NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Latest Outlook and 2014-15 Super Bowl Odds

Week 12 is nearly history, but there are still 29 teams in contention for the playoffs at this late point in the season. It's a testament to the competitiveness of the league, although the number is bolstered by an incredibly tough division (AFC North) and an incredibly drab division (the NFC South).

Few things are more compelling than the NFL stretch run. As fall slowly fades into winter, we see more and more games affected by weather, rivalry games take on even greater proportions and fans wait to see if the league's perennial powerhouses finally meet their demise.

Sunday was certainly restorative for last year's Super Bowl participants. The Seahawks bested the Arizona Cardinals, who came into the game with the best record in the NFL. Over in the AFC, the Denver Broncos completed a wild 39-36 come-from-behind win over the Miami Dolphins to shake off a staggering loss to the St. Louis Rams in Week 11.

Here are the latest power rankings heading into Monday night of Week 12, along with every contending team's updated Super Bowl odds.

AFC		NFC
Team	Odds	Team	Odds
Baltimore Ravens	40/1	Arizona Cardinals	10/1
Buffalo Bills	250/1	Atlanta Falcons	50/1
Cincinnati Bengals	40/1	Carolina Panthers	500/1
Cleveland Browns	100/1	Chicago Bears	150/1
Denver Broncos	9/2	Dallas Cowboys	16/1
Houston Texans	100/1	Detroit Lions	25/1
Indianapolis Colts	18/1	Green Bay Packers	9/2
Kansas City Chiefs	25/1	Minnesota Vikings	300/1
Miami Dolphins	50/1	New Orleans Saints	40/1
New England Patriots	15/4	New York Giants	750/1
New York Jets	2000/1	Philadelphia Eagles	22/1
Pittsburgh Steelers	28/1	San Francisco 49ers	16/1
San Diego Chargers	28/1	Seattle Seahawks	500/1
		St. Louis Rams	2000/1
		Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1000/1
		Washington Redskins	1000/1

Note: Jacksonville, Oakland and Tennessee have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Week 13 NFL Power Rankings

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10)

This team has no idea how to put half a game together, let alone a complete one. Blake Bortles see-saws between passable play and abject horror. Denard Robinson actually looks like a legitimate NFL back, but the team might do well to add a power back in the offseason to give the offense a bit more flavor. 

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-9)

Lovie Smith's team continues to play hard, but they just don't have much talent to speak of. Mike Evans is a sensational rookie wideout, but the rest of the offense just isn't up to par, save for Vincent Jackson. The defense has stopped bleeding points at an alarming rate, but the offense has put up 17 points or fewer in five of the team's last six games.

32. Oakland Raiders (1-10)

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Ahh, there it is. The Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20 on a choppy field at the Oakland Coliseum for their first win of the season. They've come close a few times this season, and it's nice to see them finally get over the hump and end a 16-game losing streak dating back to 2013.

Of course, Sio Moore and rookie Khalil Mack almost sabotaged the win with a ridiculously overwrought sack celebration roughly 15 yards offsides that could've saved the Chiefs' late drive had Justin Tuck not called a timeout before Alex Smith snapped the ball. Fortunately, they held on.

One win is one win, but it's more than can be said for the hapless Jags this week.

29. Tennessee Titans (2-9)

Coming into the 2014 season, one could've looked at the Titans running back corps and seen plenty of potential with three seemingly complementary backs. Pass-catching from Dexter McCluster, power from Shonn Greene and speed from Bishop Sankey.

Unfortunately, things haven't quite come together. Sankey is a rookie and looks tentative at times, Greene is averaging 3.9 yards per carry with one score and McCluster has just 17 catches on the year. In 2015, they might be better off finding which back is capable of taking more of a lead role.

28. New York Jets (2-8)

Head coach Rex Ryan is convinced the Jets are a better team after a much-needed bye week, which followed a 20-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Via Brian Costello of the New York Post:

"

We do a better job of communicating in the back end, much better in the red zone and it starts with communication down there. We’re a better tackling team than we showed. And then obviously, we have to take care of the football a heck of a lot better and we will. Again, we know what it looked like the last time we played them and we got destroyed by them. So, we’ll see if that’s the same team this week.

