After 17 grueling weeks of regular season play, the standings are in permanent place and it’s clear that the league’s best team is the New England Patriots. It’s equally clear that the Carolina Panthers are the worst. Finally, it’s sparkling crystal clear that Tom Brady is the Most Valuable Player of professional football. As for the rest, it’s all a matter of opinion. You may not agree with my standings, but this is who I feel the strongest teams are heading into the playoffs. Of the teams who will play in the Wild Card round this weekend, the Colts have the most momentum going in after winning their last 4 regular season games to finish 10-6 and clinch their 7th AFC South Championship in 8 years. Kansas city finds themselves back out of the top 10 after a bad loss to Oakland that comes with no excuses as they didn’t sit any starters despite having the AFC West wrapped up.

Then there’s the less fortunate teams whose season came to an end this past Sunday, or you could argue sooner. Other than brushing up on their golf scores or making vacation plans, the players of these teams have little to look forward to until April’s draft, which now adds some intrigue as to who will be the #1 overall pick with Andrew Luck opting to return to Stanford. Before the regular season could conclude, the Seahawks made their way out of bottom feeder status (debatably) by defeating St. Louis to claim the NFC West at, yes, 7-9. Football fans deserve better, but rules are rules and if you win your division you’re in the playoffs no matter what your record is. My only hope is that justice is served and the Saints see to it that their playoff experience is very short-lived.

In the MVP race, it was unfortunate but necessary to bid Maurice Jones-Drew farewell after missing the last 2 regular season games. You could say that proves him even more valuable since the Jags lost said games, but you sink like a rock on my list if you’re injured while those who are accomplishing things on the field take your place. It took 2 men to fill MJD’s shoes this week. You’ll see what I mean in a bit.

Bottom of the Barrel

  1. Washington (10) A loss to the Giants capped off a disappointing and dramatic season for the Redskins, who will inevitably part ways with Donovan McNabb after a failed marriage between he and coach Mike Shanahan. I get the feeling this time next yeear, this team will still be a mess. Record: 6-10 

  2. Minnesota (NR) We say goodbye for good (we think) to Brett Favre, who had to watch again from the sideline as the Vikings loss to Detroit, 20-13. This gave the Lions their first 4-game win streak in over a decade. Minnesota feels Leslie Frazier proved himself worthy of the head coach title and hired him full-time this week. The quarterback situation is uncertain, but I think with the right man under center, they’ll be fighting it out for a Wild Card spot at the end of next season. Record: 6-10

  3. Houston (8) A nice win 34-17 over Jacksonville without Andre Johnson finished their season, and the Texans believe Gary Kubiak is still their man. They also made a smart move by hiring Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator. We’ll see how it develops, but I have to believe it only helps them improve. Next year will be full of more playoff predictions, which you can’t count out with the obvious weakening of the AFC South. Record: 6-10

  4. Buffalo (7) A tough pill to swallow, losing 38-7 to the Jets in the season finale. Winless in the first half of the season, then 4-4 in the second half. Their record didn’t show it, but they played tough throughout most of the year and have a quarterback/receiver combo that might be the future of the franchise. Record: 4-12

  5. Cleveland (6) The Browns had some games to be very proud of. Wins over the Saints and Patriots, an overtime loss to the Jets, and losing by just 3 to the Falcons. Their play down the stretch cost Eric Mangini his job, but if Browns’ brass finally get the right fit at coach and continue to develop Colt McCoy, the Cleveland curse could finally be lifted. Record: 5-11

  6. San Francisco (4) Ending the season on a high note by beating Arizona 38-7, the Niners now begin the search for a new head coach to replace Mike Singletary. The man on the top of their list is obviously Jim Harbaugh. If it were to happen and you add a healthy Frank Gore to the mix, it could be smooth sailing in the NFC West for San Francisco next season. Record: 6-10

  7. Cincinnati (5) In my opinion, the Bengals made a surprising move by signing Marvin Lewis to a new 2-year deal. The receiver situation should be interesting with T.O. and Ocho Cinco unlikely to return, but the defense is solid. They could contend with the right offseason moves. Record: 4-12

  8. Arizona (3) It was painfully clear that this team missed the presence of Kurt Warner in 2010. A quarterback is clearly the top priority, as they need someone who can air it out to one of the league’s top receivers in Larry Fitzgerald. If that situation is resolved, they could pick up right where they left off in 2009. Record: 5-11

