Power Rankings: Colts remain on top - (Week 15 Plus, 12 Days of NFL Christmas)

(Teams that look good enough to be among the 12 playoff qualifiers but not based on conference -- listed with record and previous week's ranking)

1. Indianapolis (13-1; unchanged): It was a great run. Now it's time for the backups to take center stage for the next two weeks.

2. Seattle (12-2; unchanged): Maybe it should have been easier against the Titans, but the Seahawks flexed their feathers when they had to.

3. Cincinnati (11-3; unchanged): The Bengals offense should hang another big number on the Bills.

4. Denver (11-3; unchanged): When the Broncos get serious about running the ball, as they did in the second half vs. Buffalo, they are extremely difficult to stop.

5. Chicago (10-4; unchanged): With Rex Grossman back under center, the Bears finally have an offense to help the efforts of a championship defense count for something.

6. San Diego (9-5; 10): The Chargers played with the desperation of a team fighting for its playoff life, and it resulted in an impressive victory under the dome of the NFL's best team.

7. Carolina (10-4; unchanged): Steve Smith refuses to allow himself to be erased from those MVP ballots.

8. N.Y. Giants (10-4; unchanged): Tiki Barber is running his way onto MVP ballots.

9. New England (9-5; unranked): Does anyone really want to tangle with these guys in January?

10. Jacksonville (10-4; 11): The Jaguars barely survived vs. one of the league's bottom-feeders, but you have to admire a fighting spirit that should take them into the postseason.

11. Pittsburgh (9-5; unranked): The Steelers have rediscovered their punishing personality -- but will it prove to be too late?

12. Tampa Bay (9-5; 6): The Bucs still are looking for the license plate of that truck that ran them over. Here's a hint: It's registered in Massachusetts.

POWER RANKINGS
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Indianapolis Colts	1
	They lost for the first time, but they're still the best team. Now they can relax until playoff time.
	2	Seattle Seahawks	2
	One more victory and the NFC playoffs go through Seattle. That offense will be tough to stop in the postseason.
	3	Denver Broncos	3
	They got the running game going against the Bills, which is a good thing for the stretch run and into the playoffs. The defense continues to play well.
	4	Cincinnati Bengals	4
	Division champs. It just doesn't sound right. But give Marvin Lewis and his staff tons of credit.
	5	New York Giants	5
	That was a big-time victory against the Chiefs. Tom Coughlin knows how to get his team ready for big games.
	6	Jacksonville Jaguars	6
	That was ugly against the 49ers; at some point the offense has to score more points. They tend to play down to their level of competition.
	7	New England Patriots	8
	Here they come. The defense is starting to play better, which is not a good thing for the rest of the AFC.
	8	Pittsburgh Steelers	9
	The defense has played well the past two weeks, which has them poised to get into the postseason. Don't you get the idea they're getting right?
	9	Chicago Bears	10
	With Rex Grossman in there, they're now a much better team. They can score on offense, which they couldn't do most of the year.
	10	Carolina Panthers	11
	They're two victories away from a division title. They have two toughies left in Dallas at home and Atlanta on the road.
	11	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7
	They got caught in the danger of a three-game road trip against the Patriots. But if they win their last two, they're in the playoffs.
	12	San Diego Chargers	15
	Winning the way they did at Indianapolis says something about the quality of this team. The Chargers now must win their last two and hope for help.
	13	Washington Redskins	17
	The three-game winning streak has given them a chance to win the division. That was a wild thought a month ago. The Giants come to town this week for a huge game.
	14	Dallas Cowboys	12
	Their playoff hopes hinge on winning at Carolina this week. That won't be easy, that's for sure.
	15	Minnesota Vikings	13
	Their winning streak is over and so might be their playoff hopes. It was a nice run while it lasted.
	16	Atlanta Falcons	14
	You can't throw it, you can't win. It's that simple. Now their playoff hopes are in trouble.
	17	Kansas City Chiefs	16
	Their playoff hopes are thin, but they do have two home games, which helps. They better do some tackling drills this week.
	18	Miami Dolphins	18
	This is now officially a .500 team. They should be proud. It's a great season for them.
	19	Philadelphia Eagles	19
	Two more games and their season from hell is over. It can't come soon enough.
	20	Tennessee Titans	20
	That was a nice effort against Seattle, but they fell just short. Is this the end for Steve McNair?
	21	Baltimore Ravens	22
	If Kyle Boller played the way he did Monday night, this would have been a playoff team. It's too little for this season, but it could be a good thing for 2006.
	22	Cleveland Browns	23
	The defense is playing well and this team is headed in the right direction. One more offseason will make this a .500 team.
	23	St. Louis Rams	21
	The Joe Vitt era has two weeks left. Then it's time to go searching for the guy who will return this team to a playoff level.
	24	Arizona Cardinals	24
	Kurt Warner is gone for the last two games, which means one of their only bright spots is gone. They didn't look good against the Texans last week.
	25	Buffalo Bills	25
	Will heads roll after the season? Something has to change after this disappointing year.
	26	Green Bay Packers	28
	OK, Packers fans. Admit it. It's time for Brett Favre to go. It's sad watching him play the way he did Monday night.
	27	New York Jets	26
	They go 0-8 on the road, which is what you might expect from a team with quarterback issues. At least they haven't quit.
	28	Oakland Raiders	27
	Norv Turner, thanks for your time. This sure isn't the Super Bowl team I thought it would be.
	29	New Orleans Saints	29
	Jim Haslett had enough and now he won't be back. Who can blame him?
	30	Houston Texans	31
	They might have cost themselves a chance at the first pick, but that matters to nobody on this team. Heck, the staff won't be around to enjoy it.
	31	Detroit Lions	30
	It gets worse by the week. It's time for Matt Millen to go. It's that simple.
	32	San Francisco 49ers	32
	They're still battling, which is a good thing. It now looks like they will have the first overall pick. That's the good that comes in losing.

