2013 Week Fifteen NFL Power Rankings

By: Matt Harmon

32. Washington Redskins (3-10)
  • Last week, you maybe could have argued this ranking. No longer. All bets are off after what happened in Washington yesterday. Since they are a popular team in a big market they never get the recognition they deserve as one of the worst run franchise in the NFL. Dan Snyder has made that team just as much of a train wreck as any other team in the league. 

31. Houston Texans (2-11)
  • With Gary Kubiak out, the Texans are facing a full on rebuild. Unless a coach comes in and keeps this offensive system intact, there may be a dramatic fall off from the offensive line and the running backs. Do not just assume they are just a quarterback away. 

30. Buffalo Bills (4-9)
  • E.J. Manuel is clearly regressing; never a good sign for a rookie quarterback. However, the notion that they should move on from him at the end of this season is ridiculous. Remember, he was regarded as a project quarterback and a reach as a first round pick. He was always going to take awhile to get acclimated to the league.

29. Atlanta Falcons (3-10)
  • Why did the Falcons ever let go of John Abraham? They were viewed as a contender coming in and their pass rush has long been a weakness. They would sure like to have the eleven sacks he took with him to Arizona. 

28. Oakland Raiders (4-9)
  • You want to say the Raiders have a nice group of young wide receivers, but that seems to be said about them every year. All of those young guys like Louis Murphy, Chaz Schillens, and now Denarius Moore have all gone to fall out of favor. That being said, I am very high on Rod Steater and Andre Holmes.  

27. Cleveland Browns (4-9)
  • Josh Gordon leads the league in receiving yardage. That is unbelievable considering he missed two games to start this season. If he can keep his name out of the league office, we will be discussing him as a top five NFL receiver as soon as next season.

26. Minnesota Vikings (3-9-1)
  • Adrian Peterson suffered another injury on Sunday. For the future of Peterson’s career, we have to hope this coaching staff is not so worried about their jobs they rush him back into action. The Vikings are not going anywhere this season, and it would be a travesty if Peterson plays and seriously injures himself further. 

25. New York Jets (6-7)
  • Sunday was an encouraging sign for Geno Smith. The Jets finally did right by him and gave him some easy throws and runs to get his confidence back up. The Jets had been asking Smith to sling the ball deep down field, and the results were disastrous. Nice adjustment by Marty Mornhinweg. 

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-9)
  • Is Greg Schiano saving his job? It seemed impossible to think a mere month ago, but there is no denying the improvement this team is showing. Perhaps, Schiano saw the error in in his totalitarian methods midway through this season.

23. New York Giants (5-8)
  • Hakeem Nicks put up a big statistical game for the first time in months. It is still hard to see him back with the Giants next season. The real question is if his next team is getting the shell of Nicks from the 2013 season, or the dynamic one from years past. 

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9)
  • The Jaguars are making a semi-epic rise up the power rankings! In all seriousness, the Jags are showing the extreme benefits of patience in the NFL. Despite a 0-8 start, Gus Bradley and his coaching staff are now squeezing everything they can from a seriously talent bare roster. 

21. Tennessee Titans (5-8)
  • A lot of disaster type reports began to surface about the Titans even before their loss to the Broncos. Apparently, Mike Munchak is coaching for his job, and Jake Locker is not likely in this team’s future plans. Putting both guys on notice is a smart move. With solid pieces on both sides of the ball, the Titans cannot afford mediocrity at the two most pivotal positions in an organization. 

20. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-7)
  • Another embarrassing loss for the Steelers. Joe Philibin’s best offensive output in his time as Dolphins head coach came against the Steelers defense. The offense has turned things around late in the season, but this defense still needs to be overhauled. 

19. Green Bay Packers (6-6-1)
  • The Packers remain the sleeping giant in the league. If Aaron Rodgers returns from injury this week, and they win out against a favorable schedule, they could make a Super Bowl run. 

18. Indianapolis Colts (8-5)
  • The Colts have to love what they got from young receivers like Da’Rick Rodgers. A supreme talent, and knucklehead, Rodgers could be the missing piece to this offense. He has the size and strength none of the other receivers have to fill the void left by Reggie Wayne. 

