NFL Power Rankings: Breaking Down Every Team Before Week 15 Matchups

Week 14 was a mess. Not just in the sense that teams like the Dallas Cowboys or Carolina Panthers got obliterated in two separate prime-time games, but weather dictated several close games that could have gone either way.

The Cowboys defense is as bad as it looks, and the New Orleans Saints offense is as good as it looks, which explains the opening statement. But with Week 15 just around the corner, some teams dropped out of the playoffs, while the Indianapolis Colts earned a playoff berth thanks in large part to Peyton Manning.

Here are the NFL power rankings ahead of the Week 15 games complete with one Cowboys legend expressing exactly how he feels about their god-awful pass defense.

1. Seattle Seahawks (11-2)

The Seahawks suffered a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 14, but they still appear to be the class of the NFC. Lest we forget, this was the same team that demolished the New Orleans Saints and could play every game in Seattle if it clinches the No. 1 seed.

With Russell Wilson under center, the Seahawks are capable of beating any team in the NFL. As Adam Schefter of ESPN pointed out, Wilson had the highest QBR—a stat that measures everything a quarterback does on the field—in the three weeks leading up to the 49ers game:

2. Denver Broncos (11-2)

Peyton Manning did more than just prove that he can play in the cold weather in Week 14; he threw for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns against a Tennessee Titans team that had only given up eight passing touchdowns on the season.

With three weeks to go, the Broncos will try to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC as they face the Chargers, Texans and Raiders. For anyone questioning Manning now, CBS Sports' Eye On Football tweeted what he thought of those critics:

Don't doubt Denver.

3. New Orleans Saints (10-3)

Want to know how important the battle for home-field advantage might be in the NFC? Consider this: The Saints have gone 7-0 at home this season and beaten opponents by a total of 122 points, including a thorough destruction of the Cardinals, Panthers and Cowboys. The Seahawks have gone 6-0 at home and won by a total of 113 points, including victories over the 49ers and Saints.

The Saints are one of the best teams in the NFL at home, but they will have to prove themselves on the road in two of their last three games to overtake the Seahawks for that elusive home-field advantage.

4. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)

The 49ers finally exacted some revenge on the Seahawks for that lopsided loss in Week 2, and they did so with great defensive football. They are a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl, but, like others in the NFC, they'll likely need to go through Seattle to reach it.

While they would have a shot at winning other divisions in the NFC, San Francisco is in the same division as the Seahawks and will likely have to settle for a Wild Card. But the 49ers could very well be yet another Wild Card team like the 2011 Giants or 2012 Ravens to make that tough trek back to the Super Bowl.

5. New England Patriots (10-3)

The Patriots continue to live on the edge with yet another late come-from-behind victory over the Cleveland Browns. But it came at a high cost. New England lost one of its biggest threats in Rob Gronkowski for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL and MCL.

Without Gronkowski, Brady will once again have to look to smaller receivers like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola until young players like Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins are cleared to play again.

6. Carolina Panthers (9-4)

In one of the biggest games of the season for the Panthers, they completely flopped. New Orleans eviscerated a Carolina defense that came in as one of the best in the league in a game that was actually not as close as the final score of 31-13 made it appear.

The Panthers have proven all year that they can make a playoff run, but what they proved in Week 14 is that they are not ready to overtake the Saints and win the NFC South. Yet.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (9-4)

Andy Dalton returned to form against the Indianapolis Colts, going 24-of-35 for 275 yards and four total touchdowns. As they have all year, the Bengals will go just as far as the former TCU quarterback can take them. And for now, it looks like he's taking them to an AFC North crown, which ain't half bad.

As Will Brinson of CBS Sports pointed out, the Bengals will continue to have success the rest of the season as long as Dalton continues his own personal success:

8. Kansas City Chiefs (10-3)

Earlier in the season, the Chiefs were considered the worst 9-0 team in NFL history. Now, three losses later, the Chiefs appear to have proven those critics wrong. After ruining the Redskins, one of the worst teams in the NFL, the defense still looks like one that could make a run in the playoffs.

With the win, Andy Reid swept his former division in the NFC East handily by outscoring the teams by a combined 119-49.

Kansas City is certainly still one of the best teams in the NFL, but it will need to prove itself in the playoffs against teams with winning records like the Broncos.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (8-5)

The Eagles are 5-0 since Nick Foles started against the Oakland Raiders. Though he threw his first interception of the season in unfavorable conditions—to say the very least—Foles has continued to impress and now has 20 touchdowns to just the one interception.

If the Eagles can continue their success and stay ahead of the Dallas Cowboys, they could very well at least make it to the divisional round of the playoffs in Chip Kelly's first season.

