32. Carolina Panthers 1-8

Brian St. Pierre was 13 for 28 for 173 yards (88 of which came on one play), 1 touchdown, and two cover losing TAINTs. Take away that 88 yarder to Gettis, and he was 12 for 27 for 85 yards, 0 touchdowns, and two TAINTs. That being said, that’s about what we were to expect from him. Just about everyone knows his story by now.

St. Pierre is a career journeyman backup who had 5 career attempts in 8 career starts, 2 completions for 12 yards, a touchdown, and a pick. St. Pierre didn’t go through a training camp and was not planning to play this season, instead staying home with his toddler as a stay at home dad. He hadn’t even been through an NFL practice since January as the Cardinals 3^rd stringer. Considering the circumstances, he didn’t do a horrible job.

However, John Fox should have been fired on the spot for bringing in St. Pierre to start over rookie Tony Pike. Fox’s move was clearly an eff you to the organization. Fox knows he’s gone after the season with his contract running up and his team 1-8 on the season. So he doesn’t care about what happens to the franchise.

He doesn’t care what rookie Tony Pike can do for a team, because he’s not going to be there next year. He was doing this all season long, starting Matt Moore over Jimmy Clausen, the 2010 2^nd round pick and a potential franchise quarterback.

Fox justified the action by mentioning the time he brought the 43-year-old Vinny Testaverde out of retirement in to start in 2007. However, that was for a winning team. Not some time with nothing left to play for. And Testaverde was a 45,000 career yard passer. St. Pierre was a 12 career yard passer. St. Pierre himself mentioned he was uncomfortable by the Testaverde reference.

For undermining the organization, Fox needs to be fired and replaced with an interim coach who is willing to evaluate their youth for the rest of the season.

31. Cincinnati Bengals 2-8

This entire team has given up. This team doesn’t have the high character nucleus to keep at it when times get tough and as a result, they’ve absolutely given up. Even when they led 28-7 over the Bills this week, I didn’t think, this team looks like a team that deserves to win another game, and at the end of the day, they didn’t win the game, blowing the lead in epic fashion to lose 49-31 to a team that just a week earlier didn’t have a win.

They need a new leader, specifically at head coach and quarterback. Carson Palmer is owed a ton of money for next season and Marvin Lewis isn’t under contract for next year so it’s very likely that both of those years are going to be gone and that’s for the good of this franchise.

30. Arizona Cardinals 3-7

I asked this question last week, but I’ll ask it again, how has this team won 3 games? They looked horrendous in their 31-13 loss to the lowly Chiefs, a loss that was not as close as the score would indicate. The Cardinals were dominated for most of the game, with the exception of their 3-0 early lead, and just looked absolutely terrible in all facets of the game, passing offense, rushing offense, all forms of defense.

Their remaining schedule has vs. San Francisco, vs. St. Louis, vs. Denver, at Carolina, vs. Dallas, and @ San Francisco. That’s not an impressive schedule at all, but I wouldn’t bet on this team to win any of those games, even against Carolina. Traveling 3 time zones to play an equally miserable Carolina team is a game they could very easily lose. Jimmy Clausen is better than anything the Cardinals have at quarterback.

29. Buffalo Bills 2-8

The Bills have won two straight and might have taken themselves out of the running for Andrew Luck. D’oh! They now have as many wins as the Bengals, one fewer than the Cardinals (who might not win another game), and one more than the Panthers, all 3 of whom could take Luck if they had the chance. Not to mention 2 win Detroit, who could trade with a team looking for Luck, and keep him away from Buffalo if Buffalo were picking below them. And the Bills would be out of Luck (pun intended).

That would leave them with the choice between reaching for Ryan Mallett or Jake Locker, both of which have major issues and might not be worth a top 5 pick, or going another year with Ryan Fitzpatrick. I think in that case, you give Fitzy another year with an improved defense and see where that gets you. Fitzy’s really grown on me in the past few weeks. Not loving him as a quarterback, but I do see the talent. After all, I wouldn’t be calling him Fitzy if I didn’t think he had some potential.

28. Detroit Lions 2-8

What happened to the fighting Lions that had dignity and wouldn’t let themselves lose by more than a touchdown? The Lions had their single biggest loss of the season last week, and it was to 3 win Dallas. A week before, they lost to the previous winless Bills.

