NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Predicting Every Division Winner

With 12 weeks of the NFL season in the bag, the leaders in each division are becoming ever clearer. Though key divisional games remain for every team, there are teams far enough ahead that it's not so hard to determine which squads will win their respective divisions.

In the following slides, I detail each team I predict will end the season with a division title, and I will close with my full 32-team power rankings for Week 13.

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys

While the Dallas Cowboys are only one game ahead of the New York Giants in the NFC East, one glance at the two teams' remaining schedules and it's clear the Cowboys have a far easier path to maintain their lead than the Giants have to take it away.

The Giants' challenge begins on Monday night when they take on the New Orleans Saints. It continues into Weeks 13 and 14 when the team takes on the Green Bay Packers and the Cowboys, respectively.

The Cowboys and Giants meet twice in the remainder of the season, but those two meetings mark the most difficult of Dallas' remaining games.

Based on strength of schedule and the fact Dallas has been a more consistent team than the Giants this season, I don't see the team giving up its NFC East lead.

NFC North: Green Bay Packers

Though a lot can happen in a month in the NFL, one of those things won't be the Green Bay Packers losing their lead in the NFC North. At 11-0, the defending Super Bowl champions are the lone undefeated team in the league, most recently defeating the rival Detroit Lions in Week 12.

The Packers have made it clear that no matter the opponent, they can easily manage to win. Most of their wins can be attributed to the brilliant play of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his many talented receivers, but their defense has made plays of their own this season.

Green Bay does have some difficult opponents ahead, including the New York Giants, Oakland Raiders and their final meetings with the Lions and Chicago Bears. But if history is any indicator, the Packers won't have much trouble besting any of these teams.

It is a bit presumptuous to say that the Packers won't notch a regular-season loss, however it's not a stretch to assume they will remain at the top of the NFC North when the year comes to a close.

NFC South: New Orleans Saints

Up just one game on the Atlanta Falcons, the New Orleans Saints still have work to do if they want to maintain control of the NFC South.

However, considering the Saints' track record late in the season in concert with the two teams' remaining schedules and it's likely New Orleans will end its year still on the top.

Though overshadowed by the brilliant play of the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers, the Saints' Drew Brees has had an incredible year, leading the NFL's top-performing offense to the tune of 3,326 passing yards for 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 70.9 completion percentage.

The Falcons are a solid football team right now, to be sure, but the Saints are simply better. On top through 12 weeks, New Orleans should stay that way once the regular season ends.

NFC West: San Francisco 49ers

Though the San Francisco 49ers lost in Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens, that's only their second loss of the season and they're five games up on their closest competition in the NFC West. That means that it's going to take an epic collapse if the Niners are going to lose their iron grip on the division title.

San Francisco has boasted a strong defense for three seasons now, but this is the first year that it has managed to match that success on offense.

The key to the Niners' success has been in the running game and a short passing offense that plays to the strengths of quarterback Alex Smith, neither asking too much of him nor diminishing his role.

While the team has vulnerabilities that may limit its ability to last very long in the postseason, there's little to indicate that the Niners won't end the year with the NFC West title.

AFC East: New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are perennially one of the more intimidating teams as the season heads into its closing weeks, and it's no different this year.

The Patriots are coming off of a 31-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles and head into a relatively easy remainder of the season that sees them face the winless Indianapolis Colts in Week 13 before closing out the season with two divisional games.

Though the team has serious issues with its defense, which has been hit with a series of injuries that has left them with a random assembly of players, it shouldn't harm it in their last five games. New England should have no trouble winning the AFC East this year.

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens

While the Baltimore Ravens are in a tight race with the Pittsburgh Steelers for dominance of the AFC North and the Cincinnati Bengals aren't far behind the two teams, it will be the Ravens who end the year with a division title.

The only thing standing in the way of this goal is the Cleveland Browns. And the Ravens shouldn't have much trouble dispatching the last-place team in their division and one of the worst in the league.

Though the Steelers have a chance to overtake Baltimore, they need another win against the Cincinnati Bengals, two against the Browns and one against the San Francisco 49ers to do it.

That's a tall order for a Steelers team still trying to iron out its considerable inconsistencies. Baltimore will remain one step ahead of its rivals and snag the AFC North title from last year's Super Bowl runners-up.

AFC South: Houston Texans

The Houston Texans seem to be in bad shape, at first glance, with the team losing its starting quarterback Matt Schaub for the year and his backup Matt Leinart as well.

Though it has yet to be confirmed that Leinart's collarbone injury is season-ending, it's just a matter of time until he also ends up on injury reserve.

Though Houston may sign a veteran to back up former third-string QB T.J. Yates, it's appearing more and more likely that they will stick with Yates as the starter.

This doesn't seem to bode well for their chances to retain their lead in the AFC South, especially with a strong Tennessee Titans squad hoping to capitalize on this latest setback for the Texans.

However, the Texans have a great three-headed rushing attack that's also extremely competent in the passing game, a talented wide receiver in Andre Johnson (who Yates needs to get more comfortable throwing to), a reliable security measure in tight end Owen Daniels and a strong defense.

It takes more than a quarterback to win games, and the Texans will prove that as they retain control over the AFC South, winning the division for the first time in franchise history.

AFC West: Oakland Raiders

With the San Diego Chargers on a six-game losing streak, the AFC West has suddenly become anyone's division. While all eyes are on the Tim Tebow-led Denver Broncos, which have won their last four in a row, it's the Oakland Raiders who will end up with the AFC West title.

The Broncos' streak of luck is due to run out while the Chargers are in such a bad place that it's hard to imagine the one-time Super Bowl favorites managing to turn things around enough to net them the AFC West title.

Meanwhile, the Raiders, who have won three games in a row and are looking more and more like a complete team with each game that passes.

The gamble they took when signing quarterback Carson Palmer appears to have paid off. The team has a solid running game whether it's led by Darren McFadden or Michael Bush, and their defense, while not the best in the division, is still mighty.

Oakland has two tough games in a row ahead of them, playing the Green Bay Packers in Week 14 and the Detroit Lions in Week 15. But they've faced challenges before and performed admirably.

Oakland is a serious team and that will be proven when they win the AFC West this year.

Full 32-Team NFL Power Rankings for Week 13

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

*Subject to change pending outcome of Monday night's Saints-Giants contest