NFL Power Rankings: Where Do Playoff Teams Stack Up After Divisional Round?

Once the divisional-round dust—and the drama about the NFL's criteria for a completed catch—clears, we are going to have some pretty good debates over the best of the remaining Super Bowl hopefuls.

Bleacher Report settles the debate here before it gets decided on the fields of Seattle and New England on Sunday.

We present the power rankings of the NFL's remaining teams, outlining their bodies of work, statistical merits, big victories, bad losses and words of praise. We will admit we switched gears on one side-by-side comparison, but we couldn't bring ourselves to downgrade the defending champs from the top of the heap...even if we wanted to because of a disdain for drama king Marshawn Lynch.

Who is more annoying? Richard Sherman, who won't shut up, or Lynch, who refuses to say anything? Unfortunately, neither will go away as they play on in their Super Bowl title defense.

4. Indianapolis Colts

Record: 11-5

Seed: AFC No. 4

Playoff Results: 2-0; defeated Cincinnati Bengals, 26-10, and Denver Broncos, 24-13

Current Streak: Won three consecutive

Offensive Rankings

Total: 3rd

Rush: 22nd

Pass: 1st

Andrew Luck has proved this postseason to have the poise of a 10-year veteran quarterback. It is a dangerous thought because he is also physically spry like the 25-year-old he is.

The Colts have a dynamic set of weapons, particularly because there is no single truly dominant downfield threat. T.Y. Hilton is great, but Reggie Wayne, Hakeem Nicks, Donte Moncrief, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener are all pretty comparable.

This team has risen up to beat some promising squads—namely the Broncos and the great Peyton Manning in the divisional round—because of the presence of a running game now, too. Dan "Boom" Herron has finally put Trent Richardson away as the feature back, scoring twice as many touchdowns this postseason as he has had in his career coming in.

The Colts will need to ride that newfound running game to topple the New England Patriots on the road in the AFC Championship Game. Herron, who has struggled with some fumbling issues, also needs to hold on to the ball.

Defensive Rankings

Total: 11th

Rush: 18th

Pass: 12th

This defense has played a lot better in the postseason than in the regular season, which is the biggest reason the Colts are now just one victory away from the Super Bowl. They are decidedly weaker against the run, but they managed to limit two very good power-running teams in a pair of road victories. The Pats are not a great power-running team, either.

The Colts do a very good job of taking away the big threats downfield, which the Patriots don't necessarily have. This is going to be a great offensive-defensive chess match underneath and over the middle in the passing game.

Best Victories

• at Denver, 24-13
• vs. Cincinnati (twice), 27-0 and 26-10
• vs. Baltimore, 20-13

Worst Losses

• at Pittsburgh, 51-34
• at Dallas, 42-7
• vs. New England, 42-20

Against the Field: 0-1 (lost to New England)

Quote to Note

"As far as the critics go and the pundits, I don't think anybody thought we could come in here and get this done," Colts head coach Chuck Pagano told reporters following the divisional-round victory over the Broncos, per The Indianapolis Star's Gregg Doyel.

Summation

There is a reason few believed the Colts could go into Denver and shut down Manning and the Broncos: They hadn't shown that capability yet this season. What they lack in body of work, however, they have trumped in quality of recent victory. We very nearly put the Colts ahead of the Patriots in these rankings, but that 42-20 loss to New England earlier this season is just too much to overlook.

This is a dangerous squad, especially because Luck is smack dab in his physical prime, but it is not yet a great team.

3. New England Patriots

Record: 12-4

Seed: AFC No. 1

Playoffs: 1-0; defeated Baltimore Ravens, 35-31

Current Streak: Won one

Offensive Rankings

Total: 11th

Rush: 18th

Pass: 9th

The Pats had not played a real game in weeks, since they clinched the AFC East before the end of the regular season and rested their players in Week 17, then had the bye during Wild Card Weekend. The rust showed against a frisky Ravens team.

