NFL Power Rankings: Elite Teams That Should Rest Up Before Playoffs

To rest, or not to rest?

That is the question only elite teams get to answer, and they should feel lucky they get to even ask themselves this question. It signifies they've done very well for themselves and that they are pretty much home free no matter what they do.

There are a couple of teams at the top of the league that could rest up for the postseason, but there are three in particular that should rest up for the postseason. They've proved enough, and there's simply no reason for them to risk sabotaging their playoff chances.

Let's discuss.

Houston Texans (No. 7)

The Texans have virtually nothing left to play for in the final three weeks of the season. They've already locked up the AFC South, and they're likely going to end up with a first-round bye and maybe even home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Yeah, they've had a good year.

Well, apart from all the injuries. The Texans haven't been at full strength all season, and they're not going to be at full strength when the playoffs start. That they are where they are at all is pretty remarkable.

Now that they've gotten this far, the last thing the Texans should want to do is risk more injuries to more key players. For example, it would be a disaster if Arian Foster got injured again, and the Texans have several players on defense they can't afford to lose. It's bad enough they've been forced to rough it without Mario Williams.

It's true the Texans will risk losing the momentum they've built up during their seven-game win streak. However, the way I see it, that momentum is going to be lost to their bye week anyway. They may as well take the extra rest.

Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 5)

The Steelers are still alive in the AFC North race, but they'll at least end up with a wild-card berth if they can't catch the Baltimore Ravens before the season is over.

Because they're going to make the playoffs either way, the Steelers' primary concern should be their collective health.

Two players in particular come to mind. One is Maurkice Pouncey, who is once again battling a high ankle sprain. The other is Ben Roethlisberger, who is also battling a high ankle sprain.

The Steelers can afford to take chances with neither of these guys. Pouncey is the best offensive lineman the Steelers have, and Big Ben is...well, he's Big Ben.

The thing about Big Ben is we know he can play through pain. He proved as much for the umpteenth time against the Cleveland Browns last Thursday night. The only trouble is high ankle sprains are no laughing matter, and he's going to be at risk every time he drops back to pass behind Pittsburgh's shaky offensive line.

Of course, the Steelers won't do anything right away, as they're not about to yield to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. But after that, they play the St. Louis Rams and Cleveland Browns.

That's when the Steelers should ease up a bit. They don't want the story of their 2011 season to be how the Rams and/or Browns ruined everything. 

San Francisco 49ers (No. 4)

The 49ers are officially in a battle with the New Orleans Saints for the NFC's No. 2 seed, which, of course, comes with a first-round bye. 

The reason the 49ers find themselves in this battle is because they haven't quite been themselves in the last three weeks, and it's becoming clear that several key players are suffering from nagging injuries.

Frank Gore seems to be one of them, and that's something that should frighten the 49ers. They need him to be at 100 percent in order for their offense to be merely decent. Without Gore, the 49ers' offense is downright bad.

The 49ers obviously can't stash Gore on the bench because of that, but one thing they should do is take it easy on him. This is especially true of their looming tilt with the Steelers, one of the most physically punishing teams in the league.

By comparison, the 49ers are going to be facing some much softer defenses once they get into the playoffs. It's in their interest to make sure Gore is healthy for those games, as his production will be the difference between going home and going forward.

In addition to keeping a close eye on Gore, the 49ers should keep a close eye on Patrick Willis. He's not hurt that bad, but you never know with hamstrings.

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	6-7
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	2-11
32	Indianapolis Colts	0-13