  9. Denver (2) Tim Tebow got the last few starts in order to prepare him for taking over this team next season. Brandon Lloyd had an outstanding year, but outside of that, the Broncos didn’t have much to be proud of. They’ll be in search of a new coach to replace Josh McDaniels and in my opinion, this is going to be the toughest job opening to fill. There’s very little to attract a good coach to this team. Record: 4-12

  10. Carolina (1) Assuming they don’t take a quarterback in the draft now that Andrew Luck has removed his name from consideration, Jimmy Clausen will have to be a much better starter for the Panthers in 2011. John Fox is all but officially out as coach and it should be a while before they make strides in the win department. Record: 2-14

Climbed Out: Seattle (9) Record: 7-9

Top of the Pops

  1. Indianapolis (NR) Another year, another AFC South Division Champion banner to hang from the rafters. Less wins than usual this year from the Colts, who looked like they may not even make the playoffs after they sat at 6-6. But a 4 straight wins later and a collapse from the Jaguars put them at the top once again. Mental toughness was the key with this team, fighting through all an injury-riddled season. Record: 10-6

  2. Green Bay (10) The Packers won a knock-down, drag-out fight with the NFC North Champion Bears to earn themselves the last available playoff spot in the conference. With Aaron Rodgers playing at a very high level, it will be anybody’s game when they head to Philadelphia in the Wild Card game. Record: 10-6

  3. Philadelphia (7) A loss to the Cowboys came as a surprise even though Mike Vick was not in uniform last Sunday. Vick’s playing status is not at all in question though this Sunday against Green Bay. This should be the most interesting game of the Wild Card round in my opinion. Record: 10-6

  4. NY Jets (8) Rex Ryan is out for revenge when his Jets head to Indianapolis Saturday night, where their playoff run came to an end last season in the AFC Championship game. “It’s personal”, Ryan said. If the players adopt the same attitude, they’ll be dangerous. They’ve looked vulnerable as late, and that’s not something you can afford when heading into a game against Peyton Manning. Record: 11-5

  5. Chicago (5) The 10-3 loss to Green Bay wasn’t because of a lack of effort. The starters all played and made it anything but easy for their division rivals to earn a playoff berth. Chicago would never admit it, but they’re probably quite thankful that Green Bay is the only team they have no chance of facing in the Divisional Round. Record: 11-5

  6. Nawlins (3) For the 2nd straight year, the Saints lose to Tampa Bay in the last regular season game with all of their starters on the field. With Atlanta’s win, the Saints would’ve been heading to Seattle regardless. Time to see if they can deliver the lopsided victory we’re all expecting of them. Record: 11-5

  7. Pittsburgh (6) It was brutal to watch the Steelers’ manhandling of the Browns in a 41-9 win to clinch the #2 seed. They’re a very scary team when hitting on all cylinders. They’ll host Indianapolis, Kansas City or Baltimore in the Divisional round and would be capable of another route against any of the 3 but Baltimore in my opinion. Record: 12-4

  8. Atlanta (4) Clinching homefield throughout the NFC playoffs after a 31-10 win over Carolina, the Falcons now get a week to rest and see who they’ll host at the Georgia Dome next. Only once did they come out on the losing end in their home dome, against the Saints in the last Monday night game of the season. Record: 13-3

  9. Baltimore (2) You can read too much into a #5 seed if you like, but wouldn’t consider any other team who plays in the first round a bigger threat to go to the Super Bowl. Ray Rice is finally coming to life to give them a nice balance on offense and we all saw what they did to the Patriots in Foxborough in last year’s Wild Card game. Record: 12-4

  10. New England (1) Ending the regular season on an 8-game winning streak gives them great momentum heading into the Divisional Round game they’ll host. They went unbeaten at home all year long and are the clearcut favorite to win it all. There’s no guarantees though as we’ve seen an even better 16-0 team get all the way to the dance but still not raise the trophy. Record: 14-2

Fell Out: Kansas City (9) Record: 10-6

MVP Race

10B. Josh Freeman (NR) Yes, I had to include 2 #10’s for the first time all season, knowing it would be the last time I’d be ranking the candidates. The Buccanneers may have come up short in their playoff hopes, but their improvement from 3 wins in 2009 to 10 wins this season is thanks in large part to the outstanding play of their 2nd year quarterback. Josh Freeman played nearly mistake-free football all season long and put a young Tampa Bay squad with no expectations on his shoulders week in and week out. The great decision-making of a quarterback as young as Freeman was remarkable.

