NFL Power Rankings: Falling Teams Facing Elimination in Week 16

Week 16 promises some exciting football, with many teams fighting for their playoff lives.

Teams such as the Giants, Bears and Vikings all need to win to get in, making each game crucial. The Miami Dolphins are another team that still has hope, but they are one loss away from elimination.

Here is a complete NFL power ranking before Week 15's action, with a special focus on those teams that have played their way to the verge of elimination in recent weeks. Those teams are indicated in italics.

1. Denver Broncos (11-3)

The Denver Broncos have played their way to the top of the NFL, riding a nine-game winning streak, which culminated with a crushing win over the Baltimore Ravens. 

Peyton Manning has this offense humming, and Knowshon Moreno has come out of nowhere to play the best football of his career. Paired with one of the best pass rushes in the NFL and great overall talent, the Broncos are in great shape.

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

The San Francisco 49ers shocked a lot of people when they beat the New England Patriots in New England. The way they did it was even more shocking, jumping out to a big lead before the Patriots made it a close game.

Colin Kaepernick has excelled and brought a new element to this offense, and the defense remains as solid as ever. Nobody will want to play this team in the playoffs.

3. New England Patriots (10-4)

Even after a home loss on national television, the Patriots can still feel secure in their ability to go deep into the playoffs. Tom Brady is playing as well as ever, the offense features a balanced ground game and the defense is doing just enough.

4. Atlanta Falcons (13-2)

There's plenty of reason to be high on the Falcons, especially after their dominating 34-0 win over the New York Giants. They are nearly unbeatable at home, and they are close to locking up home-field advantage for the playoffs.

5. Houston Texans (12-2)

The Texans are a really solid football team, but they are running Arian Foster into the ground and they can't beat top teams. They are a lot stronger at home than on the road, though, and they should have home-field advantage in the playoffs.

6. Green Bay Packers (10-4)

Aaron Rodgers is quietly having another stellar season in Green Bay, despite constant injuries in his receiving corps. They are also riding a three-game winning streak, getting hot at the right time.

7. Seattle Seahawks (9-5)

The most improved team in the NFL has to be the Seattle Seahawks. They've been simply amazing the past two weeks, going over 50 points in both of those games. With an opportunistic defense and an offense that plays mistake-free football, this team is set up to shock some teams in the playoffs.

8. Washington Redskins (8-6)

No RGIII, no problem for the Washington Redskins, who proved that their system is working. Any team that can run the ball as well as the Redskins do has the potential to win any game. When they tighten up their pass defense and establish consistency in their passing game, the Redskins will be a top-tier team.

9. New York Giants (8-6)

The New York Giants are both victims of the Redskins' and Cowboys' hot streaks and of their own mediocrity.

Eli Manning has been a different quarterback on the road this season, and it showed in their 34-0 drubbing at the hands of the Falcons. He has a passer rating of just 77 on the road this season.

Defensively, the Giants are awful, ranking 28th in total yards allowed. Their vaunted pass rush has been mediocre this season, producing just 32 sacks. 

Now, the struggling Giants are traveling to Baltimore to take on a hungry Ravens team. The Giants are favored to win, but that's out of the Ravens' weakness rather than the Giants' strength. Both these teams are struggling, but the Ravens are hungrier and are at home. They could eliminate the Giants today.

10. Indianapolis Colts (9-5)

The Indianapolis Colts lost to the Houston Texans, but they've otherwise been solid in recent weeks. Andrew Luck keeps this team competitive in just about every game, and the return of Chuck Pagano can only give this team a lift.

11. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)

Despite their three-game losing streak, the Baltimore Ravens are still a dangerous team. They are hungry to prove themselves, and they need just one win to clinch the AFC North. They could get it against a struggling Giants squad Sunday.

12. Minnesota Vikings (8-6)

Adrian Peterson is maybe the only non-quarterback in the NFL to actually carry an entire team to a winning record. Simply put, without Peterson, the Vikings are a completely mediocre team. With him, though, they are on the verge of the playoffs. A rapidly improving offensive line also helps.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)

The Cincinnati Bengals are an underrated team thanks to a fierce pass rush, one of the best receivers in the game in A.J. Green and an improving running attack spearheaded by BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Andy Dalton has pristine stats, but he has yet to look like a franchise quarterback. When he takes that next step, this is going to be a deadly football team.

14. Chicago Bears (8-6)

The Chicago Bears have fallen off the face of the planet after an excellent start to the season. They are just 1-5 in the past six weeks, as the injury to Jay Cutler just completely robbed the Bears of their momentum.

The defense that started the season so well has fallen off in recent weeks, allowing a 100-yard rusher in four of Chicago's last six games. 