"

They will hardly have a better opportunity to tack on another win this season than a Buffalo Bills team that had to flee several feet of snow and take this show to Detroit.

27. Washington Redskins (3-8)

It was a tumultuous week for Robert Griffin III in our nation's capital, which culminated in a poor 106-yard effort against the San Francisco 49ers. A Redskins without RG3 is starting to look like a distinct possibility considering his poor play, but to whom this team could eventually turn remains a mystery, as neither Kirk Cousins nor Colt McCoy look like viable long-term options.

26. New York Giants (3-8)

First things first: Here is a look at that otherworldly catch from rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. aka Human Stickum, via NFL.com:

Everyone will remember the catch; few will remember that it came in the Giants' sixth-consecutive loss or Beckham's ridiculous stat line for the game (10 catches, 146 yards, two touchdowns). Numbers—and truthfully, words—are rendered immaterial in the presence of such an awesome display of athleticism. It's why they play and why we watch.

25. Carolina Panthers (3-7-1)

The Carolina Panthers had the week off and could actually be in store for an improbable playoff run should a few things break their way. The Panthers' five remaining opponents have a combined record of 21-33, and three of those contests come against NFC South opponents.

24. Atlanta Falcons (4-7)

The Falcons had a golden chance to make headway in the NFC South playoff race, but a last-second Cleveland Browns field goal did them in at home. The team's porous run defense did them in again, as they gave up 162 total rushing yards to the Browns.

Roddy White and Julio Jones are starting to look like a dynamic duo once again, combining for 14 catches in Week 12, but it's tough to see this offense keeping up with the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, two of their upcoming opponents.

23. Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

Teddy Bridgewater's rookie struggles continued in Week 12, although he finished with a respectable final stat line. The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre documented his poor start to the loss against the Green Bay Packers:

Bridgewater does at least seem to get better as the game goes and keep his composure in close contests. He boasts an 87.6 quarterback rating in the fourth quarter, per ESPN.com, which bodes well for his future. Surround him with a couple of weapons—paging Cordarrelle Patterson—and a decent offensive line, and he could flourish.

22. St. Louis Rams (4-7)

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

The Rams came oh-so-close to scalping yet another winning team this season, putting up a fine effort in a 27-24 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Unfortunately, a few questionable calls went against the Rams, and Shaun Hill threw a game-sealing interception at the goal line to safety Marcus Gilchrist with just over a minute to go in the contest. 

This team has put together a respectable season despite losing Sam Bradford in August and getting very little production from running back Zac Stacy, the nominal starter at the beginning of the year. Perhaps things will finally turn around for this franchise in 2015.

21. New Orleans Saints (4-6)

The Saints put up just 10 points at home against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. The last time they put up so few points in the Superdome? Dec. 17, 2006, a 16-10 loss to the Washington Redskins. They take on the bullying Baltimore Ravens defense on Monday night and will have to hope the Week 11 flop was just a blip on the radar and not a sign of the offense's demise.

20. Chicago Bears (5-6)

The Bears won again in Week 12 despite a poor performance from Jay Cutler, who averaged a measly 4.8 yards per attempt against the Buccaneers. Matt Forte was excellent and the defense put together another solid performance (albeit against a poor offense), forcing four turnovers and registering five sacks. 

Things are looking up in Chicago, but don't count on this team to pip either the Detroit Lions or the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North this year.

19. Buffalo Bills (5-5)

The .500 Bills are on their last playoff legs, and moving the entire operation to Detroit for a must-win game against the Jets can't be easy on a team that missed two days of practice this week to inclement weather. The Bills will hope Kyle Orton can put up similar numbers to what he had in Week 8 against the Jets, when he threw for four touchdowns without an interception.

18. Houston Texans (5-6)

Week 2 of the Ryan Mallett era was much less fun for Texans fans than the first. Mallett completed just 21 of 45 passes for 189 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. To be fair, he was playing with a right pectoral injury, per ESPN.com's Tania Ganguli.

