NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Projecting the Entire NFL Playoff Picture

With every passing week, the playoff picture changes but also becomes slightly more clear. That said, here are the latest playoff projections heading into Week 15.

AFC

No. 1: Baltimore Ravens (13-3)

Thanks to their win over Houston early on, Baltimore gets the tiebreaker for the AFC's No. 1 seed. Led by a menacing defense that ranks in the Top 5 against both the pass and rush, the Ravens also got big wins over the Steelers, Bengals, and 49ers this season.

As long as running back Ray Rice can continue his dynamic dominance and keep the offense a multidimensional threat, it's going to be difficult for anyone to best the Ravens in Baltimore.

No. 2: Houston Texans (13-3)

Despite all their injuries, the Texans continue to win and get the AFC's No. 2 seed over New England thanks to a more difficult strength of schedule (both finish 10-2 in the AFC).

Houston has a defense that's arguably just as good, if not better, than Baltimore's, combined with the NFL's No. 2 ranked rushing offense. The passing offense may have suffered, but quarterback TJ Yates is gaining confidence and is playing much better than expected.

No. 3: New England Patriots (13-3)

Basically because of Tom Brady and one of the NFL's most explosive offenses, the Patriots finish 13-3. But because of a weak schedule, New England only gets the AFC's No. 3 seed.

Nonetheless, another home playoff game for New England as well as an AFC East title. The Pats' have struggled in recent postseasons, so it'll be interesting to see how the NFL's worst pass defense responds to a game of such magnitude.

No. 4: Denver Broncos (10-6)

It's been a complete team effort in The Mile High City. The offense is playing just well enough to score points and the defense locks down for a full 60-plus minutes.

Tim Tebow is giving deja vu feelings from the days of John Elway and with games coming down to wire each week, the Broncos have been barely getting by. To that end, it's a whole new animal in the playoffs and with the Steelers appearing to be their Wild Card opponent, Denver has their toughest challenge yet.

No. 5: Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)

If only it weren't for those pesky Ravens, the Steelers would be the AFC's No. 1 seed. Nonetheless, all that matters in Pittsburgh is making the playoffs.

The Steel Curtain is present once again in the stout Pittsburgh defense, and they own of the most explosive receiving cores to boot. All QB Ben Roethlisberger needs to do is air it out to speedster Mike Wallace and Pittsburgh can fly past anyone in the playoffs.

A concern, however, is the lack of a rushing attack–something that's unusual in The Steel City.

No. 6: Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)

Although the Bengals have lost four of their last five games, they've won the games they were suppose to win. We couldn't expect a team with a rookie QB and WR to beat the Ravens and Steelers but they've done well elsewhere.

Therefore, Cincinnati sneaks in as the AFC's No. 6 seed thanks to having the head-to-head tiebreaker over Tennessee. The Bengals have a respectable defense to go with a methodic offense, but AJ Green is one of the most exciting rookies this season.

He'll be the X-factor against the NFL's worst pass defense in New England against the Pats.

NFC

No. 1: Green Bay Packers (16-0)

On Sunday, that Packers defense had one of their best, if not the best, performance of 2011. They improved in passing yards allowed, picked off Carson Palmer four times and limited the Raiders ground game.

Other than that defensive performance, the offense remained in sync and Green Bay showed no signs of slowing down. With the Chiefs (away), Bears, and Lions remaining, 16-0 is quite possible.

No. 2: New Orleans Saints (13-3)

The Saints went into Tennessee with a 3-3 road record and all the pressure on them. Well, New Orleans answered the call and proved they were a much better and consistent road team than in previous years.

With three winnable games against Minnesota, Atlanta, and Carolina, finishing 13-3 and on an eight-game win streak lifts The Big Easy to the NFC's No. 2 seed.

No. 3: San Francisco 49ers (12-4)

Thanks to a choke against Arizona on the road, the 49ers become a vulnerable bunch. The pass defense was exploited and although RB Frank Gore played well, the Cardinals proved that if you force Alex Smith to beat you, the odds increase against San Francisco.

The 49ers need to become a more confident passing team as they rank No. 29, averaging barely over 180 pass yards per game. Frisco lacks the ability to stretch the defense, so when teams stack the box against Frank Gore, the game then moves into the hands on Smith and right now that won't get San Francisco past the divisional round in the postseason.

No. 4: New York Giants (9-7)

On Sunday night the Giants earned what can be considered their biggest win of the 2011 season in Dallas. QB Eli Manning has been on fire despite the nonexistence of any running game and New York remains alive in the playoff hunt.

Fortunately for Big Blue, Washington comes to visit in Week 15 and then the Jets and Cowboys follow. All three games are winnable but the only the Redskins and Cowboys matter. With Dallas once again inconsistent, the Giants head to the playoffs over Big D.

Despite having the NFL's worst rushing attack and one of the worst defenses, Eli Manning is proving that he is an elite NFL QB by putting the Giants on his back.

No. 5: Atlanta Falcons (10-6)

After a tough road loss to Houston, the Falcons got a much-needed win over Carolina in Week 14. The win keeps Atlanta positioned well for the top Wild Card spot and they have two winnable games left (Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, they won't beat New Orleans).

That said, the offense has begun to light it up, with Matt Ryan tossing four TDs against the Panthers and the defense remains stout against the rush.

Pass defense needs to improve a little more however, better late than never.

No. 6: Detroit Lions (9-7)

Basically, as the Chicago Bears are on a down fall due to injuries, the Detroit Lions get the NFC's final playoff spot. Also, thanks to them having a head-to-head tiebreaker over Dallas, the Lions get the nod.

All this being said, Detroit's rush defense still needs a lot of work as they rank just No. 27 and allow almost 140 rush yards per game. The passing offense remains one of the best in the NFL however they're not yet good enough to win games with limited possessions and time.

Follow John Rozum on Twitter @ Sportswriter27