nancysharcy: Pop Fly Boys NFL Week 13 Power Rankings

? November 28, 2012Posted in: NFL Power Rankings

By Geoff Ratliff

The NFL?s best team are beginning to separate themselves from the pack as the Power Rankings head into their 13th week. The top five teams remain unchanged, and only one top 10 team lost this past weekend as the race for playoff positioning intensifies.

That one loss of course, was suffered at the hands of the New York Giants, who shut down Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers for the second time in the past 11 months. New York?s win temporarily halted all the talk of their regular midseason swoon.

The wild card races in both conference continue to be anyone?s guess as six teams that began last week with serious playoff aspirations suffered losses, some of them in embarrassing fashion (yes we?re talking to you Dallas, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Seattle). Even fringe teams like the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans failed to play like their postseason lives depended on it.

Although the cream seem to be rising to the top, there is still no obvious Super Bowl favorite, let alone conference champions, among the playoff hopefuls. That should make for an interesting and exciting final five weeks of the NFL season.

Houston Texans (10-1): The Texans found a way to pull out a second consecutive overtime game against a desperate Detroit Lions team.? Houston can improve to 4-0 in the AFC South with a win at Tennessee this weekend.
San Francisco 49ers (8-2-1): Colin Kaepernick passed his second tough test in as many weeks in leading the 49ers to 31-21 road win over the New Orleans Saints. Of course the two defensive touchdowns helped his cause.?
Atlanta Falcons (10-1): Atlanta delivered one of their best performances of the year with their 24-23 victory over the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. The Falcons can clinch a share of the NFC South title with a Thursday night home win over the Saints coupled with a Tampa Bay loss at Denver on Sunday.
Baltimore Ravens (9-2): The Ravens should send the entire Chargers defense some very nice Christmas gifts after Ray Rice?s 4th-and-29 conversion paved the way for an overtime victory at San Diego.
New England Patriots (8-3): After embarrassing the New York Jets on Thanksgiving night, the Patriots can clinch the AFC East with a road win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
New York Giants (7-4): When the Giants play like they did in Sunday night?s demolition of the Green Bay Packers, it?s easy to see why they?re the defending Super Bowl champions.
Denver Broncos (8-3): Knowshon Moreno filled in admirably for the injured Willis McGahee as the Broncos pulled out a tougher-than-expected win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Denver can also wrap up the AFC West this weekend with a home win over the Bucs coupled with a Chargers loss to the Bengals.
Chicago Bears (8-3): The Bears were happy to have Jay Cutler?and their real defense?back in a 28-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers loss has put Chicago back in the driver?s seat in the NFC North division race. ?
Green Bay Packers (7-4): The Packers have to be questioning themselves after another blowout loss to the Giants. They now find themselves back in the wild card hunt and are stil waiting to get some key players back from injury.
Cincinnati Bengals (6-5): The Bengals have won three in a row thanks to a soft schedule and much improved play from quarterback Andy Dalton. If Benjarvis Green-Ellis can continue to run the ball effectively, another wild card playoff berth is within reach.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5): The Bucs can?t afford to sulk after a soul-deflating home loss to the Falcons. Tampa Bay will fall further into the muddied NFC playoff picture if they lose to the Broncos in Denver on Sunday.
Indianapolis Colts (7-4): Credit the Colts? defense for holding a very good Buffalo offense to only 13 points. The remaining schedule is tough, but Indianapolis controls it?s own destiny in the battle for the AFC?s top wild card spot. If the playoff started today, that would mean a first-round date with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. You can?t make this stuff up.
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5): Even with a third-string quarterback, eight turnovers against the Cleveland Browns is unacceptable. Big Ben can?t get back fast enough.
Seattle Seahawks (6-5): Losing at Miami to fall to 1-5 on the road was bad enough for the Seahawks. Losing their two starting corners for the rest of the season due to drug suspensions would be a death sentence for Seattle?s playoff hopes.
