NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Predictions for Post-Monday Night Football Standings

The NFL playoff hunt stayed interesting after a Sunday full of both blowouts and nail-biters. 

The AFC's top teams played a bit of musical chairs in terms of seeding, and the bottom of the bracket saw three 7-5 teams move to 8-5. Unfortunately, there's only room for two of them at the moment.

In the NFC, the East and North division races remain tight, with the hard-charging Seattle Seahawks looking like the wild card nobody wants to face in January.

So where do all 32 teams fit relative to each other? Let's look at a power ranking and then concentrate on three squads that raised their stock recently.

Rank	Team	Record
1	Carolina Panthers	13-0
2	Arizona Cardinals	11-2
3	New England Patriots	11-2
4	Seattle Seahawks	8-5
5	Kansas City Chiefs	8-5
6	Pittsburgh Steelers	8-5
7	Cincinnati Bengals	10-3
8	Green Bay Packers	9-4
9	Denver Broncos	10-3
10	New York Jets	8-5
11	Minnesota Vikings	8-5
12	Philadelphia Eagles	6-7
13	Oakland Raiders	6-7
14	Buffalo Bills	6-7
15	Miami Dolphins	6-7*
16	Washington Redskins	6-7
17	Houston Texans	6-7
18	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6-7
19	Jacksonville Jaguars	5-8
20	New Orleans Saints	5-8
21	St. Louis Rams	5-8
22	New York Giants	5-8*
23	Atlanta Falcons	6-7
24	Indianapolis Colts	6-7
25	Chicago Bears	5-8
26	Baltimore Ravens	4-9
27	Dallas Cowboys	4-9
28	Detroit Lions	4-9
29	San Diego Chargers	3-10
30	Cleveland Browns	3-10
31	San Francisco 49ers	4-9
32	Tennessee Titans	3-10

Teams on the Rise

Seattle Seahawks (No. 4)

Russell Wilson's arm just keeps coming through for the surging Seahawks.

Over his last four games (all Seattle wins), the fourth-year signal-caller has tossed for 1,171 yards, 15 touchdowns and no picks. Throw in his scrambling ability and mental fortitude to make timely plays, and his Total QBR has been over 90 in all of those contests. Wilson's elevated play couldn't come at a more opportune time, since his No. 1 and No. 2 running backs are now both injured.

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Of course, the defense has been all over the place, as well. For all the grief the unit has gotten this season, it has allowed just 13 total points over the past two games, and only the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals have had better scoring defenses through the entirety of the season.

The Seahawks haven't had good luck with injuries over the past several weeks, but in today's NFL, quarterback play is so huge. If Russell Wilson stays confident and sharp under center, Seattle is a definite contender to make its third straight Super Bowl appearance.

Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 6)

The Steelers have sat at or just above .500 for most of the season, but a strong late-season push has lifted them to 8-5 and two consecutive big wins over a preseason contender (the Indianapolis Colts) and a 10-3 squad (the Cincinnati Bengals).

Granted, both teams were missing their star quarterback for either all or most of the game, but you can quote me as saying Pittsburgh still would've won both contests, as the level the Steelers were playing in each contest was just too high. The offensive line is clicking, Ben Roethlisberger is finding his receivers on nearly every toss and the defense is physical, but not undisciplined.

Gary Landers/Associated Press

However, the Steelers are still on the periphery of an intense playoff hunt.

Pittsburgh's schedule over the past three weeks features just one team better than 4-9 (the Denver Broncos), so it's in great position to finish with 10 or 11 wins, beating out one or both of the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs for a wild-card spot.

New York Jets (No. 10)

The Jets have now won three straight games for the first time since 2011 and would have the final playoff spot in the AFC if the season ended today.

They may not be quite as hot as Pittsburgh, but a 30-8 victory over the Tennessee Titans was exactly the "taking care of business" type of win New York needed for its confidence and its spot in the standings. Ryan Fitzpatrick is having a career year with stud receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker at his disposal, and bruiser running back Chris Ivory easing his load.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

And the defense, while not quite as dominant as it looked in September, is now getting to the quarterback more consistently. In the team's first seven games, it had 11 sacks. In its last six, however, it has an impressive 22, including seven from defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson.

The key for the Jets defense now is getting back to its turnover-forcing ways (13 takeaways in the first four games). If New York can get a strong pass rush, make big defensive plays and keep up its strong offensive play, it will be a lock to keep its playoff spot.