Happy New Year, everyone!

You gotta love the consensus Top 3 teams all season all tumbling like a house of cards two weeks before the playoffs start.  Well, unless you're a Colts, Saints, or Vikings fan.  Thankfully, I'm not, which means not only do I get to see my Patriots launch themselves near the top of the rankings, but I also get to watch my hated rivals plummet.  Things are about to get interesting...

Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
1		1	1	12-3	vs. Redskins
		I've been saying for weeks that the Chargers were the #1 team in the league.  The only reason it took this long to get to this spot is my respect for teams with zero in the loss column.  Now that none of those exist, the top of the ladder is all theirs.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
2		4	2	10-5	@ Texans
		They finally won on the road.  They finally learned to put teams away.  They finally spread the ball around.  They finally developed a run game.  I'm finally starting to believe this team can go all the way.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
3		5	2	11-4	@ Cowboys
		If Philly wins this week, they get a bye week.  If they lose, they end up on the road in the Wild Card round.  Talk about a momentum changer...
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
4		1	3	14-1	@ Bills
		I seriously hope the Patriots go all out this week, and we're probably better off losing and getting the #4 seed and avoiding the Chargers in Round 2.  But I believe that you need to stay sharp and give your best effort each week.  Indy never grapsed that concept, and that's why they're the second-banana team of the 00's.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
5		8	3	10-5	vs. Eagles
		Everyone counted the Cowboys out, including myself.  Now they're a win away from a home playoff game.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
6		3	3	13-2	@ Panthers
		A loss to Dallas is acceptable.  A loss to Tampa Bay?  That's how you drop three spots in the rankings despite a 13-2 record.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
7		7	N/A	10-5	@ Jets
		Yes, they're back in the playoffs, which is cause for celebration in Cincy.  But I can't say this team has been lighting it up lately...
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
8		9	1	10-5	@ Cardinals
		It's rare to have two adjacent teams playing each other.  It's even rarer that those two teams could be matched up in the playoffs as well the next week.  I think we'll have a pretty good idea about which team is actually better when those two games are said and done.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
9		10	1	10-5	vs. Packers
		They've won 6 of their last 8, but I still can't shake the feeling that Zona will be one and done this post-season.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
10		6	4	11-4	vs. Giants
		Losing to the 5-9 Bears and potentially costing yourself the bye week you've had in your grasp all season?  That's how you drop 4 spots in the rankings despite an 11-4 record.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
11		11	1	8-7	@ Dolphins
		Baltimore probably should've won that game, and they'll likely be in the playoffs while the Steelers sit home.  Still, I meant what I said and I said what I meant about the winner of that game moving up and the loser falling out of the Top 12.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
12		N/A	N/A	8-7	vs. Bengals
		Which brings me to the Jets.  A team lucky enough to make the Top 12 when they should be the #13 team.  But then again, thanks to the Colts and Bengals lying down, they'll also be the team lucky enough to make the playoffs when it should be the Texans or Steelers with the 6th seed.

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