Top 12 regular season NFL Power Rankings, 2001

[74_75_78_79_]

Can't see why 14-2 Rams and then 13-3 Steelers wouldn't be everyone's top-2. From there, however, a bit of a cluster for the next quite-a-few positions. There's the other 13-3 team, Jauron's Bears (Urlacher's 2nd season). The 12-4 Packers, of course, swept them in '01 but Bears were able to top the other 12-4 squad in this convo, San Fran, in a first of back-to-back Mike Brown pick-6 game-winners. Other notables clogged in there together are 11-5 Dolphins, Eagles, and Champs-to-be Pats along with three 10-6s: defending-Champ Ravens (whom I was scared of going into playoffs), Jets, and better-than-their-record Gruden's Raiders. Do 9-7 Seahawks leapfrog over 9-7 Bucs who actually did make playoffs? Do Marty's 8-3 finish Redskins make a claim? Denver (who did beat Pats, Seahawks, and Raiders)?

[74_75_78_79_]

All teams that actually did make playoffs...

1) Rams
2) Steelers
3) Packers - Week #5 win gives them nod
4) Ravens - defending-Champs
5) Bears - did beat SF, swept Bucs, 13-3...
6) Forty Niners
7) Patriots - 6-0 finish but no one saw 'em coming
8) Jets - swept Miami, beat Raiders in finale
9) Dolphins
10) Eagles
11) Buccaneers - split w GB, won at StL, beat Ravens
12) Raiders - forgot 0-3 finish at first

[ChrisBabcock]

All teams that actually did make playoffs...

Same here.

1. Rams... and then everyone else
2. Steelers
3. Bears
4. Eagles
5. Packers
6. 49ers
7. Patriots... that hot Brady-led finish
8. Raiders... limped into the playoffs. But 10-3 start puts them this high.
9. Ravens
10. Jets
11. Buccaneers
12. Dolphins