Week 14 NFL Power Rankings
(Number in brackets indicates last weeks rank.)
The Patriots have shown they are human with their last 2 games. They did get the win, but could have easily lost both games. Up next, a huge game vs. the Steelers.
Cowboys proved to be the class of the NFC with their win over the Packers last Thursday. This team is exciting to watch and have playmakers all over the field. They will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the NFC title is their's to lose.
Colts solidified another
AFC South title with their win over the Jags last week. Up next for the Colts, an emotionally and physically drained Ravens team that left a ton of the field in their loss to the Patriots on Monday Night.
Steelers are coming off a nice Sunday Night win vs. the Bengals, but up next is a monster game vs. the Patriots. Everyone has been pointing to this game as one that the Patriots could lose their perfect season to. This will be the game of the week.
Jaguars gave the Colts all they could handle on Sunday, but failed to get the win. QB David Garrard threw his first interception of the season, which proved costly as it came inside the Colts 10 yard line and ended what looked to be a scoring drive for the Jaguars.
The Packers are coming off their 2nd loss of the season to the Cowboys last week. They played the entire 2nd Half without star QB Brett Favre. Back up QB Aaron Rodgers looked solid in relief.
The Bucs big win over the Saints gives them full control of the
NFC South. The Bucs are playing great football but will need a healthy Jeff Garcia if they want to make some noise in the playoffs.
The Seahawks have quietly won 4 games in a row and looking at their remaining schedule, they'll be favored in the rest of their games. This team could easily finish with 11 or 12 wins.
The Chargers are improving, but this team can't compete in the AFC playoffs if QB Phillip Rivers doesn't make major improvements to his game. He's got potential, but he's not playing at a high enough level to take on teams like the Patriots or Colts.
The Giants got the win last week, but QB Eli Manning continues to struggle. Giants suffered another injury as RB Derrick Ward is out for the season with a broken leg.
The Browns are coming off a devastating loss to the Cardinals, a game they easily could have won if not for a controversial non call by the ref's at the end of the game. Can this young Browns team rebound from such a loss and get back to winning football vs. the Jets?
After suffering 3 straight losses, the Titans got back on track with a big win at home vs. the Texans. Can they build on that win and make a charge for the playoffs? Lots will be said in their next game vs. the Chargers.
The Vikings are playing great football and are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. They've won 3 in a row and their last 2 wins have come by a combined 56 points. They are dominating teams with their epic running game and their improving passing defense. This team could be scary in the playoffs. Looking at their
odds to win the Super Bowl, 75-1 might be worth a bet.
The Cardinals are coming off a big win at home vs. the Browns, a game that ended with a controversial non call by the ref's. Regardless, the Cardinals got the win and find themselves in a race for the final spot for the playoffs
The Bills got a gift win from the Redskins last week and keep their slim playoff chances alive.
The Saints suffered a devastating loss to the Bucs, a loss that puts them 5-7 and on the outside looking in for a playoff spot. HC Sean Payton took the blame for the loss and deservedly so. His call for a trick play when leading the game late in the 4th quarter was beyond dumb. Its amazing how coach's can out think the game.
It was obvious that the Broncos couldn't put their loss to the Bears 2 weeks ago behind them, as they showed very little effort in losing to the Raiders last week.
What started off as a very positive season looks like it will end up in total despair. How this team can focus on the Bears this week is beyond me.
The Eagles continue to hurt themselves with costly turnovers. They've turned the ball over 7 times in their last 2 games that they easily could have won.
After starting the season 6-2 and looking every bit like a playoff team, the Lions have lost 4 straight and now take on a rested Cowboy team. Detroit is all but finished as they showed very little effort in their blowout loss to the Vikings.
The Bears continue to lack any kind of consistency. After an amazing come from behind win vs. the Broncos, the Bears gave their last game away to the Giants and essentially put their playoff chances to rest.
The Texans lack of a running game continues to hurt this team. They rank 23rd in the NFL rushing the ball and their lack of running the ball has put their young defense on the field far too often. The Texans have improved quite a bit from last year, but until they learn to run the ball they'll continue to be a below average team.
HC John Fox was quoted saying prior to the Panther's game vs. the 49ers, "Lets go out there and just have fun" and they did exactly that, dominating the hapless 49ers 31-14. It was the Panthers first win at home this year.
The Bengals are coming off another disappointing effort, losing to the Steelers 24-10. This once vaunted offense could only gain 15 first downs and 249 total yards of offense against the Steelers. We could see some whole sale changes this offseason, including the firing of HC Marvin Lewis.
The Ravens were super close to pulling off the biggest upset of the year vs. the Patriots on Monday Night. Up next for the Ravens, the Colts on Sunday Night.
Don't look now, but the Raiders have put together back to back wins. That’s the good news, the bad news is they finish the season with 4 straight games vs. playoff teams.
The Rams are 3-9, but are much better than their record indicates. They had several close games and were the team hit hardest this season by injuries. It would have been interesting to see how this team would have done if they had a healthy Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson this year.
The Chiefs keep losing and keep dropping in this power ranking. They've lost 5 straight and finish the season with 3 of their final 4 games on the road. They could finish their season losing 9 straight games. Amazing if you consider this team was in the playoffs last year and were 4-3 at one point this season.
The Jets are coming off a dominant performance vs. the Dolphins. The Jets had 10 days to prepare for that game. Remember, the Jets last win was off a bye week against a very good Steelers team. Bottom line, HC Mangini gets this team ready with extra time to prepare for opponents. Keep that in mind next year.
Off their first win since week 2 of the season, the 49ers proceeded to get pounded by an undermanned Panthers team. 49ers offense continues to struggle, only gaining 12 first downs and only 195 total offensive yards.
Yuck!
The Falcons now are considering starting Chris Redmen at quarterback. This team is in complete disarray and after 12 weeks of football, still can't make up their minds as to who should start at QB. Show's a complete lack of leadership and that HC Bobby Petrino is way over his head.
The Dolphins are coming off yet another loss, but this loss was especially tough as it was the first time since their Sept 30th game vs. the Raiders that the Fish were favored and it will be the last time this season they'll be a favorite. "It doesn't seem real to me," Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor said. "We're 0-12. It doesn't get much lower." Yes it does Jason, try 0-16 and you're permanently associated with NFL futility. Enjoy!
