NFL Power Rankings Week 16

Slimdust

1 Patriots 1 - 1/2 The Patriots became the second team in NFL history to go 14-0 with a 20-10 win over the Jets on Sunday. With quarterback Tom Brady held at bay in horrible conditions, the running game picked up the slack. Laurence Maroney ran for 104 yards, just the fourth time this season a New England rusher surpassed 100 yards. "When you have elements like this you want to play great defense and run the ball," Brady said after the game. They did just that, holding the Jets to just two scores. With the first seed in the AFC playoffs and home field locked up, it'll be interesting to see how much Bill Belichick rests his key players from here on out.

2 Colts 3 (+1) 1/4 Indianapolis clinched a first-round bye with a hard-fought, 21-14 win over a fired-up Raiders squad in Oakland on Sunday. It took the Colts until midway through the fourth quarter before they scored a touchdown. Doing so ensured a week off in January and at least one home playoff game. Anthony Gonzalez was Peyton Manning's go-to guy, hauling in seven passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. Indy's the first team in NFL history to post five straight 12-win seasons. Quietly, the Colts have now run off five wins in a row. Don't sleep on the 12-2 Super Bowl champions.

3 Cowboys 2 (-1) 2/12 The Eagles ended the Cowboys' seven-game winning streak and prevented Dallas from tying its franchise record for wins in a season with a surprising 10-6 victory on Sunday. Dallas had its fewest yards of the season and didn't reach the end zone for the first time since 2004. Tony Romo only completed 13 passes, hitting just four receivers the entire game. At 12-2, the 'Boys still control their own destiny and a tie-breaker advantage over the Packers as far as the NFC's top seed goes. They'll likely need to beat both the Panthers in Charlotte and Redskins in D.C. to lock that up.

4 Packers 4 - 3/22 As fellow NFC division leaders Seattle and Dallas were bit by the upset bug on Sunday, the Packers avoided a scare of their own, running off 19 straight points to beat the Rams in St. Louis, 33-14. Brett Favre broke the NFL career passing yardage record, while the Packers secured a first-round bye for the first time since 1997. Favre threw for 227 yards on the day, while Mason Crosby was 4-for-4 on field goals, hitting from 44, 50, 25, and 46 yards. The offense is clicking, the defense is shutting everyone down, and the special teams are arguably the best in the league. What's not to love about Green Bay this year?

5 Jaguars 5 - 4/18 Somehow, some way, Fred Taylor, who has 10,000 career yards rushing in 11 NFL campaigns with the Jaguars — has never made a Pro Bowl. That might change this season, as Taylor's putting together one huge performance after another. Sunday's effort in Pittsburgh was arguably his best performance of the year. The veteran leader carried the ball 25 times for 147 yards, guiding the Jaguars to an enormous 29-22 win in Pittsburgh. The Jags outgained the AFC North-leading Steelers, 421-217, while putting together 224 rushing yards on the league's top-ranked defense. Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker was impressed with the Jacksonville team effort, "The Jaguars are the Pittsburgh of the South," Parker told reporters. "The weather was kind of bad, and they came in like they've been playing in it for a while. We've got to use our weather to our advantage." Now 10-4, the Jags are officially legitimate contenders in the AFC.

6 Chargers 8 (+2) 3/21 The hottest team in the league? Don't look now, but it may very well be the San Diego Chargers. Winners of four straight, the Chargers had their most dominant performance of the season Sunday against Detroit. Seldom-used reserve running back and kick returner Darren Sproles ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the blowout. LaDainian Tomlinson also ran for 116 yards and two scores. It marked the first time in franchise history two backs ran for 100 yards in the same game. The defense forced six turnovers and kept Jon Kitna flustered from start to finish. The Bolts wrapped up their third division title in four years with the 51-14 victory, and need only to win their last two games to secure the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoff bracket.

7 Seahawks 6 (-1) 5/20 Coming into Sunday's game with the Panthers, the Seahawks had won five straight games and were fresh off a decisive NFC West-clinching blowout of the Cardinals. They didn't look good in Carolina, falling to the struggling Panthers, 13-10. The 'Hawks had just 140 yards through three quarters, and the running game was non-existent. Any hopes for a first-round bye were dashed with the loss.

8 Buccaneers 12 (+4) 8/30 After 31-plus seasons and 1,865 attempts, Michael Spurlock returned the first kickoff for a touchdown in team history. The score was just one of many for the Buccaneers on Sunday in a division-clinching cakewalk win over the Falcons. This one was over before it even started, as the Bucs returned a kick and an interception for scores in the first 10 minutes. The Bucs are now 5-0 in their division, after going 0-6 versus NFC South foes a year ago.

9 Steelers 7 (-2) 3/14 Two weeks ago, the Steelers were a 9-3 team cruising to an AFC North title. Following their second straight loss on Sunday, they're 9-5 and in a tooth-and-nail battle with the Browns for the division crown. Holders of the tiebreaker after sweeping Cleveland in the season series, Mike Tomlin's team controls its own destiny — but will likely need to beat both St. Louis on Thursday night and Baltimore on Dec. 30 to re-capture the AFC North crown for the first time since 2004. To do so, they'll need to play better than they did on Sunday. The 29-22 loss was the Steelers' first at home this season.

