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We’re well into the “to tank or not to tank” portion of the NFL season. Though the reality is that coaches and players have too much personally invested in their performances to roll over on Sundays (or Thursdays or Mondays or the occasional Saturday), the bad teams tend to be … well, bad, and so it sure can look like teams are taking losses on purpose.

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The Patriots are a prime example this year. Their defense has been plenty good enough to win their last four games, but the offense is an unmitigated disaster and, thus, the losses are piling up. (Any suggestion that this is now playing out exactly as Bill Belichick planned — Caleb Williams or Drake Maye might be an express ticket back to competitiveness — probably gives Belichick too much credit here.)

On the flip side, we have the Cardinals. They could have bailed on this season and challenged for the No. 1 pick. Instead, they’ve won two of their last four, including Sunday’s rain-drenched victory in Pittsburgh. The No. 3 slot wouldn’t be bad, by any stretch (hello, Marvin Harrison Jr.), but Arizona is now on the verge of dropping out of the top five.

The Round 1 order coming out of Week 13, with picks 19-32 based on current playoff seeding:

(*denotes division leader)

GO DEEPER

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Panthers’ remaining schedule: at NO, ATL, GB, at JAX, TB

Remaining schedule: at PIT, KC, at DEN, at BUF, NYJ

Remaining schedule: Bye, SF, at CHI, at PHI, SEA

Remaining schedule: Bye, at LAR, at NYJ, SF, DAL

Remaining schedule: DET, at CLE, ARI, ATL, at GB

Remaining schedule: HOU, at MIA, WAS, at CLE, at NE

Remaining schedule: GB, at NO, at PHI, LAR, PHI

Remaining schedule: at MIA, HOU, SEA, at HOU, JAX

Remaining schedule: CAR, NYG, at LAR, at TB, ATL

Remaining schedule: at ATL, at GB, JAX, NO, at CAR

Remaining schedule: MIN, LAC, at KC, at IND, DEN

Remaining schedule: DEN, at LV, BUF, at DEN, KC

Remaining schedule: at KC, DAL, at LAC, NE, at MIA

Remaining schedule: at LAC, at DET, NE, LAC, at LV

Remaining schedule: at SF, PHI, at TEN, PIT, at ARI

Remaining schedule: at BAL, WAS, NO, at NYG, at SF

Remaining schedule: IND, MIN, at PIT, at KC, CLE

18. Arizona Cardinals (from HOU, 7-5)

Texans’ remaining schedule: at NYJ, at TEN, CLE, TEN, at IND

Remaining schedule: at NYG, TB, at CAR, at MIN, CHI

Remaining schedule: at LV, at CIN, DET, GB, at DET

Remaining schedule: at CIN, PIT, at ATL, LV, HOU

Remaining schedule: NE, at IND, CIN, at SEA, at BAL

Browns’ remaining schedule: JAX, CHI, at HOU, NYJ, at CIN

Remaining schedule: PHI, at BUF, at MIA, DET, at WAS

Remaining schedule: TB, at CAR, IND, at CHI, at NO

Remaining schedule: BUF, at NE, LV, CIN, at LAC

Remaining schedule: at CLE, BAL, at TB, CAR, at TEN

Remaining schedule: at CHI, DEN, at MIN, at DAL, MIN

Remaining schedule: SEA, at ARI, BAL, at WAS, LAR

Remaining schedule: LAR, at JAX, at SF, MIA, PIT

Remaining schedule: TEN, NYJ, DAL, at BAL, BUF

Remaining schedule: at DAL, at SEA, NYG, ARI, at NYG

(Photo: Billie Weiss / Getty Images)

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