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

Super Bowl odds and power rankings become more realistic by the week. 

It was easy a few weeks back to scoff at how Las Vegas feels about, say, Arizona. But all Bruce Arians' team seems to do is win. The same can apply to San Francisco in the opposite direction. Many may have thought the 49ers a great bet, but the team just went out and lost to Oakland.

Perhaps Las Vegas does not get enough credit. Regardless, the aftermath of Week 14 means more interesting odds to digest along with a week full of action that clears up the playoff picture.

2014 Super Bowl Odds After Week 14

Team	Odds
New England Patriots	15-4
Seattle Seahawks	13-2
Denver Broncos	9-2
Green Bay Packers	7-2
Philadelphia Eagles	12-1
Indianapolis Colts	18-1
Dallas Cowboys	20-1
Arizona Cardinals	25-1
Detroit Lions	25-1
New Orleans Saints	28-1
Cincinnati Bengals	28-1
San Diego Chargers	28-1
San Francisco 49ers	28-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	50-1
Baltimore Ravens	50-1
Kansas City Chiefs	66-1
Miami Dolphins	66-1
Atlanta Falcons	75-1
Cleveland Browns	100-1
Buffalo Bills	200-1
Houston Texans	200-1
Minnesota Vikings	300-1
St. Louis Rams	500-1
Carolina Panthers	500-1
Chicago Bears	500-1
New York Giants	750-1
Washington	1000-1
Tennessee Titans	1000-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2000-1
New York Jets	2000-1
Jacksonville Jaguars	3000-1
Oakland Raiders	5000-1

Note: Super Bowl odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. ET

32. Tennessee Titans (2-11)

Make it seven losses in a row for the Tennessee Titans. 

A 36-7 loss to a four-win New York Giants team sums up the season pretty well at this point.

When a team goes 2-of-13 on third downs, the quarterback is the leading rusher and no player rushes for more than 30 yards, things have hit rock bottom.

31. Washington (3-10)

Washington has become a punchline around the league:

The latest is a 24-0 loss in which starter Colt McCoy threw a pair of interceptions before leaving the game.

As they say, the beat goes on.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-11)

Trifecta!

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers now have three losing streaks of at least three games this year. Impressive, right?

Stick a fork in the Buccaneers. Lovie Smith still refuses to play younger players over Josh McCown and Doug Martin. Not a good way to build for the future, coach.

29. New York Jets (2-11)

The attempt to save jobs in New York continued this past weekend with Geno Smith under center. 

Try as they may, the Jets still lost. This time it was an overtime defeat while Geno Smith threw for 254 yards with a touchdown and interception, the latter of which also happened to be a scoring play.

So it goes in New York, a team set to undergo one of the league's most extensive rebuilds.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11)

There was a time earlier this season when it was at least fun to watch the Jacksonville Jaguars and think about the future. 

Now the performances put on by rookie quarterback Blake Bortles and his number of young weapons are just sad.

Bortles took four sacks and threw a touchdown with an interception with Houston in town this past weekend. The miserable defense allowed Arian Foster to rush for 127 yards and a score.

27. Oakland Raiders (2-11)

What a run for the Oakland Raiders. 

A win over Kansas City in Week 12 seemed to mark the end of the season for the Raiders, a team that finally got that single win. A 52-0 loss to St. Louis the following week supported this notion.

But these Raiders have fight. A 24-13 win over San Francisco can attest to that.

Most may not want to hear it, but the future is bright with Derek Carr leading the way. He threw a trio of scores while other young pieces such as back Latavius Murray (76 yards) and tight end Mychal Rivera (109 yards and a score) pitched in to get the win.

26. Chicago Bears (5-8)

It is all downhill from here, folks. Peep a note from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler threw a pair of scores to one interception in a loss to Dallas last week, but the Bears now have the future in mind.

Whether or not that includes Cutler is something to monitor.

25. New Orleans Saints (5-8)

The below picture, right along with the time and score, say everything that needs to be said about the New Orleans Saints at this point: 

New Orleans has now lost four in a row at home and just dropped a contest to a four-win team. The division is still in reach, so why does it feel like the Saints need a miracle?

24. New York Giants (4-9)

The Giants now have four wins thanks to a Week 14 encounter with Tennessee. 

While that was quite the easy matchup, kudos go to rookie back Andre Williams. The Boston College product rushed 24 times for 131 yards and a score, a potential sign for the future that the backfield is in good hands.

