This is a year of division greatness and division lameness.

The Great: The AFC East, where, even on a four-game losing streak, the Bills are sill 5-5. The NFC East, where, thanks to a tie, every team is over the .500 mark and the Giants are 9-1. The NFC South, where the Falcons, Saints, Panthers and Bucs have been taking turns beating up on every other division out there.

The Lame: The AFC West, where the division leader couldn’t even handle the lowly Browns last week. The NFC West, where the Cardinals have as many wins as the other three teams combined.

The other three? Just what you’d expect. A little good. A little bad. Lots of fun to watch.

Rank

Team

LW

2008

Record

 Ups and Downs

1

Giants

2

9-1

 Their running game destroyed the Ravens #1 ranked defense. Game over.

2

Titans

1

10-0

 Kerry Collins has now won two games for the Titans. But the struggles the Titans have had on the ground in recent weeks have to be worrisome.

3

Panthers

3

8-2

 The Panthers haven’t exactly been playing their strongest football recently, but at least they are still winning the games and clinging to a one-game lead in their division.

4

Jets

7

7-3

 They let Matt Cassel throw for 400 yards and still beat the Patriots. The lack of defense is scary, but letting Brett Favre chuck the ball at will is scarier.

5

Buccaneers

5

7-3

 You are unlikely to find anyone claiming that Bucs football is fun to watch. But they are getting their wins even when Jeff Garcia has no one to throw to.

6

Cardinals

10

7-3

 Kurt Warner for MVP? How about Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin? Can we give a joint-award?

7

Steelers

12

7-3

 Classic Steelers football: they put their noses down and snuck past a worthy foe. The gameplan looks like it might fail them more often as the season ends and the playoffs approach.

8

Colts

11

6-4

 Fact: The game was far closer than it should have been. Perception: They won, they won, they won and now they are “on a roll!”

9

Redskins

6

6-4

 The Redskins are starting to put the ball in Jason Campbell’s hands too often. With a backfield that includes Portis, Betts and Alexander, there’s no reason to fall short of 20 carries (as a team) in any game. Shame on you, Jim Zorn.

10

Patriots

8

6-4

 I return to a comment from their loss to Miami many weeks ago: This team’s problem is it’s defense, not Matt Cassel. Injuries are mounting and the Dolphins come to town next week.

The rest of the rankings are below…

11

Ravens

4

6-4

 I wouldn’t quite call it “valiant,” but there was some effort there on Sunday. Lucky for the Ravens, four of their final six are at home.

12

Cowboys

19

6-4

 Beating the Redskins puts them back in the playoff picture, just barely. They will have to finish strong with games against the Giants, Steelers and Ravens.

13

Broncos

17

6-4

 Not much to say about their win over the Falcons, except that I’m surprised by it. But thanks to a Chargers loss, this team’s playoff birth is just about secured.

14

Falcons

9

6-4

 This story is far from over; the Falcons still get to play all three division opponents in the next six weeks.

15

Dolphins

16

6-4

 They slipped past Oakland to stay in the mix, but as division play approaches again, they might fall quickly.

16

Saints

22

5-5

 Pierre Thomas’ arrival on Sunday gives the Saints hope in home stretch. Overtaking the Panthers might not be possible, but the Bucs and Falcons are hearty targets.

17

Eagles

14

5-4-1

 Donovan McNabb apparently didn’t know that ties existed in this league. They shouldn’t, but they do. And tying the Bengals is just silly.

18

Packers

20

5-5

 I’m not sure that anyone could understand the NFC North, even if they tried. None of these teams look good on a week-to-week basis. The only thing we know for sure: The Lions really suck.

19

Vikings

15

5-5

20

Bears

13

5-5

21

Chargers

18

4-6

 Even if the Chargers win six straight games, win their division (or even a wild card birth) and go on to win the Super Bowl, they will still be the biggest bust in the league. And Norv Turner should still be fired.

22

Jaguars

21

4-6

 Just another team to almost give the Titans a loss.

23

Browns

24

4-6

 Brady Quinn has been impressive in his first two games, but just like last week, a defense would do wonders for Browns before any QB.

24

Bills

23

5-5

 They haven’t even smelled a win in four weeks. Ryan Lindell’s missed kick all but ended their season.

25

49ers

28

3-7

 I heard Mike Singletary likes to dance around without his pants on after wins, too. How confusing if you’re a player.

26

Texans

25

3-7

 Steve Slaton is proving that he can handle life in the NFL. It’s just not fair that everytime the Texans play the Colts, Sage Rosenfels gets the start.

27

Bengals

29

1-8-1

 Well, it’s not quite a loss. But it’s the thought that counts.

28

Raiders

27

2-8

 The Raiders scored on a safety, two field goals and a punt return. No need for offense if you don’t plan on winning, boys.

29

Seahawks

26

2-8

 Another game that wasn’t as close as the final scoreboard tally makes it seem. Hasselbeck’s return was ruined by his own inability to remember which team he plays for.

30

Rams

30

2-8

 It wasn’t even as close as the 35-16 final. No, this one was over at halftime when it was still 35-3.

31

Chiefs

31

1-9

 They held Drew Brees under 300 yards passing for only the third time this season. And still they couldn’t make it look close.

32

Lions

32

0-10

 … Still winless. No signs of hope ahead.