10 Giants 9 (-1) 4/29 Strange year for the Giants, huh? New York lost its third straight home game on Sunday night, falling to the surging Redskins 22-10. It was an ugly game for the offense, as Eli Manning's receivers dropped eight different passes. Manning went just 18-52 on the day, completing only 34% of his passes. Jeremy Shockey was lost for the season after suffering a broken leg late in the second half. New York can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Bills this weekend. Fortunately for the Giants, the game's on the road.

11 Browns 10 (-1) 9/32 In a game in which Derek Anderson completed just 9-of-24 passes, Jamal Lewis carried the load for the offense — running 33 times for 163 yards in blizzard-like conditions in Cleveland. The 8-0 victory gave the Browns their ninth win of the season. In good shape for at least a wild card spot, an AFC North division title is still very much possible as well. The Browns would need to win out versus the Bengals and 49ers, and have the Steelers lose to either St. Louis or Baltimore.

12 Titans 11 (-1) 6/26 The Titans bounced back from a devastating loss against San Diego last week with a big win over the Chiefs in Kansas City on Sunday. The 26-17 victory kept Tennessee's faint playoff hopes alive. Roydell Williams caught 4 balls for 94 yards, and scored two touchdowns in the win. An icy footing kept the Tennessee's defense sackless — but the Titans still managed to pick Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle off two times. The Titans — at 8-6 on the year — are a game behind the Browns in the wild-card race.

13 Vikings 13 - 13/28 It wasn't pretty, but the Vikings improved to 8-6 with a 20-13 victory over the Bears on Monday night. Minnesota didn't lead until the fourth quarter, when Adrian Peterson rushed up the gut for an 8-yard game-winning score. Peterson bounced back from a 3-yard effort against San Francisco to pounce for 78 yards and two touchdowns. The win gave the Vikes a game lead over the Saints and Redskins in the NFC wild-card race.

14 Redskins 18 (+4) 10/24 The Redskins are still in the playoff hunt thanks to an upset win over the Giants. Clinton Portis had a solid afternoon, going for 126 yards and a touchdown. Ladell Betts also scored, taking a draw play 14 yards for a score. Todd Collins didn't win any fantasy league titles for anyone on Sunday, going just 8-for-25 for 166 yards, but he did just enough to ensure a win in his first start since 1997. Washington plays the Vikings on Sunday night in what has to be the game of the week.

15 Saints 17 (+2) 4/30 Playing without Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister, the Saints kept their playoff hopes alive with a win over the Cardinals on Sunday. Aaron Stecker was terrific out of the backfield, gobbling up 95 yards on the ground and 45 yards through the air. Stecker also scored two touchdowns in the effort. Drew Brees was fabulous as well, connecting on 26-of-30 passes for 315 yards, while tossing two balls for scores. The Saints, 7-7 and surging, are still alive for a return trip to the postseason.

16 Texans 16 - 11/26 How about Mario Williams? Written off by many after a lackluster rookie year as a draft "bust", the second-year man out of N.C. State is having a Pro Bowl-caliber campaign. Thursday night's performance against Denver was his best of 2007. With 3.5 sacks in the 31-13 win, Williams now has 13 sacks on the year. The Texans improved to 7-7 with the victory. In their six years in the league, Houston's never had more than seven wins in a season.

17 Bills 14 (-3) 11/31 In horrible weather conditions, the Bills could not get past the surging Browns in Cleveland on Sunday. The Buffalo offense struggled throughout, with rookie quarterback Trent Edwards completing just 13-of-33 passes for 124 yards. Buffalo went just 3-16 on third downs, and lost, 8-0, in their desperate attempt to stay in playoff chase.

18 Eagles 21 (+3) 11/27 After three straight losses of four points or less, the Eagles came out on top Sunday, beating the Cowboys in Dallas, 10-6. Brian Westbrook stole the show late in the game, rushing for 24 yards, only to take a knee on the Dallas 1. The maneuver was savvy, as Dallas had no timeouts left. Donovan McNabb then finished the game with three straight quarterback kneels. "It was brilliant," Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said of Westbrook's move. "He used that Villanova education and transferred it to the football field." The win was a rare bright spot for what's been a rather disappointing season for the Eagles.

19 Panthers 24 (+5) 12/30 In what was the NFC's biggest upset of the weekend, the Panthers beat the red-hot Seahawks in Charlotte. Rookie Matt Moore became the fourth Panthers quarterback to start a game this season, and got the best of the NFC West champs. Moore orchestrated three fourth-quarter scoring drives, while the defense held Seattle to just 10 points. This was just the second win in the last eight games for John Fox's team.