The Texans couldn't do much of anything against the stout Bengals defense and will be hoping that Jadeveon Clowney can start playing full-throttle soon and add another layer to a resolute defense, led, of course, by the imperial J.J. Watt.

17. San Diego Chargers (7-4)

The Chargers got a solid defensive effort in their slim victory over the Rams, but with Philip Rivers playing below his peak capabilities, it could be the last time this team gets a win this season.

Their final five games go like this: at Baltimore, home against the Patriots and Broncos, and then at San Francisco and at Kansas City to wrap up the regular season. If they can somehow win three of those contests, this team should make the playoffs. But don't count on it.

16. Miami Dolphins (6-5)

The Dolphins held tough against a resurgent Denver Broncos offense but came up just short in a 39-36 loss. It was heartening to see Ryan Tannehill go toe-to-toe with Peyton Manning and look within his element. He completed 26 of 36 passes for 228 yards, three scores and one interception. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport gave credit to the offensive coordinator for Tannehill's play this year:

They're now trailing in the AFC wild-card race, but they still have a solid chance with two games against the lowly Jets left on the slate. This final stretch is a fine opportunity for Tannehill to cement his place as one of the better quarterbacks in the league and lead the Fins into the playoffs.

15. Cleveland Browns (7-4)

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Brian Hoyer threw three interceptions and yet the Browns still came up with a last-second victory on a field goal against the Falcons. You heard that right: A Cleveland team avoided disaster this week.

It was a crucial victory in an ultra-tight AFC North title race. The Browns can breathe a collective sigh of relief, although Hoyer still has plenty to think about.

"It's great to win but I'm really disappointed in myself," he said via Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. "I feel like I let the team down even though we won. That's not how I play. Obviously it's great to get a win and be 7-4, but I have to do a better job."

Having Josh Gordon back in the fold should be an immense help to the signal-caller down the stretch.

14. Baltimore Ravens (6-4)

The Baltimore Ravens are in danger of falling behind in the AFC North race with a Monday night game on the road against a desperate Saints squad. If the Saints offense wakes up at home, Baltimore is in danger of getting left behind. Joe Flacco has struggled as of late, and the team lacks explosiveness in the rushing game.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4)

Of the four teams in the running for the AFC North title—you know, all of them—the Steelers might be in the best position and really are in control of their own destiny. They got what turned out to be a nice break with a Week 12 bye and face the Saints, Falcons, Chiefs and Bengals twice to close out the regular season.

Those two Cincy clashes could very well decide the division, but both teams will be keeping an eye on what the Ravens and Browns do every single week. This could be one of the most exciting, wide-open division races in quite some time.

12. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)

It's tough to peg a team that has notched some brilliant wins this season and yet has such glaring weaknesses. Alex Smith has been truly mediocre this season, and the receiving corps still has yet to record a touchdown on the year through the air.

Luckily, the Chargers are wobbly and the Chiefs still have a game on the Dolphins. The biggest threat to their playoff run will almost assuredly come from a team in the AFC North logjam.

11. Detroit Lions (7-4)

Matthew Stafford, Joique Bell, Golden Tate and Calvin Johnson all on the field together, all coming together to put up just nine points against an admittedly dominant Patriots squad. 

The defense will recover from the shellacking, but who knows when Stafford will emerge from this mega-slump? He completed just 18 of 46 passes on the day, although those completions did go for 264 yards. It's still an unsustainable rate of completions for a team with playoff aspirations. If Stafford can't get it together, this team looks destined to stumble to a No. 6 seed in the NFC.

10. San Francisco 49ers (7-4)

The 49ers barely eked out a win over the Redskins in Week 12, but it was their third victory in a row and has them set up nicely for the home stretch. Anquan Boldin has come alive in the past few weeks and put up 137 receiving yards and one touchdown against the 'Skins. He also did a nice role reversal and demolished safety Ryan Clark on a play, via Vice Sports:

Look for this veteran wideout to lead this team over the final five games of the season.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (7-3-1)

Andy Dalton has been pretty much impossible to figure out this season, but he turned in what is pretty much a baseline performance in a win over the Texans on Sunday. His 233 yards, one touchdown and one pick is enough for this team to win most weeks, especially when Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard are both running at their best.