The Pats mustered little production on the ground against a very good Ravens run defense. However, they should get significantly more production out of LeGarrette Blount, Jonas Gray (ankle), Shane Vereen and their divisional-round starter, Brandon Bolden, against the Colts lackluster run defense.

Tom Brady is a very difficult out when he has a running game to speak of. He proved he was an impossible out in the divisional playoff even without a running game.

Brady and Bill Belichick's intangibles make this offense a lot more dangerous than the mere statistics suggest, particularly with a healthy Rob Gronkowski. Gronk is the most unstoppable force remaining in the playoffs.

Defensive Rankings

Total: 13th

Rush: 9th

Pass: 17th

The Pats have had an up-and-down record against the run this season. They started the year struggling against it. They improved as the season wore on, but the Ravens exposed them on the ground Saturday with Justin Forsett's 24 carries for 129 yards. If they cannot stop the run against the Colts and Dan "Boom" Herron, it will be a long night against Andrew Luck downfield. 

We should chalk up the Pats' struggles against the Ravens to rust. This defense is a lot better than it showed this past weekend, even if Luck's Colts are a lot more dangerous than a Joe Flacco-led Ravens offense.

Best Victories

• vs. Denver, 43-21
• vs. Detroit, 34-9
• at Indianapolis, 42-20
• vs. Baltimore, 35-31

Worst Losses

• at Kansas City, 41-14
• at Miami, 33-20
• vs. Buffalo, 17-9

Against the Field: 1-1 (beat Indianapolis and lost to Green Bay)

Quote to Note

"Maybe those guys got to study the rule book and figure it out," Brady told reporters about the deceptive plays employed against the Ravens, via the Boston Herald's Dan Ventura. "I don't know what was deceiving about that. [They] should figure it out."

Summation

The Pats might have needed the deception to overcome the rust, but you have to consider Belichick and Brady the intangibles that make them a lot better than the numbers might suggest. Still, we drop the Pats a spot because the Green Bay Packers beat them head-to-head and had a more impressive victory over a better opponent this past weekend.

Still, you can debate who is going to beat Brady and Belichick in January at home. The Pats have a huge victory over the Indianapolis Colts in their pocket, so we probably should expect a much better performance Sunday night to propel the Pats to the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks.

2. Green Bay Packers

Record: 12-4

Seed: NFC No. 2

Playoff Results: 1-0; defeated Dallas Cowboys, 26-21

Current Streak: Won three consecutive

Offensive Rankings

Total: 6th

Rush: 11th

Pass: 8th

There is something to be said for winning big football games when you are not at your best. Aaron Rodgers is not able to scramble and create like he is accustomed to because of his calf injury, while Eddie Lacy had an asthma attack that cost him most of the second quarter against the Cowboys in the divisional round, Lori Nickel of the Journal Sentinel reported. 

This is potentially a great offensive team, something it would have to be to beat the defending champion Seattle Seahawks on the road next week in the toughest, loudest environment in football. There is balance here, something Packers teams haven't necessarily had under the Brett Favre and Rodgers eras.

Rodgers' gimpy calf and the type of physical, defensive game you would expect against the Seahawks put a lot of onus on Lacy, James Starks and the offensive line. They are good there but not truly great.

Defensive Rankings

Total: 15th

Rush: 23rd

Pass: 10th

This is the fourth-best defense remaining in the tournament right now, especially when you consider how well the Indianapolis Colts have been playing defensively of late. The biggest weakness is against the run, a bad spot to be deficient in when you will be playing the Seahawks and Beast Mode, Marshawn Lynch.

The Packers couldn't limit DeMarco Murray and the Cowboys' second-ranked rushing offense. Murray ran for 123 yards and a touchdown. Now the Packers will face the NFL's No. 1 rushing offense. Green Bay's ability to overcome this glaring weakness will decide its fate even more than the plays a limited Rodgers can make.

