NFL Power Rankings: Teams with Momentum Heading into Playoffs

Four playoff teams won in Week 16 by at least 19 points. Needless to say, those teams are feeling pretty good heading into Week 17 and beyond.

Other playoff contenders might not be winning by much, but big wins or winning streaks have them excited about their possibilities.

Then, there is the rest of the NFL. Most teams are out of contention, and others are backing into the postseason. But who cares about them?

The NFL is all about championships, and those teams aren't going to win one. The teams in italics, though, have serious momentum. Watch out for them in the playoffs.

1. Denver Broncos (12-3)

Peyton Manning has the NFL's hottest team riding high on a 10-game winning streak.

This team is stacked. Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil lead the NFL's best pass-rushing tandem, while Champ Bailey anchors one of the NFL's best secondaries. With so much talent on defense, the Broncos have managed to rank third in the NFL in total defense. 

On offense, what's not to like? Knowshon Moreno is playing better in recent weeks, and Peyton Manning has turned Demarius Thomas and Eric Decker into stars. Ryan Clady and Co. provide stellar protection for Manning, having given up just 104 total pressures this season.

The Broncos took some time to gel, but once they did, they caught fire. Rarely does a team ride a double-digit winning streak into postseason success, but the Broncos have the firepower to get it done.

2. Green Bay Packers (11-4)

As good as the Packers have been this season, they haven't gotten much hype. They were good, but they didn't do anything exceptionally well, or so the common thinking went.

Well, after their 55-7 thrashing of the Tennessee Titans, how can anyone say this team is not exceptional?

Aaron Rodgers is as efficient as ever, with a rating of 106.2. He has overcome injuries to his receiving corps, poor offensive line play and a struggling running game to have yet another spectacular season.

On the other side of the ball, the Packers are quietly much improved from last year's squad. Their pass rush is among the NFL's best, with 46 sacks on the season. 

The Packers are winners of four straight, and you can count on them to turn that momentum into postseason success.

3. New England Patriots (11-4)

The Patriots remain one of the most talented teams in the NFL, but a loss at home to the 49ers and a poor performance against the Jaguars has this team looking vulnerable. Their defense is still a problem area.

4. Atlanta Falcons (13-2)

The Falcons are a good football team, but Matt Ryan needs to prove he can win a playoff game before I count on them to go deep into the playoffs. The talent is there, but they are unproven.

5. Seattle Seahawks (10-5)

The Seahawks are the NFL's hottest team, having dismantled the Bills, the Cardinals and the 49ers in consecutive weeks. 

They have actually averaged 50 points per game over the last three weeks. That level of dominance is unheard of in the NFL, and to carry it over against the 49ers is incredible.

The Seahawks are beneficiaries of one of the best home-field advantages in football, but they will be on the road throughout the playoffs. That's a shame, because this is a team that looks destined for great things.

Russell Wilson and the NFL's most hard-nosed defense has this team on the upswing. They will be a team to watch out for in the playoffs and in future years.

6. Houston Texans (12-3)

The Texans are backing into the playoffs, having been dominated in two of their last three games. The defense is vulnerable, while the offense proved that it is overly reliant on Arian Foster. Stop Foster, and you've stopped the Texans.

7. San Francisco 49ers (10-4-1)

One week after beating the Patriots on the road, the 49ers got dominated against the Seahawks. This team is not as bad as they looked on Sunday night, but they might not be strong enough on offense to challenge the NFC's top teams. 

8. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)

The Ravens were threatening to lose their way out of the playoffs, but they came back in resounding fashion against the New York Giants. They gave their best offensive performance of the season, hinting that the best is yet to come. One never knows what to expect from this team, so no one really knows what they'll do in the playoffs.

9. Washington Redskins (9-6)

Most people know that the Redskins are hot, but their six-game winning streak is still surprising. It shouldn't be: the Redskins feature the NFL's fifth-ranked offense. RGIII has this team capable of winning any game, but it's their running game that does the most work. In a passing league, the Redskins have gone against the grain with great success.

10. Indianapolis Colts (10-5)

The Colts needed their hardest effort to get by the lowly Chiefs. They are never going to blow teams out, but they will be in most games too. Andrew Luck is a winner at quarterback, but they need more talent on both sides of the ball to be among the AFC's elite.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (9-6)

The Cincinnati Bengals have just won one of the biggest games in franchise history by beating the Steelers to seal their second consecutive playoff berth. That win cements this franchise as one of the NFL's bright young teams.

