NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Projecting Records for All 32 Teams

With only two weeks left in the NFL season, there likely won't be much change in the power rankings or projected records anymore.

Of course, with the Indianapolis Colts winning and the Green Bay Packers losing on Sunday, it would be safe to say that anything is possible in the NFL.

Here are the Week 16 power rankings with projected records for all 32 teams.

32. St Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams have officially replaced the Indianapolis Colts as the worst team in the NFL.

It's not something I'm proud to say, but it's the truth. This team is a mess. They get blown out, they can't win close games and they're starting Kellen Clemens as their quarterback.

Yep, Kellen Clemens. Need I say more?

Final Record: 2-14

No team has a more difficult schedule as the Rams take on the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers in the last two weeks. My prediction is they get outscored by at least 60 points in those game.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

What? The Jacksonville Jaguars are also worse than the Indianapolis Colts? 

Yes, they are, and here are three reasons why:

1) Blaine Gabbert is posting a 65.6 quarterback rating this year

2) Gabbert is completing barely over 50 percent of his passes

3) Gabbert is Jacksonville's starting quarterback

I think the problem for Jacksonville is pretty clear.

Final Record: 4-12

Both the Tennessee Titans and Colts will beat the Jaguars. It's just simple logic.

30. Indianapolis Colts

I'd first like to welcome the Indianapolis Colts to the winning side of things for the first time this year.

It was a beautiful win for them against a difficult team in the Tennessee Titans. The most impressive statistic from this win has to be Donald Brown's 161 rushing yards on just 16 carries.

I doubt he will be the second coming of Edgerrin James, but Brown is only in his third year in the league. Indianapolis has been waiting for that type of performance from him.

Final Record: 2-14

I really wanted to say the Colts were going to win out and finish 3-13, but I realized I was just getting caught up in the moment. We all do that when a team wins their first game of the season. It's just usually not 15 weeks into the year.

29. Minnesota Vikings

It's really a shame to see the Minnesota Vikings this low in the power rankings.

They arguably have the best offensive player (Adrian Peterson) and defensive one (Jared Allen) in the NFL, yet they are still struggling mightily. The biggest problem with this team is that it appears they are a few years away from competing again.

There isn't just one issue to solve in the draft or one free agent to sign; it's a bevy of problems.

Final Record: 3-13

The Vikings will beat the Chicago Bears in Week 17. That's about as bold as I go.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With each game the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose by huge margins, it becomes more and more clear that the problem is Josh Freeman.

He has regressed as much as any quarterback in the league has this year, and there are major doubts about him being the answer for Tampa Bay in the future.

While the Buccaneers aren't likely to draft a quarterback this year, I wouldn't be surprised if they bring in a veteran free agent just in case Freeman can't turn it around in 2012.

Final Record: 4-12

Tampa Bay has given up 72 points in the past two weeks, and they might give up even more in the next two weeks.

27. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns were my sleeper team this year. By sleeper team, I was hoping that they would surprise everyone on their way to the playoffs rather than actually sleeping on the field while other teams run all over them, which is what has happened to them this year.

The defense is good and has young pieces. Joe Haden, Phil Taylor, Jabaal Sheard and D'Qwell Jackson can all play, so the defense isn't the problem.

This means that the offense is the problem, mainly Colt McCoy and Peyton Hillis. McCoy hasn't improved enough in his second year as a starter and Hillis has simply been a mess this year.

Should the offense take some steps forward in the offseason, 2012 could be a sleeper year for Cleveland.

Final Record: 4-12

The Browns have the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens remaining on their schedule. Can anyone say massacre?

26. Buffalo Bills

After starting the season 5-2, the Buffalo Bills have lost seven straight games.

Sure, injuries have something to do with the current streak of losses, but not as much as many people want to believe. The Bills defense was never that good, and now that their offense isn't playing very well, they simply aren't winning the games that they did earlier in the year.

One great thing that has come out of this season, however, has been C.J. Spiller finally starting to live up to his high draft pick.

Final Record: 5-11

Seven straight losses with turn into nine straight losses by the time the season is over.

25. Chicago Bears

It's almost crazy to think that the Chicago Bears have dropped this far this fast in the past four weeks.

However, there is no doubt that without Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, this team doesn't stand a chance in any game. Yes, the defense is still very good, but what does it matter when teams are able to score as many points defensively as your offense can score.

Things simply aren't going to be getting any better either.

Final Record: 7-9

Like I said earlier, the Bears won't win any more games this year, and that includes a Week 17 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

24. Miami Dolphins

After starting the season 0-7, the Miami Dolphins have since gone 5-2.