10A. Troy Polamalu (NR) The defensive phenom cannot go unrecognized for his contributions on the defensive side of the ball. You could make an argument for Roethlisberger, but based on how they held it together for 4 games without him, it’s my opinion that Polamalu is Pittsburgh’s MVP. His presence was immediately felt in his return against Cleveland on Sunday in an early interception on rookie Colt McCoy. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

  1. Philip Rivers (8) Though his production dropped off later in the season, Rivers is still at least a top candidate for Offensive Player of the Year. With the Chargers not in the playoff race, it also played a factor in him dropping in the standings. If San Diego had been able to put a few more wins together, Rivers would definitely be higher on the list like he was at for a short time earlier in the season.  

  2. Matt Cassel (7) The Kansas City quarterback had an outstanding season, making very few mistakes and helping Dwayne Bowe become one of the most elite receivers in the NFL. Interceptions were definitely a rarity and this season proved that when he filled in for Tom Brady in New England, he wasn’t just a one season wonder. 

  3. Drew Brees (4) On the other hand, intereptions were a certainty every week that Brees took the field. You have to go all the way back to Week 4 to find a turnover-free game for the Saints QB. New Orleans would clearly be nowhere near the team they are without him, as he did throw for plenty of yards, scores, and game-winning drives. But the turnovers are what sticks out in my mind for 2010 as he had nowhere near the impressive season he did a year earlier.

  4. Aaron Rodgers (6) When Green Bay lost Rodgers to a concussion for almost 2 full games, it reaffirmed just how important he is to them. Rodgers has come into his own and is going to be in the MVP running for years to come in this league. The fact that the Packers didn’t have a running game this year and opposing defenses knew exactly what to expect yet still couldn’t stop #12 goes to show just how effective of a quarterback he truly is.

  5. Jamaal Charles (5) It’s debatable who of Kansas City’s big 3 (Bowe, Cassel and Charles) was their MVP, but for my money it’s Jamaal Charles. With his 6.4 yard average per carry, he was 2nd in rushing only to Arian Foster while carrying the ball almost 100 less times. Even more astonishing is he didn’t carry the ball out of the backfield the most times for the Chiefs. Thomas Jones had 15 more carries and accumulated almost 600 yards less on the ground. 

  6. Peyton Manning (9) With his late-season surge to take Indy back to the postseason, Peyton Manning worked his way back towards the top of the MVP list. He racked up 4,700 yards on the year and had the 2nd most touchdowns in the league with 33. Manning put the Colts on his shoulders as usual and led them to the playoffs despite all the injuries. For a stretch he went on an interception spree, but bounced back and proved himself as still one of the elite NFL quarterbacks.

  7. Mike Vick (3) When he stepped in for an injured Kevin Kolb against Green Bay in Week 1, none of us knew it would lead to one of the most resurgent seasons ever played in the league. He not only proved he can still run with the ball, but showed a world of improvement as a passer. Vick also had the most impressive game of any NFL player in 2010, in front of a national audience on Monday Night Football against Washington in Week 10. 6 total touchdowns and over 400 yards of total offense. It was something right out of a Madden video game.

  8. Matt Ryan (2) Consistent play and generally mistake-free football in 2010 helped the Falcons secure homefield advantage in the NFC with a 13-3 record. Ryan threw 28 TDs to and just 9 picks. He was rarely spectacular, but again consistent. While some on this list were up and down in their play from week to week, you pretty much knew what to expect from the Atlanta quarterback going into each game. That’s why he’s my runner-up.

  9. Tom Brady (1) Was there ever any question? Brady held onto the top spot on this list for the entire 2nd half of the season after Peyton Manning began to slip in production for a short spell. What more can be said about Brady’s play that hasn’t been already? 36 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions for the entire season. All 4 of them came in 2 games, and the last turnover through the air came in Week 6 against Baltimore. Besides the lack of turnovers, Brady also easily tallied up the best QB rating at 111.0, 2nd only to his 2007 MVP campaign when he threw for an NFL record 50 scores and 4,800 yards. This season comes up a close 2nd to his performance of 3 years ago, but is still leaps and bounds above the play of any other NFL pro this year. A well-deserved accolade for the poster boy of what an NFL quarterback should be.

Fell Out: Maurice Jones-Drew (10)

And that’s how the final standings shake out. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment and/or post your own rankings. 

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