Consider these unlikely developments: An 8-8 team won its division. An 11-5 squad missed the playoffs entirely. Two teams with rookie quarterbacks and first-year coaches advanced to the postseason.

 

Or, for a microcosm of football’s fluctuations, just look at the Dolphins. They were 1-15 a year ago, with their only victory coming in overtime against the Ravens, who finished 5-11. Now, Miami is 11-5, having won five straight games (and 9 of 10) to become the AFC East champion. On Sunday, the Dolphins will host those very same Ravens in a first-round playoff game.

 

In the interest of sanity, we here at CHFF are keeping the status quo at the top of Power Rankings. Our final regular-season installment sees the top seven teams in the same positions that they occupied last week.

 

We certainly see no reason to penalize the Giants and Titans for losses in which they limited their first-stringers in order to get ready for the playoffs. They have been the best teams in their respective conferences for most of the year, and that has earned them home-field advantage and a first-round bye. The only question that remains is whether they can capitalize.

 

With all of that extra rest, winning in the postseason should be a piece of cake, right?

 

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 6-3 (+5.3 PPG)

 

Last week: Despite having many of their starters either sitting out or playing only a half, the Giants went down to the wire with the desperate Vikings before falling, 20-19, on a last-second 50-yard field goal.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: With 77 yards rushing on 15 carries, Derrick Ward brought his season total to 1,025 and partnered with Brandon Jacobs to become just the fourth pair of teammates to each rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

 

Next game: vs. Arizona, Atlanta or Philadelphia on Jan. 11 (NFC Divisional Playoffs). The only one of these teams that the Giants haven’t already played this season is the Falcons, who they’ve beaten the previous two years.  

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 5-2 (+0.9 PPG)

 

Last week: Playing for nothing but preserving their health, the Titans left eight starters inactive, pulled Kerry Collins after three plays and threw Vince Young and Chris Simms to the wolves in a 23-0 loss at Indianapolis.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: Tennessee’s no-show relegated them to a final ranking of 21st in offense (313.6 YPG), but their defense finished in the top 10 across all four major categories, including second in scoring (14.6 PPG).

 

Next game: vs. San Diego, Indianapolis or Baltimore on Jan. 10 (AFC Divisional Playoffs). Collins would have the experience edge over any potential opponent’s quarterback not named Manning, having taken two other teams to conference championship games and one to a Super Bowl.

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 5-2 (+5.0 PPG)

 

Last week: The Colts earned their ninth straight win, as Peyton Manning ran a clinical opening drive (7 of 7, 95 yards, 55-yard TD pass) and then backups did the rest in a 23-0 whitewashing of Tennessee.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: Indy players established three individual marks against the Titans: Manning recorded his ninth season passing for 4,000 yards, Marvin Harrison took over second place all-time in receptions with 1,102 and Dallas Clark became the team’s single-season leader in receiving yards for a tight end (848).

 

Next Game: at San Diego on Saturday (AFC Wild Card Playoffs). It’s a revenge game for the Colts, who were knocked out of the playoffs by the Chargers at home last year despite 402 passing yards and three TDs from Manning.

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 4-4 (-2.5 PPG)

 

Last week: After blowing a 30-10 second-half lead, the Panthers retained the No. 2 seed on a last-second field goal by John Kasay, beating the Saints, 33-31, and becoming the first NFC South team to win a divisional road game all year.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: In addition to setting the team record for rushing yards (1,515), DeAngelo Williams led the league with 18 rushing TDs, scoring 15 of them in his last eight games.

 

Next Game: vs. Minnesota, Arizona or Atlanta on Jan. 10 (NFC Divisional Playoffs). The Panthers were 2-2 against their potential opponents, and both of the wins came in Charlotte.  

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 4-4 (even)

 

Last week: The Steelers lost Ben Roethlisberger to a concussion but still managed to roll the brutal Browns, 31-0.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: For the 15th time this season, Pittsburgh held an opponent under 300 total yards, limiting Cleveland to a mere 126.

 

Next Game: vs. Miami, San Diego or Indianapolis on Jan. 11 (AFC Divisional Playoffs). The Steelers, who have lost to the Colts and barely beaten the Chargers this year, may prefer to play the Dolphins, who they’ve defeated in their last three meetings.

