NFL Rankings - 14 Dec

Here are the NFL rankings through 13 games. Team name is followed by record, rating, and previous ranking.

1. New England (11-2) -15.45 (1)
2. Pittsburgh (10-3) -10.48 (3)
3. Green Bay (8-5) -9.85 (2)
4. San Diego (7-6) -8.17 (9)
5. Atlanta (11-2) -7.89 (5)
6. Baltimore (9-4) -7.07 (6)
7. Philadelphia (9-4) -6.87 (4)
8. NY Giants (9-4) -6.15 (7)
9. NY Jets (9-4) -4.80 (10)
10. New Orleans (10-3) -4.50 (12)
11. Indianapolis (7-6) -4.23 (11)
12. Miami (7-6) -3.31 (17)
13. Tennessee (5-8) -3.28 (13)
14. Detroit (3-10) -2.83 (19)
15. Chicago (9-4) -1.80 (8)
16. Cleveland (5-8) -0.77 (15)
17. Oakland (6-7) 0.07 (14)
18. Houston (5-8) 0.30 (21)
19. Dallas (4-9) 0.46 (20)
20. Tampa Bay (8-5) 0.99 (23)
21. Kansas City (8-5) 1.09 (16)
22. Jacksonville (8-5) 1.12 (22)
23. Minnesota (5-8) 1.18 (18)
24. Buffalo (3-10) 2.12 (27)
25. Cincinnati (2-11) 2.26 (24)
26. Washington (5-8) 3.14 (26)
27. Saint Louis (6-7) 3.75 (25)
28. San Francisco (5-8) 4.05 (29)
29. Arizona (4-9) 8.20 (31)
30. Seattle (6-7) 8.50 (30)
31. Denver (3-10) 10.12 (28)
32. Carolina (1-12) 12.87 (32)

New England solidified their hold on the top spot with their blowout win at Chicago this weekend. Four of the wins in their current 5-game winning streak are against teams that will probably make the playoffs this year. Barring a major injury, the Patriots are looking unstoppable.

Green Bay may still be at #3 this week, but by losing Aaron Rodgers and then the game to Detroit, the Packers seriously damaged their playoff chances. All five of their losses have come by 4 or fewer points, and two were the direct result of concussions, but unless they beat New England this week, Chicago will take the division by virtue of a better in-division record in the case of a tie.

San Diego continued their regular late-season push by shutting out their main division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-0. I don't foresee any trouble for them in the remainder of their schedule, so that win over the Chiefs should cement the division title.

Last year's Super Bowl teams, the Saints and Colts, are both looking like they will sneak into the playoffs, but both have performed far below expectations this year and have almost no chance of a return trip to the big game.

Miami kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a win over the Jets, but I still don't think they'll catch the Jets or Ravens in the standings for the last wild card berth, unless the Jets continue to implode, in which case they might have a chance, depending on Jacksonville's final record.

Chicago may have been blown out at home this week, but it was actually a good week for the Bears. Green Bay, the team I had projected to win the division, lost a game they shouldn't have, while the Bears lost one they were expected to lose. That adds up to a potential tie in the division, with the Bears owning the tiebreaker and leaving one of the league's best teams at home for the playoffs.

Tampa Bay and Jacksonville both surprised me this week. I've been calling them overrated for a long time, and both won games I thought they should have lost, both in comebacks. I still don't think either one will make the playoffs, but maybe they'll continue to surprise me.

Saint Louis still looks like the most likely choice to represent the NFC West in the playoffs, with games against San Francisco and Seattle remaining. They should finish with an 8-8 record and make the playoffs for the first time in years.

Playoff Predictions

AFC

1. New England (14-2)
2. Pittsburgh (13-3)
3. San Diego (10-6)
4. Indianapolis (10-6)
5. Baltimore (12-4)
6. NY Jets (11-5)

NFC

1. Atlanta (14-2)
2. NY Giants (11-5)
3. Chicago (10-6)
4. Saint Louis (8-8)
5. New Orleans (11-5)
6. Philadelphia (11-5)

Conference Championships

Patriots over Steelers
Falcons over Giants

Super Bowl

Patriots over Falcons

Predictions - 14 Dec

Upset picks are in italics

NBA

76ers at Nets - 76ers by 3
Lakers at Wizards - Lakers by 10
Raptors at Bobcats - Bobcats by 2
Hawks at Pistons - Hawks by 6
Kings at Rockets - Rockets by 12
Magic at Nuggets - Nuggets by 1
Timberwolves at Warriors - Warriors by 5

College Basketball

Oakland at (7) Tennessee - Tennessee by 15
Drexel at (21) Louisville - Louisville by 12
North Florida at (25) Texas - Texas by 25
Cal - Riverside at Saint Mary's - Saint Mary's by 32

Prediction Results - 13 Dec

NFL: 2/2 (1.000) 38/64 overall (.594)
NBA: 4/5 (.800) 129/176 overall (.733)
College Basketball: 2/2 (1.000) 83/97 overall (.856)