Week eleven of the 2005 NFL season has come and gone, and while we look forward to turkey dinner with some football, the rest of the NFL season isn’t so appetizing for all fans.  How appetizing largely depends on what your team has done to this point of the season, doesn’t it?

This is about the point during the season when the real teams step up and separate from the rest of the league as they ready for a playoff run. This is the time we begin to see the contenders pull away from the pretenders and leave parity in between.

It was noticing a couple of particular match ups from week eleven, which prompted me to ask who really are the contenders and who are the pretenders?  Two games in particular, Atlanta coming off an embarrassing loss, at home against Green Bay, had them playing Tampa Bay, and the game of the week, which some thought might have marked the end of the last undefeated run of the season, with the Colts traveling to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.

The results came in loud and clear.

Contenders

1. Indianapolis Colts ― I have to admit, it would be hard to call an undefeated team – pretenders.  It’s an even more difficult notion since the quarterback of that team is Peyton Manning.  But would you believe this team has a defense now?  This to me is the best team in the NFL right now and it appears the road to the AFC championship will be running through Indianapolis – uh oh.

2. Denver Broncos ― Who would’ve thunk it? That’s right, the Broncos are the real deal and Jake Plummer is the main reason for their success. Yes, Denver is second in rushing and on pace to have two running backs rush for over 1,000 yards this season, but the biggest surprise is Jake and his lack of picks.  He keeps this up and they just might earn themselves a playoff rematch with the Indianapolis Colts in the conference championship – oh goody!

3. Seattle Seahawks ― No one is talking much about this team and I bet that suits Mike Holmgren and the Seahawks just fine.  This offense is clicking on all cylinders with Shaun Alexander having yet another fantastic season. Since 2001, he’s had 14 touchdowns or more, and after 11 weeks has 17. Add to that a young and talented defense playing exciting ball and it could be a great finish for this team. And for Mike Holmgren, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

4. Chicago Bears ―  Don’t walk away just yet, you haven’t even heard what I had to say yet. In the beginning of this year, I had this team pegged for the cellar of the NFC North…again. Then Rex Grossman goes down with an injury…again, and in comes Kyle Orton. Since then this Bears team has managed to take hold of this division.  Granted, this in a division that was the laughing stock of the NFL, but that all changed this week when they put the hammer down and soundly beat the Panthers, a team many favor to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.  The Bears defense is only allowing 11.9 points per game. These Bears are for real!

5. New York Giants ― My, my, my what a difference a year makes, huh?  Last year this team couldn’t stand their coach, missed practices, and the media had a field day with the circus that was the New York Giants.  Eli is a season wiser…Plaxico Burress; the Giants’ marquis free agent pick up, has emerged as a bona fide threat, and the favorite target of Eli’s. This offense enjoys a balanced attack on offense now, with Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey, and Plaxico Burress. Eli is having a breakout season, giving fans the only football being played that’s worth cheering at the Meadowlands.

Pretenders

1. Pittsburgh Steelers ― Once again this team’s strength is in its running attack with solid defensive play behind it, however, once again championship aspirations appear they might give way to being too inconsistent offensively and not playing the kind of defense needed to win it all. This defense allows the opposing offenses to convert over 44% on 3rd downs. Combine that with the inability to pass the ball, if the run is taken away, and there’s trouble ahead!  Yes, they’ve been bitten with the injury bug, but this is the NFL – just about every team has that bug.  This team needs to learn one word on offense – balance.  Who knows, they could end up sliding into the AFC championship game…only to lose…again.  “The more things change…the more they stay the same.”

2. Cincinnati Bengals ― Well aren’t the Bengals making a nice season for themselves? The Bengals are the Bungles no more.  Marvin Lewis really is turning this thing around quite nicely, but it’s still a little too early to be celebrating in Cincinnati.  Twice now the Bengals had the chance to make a statement at home in front of all of their fans and the NFL world; and twice they’ve walked off the field with their tails tucked between their legs.  Marvin you’re close…you need to get some big boys on that defensive line. 

3. Atlanta Falcons ― Would somebody please tell me where the real Atlanta Falcons are?  They don’t lose at home folks…and if they do, they don’t do it twice in a row!  Last week this team walked off the field defeated by what some consider one of the worst teams in the league – the Packers.  This was a week after their victory over the Dolphins, when Michael Vick had declared that his ability to throw from the pocket can no longer be question.  Well Mike…maybe if the offense could get some consistency in the passing attack, which currently ranks 5th-worse in the NFL at 153.8 yards per game, those questions might abate.  But when combined with a defense giving up 325.2 yards per game, there’s going to be heat from that spotlight.  Don’t worry Mike…I promise I won’t ask about passing from the pocket.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ― This is a team I hate to see here, but I can’t see Chris Simms putting on his back and deep into the playoffs.  Not with that offensive line the way it is right now.  The defense is doing its job, but the offense is still trailing a little behind.  John Gruden definitely gets my vote on a job well done and maybe even Coach of the Year honors, but they’re still a year or two away.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars ― I can’t quite put my finger on it, but for some reason this team plays with way too much inconsistency for my liking. They’re still a young team offensively, but they’re coming around nicely for Jack Del Rio. That defensive unit of his is a force to be reckoned with, and once the offense catches up – look out.  One week they’re looking like serious playoff contenders; and the next, they’re on a list of pretenders.  The Jaguars have less than pretenders the rest of the way, so they’ll certainly look every bit the part of contender on their way to the post-season, but pretenders don’t last in the post-season.