12. Minnesota Vikings (9-6)

Adrian Peterson is still the man, but it was Christian Ponder who led the Vikings to a surprising win over the Texans. They will need a similar, if not better, performance from Ponder to get into the playoffs against the Packers.

13. Chicago Bears (9-6)

Despite their recent fall, the Bears are in good shape for the playoffs. They need the Vikings to lose at Green Bay, while they need to beat the Lions. Jay Cutler needs to improve before the Bears are a serious threat, though.

14. Dallas Cowboys (8-7)

The hot Cowboys fell back to earth after losing to the Saints. They still control their own destiny, but they good look traveling to Washington and beating the red-hot Redskins.

15. New Orleans Saints (7-8)

The Saints are 7-4 since their season opening four-game losing streak. Drew Brees remains one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and this offense has plenty of talent. An offseason of defensive improvements could turn this team into a championship contender.

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

Vanilla but defensively sound, the Rams have plenty of talent but need to fix their 24th-ranked offense. Sam Bradford is just average at quarterback, and Stephen Jackson looks older every day. The pass-rushing duo of Chris Long and Robert Quinn, however, is awesome.

17. New York Giants (8-7)

The Giants almost certainly played themselves out of the postseason with their embarrassing performance in Baltimore. Their defense has been problematic for most of the season, and it was again against the Ravens. Corey Webster was a real weak point.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-8)

Despite having an elite quarterback and a stacked receiving corps, the Steelers struggled to generate offense this season. The lack of running game really hurt this team, and it probably cost them a playoff spot. The feud between Todd Haley and Roethlisberger isn't helping, either. This is a team on the decline.

19. Miami Dolphins (7-8)

Ryan Tannehill quietly has the Dolphins vastly improved from last season. Cameron Wake is the truth at defensive end and should be an All-Pro. This team has talent, but they need to get Tannehill more weapons to be competitive.

20. Carolina Panthers (6-9)

Cam Newton and the Panthers have won three straight and are looking forward to 2013. Newton is the NFL's hottest quarterback, and if he can transfer that momentum to next season, the NFL had better watch out.

21. San Diego Chargers (6-9)

The Chargers steamrolled the Jets with 11 sacks. Their defense is actually ranked 11th in the NFL, and there is definitely room to grow here. A new coach and a fresh start in 2013 will do this team a world of good.

22. Cleveland Browns (5-10)

A solid defense and tough running game have the Browns feeling hopeful for next year, but Brandon Weeden has not proven anything at quarterback. The Browns remain a team in flux, but they are still tough on any given week.

23. Detroit Lions (4-11)

The Lions are not as bad as their record indicates. The Matt Stafford-Calvin Johnson connection is the NFL's strongest, and there is plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, there are plenty of holes on both sides of the ball too, as well as a lack of discipline.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-9)

The Buccaneers are the NFL's most disappointing team. After starting out so promising, they've lost five straight, and many in embarrassing fashion. Doug Martin and Vincent Jackson are bright spots, but their defense is abysmal.

25. Philadelphia Eagles (4-11)

Michael Vick might be starting for the Eagles on Sunday. The Nick Foles experiment is on hold thanks to a hand injury. Now, without a quarterback's job to play for, the Eagles will probably just roll over this week.

26. Buffalo Bills (5-10)

Ryan Fitzpatrick is the problem in Buffalo. They will go quarterback early in this draft, and he will have plenty of weapons in Stevie Johnson and C.J. Spiller. This is a team with hope.

27. New York Jets (6-9)

The Jets, on the other hand, have no hope. Mark Sanchez's salary puts the Jets in a bind at quarterback. At least their defense will be even better next year with Darrelle Revis returning.

28. Arizona Cardinals (5-10)

No team has ever needed a quarterback more than the Cardinals. Ryan Lindley and John Skelton are embarrassingly bad, while Kevin Kolb can't stay healthy. At least the defense is strong.

29. Tennessee Titans (5-10)

After getting blown out by the Packers, the Titans have proven beyond a doubt that their pass defense will keep them from being even average for the foreseeable future.

30. Oakland Raiders (4-11)

The Raiders have no discipline, no quarterback and little talent on both sides of the ball. Enough said.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-13)

Looks like the Jaguars are going to go after Tebow. That should be entertaining, even if it won't promise results. This team has too many needs aside from quarterback.

32. Kansas City Chiefs (2-13)

The Chiefs have talent, but they look rudderless without a quarterback. They should get one of the top picks in the draft, guaranteeing that they will have a new quarterback in 2013.