It's possible that I assumed good health would carry through for the majority of the players in my top ten. An injury to a QB this late can really derail a team, though.
It was thus a week of fluctuation as all but two teams were on the move.
That uncertainty was reflected in my rather terrible picks. I went 7-9 straight up and picked worse than a barrel of monkeys trying to write Shakespeare.
A number of teams let me down, not least of which were Buffalo, Indianapolis, and Miami. I'm not sure why I thought any of them would win, looking back on it now.
Then again, could anyone have predicted Jacksonville putting up 50 in a single game?
Here are the Rankings for Week 14:
1.) Carolina (13-0) [no change]
A beatdown against Atlanta ensures that the Panthers remain unbeaten and atop these rankings. The only problem from the game might be the injuries to Stewart and Olsen. Of course, if they both play well in Week 15, then there'll be no worries. Cam Newton continues to produce at an MVP level. I find it hard to believe, but I'm getting used to the thought of Newton as MVP. Pretty amazing considering that the Panthers were 7-8-1 last season.
Next opponent: at NY Giants (12/20)
2.) Arizona (11-2) [no change]
Interestingly, the Cardinals have matched the Chiefs in terms of winning streaks. They have won seven in a row as well, despite looking pretty vulnerable recently. I continue to wonder why they didn't go for the throat in the passing game, choosing to run the ball and keep the game close against a team that is stunningly ill-equipped to play from behind. I guess Arians was being nice or something. Something tells me that won't happen this week.
Next opponent: at Philadelphia (12/20)
3.) New England (11-2) [+2]
The Pats were the main beneficiary of the Week 14 nonsense. With their win against the Texans, plus losses by Cincy and Denver, New England is back in the driver's seat in the AFC. Will it last more than a couple weeks? Who knows. They're the best team in the conference right now, though, and their remaining schedule consists of winnable games.
Next opponent: vs. Tennessee (12/20)
4.) Denver (10-3) [-1]
Kubiak's vaunted offense (which has won precisely squat since 1998) has cratered and new golden boy Osweiler looks just as human as Peyton. So what is the answer now? I guess they'll have to hope that Peyton is healthy, and if he is they'll go back to him. Otherwise, they have to coach up Osweiler to stop taking sacks and get the ball out quicker. It would also help to score TD's instead of FG's. Probably.
Next opponent: at Pittsburgh (12/20)
5.) Green Bay (9-4) [+1]
Why #5 despite being one win behind Cincy? Rodgers is still healthy. Let's not get too crazy, though, with all the talk about McCarthy taking back play-calling. He still doesn't know how to run an offense (yeah, they looked competent against the Cowboys, but that's not going to last). The ceiling is probably not all that high, even with the division within reach.
Next opponent: at Oakland (12/20)
6.) Cincinnati (10-3) [-2]
With Dalton out, McCarron takes over. And while this does derail Cincy's fairly successful season (to this point, at least), I'm not sure how it'll impact the playoffs, because Dalton may be back by then. Also, I didn't think much of the Bengals with Dalton, so losing him shouldn't have much of an impact. McCarron could play his first postseason game and the Bengals could easily lose. What's the difference between he and Dalton in that case? There isn't one.
Next opponent: at San Francisco (12/20)
7.) Seattle (8-5) [+1]
The team "nobody wants to play" keeps putting up points in bunches. It's really a tired meme at this point; I'm sure there are teams that would love to play Seattle. Despite their suddenly potent offense, their defense still looks like it has fallen off a cliff when it comes to defending elite QB's. Obviously, going against Jimmy Clausen a second time was easy pickings, but the playoffs will be a different animal entirely.
Next opponent: vs. Cleveland (12/20)
8.) NY Jets (8-5) [+1]
Easy win against Tennessee, but that was to be expected. They have Pittsburgh in the rear-view mirror and that could be troublesome. A wild card is not necessarily guaranteed, and the division has already been locked up (surprise, surprise).
Next opponent: at Dallas (12/19)
9.) Kansas City (8-5) [+1]
After Carolina, the Chiefs have the longest win streak going. While they are probably out of play for the division, a wild card is looking increasingly likely. Then again, if Denver's offense continues to sputter and the Chiefs keep on winning, there's no telling what could happen. Also, it is notable (yet generally unnoticed) that they held Rivers to 6 points combined in two games.
Next opponent: at Baltimore (12/20)
10.) Minnesota (8-5) [-3]
Almost hard to remember what happened last Thursday after such an eventful Sunday and Monday. I think that Minnesota was in the game against Arizona for as long as they were thanks to the Cardinals playing it safe. Had Arizona gone bombs away on a depleted secondary as we expected, the score would have been a lot higher and the game wouldn't have been in doubt for as long as it was. Minnesota has demonstrated no real ability to come back and got stifled on their last drive when a makeable FG would have tied it.
Next opponent: vs. Chicago (12/20)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
