NFL Power Rankings: Grades and Analysis Going into Week 16

Is it safe to be the NFL's best team with two weeks remaining until the playoffs?

Well, that depends.

The 2004 New England Patriots were the most recent No. 1 seed that also held the best record to win the Super Bowl. The 2009 New Orleans Saints were the NFC's No. 1 seed, but held the second-best overall record.

On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers defeated New England on the road in a realistic Super Bowl preview. San Francisco, though, does not hold the NFL's best record: that belongs to the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans.

So, who is better right now?

Let's grade each team and find out.

32. Kansas City Chiefs (2-12)

Prior to Week 15, Jamaal Charles was running the ball quite well.

And his weekly production was the Kansas City Chiefs' lone chance to victory.

The Oakland Raiders then limited Charles to 10 yards rushing on nine carries. Get ready for the draft K.C.

Grade: F

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12)

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't turn the ball over and actually began Week 15 with a 3-0 lead.

Unfortunately, Jacksonville gave up 24 unanswered points and the Miami Dolphins handed the Jags their 12th loss.

In addition, Jacksonville has averaged only 10.3 points per game over the past three weeks.

Grade: F

30. Oakland Raiders (4-10)

If it weren't for Sebastian Janikowski, the Oakland Raiders wouldn't defeat the Chiefs.

The Raiders held the ball for 40 minutes and managed only 15 points against one of the NFL's worst defenses.

Include Oakland allowing an average of 28.7 points per game and that's tied for the league's most.

Grade: D-

29. Philadelphia Eagles (4-10)

Back to reality for the 2012 Philadelphia Eagles, because the Cincinnati Bengals just smashed on Thursday night.

Turnovers, especially fumbles, continue to plague the Eagles as well.

That has been the case all season long, even with Michael Vick under center, so until fewer are committed, don't expect much from Philly next season.

Grade: D-

28. Detroit Lions (4-10)

Just when it couldn't get much worse for the Detroit Lions, it did.

Not only did the Lions lose to the Arizona Cardinals, but Detroit got crushed.

Matthew Stafford remains interception-prone and the defense gave up three rushing touchdowns. With no consistent ground game or defense that can step up when needed, the Lions will remain at the bottom of the NFC North until further notice.

Grade: D-

27. Arizona Cardinals (5-9)

Provided the Arizona Cardinals had Week 15's pass protection all season, a nine-game losing streak would not have occurred.

Rookie Ryan Lindley was sacked only one time against the Lions and Arizona won for the first time since September.

The defense proved to make plays, so getting Larry Fitzgerald some help this offseason can turn this team around.

Grade: D+

26. New York Jets (6-8)

Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets were bound to crumble.

This late in the season, and how Gang Green's year had panned out prior to Monday night, it was simply a matter of when.

Turning the rock over five times and Sanchez tossing four picks was the difference. Rex Ryan's defense put on a valiant effort, but the offense needs a complete overhaul.

Grade: D-

25. Tennessee Titans (5-9)

Chris Johnson finished with 122 rushing yards; however, 94 came on one run.

Then again, taking one the distance turned out to be a significant difference for the Tennessee Titans on Monday.

Jake Locker appeared to have turned a corner as a signal-caller and Tennessee does present some playmakers at receiver. Provided the defense can continue generating turnovers and apply more quarterback pressure, the Titans will improve next season.

Grade: D+

24. San Diego Chargers (5-9)

The San Diego Chargers reverted back to what we expected in Week 15.

Getting demolished by the Carolina Panthers, Philip Rivers was sacked six times and fumbled four times (losing two).

With no pass protection or defense to slow opponents downs, the Chargers don't have a chance. And Rivers isn't part of that upper-echelon of quarterbacks that can win games by himself.

Grade: D-

23. Carolina Panthers (5-9)

Can you imagine if the Carolina Panthers played like this earlier in the season?

Winning three of their last four games, Cam Newton and Co. have scored 61 points in the previous two contests.

The pass rush continues to show signs of improvement and 2012 has potential to finish at 7-9. Provided the Cats begin 2013 in similar fashion to the current and we'll see the Panthers in the postseason mix.

Grade: C-

22. Miami Dolphins (6-8)

We can't get too overhyped for the Miami Dolphins because winning over the Jaguars doesn't show much, if anything.

Now yes, Ryan Tannehill has displayed development at the helm, and earlier victories over the Seahawks, Rams and Bengals are worth noting.

Still, Miami must prove to be more consistent at running the ball and with pass defense. Doing so will make the Dolphins more competitive within the division and turn close losses into wins.

