NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Playoff Contenders Moving in the Wrong Direction

While we would all like to think that every team that will be playing in the postseason with a chance to go to the Super Bowl is playing well at the end of the regular season because that will make for more interesting games, it is unrealistic to expect 12 teams to be on a hot streak at the same time. 

In fact, there are a lot of playoff teams moving in the wrong direction as we get ready to bring the regular season to a close. It is time to separate the contenders from the pretenders, and right now there are a few teams that don't belong in the conversation with teams like Green Bay, New England or Baltimore. 

The power rankings have been in a state of flux all season long, with the exception of the Packers at the top. Everything from No. 2 to No. 32 has been trying to sort itself out, and now we finally have some semblance of order to the hierarchy in the league. 

Here are the playoff contenders moving down the power rankings heading into Week 17. 

Denver Broncos (8-7)

My how the tide has turned. After six weeks of being on top of the world, Tim Tebow and the rest of the Broncos have gotten a wake-up call the last two games.

They had a nice run just to stay in contention until the final week, but now it is time to admit that even if this team does get in, which is still not a sure thing, they are not long for the playoffs, especially if they go up against Pittsburgh in the wild-card round. 

The rebuilding effort in Denver might not take as long as originally thought, but there is still some work to do before this team can make a serious run. 

Houston Texans (10-5)

Much like the Broncos, the Texans are left searching for answers after losing their last two games. The loss to Carolina is excusable because they have a strong offense, but to fall to Indianapolis is unforgivable for a division-winning team. 

We knew that it would be a struggle for the Texans with T.J. Yates at quarterback, but now it is going to take a lot for them to steal a victory in the postseason. 

The Texans can take comfort in the fact that they were able to finally make it into the postseason, because they will be lucky to do anything when they start. 

Dallas Cowboys (8-7)

It's been an interesting season for the Cowboys up to this point. I won't go so far as to call it a successful one, because in all honesty, they should have locked up a playoff berth weeks ago. But they always seem to shoot themselves in the foot. 

Last week against Philadelphia was not their fault. Tony Romo got hurt on a freak play after throwing two passes. There is nothing that you can do about that. 

It does make them look a lot less appealing on Sunday against the New York Giants in the battle for NFC East supremacy. Romo says he is going to play, but there is no way that his hand is going to be completely healthy and able to grip the ball properly. 

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