1. Packers (No. 1; 13-0): The 13th win ended up being a bit unlucky, but not even the absence of Greg Jennings is likely to keep the Packers from getting to 16-0.
2. Ravens (No. 2; 10-3): Baltimore residents have never been so glad the Colts left.
3. Steelers (No. 3; 10-3): Nearly two years after Ben Roethlisberger lost Pittsburgh, he has almost completely won the town back.
4. Patriots (No. 4; 10-3): Maybe Tom Brady’s next endorsement deal will be with the folks who make Valium.
5. Saints (No. 5; 10-3): That Lambeau Field rematch is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality.
6. Texans (No. 7; 10-3): The team that employs T.J. Yates > the team that used to employ T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
7. 49ers (No. 6; 10-3): Once the hottest team not playing in Wisconsin, the Niners are cooling off at the worst possible time.
8. Broncos (No. 9; 8-5): Next up, the quarterback who screamed profanities at a coach faces the quarterback who tells the coach “God bless you,” even when the coach hasn’t sneezed.
9. Falcons (No. 11; 8-5): If Julio Jones can stay healthy, he can become one of the best receivers in the league.
10. Jets (No. 12; 8-5): One of these years, maybe the Jets won’t make it so hard on themselves to get to the playoffs — and to succeed once they get there.
11. Giants (No. 16; 7-6): Somehow, the Giants saved their season, and Tom Coughlin saved his job.
12. Lions (No. 14; 8-5): Sometimes, a personal foul can win a game. As long as all of the officials have their eyes closed at the same time.
13. Cowboys (No. 8; 7-6): If Dan Bailey were any more iced, he’d be a beer at the bottom of a cooler on the 4th of July.
14. Raiders (No. 10; 7-6): Well, at least they won’t have to give up another first-round pick for Carson Palmer.
15. Titans (No. 13; 7-6): If Jake Locker had been the Week One starter, he’d be a candidate for rookie of the year.
16. Bengals (No. 15; 7-6): How empty would the stands be in Cincinnati if the Bengals didn’t have a winning record?
17. Chargers (No. 19; 6-7): There’s still an incredibly remote chance that my preseason prediction for AFC champion will be right.
18. Bears (No. 17; 7-6): When Brian Urlacher said that Tim Tebow is a good running back, Urlacher should have added that Caleb Hanie is a piss-poor quarterback.
19. Seahawks (No. 18; 6-7): The Seahawks could be a serious contender in 2012.
20. Cardinals (No. 20; 6-7): The Cardinals could be a serious contender in 2012.
21. Dolphins (No. 21; 4-9): The Dolphins could be a serious contender in 2012.
22. Chiefs (No. 22; 5-8): The Chiefs could be a serious contender in 2012.
23. Panthers (No. 23; 4-9): The Panthers could be a serious contender in 2012.
24. Bills (No. 24; 5-8): Well, there’s always 2013.
25. Eagles (No. 25; 5-8): It was refreshing to see the Eagles finally kill a coach other than their own.
26. Jaguars (No. 29; 4-9): Here’s hoping the Jags become competitive while Maurice Jones-Drew still has some gas in the tank.
27. Browns (No. 27; 4-9): Maybe whoever was supposed to check Colt McCoy for a concussion was suffering from a concussion.
28. Redskins (No. 28; 4-9): I wonder how much DeAngelo Hall paid for his standing-room-only, field-level ticket for Sunday’s game.
29. Buccaneers (No. 26; 4-9): Giving up 41 points to the Jaguars is like giving up 100 to a normal team.
30. Vikings (No. 30; 2-11): If the ’72 Dolphins won’t be able to open their champagne this year, maybe they can give the bottle to Les Steckel.
31. Rams (No. 31; 2-11): Well, at least Steve Spagnuolo won’t be the second coach fired this year. Or the third.
32. Colts (No. 32; 0-13): Andrew Luck has no problem coexisting with Peyton Manning. The problem is the other 52 members of the team.