NFL Power Rankings: Red-Hot Teams That Will Continue to Rise

With Week 15 on the horizon there are just three weeks remaining in the NFL's regular season. While some teams are limping toward the finish line, there are many others who are making late charges and aiming to finish strong.

Not all of those teams are going to make the playoffs, but it has to be an encouraging thing to build off of for next season.

Hot streaks can certainly go awry at any time in a league as deep and talented as the NFL, but there are plenty of teams with a good chance to keep rolling. Here are three teams that will continue their recent strong play with victories this weekend.

Seattle Seahawks

After a rough start to the season, it looked as if the Seattle Seahawks will take a nose dive after winning the NFC West last season. While the Seahawks have already lost the division crown to the San Francisco 49ers, they can actually improve upon last season's record with at least two wins in their final three games.Seattle has already won four of its past five games, so that certainly seems like a real possibility.

The Seahawks have used a highly underrated defense and inspired play from running back Marshawn Lynch to go on an impressive tear as of late.

Not only has Seattle been winning, but it has been lambasting its opponents in recent weeks. The Seahawks have to go on the road this week, but it is against a Chicago Bears team decimated by injuries. Without quarterback Jay Cutler or running back Matt Forte, I doubt the Bears have the firepower to trip up Seattle.

New Orleans Saints

With the exception of the undefeated Green Bay Packers, the New Orleans Saints may very well be the hottest team in the league.

Not only have they won five straight games in fairly convincing fashion, but quarterback Drew Brees and the offense are locked in right now. That should continue to be the case on Sunday as the Saints take on the struggling Minnesota Vikings and their 26th-ranked defense against the pass.

Regardless of how bad the Vikings are it is never easy to play against them in their own dome. That shouldn't be a deterrent for Brees and the Saints, though, as no team is as proficient under a roof as the Saints.

New Orleans is more known for its offense, but the defense has buckled down in recent weeks as well. If running back Adrian Peterson plays for the Vikings then this game could be a challenge, but otherwise the Saints will romp the Vikes.

Arizona Cardinals

After a 1-6 start to the season, the Arizona Cardinals seemed to be destined for a top-five pick in the NFL Draft. Like the NFC West counterpart Seattle Seahawks, however, the Cards have done a complete 180-degree turn.

Arizona has now won five of its past six games, including victories over top-notch squads like the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. I have no doubt that will continue at home against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

It is unclear whether Kevin Kolb or John Skelton will start at quarterback for the Cardinals this week, but that hasn't mattered lately. Both signal-callers have been getting the ball in the hands of Larry Fitzgerald and doing a good job managing the offense.

The cornerstone for Arizona, though, has been its running game with Beanie Wells and its ever-improving defense. The Browns are a mess at the moment, so the Cardinals should roll to yet another win.

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