17. Miami Dolphins (7-6)
  • The Dolphins continue to stay competitive in the AFC Wildcard race. With a game against New England coming up this week, we will really get to see how much they have grown. They need to at least make that game interesting. 

16. San Diego Chargers (6-7)
  • The Chargers stick right around the middle of the pack. With games coming against the Chiefs and the Broncos, it is difficult to foresee them playing into January. It’s not hard to imagine them winning a lesser division like the AFC South however. 

15. St. Louis Rams (5-8)
  • Here is what is coming with the Rams in the offseason. Everyone will once again fawn over their awesome draft pick situation and get caught up in all the talent on the roster. Eventually someone is going to have to put that talent in positions to succeed. Is Jeff Fisher going to be that guy?

14. Dallas Cowboys (7-5)
  • If this the beginning of another Cowboys late season collapse? It sure feels like it. There was just no excuse for the Monte Kiffin hire back in the offseason. It is coming back to bite them in a big way now. 

13. Baltimore Ravens (7-6)
  • If the Ravens can get the deep ball back into their offense with regularity, watch out. It sure seems to be the case with Jacoby Jones back making big plays. Also, now that Dennis Pitta is back to be Flacco’s security blanket underneath, this offense is once again clicking at just the right time.

12. Cincinnati Bengals (9-4)
  • Nothing has changed with the Bengals. So, if you are looking for something interesting with them, check out Chris Wessling's AD Scale. The scale is based off the Bengals starting quarterback and helps rank other team’s quarterbacks.  

11. Chicago Bears (6-6)
  • The Bears are one of those pretty good NFC teams that will probably be left on the outside of the playoffs. However, much like the Rams and Cardinals, they would absolutely wreck shop in the AFC. The Bears are a great example of the talent discrepancy between the conferences. 

10. Arizona Cardinals (8-5)
  • The Cardinals keep wining, but they are going to need some help to get into the dance. Their best hope is for the Panthers to lose their second game to the Saints. A situation that is far too easy to envision taking place. 

9. Detroit Lions (8-5)
  • It’s hard to bash the Lions for another sloppy turnover filled game considering the weather conditions. Nevertheless, regardless of weather, that is always their issue. If they fail to win the NFC North, the consequences should be severe for this team. 

8. Philadelphia Eagles (8-5)
  • The Eagles continue to rise and are clearly the best team in their division. It is beginning to get to the point where they could potentially win a playoff game. Chip Kelly’s introduction year to the NFL has been a raging success. 

7. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
  • It is very rare that one play makes the difference in an NFL game, but that was the case with Frank Gore’s fifty-yard run against the Seahawks. That is how evenly matched those teams are. The 49ers are one of the best teams in the NFL when it comes to sticking with their run game. 

6. Kansas City Chiefs (10-3)
  • The Chiefs are rounding right into where they should have been all along, clearly the third best team in the AFC. They will absolutely be favored in their first playoff game, and with Gronk out in New England, maybe they make a championship game appearance. 

5. New England Patriots (10-3)
  • There is no non-quarterback more important to his team than Rob Gronkowski. His loss dampening the Patriots Super Bowl chances is not over-blown. He is an elite difference maker on an offense that has struggled without him. 

4. Carolina Panthers (9-4)
  • The Panthers loss on Sunday was not surprising. Losing to a pissed off Saints team in their house on primetime was rather predictable. However, it did expose some of their biggest flaws. If they lose to the Saints again in two weeks, then it is time to worry about this team.  

3. New Orleans Saints (10-3)
  • The Saints just own the middle of the field. With Colston, Graham, and Sproles the Saints just give teams headaches trying to cover these guys with linebackers and safeties; there is always a favorable matchup for Drew Brees. If they get him a perimeter threat in the offseason, it will be unreal. 

2. Denver Broncos (11-2)
  • The Broncos just continue to roll. It was cool seeing Peyton Manning respond with such vigor to the cold weather narrative about him. However, we all know if he really wants that to disappear, he will need to play as he did on Sunday in the postseason. 

1. Seattle Seahawks (11-2)
  • Despite a loss, the Seahawks are still the NFL’s best team. If you do not believe me, just read Matt Williamson’s ESPN article. He lays it out much better than I ever could.  

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