Jeff Howe's Power Board

Each Wednesday throughout the NFL season, Metro football writer Jeff Howe will rank all 32 teams from top to bottom. Don’t like his calls? Want to pat him on the back for giving props to your favorite team? Send him an e-mail at  jeff.howe@metro.us. (Each team’s record and movement from last week is in parentheses.)

Power Game: Perhaps no game will preview the AFC playoff picture like this week’s matchup between the No. 4 Steelers and No. 7 Patriots. As much as I want to pick the Steelers, I have so very little faith in Mike Tomlin. Patriots win, 24-23.

1. Giants (10-1, —). The Giants are the best lock for the Super Bowl to this point, and they’ll be playing playoff-type football down the stretch, closing out the season against the Redskins, Eagles, Cowboys, Panthers and Vikings.

2. Titans (10-1, —). There couldn’t be a better time to rebound after that type of dud than to have a short week before playing against Daunte Culpepper’s Lions.

3. Colts (7-4, +1). Peyton Manning has led the Colts to six go-ahead scoring drives in the last four minutes of the fourth quarter this season, and he’s 5-1 in those games.

4. Steelers (8-3, +1). Mike Tomlin has to prove to me he can win a big game against a great coach. He’s fallen flat in every opportunity so far, but his biggest one is Sunday.

5. Jets (8-3, +1). If the Patriots win out, the Jets would still win the division by finishing 4-1 against a joke schedule, providing they don’t lose to the Bills or Dolphins.

6. Buccaneers (8-3, +2). The Bucs must have had some bad memories of the old NFC Central Division when Daunte Culpepper came out on fire Sunday afternoon.

7. Patriots (7-4, +2). The secondary has to limit the Steelers’ big-play threats in Santonio Holmes and Nate Washington to have a chance Sunday.

8. Panthers (8-3, -5). They were outscored 10-0 in the first quarter and 28-15 in the fourth quarter of their debacle in Atlanta last weekend. That’s exactly how to lose a game.

9. Cardinals (7-4, -2). You can knock their easy division schedule, but the Cardinals deserve credit for hanging with the Giants, which is more than most teams can say.

10. Cowboys (7-4, —). As much as I want to believe Pacman Jones will make the most of his last chance, his track record has me thinking he’ll be out of the league within a year.

11. Redskins (7-4, —). Jason Campbell has completed less than 60 percent of his passes three times this season (1-2 record), including Week 1 against the Giants, this week’s foe.

12. Ravens (7-4, +1). With Willis McGahee’s constant injury situation and a rookie QB in Joe Flacco, the Ravens have to be concerned about their banged-up offensive line.

13. Falcons (7-4, +4). The Falcons have outscored their opponents, 88-24, in the first quarter this season. The defense is keeping Matt Ryan from playing from behind.

14. Bears (6-5, +4). Rookie running back Matt Forte is fifth in the NFL with 909 rushing yards. He’s also got 336 receiving yards and nine combined touchdowns.

15. Vikings (6-5, +4). With a home game against the Bears this week, the Vikings have the chance to take control of a division that’s been up in the air for three months.

16. Saints (6-5, +5). How many fantasy owners cringed when they saw wide receiver Lance Moore drop back and throw an interception in the third quarter Monday night?

17. Bills (6-5, +7). That type of a trouncing is the lighthearted victory this tensed up team needed after losing four straight games.

18. Packers (5-6, -6). The Packers have lost three of four and have to get things straightened out against the Panthers, or they’ll be two games back in the division.

19. Dolphins (6-5, -5). Greg Camarillo, now done for the season, was the Dolphins leader with 55 catches and 613 yards, and he was the only wideout with two touchdown grabs.

20. Broncos (6-5, -4). The AFC West might be as bad as the NFC West, considering the division-leading Broncos just got slapped by the Raiders by 21 points at home.

21. Chargers (4-7, -1). With Peyton Manning on the other sideline, Norv Turner had to know that late field goal wouldn’t be enough against the Colts. He gets worse every week.

22. Eagles (5-5-1, -7). Forget the early success. The Eagles are coming off a tie to the Bengals and a mini quarterback controversy. They are cooked.

23. Jaguars (4-7, -1). Their identity is on defense, but the Jags gave up 30 points at home to the offensively challenged Vikings. Jack Del Rio may have lost his locker room.

24. Texans (4-7, +1). Flex scheduling for Monday night games would be unfair to teams and their fans alike, but it would save us from this week’s Texans-Jaguars contest.

25. Browns (4-7, -2). Romeo Crennel might have pushed Browns owner Randy Lerner over the line by benching Brady Quinn for Derek Anderson on Sunday.

26. Raiders (3-8, +1). The Raiders’ first two wins were by a combined 18 points before beating the Broncos by 21, Oakland’s most lopsided victory in 37 months.

27. 49ers (3-8, -1). Instead of bumping Terrell Owens at the line, Mike Singletary stubbornly gave T.O. his space; 213 yards and a TD later, he admitted he was wrong.

28. Seahawks (2-9, —). Patriots fans can thank the horrendously bad Seahawks for saving them from a snore-fest of a Sunday night game in a couple weeks.

29. Bengals (1-9-1, —). It’s been speculated Chad Johnson could someday find a home with the Patriots, but I’m beginning to think he’s just too damn crazy for Bill Belichick.

30. Rams (2-9, —). Rams lineman Richie Incognito has been calling out and taunting the team’s fans, and might be a bigger villain in St. Louis than Ryne Sandberg.

31. Chiefs (1-10, —). Tyler Thigpen is looking like this year’s Derek Anderson. He’s thrown for 1,185 yards, 11 TDs and three picks in the last five games.

32. Lions (0-11, —). Aside from the food, there’s nothing on Thanksgiving that will bring families closer together than a rooting interest to see the Lions fall to 0-12. A line from the Detroit Free Press says it best about the Lions’ annual game: “The greatest tradition in all of sports that doesn’t involve winning.”