Well, it took 14 weeks, but MIB and myself are finally beginning to get on the same page. Of the 32 NFL teams, the two of us had 29 of them within two spots on our rankings this week. In addition, we had 19 teams within one place of each other. 10 of the 32 teams we each had in the same spot.

The only “big” disagreements? I dropped the NY Jets to 9th on my ballot this week, while MIB moved them down to 12th. I moved the Colts up to 11th, while MIB kept them at 14th, where they were last week. And in the everchanging bottom third of the poll, I moved San Francisco up to 23rd after their win over Seattle, while MIB moved them down 2 spots to 28th.

As always, the number in parentheses before the team name represents their position in last weeks poll.

  1. (1) New England Patriots (11-2) – Pats went into Chicago and proved they aren’t afraid of the weather or any defense in the NFL. (MIB)


  2. (2) Atlanta Falcons (11-2) – Dome sweet dome.  They never lose at home.  Rhyming is fun. (MIB)


  3. (3) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) – I’m not sure if they can beat the Patriots in January, which is a shame, because they can beat any other team. (shark)


  4. (6) New Orleans Saints (10-3) – The Ravens defense has slowly been getting exposed as of late.  The Saints try to publicly announce the Ravens as a no longer elite unit this Sunday. (shark)


  5. (4) Baltimore Ravens (9-4) – Sunday against the Saints will go a long way towards determining if this team can truly compete against the elite. (shark)


  6. (7) Chicago Bears (9-4) – Despite taking a whooping at home against the Pats, Bears can clinch division with a win and a Packers loss. (MIB)


  7. (8) Philadelphia Eagles (9-4) – Sunday’s Chicago loss re-opened the door for Philly to grab a first round bye. (shark)


  8. (11) New York Giants (9-4) – The game against the Eagles looms large.  The winner is the frontrunner for the division crown. (MIB)


  9. (12) Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5) – Who would have believed Jacksonville could be the first team to clinch their division?  Not me.  I predicted them to finish 4-12. (shark)


  10. (5) New York Jets (9-4) – You could say they were “tripped up” by Miami, if you were a fan of using puns, which I am. (MIB)


  11. (17) San Diego Chargers (7-6) – Suddenly, the playoffs look like a real possibility.  And just as surprisingly, that potential first round date with New York or Baltimore doesn’t seem so scary. (shark)


  12. (16) Dallas Cowboys (4-9) – What if?  What if?  What if?  Guess we’ll have to wait until 2011 to find out. (MIB)


  13. (14) Indianapolis Colts (7-6) – If the Colts are eliminated this weekend (real possibility), do they rest their starters in the final two weeks of the regular season? (shark)


  14. (9) Green Bay Packers (8-5) – If they want a shot at the division, they need to win out.  Tough order with the Pats on deck. (MIB)


  15. (10) Kansas City Chiefs (8-5) – Get well, Matt Cassel, or this season is all for naught. (MIB)


  16. (13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5) – The good news is one of the Eagles or Giants will lose this weekend.  The bad news is this team can actually go 11-5 and miss the playoffs. (shark)


  17. (15) Oakland Raiders (6-7) – A win last week would have put them back in the thick of the division race.  As it sits, it’s a two-way race between the Chiefs and the Chargers. (MIB)


  18. (19) Miami Dolphins (7-6) – Every time I look at the standings and see the Dolphins can still make the playoffs, I do a double take.  Have they been relevant once this year? (shark)


  19. (20) Houston Texans (5-8) – If they could play in the first half the way they do in the second half, they might be one of the better teams in the NFL. (MIB)


  20. (18) St. Louis Rams (6-7) – Unlike MIB, who sends Matt Cassel well wishes, the Rams have to be hoping he’s out for another week. (shark)


  21. (22) Cleveland Browns (5-8) – They play really well in one phase of the game every week.  One week it’s the run game, the next its defense.  If they could put together a complete team effort, they might be able to string some wins together. (MIB)


  22. (21) Seattle Seahawks (6-7) – Assuming they lose to Atlanta this weekend, the Seahawks will have to beat the Buccaneers and Rams in the final two weekends to have a shot at the playoffs. (shark)


  23. (23) Minnesota Vikings (5-8) – Now we can stop hearing about Brett Favre’s streak, and nobody cares if he starts another game. (MIB)


  24. (25) Buffalo Bills (3-10) – This season is already a “success,” but if the Bills beat the Jets in week 17 and eliminate them from the playoffs, this will be one of the best Bills years in the last 15. (shark)


  25. (26) San Francisco 49ers (5-8) – How is a 5-8 team still in the playoff race?  Welcome to the NFC West! (MIB)


  26. (24) Washington Redskins (5-8) – Remember when I thought before the season that this was a borderline playoff team?  D’oh. (MIB)


  27. (27) Tennessee Titans (5-8) – This team should have been able to run away with this years AFC South.  What happened? (shark)


  28. (29) Detroit Lions (3-10) – Can’t wait to see them play the next two years. (MIB)


  29. (28) Denver Broncos (3-10) – Too bad that unlike the Cowboys, they couldn’t rally under a new coach.  Nope, still more of the same from the franchise ruined by Josh McDaniels. (MIB)


  30. (30) Arizona Cardinals (4-9) – How many fantasy seasons were ruined, or aided, by Jay Feely’s explosion last weekend?  Bright spot on the season in the desert. (shark)


  31. (31) Cincinnati Bengals (2-11) – Longest losing streak in the league, TO is calling out the coaching, and Carson Palmer is coming of a 3 INT game, two of which were returned for touchdowns.  Its safe to say this team has crashed and burned. (MIB)


  32. (32) Carolina Panthers (1-12) – This season will be worth it if they give up on Jimmy Clausen, draft Andrew Luck, and hire Jim Harbaugh. (shark)