1 (2) Denver Broncos (11-3) - The Denver Broncos have now won nine in a row to put themselves at 11-3 and as things stand in position for a first round bye in the playoffs. Their last two games are at home to the Browns and the Chiefs so it looks likely that they will secure the number two seed in the AFC. Peyton Manning has done great things in Denver and the team have come a long way since that 2-3 start when Manning was being written off as finished. On Sunday, Peyton Manning threw for 204 yards and a touchdown. Eric Decker led the receivers with 8 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. Knowshon Moreno had a good day on the ground, rushing for 118 yards and a touchdown.
2 (5) San Francisco 49ers (10-3-1) - The 49ers picked up a huge win in New England on Sunday night and in my opinion, that win will secure the NFC West title for them. A defeat in Foxboro would have turned next weeks trip to Seattle into a must win game but the win gives them some wiggle room and I expect they will do enough to win the division. They almost threw the game away in the fourth quarter, allowing a 21 point lead to slip away but they responded well with 10 quick points of their own to secure a massive victory. Colin Kaepernick threw for 216 yards, 4 touchdowns and an interception. Michael Crabtree caught 7 passes for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. Frank Gore ran for 83 yards.
3 (3) Houston Texans (12-2) - Houston sealed the AFC South title on Sunday with a victory over divisional rivals, the Indianapolis Colts. With the division in the bag, the Texans know they will host a game in the playoffs but one more win would guarantee them the number one seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Texans have had a few blips through the season but they were impressive on Sunday and their offense picked up 417 yards. Matt Schaub threw for 261 yards and a touchdown. Andre Johnson was the best receiver with 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. Arian Foster was also back on form and ran for 165 yards at 6.1 yards per carry.
4 (4) Green Bay Packers (10-4) - Green Bay secured their second NFC North title in a row with a win over divisional rivals, the Chicago Bears. Green Bay now have the luxury of knowing that they will host a playoff game but I would imagine they will continue to play hard and try to earn the first round bye. A lot of people don't fancy this Green Bay team this year but I think they will be very tough to beat and right now, they'd be my pick to represent the NFC in the Superbowl. Aaron Rodgers threw for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns. The leading receiver was Randall Cobb who caught 6 passes for 115 yards.
5 (6) Atlanta Falcons (12-2) - Anyone else woke up and realised that the Falcons are 12-2 and pretty much everyone is still writing them off as also rans? The NFC side of the playoffs is going through Atlanta and the Falcons are 7-0 at home. Nobody is going to go to Atlanta and get it easy. They have had a soft schedule but they are 4-0 against teams with winning records. Why is nobody taking this team seriously? They have a quarterback with over 4000 yards and two receivers with over 1000 receiving yards. Things like that don't just happen by accident and I am slowly coming round to the fact that this Atlanta team, might just be the real deal. Matt Ryan threw for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns. Julio Jones had a good game, catching 6 passes for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns. Michael Turner ran for 52 yards and a touchdown.
6 (1) New England Patriots (10-4) - The Patriots seven game winning streak came to an end on Sunday night when they lost in a thriller to the San Francisco 49ers. The Pats looked well beat and were 31-10 down as the fourth quarter started but they fought back to 31-31 midway through the quarter. The 49ers responded well though and scored ten points to seal the win. The Patriots offense had 520 yards but they had four costly turnovers that swung the game in the 49ers favour. Tom Brady threw for 443 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions. Brandon Lloyd had a huge game, catching 10 passes for 190 yards. Danny Woodhead led the running game, rushing for 61 yards and 2 touchdowns.
7 (10) Seattle Seahawks (9-5) - Seattle kept their playoff march going on Sunday with a dominant display over the Buffalo Bills in Toronto. The Seahawks appear to have hit form at just the right time although they still have work to do to even secure a playoff place. Next week they face the San Francisco 49ers in a big clash in the NFC West. This game had the potential to be one of the games of the year but the 49ers win last week takes a little of the edge from it. If the 49ers had lost to New England this game would have decided who wins the NFC West but as it is, the 49ers can afford to lose in Seattle and a win at home to the Cardinals would win the division. I expect Seattle and San Francisco to both win their games in week 17 so this week is probably a bigger game for the Seahawks as 11-5 would guarantee a playoff but 10-6 could put them out of the wildcard places. On Sunday, Russell Wilson had a fantastic game. He threw for 205 yards and a touchdown but it was his running that gave the Bills the most problems. He picked up 92 yards and 3 touchdowns from 9 carries and if he keeps that up he might just hijack the RG3/Andrew Luck battle for Rookie of the Year. Marshawn Lynch also had a good day on the ground, running for 113 yards and a touchdown.
