1. Patriots (10-2; last week No. 2): They’re back. And likely to stay.
2. Steelers (10-2; No. 3): Based on how they’re barely beating so-so teams, that “elephant in the room” is probably going to sit on their heads.
3. Vikings (10-2; No. 4): When does “win one more and we’ll believe” finally become “OK, we believe”?
4. Eagles (10-2; No. 1): Fly, Eagles, fly. Right in to a Wolf Grey window.
5. Rams (9-3; No. 5): Bruce Arians is going to be eating his words every time he ever plays the Rams, ever again.
6. Saints (9-3; No. 6): With two games against Atlanta in December, the Saints have a chance to ensure that they won’t have to face the Falcons in January.
7. Seahawks (8-4; No. 10): Currently, they’re the most likely Super Bowl candidate that no one seems to be paying attention to.
8. Titans (8-4; No. 11): They win they games they should win, and they lose the games they should lose.
9. Jaguars (8-4; No. 9): They lose some of the games they should win, but they can win some of the games they should lose.
10. Panthers (8-4; No. 7): Carolina needs to figure out what Mike Zimmer has done to figure out Cam Newton, if the Panthers hope to figure out how to stay in the playoff chase.
11. Ravens (7-5; No. 12): The last team the Patriots or Steelers want to see in the playoffs is closer and closer to getting there.
12. Chargers (6-6; No. 13): The next-to-last team the Patriots or Steelers want to see in the playoffs is closer and closer to getting there.
13. Falcons (7-5; No. 8): A blown two-point lead in the fourth quarter is still a blown fourth-quarter lead.
14. Raiders (6-6; No. 18): Sunday’s game at Arrowhead Stadium feels like an elimination game.
15. Cowboys (6-6; No. 20): What hurts worse, not having Ezekiel Elliott or not getting a crack at Ben McAdoo?
16. Bills (6-6; No. 14): Well, at least they don’t have to worry about Tyrod Taylor leading the team to the playoffs and forcing his way on to the 2018 roster.
17. Lions (6-6; No. 15): If Josh McDaniels is ready to leave New England, Jim Caldwell may still be leaving Detroit, new contract notwithstanding.
18. Packers (6-6; No. 21): They avoided the embarrassment of losing to the Bucs at home. Can they avoid the indignity of falling victim to the Browns?
19. Chiefs (6-6; No. 16): At least there’s now no doubt that Alex Smith isn’t the problem.
20. Jets (5-7; No. 25): The Jets are suddenly the model of New York stability and consistency.
21. Washington (5-7; No. 17): It’s good that they figured out Scot McCloughan was the problem.
22. Dolphins (5-7; No. 26): A prime-time win over the Patriots would be the best way to set the tone for 2018.
23. Bengals (5-7; No. 19): As the potential departure of Marvin Lewis looms, Mike Brown has to wonder whether he’ll be able to find anyone better.
24. Cardinals (5-7; No. 22): How many catches and yards would Larry Fitzgerald have had if he had decent quarterbacks for the bulk of his career?
25. Buccaneers (4-8; No. 23): Chucky is coming back soon for a visit. The fans are hoping it leads to something more permanent.
26. Texans (4-8; No. 24): They’re surprisingly competitive without Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt, but they’re still not nearly competitive enough.
27. 49ers (2-10; No. 31): Yep, it made plenty of sense to keep Jimmy Garoppolo on the sidelines for a month.
28. Bears (3-9; No. 27): Four years ago, John Fox was taking a team to the Super Bowl.
29. Colts (3-9; No. 29): Why do I have a feeling Jim Irsay is going to give Chuck Pagano another year?
30. Broncos (3-9; No. 30): It’s amazing that Aqib Talib has only fought opponents this year.
31. Giants (2-10; No. 28): The folks who hired Ben McAdoo will now be hiring his replacement. What could go wrong?
32. Browns (0-12; No. 32): Hue Jackson says the Browns can’t have too many good quarterbacks. Having one would be a good start.