Best Victories

• vs. New England, 26-21
• vs. Dallas, 26-21
• vs. Carolina, 38-17
• vs. Detroit, 30-20

Worst Losses

• at Buffalo, 21-13
• at New Orleans, 44-23
• at Detroit, 19-7

Against the Field: 1-1 (beat New England and lost to Seattle)

Quote to Note

Right guard T.J. Lang told Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel about the difference between the Packers now and the Packers at the start of the season, when they lost to the Seahawks:

"

I don't think we had an identity yet as an offense and were trying to figure out what our strengths were, what our bread and butter was. We know who we are now, we know who we've got. And we like what we've got. We know it's going to be a big challenge. I'm sure they're a different team, too. But we like the characteristics we have right now as an offense. We just have to make sure we're always playing with consistency, which we've done the last couple weeks.

"

Summation

While we cannot overlook the fact that the Packers lost head-to-head to the Seahawks, we shouldn't ignore that they beat the New England Patriots, either. We ranked the Packers behind the Pats on body of work last week in these B/R Power Rankings, but the Pats were unimpressive against a far less capable opponent.

The Packers bent but didn't break versus a good Cowboys team. We see both of the NFC semifinalists as superior to those from the AFC. The Packers deserve the No. 2 honors, even if we cannot see them going into Seattle and upsetting the defending champions.

1. Seattle Seahawks

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Record: 12-4

Seed: NFC No. 1

Playoff Results: 1-0; defeated Carolina Panthers, 31-17

Current Streak: Won seven consecutive

Offensive Rankings

Total: 9th

Rush: 1st

Pass: 26th

The most impressive aspect of the Seahawks' performance this Saturday wasn't Beast Mode, Marshawn Lynch, who unnecessarily draws attention to his annoying self by allegedly not wanting attention. It was Russell Wilson and his three touchdown passes. About 99 percent of America, even legit football fans, would struggle to name all three of the recipients of Wilson's touchdown throws against the Panthers (Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Luke Willson).

Wilson is so good, he turns water to wine with this offense. You cannot even credit Lynch for this victory. He was mostly a non-factor with just 59 yards rushing and three receptions for an additional six yards.

Sure, Lynch will be the reason the Seahawks knock off the Green Bay Packers—if they do—but you have to consider Wilson one of the game's best helmsmen, regardless of what he has to work with downfield. 

Defensive Rankings

Total: 1st

Rush: 3rd

Pass: 1st

Many of us wish Aaron Rodgers weren't limping into the NFC Championship Game. The Seahawks defense doesn't need that edge. We would like to see it compete against an elite offense with a healthy future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Still, the Seahawks get the edge against anyone, anywhere—as they proved in the Super Bowl last year against Peyton Manning and the most prolific offense in NFL history. There have been some great defensive teams in Super Bowl history, but how many great defensive teams have back-to-back championships? Maybe just the Pittsburgh Steelers' Steel Curtain of the 1970s?

The Legion of Boom against the Steel Curtain might wind up being a legit debate in the NFL annals.

Best Victories

• vs. Green Bay, 36-16
• vs. Denver, 26-20, in OT
• vs. and at Arizona, 19-3 and 35-6
• vs. Carolina, 31-17

Worst Losses

• at St. Louis, 28-26
• at San Diego, 30-21
• at Kansas City, 24-20

Against the Field: 1-0 (beat Green Bay)

Quote to Note

Lynch repeatedly told reporters Saturday, according to Nick Eaton of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "I'm thankful."

No. No, you're not. You are an ungrateful, selfish punk who says he doesn't want attention and then thinks he is so cute by unnecessarily drawing attention to himself.

"I'm just about that action, boss," he told Deion Sanders last Super Bowl media day (via NFL.com).

Yes. Yes, you are.

Summation

The preceding digression notwithstanding, the Seahawks have the most polished body of work of anyone, and they are the defending champs. It will be hard to knock them off their perch, especially if Wilson, Lynch and the host of elite defenders stay healthy next week against the limping Rodgers and the Packers. Among the flawed final four, the Seahawks are the least flawed team.

There is no place to rank them besides No. 1.