NFL Power Rankings: Looking at the League's Top 10 Teams

Now that 13 weeks of the NFL season are behind us, the top teams in the league have more clearly distinguished themselves from the mediocre and bad squads.

Though there's been a bit of a shakeup at the top, the 10 best teams in the NFL haven't moved much in weeks, a testament to their ability to maintain dominance over a number of weeks in an extremely unpredictable league.

Here, I examine each of these top teams before providing you with my all-32 power rankings as we head into Week 14.

No. 1: Green Bay Packers

Still undefeated, the Green Bay Packers retain their stranglehold on the top spot in the power rankings for yet another week.

This time, they managed to best the New York Giants 38-35, simply because they made less errors than their opponent.

That lack of errors, combined with some of the best quarterback play we've seen all year, has kept the defending Super Bowl champions at the top of the power rankings week after week, and as we edge ever closer to the end of the season, it's hard to imagine either of them giving up the top spot or notching a loss.

Though no team is invincible, the Packers certainly look that way. They next host the unpredictable Oakland Raiders, and while that team has a good shot of defeating the 12-0 Packers, the odds are ever-increasingly against them.

While Green Bay's 31st-ranked passing defense may trouble the team in the postseason, for the time being, their high-powered offense is enough to both win them games and put them atop the power rankings on a weekly basis.

No. 2: New Orleans Saints

By defeating the Detroit Lions in spectacular fashion in Week 13, the New Orleans Saints leapfrogged the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers to take control of the No. 2 spot in my Week 14 power rankings.

The Saints boast the most powerful passing offense in the NFL, averaging 325 yards per game via the air every week.

Quarterback Drew Brees is second only to the Packers' Aaron Rodgers in terms of passer rating, completing on average 70 percent of his passes per game for a total of 4,031 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

New Orleans looks like the only team in the NFC that could defeat the 12-0 Packers, and based on that and on their impressive record, they're clearly the No. 2 team in the league.

No. 3: Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are 4-0 in the AFC North, and though they have the same 9-3 record as the Pittsburgh Steelers, they have control of the division thanks to a two-game sweep of the Steelers earlier this season.

Most recently, the Ravens easily dispatched the struggling Cleveland Browns, 24-10, and have all but locked up their fourth playoff appearance in as many years.

The key to the Ravens' success has been their defense, helped considerably by their running game led by Ray Rice. Though quarterback Joe Flacco has appeared at times to be a liability to his team, he's been successful in a conservative, game-managerial role that has cost his team just three wins.

Considering how much of a team relies on its quarterback to win (or not lose) games, the Ravens have managed well with Flacco under center. They're the AFC's top team, so clearly, Flacco's doing more things right than he is wrong.

No. 4: San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have only dropped to No. 4 because the New Orleans Saints took over the No. 2 spot in the power rankings this week, but that doesn't mean the Niners are slipping.

At 10-2, San Francisco has not just locked up a playoff spot, but has already won the NFC West division, marking one of the most surprising turnarounds of the year.

At 6-10 in 2010, no one thought the Niners would emerge as Super Bowl contenders in the following season. But, on the strength of their defense (which has yet to allow a rushing touchdown all year) and their efficient offensive attack, they've fought their way into being one of the NFL's best teams.

Though it's as yet unknown if San Francisco can maintain their regular-season success in the postseason, it's already confirmed we'll see the team in January. As one of two teams that can say so through 13 weeks, they've easily earned a spot in the top five this week.

No. 5: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been ping-ponging about the power rankings this season, starting the year on a downswing that they've managed to put behind them for the most part now that we're in the most crucial month of the season.

What the Steelers need to clinch a wild card playoff spot is wins, and they're on a good path, defeating division-mates the Cincinnati Bengals 35-7 in Week 13, propelling the team back into the top five in the power rankings yet again.

While it's not a foregone conclusion that the Baltimore Ravens will end up with the AFC North title once the regular season closes, it's going to be hard for them to lose control of their significant divisional lead.

That means that the Steelers will need to continue to play on a high level so they can assure themselves a spot in the postseason where they've become familiar fixtures in the last decade.

It's not just that they notched a win in Week 13, it's that it was so convincing, and against a good team, that puts Pittsburgh back in the league's top five this week.

No. 6: New England Patriots

It's no shock that the New England Patriots defense has been giving up a lot of points this season, most recently allowing the winless Indianapolis Colts to put up 24 of their own.

