Week 12 certainly was an exciting week of football. There was some Turkey Day magic on the field. Who wasn’t on the edge of their couch cushion awaiting the outcome of a game to determine the cellar occupant of the pathetic excuse for a professional football division that is the NFC East? Who wasn’t hanging on every play to find out whether the Texans could hit that glorious 4-7 mark? Who wasn’t excited to fall asleep in the recliner with a belly full of pecan pie watching the Ravens and Stealers duke it out – What? There was no Thursday night game because the Ravens simply cannot get their COVID act together? And the game will be played on Wednesday afternoon? Well color Red surprised. On to the big time.

Red’s Top Ten

1. Kansas City Chiefs 10-1. For a while it looked like Norm Van Brocklin’s (aka The Dutchman) single game passing record of 554 yards was going to fall. But the Dutchman lives! When they are on – the Chiefs are unstoppable and they showed it in shredding the hitherto vaunted Tampa Bay defense.
2. Pittsburgh Stealers 10-0. As Red writes the Stealers are undefeated. Red is assuming a win against an undermanned Ravens squad. Red knocks the Stealers down a peg just because he can.
3. New Orleans Saints. 9-2. Saints have a legitimate shot at 13-3 with or without Drew Brees. Sunday’s utter destruction of the crippled Broncos was just the precursor. The only real test left for the Saints comes before Christmas against the Chiefs. Red might watch that one.
4. Buffalo Bills 8-3. They can’t quite shake the pesky Dolphins but will get a chance in Week 17. The Bills must have been watching Chiefs’ game film in pepping up their offense.
5. Green Bay Packers 8-3. The leading offense in the NFC. If it doesn’t come down to fireworks between the Packers and Saints in the NFC Championship game call Red disappointed.
6. Tennessee Titans 8-3. The Titans’ scoring blitz at the end of the 1st half against the Colts may be a harbinger of how the rest of the season plays out. Teams stay with the Titans for a while and then Derrick Henry and A. J. Brown take over and it is lights out. Still with tough matchups against the Browns and Packers, the Titans may not have the AFC South wrapped up when they visit the Texans in Week 17. Fortunately for the Titans they will be playing the Texans.
7. Cleveland Browns 8-3. Speaking of the Browns. Red is looking forward to Browns-Titans next week. Clarity will follow.
8. Seattle Seahawks 8-3. Russell Wilson is going to have to will this team over the finish line.
9. Miami Dolphins 7-4. They have earned this spot despite confusion at quarterback spot. They never should have benched The Beard for a rookie.
10. Los Angeles Rams 7-4. The biggest surprise of the season would be the Rams winning the NFC West.

Best of the Rest

Arizona Cardinals 6-5. Cards suffered a crushing blow to their playoff hopes in losing to the Pats despite Cam Newton passing for less than 100 yards and chucking up two INTs. Oh wait a minute, right now they are still in the playoffs because so much of the NFC is a turd-filled toilet bowl.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-5. Slip sliding away. The Chiefs took names on Sunday. Can’t run on the Bucs defense? Okay, we’ll just pass for a quarter mile.

Indianapolis Colts 7-4. Not yet dead but the life support machines are close by.

Baltimore Ravens 6-5. The mighty have fallen right out of the playoffs right now. Beating the Stealers will be a tall order given the missing pieces.

Update on the nail-biting NFC East

New York Giants 4-7. Keeping Red’s dream of a 6-10 making the playoffs alive. They will be lucky to go 2-3 against the Seahawks, Cardinals, Browns, Ravens and Cowboys (well maybe not the Cowboys).

Washington FT 4-7. Also keeping Red’s dream alive. But unfortunately have a legitimate shot at a 3-2 finish with Stealers, Niners, Panthers, Seahawks and Eagles on the schedule. Come on Niners!

Philadelphia Eagles 3-7-1. With Packers, Saints and Cardinals coming up, it looks like Red’s pick for the NFC East Crown is probably toast. But the Eagles can still contribute by beating the FTs in Week 17.

Dallas Cowboys 3-8. They could be the spoiler with the easiest schedule remaining. If they beat the Ravens next week, Red will be worried.

The Sorry Slumdwellers (excluding the NFC East)

1. New Jersey Jets 0- forever. Red is calling 0-16 right now.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-10. London Calling?
3. Cincinnati Bengals 2-9. Losing Burrow hurt but it didn’t really matter.
4. San Diego Chargers 3-8. Maybe the best 3-8 team in NFL history.
5. Detroit Lions 4-7. Firing your head coach gets you automatic entry into the bottom five.