The bye week for the Giants is extended, too, as they next get Washington.

23. Carolina Panthers (4-8-1)

So the Carolina Panthers do have a pulse. 

Surely the globe was beginning to worry after six straight losses and a tie before that. Cam Newton and Co. came up big in New Orleans to save the season behind three passing touchdowns and one on the ground from the star quarterback. 

Carolina is still alive, especially with Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Atlanta on the schedule to finish the season.

22. Cleveland Browns (7-6)

So much for that surprise playoff entrance for the Cleveland Browns. 

The team has now lost two in a row, the latest a one-point affair against Indianapolis. There, Brian Hoyer once again failed to answer the call under center and threw for 140 yards and a pair of picks.

Now the chants for Johnny Manziel will only intensify. At this point, it is hard to argue.

21. St. Louis Rams (6-7)

Do not look now, but the St. Louis Rams have won two games in a row by a combined score of 76-0. 

In all seriousness, encounters with Oakland and Washington were supposed to end up like that. Keep in mind, though, that the Rams also have wins over Seattle, San Francisco and Denver.

Right now there may not be a more dangerous team in the league, which is bad news for Arizona and Seattle, two contenders that still need to meet the team again.

20. Minnesota Vikings (6-7)

While in a quiet manner, the Minnesota Vikings have won two in a row and four of their last six. A young team continues to rally around rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who just threw the game-winning pass in overtime against the Jets.

In regard to the job first-year coach Mike Zimmer has done, Ryan Boser of LeagueSafePost.com puts it best:

The Vikings are not playoff-bound, but the future is very bright.

19. Atlanta Falcons (5-7)

The Atlanta Falcons are alive in the NFC South thanks to the bumbling ways of those around them. 

That said, things will get ugly in a hurry if the team's defense cannot turn around a unit that ranks 32nd in the league against the pass.

A top-five passing attack can only compensate so much in the pass-happy division, let alone conference.

18. Buffalo Bills (7-6)

The season is pretty much in hand, but credit goes to the Buffalo Bills for not just going through the motions. 

After two consecutive wins, the Bills stood tall in Denver of all places and lost just 24-17. The defense was gritty as it held Peyton Manning to 173 yards and a pair of interceptions.

Porous run defense and two turnovers by Kyle Orton led to the loss, but the arrow for the future continues to point up.

17. Kansas City Chiefs (7-6)

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Kansas City Chiefs have lost control. 

Losers of three straight, even 91 rushing yards and a score from Jamaal Charles was not enough to get the team a win over Arizona.

Of course, one could debate all day as to why he only received 10 carries, but hey, Andy Reid is going to coach his team how he sees fit. Right now, though, it has the Chiefs on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs.

16. Houston Texans (7-6)

The Houston Texans now have their head above water again thanks to the aforementioned performance by Foster against Jacksonville. 

Houston is a scrappy little team that has won three of its last four and pairs a stingy defense led by J.J. Watt with a top-five rushing attack.

It makes for a tough out for any team, which means next week's showdown against Indianapolis will decide a whole lot about each team's season.

15. Miami Dolphins (7-6)

These Miami Dolphins are in serious danger of a fade job down the stretch.

This is especially the case as key names such as Cortland Finnegan and Louis Delmas continue to pop up on the injury report.

Miami has now lost three of its last five. While close losses to contenders are great, at some point those encounters need to produce wins rather than just a pat on the back. 

14. San Francisco 49ers (7-6)

It is inadvisable to stick a fork in the San Francisco 49ers, but one would be hard pressed to blame anyone who wishes to do so.

Colin Kaepernick and Co. have now dropped two games in a row, the latest a 24-13 decision at the hands of Oakland.

There, Kaepernick tossed two interceptions and the ground game was inexplicably ignored yet again, rushing just 18 times. Until the 49ers stop trying to be something they are not, the season is lost.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5) 

The erratic play of the Pittsburgh Steelers continued Sunday with a win in Cincinnati over the division-leading Bengals.

An illustration from Sunday Night Football shows that the major offensive weapons in Pittsburgh are in gear for a playoff push:

So long as the team can find some consistency, nobody will want to encounter the Steelers in the playoffs.

12. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)

The Baltimore Ravens have flown under the radar in recent weeks as a team rounding into form. 

A win in New Orleans was followed by a last-second loss to San Diego. Now things are back to normal as Joe Flacco and Co. just took down a playoff contender.

