NFL Power Rankings: Final Examination of Entire League Ahead of Week 14

It's December in the NFL, and that means you can toss aside all previous power rankings. This is the one that really matters. It doesn't have the Kansas City Chiefs at the top, and it tells you who will be in the playoffs and who should be demoted to the Arena League.

Here are the full power rankings heading into NFL Week 14. 

1. Seattle Seahawks (11-1)

The Seahawks looked like antimatter on Monday night as they annihilated the small matter of the New Orleans Saints at CenturyLink Field. They are the first team to clinch a playoff spot, and their quality on both sides of the ball makes them a clear choice for the top of the power rankings. 

2. Denver Broncos (10-2)

The Broncos have scored 464 points this year, 124 more than the next closest team (Hint: No. 1 in the rankings), which is the equivalent of 18 touchdowns. Peyton Manning needs 10 touchdowns to break Tom Brady's record and 1,352 yards to beat Drew Brees' single-season mark for passing yards. Though their pass defense ranks 29th, the Broncos have the greatest regular-season quarterback of all time running the offense. 

3. New England Patriots (9-3)

As Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way," and the Patriots are similar. After struggling with a lack of playmakers early in the season and enduring the loss of key guys on defense, the Patriots are ticking right along at the top of the AFC East. They are the San Antonio Spurs of the NFL; they are good year after year, and just when you think they've gotten too old, they remind you that they're one of the best in the league yet again. 

4. New Orleans Saints (9-3)

The Saints got destroyed in Seattle, but they know a thing or two about home-field advantage, going 6-0 at the Superdome so far this year. The defense has played better under coordinator Rob Ryan, and Drew Brees is having another fantastic season.

5. Carolina Panthers (9-3)

The Panthers are the hottest team in the NFL, having won eight straight. Their defense has been fearsome, and Cam Newton appears to have shaken off the ennui that plagued him last season. Carolina gets two meetings with the Saints in the last four weeks, and we will learn a lot about this team from those games. 

6. San Francisco 49ers (8-4)

The 49ers have been dreadful when throwing the ball this year, ranking 31st in passing yards, but their defense has been stingy as usual. The NFC West has been tough this year, but San Francisco will still snag the Wild Card. 

7. Cincinnati Bengals (8-4)

The Bengals have won eight of their last 11 games, and two of those losses came in overtime. They do everything pretty well, as their defense ranks eighth against both the run and the pass. A.J. Green is one of the league's finest receivers, and the backfield duo of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Giovani Bernard can wear down a defense. They are headed for just their third division title since 1990.

8. Arizona Cardinals (7-5)

It's unfortunate for the Arizona Cardinals that they're no longer in the NFC East, as four of their five losses have come against tough divisional opponents from the NFC West. The Cards have preyed on the run, ranking fourth in the league. And after quarterback Carson Palmer snapped his streak of five games with at least two interceptions, the Cardinals have won four straight games, and he has had multiple touchdown passes in every game since.

9. Kansas City Chiefs (9-3)

Remember when the Chiefs were the league's only unbeaten team? Well, they've lost three straight. Remember when the Chiefs had a terrifying defense that held every opponent under 18 points through nine games? Well, they've coughed up 76 points in the last two weeks. They enjoyed a schedule softer than a baby's behind and will probably end the season as one of the weakest 11-win teams in memory. 

10. Indianapolis Colts (8-4)

In four November games, the Colts were outscored by a cumulative total of 93-12 in the first half. While I agree that's it's more fun to watch a team play from behind, that's taking it too far. Thanks to the poor AFC South, Indy is running away with the division, but it has the worst point differential of any division leader at plus-11, which is indicative of its inconsistent defense. 

11. Detroit Lions (7-5)

The Lions are led by Calvin Johnson, who may very well be a robot in disguise. His potent pairing with Matthew Stafford is well-known, but the Lions have also played great defense this season. They have yielded only 82.7 yards on the ground per game, which is good for third in the league. They also average an interception per game. If they could stop turning the ball over, they'd be in business.

12. Miami Dolphins (6-6)

The Dolphins were just 3-4 entering Halloween, but they have looked strong lately on the back of their ninth-ranked passing defense. They nipped the Bengals in overtime and hung tough with the Panthers in Week 12. Though they have flown under the radar, the Fins have a good path to the postseason ahead of them.

13. Baltimore Ravens (6-6)

Who are you, and what have you done with the Super Bowl champions? Behind Ray Rice, Baltimore ranks 30th in rushing, and Joe Flacco has used his big new contract to throw 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The Ravens can still make the playoffs, but their 1-5 record on the road won't help their cause. At least they have a strong rush defense, which has given up only two scores on the ground all season. 

14. Dallas Cowboys (7-5)

Tony Romo has been good this year, but very few other Cowboys can say that. The defense has been rotten, ranking 31st against the pass and 27th against the run. However, of their five losses, three of them came against the Broncos, Chiefs and Lions by a grand total of five points, and another one came in New Orleans. They haven't been impressive, but they are poised to take the NFC East. 

15. Philadelphia Eagles (7-5)

Philly has been led by the shocking proficiency of quarterback Nick Foles, who has been preposterously efficient with 19 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Unfortunately, the passing defense is the worst in the league, so the Eagles walk into a shootout every week. 