This team doesn’t have that same fight in them that they after Stafford went down the first time. With Stafford out once again, a 3^rd major injury in 2 years for the 2009 1^st overall pick, they lack life and fight. They can only hope Stafford doesn’t become Greg Oden 2.0.

27. Dallas Cowboys 3-7

Where was this 3 weeks ago? Since the firing of Wade Phillips, the Cowboys have only committed 2 turnovers and have 692 total yards of offense. You can’t say the same thing about their defense, 818 yards of offense allowed in 2 games, but it’s tough to bring production out of a defense with no talent.

Garrett is an offensive guy and he’s getting it out of his offense, even without Romo. And more importantly, they’re winning even though they’re getting out-gained. They’re not shooting themselves in the foot and their playing efficiently, outscoring their opponents 68-39.

26. Minnesota Vikings 3-7

I wouldn’t be surprised if Brett Favre retired this week. There’s nothing left for him in the NFL and he is a selfish. His selfishness is also what makes him great and competitive. He wants to be the guy. He wants to be out there on the field. He wants to win. Those are the priorities for him. He’s not a for the good of the team guy; he’s a for the good of himself guy, again not necessarily a bad thing as a quarterback.

He has set every major passing record in the NFL, the good and the bad. His team can’t make the playoffs this year and he’s a 41 year old man with a severely banged up body and a 3-7 team who isn’t producing on the field. There’s nothing left for him and I don’t think he’s the type of guy who is going to sit around to make people feel good when there’s nothing left for him. All I can see him sticking around for is to make 300 straight starts. But, if he’s benched, forget about it.

Also this week, Brad Childress was fired. With the Vikings officially out of it, 4 back of the Packers and losing the tiebreaker, so essentially 5 games out with 6 to go, they needed to go a different direction at coach. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Leslie Frazier, and more importantly, I haven’t heard bad things about him like I have with Childress, namely that his players hate him. When Percy Harvin got into a fight with Childress, the players took Harvin’s side. Bad sign. Love the move to fire him. It should have happened a few years ago.

As much as I hate to agree with Matt Millen, I think Favre needs to remain the starter the rest of the way because he gives them the best chance to win. The answer at quarterback isn’t on the roster anywhere. I personally loved the exchange between Millen and Steve Young when debating this issue.

Millen said to Young “you don’t have any idea what goes on in that freaking locker room.” Interesting. I seem to remember Steve Young spending a lot of time in locker rooms, about 14 years, as he won 3 Super Bowls and was elected to the Hall of Fame. He might not know what goes on in that exact locker room, but he probably has a better idea than Millen, whose claim to fame in football is being arguably the worst GM in NFL history and the architect behind the NFL’s first and only 0-16 team.

25. Denver Broncos 3-7

The Broncos’ embarrassing Monday Night loss to the clearly superior San Diego Chargers essentially eliminated them from contention, dropping them to 3-7. This means Josh McDaniels and the Broncos are 5-15 in their last 20, after that fluke 6-2 start to 2009.

I have never been a McDaniels supporter, in fact, on these power rankings, I repeatedly said that the Broncos weren’t as good as their record showed when they started off hot in 2009, much to the dissatisfaction of Broncos fans. However, I haven’t bashed him in a while so I think I’ll do that today.

I’m not going to bash him as a quarterbacks coach. He’s done amazing work with Kyle Orton, just like he did with Tom Brady. His skills as a quarterbacks coach were never doubted by me, but his ability to lead an entire team and more important be their GM and make player personnel decisions, is lacking, in my opinion.

First let’s start with the good. The move to flip Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton, 2 1^st round picks, and a 3^rd rounder was genius. Orton, alone, is better than Cutler right now. I bashed that move when it happened, but I’m going back on that now.

Now, to everything he’s done wrong. How about those high draft picks? He had a lot of them. What did he do with them? He used the 12^th overall pick in 2009 on Knowshon Moreno. I contended when they made the pick, that they could have gotten Moreno at 18, when they picked next with Chicago’s selection, and I don’t like the idea of using first rounders on running backs in the first place, but I didn’t mind the move. 18 or so months later, Moreno is an oft injured back with a 3.7 YPC. I’m not declaring him a bust yet, but it’s not looking good.

With that 18^th pick, Mickey D drafted Robert Ayers, who I immediately said would not fit their 3-4 scheme. I was right. Ayers has 38 career tackles and 1.5 career sacks as a rush linebacker and doesn’t look like the elite pass rushing specialist they thought he’d be.

