And then there was one

One lone unbeaten team. The Indianapolis Colts. The team that is notorious for resting its starters is bringing up all kinds of questions of whether they will do that this year, being undefeated. Should they? Absolutely not. Not only do they have a chance to go undefeated, but the resting starter argument doesn't hold water. You want a hot team going into the playoffs. They clinched a bye, so that will be plenty of rest. Going in undefeated, with a guy like Peyton Manning, is a huge edge, and they should go for it. That said, I do not think they are the best team in football, and do not think they make the Super Bowl.

The Elite
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. San Diego Chargers
3. New Orleans Saints
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Minnesota Vikings

So you know how I feel about the Colts, but the Chargers are the team making the leap. They beat a good Bengals team that was playing inspired by Chris Henry. They match up so well with the Colts. They are deadly. Gun to my head, the Chargers knock off the Colts in the AFC title game. However, I think it is absolutely wide open in both leagues, which is why the Contenders group is really inching closer and closer to matching the Elite. The difference between Minnesota and Green Bay (number 6 on my list) is not nearly as big as it used to be.

The Eagles made the jump this week into the Elite, and it is where they belong. They are an incredibly explosive offense, thanks in large part to superstar in making Desean Jackson. They have the defense to hold off other teams just enough to outscore them, and I wouldn't be surprised for one moment to see them make a run at the Super Bowl. I said preseason and I'm sticking to it, they are one of the most complete teams in football.

The Vikings got slaughtered by a bad Panthers team, and the sad part is, I was never really surprised. Brett Favre is just being Brett Favre, and that is never a good thing. He's making it all about him, forcing the ball up there in bad decisions, and proving that he runs the show, as he argues with the guy that is supposed to be in charge of the team. This does not bode well for them going forward, and I love it. If Favre torpedoes this team in the playoffs, it will be the biggest self gratifying moment I've had in a long time.

The Contenders
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Dallas Cowboys
8. Cincinnati Bengals
9. Arizona Cardinals
10. New England Patriots
11. Tennessee Titans
12. Baltimore Ravens
13. Denver Broncos

Green Bay lost a heartbreaker to the clutchness of Ben Roethlisberger, but that doesn't mean I didn't like they way they played. They should role over the Seahawks next week in a bounce back game, and finish strong with a win over Arizona to remain hot going into the playoffs. At least thats what I think will happen.

Dallas jumps three spots after stunning the Saints on Saturday night. I really didn't think they had a shot in this one. I was wrong. I was wrong a lot this weekend. I just didn't think the December Cowboys were going to go into the Superdome and beat this Saints team. They showed a lot of toughness that I hadn't previously seen before, and I no longer think they are a lock for another first round playoff exit.

The Patriots and Cardinals are just about even to me. Both have the offenses to stand up with anyone, but they also both have tremendous matchup problems with a lot of the teams ahead of them. I wouldn't bet on them, because its hard to trust teams with so little defense, but on any given day (when Randy Moss tries anyway) they can just blow a team away. If they met, I'd take the home. They are just very close.

The Titans don't have the tiebreakers to make the playoffs, which breaks my heart, because they would be so dangerous if they got in. They get those vaunted Chargers on Christmas, and if they win, it will be even more depressing knowing that this team can beat anyone in football. And I really think they have a serious chance.

The Broncos just don't make any sense. They can show up one week and totally bomb the next. Look for a very fast exit from the playoffs from them. This is the team the Patriots and Bengals should want to face, because the other team, the Baltimore Ravens, are looking a lot more like a serious problem for those teams.

The Mediocre
14. New York Giants
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
16. Miami Dolphins
17. Houston Texans
18. New York Jets
19. Jacksonville Jaguars
20. Atlanta Falcons
21. Carolina Panthers
22. San Fransisco 49ers

I'll start with the New York Giants, who appear to be well on their way to 9-7, like I predicted when they were 5-0. This team blew the Redskins right out of the Mediocre and back into the awful. Washington just didn't show up for this game, so I don't know what that says about the Giants. I just know that they are the only team in the Mediocre with a legit shot at the playoffs, but they won't get there as the Cowboys and Packers stand in their way.

Most of these other teams are members of the AFC's "7-7" club. The Dolphins, Steelers, Texans, Jets and Jaguars are all 7-7. They join the one legitimate 7-7 team, the Titans, in the group clinging in desperation to playoff hopes. The problem is, there are only 2 teams that can get Wild Card spots, and I think the Ravens will lock one up. So it really comes down to tiebreakers for the teams that win their final 2 games and go 9-7. I know my Titans don't have the divisional record. Neither do the Steelers, Texans, Jets or Jaguars. The other team will come down to the Broncos or the Dolphins. Miami has the Texans and Steelers left on their schedule, and if they win those two games, they have a shot at catching the Broncos. I don't think they win those two games, so the Broncos hold on, unless they lose to the Chiefs at home, a team they very recently blew out. The Ravens and the Broncos are your AFC Wild Card teams, and only one can make it out of the first round. As I said earlier, the Patriots and Bengals better hope they get Denver and not Baltimore.

The Awful
23. Buffalo Bills
24. Oakland Raiders
25. Chicago Bears
26. Seattle Seahawks
27. Wshington Redskins
28. Cleveland Browns
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30. Kansas City Chiefs
31. Detroit Lions
32. St. Louis Rams

Sigh. Only one remaining team with one win. Can the Rams pull it off? I don't know how the Buccaneers beat the Seahawks, but that is why you always take the points in a matchup between two awful teams. Sigh (again, for not taking my own advice).

And for the Friday night game, I have to take my team, the TITANS (-3)over Chargers. Go Titans!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!