16. Tennessee Titans (5-7)

The Titans are like the heads on Easter Island; they are a total mystery. Their stout pass defense has kept them in plenty of games, and they had the misfortune of playing the NFC West this season. But they also managed to lose to the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, two of the league's worst teams.

17. St. Louis Rams (5-7)

In an odd turn of event, Sam Bradford went down, and the Rams have not looked much worse for it. They spanked the Colts in Indy 38-8 and doubled up the Bears 42-21. Tavon Austin has shown the electric potential that they drafted him for, and St. Louis could be in for a strong season next year. Too bad the Rams play in a division with the Seahawks and Niners.

18. Chicago Bears (6-6)

You would have thought that the big issue for the Bears was losing Jay Cutler to a groin injury. Actually, the bigger problem is their defense. They are the worst team in the league at defending the run and have allowed an opposing runner to eclipse 100 yards in five straight games. 

19. San Diego Chargers (5-7)

The Chargers can throw the ball with authority, ranking fourth in the league in passing yards. As usual, however, their defense stinks. They are 28th against the pass and 22nd against the run, which explains why they have lost four of their last five.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-7)

The Steelers seem to have figured things out finally, managing to win three of their last four. Unfortunately, they lost six of their first eight games, so they can forget about this season. Franco Harris would not approve of their running game, which ranks 31st.

21. Green Bay Packers (5-6-1)

Wait, what's that third number in Green Bay's record? According to my research department, that means a tie. They have ties in football? This is what happens when you play without Aaron Rodgers. Without him, the Packers stink. On Thanksgiving, the Lions outgained Green Bay by 435 yards, the second-largest margin in total yardage for any game played in the last 10 years, via ESPN. 

22. Buffalo Bills (4-8)

The Bills run the football really well. And that's about it. Rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel has shown increasing efficiency, going for four touchdowns and one pick over the last four games. Buffalo even beat Carolina and Baltimore earlier this season, so it has a reason to be hopeful for 2014.

23. New York Giants (5-7)

The New York Giants are on an absolute tear, winning five of their last six games. Too bad they lost their first six to start the season, giving up 209 points in the process. Jon Beason has been a great addition to the defense and should provide stability to the linebacking corps next season. Impending free agent Hakeem Nicks has not caught a score all season, which leaves him trailing Da'Rel Scott and Louis Murphy Jr. in the TD department. 

24. Oakland Raiders (4-8)

As usual, the Raiders have had no stability. They have seen some good quarterback play and some poor quarterback play, often in the same game. One bright spot is the emergence of running back Rashad Jennings, which is made more significant by Darren McFadden's coming contract negotiations. 

25. Cleveland Browns (4-8)

The Browns looked like a legit playoff team right up until Brian Hoyer injured his knee and was ruled out for the season. There is a lot of reason to feel good about next year, as the Trent Richardson trade seems to have been wise and the defense continues to look strong. Oh, and wide receiver Josh Gordon just became the first to record two straight games with at least 200 yards receiving. As in, the first guy ever in the history of the NFL. 

26. New York Jets (5-7)

With their steaming dung heap of a quarterback situation, the Jets have scored just 189 points all season, second worst in the league. Add that to the persistent failure of rookie cornerback Dee Milliner to live up to the hype, and the once 5-4 Jets are in total free fall.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-9)

Not so long ago, the Bucs were moribund, and people were calling for Greg Schiano's head on a platter. Then they won three straight including a gritty performance in Detroit. Without Doug Martin toting the rock, their offense has been rotten. Schiano could stick around for another season, but it's probably time to make him walk the plank. 

28. Washington Redskins (3-9)

Robert Griffin III and Mike Shanahan have been so busy discussing their franchise with the media that they forgot to win some football games. Griffin has not looked 100 percent all season, and even though Washington runs the ball better than any team in the league, that can't compensate for the porous defense. How bad is it? Look no further than Nov. 7, when Washington gave up 20 unanswered points in the second half to the 1-7 Vikings in a brutal loss. 

29. Minnesota Vikings (3-8-1)

Speaking of the Vikes, you would think this team was tanking for Andrew Wiggins based on its recent decisions. This is a team that saw quarterback Josh Freeman get cut by Tampa Bay and said to itself, "We have to have him. He'll start for us next week!" If Adrian Peterson wasn't in Minny, it might be the worst team in the league. 

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-9)

They were known as the "Baguars" for much of the year, but they have won three of four since their bye week, which also coincides with Justin Blackmon's second suspension of the season. The Jags have played better on defense and kept themselves in games recently. Incredibly, all three of their wins have come on the road, but how much home-field advantage can you have in a stadium that is considering showing the RedZone channel on the big screen?

31. Atlanta Falcons (3-9)

The Falcons went 13-3 last year. I'll let that sink in. They've been unable to run the ball (ranking 29th) and unable to stop the run (30th). After Julio Jones went down, Matt Ryan suddenly looked clueless. While injuries have abounded, there is no explaining the embarrassing season in ATL. 

32. Houston Texans (2-10)

The Texans are not only the worst team in the NFL, they are the most disappointing. Matt Schaub fell off a cliff, and Arian Foster proved once again that he cannot stay healthy. They have lost 10 straight games and suffered the disgrace of Andre Johnson, the greatest player in franchise history, storming off the field with a minute left in their Nov. 17 loss to Oakland. Then they fell to Jacksonville 13-6 the very next week. Alabama and Auburn could both beat this team.