THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

SAM FARMER’S NFL RANKINGS AND COMMENTS:

*--* Rank Team (rec.) Comments (last week’s rank) 1 OAKLAND (8-4) If Raiders can curtail penalties they’re in business. (2) 2 PHILADELPHIA (9-3) Who knew the injury-prone Eagles were this deep? (6) 3 TAMPA BAY (9-3) Buccaneers might want to let Vick try to beat them with the pass. (1) 4 GREEN BAY (9-3) Packers are unbeaten at Lambeau this season. (4) 5 ATLANTA (8-3-1) Vick missed some practice this week because of a stomach virus. (7) 6 SAN DIEGO (8-4) Chargers need to work out the kinks in their kicking game. (12) 7 INDIANAPOLIS (8-4) Tony Dungy has done an amazing job with the once-porous Colt defense. (9) 8 MIAMI (7-5) Ricky Williams can’t carry this team, but he can come close. (3) 9 NEW ORLEANS (8-4) Saints have the best red-zone offense in the NFC. (13) 10 DENVER (7-5) Brian Griese and Shannon Sharpe are set to return. (5) 11 SAN FRANCISCO (8-4) Despite scoring 31 points last week, 49ers can’t get their offense going. (8) 12 NEW ENGLAND (7-5) Can the Patriots confuse Bledsoe a second time? (10) 13 PITTSBURGH (7-4-1) Switch back to Maddox is just more evidence Kordell is gone. (11) 14 N.Y. JETS (6-6) Jets have to win out for a prayer of making the playoffs. (14) 15 TENNESSEE (6-5) Just what role does Eddie George play with this team? (16) 16 BUFFALO (6-6) Bills were held to seven points last time against New England. (19) 17 KANSAS CITY (6-6) Priest Holmes has a league-high 43 runs of 10 yards or longer. (18) 18 BALTIMORE (6-6) Redman’s back problems mean Blake gets the call again. (20) 19 N.Y. GIANTS (6-6) With almost half the team on the injured list, Giants are a mess. (21) 20 ST. LOUIS (5-7) Mike Martz didn’t want a QB controversy. What he has now is even worse. (17) 21 SEATTLE (4-8) Matt Hasselbeck has passed for 789 yards and six TDs in past two games. (24) 22 CLEVELAND (6-6) Tim Couch is so rattled, it’s hard to imagine him ever winning at home. (15) 23 DALLAS (5-7) Chad Hutchinson is showing progress, Cowboys must protect him. (22) 24 JACKSONVILLE (5-7) Jags aren’t going anywhere, but they could spoil things for Titans, Colts. (23) 25 WASHINGTON (5-7) With little on the line, Spurrier is going to play rookies. (25) 26 MINNESOTA (3-9) Vikings have a chance to sweep the Packers, and it could happen. (26) 27 CHICAGO (3-9) Bears play on Monday night for the third time. Think ABC is happy? (28) 28 CAROLINA (4-8) Julius Peppers, the best rookie in Panther history, is done for the season. (31) 29 HOUSTON (3-9) League’s worst offense starts six rookies. (29) 30 DETROIT (3-9) Lions are 5-23 the past two seasons. (30) 31 ARIZONA (4-8) A new stadium for the Cardinals? Why fight to keep this team? (27) 32 CINCINNATI (1-11) A bright spot: Corey Dillon has rushed for 1,000 yards again. (32)

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