NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Updated Analysis Before 'Thursday Night Football'

How are power rankings measured at this point in the season? It's a legitimate question. However, every analyst uses a different system.

These particular rankings have much to do with recent on-field production. After all, through 12 weeks, every team is as good as its going to get—we're no longer waiting for any franchise's potential to come through.

With that said, with the postseason just around the corner, the top 12 teams in these rankings should be considered the most playoff-ready squads with just five weeks remaining in the regular season.

So, which teams made the cut?

Below is a list of the league's hierarchy from worst to first. Each team's analysis is surrounding its current state and outlook for the foreseeable future.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10)

After a little bit of early-season magic, Blake Bortles quickly returned to rookie form. Before the season began, we all expected him to need time for development, and he's had some great on-the-job training this season. This team is still a draft or two away from being a possible contender.

31. New York Jets (2-9)

The Jets are in dire need of a quarterback—plain and simple. Geno Smith isn't the long-term answer, and if this squad can bring in an above-average signal-caller, it would have potential to become a contender sooner than most would think.

30. Oakland Raiders (1-10)

Well, the Raiders finally won a game. That's a start. With Derek Carr still learning the quarterback position, this team needs to see what it has in running back Latavius Murray. If Oakland can give Carr a stable backfield to work with, his development will speed up.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-9)

Here's another team that needs a quarterback badly. The Buccaneers have two of the most talented wide receivers in the league (Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans), but they don't have a reliable player to get them the football. This team won't even have a shot in a terrible NFC South until that position is rectified.

28. Washington Redskins (3-8)

Washington came out with the most shocking news of the week, as SportsCenter tweeted quarterback Robert Griffin III would be benched in favor of Colt McCoy:

This was a solid move by the Redskins, as Griffin has been terrible. If the team has lost faith in him, there's no reason to keep him in the starting lineup. As Washington moves forward without Griffin, it joins many other teams in need of a new signal-caller.

27. Tennessee Titans (2-9)

Tennessee needs to figure out if Zach Mettenberger is its future at quarterback before the end of the season. The Titans won't be making the playoffs this year, and knowing if they need to draft a player from a deep quarterback class to compete with their starter is necessary.

26. Carolina Panthers (3-7-1)

The Panthers are still in contention for the NFC South, but this team can't expect to make any kind of deep playoff run. Carolina needs to start thinking about if it should focus on drafting offensive linemen or more weapons for Cam Newton.

25. New York Giants (3-8)

New York won't be making the playoffs this season, but it does have some nice pieces in place. If the Giants can focus on getting their pass rush up and running once again, they will take a step in the right direction in a highly competitive NFC East.

24. Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

This team is very much in flux right now. The defensive side of the ball has improved tremendously since head coach Mike Zimmer came to town, but a sluggish offense still needs plenty of work to keep up with the other high-flying teams of the NFC North.

23. New Orleans Saints (4-7)

The Saints are still well in the mix for a playoff spot due to the lack of quality in their division. If Drew Brees can cut down on mistakes and the defense can figure out a way to stop the run, they'll have a chance. A tough road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers will provide an enormous test.

22. Atlanta Falcons (4-7)

Matt Ryan played some terrible football in Week 12. He almost appeared to be looking to give away the division. Ryan needs to regain his accuracy and the team's offensive line must buy him more time in the pocket, or this team will be well on its way to 4-8 following a tilt against the Arizona Cardinals.

21. St. Louis Rams (4-7)

Jeff Fisher appears to have the Rams headed in the right direction, but this team is several pieces away from contending in the NFC West. The playoffs aren't in the cards for the Rams, so they'll have plenty of time to think about the ensuing draft and which positions to target.

20. Houston Texans (5-6)

Unfortunately, the Texans didn't get a great look at Ryan Mallett before his season-ending injury. The playoffs are unlikely for Houston, so the next order of business is to decide if bringing in a young quarterback to compete with Mallett is the right move. For now, the Texans' official Twitter account relayed who will be taking over under center (again):

19. Chicago Bears (5-6)

The Bears have plenty of talent. However, the offensive-minded Marc Trestman hasn't been able to get this team going. This has sparked plenty of criticism regarding quarterback Jay Cutler and his turnover issues, and perhaps it's time to look elsewhere if Chicago can't string together some late-season wins.

18. Cleveland Browns (7-4)

In an ongoing trend, the Browns are winning, but they're doing so behind some poor play from Brian Hoyer. The team does have Johnny Manziel waiting in the wings, but can it rely on a seemingly immature quarterback? This team is finally a contender, and that question is best left for the offseason. A tough road contest against the Buffalo Bills is next on the slate.

