NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Gauging the League's Most Unpredictable Teams

When it comes to unpredictable teams, it is reasonable to suspect inconsistency, although that's not always a direct correlation.

That being said, heading into Week 17 there are some unpredictable teams either in the playoffs or still alive. Either way, the final week of the 2011 regular season will surely be quite exciting.

Baltimore Ravens (11-4)

The Ravens currently sit at 11-4 and have locked up a postseason spot.

However, they have yet to clinch the AFC North because of their 3-4 road record, thus leaving continuous opportunities for the Pittsburgh Steelers (also 11-4) to keep pace and have a shot at stealing the division title.

With the division champion from the AFC North likely to get the No. 2 seed, home-field in the divisional round is at stake. That said, Baltimore has lost to the Titans, Jaguars, Seahawks, and Chargers all on the road and only Tennessee remains alive for the playoffs.

Sure they beat Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, but a second time in The Steel City and a third time in one season is damn near impossible.

Baltimore may have played well in big games this season however, that unpredictability and inconsistency in road games has come back to haunt them. This week the Ravens play at Cincinnati who's vying for the AFC's No. 6 seed.

A loss gives Pittsburgh the division (Steelers play at Cleveland in Week 17), puts the Bengals in the playoffs, and forces the Ravens to play on the road throughout January.

Although they've come up big against teams like the Steelers, 49ers and Texans this season, can we really feel confident that Baltimore can win at Denver and Pittsburgh/New England, as well as the Super Bowl over NFC favorites like Green Bay or New Orleans based on their play away from home?

Detroit Lions (10-5)

The Lions much like Baltimore have locked up a playoff berth however, Detroit is also riding a three-game winning streak into Week 17.

It's no secret that The Motor City has a ton of momentum with a playoff berth and a shot at the NFC's No. 5 seed. However, after starting 5-0 then going 2-5 before getting hot, that middle season slump is concerning.

They dropped games to solid NFC contenders in San Fran, Atlanta, Green Bay, and New Orleans, so we know those losses are legit. Thing is, that doesn't bode well for their playoff hopes either.

Without question the Lions are a worthy playoff team and opponent for those teams, but since they have yet to take their game to the next step, we can't feel confident about Detroit making a Cinderella run.

Then again, that is asking a lot from a team that was 8-40 over each of the last three seasons. But, because of that mid-season rough patch, it's uncertain as to how the Lions will respond in crunch time. Sure they did it against the Raiders and Cowboys, but neither of those teams may make the postseason.

Fortunately for Detroit, their passing offense has the potential to match the likes of Green Bay and New Orleans. The question is whether they can actually do it.

Denver Broncos (8-7)

They started out 1-4, benched Kyle Orton, then won six straight (7 of 8) with Tim Tebow and were the talk of the town.

The Denver Broncos sat at 8-5 heading into Week 15 and were ran off the field by the New England Patriots. Now the Broncos sit at 8-7 and in need of a win over their former QB Orton for Kansas City at home in Week 17.

And based on how the Broncos were able to steal games at the end with the defense keeping them in it, they were exposed by Buffalo in Week 16.

Denver's simply not been consistent enough in the passing game, and their pass defense has struggled with man coverage. Additionally, Tebow still struggles with accuracy and until he can complete more than 48 percent of his passes, don't expect much from the Denver offense.

Against solid defenses like Pittsburgh, Baltimore or Houston if the Broncos make the playoffs, Denver doesn't have a shot since the offense can't score more than roughly 20 points per game (if that).

Unless the defense completely locks down the opponent, Denver will either miss the postseason or go one-and-done. However, because of their unpredictability and how they have proven to come back late, it would also not be surprising if the Broncos made a deep playoff run.

They're a capable team more than anything else, the problem is their inability to score points early and put teams away. The defense alone isn't good enough to win games against perennial Super Bowl contenders.

New York Giants (8-7)

Week 17 at home against the Dallas Cowboys is round one of the playoffs for the New York Giants. And only if the Giants would have not slipped up against teams like Philadelphia, Washington and Seattle, we wouldn't be discussing their inconsistency.

Somehow though, Big Blue remained alive as they got solid wins over New England and Dallas while the Cowboys continued to free fall.

To that end, the Giants are arguably the most unpredictable team in the NFL. They go from barely beating Miami at home 20-17, to winning over the Patriots in New England 24-20, but can't beat the Eagles at home.

They get off the schneid by beating the Cowboys in Dallas 37-34, but then retract and get swept by the Rex Grossman-led Redskins in Week 15.

Thanks to Eli Manning and the No. 4 ranking passing game, the Giants have been able to outscore opponents, and pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul has caused a ton of QB pressure all year. Aside from that, New York's NFC franchise is lucky to be in the playoff race since the entire NFC East is full of underachievers.

Week 17 NFL Power Rankings (LW = Last Week's Rank)

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

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