A nice holiday gift to know that the independent sports minds at ESPN rank Cleveland ahead of Pittsburgh.
Browns were ranked 32 (last) in the pre-season, and now are
7th ranked just ahead of Steelers.
| 2007 Power Rankings: Week 16 |
| |
RK (LW) |
TEAM |
REC |
COMMENT |
 |
1 (1) |
Patriots |
14-0-0 |
So, are wet weather and windy conditions the kryptonite for the Pats' offense? It looked that way with a season-low 20 points Sunday. But even a subpar Tom Brady doesn't make mistakes that can put his team in harm's way (we're looking at you, Romo). |
 |
2 (3) |
Colts |
12-2-0 |
Becoming the first team to produce five consecutive seasons of 12 or more wins wasn't as easy as expected against the Raiders. Their five-year total of 62 wins is the second highest during that span. The best? Look up one spot. |
 |
3 (2) |
Cowboys |
12-2-0 |
Nope, not gonna do it. Not gonna call out the girlfriend-who-must-not-be-named as the reason for Tony Romo's struggles on Sunday. But the Cowboys need to be a little alarmed about how they've played lately. Last thing they want is Lambeau in January. |
 |
4 (4) |
Packers |
12-2-0 |
If the Packers win at Chicago on Sunday, they'll finish the regular season with a 7-1 road record, their best mark since 1941. With some help, the Packers might not have to play another game on the road until the Super Bowl in Arizona. |
 |
5 (5) |
Jaguars |
10-4-0 |
Props to the Jags' offense, which has produced 400 or more yards in four consecutive games, the longest streak in franchise history. More props for doing it Sunday against the league's top-ranked defense and in poor weather conditions. |
 |
6 (7) |
Chargers |
9-5-0 |
Two wins would seal the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs for the Chargers. And why is that important? Because it means they wouldn't have to face the Patriots until the conference championship. |
 |
7 (10) |
Browns |
9-5-0 |
The Browns should win their last two games (Cincy, SF) to go 11-5. Unfortunately for Cleveland fans, the Steelers also finish with a couple of patsies (St. Louis, Baltimore). But no one in Cleveland will complain about the wild card. |
 |
8 (8) |
Steelers |
9-5-0 |
That the Steelers are 9-5 probably is about what we expected at this point. But their 7-2 start raised expectations, and that has made the past few weeks a little troubling. "We've stumbled of late. So be it," head coach Mike Tomlin said. |
 |
9 (11) |
Buccaneers |
9-5-0 |
Now that the Bucs have scored the first touchdown via kickoff return after 32 years and 1,865 attempts, we can concentrate on the club's next drought: days since anyone has referred to injured RB Cadillac Williams by his given name, Carnell. |
 |
10 (6) |
Seahawks |
9-5-0 |
When the Seahawks reached the Super Bowl two years ago, they averaged 153.6 rushing yards per game. This season? A 93.4-yard average. "Numbers speak for themselves. I don't have to talk about how different it is," RB Shaun Alexander told the P-I. |
 |
11 (12) |
Vikings |
8-6-0 |
Are the Vikes a legitimately scary team or just fortunate to win five straight against mostly below-.500 teams? Wide receiver Bobby Wade told the Star Tribune that "other teams are going to have to take us seriously." |
 |
12 (9) |
Giants |
9-5-0 |
Sunday's loss leaves the G-Men in a much more precarious spot, playoffwise, than they would've liked. Yes, they can still clinch with one more win, but let's face it -- it's not gonna happen in Game No. 16 (vs. Pats). That makes the game at Buffalo huge. |
 |
13 (13) |
Titans |
8-6-0 |
In the last four games, opponents are converting 53.8 percent of their third downs (35 of 65) while the Titans are converting just 30.6 percent (15 of 49). Tennessee will need to improve on both fronts to retain any playoff hope. |
 |
14 (16) |
Saints |
7-7-0 |
To give themselves the best shot of returning to the playoffs, the Saints need to win out (and hope for some help). First up: the Eagles at home. "It's a one-week season," offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb told the T-P. |
 |
15 (19) |
Texans |
7-7-0 |
We can forgive Mario Williams for his hula dance sack celebration. But Ron Dayne going with the Heisman pose following a TD run Thursday? Evidently, Ron's still partying like it's 1999 (when he actually won the Heisman). |
 |
16 (17) |
Redskins |
7-7-0 |
The loss of LB Rocky McIntosh to two torn ligaments is another cruel development for the Redskins, whose season will be on the line Sunday at Minnesota. Veteran Randall Godfrey may be called on to fill in. |