1. PATRIOTS (3 last week): Step into Bill Belichick’s web, Colin Kaepernick.

2. BRONCOS (2): They need to beat the Ravens to keep their hopes alive for a first-round playoff bye.

3. PACKERS (7): Mike McCarthy believes this team can be better than the 15-1 Packers of a year ago. Can the Bears make him look wrong Sunday?

4. 49ERS (6): Beating the Dolphins was one thing; beating the Patriots would be something else.

5. TEXANS (1): In three of their past four games, they have a blowout loss to the Patriots and close-call victories over the Jaguars and Lions. Any question about which direction the Texans are headed?

6. FALCONS (4): Was their loss to the Panthers a blip — or the start of a tailspin?

7. GIANTS (13): If NFL teams had no secondaries, the Giants would be No. 1.

8. COLTS (8): The best teams win games in different ways. The Colts have done that.

9. RAVENS (5): The defense needs a savior. Where have you gone, Ray Lewis?

10. SEAHAWKS (10): Starting to look like a team you would not want to play in January.

11. REDSKINS (12): You know things are going their way when Kirk Cousins can lead them to an overtime victory over a formidable opponent.

12. BENGALS (9): Their litmus test will be against the Steelers in two weeks.

13. BEARS (11): The more passes Bears receivers drop, the more the Bears drop in the power rankings.

14. COWBOYS (16): Could they ride a wave of emotion all the way to the postseason?

15. VIKINGS (17): They have the best one-dimensional offense in the NFL.

16. STEELERS (14): Against the Raiders, Browns, Titans and Chargers, they are 0-4. Good thing their next two games are against contenders.

17. RAMS (18): It’s not saying much, but this is the best Rams team that St. Louis has seen in quite some time.

18. JETS (21): The fact that they may be a playoff team does not speak well to the quality of the AFC.

19. BUCCANEERS (15): Any team that can blow a 21-10 lead with four minutes left against the Eagles is not a good bet to be playing on Feb. 3. Or Jan. 20. Or Jan. 12, 13, 5 or 6.

20. BROWNS (24): If the season started three weeks ago, they would be a top-five team.

21. SAINTS (19): Joe Vitt describes his team as “fragile.” The Giants did not handle with care.

22. CHARGERS (25): It might be too late to save jobs, but that was an impressive effort by Norv Turner and the Chargers last Sunday.

23. DOLPHINS (20): Bad news: they have dropped five of six. Good news: Up next are the Jags and Bills at home.

24. BILLS (22): Who needs to use C.J. Spiller when you are 5-8?

25. PANTHERS (29): Cam Newton is starting to look like the 2011 version of Cam Newton. Where was this guy in September?

26. LIONS (24): Their fifth straight loss clinched them last place in the NFC North.

27. EAGLES (30): Nick Foles has begun making his argument for why he should be the Eagles’ starting QB in 2013.

28. TITANS (27): The Titans can write off the season to the education of Jake Locker.

29. RAIDERS (28): It might be Terrelle Pryor time in Oakland.

30. CARDINALS (26): Fifty-eight points separated them from the Seahawks in their ninth straight loss. Change is coming in Arizona.

31. JAGUARS (31): Look at the bright side, Jacksonville — only 19 days until it’s the offseason!

32. CHIEFS (32): Getting blown out by the Browns might not do much for team morale.

Chicago Tribune