NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Are the Falcons the Best NFC Has To Offer?
The Week 13 edition of the NFL power rankings are out and we're breaking down the NFL after another great week of football.
We had some big wins for some teams trying to contend for playoff spots and we have some middle of the road teams show up who are playing simply for pride at this point. It's going to be a wild finish to the season and it will send the power rankings into big changes each week.
Any questions or comments? Make sure to leave them below.
Nos. 32-21: Bottom of The Barrel
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32. Carolina (Last Week: 32): The Panthers had a shot on Sunday, they really did. Only the most decorated Panther of all time happened to hook the game-winning field goal wide left. It can't get much worse this year.
31. Cincinnati (Last Week: 31): Another week, another embarrassing loss for the Bengals. There need to be some serious changes in the offseason.
30. Arizona (Last Week: 28): Derek Anderson does not find this ranking funny! He puts his heart and his soul into this!
29: Detroit (Last Week: 30): We got another strong effort from the Lions. It just wasn't enough to get the job done in the end.
28. Denver (Last Week: 27): The Broncos lost to the Rams and Josh McDaniels got the dreaded vote of confidence from the owner. Fun times.
27. Buffalo (Last Week: 25): Stevie Johnson is going to be seeing that dropped touchdown pass in his sleep for a long, long time.
26. Dallas (Last Week: 24): Roy Williams had the game against the Saints in his hands and just had it ripped out just before Cowboys fans had theirs ripped out. Brutal.
25. Seattle (Last Week: 22): That was just a total no show by the Seahawks. Thanks for playing fellas.
24. Washington (Last Week: 21): The Redskins should have beat the Vikings but couldn't overcome the interim coach mojo. It happens.
23. Minnesota (Last Week: 28): Brett Favre clearly looks much happier now that Brad Childress is gone. Too bad he still isn't playing well.
22. San Francisco (Last Week: 26): The 49ers win and lose Frank Gore for the year. Nothing is going right in San Fran.
No. 20: Oakland
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Last Week: 17
Man what happened here Oakland?
The game started so well, with a kick return for a touchdown and then the wheels just fell off and the Miami Dolphins just dominated the game all the way until the final whistle. Chad Henne looked like a competent quarterback under center and Ricky Williams broke a huge run.
So much for Oakland making a playoff run. It was nice while it lasted.
No. 19: Tennessee
3 of 21
Last Week: 16
Okay Jeff Fisher, can we have a word?
If you're going to start Rusty Smith, a rookie draft pick out of Florida Atlantic, you do not throw the ball 31 times with him, regardless if the Texans have the worst pass defense in the history of statistics. You most certainly do not give the ball to Chris Johnson a mere seven times.
That's pathetic game-planning and just shows why you're an overrated coach and should be fired at the end of this season.
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No. 18: Houston
4 of 21
Last Week: 20
The Houston Texans dominated a Titans team starting Rusty Smith but just wait until Thursday.
Michael Vick is going to work the Texans over like he did the Redskins and the Eagles are going to dominate Houston and send the Texans back down, squashing the playoff hopes that Houston fans might have.
With that pass defense, there's just no chance of making the playoffs.
No. 17: Cleveland
5 of 21
Last Week: 19
A win is a win, but man was that ugly.
Having Jake Delhomme under center after having a good run with Colt McCoy is just another bitter pill to swallow for Browns fans and McCoy can't get back to action soon enough if you're a Browns fan. At least there's Peyton Hillis.
Cleveland should have lost that game and were lucky to escape with the win. There's a lot to be hopeful for in Cleveland.
No. 16: Miami
6 of 21
Last Week: 18
The Miami Dolphins aren't making the playoffs this year, but you have to commend the effort we saw on Sunday.
It could have been easy to roll over after taking a big blow on the opening kickoff but the Dolphins stuck with it and just wore the Raiders out all the way until the finish. Chad Henne played well and so did Ricky Williams.
I just want to know what happened to Ronnie Brown?
No. 15: Jacksonville
7 of 21
Last Week: 12
The Jaguars really had a shot last week and just blew it.
Jacksonville knew that with a win, they'd have a chance to put more room between itself and the rest of the AFC South but naturally, like most Jaguars teams in their history, they blew it big time. It was a golden opportunity.
I don't think Jacksonville makes the playoffs but the season may save Jack Del Rio's job.
No. 14: Tampa Bay
8 of 21
Last Week: 14
It was close but no cigar for the Bucs this week.
Tampa Bay hasn't really beaten anyone of consequence this year but the Bucs are in contention in the NFC playoff picture. There's a lot to be hopeful for in Tampa Bay, especially Josh Freeman, who is turning into a franchise quarterback before our eyes.
The Buccaneers will get there eventually. Raheem Morris looks like a great hire in retrospect.