17. San Diego Chargers (7-4)

The Chargers are battling some injuries and now they must travel to the East Coast to take on the Baltimore Ravens in the cold weather. That's not a good situation for a team looking to earn a wild-card spot in the ultra-competitive AFC.

16. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)

The Chiefs lost to the Raiders in Week 12, and the only way to atone for that loss is to beat the Denver Broncos. That's easier said than done, though. Alex Smith isn't known for his gaudy numbers, but that will have to change if this team is to have any kind of shot in Week 13.

15. Buffalo Bills (6-5)

The Bills absolutely torched the Jets in Week 12 and now have a home contest coming up against the Browns. A win Sunday would move Buffalo to 7-5 on the season and in contention for a wild-card berth. This team just needs to hope Kyle Orton can keep up his surprising play.

14. Miami Dolphins (6-5)

Miami lost a heartbreaker to the Broncos in Week 12, but Ryan Tannehill played very well and Jarvis Landry has been a revelation at wide receiver. Luckily, this team has a great chance to get back on track Monday against a bad Jets team.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4)

The Steelers are coming off a bye week and need a win against the visiting Saints to keep pace in the AFC North. Pittsburgh is just behind the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens in the standings, and it must take advantage of all winnable matchups from here on out.

12. San Francisco 49ers (7-4)

If Colin Kaepernick is going to have a big game again this season, this would be the week to do it. The quarterback hasn't been fantastic this season, but he'll need to play extremely well to get around the Seattle Seahawks defense. A trip to the postseason is probably on the line here. No pressure.

11. Detroit Lions (7-4)

It doesn't matter how good the Lions defense is if the offense can't score points. It's been two weeks since Detroit's offense has found the end zone, and with Matthew Stafford at quarterback and Calvin Johnson at wide receiver, that's just unacceptable. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweeted a disturbing comment by head coach Jim Caldwell:

Something needs to change in a hurry.

10. Baltimore Ravens (7-4)

The Ravens are coming off an impressive win and will need another in Week 13 to keep up with the Bengals. Justin Forsett has been on a tear this season, and with the cold weather rolling around, this offense needs to start utilizing him more than ever.

9. Arizona Cardinals (9-2)

It's difficult to rank the Cardinals any higher until Drew Stanton shows he's capable of leading a football team. Arizona doesn't have a great running game, and Stanton's lack of accuracy is leading to a completely ineffective offense. At least the team has a favorable matchup against a terrible Falcons defense in Week 13.

8. Indianapolis Colts (7-4)

The Colts appear to be cruising to an easy playoff berth, as no AFC South team appears capable of keeping up with Andrew Luck and Co. Indianapolis will need a running game to go deep into the postseason, however, and it may want to take a longer look at Daniel Herron in Week 13.

7. Seattle Seahawks (7-4)

Russell Wilson has been willing this team to victory this season. He's absorbing many hits from defenders slicing through an average offensive line, all the while maintaining accuracy on this throws and scrambling when necessary. That will keep winning this team games for now, but how long can he keep taking that kind of pounding?

6. Cincinnati Bengals (7-3-1)

The Bengals offense has become more balanced with the duo of Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill in the backfield. That may be the best bit of news for this team, as those ball-carriers will take a heavy load off the arm of Andy Dalton—especially in the playoffs.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3)

Philadelphia will go as far as Mark Sanchez takes it. This team has been excellent on special teams, its defense is coming around and LeSean McCoy is finally finding his form. If Sanchez can limit his turnovers, the Eagles will be playing well into January.

4. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)

With Tony Romo healthy again, the Cowboys have once again become one of the league's strongest teams. A balanced offense featuring NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray is the key for this team to finally break into the postseason and do some damage. This week, Gil Brandt of NFL.com gives us a reason to like Dallas' chances:

3. Denver Broncos (8-3)

Peyton Manning looked back in form Sunday against the Dolphins, and C.J. Anderson has been phenomenal out of the backfield. While the team's front seven has played well, the secondary is a cause for concern. Denver doesn't want to be involved in shootouts when the playoffs roll around.

2. Green Bay Packers (8-3)

The Packers look unbeatable at home and are on a good pace to earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If that's the case, we could be looking at a Super Bowl contender here. When Aaron Rodgers is hot, there may not be another team in the league that can keep up.

1. New England Patriots (9-2)

The Patriots have been extremely impressive in all phases of the game this season, and that's why they earn the top spot in this week's power rankings. Tom Brady continues to play well, the offensive line is blocking with efficiency and the defense is playing well enough to ensure wins.

All of those attributes are what every team looks for in the postseason. Expect to see New England in action far after the regular season comes to a close.