Week 15 of the NFL saw the Eagles stun the Giants, the Bills shock Miami and the Jets surprise their own fans. These power rankings are for week 16.
No significant changes at the very top or bottom of this week's NFL power rankings. Several teams switched spots and the Jets showed that they are the best football team in New York; for one week, at least. Time to sip some eggnog, watch The Grinch and review the best and worst teams in the NFL after 15 weeks of football.
32. Carolina Panthers (2-12) : A win doesn't change the fact that the Panthers stink. Maybe Jimmy Clausen isn't hopeless, after all.
31. Denver Broncos (3-11) : Tim Tebow's "leadership" skills don't mean a thing for Denver's awful defense. The Broncos need a lot of help this offseason.
30. Arizona Cardinals (4-10) : Arguably the worst offense in the league is potentially getting worse. Watching this team would spoil anyone's holiday.
29. Cincinnati Bengals (3-11) : Cincy held on to defeat the Browns despite their best efforts on Sunday. Five bucks says it's their last win of the season.
28. Washington Redskins (5-9) : Rex Grossman, MVP quarterback. But seriously, this team has numerous issues on and off the field.
27. Buffalo Bills (4-10) : The Bills ruined Miami's Christmas by (pretty much) knocking the Dolphins out of the playoffs. Buffalo could be dangerous next season.
26. Detroit Lions (4-10) : A fun spoiler team that's made things quite difficult for the Bays, Detroit is getting a head start on next season. Maybe they'll actually stay healthy in 2011.
25. Houston Texans (5-9) : Wow is Houston bad. Cleveland would probably put up 30 points on the Texans. Quite the disappointing season for this once Super Bowl sleeper team.
24. Minnesota Vikings (5-9) : Imagine this offense without Adrian Peterson. On second thought, don't.
23. Cleveland Browns (5-9) : Same old Browns. I'm certain Eric Mangini lost his job on Sunday afternoon. Just a pitiful performance.
22. Dallas Cowboys (5-9) : Dallas was going to be higher in this week's power rankings before almost giving the game away to the lowly Redskins. The final 15 minutes of the game was a reminder this is an under .500 team.
21. San Francisco 49ers (5-9) : The best 5-9 team in football? Not even close. The only one with a chance of making the playoffs? You betcha.
20. Seattle Seahawks (6-8) : Out of the three potential NFC West champions, Seattle is the one that I know isn't winning a playoff game.
19. Tennessee Titans (6-8) : The thought of an 8-6 Indy team would have excited Tennessee a few months back. A season of "what ifs?"
18. St. Louis Rams (6-8) : Beating the 49ers this weekend would have to make St. Louis the favorite to win the division. Right?
17. Miami Dolphins (7-7) : Oh, what could have been for the Dolphins. A home loss to Buffalo unofficially ended Miami's season.
16. Oakland Raiders (7-7) : The losses at Arizona and Jacksonville were killers. Oakland's offense has been much better than advertised and has given Raider Nation hope for the future.
15. Green Bay Packers (8-6) : Just an awful time to lose three out of four, but the Packers are still alive. Aaron Rodgers should be ready to go this Sunday, which is very good news.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6) : Bucs can't blame NFC West champion if they don't make the playoffs. Losing to Detroit at home is inexcusable for a playoff team.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6) : Yeah, that was a tough loss at Indy, but the Jags finish the season against Washington and Houston. I'm excited to see what this team is made of in the next two weeks.
12. Indianapolis Colts (8-6) : Still lots of work to be done but that win against the Jags had to feel nice for Peyton Manning and company.
11. New York Giants (9-5) : I don't want to talk about it. I really don't. I'm just going to move on.
10. San Diego Chargers (8-6) : Being the best team to not make the playoffs won't mean anything to the Super Chargers. They need help from Tennessee and/or Oakland.
9. Kansas City Chiefs (9-5) : I picked the Chiefs to make the playoffs months ago, but games against Tennessee and Oakland worry me. How this team handles the pressure will determine where they are in two weeks.
8. Chicago Bears (10-4) : Say what you want about this team. They're winning the division and playing a home playoff game.
7. New Orleans Saints (10-4) : The defending champs have yet to clinch a playoff spot, and games against Atlanta and Tampa Bay are hardly gimmes.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) : The Steelers like to flirt with disaster far too much for my liking at this point of the year. The division isn't theirs, just yet.
5. Baltimore Ravens (10-4) : I'm not sure why so many people expected the Ravens to lose at home. If Baltimore manages to win the division, they could be the biggest sleeper of the upcoming playoffs.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4) : Know what? I still don't want to talk about it. And you can't make me.
3. New York Jets (10-4) : They're not winning the AFC East but the J-E-T-S are playoff bound and they're proven they can win in cold weather on the road against a playoff opponent.
2. Atlanta Falcons (12-2) : Another Atlanta win. Yawn. This week's game at home against New Orleans could put the Falcons ahead of New England in next week's playoff rankings.
1. New England Patriots (12-2) : Can't blow 'em all out. A win against a potential playoff team is still meaningful and the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC will go through New England.
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