NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Latest 2014 Standings and Reaction for All 32 Teams

With only five weeks remaining in the regular season, it's astonishing how many teams remain in playoff contention. Only a handful of franchises are already looking ahead to the 2015 NFL draft and assessing the possibility of nabbing Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota. The rest are still jockeying for position.

Only 12 NFL teams will be entering the postseason, and the 20 others will be watching those squads from the comfort of their couches like the rest of us. So, which teams are most likely to get a shot at the playoffs this year? It sure sounds like a new round of power rankings are in order.

Taking into consideration the most recent trends, injuries and, to a degree, overall records, here's a look at the league's updated hierarchy.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10)

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The Jaguars just can't get out of their own way. The Indianapolis Colts tried time and time again to keep Jacksonville in the game, fumbling six times in Week 12, but Andrew Luck and Co. still managed to win by a 20-point margin. That's some bad football, Jacksonville.

31. New York Jets (2-9)

How did the Jets manage to win two games this year? This team was dreadful across the board Monday night against the Buffalo Bills. Mishaps on offense, defense and special teams led to a 38-3 blowout loss. Even Percy Harvin is struggling on this offense, totaling two whole yards of offense in Week 12.

30. Oakland Raiders (1-10)

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Watch out, here come the Raiders. Well, not really, but they did manage to generate their first win of the season on Thursday. Derek Carr continues to improve, and Latavius Murray was a revelation out of the backfield. Would a second win be too much to ask?

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-9)

The Chicago Bears have a pretty bad defense, but the Buccaneers only managed 13 points. Josh McCown continued his erratic play, and this team continues to be without any kind of a running game. Tampa Bay's talented wide receivers desperately need a capable signal-caller.

28. Washington Redskins (3-8)

Robert Griffin III put together another forgettable performance, passing for just 106 yards against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday. Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated tweeted his hilarious, and accurate, take on the quarterback's performance:

He doesn't appear to be the long-term answer under center this team originally expected him to be. But can Washington afford to cut ties with the embattled quarterback?

27. Tennessee Titans (2-9)

The good news is Zach Mettenberger continues to show progress each and every week. He eclipsed the 300-yard mark for the first time in his career Sunday, hitting seven different receivers in the process. The bad news is that just about every other facet of this team isn't very good at all.

26. Carolina Panthers (3-7-1)

The Panthers had a much-needed bye in Week 12, and hopefully the rest allowed quarterback Cam Newton to heal and regain his form. He's looked awful lately, and his lackluster play has resulted in five consecutive losses. Luckily, due to a terrible NFC South, Carolina isn't out of the playoff picture just yet.

25. New York Giants (3-8)

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Can we just go ahead and talk about how amazing Odell Beckham Jr.'s catch was Sunday night? This team doesn't have much going for it right now, but the rookie out of LSU continues to dazzle onlookers. He looks like the real deal and should be compared to the likes of A.J. Green and Julio Jones.

24. Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

Minnesota was impressive in its loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 12. The Vikings defense contained Aaron Rodgers just about as well as any team can, and Teddy Bridgewater continues to show promise at the quarterback position. This team is trending upward.

23. New Orleans Saints (4-7)

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After losing to the Ravens Monday night, that would mark the third consecutive home loss for the Saints. This team doesn't resemble a shadow of a shadow of its former self, as turnovers and mistakes has led to a 4-7 overall record and an embarrassing 3-3 mark in the Dome.

22. Atlanta Falcons (4-7)

Atlanta tried its hardest to give the division away Sunday, but there were no takers. Despite picking off Brian Hoyer three times, the Falcons couldn't generate enough offense to get the win. The offensive line continues to be problematic for this team.

21. St. Louis Rams (4-7)

The Rams kept it close with the Chargers, but Shaun Hill showed why he's nothing more than an average quarterback, and the St. Louis defense is still missing too many pieces to keep this team in contention on a regular basis.

20. Houston Texans (5-6)

Ryan Mallett got through the entire game Sunday, but that cost him his season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

While the Texans are still technically in the playoff race, switching quarterbacks at this point of the season can be devastating. Don't expect to see any postseason action in Houston.

19. Chicago Bears (5-6)

Chicago managed to generate a win, but it wasn't pretty. The Bears racked up just 12 first downs against the lowly Buccaneers, and two of their three scoring drives were fewer than 20 yards long. This team must undergo some significant changes if it's to get back in contention in the future.

18. Cleveland Browns (7-4)

Cleveland got a very ugly win Sunday against Atlanta. Hoyer looked terrible, and the team was saved by the efforts of Josh Gordon and Isaiah Crowell. While a win is a win, putting on a performance like that against an AFC North foe won't produce a favorable result.

17. San Diego Chargers (7-4)

Philip Rivers played much better in Week 12, and we finally had a Keenan Allen sighting. Ryan Mathews got back on track as well, producing a 100-yard performance. Still, San Diego only managed a three-point win over a four-win team. There's still work to be done here.

16. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)

The Chiefs are still well in the playoff picture, but a loss to the Raiders may have taken them out of the race for the AFC West. This is still a well-rounded squad, but the lack of a viable wide receiver is really beginning to haunt the offense.

15. Buffalo Bills (6-5)

Buffalo's defense has been fantastic for the most part this season. That was apparent once again Monday, as the Jets only managed three points and 11 first downs. However, what's been even more surprising is the fine play of Kyle Orton. He delivered another good game in Week 12 and is giving this team a shot at the postseason. This insane grab by Robert Woods sure helped matters, via NFL:

14. Miami Dolphins (6-5)

For a moment it appeared as though the Dolphins were going to pull off a major upset in Denver, but that wasn't to be. Still, Ryan Tannehill played very well, and the emergence of Jarvis Landry has done wonders for the team's offense. This team isn't out of contention just yet.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4)

The Steelers received some rest in Week 12, and they'll need it with a difficult remaining schedule. Ben Roethlisberger is playing well, and Le'Veon Bell has really come into his own. However, the team's defense needs to improve if Pittsburgh wants to play deep into January.

12. San Francisco 49ers (7-4)

The 49ers managed to steal a home win from the Redskins in Week 12. Although head coach Jim Harbaugh sung his praises after the game, quarterback Colin Kaepernick is not great. The team's signal-caller needs to improve quickly if San Francisco is to earn a spot in the postseason.

11. Detroit Lions (7-4)

Detroit's defense may be one of the NFL's best, but that won't do any good if its offense can't put up any points. For the second consecutive week, the Lions couldn't find a way to score a touchdown. With so many powerful offenses in the league this year, that's not a good sign going forward.

10. Baltimore Ravens (7-4)

The Ravens traveled to New Orleans and took out a Saints team that had its backs up against the wall. Joe Flacco managed the game well, and running back Justin Forsett put on a career performance. The defense pressured Drew Brees early and often, coming away with four sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown.

9. Arizona Cardinals (9-2)

Here's the thing with the Cardinals: Without Carson Palmer at the helm, they're just not nearly as good. Yes, Arizona has one of the league's best defenses, but Drew Stanton isn't a quarterback capable of winning playoff games. This team needs to find offense, and find it quickly.

8. Indianapolis Colts (7-4)

The Colts produced one of their ugliest showings of the season in Week 12, but they still came away with a 20-point win. That speaks volumes for how talented this team really is. One big concern before Sunday was the loss of Ahmad Bradshaw, but Daniel Herron looks able to fill in just fine.

7. Seattle Seahawks (7-4)

Russell Wilson continues to will the Seahawks to victory. He completed 17 of his 22 attempts for 211 yards and one touchdown, adding 10 carries for 73 rushing yards Sunday against Arizona. With Seattle's defense beginning to play better as well, the Seahawks are finally beginning to look like defending champions. 

6. Cincinnati Bengals (7-3-1)

The Bengals pulled off another impressive road victory Sunday at Houston. Andy Dalton continues to play well, and the backfield duo of Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill looks entirely dangerous. Even the team's defense is stepping up at the right time. Cincinnati appears playoff-bound.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3)

Philadelphia bounced back nicely after a brutal Week 11 defeat and pummeled Tennessee on Sunday. LeSean McCoy finally looked good out of the backfield, and the team's front seven played extremely well. The one thing that could hold this team back is Mark Sanchez's turnover tendencies.

4. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)

Tony Romo's picture was recently discovered in the dictionary right next to the word "efficient." He completed 18 of his 26 passing attempts for 275 yards and four touchdowns against the Giants, and that set a new franchise record, via SportsCenter: 

DeMarco Murray lit it up on the ground with a 121-yard performance, forming one of the league's most balanced attacks.

3. Denver Broncos (8-3)

Denver received another scare Sunday, but Peyton Manning and Co. were able to pull off the victory against Miami. Manning was on fire, completing 28 of his 35 passing attempts for 257 yards and four touchdowns, while C.J. Anderson looked great out of the backfield. Still, once again this year, Denver's defense looks to be its Achilles' heel.

2. Green Bay Packers (8-3)

Rodgers and Co. may not have lit up the scoreboard in Week 12, but they did come away with a division road win. Eddie Lacy tore it up on the ground, and Rodgers continues to deny defenses interceptions. Can anyone beat the Packers? We'll find out in Week 13 when the No. 1 team in these power rankings comes to town.

1. New England Patriots (9-2)

Once again, the Patriots easily took care of business Sunday. They trounced the Lions 34-9 in a contest that was supposed to feature two of the league's best teams. Tom Brady continues his lights-out play, and it doesn't seem to matter who resides in the backfield in New England these days.

The Patriots aren't just beating the league's better teams, they're dismantling them. Another tough test lies ahead, as a trip out to Green Bay is next on the slate. A win in Week 13, and New England probably won't relinquish this spot for the remainder of the season.