Dirty dozen
The top six and the bottom six heading into Week 13:
| Team | Comment |
| 1. Pittsburgh (10-1) | Not playing well enough to stay No. 1 |
| 2. New England (10-1) | May soon be No. 1 again |
| 3. Philadelphia (10-1) | Ditto |
| 4. Atlanta (9-2) | No. 2 in NFC doesn’t mean much |
| 5. San Diego (8-3) | Started 8-4 in 2002; finished 8-8 |
| 6. Buffalo (5-6) | Four of five wins with McGahee |
| 27. St. Louis (5-6) | The disappointment continues |
| 28. N.Y. Giants (5-6) | Nearly in playoffs, even with Eli |
| 29. Washington (3-8) | Think of all the wasted money |
| 30. New Orleans (4-7) | Another `contending’ NFC team |
| 31. Miami (2-9) | Won the losers bowl |
| 32. San Francisco (1-10) | Lost the losers bowl |
Source: Associated Press