NFL Power Rankings: 4 Contenders Getting Stronger Every Week

This year, more than any other, there appears to be a lot of flatness around the NFL. While there are handful of teams that have played well all season, there are a bunch that have pretty much just gone through the motions.

Going through the motions at this point in time isn't going to help anybody. When Week 12 concludes on Monday night, there are only going to be five weeks left in the regular season. Down the stretch, it's going to become more and more obvious who the true contenders are.

While things can obviously change pretty drastically in the next couple of weeks, there are four teams that are playing their best football of the season right now. Each of them is on a hot streak, and they seem to be getting better every week.

Let's discuss these four teams, shall we?

Denver Broncos (No. 14)

Honestly, is there anything Tim Tebow can't do?

I have a better question: Is there any offense Denver's defense can't handle?

Indeed, Tebow is getting all the credit for the Broncos' four-game win streak, but let's not overlook the fact that the Broncos have held each of their last three opponents to 13 points or fewer. After starting the season as a joke, Denver's defense is looking, dare I say it, elite.

If the Broncos sneak into the playoffs via a wild card berth or catch the Oakland Raiders for the AFC West lead, it will be because of their defense that they were able to do it.

Though, Tebow will still get all the credit.

Oakland Raiders (No. 7)

The Raiders have won three games in a row against two bad teams in the San Diego Chargers and Minnesota Vikings and a team without its starting quarterback in the Chicago Bears.

So why should we be impressed?

Well, if you take a closer look you'll notice that the Raiders haven't been at full strength for weeks. Darren McFadden has been out of action since Week 7, and the Raiders have also seen their secondary and wide receiving corps get rocked by injuries.

Yet they're winning. You can chalk that up to Carson Palmer's presence if you want, but I'm of the opinion that it's been a team-wide effort. Many guys have been forced to pitch in, and all of them have contributed in some way or another.

I don't want to draw any ridiculous comparisons, but we saw the same thing happen with the Green Bay Packers last year.

New England Patriots (No. 5)

The mini-offensive crisis the Patriots went through a couple weeks ago seems to have passed. They've won three games in a row, and have scored over 30 points in each one of them.

However, it's New England's defensive improvement that should be getting more attention. The Pats have really clamped down in their last three games, which is pretty impressive considering how badly the injury bug has bitten their defense.

In all honesty, I still have my doubts about the Patriots' ability to succeed come playoff time, but I have a feeling they're going to keep improving as we speed towards the end of the regular season. With the exception of a matchup against the Broncos and their awesome defense, the Patriots have it pretty easy the rest of the way.

Baltimore Ravens (No. 2)

The Ravens have played three games in which they looked like the worst team in the league.

In the other eight games they've played, the Ravens have looked like the best team in the league. Recently, we're talking about a Ravens team that has knocked off the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers (with an ugly loss in Seattle mixed in).

The win over the 49ers was particularly impressive. The Ravens were just okay offensively, but they put on a defensive clinic, sacking Alex Smith nine times en route to a 16-6 win.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the Ravens have played their last two games without Ray Lewis. If they can be this hot without him, there's no telling how hot they could get when he returns.

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 13 Power Rankings

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