10. Indianapolis Colts (8-5)

Without Reggie Wayne, the Colts and Andrew Luck continue to look like a team that needs some favorable matchups in order to advance in the playoffs.

But the positive here is that Indy still has three games to correct what is wrong with the offense.

The issues are hardly Andrew Luck's fault; the team has underperformed at best. But thankfully, the Colts have clinched the AFC South thanks to help from—Peyton Manning? The Broncos defeated the Titans and earned the Colts a playoff spot, as NFL Memes pointed out:

11. Arizona Cardinals (8-5)

The Cardinals, much like the Eagles, continue an upward trend toward the playoffs. The only problem is that they are in the same division with the 49ers and Seahawks, who might just be the No. 1 and 3 teams in the NFC this season.

With the emergence of receiver Michael Floyd and the resurgence of Carson Palmer, this team could surprise a few teams if they make it to the playoffs. But they'll have to get there first.

12. Baltimore Ravens (7-6)

The defending Super Bowl champions are once again looking like a clutch team. Joe Flacco was spectacular late and Marlon Brown proved that he is still a rookie to watch for this year.

Another point about this game that has some importance is that the Ravens can play well in even some of the worst conditions—something they might have to do if they return to the Super Bowl in New York.

13. Chicago Bears (7-6)

In the fourth-coldest game ever played in Chicago, the offense was on fire against a porous Cowboys defense. Not to take anything away from Josh McCown or the Bears' plethora of receivers, but everyone has done that to the Cowboys this season.

With a receiving corps that includes Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, the Bears are a playoff team with a backup quarterback. If Jay Cutler can come back and play even better than McCown—which seems like a reasonable expectation—the Bears could win the NFC North.

14. Detroit Lions (7-6)

A usually stingy rushing defense fell victim to LeSean McCoy and lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in disappointing fashion. But as someone who actually watched this game, I'm giving the Lions a pass on account of the fact that it was hard for viewers at home even to see the football being snapped.

Matthew Stafford likely won't have another game like he did in Week 14, but if the Lions want to make the playoffs, they will have to improve in the turnover department.

15. Green Bay Packers (6-6-1)

The fact that this Packers team has stayed in the NFC North division race without Aaron Rodgers behind center can be looked at one of two ways: Either this teams is still immensely talented at several positions, or the other teams in the division haven't been that great.

That question will likely be answered throughout the last remaining games, but for now the Packers are still in playoff contention and could win the North division.

For now, Mike McCarthy is making game plans for Matt Flynn leading up to Week 15, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

16. Miami Dolphins (7-6)

Miami proved much more than the fact that it's a good team with a Week 14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It also proved that no matter what the conditions, Miami can play with nearly any team.

The Dolphins still have a tough hill to climb in order to play in the cold weather of January. But thanks to the emergence of Ryan Tannehill and the tandem of Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller, Miami still has a good chance of not only a winning record, but a playoff berth.

17. San Diego Chargers (6-7)

The once-hapless Chargers are yet again climbing their way back to playoff contention thanks to great play from quarterback Philip Rivers. And to top it all off, they beat Eli Manning and the New York Giants at home to get some revenge against the quarterback who shunned them many years ago.

In order to prove they are ready for the playoffs and could be a serious contender to take the No. 6 spot from the Ravens, San Diego will need to somehow beat the Denver Broncos on a short week.

Do that, and San Diego continues an upward trend that could have it playing in January.

18. Dallas Cowboys (7-6)

The Cowboys' December woes have been talked about by nearly every media outlet in the county. On Monday night, those woes continued against a backup quarterback as the Bears decimated the Cowboys' passing defense.

As for Emmitt Smith's thoughts on this defense, let's just say he wasn't too thrilled:

19. New York Jets (6-7)

Much like the Chargers and the Dolphins, the Jets are still in the playoff hunt as a potential Wild Card team. The only issue is that they have a tough road with a trip to Carolina this weekend and another meeting with the Dolphins at the end of the season.

The Jets are still a potential playoff team, but they are dependent on the success of rookie Geno Smith. Luckily for them, Smith had another good day against the Raiders to get a win in Week 14:

20. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-8)

The Steelers are still grasping to a slim chance that they can make the playoffs, but with the likelihood of an 8-8 season out the window, this team is just not very good.

Pittsburgh is not the best team in the AFC North anymore and really not even the second-best. Looking up at teams like the Bengals and Ravens, the Steelers have some regrouping to do when this dreadful season finally comes to an end.

21. New York Giants (5-8)

This year's Giants team has gone through some high highs and some low lows. While the highs were prevalent for a while, the lows have most definitely returned with losses to the Cowboys and Chargers in two of the last three weeks.