8 (7) Baltimore Ravens (9-5) - The Ravens have now lost three in a row after a defeat at home to the Denver Broncos. I've made no secret of the fact that I don't really like this Baltimore team and at 9-2 I felt their record didn't reflect the team’s performances. Baltimore are 9-5 now and although they are guaranteed a playoff place, they still haven't secured the divisional title. They have two tough games remaining against the Giants and the Bengals so there is every chance they may have to rely on a wildcard. Joe Flacco threw for 254 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Dennis Pitta led the receivers with 7 catches for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns.
9 (9) Indianapolis Colts (9-5) - The Colts lost on Sunday to kill off their hopes of winning the AFC South but they are still in pole position to reach the playoffs as a wildcard. They face a trip to Kansas City this week and a win would guarantee them a playoff place. The Colts have been one of the surprise packages of the season and it has been a remarkable turnaround from being the worst team in the NFL last season. Andrew Luck threw for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns. TY Hilton was the leading receiver, catching 3 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Vick Ballard had a good day on the ground, rushing for 105 yards.
10 (8) New York Giants (8-6) - The Giants must be the most inconsistent team in the NFL. I've never saw a team who jump from a good performance to a bad performance and vice versa, as often as the New York Giants do. Right now, they need to take a long hard look at themselves because they are no longer a playoff team. As things stand, they are 8-6 but the Washington Redskins are leading the NFC East and the wildcard places belong to Seattle and Minnesota. I have to be honest and say I did not expect this to happen but with their remaining games, a trip to Baltimore and home to Philadelphia, I genuinely don't think the Giants will make the playoffs. Eli Manning threw for 161 yards and 2 interceptions. Domenik Hixon caught 5 passes for 80 yards. David Wilson led the rushers with 55 yards.
11 (12) Washington Redskins (8-6) - The Redskins have now won five in a row and this week they done it without RG3. Kirk Cousins stepped into the void left by RG3 and there was no knock on effect. The Redskins are now top of the NFC East with an 8-6 record and currently hold the tie breaker with the Cowboys and the Giants. They have a huge chance of winning the division and if they win their last two against Philadelphia and Dallas they will be NFC East winners for the first time since 1999. Cousins threw for 329 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Alfred Morris led the running game, picking up 87 yards and 2 touchdowns.
12 (13) Minnesota Vikings (8-6) - The Vikings picked up a good win in St Louis to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Vikings are currently in the sixth seed in the NFC playoff race but it is very tight and one mistake could change everything. If the Vikings make the playoffs, they will have to do it the hard way. Their last two games are a trip to Houston and then they host the Packers in week 17. The Texans and Packers have both secured their respective divisions but they do still need wins to secure first round byes in the playoffs so I can't see them doing the Vikings any favours. The main man for the Vikings was once again running-back, Adrian Peterson. He picked up another 212 yards and a touchdown, to take him just 294 yards short of Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record. If anyone can do it, Peterson can but 294 yards is a big ask against Green Bay and Houston.
13 (15) Dallas Cowboys (8-6) - Dallas kept themselves in the mix for a playoff spot with a hard earned win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both sides needed the win to boost their playoff chances and it was Dallas who dug that little bit deeper to earn an overtime victory. The Cowboys face the Saints at home this week and a win would set up a potential winner takes all showdown with the Washington Redskins. Tony Romo threw for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns. DeMarco Murray led the ground game, rushing for 81 yards and a touchdown. Miles Austin had a good game, catching 7 passes for 79 yards.
14 (11) Chicago Bears (8-6) - This Chicago Bears team are right in the middle of one of the biggest collapses in recent seasons. The Bears were playoff bound and it looked like they were simply playing for a first round bye but five defeats in their last six games has them outside the playoff places and in a dog fight to try to earn a wildcard. In the Bears defence, the schedule has been hard on them and each of their last six games has been against teams with winning records but if the Bears want to be in a Superbowl, then they have to beat winning teams and right now, a Superbowl is miles off. Their last two games are trips to Arizona and Detroit. They are both winnable games but the Bears won't get it easy as the players will be low in confidence and it's hard to win on the road in this league. On Sunday, Jay Cutler threw for 135 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Brandon Marshall caught 6 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown but Chicago's best player was Matt Forte. Forte picked up 133 yards from scrimmage but it wasn't enough to stop the Packers picking up the NFC North title.
15 (16) Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) - The Bengals picked up a comfortable win in Philadelphia on Sunday night to take pole position in the race for the sixth AFC playoff spot. Pittsburgh lost to the Cowboys on Sunday and this week's game, between the Steelers and the Bengals will go a long way to deciding who gets the final playoff place. A Steelers win would have the team’s level at 8-7 and Pittsburgh would hold the tie breaker courtesy of the head to head record. A Bengals win would secure a playoff place for Cincinnati. Andy Dalton threw for 127 yards and a touchdown. BenJarvus Green-Ellis had another good day on the ground, running for 106 yards and a touchdown.