Much of that success belongs to the high level of play of Matt Moore and Reggie Bush. Neither of those players got much respect in the preseason, but now they are playing the best football of their careers.

Miami's defense has also stepped up its game, regaining its form from last season. The Dolphins are getting pressure on quarterbacks and causing turnovers.

Had Miami not started so slowly, it very well could have been a playoff contender this year.

Final Record: 5-11

The wins will stop for Miami with games remaining against the New England Patriots and the New York Jets.

23. Arizona Cardinals

I don't think that there has been a worse trade this year than the Arizona Cardinals' trade for Kevin Kolb in the preseason.

I'm not saying that Kolb is a failure. Well, actually I am saying that. 

The Cardinals are 2-6 when Kolb has started, and 5-1 when John Skelton has started. The crazy thing is that it's likely that Kolb will get the start in Week 16 if he is healthy.

If Arizona can win out, it has an outside chance at the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Cards won't do that with Kolb as their quarterback.

Final Record: 8-8

Arizona will go into Week 17 with a winning record, which is absolutely crazy, but it'll lose to the Seattle Seahawks.

22. Oakland Raiders

Even with a loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the Oakland Raiders got some good news. They still have a chance to win the AFC West, even after they've squandered a commanding lead these past three weeks.

However, that good news came with some bad news as Darren McFadden appears to be done for the season. Without McFadden, this offense isn't nearly as explosive as it needs to be to keep up with the other playoff contenders in the AFC.

While it's been a nice season for Oakland, it will likely end without a playoff berth.

Final Record: 8-8

The Raiders play two divisional opponents in the final two weeks of the season, and they'll split those games to finish in second place in the AFC West.

21. Kansas City Chiefs

Had anyone told me that the Kansas City Chiefs would have beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, I would have bet you one billion dollars that they wouldn't have. As you can tell, I'm not much of a betting man.

I'm not trying to be a downer on the Chiefs' big win, but is there any other team in the NFL that would have gotten within the 10-yard line four times in one game without scoring a touchdown? That's just missing out on opportunities.

On the bright side, Kyle Orton looked really good, but it doesn't really matter because he will lose his starting position in 2012 just like every other year.

Final Record: 7-9

This most recent win may have been enough to turn the Chiefs' season around, and they will get one more victory against the Oakland Raiders in Week 16.

20. Washington Redskins

Few teams have been as up-and-down as the Washington Redskins this year.

One week they are beating the New York Giants, and the next week they're losing to the Miami Dolphins. It's like they can't decide whether they want to be good or bad.

However, I do believe that this team is a quality quarterback away from making some serious noise in the NFC. If they can draft one of the top quarterbacks in the 2012 NFL Draft, they could surprise some teams next year.

Final Record: 6-10

Luckily, the Washington Redskins still get to play the Minnesota Vikings, which means they will get one more win on the year.

19. San Diego Chargers

How does a team lose six straight games in the middle of the season, only to come back to win three straight games and put themselves right back into the playoff picture?

It appears as if the San Diego Chargers are hitting their stride at the right time, as technically they still have a chance at the AFC West crown. They'll need some help, but we've seen that anything is possible in that division.

Their offense was the big issue this season, but after three straight games of scoring at least 34 points, it appears as if those issues have been fixed. This could be a dangerous team if they make the playoffs.

Final Record: 7-9

Unfortunately, I still have doubts about the Chargers and can't see them winning their last two games on the road against quality teams.

18. Tennessee Titans

After losing last week to the Indianapolis Colts, I think it is safe to say that the Tennessee Titans have hit their lowest point of the 2011 season.

The good news is that they can now officially turn the reins over to rookie Jake Locker. It's surprising that they haven't already done so considering the fact that whenever Locker comes in the game, he plays well and nearly brings his team back from a deficit.

He's absolutely the future quarterback for Tennessee, and it is definitely time for him to start.

Final Record: 8-8

One win against the Jacksonville Jaguars will keep the Titans in the playoff picture for one more week before they lose their final game to the Houston Texans.

17. Carolina Panthers

With Sunday's win against the Houston Texans, Cam Newton may have very well sealed up the Rookie of the Year Award.

He threw for two touchdowns and ran for 55 yards in the road victory. There is no doubt that he has been the most impressive offensive rookie this year, and now that he has started to win some games, the award is basically his.

The Carolina Panthers have also won three of their last four games, making them one of the hotter teams in the league in the past month.