Fortunately for the Bears, they conclude the season against bottom-dwellers Arizona and Detroit. If they continue to lose, though, the Bears will get the boot from a chance at the playoffs, squandering a once brilliant season.

15. Dallas Cowboys (8-6)

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys have taken off in recent weeks, riding a three-game winning streak. They've beaten two AFC playoff contenders in the Steelers and the Bengals, showing they can compete with good football teams. Their game against the Washington Redskins in Week 17 could be the difference between making the playoffs and spending January at home.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)

The return of Ben Roethlisberger was supposed to rejuvenate the Steelers, but they've lost both of their past two games as their proud defense has started to be exposed.

They've given up 20-plus points in four straight games, with last week's showing against Dallas particularly troubling. Tony Romo shredded this secondary for 341 yards, and now the Steelers close with two divisional games.

The Steelers defeated the Bengals in Cincinnati already this season, but that was before their latest slide. The Bengals might be able to exploit a secondary that has been shaky in recent weeks.

One thing working in the Steelers' favor is that they are at home in their final two games. Two wins will be enough to make the playoffs in all likelihood, but just one loss will keep them at home during the playoffs.

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

The Rams are almost always competitive, but they lack the "wow" factor to compete with the top teams in the NFL. They did, however, go 1-0-1 against the 49ers, which is without question the bright spot of their season. 

18. New Orleans Saints (6-8)

The Saints came storming back from an 0-4 start, but it just wasn't enough. Drew Brees needs help to succeed in New Orleans, as that defense is just awful.

19. Miami Dolphins (6-8)

The Dolphins are technically not eliminated from playoff contention, but does anyone think the Dolphins will waltz into New England in Week 17 and come out with a win? This defense will lead the Dolphins to the playoffs some day, but Ryan Tannehill has some growing up to do before that happens.

20. Carolina Panthers (5-9)

Cam Newton is the hottest player in the NFL right now as the Panthers are 3-2 in the past five weeks. The Panthers were really competitive all season long, and now, they are learning how to win. They are one good offseason away from being truly competitive.

21. Cleveland Browns (5-9)

A strong defense and a punishing ground game keep the Browns in most games, but they lack the offensive firepower to seriously threaten the top teams in the NFL.

22. Tennessee Titans (5-9)

Jake Locker gives this team hope, but he is extremely raw. If Chris Johnson becomes more consistent and Locker develops, the Titans will have a devastating offense. The defense seems farther away from finding success, though.

23. New York Jets (6-8)

The New York Jets were an embarrassment last week. They needed a win to stay alive and came out losers against a mediocre Titans team. We'll see what Greg McElroy can do as a starter, but it probably won't be much better than Mark Sanchez.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8)

At one point, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of the hottest teams in the NFL. After dropping four straight, though, the Buccaneers are falling fast and are desperately looking for answers. They have talent, especially on offense, but it has fallen apart in recent weeks. They couldn't even score against the terrible New Orleans defense.

25. Detroit Lions (4-11)

The Lions lack discipline, defense and heart. The talent is there for this team to be very good, as they are largely unchanged from last year's playoff team. Matt Stafford needs to come back strong in 2013.

26. Buffalo Bills (5-9)

The Bills are a mediocre team that has little in terms of top talent. C.J. Spiller, Stevie Johnson and Kyle Williams are all good pieces to build around, but they need a real quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick is not getting it done.

27. San Diego Chargers (5-9)

The Chargers no longer have anything to play for. Norv Turner's job is lost and this team will be basically torn apart in the offseason. Don't expect much from this team in the last two games of the season.

28. Arizona Cardinals (5-9)

The Cardinals finally won a game, and they could make it two in a row against a flailing Chicago team. This defense is really good, but they have the worst group of quarterbacks the NFL has seen in years.

29. Oakland Raiders (4-10)

No discipline and no heart exist in Oakland right now. This is a completely broken team that needs a complete overhaul to be competitive. At least the Raiders aren't as bad as the Chiefs.

30. Philadelphia Eagles (4-10)

The Eagles have an interesting question at quarterback, where Nick Foles has shown some signs of being the guy going forward. They at least have something to play for in the last two games of the season, especially Foles. He has two games to prove he deserves a chance in 2013.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12)

The Jaguars are a team that simply lacks the talent to compete. They don't have a competent quarterback, nor is their defense at all decent. Expect them to look for a quarterback in the draft.

32. Kansas City Chiefs (2-12)

The Chiefs were shut out by an Oakland defense that allowed 55 points to the Baltimore Ravens, a team that just fired its offensive coordinator. They need a quarterback, badly.