And, from Tuesday Morning Quarterback...a Christmas Carol, NFL style!

The Twelve NFL Days of Christmas Speaking of 12, here is my annual NFL holiday song:


This Grinch didn't steal our Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas the NFL gave to me a T.O. sitting at home.

On the second day of Christmas the NFL gave to me too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

On the third day of Christmas the NFL gave to me three-step drop, too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

On the fourth day of Christmas the NFL gave to me four misdemeanors, three-step drop, too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

On the fifth day of Christmas the NFL gave to me five locations for the Saints, four misdemeanors, three-step drop, too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

On the sixth day of Christmas the NFL gave to me six-year network contract, five locations for the Saints, four misdemeanors, three-step drop, too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

On the seventh day of Christmas the NFL gave to me seven cheer-babes dancing, six-year network contract, five locations for the Saints, four misdemeanors, three-step drop, too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

On the eighth day of Christmas the NFL gave to me eight men inactive, seven cheer-babes dancing, six-year network contract, five locations for the Saints, four misdemeanors, three-step drop, too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

On the ninth day of Christmas the NFL gave to me nine fumbles bouncing, eight men inactive, seven cheer-babes dancing, six-year network contract, five locations for the Saints, four misdemeanors, three-step drop, too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

On the 10th day of Christmas the NFL gave to me 10 scheming agents, nine fumbles bouncing, eight men inactive, seven cheer-babes dancing, six-year network contract, five locations for the Saints, four misdemeanors, three-step drop, too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

On the 11th day of Christmas the NFL gave to me 11 angry owners, 10 scheming agents, nine fumbles bouncing, eight men inactive, seven cheer-babes dancing, six-year network contract, five locations for the Saints, four misdemeanors, three-step drop, too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

On the 12th day of Christmas the NFL gave to me 12 fired coaches, 11 angry owners, 10 scheming agents, nine fumbles bouncing, eight men inactive, seven cheer-babes dancing, six-year network contract, five locations for the Saints, four misdemeanors, three-step drop, too many Colts victories and a T.O. sitting at home.

The only problem is, Favre's trying to make every play for BOTH teams. It doesn't help that Ted Thompson thinks that offensive linemen are overrated, Mike Sherman systematically stripped the team over the last several years, Thompson waits until he needs to pick up a junkyard RB to pick up a scrapheap WR (I advocated taking a flyer on Jerry Rice when Javon Walker went down; Rice just wanted 1 more year as no worse than a #3, and he would have easily been a #2), Sherman and Rossley don't know how to draw up offensive plays for the first 28 minutes of each half, ...(I could go on, but it hurts too much).

I'm on the vanguard of a small-but-growing bunch to dump everybody from Thompson on down, even though most of my fellow Cheddarheads were strangely enamored by Jim Bates, and some are still enamored by Sherman. Never mind that he can't win a playoff game or a home opener to save his life.

