NFL Season: Week 13 Power Rankings
1. Green Bay Packers (12-0)
The debate: should the Packers go for perfection? The answer: YES! That’s why we love football: the records, the anomalies, the history. Winning the Superbowl is ‘everything’, except it isn’t. 45 teams over the years have won the Superbowl. The Packers franchise has won it 4 times already. You know what has only happened once? A team going all the way without so much as a dot in the T or L columns. And you know how many teams have managed that since the realignment of the league?
None.
Maybe not for long…
2. New Orleans Saints (9-3)
A Saints win and falcons loss keeps the Saints locked in the Number 2 spot – looking good now.
3. San Francisco 49ers (10-2)
San Fran clinched the division this week. A just reward for a franchise long overdue some good news.
4. Baltimore Ravens (9-3)
They are still the team to beat in the AFC North. Pittsburgh may be getting hot at the right time, but Baltimore have a terrifyingly easy run-in, which should lead to a 13-3 record. That could be good enough for the Number 1 seed and a first round BYE.
Even if the Steelers match them game-for-game it won’t be enough to earn anything higher than the fifth seed. Harsh, but true.
5 (6). Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
When was the last time a team finished 13-3 and wound up fifth seed? It matters not, because it could so happen this year, and I for one would love to see it!
I backed the Patriots for this season on the day after the Packers hoisted the Lombardi trophy in February. A fifth-seed Steelers would be great news for the Patriots, who are looking to secure the number 1 seed, because given the winner of the AFC West will take 4th seed and play either the Bengals/Jets/Titans and LOSE, the Steelers will have to play the Ravens (the Patriots’ booby team) setting-up a classic Steelers/Pats AFC championship game and we all know Tom Terrific loves those.
6 (7). New England Patriots (9-3)
7 (5). Houston Texans (9-3)
I have to say, that no team impressed me more than the Texans this week. Beating a streaking Atlanta with your rookie third string QB and without your best defensive player, another massively important linebacker and losing your star receiver (again) is nothing less than sensational. But here’s the rub: the teams around Houston in the AFC race (the Pats, Steelers and Ravens) are getting better as the year goes on and the Texans look ready to implode with this latest flurry of bad luck. What they need is time to gel and the likelihood they will end up with the third seed might see them play a ‘softer’ opponent in the Wild Card Round. That BYE is looking mighty attractive, though, so if I were them, I’d play hard then rest-up.
8. Dallas Cowboys (7-5)
Losing to a Cardinals team that’s won 4 of 5 isn’t awful, but it was damned stupid. Giants next and they’ve got to win, but control their destiny so stay locked in at 8.
9 (15). New York Jets (7-5)
They won where other teams with a currently identical record lost. That sees them take-off into ninth.
10 (9). Atlanta Falcons (7-5)
Really? You can’t go losing to a team that’s just suffered a failed bypass. The Falcons did, however, and see their stock fall as punishment. They should still make the cut, though.
11 (16). Denver Broncos (7-5)
Hallelujah, I’m a believer! Tebowmania has swept the nation and the Broncos are riding the wave of this particularly old skool orange crush. Keep it up Tim, you’re too nice not to love!
12 (11). Detroit Lions (7-5)
13 (12). Cincinnati Bengals (7-5)
14 (17). Tennessee Titans (7-5)
Call me crazy, but the Titans look good to me. I think they are the number one outsiders to nick a playoff spot. Possibly at the expense of the Bengals and jets. All three are on 7-5, but the titans have made it that far without their 2 best players. Can CJ2K have an effect? Don’t rule him out…
15 (13). Chicago Bears (7-5)
Losing to the Chiefs? Bin Hanie and pay Favre. Joke! But wouldn’t it be cool…
16 (10). Oakland Raiders (7-5)
17 (14). New York Giants (6-6)
18 (23). Miami Dolphins (4-8)
The first of 3 big climbers, the ‘fins are getting good, fast. Teams who are out of the race, but can still wreck big teams’ dreams. The Dolphins sudden aptitude for the game of football, might save their coach’s job. It might…
19 (24). Seattle Seahawks (5-7)
20 (25). Arizona Cardinals (5-7)
21 (18). Buffalo Bills (5-7)
22 (19). Kansas City Chiefs (5-7)
23 (29). Carolina Panthers (4-8)
Why not? At least they are fun to watch.
24 (20). San Diego Chargers (4-8)
25 (21). Philadelphia Eagles (4-8)
26 (31). Minnesota Vikings (2-10)
I like Ponder, a lot. I think the Vikings are a threat right now. No team should feel good about playing them away. The Draft and next season will be kind to this deserving franchise.
27 (22). Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8)
28 (26). Washington Redskin (4-8)
29 (27). Cleveland Browns (4-8)
30 (28). St Louis Rams (2-10)
31 (30). Jacksonville Jaguars (3-9)
32. Indianapolis Colts (0-12)
Andrew Luck to Indy? What will the Peyton say?
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