NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Gauging the Week's Biggest Fallers

Even at this point in the season, a loss can send a team plummeting down the power rankings. With so much on the line for a number of teams in Week 16, those that couldn't achieve what they set out to accomplish have suffered in my power rankings this week.

First up, the Dallas Cowboys, who needed a win over the up-and-down Philadelphia Eagles in order to help shore up both the NFC East title and the only playoff spot afforded to a member of that division.

The Cowboys have played well this season, but they've also had some embarrassing moments. Their Week 16 game against the Eagles falls into the latter category, with Dallas being blown out 20-0 until the final seconds of the game, when they finally managed a single touchdown.

The loss puts their ability to win the NFC East and reach the playoffs in jeopardy. The Cowboys need to defeat the New York Giants this Sunday night to get there, and after such a flat performance against the Eagles, it's looking difficult for the team to manage it.

Because the Cowboys couldn't win when they needed to, they fell from 13th in my power rankings last week to 20th this week.

Similar to the Cowboys, the New York Jets also struggled to pull off a win when they most needed it, and their playoff footing as well as their standings in the power rankings slipped as a result.

The Jets took on the New York Giants in a must-win game for the Jets if they wanted to reach the postseason as a Wild Card entrant. The Jets reached the AFC championship game in both 2009 and 2010 and had their sights clearly set on heading down that path for a third consecutive season.

However, the Jets haven't been nearly as effective or intimidating as they had been in recent years. Their once-strong defense has fallen flat, and their offense has been practically non-existent at times.

Neither of those things are hallmarks of top teams, and as such, they've dropped in the power rankings to No. 15 this week.

Very little of what the St. Louis Rams have done this year bears the hallmark of a top team. At 2-13, they're close to snagging themselves the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft, a dubious honor to be sure.

The Rams earned their two wins in Weeks 8 and 10, and with the San Francisco 49ers up next for the team, they aren't likely to win another game this season.

Though injuries have a lot to do with the Rams' struggles this year, the fact that they haven't been able to overcome those early-season setbacks as the year wore on is a sign of a team lacking both depth and perhaps work ethic.

Thanks to their most recent loss, a 27-0 blanking at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Rams have fallen a single spot. That doesn't seem much at first, but it was enough to put them at 32nd, the worst team in the NFL.

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