Grade: C-

21. Cleveland Browns (5-9)

Although the Cleveland Browns fell to the Washington Redskins, that's not a bad loss.

Washington has been rolling of late, and Cleveland played well for much of the contest.

Without question do the Browns need to improve defensively, though. Cleveland allows a 62.4 completion percentage and ranks No. 25 in pass defense.

The offense continues to shown signs of its potential, so upgrading the secondary this draft will keep Cleveland headed in the right direction.

Grade: C-

20. Buffalo Bills (5-9)

The Buffalo Bills ran into a buzzsaw that is the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

That said, the Bills still produced well on the ground with C.J. Spiller and won the possession battle.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, though, accounted for all three of Buffalo's turnovers. Factor in a defense that gave up 270 rushing yards and the Bills have to create more turnovers, but commit fewer at the same token.

Grade: C-

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneeers (6-8)

The inability to defend the pass proved to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Achilles' heel in Week 15.

Drew Brees tossed for 307 yards and four scores with no interceptions.

Tampa Bay was also exposed against the run, because despite ranking No. 1 in rush defense, few teams attempt on the ground versus the Buccaneers. After all, there's no reason to when the coverage fails miserably at a consistent rate.

Not to mention, only giving Doug Martin a mere nine carries cannot happen...ever.

Grade: C-

17. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)

Pass protection remains an issue for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger was sacked four times against the Dallas Cowboys and pressured much more on top of it.

As a result, Pittsburgh fell in Week 15 and its season is on the line against the Cincinnati Bengals. Well, Cincy brings in the NFL's best pass-rushing unit with a league leading 43 sacks.

No matter how lockdown the Steelers defense performs, nothing from the offense will cost Pittsburgh a spot in January.

Grade: C-

18. New Orleans Saints (6-8)

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints are barely hanging on in the NFC playoff picture.

Obviously the Saints need a significant amount of help to get into January, although a dominating performance certainly adds confidence for Week 16.

New Orleans got a full team effort last week and it showed the Saints' full potential in a nutshell. Provided NOLA forces turnovers and runs the ball well, in addition to Brees passing, an upset victory will happen against the Dallas Cowboys.

Grade: C

16. St. Louis Rams (6-7-1)

Still in the postseason hunt, the St. Louis Rams certainly need to win out for a chance at the postseason.

Given that Adrian Peterson bulldozed the Rams for 212 rushing yards, St. Louis will have trouble these next two weeks.

For one, both are on the road and secondly, the Rams are playing the Buccaneers and Seahawks. Two run-oriented offenses with stud ball-carriers to present a physical and balanced attack.

Grade: C

15. Chicago Bears (8-6)

The Chicago Bears have been abysmal of late.

On the bright side, Chicago plays at the Cardinals and Lions to close out its regular season.

Two winnable games despite the offense failing with pass protection and converting on third down—went 0-of-9 on third down versus the Green Bay Packers.

Still, the Bears' easy route to the postseason helps as Detroit and Arizona struggle consistently against the run. In short, plenty of Matt Forte to set up the passing game.

Grade: C

14. Dallas Cowboys (8-6)

The Dallas Cowboys were straight clutch in Week 15 to win over the Steelers.

Winning five of their previous six games, Dallas is turning a corner in 2012 by being on the positive end of close games.

Tony Romo and the passing attack is proving to carry the offense and the defense is gaining confidence. That said, don't sleep on the Saints in Week 16 or the Washington Redskins in Week 17. The Cowboys still have much to prove for a postseason berth.

Grade: B

13. New York Giants (8-6)

Week 15 was a season-low for Eli Manning and the New York Giants.

Getting bashed 34-0 by the Atlanta Falcons, Big Blue no longer controls its own destiny in the NFC East.

Manning and the aerial assault continue to frustrate with inconsistency, and the defense is among the worst at getting quarterback pressure. Playing at the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, the Giants are on the verge of finishing below .500 during the season's second half.

Grade: C

12. Minnesota Vikings (8-6)

Stopping Adrian Peterson is how an opponent stops the Minnesota Vikings.

Unfortunately, this is obviously easier said than done.

The downside for Minnesota, though, are two difficult games remaining against the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers. No matter what Peterson's numbers, his impact must keep the opposing offenses off the field.

If not, the Vikings defense will need to step up, which hasn't been consistent against explosive offenses.

Grade: B+

11. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)

The Cincinnati Bengals are one of the NFL's most confident teams entering Week 16.

A.J. Green and the offense are finding a rhythm, as evidence of scoring 20-plus points in six of their last seven games.

Defensively, Cincy is pummeling opposing quarterbacks with a league-leading 43 sacks. As long as the coverage continues to improve, the Bengals will win the AFC North.

