caused anyone to fall off, so the brotherhood of ten remains.

Miami still remains winless! As Miami was the last team to go undefeated, the sheer poetry of the possibility that the Patriots may match that record (technically break it, as the 'fins did it when they only played 14 games per season) in the same season that Miami matches Tampa Bay's infamous 0-16 season is priceless! I'm pulling for both! Miami's best shot at a win is this week when the 2-9 Jet's visit ProPlayer Stadium. (I never thought I'd say this..) Go Jet's!