NFL Power Rankings Week 13: AFC, NFC Standings and Pre-MNF Predictions

The NFL landscape is an ever-evolving creature. Just when we think we know which teams are good or bad, they go out and do the unexpected.

This is precisely why it's still difficult to figure out the looming playoff picture, even with the 12th week of the season almost at a close. The Seattle Seahawks, who appeared to be making another late-season run, were embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The Houston Texans, who at one point seemed destined to win the AFC South, were battered by the San Diego Chargers.

Through three months of football, it's simply been too difficult to truly identify which teams are great and which are merely good enough to look like potential contenders. (There sure seem to be a lot of teams with an "8-8, 9-7 if all goes well" identity.)

We're going to try sifting through the NFL landscape here with some good old-fashioned power rankings. We'll be ranking teams on factors like record, past matchups, team health and overall potential. We'll be factoring our predictions for Monday night's matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles (Philadelphia over Green Bay) into the equation as well.

We will also examine some of the more noteworthy rankings in detail. First, though, let's take a look at the conference standings.

NFL Standings

Place	Team	Record
AFC
NFC
1	New England Patriots	9-2
2	Oakland Raiders	9-2
3	Houston Texans	6-5
4	Baltimore Ravens	6-5
5	Kansas City Chiefs	8-3
6	Miami Dolphins	7-4
7	Denver Broncos	7-4
8	Buffalo Bills	6-5
9	Pittsburgh Steelers	6-5
10	Tennessee Titans	6-6
11	San Diego Chargers	5-6
12	Indianapolis Colts	5-6
13	Cincinnati Bengals	3-7-1
14	New York Jets	3-8
15	Jacksonville Jaguars	2-9
16	Cleveland Browns	0-12
1	Dallas Cowboys	10-1
2	Seattle Seahawks	7-3-1
3	Atlanta Falcons	7-4
4	Detroit Lions	7-4
5	New York Giants	8-3
6	Washington Redskins	6-4-1
7	Minnesota Vikings	6-5
8	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6-5
9	Philadelphia Eagles	5-5*
10	New Orleans Saints	5-6
11	Arizona Cardinals	4-6-1
12	Green Bay Packers	4-6*
13	Carolina Panthers	4-7
14	Los Angeles Rams	4-7
15	Chicago Bears	2-9
16	San Francisco 49ers	1-10

Week 13 Power Rankings

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

Notable Rankings

3. Oakland Raiders

The Dallas Cowboys have garnered a ton of attention for their 10-game winning streak, and rightfully so. However, it wouldn't be fair to overlook the Oakland Raiders, who have managed to rip off five consecutive wins and only lost twice on the year.

It would be unwise to overlook the Raiders too, as the team has reached its current 9-2 record while navigating a brutal schedule.

The Raiders have been forced to travel to the Eastern time zone four different times and had to "host" a game in Mexico City. The team has also had to deal with quality teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos and, most recently, the Carolina Panthers.

Sunday's win over the Panthers exemplifies how much this young Raiders team has grown in 2016.

The Raiders found themselves tied at 32 with the defending NFC champions late in the fourth quarter. Not only did the Oakland offense manage to drive down for the go-ahead field goal, but the defense managed to prevent Cam Newton and the Panthers from answering.

Khalil Mack ended Carolina's potential rally with a sack.

The Raiders are a dangerous team with a potent offense—rated third overall by Pro Football Focus—and a defense that is learning to thrive in tough situations. This is more than a feel-good story, this is a legitimate contender.

4. Kansas City Chiefs

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The Raiders will have to stay focused down the stretch because the 8-3 Kansas City Chiefs are nipping at their heels in the AFC West.

In fact, the Chiefs could be in better position to actually win the division, as they already own a head-to-head victory over Oakland to go with a 3-0 divisional record. The Chiefs will host Oakland in Week 14.

This is a team that has been sorely overlooked for much of the season. The Chiefs field an effective, if underwhelming offense and a stingy defense that allows an average of just 19.5 points per game.

As Kansas City showed during Sunday's 30-27 overtime win in Denver, this is a team that can go toe-to-toe with anybody and have a chance to come out on top. The win in Denver should prove this to the players and give them some momentum to carry into the home stretch.

“Me, I’m looking down the road,” Chiefs safety Eric Berry said, per Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star. “That’s just how I rock. Period. I’m going to enjoy it, I’m excited for it, I’m glad we showed heart, but there’s a lot of things we can clean up on.”

Outlasting Denver is one thing, but next week's matchup against the Falcons in Atlanta should tell us even more about what kind of playoff team the Chiefs can be.

6. Seattle Seahawks

The 7-3-1 Seattle Seahawks may have a firm grasp on the NFC West right now, but they have a lot riding on the final five weeks of the season. If the team is hoping to make a deep postseason run, earning a first-round bye and at least one home game will be critical.

This is because the Seahawks, while talented, are flawed—especially on the offensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, these offensive flaws have presented themselves in a big way when on the road. All three of the team's losses—and the tie—have come on the road.

Seattle lost 9-3 to the Los Angele Rams back in Week 2 and then lost 25-20 to New Orleans in Week 8. However, Sunday's 14-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stands out the most because the Buccaneers don't field a top-quality defense.

Tampa is rated just 28th in overall defense by Pro Football Focus for the season.

The problem is that Seattle's offense—which is rated 30th overall by Pro Football Focus—has been inconsistent at best away from home. One week, the Seahawks will go out and put up 31 points on the New England Patriots. In another week, they'll muster five, as Keith Myers of 12th Man Rising pointed out:

This isn't a formula that lends itself to sustained postseason success. If Seattle has to go into Atlanta or Detroit in the divisional round of the postseason, this inconsistent offense could prevent the team from advancing further.

However, if Seattle can get its act together offensively, the team could just as easily be one of the most dangerous in the postseason. Only the Broncos and the Arizona Cardinals are rated higher in overall defense by Pro Football Focus.

The Seahawks will next host the Panthers in Week 13 before traveling to take on the Green Bay Packers.

Rad more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article117452088.html#storylink=cpy