Last week's ranking in parentheses.
1. Patriots 11-2 (2). Tom Brady improved to 52-10 in December with Monday night's win over the Ravens.
2. Chiefs 10-3 (4). Figure this one out: They have fewer yards, have run fewer plays and less time of possession than their opponents.
3. Cowboys 11-2 (1). Those Dak Prescott/Tony Romo questions are back.
4. Raiders 10-3 (3). Lost control of the AFC West with loss in Kansas City; you have to wonder if they can win in the cold in January.
5. Steelers 8-5 (7). If Le'Veon Bell keeps rolling, they will be in good shape preparing for a Christmas showdown with the Ravens.
6. Giants 9-4 (9). Hand it to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo; they did a number on the high-powered Cowboys on Sunday night.
7. Broncos 8-5 (5). Defending Super Bowl champs face a gauntlet: Patriots, at Chiefs, Raiders in final three weeks.
8. Falcons 8-5 (8). On pace to set a franchise record for scoring, and that should make offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan a head coaching candidate.
9. Seahawks 8-4-1 (6). Richard Sherman says they need a wake-up call. What do you call a 38-10 loss in Green Bay?
10. Lions 9-4 (10). Matthew Stafford has a dislocated right middle finger with ligament damage and that's a worry as they push for the postseason.
11. Ravens 7-6 (11). Battled the Patriots tough on Monday night but aren't having success running the ball.
12. Buccaneers 8-5 (13). Lovie Smith is no longer there, but they have 25 takeaways, tied for the most in the league.
13. Redskins 7-5-1 (16). On the outside looking in on the NFC playoff race, with games against the Panthers, Bears and Giants remaining.
14. Titans 7-6 (18). Running game was good enough to propel them past the Broncos despite only six pass completions by Marcus Mariota.
15. Packers 7-6 (19). Aaron Rodgers is battling a calf muscle injury, but his team is going again at just the right time.
16. Vikings 7-6 (17). Running back Adrian Peterson will return to practice this week with an eye toward playing soon.
17. Dolphins 8-5 (12). Miami dodged a bullet as quarterback Ryan Tannehill did not suffer a torn ACL as originally feared.
18. Bills 6-7 (14). Wholesale changes appear to be on the horizon.
19. Texans 7-6 (22). They control the AFC South right now, but it's difficult to trust Brock Osweiler.
20. Cardinals 5-7-1 (15). Arizona is expecting quarterback Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald back in 2017.
21. Panthers 5-8 (26). It's Josh Norman Week with Carolina gearing up to face the outspoken cornerback they let go this offseason.
22. Bengals 5-7-1 (24). Feeling is that Marvin Lewis will likely return next season.
23. Saints 5-8 (20). Chances are good they are going to finish with a losing record for the fourth time in five seasons.
24. Colts 6-7 (23). Looks like they will miss the playoffs with a healthy quarterback for the first time in 15 seasons.
25. Chargers 5-8 (21). In the best division in football, they have been spinning their wheels all season.
26. Eagles 5-8 (25). Wide receiver has to be the biggest need, but they have to upgrade the offensive line for Carson Wentz.
27. Jets 4-9 (28). Will be an interesting offseason for big-money veterans.
28. Bears 3-10 (29). After two interceptions against Matthew Stafford, the Bears will see if they can pick off Aaron Rodgers. Have to go back to Weeks 2 and 3 of 2014 season for consecutive games with two picks.
29. Rams 4-9 (27). With the Jeff Fisher era over, Eric Dickerson will be back at Rams home games.
30. Jaguars 2-11 (30). Make it eight consecutive losses since their Oct. 16 victory over the Bears at Soldier Field.
31. 49ers 1-12 (31). Chip Kelly says "it's not like we're getting taken to the woodshed" after OT loss to the Jets. No, but they have lost 12 in a row.
32. Browns 0-13 (32). Opposing cornerbacks making a habit of trashing Terrelle Pryor postgame.
