Column: The final NFL rankings are in
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 13, 2006
By Jeff Budlong,
On the Rebound
Heading into the final few weeks of the NFL regular season it is time to take a final look at the power rankings. Sorry to the rest but only playoff contenders make this list.
1. San Diego (11-2) &045; The Chargers were on top of the initial rankings, took a little break in the middle of the season and are now finishing strong. In fact, I think LaDanian Tomlinson just scored two more touchdowns while I was typing this paragraph. The defense has Shawne Merriman back and the offense is humming with Philip Rivers at the controls.
2. New Orleans (9-4) &045; just got done laying the smack down on Dallas in Big D. T.O. are you listening to me? New Orleans is looking good with a solid running game and wide receivers who get the job done even though the injury bug has bitten them hard. Oh yeah, Drew Brees is doing pretty good too. In fact almost MVP good.
3. Chicago (11-2) &045; Awesome defense but those quarterback problems are going to cost the Bears in the playoffs if Rex Grossman doesn&8217;t improve in a hurry.
4. Jacksonville (8-5) &045; I know they are not the division leaders sitting two games behind the Colts in the loss column, but after Sunday&8217;s game how can you not feel better about a team that can run the ball than the team that struggles mightily to stop it.
5. Baltimore (10-3) &045; Their defense is a power and each week I keep thinking this could be a team that makes the playoff push all the way to the Super Bowl. It is a team that seems a lot like the Ravens&8217; other Super Bowl winning team with an upgrade at quarterback.
6. New England (9-4) &045; The Patriots were shutout by Miami over the weekend but this is still a team coached by Bill Billichick and will be a force in the playoffs.
7. Indianapolis (10-3) &045; Run defense is very, very bad but Peyton Manning is very, very good so they will contend in the playoffs but I don&8217;t see them winning it all.
8. Cincinnati (8-5) &045; If the Bengals can keep their key players out of jail they have the talent to make the playoffs and after that who knows what could happen. Just look at what the Steelers did last year.
9. Dallas (8-5) &045; Good team but to many possible problems. A young QB, a head case for a wide receiver who could send the rest of the team into a tailspin at a moments notice and a kicking game that is anything but settled.
10. Seattle (8-5) &045; Someone has to win the worst division in football and the Seahawks are going to do it even if ARIZONA is playing the best football right now.
11. N.Y. Giants (7-6) &045; Just as I suspected from the moment he was drafted &045; Eli is no Peyton. The Giants are an underachieving team partly due to injuries but someone has to rise up out of the 7-6 mess of teams in the NFC.
12. Philadelphia (7-6) &045; Should someone tell Jeff Garcia it isn&8217;t 1999 anymore? The little guy is finding a way to get it done after Donavan McNabb went down with his yearly injury.
13. N.Y. Jets (7-6) &045; I don&8217;t know how they made it this far but they did so the only other thing for them to do is make the playoffs, right?
14. Atlanta (7-6) &045; Never trust a team with Michael Vick as its quarterback. Repeat after me.
15. Kansas City (7-6) &045; Great running back but Trent Green has turned into a turnover machine since coming back after being concussed.
16. Denver (7-6) &045; Bring back Plummer. Wait a minute. What did I just say?
17. Tennessee (6-7) &045; Not going to the playoffs but what a run (no pun intended) Vince Young and his team has been on for over a month.
Should be an exciting final three weeks.
Sports editor Jeff Budlong&8217;s column runs