Week 12 NFL Review

This isn't a full review ... because the game of the week is on Monday night in New Orleans.

Conventional wisdom says watch out for teams who close out the season on a roll. Well, we have five weeks left and three of the hottest teams reside in the AFC - Indianapolis, San Diego and Tennessee each has won five or more games in a row. The similarities end there.

The Colts are 11-0 and seemingly find a new way each week to come back and win. Their AFC South Division brethren, the Titans, have won five in a row ... after starting the season with six consecutive losses. The difference? Would you believe Vince Young, who is playing like the franchise quarterback he was projected to be when he was drafted four years ago.

How quickly things change. One season ago, it was Kerry Collins at the helm, replacing Young and leading the Titans to a 13-3 record. After Collins was unable to lead Tennessee to a victory through the end of October, the Titans made a change (strongly suggested by owner Bud Adams, by the way) after their bye week.

Meanwhile, out West the Chargers (8-3) have bolted to six consecutive victories to overtake the Denver Broncos - they of a 6-0 start - in the division. In the 50th anniversary season of the AFL, the Chargers are turning back the clock and scoring like an AFL team.

The NFC has just two teams on win streaks of four or longer, the 10-1 Vikings and the 10-0 Saints.

The coldest teams? In the NFC, the Bears - once considered an NFC North contender - have dropped four in a row, while the Browns (1-10) have dropped six consecutive in the AFC. Another team that has seen its fortunes go in reverse? Houston (5-6), which has lost three straight and now finds itself in a logjam two games out of the final AFC wild-card spot.

How wild is that?
I have a tough time remembering a season when all eight divisions might be decided before December, but that is what appears to be the case this season. Clearly the wild-card races will be the most competitive.

In the NFC, only the East - where the Cowboys have a one-game lead over the Eagles - is close at the moment. Minnesota has a three-game lead plus a tiebreaker over Green Bay in the North. The Saints have a five-game lead plus a tie-breaker on Atlanta in the South. And the Cardinals have a two-game lead over San Francisco in the West. The 49ers, however, could be in business if they keep winning because they face Arizona again and the Cardinals face the red-hot Vikings next week.

In the AFC, the Colts will clinch the South with one more victory. The Bengals swept their division and have a two-game lead plus all tiebreakers in the North. The Chargers are playing almost as well as anyone in the NFL and they hammered their closest pursuer - the Broncos - in Denver in Week 11. Win or lose Monday, the Patriots are in charge in the East, and a win Monday keeps their lead at three.

Top 5/Bottom 5 ... will appear after the Monday Night Game.