In the 2^nd round, they acquired another pick, which they used on Alphonso Smith. The catch, that pick was a future first rounder, what turned out to be the 14^th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft (for the record the Seahawks used in on Earl Thomas who is having a very good rookie year).

Of course, Smith has grown into a great ball hawker and he’s no slouch in coverage, but he’s doing it for Detroit. McDaniels gave up on Smith after one year and swapped him to Detroit for tight end Dan Gronkowski, who, for the record, was the 255^th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He has 6 catches for 43 yards this season. Smith has 5 catches this year. As a cornerback. Those 5 picks tie him for 3^rd in the league (oddly enough with Earl Thomas).

With that extra 3^rd round pick they got from Chicago, they were able to move up from the 3^rd into the late 2^nd and take, Richard Quinn. Quinn is a blocking tight end that likely would have been around in the 3^rd, if not in the 5^th. Quinn, who caught 12 balls all of college, has 0 career catches.

Then there was the Peyton Hillis deal. McDaniels give away Hillis as a throw in to Cleveland for Brady Quinn, who is now their unneeded third string quarterback. The lesson, as always, when a future hall of fame coach like Mike Holmgren demands a player you have never considered to be anything in a deal, it’s worth seeing what he can do first.

Hillis looks Pro Bowl bound with 173 carries for 774 carries and 40 catches for 351 yards and 10 total touchdowns. He’s scored more times this year in 10 games, than Moreno has scored in his career…for the Browns.

Brady Quinn, of course, would be better than an unneeded 3^rd stringer if the Broncos didn’t draft Tim Tebow in the 1^st round in 2010. I like Tebow. However, the Broncos decision to trade up for him (losing about 30% value according to the trusty trade value chart) and take him over Jimmy Clausen, was just stupid. How many other teams had Tebow over Clausen? 2? 3?

And why was Tebow even necessary given they have Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn. Tebow has been fun to watch this year in limited roles, but with Orton under contract until 2012 and playing as well as he is, Tebow doesn’t seem to have much of a future unless McDaniels does something stupid like get rid of Orton.

Then of course there’s exile of Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler. These were their two best receivers in 2009. They gave them up in the offseason for 2 2^nd rounders and a 5^th rounder. Now of course, I’m going to be fair and mention that the Broncos replaced Marshall with Brandon Lloyd, who they essentially found in the trash can and turned into the league leader in receiving yards.

Add in the fact that the Broncos team McDaniels inherited was one of the worst run stopping teams in league history and that he hasn’t drafted a single defensive lineman in his time there and that’s why they are 3-7 now. Ah, the saga of Josh McDaniels. As a Patriots fan, I love it.

24. San Francisco 49ers 3-7

The previously 3-6 49ers just got shutout at home. And they still have a good chance to win the division. Everyone else in the NFC West lost and the 49ers still have 4 games against their weak division left with 6 to go, 2 games back. This division is still well in reach. Of course Troy Smith will have to play like he did weeks 8 and 10 and not week 11, but they’re still very much alive.

23. Cleveland Browns 3-7

The sports gods hate Cleveland. This city hasn’t won a championship in years. They’ve lost LeBron James. They lost the 2007 ALCS after leading 3-1. And now this year is absolutely painful for Browns fans. Their team is actually good, yet they’re 3-7 because they’ve played only 1 sub .500 team and last week they lost an easily winnable game to 6-4 Jacksonville on a late big run by MJD.

Redemption is coming though. Their next 4 are against Carolina, Miami, Buffalo, and Cincinnati, four easily winnable games. The bad news, Colt McCoy’s in a walking boot with a sprained ankle.

22. Houston Texans 4-6

The sports gods may hate the entire city of Cleveland, but I think they hate the Texans even more. In the last 2 years, they’ve lost 8 games (out of 13 losses) by a touchdown or less, including 4 last year because they were stuffed on the goal line, fumbled on the goal line, or missed a field goal.

Two years ago, they blew a 17 point lead against the Colts with less than 4 minutes left. Now, after mounting a nice 16 point comeback against the Jets, they lost on a late Jets drive in which they] Jets drove 70+ yards in less than a minute with no timeouts.