8. Seattle Seahawks (7-4)

The Seahawks defense recaptured its 2013 form in Week 12, and it only took a game against quarterback Drew Stanton to do so. They held the Cardinals to three points while picking up three sacks and five tackles for loss in the game.

Russell Wilson continues to do everything and more for this team. The Cards sacked him seven times, and yet he finished with a 121.6 quarterback rating and carried the ball 10 times for 73 yards.

7. Indianapolis Colts (7-4)

The Colts offense wasn't at its sharpest against the Jaguars, but this Andrew Luck-led squad is still the best of the 7-4 NFL teams, mainly due to the presence of the the signal-caller. His rocket arm and ability to extend drives—Indy was 9-of-17 on third down against the Jags—will keep this team in the game against any team, good or bad.

6. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The defense wasn't up to par against the Giants—forgive them, Beckham Jr. was busy bending space and time, and it can be tough to play the pass when general relativity is being distorted—but the offense was superlative, especially Tony Romo.

The beleaguered quarterback threw four touchdown passes, including the game-winning score to Dez Bryant with just over a minute to go in the game. DeMarco Murray came through as he has all season and pounded out another 121 yards on the ground.

The 'Boys play the Eagles in Weeks 13 and 15, a scheduling quirk that virtually guarantees two high-scoring, blockbuster games with huge playoff implications in the next three weeks. Happy holidays, everyone.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3)

Chip Kelly's offense can really do wonders for a quarterback's career numbers. Just ask Mark Sanchez and ESPN Stats & Info:

LeSean McCoy had one of his finest efforts of the season, rushing for 130 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries.

The defense is still soft up the middle, but the offense is a well-oiled machine and should be able to mask those deficiencies as the Eagles battle the Cowboys for NFC East supremacy.

4. Arizona Cardinals (9-2)

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

Finally, the Cardinals ran into another strong defensive team and couldn't overcome the subpar stylings of Stanton, who threw for just 149 yards and one pick against the Seahawks. He is the pin in the grenade right now, and he looks wobbly. There is still enough talent for this team to hold off the Seahawks and 49ers and win the NFC West crown, but it's tough to see them making a deep playoff run unless Stanton picks things up.

3. Denver Broncos (8-3)

These Broncos offensive players know how to cover for each other when the chips are seemingly down. No Julius Thomas at tight end? That's cool. Wideout Demaryius Thomas picked up the slack and scored three touchdowns against the Dolphins in Week 12.

No need for Montee Ball or Ronnie Hillman when you have C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 167 yards in the game.

Peyton Manning is the just the man pulling the strings and making sure everything runs smoothly. It's a much-needed bounce-back win for the Broncos after somehow losing to the Rams in Week 11.

2. Green Bay Packers (8-3)

The Packers almost let one get away against the Vikings in Week 12, but this team is just too talented to drop trap games like that.

Aaron Rodgers had a bit of a down week, throwing for just 209 yards against a stout pass defense, but he just isn't making many mistakes right now and can rely on Eddie Lacy to rumble his way for big gains every once in a while.

1. New England Patriots (9-2)

The Lions hadn't given up more than 24 points in a game all season, but Tom Brady and the Patriots hung 34 on them. No Jonas Gray required.

Bill Belichick, king of the reclamation project, picked up his old buddy LeGarrette Blount and let him have a stab at the lead-back role. Blount, who began the season with the Steelers, rewarded the hooded master with 12 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns. 

Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski combined for 25 receptions and 265 receiving yards, but Brady's two touchdown passes went to the other tight end, Tim Wright.

That's how good the Pats are right now. They can win easily and simultaneously troll thousands of desperate fantasy football owners by hitting relatively obscure players for touchdowns and leaving out a running back (Gray) who scored four touchdowns in Week 11.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com and updated as of Sunday, Nov. 22.