NFL Power Rankings: Predicting Which Teams Will Continue Freefalls

Several teams are just plain awful this season and have fallen completely from the playoff picture in each conference. The St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts both entered 2011 looking like teams with playoff aspirations, and both clubs have suffered a ton of setbacks and have been incredibly disappointing. I don't see either team's fortunes turning around.

It is clear that without starting quarterback Peyton Manning, the Colts are a terrible team. Indianapolis has too many flaws to be considered a contender, but Manning's incredible ability under center made up for so many of the team's shortcomings. So far without the four-time MVP in 2011, the Colts are 0-9 and don't look like they have a chance to turn things around.

This weekend the Colts welcome the hapless 2-6 Jacksonville Jaguars to town, but that doesn't mean they will come away with a win. In fact, a loss this weekend could just sink Indianapolis even further.

The Colts currently rank 31st in total offense league wide, averaging a pathetic 282.8 yards per game. They also rank 31st in total defense, surrendering a whopping 406.1 yards per game. Well, at least they are consistent, right?

Even with a bad Jacksonville team coming to town, it's still difficult to see Curtis Painter and the Colts turning things around. They will continue to fall further from relevance. 

The St. Louis Rams were supposed to improve on a 7-9 2010 season behind second-year quarterback Sam Bradford this season. That hasn't happened. The Rams enter Week 10 with a 1-7 record and are floundering.

On Sunday, the Rams head to Cleveland to face the 3-5 Browns in what looks like a competitive game on paper. The problem is, the Rams just aren't scoring points this season, while they're giving up a ton.

St. Louis currently ranks 31st in the NFL in points scored, averaging just 12.5 per game. That's atrocious. On defense, the Rams are giving up 26.4 points per game, which is 29th in the league. Those numbers are horrific and there is no reason to believe things will change anytime soon. 

St. Louis will likely lose again this weekend on the road and continue to plummet even further.

NFL Power Rankings, Week 10

1. Green Bay Packers (8-0)
2. San Francisco 49ers (7-1)
3. Baltimore Ravens (6-2)
4. New York Giants (6-2)
5. Detroit Lions (6-2)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)
7. New Orleans Saints (6-3)
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)
9. New England Patriots (5-3)
10. Houston Texans (6-3)
11. New York Jets (5-3)
12. Buffalo Bills (5-3)
13. Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
14. Chicago Bears (5-3)
15. Oakland Raiders (4-4)
16. San Diego Chargers (4-4)
17. Kansas City Chiefs (4-4)
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4)
19. Tennessee Titans (4-4)
20. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5)
21. Dallas Cowboys (4-4)
22. Cleveland Browns (3-5)
23. Denver Broncos (3-5)
24. Washington Redskins (3-5)
25. Seattle Seahawks (2-6)
26. Minnesota Vikings (2-6)
27. Carolina Panthers (2-6)
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
29. Arizona Cardinals (2-6)
30. Miami Dolphins (1-7)
31. St. Louis Rams (1-7)
32. Indianapolis Colts (0-9)