Obviously their terrible pass defense is mostly to blame, but this is also a team that doesn’t have a touchdown in the last 2 minutes of a half this season. I don’t think Gary Kubiak and Matt Schaub are capable of leading a successful late drive to win and since I don’t think you can get rid of Schaub, Kubiak’s got to go. He’s had his chance and he hasn’t done anything with it.

21. St. Louis Rams 4-6

Last week I was wondering if this team could make the playoffs without winning a road game and I concluded they could. Well, unfortunately, that is no longer the case. If they don’t win a road game from here on out, after losing at home to the Falcons, they’re a 6 win team and even in the terrible NFC West, that’s not going to be enough.

No worries though. They’ll just have to win in Denver, Arizona, Seattle, or New Orleans. I think they can win in Arizona easily and possibly in Denver. This team played well against Atlanta, a game that was closer that the score made it look, and losing to Atlanta, a 8-2 team with 10 days to prepare, is not something to be ashamed of, especially when Sam Bradford sets the rookie record for attempts without an interception, 169, before throwing one late.

20. Miami Dolphins 5-5

Their offensive performance with Tyler Thigpen against the Bears was one of the worst I had ever seen. Luckily I didn’t have to see it for very long. Their offense was only on the field 22 minutes. They didn’t have anything close to a strong touchdown drive.

Now, granted, they were on their 3^rd string center, their 3^rd string quarterback, their 2^nd string right tackle, their left tackle had a bad shoulder, and their top receiver Brandon Marshall got hurt. But they need Chad Henne back if they have any chance at a plus .500 record and when you need Henne to get you to where you want to go, you’re in trouble. Remember, Henne wasn’t great himself.

19. Oakland Raiders 5-5

Ah, the Oakland stinker. It’s about time. That game wasn’t even as close as the 35-3 score made it look. The Steelers had a pick six wiped away by a stupid penalty and the Steelers actually committed 163 yards worth of penalties. Jason Campbell and Bruce Gradkowski aren’t cutting it at quarterback which means, once again, the Raiders need an upgrade at quarterback this offseason.

Also, anyone else think the fact that Seymour only got a 25K fine for slapping Big Ben is a little fishy? I mean Chad Ochocinco gets 20K for endzone celebrations. Seymour gets 5K more for hitting someone, especially a quarterback, at a time when the NFL is cracking down on player safety, especially quarterback safety.

Very fishy considering that Big Ben and the commish aren’t exactly buddy buddies. I don’t want to make it sound like I think there’s some sort of conspiracy here, but I think there’s some sort of conspiracy here. I really hope the dictator, er… commish doesn’t fine me for writing this.

18. Kansas City Chiefs 6-4

Matt Cassel is putting up good numbers this year. 60% completion, 7.1 YPA, 18 touchdowns to 4 picks, but those numbers are so deceiving. He’s been helped out by a great running game and a ridiculously easily schedule.

He’s still not a quarterback who can lead a team back from behind or beat a team that takes away his running game. Fortunately he hasn’t run into a lot of those teams yet this year so he’s making himself look amazing and worthy of being kept into next year at an expensive rate, when, in fact, he isn’t and he shouldn’t be.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars 6-4

Yet another team that’s worse than their record would show, the Jaguars somehow beat the Browns, after committing 6 turnovers, on a crazy screen play to MJD which went for 75 yards to set up the game winning score. This is one week after winning on a 50 yard Hail Mary and in the same season as beating a team on a 59 yard field goal. Their other three wins, Denver, Buffalo, and the Wade Phillips Cowboys. Their 4 losses were by a combined 99 points.

 

16. Seattle Seahawks 5-5

The Seahawks continue to struggle on the road, losing by 15 in one of the toughest places to play in the NFL, the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. They are 5-17 in their last 22 on the road. However, they still remain the favorites in the NFC West.

I see them as the most complete team in that division, with Matt Hasselbeck playing well of late, getting his left tackle Russell Okung back and going for 300+ in his last two games. Okung seems good going forward, a very good sign for this team. Also key, 4 of their last 6 are at home and they have two more games against lowly division opponents.

15. Washington Redskins 5-5

The Redskins proved last week that they aren’t as bad as the Eagles made them look. Michael Vick can make a lot of people look worse than they are, especially a defense that’s not that athletic as obviously is the case with the Redskins’ defense.

However, they are a resilient well coached team, that actually hung with the Eagles late. Take away the 28-0 run the Eagles entered the game on, that would have been a 31-28 game. Now they beat a good (but suddenly imploding) Titans team. This team is still a very underrated team.

