NFL Power Rankings Week 13: AFC, NFC Standings and Pre-MNF Predictions

The NFL playoff picture is looking pretty murky after yesterday's slate of games, and it looks like it's going to stay that way for a while.

Going into the Monday night matchup between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, there are currently 11 teams with records of 5-6 or 6-5, each with a possible shot at the playoffs. Only one team, the Philadelphia Eagles, has one loss on the season, while every other team has at least two or three on their resume.

These finals few games will make or break a team's season. Going into Week 13, time is running out for the middle of the pack teams to make some noise before it's too late.

But before next week's slate of games kick off, let's set the record straight with some power-ranking predictions heading into Week 13.

NFL Week 13 Power Rankings Post-Sunday

1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)

2. New England Patriots (9-2)

3. Minnesota Vikings (9-2)

4. Los Angeles Rams (8-3)

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-2)

6. New Orleans Saints (8-3)

7. Seattle Seahawks (7-4)

8. Carolina Panthers (8-3)

9. Atlanta Falcons (7-4)

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4)

11. Tennessee Titans (7-4)

12. Kansas City Chiefs (6-5)

13. Detroit Lions (6-5)

14. Los Angeles Chargers (5-6)

15. Baltimore Ravens (5-5) 

16. Dallas Cowboys (5-6)

17. Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)

18. Oakland Raiders (5-6)

19. Washington Redskins (5-6)

20. Buffalo Bills (6-5)

21. Houston Texans (4-6)

22. Arizona Cardinals (5-7)

23. New York Jets (4-7)

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7)

25. Green Bay Packers (5-6)

26. Denver Broncos (3-8)

27. Miami Dolphins (4-7)

28. Chicago Bears (3-8)

29. Indianapolis Colts (3-8)

30. New York Giants (2-9)

31. San Francisco 49ers (1-10)

32. Cleveland Browns (0-11)

3. Minnesota Vikings

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Yes, the Philadelphia Eagles are fun to talk about. And yes, the New England Patriots are still a very good football team. But now the time has come to move on and focus on a new contender from the north.

The Minnesota Vikings are officially in the conversation as the best team in the NFL. It's hard to believe, and even I've had my doubts about them earlier in the season, but they have earned the right for a top-three spot in my updated power rankings. It's not only because of their 30-23 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, they've also been consistently good despite all the injuries the team has had to deal with. 

Case Keenum wasn't supposed to be the quarterback for the Vikings. But now? He's a big part of why they're winning. We all expected Minnesota's defense to be good, but top five in total defense good? That's impressive.

The Vikings are firing on all cylinders and don't look like slowing down anytime soon. Some big tests lie ahead against the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers in the next two weeks, but the Vikings—at least for the time being—can pat themselves on the back. 

4. Los Angeles Rams

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If there were any doubts regarding the legitimacy of the Los Angeles Rams this season, they've been put to bed after the Rams defeated the New Orleans Saints this past Sunday, 26-20.

This was supposed to be the week that the Rams fell apart. With No. 1 wideout Robert Woods out injured, Jared Goff was supposed to struggle throwing the ball against a tough Saints defense, and New Orleans was supposed to run over the Rams with Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara.

But hey, things don't always go according to plan.

While Kamara did have another huge performance in Week 12, the same cannot be said for the rest of the team, as the Saints were bottled up by the Rams from the get-go. Goff could be the most improved player of the year, and Sean McVay is the coach of the year by a landslide.

Still don't believe the Rams are back? Keep doubting them. They'll convince you eventually. 

11. Tennessee Titans

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I like to refer to the Tennessee Titans as the weirdest team in football. Why? Because despite a 7-4 record through 12 weeks, I'm still not sure if this team is any good.

Marcus Mariota has taken a step back this season. To be fair, he has battled injuries over his young career and even earlier this season, but there's no real excuse for some of the decisions he's made throwing the football—highlighted by his one-TD, two-interception performance against a reeling Indianapolis Colts team on Sunday.

The former Heisman Trophy winner has thrown nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season. 

The Titans have a strong defense, ranking 11th in the league in total defense, but their offense ranks 20th in total offense and averages just 22 points per game. They're not a bad team by any means—proving that they can beat the bottom teams in the league in Week 12 with a 20-16 victory over the Colts—but are they a legitimate threat in the postseason? Not by a long shot. 

A major test for the Titans will come against the Rams on Christmas Eve, but they could easily have nine wins by then as they take on the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals over the next two weeks.

The Titans might make the playoffs, but they don't look like the type of team that will make any noise once they get there unless something drastic happens in the next month. 

All stats are courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.