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 4-3 (-2.0 PPG)

 

Last week: The Falcons got Jerious Norwood’s second TD run of the game with just under four minutes left to beat St. Louis, 31-27, and advance to their first playoff game in four years on a winning note.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: After carrying the ball 228 times in four seasons with San Diego, Michael Turner led the league with 376 carries and finished second in rushing yards (1,699) and rushing TDs (17).

 

Next Game: at Arizona on Saturday (NFC Wild Card Playoffs).  Atlanta’s 21st-ranked pass defense will be severely tested by Arizona’s second-ranked aerial attack.

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 3-5 (-0.8 PPG)

 

Last week: With a playoff berth in the balance, the Ravens withstood an early charge by the Jaguars before crushing them, 27-7, and earning their ninth win in their last 11 games.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: Joe Flacco played his best in Baltimore’s biggest game of the season, going 17 of 23 (73.9 percent) for 297 yards (250 in the first half) and posting a 115.8 passer rating.

 

Next Game: at Miami on Sunday (AFC Wild Card Playoffs). The Ravens stuffed the Dolphins when the two teams met in Week 7, holding Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to 43 yards on 17 carries in a 27-13 victory.

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 2-4 (-4.8 PPG)

 

Last week: Needing a win to clinch the AFC East, the Dolphins took what Brett Favre gave them, beating the Jets, 24-17, to tie the best single-season turnaround in league history.

Cold, Hard Football Facts: In his triumphant return to the Meadowlands, Chad Pennington didn’t throw an interception for the 10th time this season, completing 22 of 30 passes for 200 yards and two TDs.

 

Next Game: vs. Baltimore on Sunday (AFC Wild Card Playoffs). Miami committed just 13 turnovers on the season, setting a new NFL record (along with this year’s Giants), while the Ravens registered a league-high 34 takeaways.

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 3-4 (+2.1 PPG)

 

Last week: A determined 13-0 win at windy Buffalo kept the Patriots’ playoff hopes alive, but they got no help from the Jaguars or Jets.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: A year after setting one passing record after another, New England morphed into a running team, finishing the season with 2,278 yards on the ground – the franchise’s highest total since 1985.

 

Next Game: 2009 preseason. The Patriots became the first 11-5 team to fail to qualify for the playoffs under the current format (four division winners and two wild cards per conference).

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 5-4 (+5.8 PPG)

 

Last week: After getting a new lease on their playoff lives thanks to early losses by Chicago and Tampa Bay, the Eagles went out and bombed the pitiful Cowboys, forcing five turnovers en route to a 44-6 win that put them in the postseason.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Eagles scored 17 points in the final 2:03 of the first half and then returned fumbles 73 and 96 yards for TDs in a span of 3:12 early in the third quarter to seal the victory.

 

Next Game: at Minnesota on Sunday (NFC Wild Card Playoffs). Philly is 2-0 against the Vikings in the playoffs, but both wins came at home.  

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 3-5 (+4.6 PPG)

 

Last week: Left for dead at 4-8 entering the month, the Chargers completed their comeback with a 52-21 beatdown of the team they were chasing all year long, the Broncos.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: Philip Rivers finished the season as the league’s leading passer, throwing for 34 TDs and posting a 105.5 passer rating.

 

Next Game: vs. Indianapolis on Saturday (AFC Wild Card Playoffs). San Diego has won 14 consecutive games in December, so it’s unfortunate that this game will be played in January.

 

Record vs. Quality Opponents: 4-5 (+1.8 PPG)

 

Last week: The Vikings got all they could handle from the Giants’ second string, but a 50-yard Ryan Longwell field goal delivered a 20-19 win and the NFC North crown.

 

Cold, Hard Football Facts: With 1,760 yards on the season, Adrian Peterson finished as the league’s leading rusher, averaging an even 110 YPG.

 

Next Game: vs. Philadelphia on Sunday (NFC Wild Card Playoffs). This will be the first-ever meeting between Vikings coach Brad Childress and his mentor, Eagles coach Andy Reid.