However, the Patriots haven't allowed many opponents to notch wins on them this year, with the team sitting atop the AFC East with a 9-3 record on the strength of their Tom Brady-led offense, perennially one of the NFL's best.

Those three losses—to the Buffalo Bills when they were on an early season tear, to the talented Pittsburgh Steelers and to the New York Giants, who employed an effective strategy to neutralize Brady and company—won't likely be accompanied by any more, considering the easy remaining schedule for the team.

That means one of the most intimidating playoff teams in recent memory will have another trip to the postseason this year. And thanks to a shift in their offensive strategy over the past year, they're no longer a predictable team.

More dangerous than ever, the Patriots have earned a spot in the top 10 this week.

No. 7: Houston Texans

A funny thing happened in Week 13—the Houston Texans, with third-string quarterback T.J. Yates at the helm of the team's offense—defeated the Atlanta Falcons, capitalizing on the Falcons' numerous mistakes and increasing their lead over the Tennessee Titans.

Once starting quarterback Matt Schaub was put on injured reserve, everyone wondered how well the AFC-leading Texans would fare. And then, when backup Matt Leinart also suffered a season-ending injury, most thought Houston's playoff run would hit a significant snag.

However, Yates has performed well in the starting role, going 12-of-25 for 188 yards and a score in his debut performance.

As long as he can manage similar stats for the remainder of the season, the rest of the Texans' venerable offense and, of course, their top-10 defense, he should be able to keep the team's postseason hopes alive.

For a team that hasn't reached the playoffs nor won their division since their inception, Houston is having one of the best seasons they could have hoped for this year. Despite injuries, they've been able to prevail.

That's good enough for a top 10 spot in my power rankings this week.

No. 8: Cincinnati Bengals

Despite losing a divisional game in spectacular fashion in Week 13, the Cincinnati Bengals remain in the top 10. At 7-5, they have more than a good chance of seeing the postseason this year as a wild card entrant, which is extremely impressive for a squad pegged to have a losing record when the year started.

Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has performed very well thus far, his only struggles seeming to come against the Pittsburgh Steelers tough defense.

Dalton has 17 touchdowns to 12 interceptions thus far this year, primarily helped along by fellow rookie, wide receiver A.J. Green, who has been one of the year's revelations.

Though it's a tough road ahead for the Bengals, with contests against the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens still to come, they've had more successes than failures this season and should be a tough team to beat while they claw for a postseason berth.

No. 9: Dallas Cowboys

At 7-5, the Dallas Cowboys have tenuous control over the NFC East, and their Week 13 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals didn't do them any favors.

Despite that loss, the Cowboys dropped only one spot in my power rankings between Weeks 13 and 14, with the team as a whole more talented than their inconsistent season belies.

Before losing to the Cardinals, Dallas was on a four-game win streak that saw them defeat opponents from a number of divisions. Though the Cowboys have a penchant of dropping to less-difficult challengers while defeating more talented teams, they've managed to put together a season worthy of the top 10.

Quarterback Tony Romo has thrown 22 touchdowns to just nine interceptions and has been picked off just twice in his last five games.

Though the team's running game has flattened with fullback Tony Fiammetta suffering from an illness and thus dropping the production of star tailback DeMarco Murray in recent weeks, it's still been a significant help to Romo, who is prone to mistakes when asked to carry the entire Dallas offense.

The Cowboys will need to stay on track the next few weeks, with the New York Giants threatening to take the division away from them. But if they manage more wins, they should see the postseason this year.

No. 10: Atlanta Falcons

A number of potential NFC Wild Card teams fell in Week 13, meaning that the playing field hasn't changed much. The Atlanta Falcons are one of three 7-5 teams vying for one of those two spots and have a slim lead over the Detroit Lions based on conference wins.

The Falcons will need more than just a slim lead to clinch that spot, however, in the highly-competitive NFC, with a number of teams making strong cases for themselves as worthy of a postseason appearance.

With three of their remaining four games within the NFC South, the Falcons have a great chance to notch wins in at least two of them, likely securing them a spot in the playoffs for the second year in a row.

What Atlanta needs to work on is offensive consistency. They aren't the most reliable team when faced with adversity, and that's a necessary component of any team trying to make a push in December. If they can shore that issue up in a short time, they'll be a serious contender in the NFC come January.

Full 32-Team NFL Power Rankings for Week 14

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

*Subject to change pending outcome of Monday night's Chargers-Jaguars contest