There was plenty of excitement around the league on Thanksgiving and over the weekend. The Patriots scored 35 points in the second half to trounce the Lions. The Saints won in a thriller over the Cowboys. The Jets erased a halftime deficit by outscoring the Bengals 23-3 in the second half. Pittsburgh needed overtime and a Steve Johnson touchdown drop to beat the pesky Bills. The Falcons beat the Packers in an exciting game, despite Aaron Rodgers leading the Packers down the field for a game-tying touchdown. The Bears put on an impressive performance as they downed Michael Vick and the Eagles. The San Diego Chargers are on the map once again after destroying the Colts by forcing four Peyton Manning interceptions.

The Rankings

1. New England Patriots (9-2): They stomped the Lions on Thanksgiving and now await the Jets in what could be the game of the year.

2. Atlanta Falcons (9-2): Big win over the Packers to remain in sole possession of first place. They’ll be heading to Tampa to face the Bucs.

3. New York Jets (9-2): Good win over the Bengals, but they face a tough test in New England on Monday.

4. New Orleans Saints (8-3): The offense is explosive, and we get the feeling they could contend for the Super Bowl. They have an easy contest at Cincinnati.

5. Chicago Bears (8-3): Impressive win over the Eagles on Sunday. They have it easy as they head to Detroit.

6. Green Bay Packers (7-4): Tough loss to the Falcons, but they proved they can hang with the elite. The 49ers come to town.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (7-4): They ran into a good defense in Chicago and play this Thursday against the Texans.

8. Baltimore Ravens (8-3): Baltimore wasn’t impressive in beating the overrated Buccaneers. Huge matchup with the #9 team this week.

9. San Diego Chargers (6-5): They have won four in a row and own the second-best point differential in the NFL. They’ll host the Raiders this week.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3): Ugly win for the Steelers. They got lucky against the Bills, and they’ll need more of it if they want to beat the Ravens this week.

On the Bubble

Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, NY Giants, Miami Dolphins