Final Record: 6-10

Had the Panthers had any other team other than the New Orleans Saints in Week 17, they would have won both games to finish the season 7-9.

16. Cincinnati Bengals

There may not be a worse team with a winning record this year than the Cincinnati Bengals.

They've yet to beat any quality opponent, and in every big game this year, they've come out flat. However, the future for this team is still extremely bright, which should keep fans excited.

A.J. Green and Andy Dalton have proven to be the real deal, and with another solid draft, the Bengals could legitimately challenge for the AFC North crown next year.

Final Record: 8-8

While Cincinnati will probably be favored in their game against the Arizona Cardinals, I just can't see them beating a team as hot as Arizona is right now. Oh yeah, they also get the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17.

15. Philadephia Eagles

It only took 14 games for this team to finally reach their full potential offensively and defensively.

Against the New York Jets, the Philadelphia Eagles dominated every facet of the game. They won every individual battle, and this win was probably enough for Andy Reid to keep his job for another year.

While the Eagles still have an outside chance to win the NFC East, it isn't very likely.

Final Record: 7-9

A loss to the Dallas Cowboys next week will officially knock the Eagles out of the playoffs.

14. New York Giants

It was a toss-up between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles as to who would rank higher, and I'm going with the Giants because they've been more consistent this year.

That may sound crazy since the Giants have lost four of their last five games, but it's the truth. The Giants are a better team than the Eagles right now.

Who knows, if Hakeem Nicks wouldn't have dropped that touchdown pass, New York might have won its game against the Washington Redskins and been much higher on this list.

Final Record: 7-9

New York will finish the season with two more losses, making them 1-7 in the second half of the season.

13. Seattle Seahawks

With each week that passes, the Seattle Seahawks look like one of the better football teams in the NFL.

They have one of the best running backs in the game right now in Marshawn Lynch, and Tarvaris Jackson is playing solid football. What is even more surprising is that their defense is holding teams to a measly 14 points in the month of December.

Seattle has some very nice pieces in place to continue to be a competitive football team for the next few years.

Final Record: 9-7

The Seahawks will finish the season on a five-game winning streak, but will barely miss out on the playoffs.

12. Denver Broncos

Well, now that we know Tim Tebow is capable of losing, I guess it's time to find ourselves a new player to become obsessed with.

While Tebow didn't have the greatest game against the New England Patriots, he shouldn't shoulder the entire blame for their loss. A good portion of that blame goes to their defense that has been playing lights-out over the past two months.

Luckily, the Broncos' remaining schedule is against teams with struggling offenses, which should be enough to land them in the playoffs.

Final Record: 10-6

Neither the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs will be able to put up many points against Denver, which should allow the Broncos to win both games.

11. New York Jets

My vote for most underrated player in the NFL is Jim Leonhard. When he isn't on the field, the New York Jets aren't even close to being as dominant defensively as they are when he is on the field.

Without Leonhard, New York's defense got abused by the Philadelphia Eagles. They weren't able to slow down the run game or the pass game of Philadelphia. 

Leonhard is the unspoken hero of this defense, and the Jets will continue to struggle without him.

Final Record: 10-6

Luckily, the Jets get two easy remaining games, with the New York Giants at home before taking on the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. They should win both of those games to barely sneak into the playoffs.

10. Detroit Lions

Calvin Johnson's performance on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders was easily one of the most dominant games by a player in the entire season. With the game on the line, Johnson literally put the team on his shoulders to get the victory.

When Johnson and Matthew Stafford play like they did on Sunday, very few teams will be able to keep up with the Detroit Lions. Stafford-to-Johnson is one of the best duos in the league.

Sunday's win was a crucial one, as the Lions now appear poised to make their first playoff appearance in 10,000 years.

Final Record: 11-5

Even with the Green Bay Packers on their schedule, I still see Detroit winning their last two games.

9. Houston Texans

The loss to the Carolina Panthers left some major questions surrounding the Houston Texans.

First, is T.J. Yates going to be able to successfully lead this team in the playoffs? While he was great in his first few starts, he really struggled on Sunday.

Secondly, what happened to the Texans defense? It could have been the fact that they were playing a mobile quarterback, but it appeared to be much more than that.

If Houston can't figure out its issues in the next two weeks, it's unlikely that they'll win a playoff game.

Final Record: 12-4

The Texans have a rather easy remaining schedule that should allow them to tighten up their game before the playoffs.

8. Dallas Cowboys

Even though the Dallas Cowboys have sputtered down the stretch, they are still one of the scarier teams in the NFC.

