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Week 15 NFL Power Rankings

Posted by: Jonathan Ellish    Tags:  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,     Posted date:  December 14, 2011  |  No comment



It is another week and another victory as the Packers are again atop the Power Rankings this week. The Ravens stand strong in the number two spot for the third straight week as they continue their quest for a bye in the playoffs. The Broncos find themselves cracking the top 10 after Tim Tebow yet again led an improbable comeback this week over the Bears moving Denver into the lead in the AFC West.

The big winners this week are the Saints, Jets, and Giants. The Saints, while only moving up 1 spot from 5th to 4th, got a gift from the Cardinals who beat the 49ers. With the 49ers squaring off with the Steelers, the Saints could potentially move into the 2nd seed in the NFC. The Jets moved up from 10th to 9th, but, thanks to help from the rest of the NFL, the Jets now control their own destiny.

The Giants got a big late win over the Cowboys and jumped from 16th to 12th and more importantly are now 1st in the NFC East with control over their destiny. It’s looking like the showdown at MetLife Stadium in a week between the Jets and Giants might mean a lot for both teams.

The big losers this week are the 49ers, Cowboys, and Bills. The 49ers fell from 3rd to 6th with a loss to the Cardinals and, more importantly, could lose the number two seed with a loss to Pittsburgh this weekend. The Cowboys fell five spots from 9th to 14th with a heartbreaking loss late to the Eli and the Giants.

After two straight losses the Cowboys are again looking up at the playoff teams. The Bills fell from 18th to 22nd after dropping their sixth straight and officially being eliminated from playoff contention. A season that started with so much promise has really taken a turn for the worst and they might end up finishing last in the AFC East.

Rounding out the bottom of the rankings again this week are the Vikings, Rams, and Colts. The Vikings have shut Adrian Peterson down for the season, the Rams are as far removed from the greatest show on turf as can be, and the Colts divisional rivals now have a chance to unleash years of torment by sending them to an imperfect season.

Rank (LW) Team Record Comment
1 (1) Packers 13-0 The Packers are on their way to a showdown with the Lions for an undefeated season on Week 17.
2 (2) Ravens 10-3 The Ravens are on pace for the top seed in the AFC.
3 (4) Steelers 10-3 The Steelers could be 13-3 and have to go on the road in the playoffs.
4 (5) Saints 10-3 Drew Brees has 1,364 yards, 11 TDs and no INTs over the Saints’ last four games. (Mike Sando ESPN)
5 (6) Patriots 10-3 Tom Brady eclipsed the 4,000 yard mark and Rob Gronkowski broke the record for most touchdowns by a tight end in a season with three games remaining.
6 (3) 49ers 10-3 With a game against Pittsburgh this week the 49ers could be in danger of losing their 3rd game in four weeks and the second seed in the NFC.
7 (7) Texans 10-3 Despite injuries to WR Andre Johnson and QB Matt Schaub, the Texans are winning with defense and on their way to a bye in their first playoff appearance.
8 (8) Falcons 8-5 The Falcons offense has seemed to hit its stride at the right time and after Jacksonville this Thursday they have a huge game against the Saints.
9 (10) Jets 8-5 With some help from the NFL yet again, the Jets control their playoff destiny.
10 (11) Broncos 8-5 How to stop Tim Tebow? Don’t let the Broncos hang around til the fourth quarter.
11 (12) Lions 8-5 The Lions are fighting for a wild card spot, but have three tough games left against Oakland, San Diego, and Green Bay.
12 (16) Giants 7-6 And just like that the Giants are atop the NFC East heading down the stretch.
13 (13) Titans 7-6 The Titans are still in the hunt for the final playoff spot, but need to win out and hope they get some help elsewhere.
14 (9) Cowboys 7-6 Back to back losses have taken the Cowboys from a possible home playoff game to possibly not making the playoffs.
15 (14) Bengals 7-6 Losing the game late to T.J. Yates and the Texans probably cost the Bengals their shot at a wild card.
16 (15) Raiders 7-6 The Raiders have Detroit, San Diego, and Kansas City left. Three wins could have them atop the AFC East.
17 (17) Bears 7-6 Losing Jay Cutler on a careless play probably cost the Bears a playoff berth.
18 (19) Chargers 7-6 The Chargers have won two straight, but it’s likely too little too late.
19 (21) Cardinals 6-7 The Cardinals could finish above .500 after a big win over the 49ers.
20 (20) Seahawks 6-7 Marshawn Lynch leads the NFL since Week 9 with 336 yards rushing after first contact. (Mike Sando ESPN)
21 (24) Eagles 5-8 The Eagles are technically still in it, but the season has overall been a dissapointment.
22 (18) Bills 5-8 Six straight losses later and the Bills “are who we thought they were.”
23 (23) Dolphins 4-9 With a loss to the Eagles and another losing season, coach Tony Sparano is one of two head coaching victims this weekend.
24 (25) Panthers 4-9 Cam Newton hasn’t dissapointed, but the defense has.
25 (22) Chiefs 5-8 Tyler Palko couldn’t get it done and because of that coach Todd Haley got the axe this weekend.
26 (29) Jaguars 4-9 The Jaguars have placed 27 players on injured reserve this year – -more than half a roster. (Paul Kuharsky ESPN)
27 (27) Redskins 4-9 If the Redskins keep this up they’ll be able to draft a decent QB.
28 (26) Buccaneers 4-9 Tampa Bay has been one of the bigger dissapointments this year.
29 (28) Browns 4-9 The Browns need a lot of things, high draft picks being one of them.
30 (30) Vikings 2-11 The Vikings’ pass defense has really gone from the Cover 2 to the Cover None. (John Clayton ESPN)
31 (31) Rams 2-11 The Rams are looking at a top 3 draft pick and will try to improve, though it might be at coach Steve Spagnuolo’s expense.
32 (32) Colts 0-13 The road to 0-16 goes through their divisional rivals and I’m sure all three will relish the opportunity to send them there.

 

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About the author
Jonathan Ellish
Jonathan Ellish
My name is Jonathan Ellish and I'm a recent graduate of URI. I'm a sports fanatic and love New York sports especially. I extensively follow the Jets, Mets, and Knicks.



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