16 (14) Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) - The Steelers have slipped out of the AFC playoff spots after Sundays overtime defeat to the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers now must beat the Cincinnati Bengals this week, if they are to reach the playoffs. If the Steelers can beat the Bengals, they will then have to beat the Cleveland Browns to secure a wildcard. Pittsburgh had a fourth quarter lead in this game but the Cowboys levelled midway through the fourth and the game went to overtime. On the second play of overtime, Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted and the Cowboys were able to kick the game winning field goal from the 3 yard line. Roethlisberger ended the game with 339 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Mike Wallace, Heath Miller and Antonio Brown all had big receiving days. Wallace caught 4 passes for 95 yards and Miller had 7 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Brown caught 8 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown.
17 (21) New Orleans Saints (6-8) - The New Orleans Saints bounced back from their defeat to the Giants last week with a dominant victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Statistically, the game was tight enough, although the Saints had the edge in most key areas but not by a margin of 41-0. The key difference was turnovers and the Saints defense forced five, and the offense managed to take care of the football and not give any away. Those turnovers led to 3 touchdowns and 2 field goals for the Saints and it made the game look more one sided than it actually was. Drew Brees threw for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns. Mark Ingram also had a good game, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown.
18 (17) St Louis Rams (6-7-1) - The Rams are technically still alive at 6-7-1 but their defeat to the Minnesota Vikings has killed off any realistic chance they had of a playoff place. The Rams like so many before them were unable to come up with a response to Adrian Peterson and he almost single handedly beat the Rams. Peterson ran for over 200 yards and the Rams defense had no answers. The Rams offense had a decent game and picked up over 400 yards. They had two costly turnovers which resulted in the Vikings getting ten points and if they had avoided those, the final outcome may well have been different. Sam Bradford threw for 377 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Brandon Gibson was his leading receiver, catching 6 passes for 76 yards. Steven Jackson also had a good game and picked up 146 yards from scrimmage.
19 (18) New York Jets (6-8) - The Jets playoff hopes were finished on Monday Night Football after a performance from Mark Sanchez that was bad even by his standards. Sanchez was responsible for five turnovers in the game and I can't understand how Rex Ryan let it get this far. I know Ryan is a defensive coach but surely he can see how bad Sanchez is and I can only imagine it is a pride thing and he didn't want to admit he had got it wrong by drafting up to take Sanchez in the 2009 draft. Sanchez ended the game with 131 yards, a touchdown and 4 interceptions. Shonn Greene ran for 68 yards and Jeff Cumberland led the receivers with 4 catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
20 (26) Miami Dolphins (6-8) - The Dolphins beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday to reach 6-8 for the year. Miami aren't quite dead yet but it would take a lot of results going their way for the Dolphins to reach the playoffs. The most unlikely would be the Dolphins going to the Patriots and winning. On Sunday, Ryan Tannehill had a good game, throwing for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. Brian Hartline led the receivers with 5 catches for 77 yards. Reggie Bush had a good day on the ground, rushing for 104 yards.
21 (19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8) - The Bucs dropped to 6-8 for the year after a heavy defeat to the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs turned the ball over five times in the game, which led to 27 points for New Orleans. When your offense plays as badly as that, there's very little chance of winning a game and the Bucs were unable to get anything going and the game ended 41-0. The Bucs can take a lot of positives from this season and if they can hang on to their key players, I expect a push for the playoffs next season. Josh Freeman threw for 279 yards and 4 interceptions. Vincent Jackson was the leading receiver, catching 6 passes for 81 yards. The Bucs struggled to get their running game going and Doug Martin ended up with 16 yards from 9 runs.
22 (25) Carolina Panthers (5-9) - The Panthers got their second win in a row with a blow out victory over the Chargers in San Diego. I expected a bit more from the Panthers this year but they got a bad start and only now are they starting to enjoy the sort of success I anticipated from their running game. On Sunday, Cam Newton had a good game in the air, throwing for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns. The running game was very effective and picked up 155 yards on the ground. DeAngelo Williams led them with 93 yards on the ground and also caught 2 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. Former Charger, Mike Tolbert also done well, running for 40 yards and 2 touchdowns.
23 (20) San Diego Chargers (5-9) - After a big win over the playoff chasing Pittsburgh Steelers, the Chargers responded in a fashion that only they can, a heavy home defeat to a team who came into the game with a 4-9 record. The Chargers have suffered with inconsistency in recent years and this year’s team are embracing that. There's a lot of talent in San Diego but something’s not quite right in the franchise and in my opinion it's the head coach, Norv Turner. Turner's job has been under threat for a few years now and I think this will be the year they finally get rid of him. In the game, Philip Rivers threw for 121 yards and a touchdown. Curtis Brinkley led the running game with 42 yards.