14. Tennessee Titans 5-5

Vince Young has played his last game for the Titans. He was placed on IR needing thumb surgery following the Titans overtime loss to the Redskins, a game in which Young got hurt, wanted to go back into the game, allegedly never told Jeff Fisher he wanted to go back into the game, then threw a hissy fit and stormed out of the stadium during their post-game locker room talk and didn’t talk to the press.

 I actually think both sides are equally at fault here. Jeff Fisher and Vince Young simply can’t co-exist. They were never a good fit as coach and quarterback. It wasn’t even Fisher’s idea to draft him. He was under a ton of pressure from Bud Adams to take Young and then a ton of pressure to start him. Young had won games for the Titans at a very impressive rate, but Fisher has never really seemed to want Young on his team.

Of course Young never really did anything to make the situation better. I hope the Titans cut/trade Young this offseason and he gets a chance to start somewhere where he’ll be wanted (Oakland?) and also that Jeff Fisher gets his guy at quarterback, someone he truly feels is his guy and not someone Bud Adams forced him to have.

13. Chicago Bears 7-3

Still not sold. With the way the Dolphins were playing last week, that should have been a lot more than a 16 point win for the Bears. Their offense did them no favors. Taking a look at their wins, they beat the Lions on a BS call, the Wade Phillips Cowboys, the Packers who shoot themselves in the foot to the tune of 18 penalties, the Panthers, the Bills, the Vikings, and now the self destructing Dolphins.

It seems they either just beat bad teams or good teams on a night when the team is self destructing, and even in those games it’s not a convincing win and the Bears offense struggles for continuity. Their offense has yet to go over 27 points in a game this year.

Now, they have a good opportunity to make a statement this week with Philadelphia. If they win that game, this team is for real, but until then, I’m not sold.

12. New York Giants 6-4

Why do Tom Coughlin teams always self destruct in the 2^nd half? They’re like the anti-Chargers, can never finish out a season well. The turnovers that have plagued them all season long have become a major issue in their last 2 losses, both of them divisional losses.

They actually kept Mike Vick in check last week, but lost anyway because of 6 turnovers. And just two weeks ago, this looked like the team to beat in the NFC. I wasn’t buying it then and I’m still not buying it now. They do everything well, except the important things, limit big plays and with the turnover battle.

11. Baltimore Ravens 7-3

Put me on the list of people who don’t think this team can win the Super Bowl. I’m not seeing it. They shoot themselves in the foot for a living. That game against Brian St. Pierre and the Panthers was close until St. Pierre threw two TAINTs.

Joe Flacco has probably become one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the league, but that defense is what it used to be at all. Even Ray Lewis looks a step slower. This run defense, which once didn’t allow 100 yard rusher for about 2 seasons, is 18^th in the league and just gave up 120 yards to Mike Goodson, the Carolina Panthers’ former 4^th string running back.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-3

This is a team that gets better every week. This isn’t the same team that lost by a combined 50 to the Saints and Steelers. This team might even be better than the one who hung within a touchdown of Atlanta in the Georgia Dome.

I know I had them going into San Fran and winning, but to travel three time zones, go into a tough place to play especially for a young team and beat a team that had the momentum by 21 is very, very impressive.

The reasons for their improvement, the continued growth of Josh Freeman at rookie, Mike Williams at receiver, and the emergence of LeGarrette Blount at running back. They may be the 3^rd best team in the NFC South right now, but there’s no shame in that with the way that division (Carolina excluded) is playing. I like the Bucs to make the playoffs.

9. San Diego Chargers 5-5

Every year, this team has their backs up against it and every year they respond by going on an amazing run. They’ve now won 3 straight and have the only game against a team that can realistically beat them next week, the Indianapolis Colts.

They get both Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson back to a passing attack that’s one of if not the best in the NFL and they’ve had Indy’s number for years. Of course this won’t really matter if they choke in January again, but with Philip Rivers playing the best ball of his career, that might not happen this year.

8. Indianapolis Colts 6-4

I have to give Peyton Manning credit. Even when the Pats had a 31-14 lead, I, as a Pats fan, didn’t feel safe. When he marched downfield and scored a touchdown, my thoughts were, this better not happen again (Pats blew a 31-14 lead last year too, a loss that, in my opinion, changed the entire outlook of their season).

