NFL Power Rankings: Fading Contenders That Need a Miracle

There are a lot of time-honored cliches in football. One of my personal favorites is that there is always "a lot of football left to be played," which is typically used when discussing teams that are on life support.

Well, we're at the point in the season when there's really not a lot of football left to be played. We're down to the three-week mark, which means there is precious little time left for teams that need to make a move.

There are some contenders around the league in good shape, but there are some that need something drastic in order to make the playoffs.

In fact, there are four teams that need a miracle. Plain and simple.

Cincinnati Bengals (No. 11)

There was a time when the Bengals were 6-2 and, if I recall correctly, they would have been the AFC's No. 1 seed if the season had ended on that day.

So much for that. The Bengals have been humbled by the best the AFC has to offer and are currently on the outside looking in as it pertains to the wild-card chase. To make the playoffs, they're must finish strong.

In all likelihood, that means the Bengals will have to wrap up their season with a win against the Baltimore Ravens. That's when their miracle must come, as the Bengals simply haven't demonstrated they are capable of beating a team as good as the Ravens.

If the Bengals are lucky, the Ravens will give them the game by resting their starters for the playoffs. Even then, the Bengals are going to need fortune to be on their side. 

Dallas Cowboys (No. 14)

Normally, I wouldn't consider a team on a two-game losing streak to be "fading," but I'm going to make a special exception in the Cowboys' case.

This is because they are directly responsible for their own predicament. In back-to-back weeks, they've killed themselves via a series of horrible brain cramps (or "brain farts," if you prefer), one against the Arizona Cardinals and the other against the rival New York Giants.

Suddenly, the Cowboys have lost the NFC East lead and are on pace to miss out on the playoffs altogether. Pretty amazing when you consider how good they looked a couple weeks ago.

As for how the Cowboys can rebound, it's a simple matter of them getting their heads on straight. If they do not, they could very well lose their next two games at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and against the Philadelphia Eagles, opponents that could be too easily underestimated. If the Cowboys drop both or even one of these games, they're done.

The pressure is on them not to muck it up. Because we're talking about the Cowboys, I wish them luck with that.

One last thing. The Cowboys will have to do all this without a key player. Per Rob Phillips of DallasCowboys.com:

Oakland Raiders (No. 16)

When the Raiders rolled into Miami in Week 13, they were in first place in the AFC West and in control of their own playoff destiny.

Now they're staring up at the Denver Broncos in the division and their playoff hopes are resting on several different scenarios. They're not going to be able to get there alone.

The final three games on their schedule are all winnable, but the Raiders can't be counted on to win them at this point—not with Darren McFadden still out and Carson Palmer throwing interceptions left and right.

However, I'm willing to believe the Raiders can get it done. They've been able to survive a good portion of this season on grit alone, and they're going to need to do that again if they are to make the playoffs.

Chicago Bears (No. 17)

Predictably, the Bears have lost each of the three games they've played since Jay Cutler was knocked out with a broken thumb.

It doesn't help that their offense as a whole has gone in the tank with Matt Forte out with an injured knee. With both Cutler and Forte out, the Bears are relying on defense and special teams more than ever before.

Defense and special teams will only take you so far, and the Bears are looking at a situation in which they'll have to win out in order to even have a shot at making the playoffs. To boot, they still have to play the Packers in Green Bay.

Maybe the Bears do need Donovan McNabb...

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 15 Power Rankings

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