The Giants are officially out of the playoff race and will likely be focusing on the future for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, it looked as if they had already began looking ahead to next year midway through the Chargers game.

Now they get the Seahawks.

22. Tennessee Titans (5-8)

The Titans really only do two things well: run the ball and stop the pass. They did neither well against the Broncos and lost their eighth game of the year as Manning threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns.

If the Titans want to continue clinging to their slim playoff hopes, they will need to beat a very good Cardinals team that can also throw the ball and play great rush defense. Not exactly the matchup they needed.

23. St. Louis Rams (5-8)

The Rams are likely looking to the draft at this point with no chance at the playoffs. The good thing is that they have two high draft choices and have found some pieces that will help them in the seasons to come.

With Zac Stacy and a defense that can compete in the strong NFC West, this looks like a team that might not be too far off from being competitive in the future.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-9)

As gloomy as the season looked early on for the Buccaneers, the once 0-8 team has now rattled off four of its last five games and seems to be much-improved.

The only problem is that it came a little too late.

In a division with the Panthers, Saints and Falcons, the Bucs will still need to get better in order to make it to the playoffs anytime in the future. But with Mike Glennon, Vincent Jackson and a stable of running backs that appears to go three-deep, Tampa has a lot to work with for the future.

25. Minnesota Vikings (3-9-1)

Unlike the Buccaneers, the Vikings don't appear to have a lot to work with in the future. But the one exception might be a budding star in Cordarrelle Patterson. The receiver led a huge fourth-quarter offensive show and looks like a great young talent.

Peterson looks like he wants to start, but he likely won't in Week 15, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network:

The biggest issues for this team are that none of the quarterback options look appetizing and Adrian Peterson's injury raises questions about his durability moving forward. Hopefully Peterson can recover and continue his success, but the Vikings are unable to recover their season at this point.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9)

They are basically a mirror-image in terms of success to the Buccaneers, but with similar issues to the Vikings. Maurice Jones-Drew has been successful of late, but the aging back doesn't look like a long-term option moving forward for the Jaguars.

For now, Jones-Drew will also start in Week 15, according to Pro Football Talk:

The Jags' main needs are both behind the line of scrimmage, as they don't have either a quarterback or running back for the future. But with Gus Bradley at the helm and a team that has been winning lately, Jacksonville is far from the worst team in the NFL this year.

27. Cleveland Browns (4-9)

In Week 14, the Browns came as close as a team can possibly come to beating the Patriots, but they just weren't able to make plays down the stretch on special teams and defense to pull out the win.

The Browns have one of the best wide receivers in the league with Josh Gordon, a good defense and two first-round picks in the upcoming draft to fill needs. If they play their cards wisely, the Browns might be fast risers in the NFC North and could see success similar to the Bengals in the next few seasons.

28. Buffalo Bills (4-9)

After getting destroyed by the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, the Bills will have to return to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. C.J. Spiller hasn't played up to expectations and Fred Jackson, while surprising this season, doesn't exactly look like the future for Buffalo.

With rookies all over the place making differences in their games like EJ Manuel, Kiko Alonso and Robert Woods, the Bills look the part. If they continue trending upward with young players, the Bills might be able to win a few more games.

But with no playoff hopes, the team will spend the remainder of the year seeing what some of the young playmakers can do.

29. Oakland Raiders (4-9)

Stop me if you've heard this before: The Raiders simply aren't very good.

With players like Rashad Jennings and Marcel Reece putting up huge numbers at the end of the season, Darren McFadden's seat continues to look hotter and hotter.

The Raiders have been killed by injuries this season, but they have a team full of backups who are all trying to prove themselves.

30. Atlanta Falcons (3-10)

There are good and bad surprise teams. The Falcons are one of the surprise bad teams. Without Julio Jones and Roddy White for much of the season, Atlanta looked like it was a college team playing against the pros.

But with a roster that will include a now-healthy White, Matt Ryan and Jones returning next season, the Falcons should be expected to turn things around next year.

31. Washington Redskins (3-10)

Let's be honest, the only team bailing out the Redskins this year is the absolute flop of a season the Houston Texans are having. Washington looks like it will have a new coach next year, according to Jarrett Bell of USA Today, and could shut down Robert Griffin III for the rest of the season.

Not exactly the season Redskins fans were hoping for.

32. Houston Texans (2-11)

Losers of 11 straight games, fired their head coach and no clue who will should start under center in Week 15. That basically sums up the Texans.

The only glimmer of hope is that Houston has an immensely talented team, though it has underachieved this season. Oh, and the Texans could be looking at the No. 1 pick if their blunders continue.