They've got the ability to put up points in bunches, and their defense is good enough to completely shut down teams. While this team is famous for letting us down come playoff time, this year feels different.

If DeMarco Murray hadn't gone down with injury, this team would be even scarier.

Final Record: 10-6

The Cowboys' final two games are against divisional opponents, and they should win them both to win the NFC East.

7. Atlanta Falcons

The only thing that worries me about the Atlanta Falcons is that they haven't beat any of the elite teams they've played this year.

Atlanta has lost to the New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers. Sure, they've beaten up on the little guys, but none of those teams will be around in a few weeks.

However, if they continue to dominate offensively like they have in recent weeks, they should be able to hang with the best of them come playoff time.

Final Record: 10-6

The Falcons get New Orleans in Week 16 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17. They'll win only one of those games. Guess which one.

6. Baltimore Ravens

For weeks, the Baltimore Ravens have been billed as the top team in the AFC. However, after getting blown out by the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, I don't think that is the case anymore.

This team needs to figure out quickly that Ray Rice is their best player and should touch the ball on every single play. Whether they hand him the ball, throw him a screen pass or allow him to play quarterback, it doesn't really matter as long as he touches the ball.

Against San Diego, Rice only had 10 carries. In Baltimore's four losses this year, Rice has averaged only nine carries. In their 10 wins, Rice is averaging over 20 carries per game.

Final Record: 12-4

I'm guessing that Baltimore will finally figure out how to get Rice the ball more in their last two games to win both.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

All I know is that the Pittsburgh Steelers desperately need Ben Roethlisberger to get healthy before the playoffs start. If that doesn't happen, this team doesn't stand a chance at making a deep run.

Against the San Francisco 49ers, Roethlisberger was clearly not himself as he threw three interceptions and was sacked three times. As talented as this offense is, it's clear that Big Ben is the one who makes it all work.

I still like the Steelers defense come playoff time, and ultimately think this is the most dangerous team in the AFC come January.

Final Record: 12-4

Two easy games remain for Pittsburgh that they should easily win.

4. San Francisco 49ers

After losing an easy game last week, the San Francisco 49ers bounced back with an impressive win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a win this team needed to stay in the race for a first-round bye come playoff time.

While the other top teams in the league have great offenses, the 49ers easily have the league's best defense. They are dominant against the run and have the ability to shut down opposing quarterbacks also.

Their offense has taken some steps forward this year, as Frank Gore and Alex Smith look very good, but in a shootout against they still aren't good enough to win such a game, which is what they might have to do to get to the Super Bowl.

Final Record: 12-4

I still see the 49ers losing to the Seattle Seahawks next week, but they will beat the St. Louis Rams in the final week of the season.

3. New England Patriots

Tom Brady showed that he is still worthy of our respect on Sunday as he dismantled one of the hottest teams in football.

It was a great road win for the New England Patriots, who are playing their best football of the year right now. They've won six straight games, and that streak will likely become eight by the time the season is over.

With losses by the three other top teams on Sunday and Monday, it's very likely that the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC will travel through New England.

Final Record: 13-3

Two divisional opponents remain for the Patriots, and neither of them are the New York Jets. That means two wins for Brady and Co.

2. New Orleans Saints

With Sunday's performance, Drew Brees has likely become the favorite to win the MVP award.

He's having a career year, which is saying quite a bit, and he is leading his team to victory after victory. In fact, it's been six straight wins for the New Orleans Saints.

This offense has so many weapons that there isn't a talented enough defense out there to stop them all. The only way that New Orleans is going to be beaten for the rest of the year is in a shootout or if Brees is injured.

Final Record: 13-3

It isn't an easy remaining schedule for New Orleans, but the Saints are playing such great football that I see them winning out to lock up the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

1. Green Bay Packers

Well, the perfect season is over for the Green Bay Packers. It was a nice and dominant run, but it certainly didn't end the way many people expected.

The Kansas City Chiefs gave every other team in the league the blueprint on how to slow down one of the best offenses in the NFL. With so many injuries across their offensive line, Green Bay hasn't been able to slow down the pass rush at all in recent weeks.

This doesn't bode well for their remaining schedule or the playoffs, as teams will continue to bring pressure consistently to try and throw off Aaron Rodgers. If Rodgers and the Packers have another performance like they did on Sunday, they could get upset in the playoffs.

Final Record: 14-2

The Packers will beat the Chicago Bears in Week 16, and since they will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, they will rest their starters in Week 17, which will result in their second loss of the season.