13. ARIZONA (9-7, previous rank: 19) — Steve Breaston joined Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin in becoming the fifth receiving trio to record 1,000 yards each.

14. CHICAGO (9-7, previous rank: 12) — Playing with a chance to make the playoffs, the Bears allowed 455 yards to Houston and registered zero sacks for the fifth time this season.

 

15. TAMPA BAY (9-7, previous rank: 11) — Over their four-game, season-ending collapse, the Bucs allowed at least 90 yards rushing to five different backs.

 

16. NEW ORLEANS (8-8, previous rank: same) — Drew Brees became just the second quarterback to top 5,000 yards passing (5,069) and came within 16 yards of breaking Dan Marino’s single-season record.

 

17. HOUSTON (8-8, previous rank: 21) — Andre Johnson put up his seventh double-digit reception, 100-yard receiving game of the season and finished the year with a league-leading 115 catches for 1,575 yards.

 

18. DALLAS (9-7, previous rank: 10) — The Cowboys, hailed by some as “the most talented team in the league,” lost their season finale for the ninth straight year and committed the second-most turnovers (33) and most penalties (119).

 

19. WASHINGTON (8-8, previous rank: 17) — In the Redskins’ first eight games (in which they went 6-2), Clinton Portis rushed for 944 yards, topped 120 yards five times and scored seven touchdowns. In their next eight (2-6), he rushed for 543 yards, topped 100 yards once and scored two touchdowns.

 

20. SAN FRANCISCO (7-9, previous rank: 23) — Quarterback Shaun Hill took over the offense with the 49ers at 2-5 and won five games, giving both himself and coach Mike Singletary full-time gigs for 2009.

 

21. N.Y. JETS (9-7, previous rank: 18) — The Jets’ last five games (1-4) were their undoing, but Brett Favre stunk for their final 12, throwing 10 TDs against 18 INTs.

 

22. BUFFALO (7-9, previous rank: same) — With 249 total yards in the Bills’ last two games, Fred Jackson should see an increased role in the offense next season.

 

23. DENVER (8-8, previous rank: 20) — The Broncos blew a three-game division lead with three games to play and have just one playoff victory in the last 10 years, providing sufficient cause for Mike Shanahan’s firing.

 

24. GREEN BAY (6-10, previous rank: 26) — The Packers climb two spots by putting the final nail in the first 0-16 coffin.

 

25. OAKLAND (5-11, previous rank: 28) — Michael Bush’s career-high 177 yards propelled the Raiders to a gigantic upset of the Bucs and gave Oakland its highest win total in four years.

 

26. CINCINNATI (4-11-1, previous rank: 27) — The Cedric Benson Express kept on rolling against the Chiefs (25 carries for 111 yards and a TD), giving him 462 total yards over the Bengals’ three-game winning streak.

  

27. JACKSONVILLE (5-11, previous rank: 25) — The Jaguars’ miserable season came to an end with their offense committing four turnovers and gaining just 118 second-half yards in a 27-7 loss to the Ravens.

 

28. SEATTLE (4-12, previous rank: 24) — The Seahawks finished their worst season in 16 years ranked 28th in total offense (274.1 YPG) and 30th in total defense (378.0 YPG).

 

29. ST. LOUIS (2-14 previous rank: 31) — The Rams lost their final 10 games, but their last three were by a combined eight points.

 

30. KANSAS CITY (2-14, previous rank: 29) — Kansas City is 6-26 over the past two seasons, and this year’s 2-14 mark is the worst in franchise history.

 

31. CLEVELAND (4-12, previous rank: 30) — In trying unsuccessfully to lead the Browns to their first offensive touchdown in six weeks, Bruce Gradkowski, Cleveland’s fourth quarterback of the season, was 5 of 16 for 18 yards and two INTs.

 

32. DETROIT (0-16, previous rank: same) — The Lions finished the first-ever 0-16 season in the place where their 17-game losing streak began – Lambeau Field – becoming the first team ever to allow two 100-yard receivers and two 100-yard rushers in the same game. Detroit's defense ends the year allowing opponents a record 110.8 passer rating over the entire season.