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Jim Lang's Power Rankings: December 29, 2008

TW LW Team Our Take
1 1 With nothing to play for, Jeff Fisher told all his big boys to take the day off. Any starter that did dress didn't see a lot of game action. What was most interesting was to see just how ineffective Vince Young looked running the Titans offence. Kerry Collins had a lot of mileage on his chassis so I have no problem with Fisher's decision to let his big guns get some extra rest. Now the Titans have two weeks off before their first playoff game. As good as the Titans are, there are still two trains of thought out there. Either the Titans will steam roll the competition and punch their ticket to Tampa. Or Kerry Collins and the Titans will flame out in the Divisional playoffs.
2 2 There's nothing like going into the playoffs on a nine-game winning streak to ring in the New Year. After coming out of the gate slowly, Peyton Manning reclaimed his title as the best quarterback in the NFL. Tony Dungy said after the Colts win over the Titans that he was happy with the way his team was playing going into the playoffs. No kidding Tony!! Now Manning and the Colts have to travel to San Diego to take on the Chargers in an AFC Wild Card game. On paper, a 12 and 4 team taking on an 8 and 8 team looks like a mismatch. Dungy is way too smart to buy into any of that nonsense. Last year in the post season, the Chargers beat the Colts on the road in Indy. Dungy knows that if the Colts are going to extend their winning streak to 10 games, it is going to take a near perfect game.
3 3 Eli Manning didn't play the whole game and Brandon Jacobs took the day off. Despite this, the Giants still were almost able to beat a desperate Vikings team. Now the Giants have two weeks to rest up and get ready for their next opponent. As the Giants take a break before the NFC Divisional playoffs the question remains: Can the Giants win without Plaxico Burress? Tom Coughlin obviously thinks so. If Atlanta is able to beat Arizona, that would mean the Giants would host the Falcons. The way the "Dirty Birds" are playing that is far from being a sure thing.
4 4 Let's just say that Mike Tomlin had his entire season flash before his eyes as his franchise quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, lay motionless on the turf at Heinz Field. It turns out that Roethlisberger suffered a concussion. That's the bad news. The good news is that the Steelers have two weeks between games and there is a chance that Big Ben might be good to go by then. If Roethlisberger doesn't get hurt, Tomlin would have been applauded for making sure Big Ben got in some quality reps before the Steelers two week break. Of course, Roethlisberger got hurt and Tomlin is taking heat.
5 5 The Panthers big stars, Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams all had big games in Carolina's win over the Saints. With the win, the Panthers locked up first place in the NFC South and earned themselves a bye in the first round of the NFC playoffs. Like a lot of teams, just how far the Panthers go in the post season all depends on who they match up against in the NFC Divisional playoff games. For a guy who was suspended by his own team the first two weeks of the season, receiver Steve Smith had a fabulous year. Smith ended up with 78 catches for 1,421 yards and six touchdowns. That works out to just over 18 yards per catch. That is big league numbers for a big time playmaker.
6 6 The fact that Matt Ryan came out of a big time program like Boston College and had such a good rookie campaign is not too surprising. The fact that Joe Flacco came out of a tiny school like Delaware and was able to lead the Ravens from 3 and 13 seasons in 2007 to the playoffs in 2008 is simply amazing. The Ravens will now travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins in what might be the most violent and hard hitting playoff game of the Wild Card weekend. Ed Reed is turning position of Safety in the NFL into an art form. Reed, Ray Lewis and the Ravens defence are nasty. The Ravens have a solid power running game. Sounds to me like a team that is built to do some serious damage in the post season.
7 8 If the Dolphins are "the" story in the AFC, then Matt Ryan and the Falcons are "the" story in the NFC. "Matty Ice" had a remarkable season for a rookie quarterback. Even more remarkable was the year enjoyed by former Chargers running back Michael Turner. Turner set a new "Dirty Birds" team record when he scored his 17th touchdown of the season. Atlanta might be on the road in Arizona to start the post-season, but I would be surprised if Las Vegas doesn't make the Falcons the favourites in this game. If the Falcons can establish their power running game, they should be able to beat the Cardinals.
8 9 I had a chance to sit down and interview Chad Pennington back in early December. He is as smart as he is classy. He also is a proud man. Pennington stuck it to his old team as he led the Dolphins in their win over the Jets in the Meadowlands. Pennington and the Dolphins are AFC East champions. Brett Favre and the Jets won themselves a one way ticket to Palookaville. Head Coach Tony Sparano wanted a tough, no nonsense team that didn't make mistakes and played hard to the final whistle. That is exactly the Dolphins played under Sparano. From 1 and 15 to 11 and 5 and now the Dolphins will host the Ravens in an AFC Wild Card game.
9 11 It still seems so odd. An 8 - 8 team hosting a 12 - 4 team in an NFL play off game. Living by the adage, "it's not how you start, it's how you finish", the Chargers beat the Broncos Sunday night to end the season on a four-game winning streak. The last few weeks, the Chargers looked much more like the team that made it all the way to AFC Championship game last year. I have never been a big Norv Turner fan, but I have to give the man credit where credit is due. In the last two seasons under Turner, the Chargers are a perfect 9 and 0 in games played in the month of December. A word of warning to the Colts; LT is looking like his old self again.
10 12 The Purple People Eaters are back. For the first time in eight years, the Vikings are division winners. Ryan Longwell's 50-yard field goal at the end of the fourth quarter was the difference as the Vikings beat the Giants and won the NFC North. Adrian Peterson capped off his first career rushing title with a high light reel, game breaking 67 yard touchdown romp. Now the Vikings will get set to host the Eagles in an NFC Wild Card game. Now the Vikings have to start figuring out a way to contain Donovan McNabb and to allow Peterson to run wild against the Eagles defence.
11 NR It wasn't that long ago that Donovan McNabb became a punch line around North America for admitting he didn't know the NFL's overtime rules. With their tie with the Bengals, it looked like the Eagles season was all but over. On Sunday, McNabb tossed two touchdowns as the Eagles demolished the Cowboys to win four of their last five games to grab the last playoff spot in the NFC. The Eagles not only embarrassed the Cowboys, they knocked the 'Boys out of the post season. I am not sure Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie has ever looked happier than he did Sunday in the Eagles win over the hated Cowboys. Next up is a trip to Minnesota and a date with Adrian Peterson and the Vikings in an NFC Wild Card game.
12 12 So New England loses future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady to a season ending knee injury in the first quarter of their first game of the season. Back up Matt Cassell takes over and the Patriots are able to put together a very solid 11 and 5 season. However, the football gods were not smiling down upon Bill Belichick and the Pats as they became the first team with an 11 and 5 record to miss the post season since the 1985 Denver Broncos. In some ways, it seems like the Patriots are still paying for "Spygate". Now the Pats are facing a very interesting off season. The Pats might lose Matt Cassell, player personnel guru Scott Pioli and hot shot assistant coach Josh McDaniels.