NFL Power Rankings: Teams That Will Be Ready to Contend in 2012

At this point, roughly half of the teams in the NFL are in the playoff race.

As for the other half...well, thanks for playing. Better luck next year.

Of course, some of them actually will have better luck next year. There are plenty of bad teams around the league, but a couple of them are just a couple pieces away from being ready to contend. They're down now, but they'll be on the rise in 2012.

Here are five teams that I think you can expect to see in the race this time next year.

San Diego Chargers (No. 25)

The Chargers are an absolute mess of a team. They've lost six games in a row, Norv Turner is on the hot seat, and Philip Rivers hasn't been right all year. They were supposed to be the best team in the AFC West, but they're arguably the worst.

The bright side is that not many changes need to be made in order for the Chargers to come back strong in 2012. Turner obviously has to go, and the Chargers need to use the draft to bolster their offensive line and their secondary, but aside from these things the Chargers are pretty well set.

As for Rivers, my gut feeling is that he'll bounce back. He hasn't been right this year, but even the best quarterbacks in the league are allowed to have one bad year. Rivers' track record suggests he's one of the league's best QBs, and I expect him to be just that once again in 2012.

Carolina Panthers (No. 24)

Cam Newton is going to be a star, and his connection with Steve Smith is scary good.

If only the Panthers could play defense...

The good news is that the Panthers are likely going to have a top-10 draft pick with which to add to their defense. If they make a few moves in free agency and via trades, they could come into 2012 with a much-improved defense.

If they do, the Panthers are going to be ready to make some noise in the NFC South. It's a strong division, but I'll wager that it's not going to belong to any one team in particular.

Besides, it's just a matter of time before Newton is the best quarterback in the division.

Seattle Seahawks (No. 21)

Very few people have noticed, but the Seahawks are a pretty decent defensive team. Their problem is that they are a downright atrocious offensive team.

The best way to fix this problem will be to draft a quarterback, and you have to think the Seahawks are going to do that in the 2012 draft. It's going to be thick with talented quarterbacks, and the Seahawks are going to be in good position to take one.

Shoot, we may even see Pete Carroll reunite with Matt Barkley. Wouldn't that be something.

Assuming the Seahawks get a capable quarterback, their offense should be much better than it currently is under Tarvaris Jackson's watch. The Seahawks won't transform into an elite team, but they might be good enough to give the San Francisco 49ers a run for their money in the NFC West.

Washington Redskins (No. 20)

The Redskins are in the same boat as the Seahawks. They have a pretty good team, but they're missing a quarterback.

Similarly, you can expect the Redskins to target a quarterback in the draft. They won't get Andrew Luck, but guys like Barkley, Landry Jones and Robert Griffin III will all be legit possibilities.

Because their defense is so good, the Redskins won't need their new quarterback to be great. He would only need to be better than Rex Grossman and John Beck.

In my estimation, that's not asking too much.

Philadelphia Eagles (No. 19)

The Eagles have fallen well short of expectations this season, but that doesn't mean they need to be blown up.

More than anything, what the Eagles needed was more time to come together as a unit. They're going to get just that in a lockout-less offseason, and they're also going to be able to grab some good talent in the draft. A stud linebacker would be a great addition.

If the Eagles come back next year with the same team plus a few key additions, they're going to be a threat to win the NFC West. To put in simple terms, 2012 will be what 2011 was supposed to be.

And no, I don't think they need to get rid of Andy Reid.

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