Ballot and comments from AP Pro 32 panel voter Bob Glauber of Newsday:
Week 17
BOB GLAUBER (Newsday)
1. Denver Broncos - The operative numbers here are 10 and 72. That's
10 straight wins for the Broncos and 72 times that Peyton Manning has
passed for three or more TDs in a game. Next stop New Orleans?
2. Atlanta Falcons - After crushing the Giants at home, the Falcons do
the same to Detroit on the road to earn the No. 1 seed in the
playoffs. They've been here before, only to lose on the first try.
Don't sense that'll be the case this time.
3. Seattle Seahawks - There is no hotter team in the NFL right now.
Pete Carroll's boys have outscored their last opponents by a whopping
150-30. Most impressive was a 42-13 blowout of the 49ers at home,
where the 'Hawks are 7-0.
4. San Francisco 49ers - The loss in Seattle wasn't the thing that
hurt. Now the 49ers are dealing with injury issues at a time they can
least afford it.
5. New England Patriots - Pats struggle to beat surprisingly tough
Jaguars on the road, but they're still alive for a playoff bye.
Whether or not they get it could be crucial to their Super Bowl hopes.
6. Green Bay Packers - Pack assured of No. 3 seed in the playoffs, but
they get the No. 2 - and a bye - with a win over the Vikings on
Sunday.
7. Houston Texans - Texans have picked the wrong time to struggle,
losing two of their last three. They didn't show up against the
Vikings. Good news on Arian Foster, though. He says he is "back to
normal" after visiting with a cardiologist because of a heart-related
issue during the game.
8. Washington Redskins - It's very simple for the resurgent Redskins:
Beat the Cowboys on Sunday, and the division is theirs. Would be an
incredible finish for a team that looked to be out of it at 3-6.
9. Minnesota Vikings - Considering the stakes, that win in Houston was
the biggest of Leslie Frazier's tenure. Vikes still alive in the
wild-card chase.
10. Baltimore Ravens - All those offensive problems of the previous
five weeks disappeared against the reeling Giants, as Joe Flacco, Ray
Rice and Bernard Pierce dominate and deliver another AFC North title.
11. Indianapolis Colts - What a welcome back present: The Colts
deliver Chuck Pagano a playoff berth upon his return to work on Monday
after cancer treatment. Fine job, Bruce Arians.
12. Cincinnati Bengals - Marvin Lewis gets to his second straight
playoff berth for the first time as a head coach and does so in style,
beating the AFC North rival Steelers on the road.
13. Dallas Cowboys - Tony Romo does his part on offense, but Cowboy's
D can't contain Drew Brees. Now it's a winner-take-all deal against
the Redskins. Cowboys hope they respond better than they did the last
time they were in this exact predicament last year against the Giants.
14. New Orleans Saints - They're only playing for pride, but the
Saints are doing so with gusto. Their OT win over Dallas makes them
7-4 since their disastrous start.
15. Chicago Bears - Playoff hope lives for another week after a layup
win in Arizona.
16. New York Giants - Haven't seen a team fall off a cliff like this
in quite some time. Giants outscored 67-13 in their last two and need
a miracle to get into the tournament.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Not used to seeing a playoff concession
speech by Mike Tomlin. But his team hasn't been right all season, so
this is what he's left with.
18. Carolina Panthers - Another strong showing - the latest in a
series of them - for Cam Newton and his improving teammates. Too
little, too late, but still hope for next year.
19. St. Louis Rams - A ton of progress from a Rams team that won just
two games last season. Still a ways to go, but a promising future
nevertheless thanks to Jeff Fisher.
20. Miami Dolphins - All in all, not a bad season for a Dolphins team
with few expectations. They give their rookie quarterback valuable
experience and hope for the payoff down the road.
21. San Diego Chargers - One more week until the Norv Turner era is
over. At least he can take some comfort from a solid road win against
the Jets.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Bucs answer 41-0 pounding in New Orleans
with another show of ineptitude at home against the Rams. More
turnovers from - and questions about - Josh Freeman.
23. Buffalo Bills - Bills will continue searching for another
quarterback after more mediocrity from Ryan Fitzpatrick.
24. Tennessee Titans - Titans owner Bud Adams said he had to turn the
TV off in this one. Suspect many other Titans fans did the same in a
55-7 loss in Green Bay.
25. Arizona Cardinals - And now we wait to see what happens to Ken
Whisenhunt and whether the Bidwills absolve him for playing without a
capable quarterback most of the way.
26. Cleveland Browns - Same thing, different year: Another
double-digit losing season in Cleveland, to be followed by another
coaching change.
27. New York Jets - Once again, the Jets not only lose, but do so in
spectacular fashion: 11 sacks of Greg McElroy and insubordination from
Tim Tebow.
28. Detroit Lions - What began with such hope will end with crushing
disappointment known all too well by fans numbed by decades of
failure.
29. Philadelphia Eagles - One more (last?) chance for Michael Vick in
an Iggles uniform. Only way he stays is if the new coach still wants
him.
30. Oakland Raiders - A mess coming into the season, and still the
same on the way out.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars - Gritty effort against the vastly superior
Patriots, but not nearly good enough. Tim Tebow to the rescue next
year?
32. Kansas City Chiefs - In almost any other season, Jamaal Charles is
your Comeback Player of the Year. Coming off ACL surgery, he has 1,456
yards rushing on an abysmal team.
---
Online:
and
