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Week Eleven Power Rankings

Of the four games I told you to keep an eye on, only one of them actually had a real impact on the rankings, and that was Chicago-Miami. Of course, Miami is having quarterback issues and isn't the toughest crowd to play against, but the Bears proved that they could go on the road and win a meaningful game. For that, they moved up six spots. On the other hand, the Dolphins dropped eight because of coaching stupidity. Seriously, you have a great stable of running backs in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown and a quarterback who hasn't played significant time in over two years, and your game plan is based on throwing the ball 75% of the time? Really??? Hell, Tyler Thigpen wasn't that great throwing the ball when he was getting first-team reps in Kansas City. I didn't believe in all of the rumors coming out of south Florida about Tony Sporano's job security, but after that performance, and Bill Parcells leaving the organization, I wouldn't be surprised if he was done after this year.

The games I'm looking at to shake things up this week are Carolina-Cleveland, Jacksonville-New York Giants, Kansas City-Seattle, Tampa Bay-Baltimore.
As always, feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions or comments by clicking on the "Ask the Doc" link above.

 
1 New England

8-2

 With both teams playing inferior teams on Thanksgiving (New New England at Detroit and the Jets hosting Cincinnati), that week 13 matchup looks to be for the AFC East crown.
2 New York Jets 8-2 Actually, the way the Texans bailed them out, I almost moved them down a couple of spots. If they keep it up, their luck will eventually run out.
3 Pittsburgh 7-3 Just like Pats - Jets, Steelers - Ravens in week 13 could be for the AFC North division and a first round bye in the playoffs.
4 New Orleans 7-3 Their next three games are against teams with a combined record of 9-22 (Dallas, Cincinnati, and St. Louis), before they finish against three that are 22-8 (Baltimore, Atlanta, and Tampa).
5 Philadelphia 7-3 What I found most impressive about their win against the Giants was that they were able to beat a good team without a spectacular game from Mike Vick.
6 Indianapolis 6-4 Don't let the final score fool you, they were severely beaten by the Pats. I didn't penalize them too much, though, because Belichick has always been their Kryptonite.
7 Atlanta 8-2 Judging from the email I get, Falcons' fans hate me. I'll make you a deal, if they beat Green Bay and Tampa Bay in the next two weeks, I'll make sure they're at least in the top five.
8 Baltimore 7-3 The next four games will decide Baltimore's season (Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, at Houston, and New Orleans). If they go 2-2, they could be out of the playoffs.
9 Green Bay 7-3 I like the way the Packers are gaining steam at the right time. Even with a tough schedule down the stretch, I think they walk away with the NFC North (see Chicago).
10 New York Giants 6-4 They have some tough games down the stretch (Atlanta, New England, New York Giants, and Chicago), but i still think they're head and shoulders above anyone else in their division.
11 San Diego 5-5 On the other hand, the Chargers (outside of Indy in week 12) have no real threats left on the schedule. If they don't end up at least 10-6 with a division title, Norv Turner should be fired.
12 Chicago 7-3 In addition to visits to Detroit and Minnesota (neither will be easy), they have the New York Jets, New England, Green Bay, and Philadelphia. They may only win one more game this year.
13 Tampa Bay 7-3 I finally moved them up because they're a good road team, which sounds strange, but that's incredibly rare for a young team. I think it's a sign that the Bucs are better than I thought.
14 Jacksonville 6-4 I have them this high because they're leading the best division, the AFC South, in the league. However, I really question whether they're actually better than any of the other three.
15 Tennessee 5-5 I've never thought of Bud Adams as a good owner, but if he lets Jeff Fisher walk because of his spat with Vince Young, his family should start filling out power-of-attorney papers.
16 Houston 4-6 This team is too talented to lose like they have been. It's time for Gary Kubiak to go, and some coach is going to walk into a great situation next year.
17 Kansas City 6-4 The same can be said for Oakland, but even if they don't win the AFC West this year, they've shown great improvement this year. They're definitely closing the gap on San Diego.
18 Oakland 5-5 A buddy of mine told me last week that I was being too hard on the Raiders, and I thought he might be right. However, Pittsburgh reinforced my original position.
19 Washington 5-5 They are the NFC's version of the Jacksonville. You look at their record and you have no idea how they have as many wins as they do. I still think they'll end up with a top-12 pick.
20 Miami 5-5 Why would anyone devise a game plan that would require a quarterback, who hadn't played in two years, to throw the ball 29 times out of 42 plays - just stupid.
21 Cleveland 3-7 I know, I know, I think too much of the Browns. But, how can you not like this team? They're playing hard, beating teams they shouldn't, and their quarterback is named Colt.
22 Dallas 3-7 There's no doubt about it, they are playing much better under Jason Garrett. But, before you get too giddy, Cowboys' fans, remember that there are still major talent issues.
23 Minnesota 3-7 Sorry Brad Childress, but it had to be done. Getting your ass handed to you by your arch-rival in your own building probably didn't help, and certainly won't look good on your resume.
24 San Francisco 3-7 They're ranked here because they're still the best team in the NFC West. Wait, isn't that like bragging you're the world's tallest midget? Oh yeah, they like to be called "little people."
25 Seattle 5-5 Matt Hasselbeck is just a shell of his former self. There is no doubt in my mind that they will do everything they can in this year's draft to get their quarterback of the future.
26 Buffalo 2-8 Speaking of quarterback situations, I'll be interested to see the long-term plans for Buffalo. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been awesome, but is he "the guy" for the next five years?
27 Cincinnati 2-8 The way that most fans feel about Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, I don't sense a lot  of sympathy from people watching this mess in Cincinnati.
28 Detroit 2-8 They're just not good enough to compete from week-to-week, and you can thank Matt Millen for that. But let me reiterate, they will be good within the next three years...very good.
29 Denver 3-7 I don't think Josh McDaniel survives this offseason. He's 5-13 since his 6-0 start last year, and he got rid of three players that they should be building around. Stupid!
30 St. Louis 4-6 They've lost two in a row, but with only two games left against winning teams, and three left in the division, they could still pull this thing out.
31 Arizona 3-7 I'm actually thinking about moving them below the Panthers. But, since this isn't the most important part of the rankings, I've decided to wait until week 15, when they go to Carolina.
32 Carolina 1-9 I know they just drafted Jimmy Clausen, but they have to take Andrew Luck this year. If there's one thing this franchise has always lacked, it's a true "Face of the Franchise."

Make sure to catch Jimmy Neil  on 1560 The Game. Listen in at 1560thegame.com.