Justin Forsett was the reason for a triumph over Miami thanks to his 71 yards and a score on just 13 carries. These Ravens are going places with a ground game like that.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (8-4-1)

It is becoming harder by the week to trust Cincinnati. 

The team has lost to contenders such as Indianapolis and New England. It now has brutal blowout losses to divisional foes such as Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

The latest was a 42-21 loss to the Steelers at home, a sign that the team this year does not have what it takes to keep pace with the best of the best.

10. San Diego Chargers (8-5)

Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers jumped out to a 14-3 lead against New England on Sunday Night Football this past weekend. 

Then they fell silent the rest of the night.

The loss snaps a three-game winning streak, although the Chargers remain in the hunt for a playoff berth. More consistency is a must in order to survive a season-ending stretch that reads Denver, San Francisco and Kansas City.

9. Arizona Cardinals (10-3)

It was easy to write off the Arizona Cardinals. 

The team lost two games in a row with Drew Stanton under center. But winning heals all wounds, which is why the Week 14 triumph over Kansas City is so important.

Coach Bruce Arians got a strange 100 yards on the ground from Kerwynn Williams, and his quarterback did not turn the ball over through the air. So long as the defense continues to play at a high level, the Cardinals might just pull away with the NFC West crown.

8. Indianapolis Colts (9-4)

Feel free to blast the Indianapolis Colts for a last-second win in Cleveland last weekend, but that feat is no longer as easy as it sounds. 

Bleacher Report's Collin McCollough puts it best:

Andrew Luck threw a pair of scores and picks, yet the Colts still got a win against a playoff hopeful. That is downright hard to complain about in the final month of the season.

7. Dallas Cowboys (9-4)

After a miserable showing on Thanksgiving Day against Philadelphia, the Dallas Cowboys got back on track with a win over Chicago this past week.

Few better options for a return to form exist than a date with those Bears.

The Cowboys got a trio of scores from Tony Romo and 179 yards and a score from DeMarco Murray. Business as usual.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)

Try not to put too much stock into a Philadelphia loss in Week 14. 

A 10-point defeat at the hands of Seattle is a bummer, but more concerning is a 10-of-20 effort from Mark Sanchez and just 50 rushing yards from LeSean McCoy.

The Eagles are a few weeks removed from blowing away Dallas, but they do have losses to contenders such as San Francisco, Arizona and Green Bay. Those games will need to turn into wins at some point.

5. Detroit Lions (9-4)

Chalk Week 14 up as a bye week for the Detroit Lions.

Tampa Bay was in town, so Matthew Stafford got some quality reps that turned into 311 yards and three scores. Joique Bell notched 83 yards and a score on the ground.

The Lions continue to be one of the most complete teams in football and are now on pace for an epic season-ending battle with Green Bay. A top-10 defense against the pass and rush, not the offense, figures to give the Lions a great shot.

4. Denver Broncos (10-3)

When one hears that Manning threw no touchdowns, it is easy to assume the Broncos took a loss. 

That is simply not the case.

Week 14 saw a stingy Buffalo team come to town and shut down the aerial pathways. All Denver did in response was allow C.J. Anderson to rush for three touchdowns.

In other words, a nightmare scenario just unfolded for the rest of the league—Manning finally has a stable running game behind him.

3. New England Patriots (10-3)

Hitting the road out west on prime time to take on a contender such as San Diego is no easy task, but Tom Brady and Co. made it look rather simple. 

Brady threw a pair of scores, and a stingy pass defense led by Darrelle Revis held Rivers to just 189 passing yards with a touchdown and a pick.

New England has won eight of its last nine for good reason and seems to have a stranglehold on the AFC East, although all three games to end the season come against divisional opponents.

2. Seattle Seahawks (9-4)

Don't look now, but the Seattle Seahawks are on fire.

Week 14 was an impressive win in Philadelphia against an elite offense. But understand that it is now three wins in a row against contenders, the other two being Arizona and San Francisco. 

Also understand that the trio has come in quite dominant fashion, as ESPN's Chris Sprow illustrates:

The defending champs came to play, folks.

1. Green Bay Packers (9-3)

Just one week removed from a win over the Patriots, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are impossible to ignore as the best team in the league. 

All that truly stands between the team and an NFC North crown is a season-ending battle with Detroit, one of just three opponents to actually upend the Packers this season.

With Rodgers under center, Green Bay's outlook is superb.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).