24 (23) Cleveland Browns (5-9) - The Browns winning run came to an end with a defeat to the Washington Redskins. The Browns have shown some good signs of progress this year and if they can continue to go in the right direction, I can see a playoff place in the near future. There is some good talent in Cleveland and another strong draft could have them pushing for a wildcard place next year. Brandon Weeden threw for 244 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions. The Redskins done a good job on Trent Richardson, restricted him to 2.5 yards per carry. Greg Little caught 5 passes for 74 yards.
25 (22) Detroit Lions (4-10) - The Lions are 4-10 now after a heavy defeat at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions created a lot of their own problems by turning the ball over four times which led to 28 points for the Cardinals. The Lions have been a huge disappointment this year. I expected a lot more from them but it hasn't been a good year and it's maybe time for a change in the franchise. Matthew Stafford threw for 246 yards and 3 interceptions. Calvin Johnson caught 10 passes for 121 yards. Mikel Leshoure ran for 55 yards and a touchdown.
26 (27) Tennessee Titans (5-9) - The Titans picked up the win on Monday Night Football over a poor New York Jets team. For as long as the Jets have Mark Sanchez at quarterback, they'd be as well playing with seven players on offense. Credit to the Titans, they had a lot of luck but they took the chances that were presented to them and they got another notch in their win column. Jake Locker threw for 149 yards. Nate Washington caught 4 passes for 62 yards. Chris Johnson led the rushers, picking up 122 yards and a touchdown.
27 (24) Buffalo Bills (5-9) - The Bills are the latest team to suffer a heavy defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, after Sunday's 50-17 defeat in Toronto. The Seahawks raced into a 31-7 lead but the Bills got it back to 31-17 before half-time. Unfortunately for the Bills that was as close as they got and Seattle scored 19 unanswered points in the second half. Bills quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, had another poor day, throwing for 217 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions. He also fumbled the ball and his turnovers led to Seattle getting 17 points. Yet again the only positives for Buffalo were the performances of Steve Johnson and CJ Spiller. Johnson caught 8 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Spiller ran for 103 yards and a touchdown.
28 (32) Arizona Cardinals (5-9) - The Cardinals finally ended their nine game losing streak with a blow out victory over the Detroit Lions. The game was won mainly because of errors from the Lions. The Lions turned the ball over four times and each turnover led to an Arizona touchdown. Credit to Arizona though as they took the opportunities presented to them and got the win. Ryan Lindley threw for 104 yards and an interception. The Cardinals best player was Beanie Wells who ran for 67 yards and 3 touchdowns.
29 (31) Oakland Raiders (4-10) - The Raiders got their fourth win of the season on Sunday against divisional rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the Raiders second win over the Chiefs this season, having already beaten them in week 8. Neither side managed a touchdown on this occasion and Raiders kicker, Sebastian Janikowski, was the difference between the sides. Janikowski kicked five field goals, one of which was a 57 yarder to hand the Raiders a 15-0 win. Carson Palmer threw for 182 yards. Rod Streater was the leading receiver, catching 5 passes for 62 yards. The Raiders had a good day on the ground, rushing for 203 yards. Darren McFadden had 110 yards and backup, Mike Goodson had 89 yards.
30 (28) Philadelphia Eagles (4-10) - The Eagles got back to their usual form on Thursday with a sloppy display and heavy defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals. I feel like I've said all I can about the Eagles this year. It’s time to draw a line under this year and start fresh next season. On Thursday the Eagles turned the ball over five times and they pretty much summarised the whole year in that one game. Nick Foles threw for 182 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jeremy Maclin led the receivers with 4 catches for 73 yards. The running game had a bad day and picked up just 42 yards from 19 attempts.
31 (30) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12) - The Jags lost again, this time in a one sided game against the Dolphins in Miami. The Jags are 2-12 and with New England at home and Tennessee away still to play, I can't see them getting any more wins on the board. The number one draft pick will be between themselves and the Chiefs, should both teams records remain the same and as things stand the Chiefs are just in pole position courtesy of strength of schedule. Chad Henne threw for 221 yards. His leading receivers were Cecil Shorts III and Justin Blackmon. They both caught 6 passes, Shorts III for 101 yards and Blackmon for 93 yards.
32 (29) Kansas City Chiefs (2-12) - The Chiefs lost again on Sunday, this time to the Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs are now 2-12 for the season and they looked every bit as bad as their record suggests on Sunday. The Raiders are far from a good side but they shut down the Chiefs and restricted them to 119 yards of offense. Brady Quinn threw for 135 yards and an interception. Dexter McCluster was his leading receiver, catching 7 passes for 59 yards. The most disappointing thing for the Chiefs was their running game. The Chiefs have done well on the ground this year but they managed just 10 yards from 10 runs. I can't see any more wins for the Chiefs so it looks like they will have the number one draft pick in 2013 as they currently lead the Jaguars on strength of schedule.
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