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2005 Power Rankings: Week 16
	RK (LW)	TEAM	REC	COMMENT
	1 (1)	Colts	13-1-0	They're still clearly the top team as far as we're concerned. But the Chargers did show that Indy is at least a little vulnerable, when a week ago they looked invincible.
	2 (2)	Seahawks	12-2-0	Burning question: Does Mike Holmgren play Shaun Alexander (24 TDs) enough to break Priest Holmes' record for most TDs in a season (27)?
	3 (3)	Broncos	11-3-0	Add Wesley Duke to the list of former college basketball players now catching TDs for AFC West squads.
	4 (4)	Bengals	11-3-0	Another example of how far the Bengals have come: Chad Johnson is fourth overall and Carson Palmer sixth in fan balloting for the Pro Bowl. The Bengals have gone national.
	5 (9)	Patriots	9-5-0	The defense has been on fire. Two key players: Vince Wilfork, who has been a beast in the middle and Rosevelt Colvin, who has been nearly impossible to block.
	6 (6)	Giants	10-4-0	We mentioned it last week in this space, and after his performance against the Chiefs, the Tiki Barber for MVP train is picking up some steam.
	7 (7)	Panthers	10-4-0	Keep an eye on Drew Carter in Carolina. The second-year WR played for the first time Sunday and caught two balls (one a 40-yard completion in the first quarter). The Panthers need all the complementary targets they can find opposite Steve Smith.
	8 (11)	Chargers	9-5-0	They could finish the season with wins over the Colts, Chiefs and Broncos, and still miss the playoffs. Seems unfair, but it's their own doing.
	9 (8)	Bears	10-4-0	Yes, Kyle Orton was playing bad, but that was still a gutsy call by Lovie Smith to bring in Rex Grossman. Smith might have won a few coach of the year votes with that move.
	10 (12)	Steelers	9-5-0	Steelers could get kicked in the gut by tie-breakers. If they finished tied with the Chargers and Jaguars at 11-5, the Steelers will be left in the cold, despite having beaten the Chargers earlier in the year.
	11 (5)	Buccaneers	9-5-0	Saturday's game was a vivid reminder that the Bucs have to be able to run the ball (only 30 yds vs. Patriots) to win.
	12 (10)	Jaguars	10-4-0	Jaguars keep playing down to their competition. But all they need is one win in their next two (at Texans, vs. Titans) to make the playoffs.
	13 (17)	Redskins	8-6-0	If the Redskins don't make the playoffs they're going to spend a lot of time thinking about blowing a 13-3 halftime lead at home against the Raiders.
	14 (16)	Chiefs	8-6-0	Last year, the Chiefs hired a new defensive coordinator. This year, they added four new defensive starters. The results: defense still stinks, ranked 28th.
	15 (15)	Falcons	8-6-0	Michael Vick certainly didn't look very comfortable in Chicago on Saturday night, did he?
	16 (13)	Cowboys	8-6-0	Bill Parcells must not have believed what he was seeing Sunday against the Redskins.
	17 (14)	Vikings	8-6-0	It's possible the Vikings could lose a game and still make the playoffs. But that's unlikely. They basically need to win their last two and even then they might not get in.
	18 (18)	Dolphins	7-7-0	How many people out there thought the Dolphins would have a realistic shot at finishing .500? Probably not many. Nick Saban will pick up some coach of the year votes.
	19 (19)	Eagles	6-8-0	Ryan Moats has been pretty impressive which is some positive news for Eagles fans. With Brian Westbrook as their feature back, Philly needs another solid back.
	20 (20)	Browns	5-9-0	What would top the Browns' road win in Oakland last week? Tripping up the Steelers' chances for a playoff bid this weekend.
	21 (22)	Titans	4-10-0	With the team still likely in rebuilding mode next offseason, one has to wonder: Did Steve McNair play his final home game at Adelphia Coliseum on Sunday?
	22 (23)	Ravens	5-9-0	The Ravens had only scored more than 20 points in one game before last night. Then they go out on MNF and set franchise records for points scored, touchdowns (six) and margin of victory.
	23 (21)	Rams	5-9-0	It's one thing for Steven Jackson to be the lead back over Marshall Faulk. But when Arlen Harris is chosen over Faulk (as he was on the final drive against the Eagles), something's wrong.
	24 (25)	Raiders	4-10-0	Collins, Tuiasosopo, Collins? Does it matter? About the only thing the team can count on is another top 10 pick ... and hiring of a new coach.
	25 (26)	Bills	4-10-0	If Saturday was Eric Moulds' last home game in a Bills uniform, then he gave Bills fans something positive (nine catches for 110 yards) to remember.
	26 (24)	Cardinals	4-10-0	About the only suspense in the desert: Which WR (Anquan Boldin or Larry Fitzgerald) is more likely to make the Pro Bowl team?
	27 (29)	Jets	3-11-0	They still need some help, but Jets fans can at least start dreaming (and it's a big dream at this point) of Reggie Bush again.
	28 (27)	Packers	3-11-0	As Mike Sherman said after the game, the Packers' loss to the Ravens on Monday night was tough to watch.
	29 (28)	Saints	3-11-0	Todd Bouman wasn't much better than Aaron Brooks, was he?
	30 (30)	Lions	4-10-0	Well, Lions fans have made it pretty clear that they don't want Matt Millen running their team. Will the Fords listen?
	31 (32)	Texans	2-12-0	If Reggie Bush really goes to the worst team in the NFL, he won't be playing in Houston next year ...
	32 (31)	49ers	2-12-0	... He'll be playing in San Francisco with his former high school teammate Alex Smith.

IN THE HUNT

MIDDLE OF THE PACK

NEED WORK


MIDDLE OF THE PACK Listed alphabetically: Atlanta Falcons (8-6) Dallas Cowboys (8-6) Kansas City Chiefs (8-6) Miami Dolphins (7-7) Minnesota Vikings (8-6) Washington Redskins (8-6)	NEED WORK Listed alphabetically: Arizona Cardinals (4-10) Baltimore Ravens (5-9) Buffalo Bills (4-10) Cleveland Browns (5-9) Detroit Lions (4-10) Green Bay Packers (3-11) Houston Texans (2-12) New Orleans Saints (3-11) N.Y. Jets (3-11) Oakland Raiders (4-10) Philadelphia Eagles (6-8) St. Louis Rams (5-9) San Francisco 49ers (2-12) Tennessee Titans (4-10)