No. 13: Indianapolis
9 of 21
Last Week: 8
Let's just face it, the Colts aren't a good team right now.
Indianapolis is too banged up and Peyton Manning can't be effective if he has to throw as many times as he's had to throw. It doesn't help that he has a ton of his targets banged up either. It's just a mess of a season for the Colts.
I still think Indy will win the AFC South.
No. 12: Chicago
10 of 21
Last Week: 15
It's time to believe in the Bears.
I've fought it. I've called them frauds and pretenders and made jokes about Jay Cutler and his love of the interception. Now the Bears are still rolling and just beat Philadelphia. If Chicago can get a home playoff game, they'll be hard to beat.
We'll see if Chicago can keep it up.
No. 11: San Diego
11 of 21
Last Week: 14
The Chargers are rolling and now we're in to Norv Turner's money month.
Turner has dominated December recently and he and the Chargers are cruising coming into the month. San Diego just dominated Peyton Manning and the Colts on the road and are looking like a Super Bowl contender.
I wouldn't want to face San Diego any time soon.
No. 10: Kansas City
12 of 21
Last Week: 14
The Chiefs knew they were facing an inferior opponent and took advantage of it.
Dwayne Bowe torched Seattle all day long to the tune of three touchdowns and ton of yards through the air. Bowe and Cassel is turning into one of the most potent connections in all of football. Don't forget about Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones in the backfield either.
It will be interesting to see if they can hold off San Diego in the AFC West.
No. 9: NY Giants
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The Giants easily could have rolled over and let Jacksonville walk away with a win.
New York rallied, especially on defense and found a way to dig deep and rally against Jacksonville for the big win on Sunday. With the way the Giants collapsed down the stretch last year, it was a big step for New York.
We'll see if the Giants can keep it up and rally to win the NFC West.
No. 8: Green Bay
14 of 21
Last Week: 7
Sure, the Packers lost, but I can't drop them too far down.
Matt Ryan beats plenty of teams when he's playing at home and it took a decent kick return and a facemask penalty on top of it to down the Packers with a late field goal. I'm not going to knock the Packers for that.
Green Bay will get into the playoffs. Chicago has a brutal stretch to finish the year. I think the Packers win the division.
No. 7: New Orleans
15 of 21
Last Week: 9
The Saints didn't deserve to win against Dallas, but I'm sure they'll take it.
Drew Brees and company haven't really been getting a lot of attention in the NFC with teams like Philadelphia and Atlanta stealing most of the headlines but the defending champions are not to be slept on.
I think the Saints can make another run in the NFC.
No. 6: Philadelphia
16 of 21
Last Week: 3
It was bound to happen. The Eagles had to lose sometimes.
Philadelphia lost to a very good Chicago team that frustrated the Eagles with its defense and torched the secondary. Asante Samuel will return to the lineup at some point, but it doesn't change the fact that the Eagles don't have much depth there.
That could be a major flaw going forward.
No. 5: Pittsburgh
17 of 21
Last Week: 6
The Steelers were one Stevie Johnson drop away from losing to the Buffalo Bills.
It would have been a crushing loss for Pittsburgh, who had that game under control before the Bills tried to circle the wagons, only to fall short. The Steelers live on the edge and have some areas of concern, like the offensive line.
However, Ben Roethlisberger will keep Pittsburgh in most games.
No. 4: Baltimore
18 of 21
Last Week: 5
Baltimore has a big showdown on tap with Pittsburgh and I think this game will decide the AFC North.
The Ravens won the first matchup, but that was when the Steelers didn't have Ben Roethlisberger and it took a late touchdown to beat Pittsburgh. It will be interesting to see if Big Ben can push Pittsburgh over the Ravens.
It's going to be a battle though.
No. 3: Atlanta
19 of 21
Last Week: 4
Matt Ryan is almost invincible at home.
He's found ways to win games that look like dire situations all this year and now the Falcons have the inside track to home field throughout the NFC playoffs. If Atlanta has home field, it doesn't bode well for the rest of the NFC.
The Falcons could be Super Bowl bound later this winter.
No. 2: New England
20 of 21
Last Week: 2
Now the Patriots need to beat the Jets on Monday night if they want to get home field in the AFC playoffs.
New England lost to the Jets earlier in the season and a sweep of the Jets would mean the Patriots are going on the road to start the playoffs. In the AFC, with all of those contenders, that's not something that anyone wants to do.
I think the Patriots are a better team since that game but so are the Jets, so we'll see.
No. 1: NY Jets
21 of 21
Last Week: 1
The Jets have been living on the edge all year, but they have that vibe about them.
New York feels like the Saints last year. New Orleans found ways to win games and the Jets are doing the same this year. You might think that New York's luck may run out at some point, but confidence is key and the Jets are full of it.
Rex Ryan has that team believing and that's a dangerous thing for the AFC.
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