When the Colts forced a 3 and out and Manning had another score, my thoughts were, it’s happening again. When the Colts forced their 2^nd straight 3 and out, I could barely sit up straight I was so nervous. He didn’t win, but he scared the crap out of me and I’m assuming numerous other Patriots fans in the world.

7. New York Jets 8-2

I’m starting to think that this team’s ability to win close games is more skill than luck. Mark Sanchez is a beast in the two minute. Might as well call him two minute Mark. He can be mediocre the entire game and then come alive in the last two minutes of the game to win.

I don’t like the fact that they haven’t won by more than 9 since week 4, particularly since they don’t have a win over a .500+ team in that stretch, and I’m still going to pick them to fall flat on their faces in Foxboro in two weeks, but I’m becoming a believer. This could easily be the 2^nd best team in the AFC.

6. Green Bay Packers 7-3

The Packers are finally playing like the team I thought they’d be to start the season, thanks to an emotional win over the Vikings week 7 and the improved health of their defense. They’ve won their last 3 by a combined 86-10 and now face their toughest test yet, winning in the Georgia Dome against the Falcons where the Falcons have yet to lose this season and where Matt Ryan has only lost once in his career. The Falcons may also be the best team in the NFC right now.

5. New Orleans Saints 7-3

Just like the Packers, another talented team that is finally getting in rhythm and getting healthy. Just like with the Packers, the Saints have been playing amazing football since their defining win, when they beat the Steelers in the Superdome. Since that game, they’ve won two straight by a combined score of 68-22 and are really clicking on offense, solving their red zone problems.

We all know how good this team can be at full strength. Super Bowl Champion good, which is why I have them one spot higher than Green Bay. Like Green Bay, their toughest remaining test is Atlanta in Atlanta, likely for the division, but I can definitely see this team finishing at 12-4 and being a very tough first round opponent either at home or on the road in somewhere like Seattle.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-3

They may be injury riddled, especially in the trenches, one of the most important parts of a team, but don’t try to tell them that. More important, don’t try to tell the Raiders that. It would make that 35-3 defeat look even worse for them.

The Steelers get another easy one this week against the Bills before they have the Ravens in Baltimore week 13 and the Jets in Pittsburgh week 15. The Patriots, assuming they beat the Jets, will have locked up the top spot in the AFC (beating the Ravens, Steelers, Colts, and splitting with the Jets), but the Steelers can still take the 2^nd spot if they split with the Ravens and beat the Jets. They could, at the same time, lose to the Ravens and lose the division and have to go on the road to start the playoffs.

3. Philadelphia Eagles 7-3

The Giants contained Michael Vick. The Eagles still won. I’m still hoping someone figures out how to beat this team before the Pats have to play them in the Super Bowl. They have the Bears this week who many agree, with their athletic defense, have the best shot at beating Vick and company. Now if only the Bears could do something about Jay Cutler and that line. The Eagles fierce pass rush might be enough to push this team to 8-3 even if Vick is stopped.

2. Atlanta Falcons 8-2

I bring up the Falcons home prowess and their standing as the team with the #1 record in the NFC, thus getting home field, as the reasons why the Falcons are going to the Super Bowl. The Falcons will have to prove that this week against a team they may face in the playoffs, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are streaking, outscoring their last 3 by a combined 85-10.

1. New England Patriots 8-2

The Pats were given a scare by the Colts last week, but prevailed, giving Tom Brady 25 straight home regular season victories. A lot of people are still questioning their defense, but I’m a believer. They give up a lot of yards, but they’re good in the red zone, they limit points, and they force turnovers. They rank 30^th in yards, but 23th in points allowed, and they have 13 interceptions, good for 8^th in the NFL. They’ve also beaten the Colts and the Steelers despite the fact that they don’t have an amazing defense.

Couple that defense with an offense that’s every bit the Patriots offenses of old, the best receivers is the open one, limit penalties, sacks, turnovers, and score. They rank 1^st in points despite ranking 17^th in yards. They only have 14 sacks allowed, 3^rd best in the NFL. They only have 9 turnovers, 2^nd best in the NFL behind Kansas City.

 If they get home field, they’re going to be tough to stop. Of course that if is very important. If they don’t get home field they could be in trouble and if they lose to the Jets, that probably means they’ll lose the division and have to go on the road in the first round (unless the Jets choke and give the Pats control of the division). That game week 13 is going to be huge.