Grade: B+

10. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)

Losers of three consecutive games, the Baltimore Ravens have yet to clinch the AFC North.

And based on recent weeks, failing to do so is quite realistic.

Regardless of how healthy, or lack thereof, Baltimore's defense has been in 2012, it's remained unreliable. The Ravens allow an average of 374 total yards per game and haven't forced an extensive number of turnovers.

Switch to the offense and Joe Flacco's getting this side to average only 18.8 points over the past five games.

Grade: B-

9. Washington Redskins (8-6)

Kirk Cousins' impressive display in Week 15 only made the Washington Redskins a scarier team to face.

In short, it doesn't matter which rookie quarterback is under center. The Redskins find a way to win.

The offense is balanced with high-powered potential, and the defense has improved by forcing turnovers and stuffing the run. Provided the pass rush finds some consistency and Washington will cause some wreckage en route to winning the NFC East.

Grade: A-

8. Indianapolis Colts (9-5)

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts got a small taste of how tough the Houston Texans can be.

Having already lost to the New England Patriots earlier, Indy remains a few steps back from emerging as an AFC elite.

Nevertheless, Luck is only thwarting cover schemes better and the rushing attack has picked up nicely. All that's left is for the defense to generate some turnovers and provide Luck with those additional possessions.

Only then will Indianapolis take its next step.

Grade: B

7. Seattle Seahawks (9-5)

Meet the most dangerous team in the NFC right now—the Seattle Seahawks.

In their recent three contents, Peter Carroll's club has outscored opponents 131-34. Wow.

Marshawn Lynch is going beast-mode every week and Russell Wilson is playing better than any other rookie quarterback.

As for the defense, don't look away because the Seahawks' play physical and will shut down anyone. Even if we switch the controversial victory over Green Bay to a loss, Seattle is still a postseason contender.

Grade: A

6. Green Bay Packers (10-4)

There's only one concern regarding the Green Bay Packers.

For as efficient as Aaron Rodgers has performed, the 2011 NFL MVP has been sacked 45 times in 14 games.

Yikes.

Fortunately, Green Bay's rushing attack keeps making strides and the defense is becoming more dependable. As we saw last January, however, quarterback pressure cost Titletown in the postseason.

Grade: A

5. Denver Broncos (11-3)

Winners of nine-straight games, the Denver Broncos are in position to receive the AFC's No. 2 seed by finishing 13-3.

Fielding one of the NFL's most prolific offenses orchestrated by Peyton Manning, Denver ranks No. 2 in scoring (averages 29.2 per game).

Von Miller and the defense are just as consistently dominant, ranking No. 5 in points allowed (19.6 per game). The Broncos are a complete team and Week 15's all-encompassed effort over Baltimore epitomized Denver thus far in 2012.

Grade: A

4. Atlanta Falcons (12-2)

The Atlanta Falcons were flawless in Week 15.

Trouncing the Giants 34-0, Matt Ryan completed 82.1 percent of his throws and tossed three touchdowns.

Atlanta's defense limited the Giants to just 256 total yards and forced three turnovers. No one will upset the Dirty Birds in January with this kind of performance, but Atlanta must also replicate it as well.

Grade: A+

3. Houston Texans (12-2)

Okay, so we've seen elite NFL quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady completely eviscerate the Houston Texans.

This week we'll get to see Houston against the league's best running back in Adrian Peterson.

Considering that the Texans were exposed in rush defense during recent games, it's reasonable to expect Peterson to dominate. The end result will heavily weigh on Houston's postseason potential because the Gary Kubiak's offense isn't fast-paced enough to match the Broncos or New England Patriots.

Grade: A-

2. New England Patriots (10-4)

The home loss to the San Francisco 49ers was just a bump in the road for the New England Patriots.

Tom Brady was not at his best, but in conducting a miraculous comeback against pro football's top defense speaks volumes.

Bill Belichick's pass defense is the one flaw, however. San Francisco isn't a pass-first team, and yet Colin Kaepernick carved up the Pats. Brady and the offense will carry this team, because the defense has yet to dominate on a consistent level.

Grade: A

1. San Francisco 49ers (10-3-1)

And the Bay Area takes the top spot as we enter Week 16.

The San Francisco 49ers logged the most impressive victory of the season by defeating the Patriots in New England.

Not to mention, this came after the Pats had reeled off seven-straight wins. Colin Kaepernick threw four touchdowns and the 'Niners rolled for 180 yards on the ground.

Add in a little Randy Moss, some unreal defense through three quarters and San Francisco's potential has vaulted to the best in the biz.

Grade: A+

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