Dirty dozen
The top six and bottom six teams based on current level of play:
| Team | Comment |
| 1. Indianapolis (8-0) | The New England monkey is gone. |
| 2. Pittsburgh (6-2) | Just plug in Charlie Batch and Duce Staley. |
| 3. Denver (6-2) | A week off to practice how to hold leads. |
| 4. Carolina (6-2) | John Fox suggests six wins only ensures 6-10 record. |
| 5. New York Giants (6-2) | Survived a trap game in San Francisco. |
| 6. Cincinnati (7-2) | A week off to prepare for Colts. |
| 27 Arizona (2-6) | When your kicker is your best player … |
| 28. New Orleans (2-7) | At least Saints can rest for a week. |
| 29. Tennessee (2-7). | Just trying to stay competitive. |
| 30. San Francisco (2-6) | Playing hard at home, but … |
| 31. Houston (1-7) | Getting a little bit better. |
| 32. Green Bay (1-7) | Beaten at home by badly banged-up Steelers. |
Source: Associated Press