Minnesota Vikings (6-5): The 28-10 loss at Chicago was tough for the Vikings. Losses by Dallas, Tampa Bay and Seattle cushioned the blow quite a bit, but another loss at Green Bay this weekend will likely leave Minnesota in the middle of a brutal battle for the NFC?s final wild card spot.
Washington Redskins (5-6): RGIII and the Redskins passed a big test by beating the Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. A home win over the Giants would put them right back in the hunt for the NFC East and give Griffin III?s MVP candidacy a major boost.?
New Orleans Saints (5-6): Two pick-sixes by Drew Brees killed New Orleans? chances of upsetting the 49ers and moving above .500 for the first time all season. The Saints will need to move on quickly with a season-defining visit to Atlanta on tap Thursday night.
Dallas Cowboys (5-6): The slow starts and baffling interceptions are killing the Cowboys at a time when Dez Bryant has become their most reliable player on offense. The mounting injuries on defense aren?t helping after Dallas lost two more starters two potentially season-ending injuries in Thursday?s loss to the Washington Redskins.
Miami Dolphins (5-6): Kudos to the Dolphins for regrouping from back-to-back conference losses and winning a crucial home against a Seahawks team that needed a victory just as much as Miami did. They face a tough challenge building on that momentum with the Patriots coming to town.
Detroit Lions (4-7): It?s hard to give Ndamukong Suh the benefit of the doubt given his checkered history. However, it?s hard to see how he could even see where his leg was going on the play that nearly earned him another suspension. ? ? ? ? ?
Tennessee Titans (4-7): The Titans have to be the most difficult team in the NFL to figure out. They destroy the Dolphins 37-3 in Miami in Week 10, only to return from their bye week and lose a close game at Jacksonville with their playoff lives at stake.
New York Jets (4-7): Regardless of how soft their closing schedule is, it?s difficult to think of the Nets as a playoff team, even if they do win out, after the way they played against New England on Thanksgiving night.
Buffalo Bills (4-7): Where was Buffalo?s offense?apart from C.J. Spiller?during Sunday?s loss at Indianapolis. The Bills squandered a strong defensive effort in a difficult road environment.
St. Louis Rams (4-6-1): Although the Cardinals are reeling the Rams were able to get some big turnovers in sweeping the season series. They?ll need to duplicate that effort if they hope to challenge the 49ers the way they did in the Week 10 tie at San Francisco.
San Diego Chargers (4-7): It?s hard to pin Sunday?s inexplicable loss on Norv Turner, but giving up a 4th-and-29 play is indicative of the type of play that has plagued San Diego during this 1-6 slide.
Cleveland Browns (3-8): The Browns are tied for 7th in the NFL with a plus-eight turnover ratio after forcing the same number in a home win over the Steelers. Cleveland, at 2-3, now owns a better division record that Pittsburgh (1-2) and Cincinnati (1-3), and could earn it?s first back-to-back wins of the year with a victory at Oakland.
Carolina Panthers (3-8): Even if it took more than half the season, it was good to see Cam Newton look more like the player that showed such promise after a record-setting rookie season.
Arizona Cardinals (4-7): Ryan Lindley looked very much like a player making his first NFL start, throwing four interceptions in a 31-17 loss to St. Louis. Hard to imagine that a team that began the year 4-0 may not win another game.
Oakland Raiders (3-8): Carson Palmer picked a bad time to have his worst game of the year as the Raiders were crushed in his first game at Cincinnati since being traded last season. Oakland hopes to have Darren McFadden back against a Browns defense that is playing extremely well lately.
Philadelphia Eagles (3-8): You know the wheels have come off in Philadelphia when even a surprisingly positive performance from running back Bryce Brown (178 yards and two touchdowns) was marred by two third-quarter fumbles.?
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9): Chad Henne continued to make a world of difference for Jacksonville?s offense, leading the Jaguars to a 24-19 victory over the Titans. He shouldn?t have much trouble delivering another solid performance agains Buffalo?s 18th-ranked pass defense.
Kansas City Chiefs (1-10): The Chiefs defense had their second impressive showing in the past three weeks, holding Peyton Manning and the Broncos to 17 points. Of course the Brady Quinn-led offense could only must nine points, so there?s that.