1. New England (16-0, Last week’s ranking: 1) – Tom Brady finished with a league-high 4,806 yards, but a passing leader has never led his team to a Super Bowl title. Is this a bad omen for the Patriots? No one thought they would finish the regular season 16-0, but that didn’t seem to bother New England during its remarkable run to perfection.

 

2. Indianapolis (13-3, Last week’s ranking: 3) – If there’s one team that can foil the Patriots’ march to an undefeated season, it’s the Colts.

 

3. Dallas (13-3, Last week’s ranking: 3) – The Cowboys better hope Terrell Owens comes back healthy for their opening playoff game. The team looked awful against the Redskins and, bear in mind, most of the starters were in during the second half.

 

4. Jacksonville (11-5, Last week’s ranking: 4) – We'll see just how good this vaunted Jaguars’ running attack is in the post-season beginning with a rematch against the Steelers at Heinz Field.

 

5. Green Bay (13-3, Last week’s ranking: 5) – Suddenly, a victory at Texas Stadium doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

 

6. San Diego (11-5, Last week’s ranking: 6) – The Chargers avoid facing New England early, but I wouldn’t exactly call a trip to Indianapolis – should San Diego get by Tennessee – an easier game.

 

7. Seattle (10-6, Last week’s ranking: 8) – The Seahawks are one team in the NFC that can make a playoff push, aside from Dallas and Green Bay.

 

8. Pittsburgh (10-6, Last week’s ranking: 7) – Without Willie Parker, how are the Steelers going to pound the ball against the tough Jacksonville front seven.

 

9. N.Y. Giants (10-6, Last week’s ranking: 10) – Kudos should go to the Giants for nearly pulling one of the biggest upsets in NFL history after a near victory against the Patriots. But can the Giants come back following such and emotional game so quickly and beat a rested Tampa Bay team in Florida? We’ll soon find out.

 

10. Washington (9-7, Last week’s ranking: 13) – I get a kick out of listening to Buffalo fans who are sick of hearing how Todd Collins, a Bills second-round pick in 1995 - has led the Redskins to the post-season.

 

11. Tampa Bay (9-7, Last week’s ranking: 12) – Just because the Bucs stumbled down the stretch doesn’t mean they should be taken lightly, especially with Jeff Garcia under center.

 

12. Tennessee (10-6, Last week’s ranking: 9) –The Colts only had their starters in for a limited time and Tennessee barely won. That doesn’t bode well for the Titans when they visit San Diego.

 

13. Cleveland (10-6, Last week’s ranking: 11) – The Browns had a chance to make the post-season on their own merit and blew it.

 

14. Philadelphia (8-8, Last week’s ranking: 15) – It’s pretty easy to win your last three games when a team is eliminated from the playoffs and the pressure is off.

 

15. Minnesota (8-8, Last week’s ranking: 14) – See Cleveland!

 

16. Houston (8-8, Last week’s ranking: 18) – I’m sure NFL pundits will make the Texans a chic pick as a playoff team next year and if Matt Schaub and Andrew Johnson can stay healthy for a full season, then that prognostication will be justified.

 

17. Arizona (8-8, Last week’s ranking: 19) – Though the Cardinals didn’t reach their ultimate goal, rookie head coach Ken Whisenhunt should get praise for turning this annual depressing football team into a .500 club.

 

18. New Orleans (7-9, Last week’s ranking: 18) – Right from their first game, the Saints never seemed like they had a chance to repeat last year’s feel-good season.

 

19. Buffalo (7-9, Last week’s ranking: 17) – With Marv Levy officially out as Bills GM, do you think owner Ralph Wilson will go with someone with more staying power?

 

20. Chicago (7-9, Last week’s ranking: 21) – Someone should tell the Chicago Bears that Devin Hester is only one player.

 

21. Denver (7-9, Last week’s ranking: 22) – Mike Shanahan has a lot of work ahead if he hopes to fix that dismal Broncos’ defense.

 

22. Detroit (7-9, Last week’s ranking: 21) – What happened to all that boasting at the beginning of the season?

 

23. Carolina (7-9, Last week’s ranking: 23) – If John Fox really is coming back to coach the Panthers next season, he’ll only have one more shot to get this team right.

 

24. Cincinnati (7-9, Last week’s ranking: 24) – See John Fox!

 

25. San Francisco (5-11, Last week’s ranking: 25) – A lot of heat will fall on Mike Nolan and the entire 49ers organization if Alex Smith doesn’t take the next step next season.

 

26. Baltimore (5-11, Last week’s ranking: 26) – So Steve Bisciotti does realize that Brian Billick is not the head coach for his team. Next task, find someone who can turnaround this lousy offense.

 

27. Kansas City (4-12, Last week’s ranking: 27) – If the Chiefs can find some more pieces in the draft like Dwayne Bowe, their rebuilding process won’t be as long as people might think.

 

28. Oakland (4-12, Last week’s ranking: 28) – We’ll find out quickly if Lane Kiffin’s baffling decision to wait to start JaMarcus Russell until the final week of the season was the right one.

 

29. Atlanta (4-12, Last week’s ranking: 30) – The Michael Vick fallout will only get worse for the Falcons and it will be a huge feat if this team can win six games next year.

 

30. N.Y. Jets (4-12, Last week’s ranking: 31) – How the Jets rebound from this forgettable year will go along way in determining if Eric Mangini is the right coach for this team.

 

31. St. Louis (3-13, Last week’s ranking: 29) – Priority No. 1 for this franchise is to rebuild the offensive line, which was hit with injuries early on.

 

32. Miami (1-15, Last week’s ranking: 32) – Bye, bye Randy Mueller. Is Cam Cameron next on Bill Parcell’s list?