NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Which Bottom-Feeder Is Leading Luck Sweepstakes?

The NFL this year has an influx of teams that have failed to compete.

It seems like a majority of them have seen their rosters ravaged with injuries or have just underperformed. Either way, teams like the Indianapolis Colts continue to tank their season, and their fans hope for a win every week. 

The Colts are so bad this year that losing by just eight points is a sign of improvement. The team has gone from being 11-0 heading into the 13th week of the season in 2009 to an amazing 0-11 in two years.  

It’s hard to believe that one player is responsible for making this go from winning their first 11 games to losing them all. However, without quarterback Peyton Manning, this offense goes from being in the top five of passing offense to 28th. Without Peyton, the Colts have gone from being a threat to score on every possession to a team that is a threat to turn the ball over on every possession.  

Last year, the Colts finished the season fourth in the NFL in scoring with 27 points per game. This year, they find themselves ranked 30th in the NFL only scoring 14 points per game.  

Even the Colts' owner Jim Irsay has sent out a tweet that mentioned their desire to win their first game, while still being in play for Stanford’s quarterback Andrew Luck.  

They have a great chance at finishing with that No. 1 pick, but teams like the St. Louis Rams are proving to be a threat at taking that pick away from them.  

The Rams need a lot of help to get them back to where they were last year. If they happen to get that first pick they will not take Luck. Instead, they will take Oklahoma State’s wide receiver Justin Blackmon.  

St. Louis has to take this receiver to round out a Rams offense that needs a big-play receiver. Adding Blackmon will give quarterback Sam Bradford a weapon that he can grow with.  

Having Brandon Lloyd as Bradford’s top receiving target is good, but Lloyd is not on the same level as a player like Blackmon.  

This year, St. Louis ranks 26th in passing offense with a terrible seven touchdowns on the year.

Adding Blackmon, plus getting the offensive line and Bradford healthy, will give this Rams team a passing attack it hasn’t seen since the days of Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger. 

The NFL still has five weeks left in it’s season. There is still a lot of time for these bad teams to win a few games and ruin their chance at getting an impact rookie that will improve their team.  

It’s hard to suggest that teams should tank games. However, when there are talented rookies like Luck and Blackmon losing seems like the best option. 

T.J. McAloon's NFL Power Rankings

Ranking	Team	Record
1	Green Bay Packers	11-0
2	New Orleans Saints	8-3
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	8-3
4	Baltimore Ravens	8-3
5	Houston Texans	8-3
6	San Francisco 49ers	9-2
7	New England Patriots	8-3
8	Atlanta Falcons	7-4
9	Oakland Raiders	7-4
10	Dallas Cowboys	7-4
11	Chicago Bears	7-4
12	Cincinnati Bengals	7-4
13	Denver Broncos	6-5
14	Detroit Lions	7-4
15	New York Giants	6-5
16	Tennessee Titans	6-5
17	New York Jets	6-5
18	Washington Redskins	4-7
19	Buffalo Bills	5-6
20	Miami Dolphins	3-8
21	Seattle Seahawks	4-7
22	Kansas City Chiefs	4-7
23	Cleveland Browns	4-7
24	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-7
25	San Diego Chargers	4.7
26	Jacksonville Jaguars	3-8
27	Arizona Cardinals	4-7
28	Philadelphia Eagles	4-7
29	Carolina Panthers	3-8
30	Minnesota Vikings	2-9
31	St. Louis Rams	2-9
32	Indianapolis Colts	0-11

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