NFL Power Rankings: Wild Card Weekend

Mark JonesJan 2, 2009

Mark Jones' NFL Power Rankings: Wild Card Weekend

Playoff teams are in bold, non-playoff teams are in regular font. The top 10 teams have a few sentences of analysis below their ranking. Enjoy!

1. New York Giants (12-4)

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This is one explosive team we have here. They were very close to not even winning the NFC, but they did, and now look like a huge favorite to repeat as Super Bowl Champions. However, Eli's brother might have something to say about that.

2. Tennessee Titans (13-3)

Their backups aren't that great, as we saw in their 23-0 shutout loss to Indianapolis's backups, but this is an impressive team. The rout of Pittsburgh in Week 16 has led me to believe that this is a legitimate Super Bowl contender!

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)

It was a fairly stupid move to start Rothlisberger against the Browns in a meaningless game, but hopefully he'll be all right next week. Their defense is playing the worst it has all season, but it is still very solid. We'll see next week, but I'm thinking this team could be in a little danger. There are just too many hot teams in the AFC right now for me to be too relaxed about their position.

4. Carolina Panthers (12-4)

A dream season for John Fox, who's job security wasn't very good at the beginning of the year. The running game looks like one of the NFL's elite, and Delhomme has steadily improved throughout the season. The defensive secondary has staggered a little recently, and they need to get that together, but Kasay's field goal to beat the Saints has put Carolina in a good position.

5. Atlanta Falcons (11-5)

There was a little scare in St. Louis, but I believe this is one of the hottest teams in the league and could be a real threat to Carolina and New York in the NFC. The running game is starting to explode, but Ryan's postseason inexperience may be the crash the Atlanta offense after they finish off Arizona today.

6. Indianapolis Colts (12-4)

They're really starting to come alive all of a sudden. Pittsburgh and Tennessee, watch out. When you've won eight straight games, it makes a team a lot tougher to beat. Tennessee's backups sure did experience that last week!

7. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)

What a turnaround for the Ravens. Flacco was a great idea, the defense returned to it's 2006-2007 season form, and McGahee opened up the running game bigtime. Now if they can just win a playoff game (which they haven't done in quite a while, by the way)!

8. Miami Dolphins (11-5)

11-5 and 1-15 are the same numbers in the same order, but what a relieving difference the dash makes! A playoff victory over the Ravens would be just another thing that's gone their way this Cinderella season, but I don't think that's going to happen.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1)

I'm not feeling to good about this choice, but Philly is playing too well right now for me to move them down. This is another threat to the Super Bowl, right here. Mark my words, even though they probably will get eliminated by the Vikings tomorrow now that I said that.

10. New England Patriots (11-5)

It's just plain robbery for them not to get in the playoffs at 11-5 while 8-8 San Diego does, but that's just the way the NFL works. This season might have been Belichick's best coaching job yet, as injuries were more common that practices, or so it seemed, for the Patriots this season. New England fans, if they exist anymore, don't feel so bad.

11. Minnesota Vikings (10-6)

12. Chicago Bears (9-7)

13. New Orleans Saints (8-8)

14. Houston Texans (8-8)

15. Arizona Cardinals (9-7)

16. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)

17. San Diego Chargers (8-8)

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)

19. New York Jets (9-7)

20. Denver Broncos (8-8)

21. San Francisco 49ers (7-9)

22. Washington Redskins (8-8)