| No. Team | Last week | Record | Comment |
| 1. Buccaneers | - | 12-4 | Well-positioned for Super Bowl repeat |
| 2. Eagles | - | 12-4 | Made savvy personnel decisions in turning over roster |
| 3. Titans | - | 11-5 | Salary-cap reckoning closing window on title hopes |
| 4. Raiders | - | 11-5 | Stars' geriatric status closing window on title hopes |
| 5. Patriots | - | 9-7 | Not much difference from top to bottom in AFC East |
| 6. Dolphins | - | 9-7 | Must rise to lofty expectations, December schedule |
| 7. Packers | - | 12-4 | Always a threat with Brett Favre at quarterback |
| 8. Broncos | - | 9-7 | Weight of Rockies on Jake Plummer's right arm |
| 9. Falcons | - | 9-6-1 | Vick will come back faster than expected |
| 10. Steelers | - | 10-5-1 | Image changing to offensive-oriented team |
| 11. 49ers | - | 10-6 | Health of Jeff Garcia's back is indicator of 2003 season |
| 12. Chiefs | - | 8-8 | Will third season again be charmed for Dick Vermeil? |
| 13. Jets | - | *0-1 | Herm Edwards will overcome loss of QB Chad Pennington |
| 14. Rams | - | 7-9 | Sticking with Kurt Warner will make a big difference |
| 15. Giants | - | 10-6 | Better have improved leaky fourth-quarter defense |
| 16. Bills | - | 8-8 | Newcomers Adams, Milloy on downside of careers |
| 17. Colts | - | 10-6 | Defensive mastermind Tony Dungy winning with offense |
| 18. Panthers | - | 7-9 | Might end up being surprise success story of 2003 |
| 19. Chargers | - | 8-8 | WR David Boston makes them scary in wild AFC West |
| 20. Saints | - | 9-7 | Late-season collapse might arrive early this year |
| 21. Ravens | - | 7-9 | Brian Billick will teach QB Kyle Boller to win |
| 22. Redskins | - | *1-0 | Thank you, Jets, for upgraded talent level |
| 23. Seahawks | - | 7-9 | New coordinator Ray Rhodes faces big task with defense |
| 24. Vikings | - | 6-10 | Second-best team in league's worst division |
| 25. Browns | - | 9-7 | Holcomb right QB choice; big problems on defense |
| 26. Bengals | - | 2-14 | So far, so good, but Lewis has a mountain to climb |
| 27. Cowboys | - | 5-11 | Parcells faces biggest rebuilding challenge of great career |
| 28. Jaguars | - | 6-10 | Rookie QB Byron Leftwich will start before season's over |
| 29. Texans | - | 4-12 | Ouch, QB David Carr can't survive another sack deluge |
| 30. Lions | - | 3-13 | Bad enough before RB James Stewart lost for season |
| 31. Bears | - | 4-12 | Team, bank sponsorship, "new" Soldier Field all stink |
| 32. Cardinals | - | 5-11 | Inherit label of worst NFL organization from Bengals |
*2003 records after Thursday night game
