Week 16 NFL Power Rankings: San Diego Chargers Pass Minnesota Vikings

Irony, it appears, is not lost in the NFL.

The team that was openly vocal about aiming for a 16-0 season, the New Orleans Saints, was handed its first loss in Week 15, while the team that was quiet and disciplined, the Indianapolis Colts, continued its march for perfection.

While the top two spots remain the same, the rest of the rankings were shaken up a bit.

Read on to see where your team ranks in Week 16's NFL Power Rankings.

1. Indianapolis Colts (14-0)

They have the division and home-field advantage, so when do they stop caring about 16-0 and just rest their starters?

2. New Orleans Saints (13-1)

One loss doesn't define this team. But to say it doesn't expose some of its flaws would be a huge mistake.

3. San Diego Chargers (11-3)

Nine straight wins and counting, and several of them have come against strong competition. Should the Colts be scared?

4. Minnesota Vikings (11-3)

Trouble in paradise? Things aren't going as planned on the road for Minnesota, but perhaps a nice matchup with the Chicago Bears can rectify that.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4)

The Eagles are suddenly one game out of a first-round bye. While that's great, they still don't have the division locked up and have a reasonably tough test against the Denver Broncos this week.

6. Dallas Cowboys (9-5)

Tony Romo continues to play smart, elite football, and his Cowboys now own a very impressive win over the previously undefeated Saints. Goodbye December curse?

7. Green Bay Packers (9-5)

There's no doubt that they have the weapons to run with anybody on offense. But when your defense allows 37 points and 500 passing yards, how good can you really feel about the playoffs?

8. New England Patriots (9-5)

They've won their past two games, but they haven't been impressive. Tom Brady and co. need to locate their mojo in order to make a serious run in the playoffs.

9. Arizona Cardinals (9-5)

They beat the Lions by one touchdown just one week after getting manhandled by the 49ers. Sure, they won their division, but this team is playing lackluster football overall.

10. Baltimore Ravens (8-6)

They've put together back-to-back impressive victories for the first time since the first three weeks in the season. Next up, the Pittsburgh Steelers, with both teams' playoff hopes on the line.

11. New York Giants (8-6)

That was a dominant and convincing performance by a Giants team that looks better and more balanced each week. I'm still not convinced their defense is playoff-caliber, but it looks like they have the rest of the pieces together.

12. Cincinnati Bengals (9-5)

In their past four games, the Bengals have defeated two non-playoff contenders and have fallen to two elite teams. They may not have what it takes to match up with the top teams, but at least they'll be in the playoffs, right?

13. Tennessee Titans (7-7)

Their seven wins in the last eight games mean nothing if they can't get past the Chargers this week.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)

When your quarterback throws for 500-plus yards and a game-winning touchdown with no time left, it's clear luck is finally bouncing your way. Now the Ravens and a real shot at the playoffs hang in the balance.

15. Denver Broncos (8-6)

Just as this writer predicted, Denver has six losses and will be extremely lucky to get to 10-6. The Broncos are very close to missing out on the playoffs, as they don't hold the tiebreaker with the Ravens and Steelers.

16. Houston Texans (7-7)

They barely beat a horrible Rams team. While that may not provide a ton of optimism going forward, they still do have a decent shot at the playoffs, and it could get even better with a win over the Dolphins this week.

17. Miami Dolphins (7-7)

They lost a heartbreaker in OT against the Titans, but it's not over yet. Winning out, especially over the Steelers in Week 17, could still get them in.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-7)

They're not out of the running yet, but losing a heartbreaker to the undefeated Colts takes the control out of their hands. If they win out, they still have a chance, but it's looking bleak.

19. Atlanta Falcons (7-7)

How a team with a weak defense and a banged-up quarterback, without its star running back, beat the Jets is beyond me. The Falcons are out of the playoffs, but boy, do they still fight.

20. New York Jets (7-7)

That loss to the Falcons was inexcusable. Mark Sanchez returned to throw three picks and only put one touchdown on the board. They still are in the thick of the playoff race, but things just got a lot tougher.

21. Carolina Panthers (6-8)

There's still speculation that John Fox's days are numbered, but does a 26-7 smashing of the 11-3 Vikings save him? If they get to 8-8, the answer is still likely just "maybe."

22. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)

They blew their playoffs chances against the Eagles. Hopefully, they can get to 8-8 and make this season a mild success.

23. Oakland Raiders (5-9)

That was a nice win over the Broncos, but I'm not sure who that game tells us about more. JaMarcus Russell finally makes a play on that game-winning touchdown toss, and he goes back to the bench the next week? Talk about a franchise being completely done with somebody.

24. Buffalo Bills (5-9)

They fought hard with the Patriots but ultimately just didn't have anything to fight for. It'll be interesting to see if the Bills keep Perry Fewell and if they extend the Terrell Owens experiment.

25. Chicago Bears (5-9)

Jay Cutler threw three picks to bring his season total to 25. What's the over/under on him hitting 30 next week against the Vikings?

26. Seattle Seahawks (5-9)

This loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was just another sad reminder of how inept this Seattle offense is. Is there any question they'll be drafting a new franchise quarterback in 2010?

27. Washington Redskins (4-10)

After several weeks of improving, inspiring play, the Redskins laid an egg and got trounced by a supposedly average Giants team. In other words, the Redskins were the Redskins again.

28. Cleveland Browns (3-11)

Hey, Jerome Harrison, what the hell was that?

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-12)

It's nice to see, more than anything, Josh Freeman progress and have a solid outing. Progress is the name of the game for this team in the final two weeks.

30. Kansas City Chiefs (3-11)

It's hard to grade this team's offensive success since they were facing a horrible Browns defense. One thing is for certain: This team has found its permanent replacement at running back in Jamaal Charles.

31. Detroit Lions (2-12)

They weren't given a chance against the Arizona Cardinals, especially without Matthew Stafford and Kevin Smith, yet they only lost by a touchdown. As long as they keep playing hard, this team can realistically expect one more win. Hey, that's a win-percentage almost 19 points higher than last year!

32. St. Louis Rams (1-13)

Keith Null did a much better job in his second start, and his Rams actually played the Texans fairly close. The final two weeks will still prove to us that the Rams need a new franchise quarterback.