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The Ultimate Source for your Ph.D. in Pigskin |
| 2008
Week Thirteen Power Rankings Well, we're down to the final quarter of the season, and the playoff picture isn't much clearer than it was at the beginning of the season. There are three divisions in which every team is at .500 or better, and with two of those divisions in the NFC, it means that we could have a couple of 10-6 teams that don't make the playoffs. San Diego, at 4-8, could still realistically win the AFC West. The Tennessee Titans, who sit at 11-1, might not even be the best team in their division. And then there's the NFC North, where anyone who has an advantage eagerly gives it up to a division rival like the French in World War II. But that's the goal of parity, folks. Get used to it. And when you think about it, it certainly makes the last three or four weeks of the season much more entertaining.
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| 1 |
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New York Giants (11-1) | With every passing week, they prove that they are distancing themselves from the rest of the league. | |
| 2 |
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Tennessee (11-1) | I know it was the Lions, but it sure looks like their running game is back after being very ineffective for three weeks. | |
| 3 |
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Pittsburgh (9-3) | The Steelers' defense is playing about as good as any defense I've seen since the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | |
| 4 |
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Indianapolis (8-4) | With Cincy, Detroit, and Jacksonville coming up, look for an 11-4 record going into their last game against Tennessee. | |
| 5 |
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Tampa Bay (9-3) | It's great to see true professionals Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber, and Warrick Dunn on a winning team with a chance to go deep in the playoffs. | |
| 6 |
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Dallas (8-4) | Wins over San Francisco and Seattle hardly impress me, but this weekend's tilt with Dallas should provide a good measuring stick for the 'Boys. | |
| 7 |
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New York Jets (8-4) | I won't penalize them too much for losing to the Broncos after such a tough and emotional win over the Titans in week 12. | |
| 8 |
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Carolina (9-3) | Very, very quietly, DeAngelo Williams is putting up a Pro Bowl-caliber season. | |
| 9 |
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Washington (7-5) | With an already struggling offense, the last thing the Redskins need is a trip to Baltimore. Trust me, Jim Zorn isn't getting much sleep this week. | |
| 10 |
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New England (7-5) | The biggest surprise in the loss to the Steelers was the way their defense was pushed around - very un-Belichick like. | |
| 11 |
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Baltimore (8-4) | Their next three games - Washington, Pittsburgh, and Dallas, could be the end to their Cinderella season. | |
| 12 |
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Atlanta (8-4) | Why is Michael Turner not getting more attention in the race for MVP? | |
| 13 |
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Denver (7-5) | Just when I think I have this team figured out, they pull a complete 180...whether it's for better or worse. | |
| 14 |
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Philadelphia (6-5-1) | Obviously, the benching of Donovan McNabb was a wake-up call for everyone. Let's see how long it lasts. | |
| 15 |
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Arizona (7-5) | If the Cardinals are to take the next step, they have to learn to win on the road....or at least show up. | |
| 16 |
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Minnesota (7-5) | Adrian Peterson is an absolute beast! Unfortunately, that trait may cut about three or four years off of his career. | |
| 17 |
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New Orleans (6-6) | As much as I like the way Drew Brees is playing, the Most Valuable Player just can't come from a .500 team. | |
| 18 |
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Miami (7-5) | While criticizing their ugly win against the Rams last week, I remembered this team won one game last year. What a great job by Tony Sporano. | |
| 19 |
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Buffalo (6-6) | After their performance against the 49ers, stick a fork in them - they're done. | |
| 20 |
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San Diego (4-8) | I officially hate this team. Seriously, I've never been more wrong about a preseason evaluation of any organization. | |
| 21 |
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Houston (5-7) | Matt Schaub has four games to prove that he's the long-term solution at quarterback for the Texans. | |
| 22 |
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Green Bay (5-7) | You simply can't give away games when you're involved in a tight divisional race, and only one team will get into the postseason. | |
| 23 |
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Chicago (6-6) | The Bears' have a really good defense about 95 percent of the time. The problem is that their offense can;t make up for the other 5 percent. | |
| 24 |
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Jacksonville (4-8) | After watching them firsthand, there is no doubt in my mind that the Jags have quit on their coach. | |
| 25 |
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San Francisco (4-8) | The York's will make another in a long line of mistakes if they don't retain Mike Singletary as the 49ers' coach. | |
| 26 |
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Cleveland (4-8) | Let the courting of Bill Cowher begin.... | |
| 27 |
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Kansas City (2-10) | ....and at the same time, how can Herm Edwards' job be safe. | |
| 28 |
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Seattle (2-10) | Hearing about Mike Holmgren's impassioned Thanksgiving speech to his players makes me realize was a great guy the NFL will lose this season. | |
| 29 |
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Oakland (3-9) | All that money on skill players and nobody to block for them. | |
| 30 |
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Cincinnati (1-10-1) | Being in stripes is is appropriate for the Bengals because all they're doing now is stealing from their fans. | |
| 31 |
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St. Louis (2-10) | They're not very good, but at least they're still fighting.... | |
| 32 |
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Detroit (0-12) | ....which is more than I can say for the Lions. |
