Another day another crumpled up receipt telling me I have no money. This means I must work harder - wait, no it doesn't. I don't see any return if I bust my ass here in the corporation. But there is still tons of work to be done during this exam period, so I once again turn this blog over to my good friend Enrique Iglesias who gave me a list of his Top Five NFL teams and why. I agree with most of his picks, but not with the order. Outside of the obvious #1 team, there is a serious shakedown in the NFL and the next couple weeks will be very important. You can't count out Kanas City, Dallas or San Diego, but one certainty is you can count out the Jets - they suck, but at least they are still playing to win. Thanks Herm and thanks to Johnny Conejo for picking up today's tab.

In keeping with the holiday spirit, if you are indie as fuck and don't care about sports then blow me - I love them so much. Or if you are from another country like my buddy Graeme who recently sent me this email in regards to my knee injury at the hands of Danny Big Sleep: "Bummeroni about your knee man. What flavour football were you playing? Soccer, or that Yankee shit? If it was the latter, then it serves you right. That game's for girls," you can blow me.

1. Indianapolis Colts ::
The obvious choice, but deservedly so. They have taken out every opponent they have faced thus far and have a legitimate chance to do what only 1 other team has done before - go the entire season undefeated. The Peyton Manning led offense is a machine loaded with weapons, and even though he is not putting up numbers as big as last year, he is on the short list of MVP candidates for the season. Can they lose? Yes, but a team will have to play a near flawless game to do it. Their opponent this week (San Diego) probably has the best chance to do it. As they are coming off a very dehabilitiating loss to Miami and need a victory badly to help secure their own postseason future. While the San Diego defense has some holes, their offense is one of the few that can compete with the Colts. Tony Dungy says he may or may not rest his players going into the playoffs. As exciting as it is to try and go undefeated he needs to take his teams health into consideration first. It is looking like some of his key defensive players might be rested this week (Corey Simon, Cato June) as they are a bit banged up. Even if the are to lose before the playoffs, they will still go in to the postseason as the team to beat.

2. Denver Broncos ::
A bit questionable after just squeaking by the lowly Ravens, but Denver is (and will continue to be) a very tough team to beat. Come Playoff time, their RB tandem has the power to wear down opposing defenses while keeping themselves fresh. The Mike Anderson/Tatum Bell/and the revitalized Ron Dayne are a serious force to be reckoned with and lead the Denver change. The formerly mistake prone Jake Plummer has emerged as a mighty fine QB this year and is leading his offense wisely. They have the talent and the depth to beat any team in the NFL.

3. Seattle Seahawks ::
Classic underachievers, but this might be the year they make a legit run at it. Shaun Alexander is a scoring machine and Matt Hasselbeck is having another stellar season. WR Joe Jurevicius is quietly leading the team in receiving TD's (while also posting a career TD high himself). Not bad for a player who wasn't even a starter at the beginning of the season. After their #1 WR Darrell Jackson went down early with a knee injury, Jurevicius has emerged as a great target for Hasselbeck. And with Jackson about to return from injury it should make them even better. Prone to lose while playing away and in the cold they have all but assured themselves home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their Christmas Eve match-up against the Colts could be a Super Bowl preview, though both of them might not have much to play for at that point and therefore not play with 100% of their personnel and determination on the field.

4. Chicago Bears ::
Certainly the biggest surprise this season and why Lovie Smith is probably the NFL Coach Of The Year. Yes they lost handily to a reeling Pittsburgh team, but Pittsburgh is a very solid team who needed that win very badly. Sure their schedule has not been super tough and their 9-4 record includes wins against San Fran, New Orleans, Detroit (twice), Green Bay & Baltimore. Rookie QB Kyle Orton has done a formidable job with the offense, but has been far from spectacular. All this being said, their defense is legit and arguably the best in football. Nathan Vasher has emerged in his 2nd year as one of the best Cornerbacks in the league. Linebacker Brian Urlacher is turning in another Pro Bowl season, but now has the supporting cast surrounding him to make it all click. That topped with their stellar running game will keep them in every game they play. And as the weather gets colder and seasons are on the line, a great defense and running game can win a championship. Thomas Jones has surprised many with his stellar play at RB. Rookie Cedric Benson lost the starting job in training camp because of his holdout and remains unproven. Though remember he was chosen ahead of the most impressive rookie RB this year (Cadillac Williams/Bucs) And Adrian Peterson has looked fantastic in the limited play he has received. Though their mediocre passing game is a concern and faced with a big early deficit their lack of offensive firepower might lead to their demise, this team has the tools that will make them a very tough team to beat down the stretch.

5. Carolina Panthers ::
Probably the most inconsistent 9-4 team in the NFL. They have narrowly beaten opponents they should have dismantled, but have looked mighty impressive if games that should have been very tight (Tampa Bay, New England, Atlanta). Jake Delhomme has his ups and downs, but the fact remains when push comes to shove he can win big games. WR Steve Smith is having a career season (Some claim MVP worthy). Coach John Fox is a fantastic coach with good control of his team. It's a bit tough what to expect with this team, but that is part of what makes them such a dangerous opponent.

Watch out for...

:: New England Patriots :: Not as talented as they have been in the past and still banged up. But only a fool would count out Bill Belichick, Tom Brady & CO. come January.

:: Cincinnati Bengals :: Carson Palmer + Chad Johnson + Rudi Johnson makes for one of the most exciting offenses in football. They can run with the best of them, but their weak defense might cost them in the end.

:: New York Giants :: Its hard to be underrated in New York, but Tiki Barber might be the most under appreciated RB in football. Eli Manning will be a great QB for a long time to come, but not sure if its his time quite yet.

:: Pittsburgh Steelers :: Started to seem that they were in a downward spiral, but their huge victory over the Bears last week puts them right back into the playoff chase. Have been making more mistakes and turnovers than Bill Cowher could ever stand, but if he can whip them into shape they are a scary team.

:: Jacksonville Jaguars :: Hands down the biggest joke of a remaining schedule than any other team in the NFL should send them into the Playoffs at 12-4, but could be promptly knocked out of the playoffs in the 1st weekend.