NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Top Teams That Should Be Worried

When you're a top team in the NFL, it isn't just about wins and losses in the regular season; it's about being at your best when the playoffs arrive.

Making the playoffs isn't enough for these teams; they are looking for a prize much grander: winning the Super Bowl.

That's why three top teams in particular should be worried right now, despite holding stellar regular-season records.

Here are three top teams that need to get better to make it to the Super Bowl.

3. New England Patriots (10-3)

Obviously, the Patriots aren't a bad football team.

They are averaging 30.5 points per game this season, third in the NFL, and have won their last five games.

However, a closer look indicates some room for concern.

Of the Patriots' five straight wins, four have come against teams basically out of the playoff picture, and one came against the New York Jets, who were struggling at the time.

On top of that, the Patriots lost two straight games to the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers before their run and beat the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins by just a touchdown apiece.

The last game against the Redskins saw quarterback Tom Brady get in a shouting match with offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien after Brady threw an interception late in the game.

These aren't the same elite Patriots of the past few years.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)

The Steelers still have a dominant defense, which projects them to go far into the playoffs, but I'm not so sure they'll reach the Super Bowl this season.

The Steelers are averaging a ho-hum 21.7 points per game this season, nothing especially impressive. I wonder if they can fight through tough defenses when the postseason comes along.

We've already seen them exposed against the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens this season.

1. San Francisco 49ers (10-3)

It's wasn't just that the 49ers lost to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14.

It's that the offensive line and quarterback Alex Smith reverted back to their struggles from early in the season.

Smith was sacked five times against the Cardinals, and he went 18-of-37 for 175 yards.

The 49ers also scored just six points against the Ravens in Week 12.

This team's red-zone woes must be fixed if the 49ers expect to make a deep run into the playoffs, even with the defense they have.