20 Broncos 15 (-5) 7/26 Thursday night's loss in Houston marked a second straight season without a postseason berth for the Broncos. That's a rarity in the Mike Shanahan era. The Broncos couldn't stop the Sage Rosenfels-led Texans, as the defense gave up 31 points and 358 yards of offense. So much for my preseason "Jay Cutler for League MVP" prediction. The Broncos take on the AFC West champion Chargers on Christmas Eve.

21 Cardinals 19 (-2) 12/26 Arizona fell to 6-8 with a loss in New Orleans, the Cardinals' second heart-breaking defeat in a row. Kurt Warner threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, but also fumbled, was sacked twice, and intercepted. Ken Whisenhunt coached like his team's postseason hopes depended on it, calling a fake punt on his team's own 25 late in the game. The Cards converted the first down, but it wasn't enough in the end. That's pretty much been the story of the 2007 Cardinals.

22 Bears 22 - 4/24 The Bears' quarterback situation couldn't be much worse than it is right now. Rex Grossman's injured, Brian Griese's struggled all year and Kyle Orton ... well, wow. That was something else Monday night. Orton started for the first time since the 2005 season finale, and couldn't move his team downfield. Though the defense forced turnovers and the special teams performed at a high level, the Chicago offense laid an absolute egg. The Bears rushed for just 32 yards, and Orton completed 22 passes for a paltry average of just 4.5 yards per toss. Chicago's NFC title defense ended in the Metrodome on Monday, as the loss eliminated the Bears from playoff contention.

23 Raiders 28 (+5) 18/32 The Raiders led the Colts 14-13 early in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game in Oakland. But the Raiders didn't get the breaks, falling by a 21-14 final in one of the more competitive games of Week 15. Oakland had its chances. Kelvin Hayden broke up a fourth-down pass to Jerry Porter on the Indianapolis 15-yard line, sealing the game.

24 Lions 20 (-4) 9/26 The Lions lost their sixth straight game on Sunday, falling to the Chargers in San Diego, 51-13. Jon Kitna tied a career high with five interceptions, while the Lions were outrushed by 274-26. Both LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles ripped off 100-yard/two-touchdown days in the blowout. It may be time to start thinking about Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers for Lions fans.

25 49ers 29 (+4) 9/31 It may have taken a few months too long, but the San Francisco 49ers finally looked like the team most media pundits expected them to be back in August. The Niners won 20-13, posting their second win in 12 games. Shaun Hill looked fantastic, going 21-for-28 for 197 yards, while passing and running for touchdowns. Frank Gore had his best game of the season, gobbling up 138 yards on 29 carries. Where was all this in September, October, and November?

26 Bengals 23 (-3) 7/26 A week after putting together their most complete effort of the season against St. Louis, the Bengals fell to the lowly 49ers. The Cincy's defense was outworked all day by the league's worst offense. The Bengals haven't won consecutive games all year. They'll finish with a losing record for the first time since 2002.

27 Jets 26 (-1) 12/29 Spygate II was actually a bit of a game. But in the end, the Jets couldn't beat the Pats on the road, a feat they accomplished last year. Chad Pennington saw his first extensive action in weeks, going 25-for-38 for 186 yards. Does Eric Mangini go with Kellen Clemens or Pennington next week against Tennessee? Outside of Long Island and some parts of New Jersey, does anyone even care?

28 Chiefs 27 (-1) 10/30 Things couldn't be much worse for the Chiefs. After the Titans won their first game in Kansas City in 17 years, the Chiefs fell to 4-10, their seventh straight defeat. Amazingly enough, just seven weeks ago the Chiefs were 4-3 and in first place in the AFC West. Now, less than two months later, they're looking at a potential top 10 draft pick in April. Kansas City's 2-6 record at home marks its worst since 1977.

29 Rams 30 (+1) 17/32 Despite a monster day from Steven Jackson, the Rams fell to the Packers at home. The good news? The Edward Jones Dome was sold out for the game. The bad news? Apparently half the stadium was filled with Cheeseheads. The Rams are now 1-6 at home.

30 Ravens 25 (-5) 5/30 It can't get much worse for the struggling Ravens. Losers of eight straight, Baltimore fell to the previously winless Dolphins in overtime. The eight straight losses are a franchise record. If the embarrassment of losing to arguably the worst team of the decade wasn't enough, the Ravens also lost Ray Lewis to a dislocated finger in the third quarter. At 4-10, Baltimore will more than likely have a top 10 draft pick. Play like they did Sunday and that could end up being top 5.

31 Dolphins 32 (+1) 28/32 With the '72 Dolphins in the stadium cheering them on, Miami magically rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, and beat the Ravens in overtime. The win was the franchise's first since Dec. 10, 2006 — 16 games worth of losing football. Cam Cameron got his first career NFL coaching win . . . 11 months after being announced as Miami's head coach. In a season of disappointment and lost hope, this one was a special one.

32 Falcons 31 (-1) 25/32 The Falcons had an interesting seven days, huh? In the same week, their franchise quarterback was sentenced to 23 months in jail, their owner stood behind their head coach in a nationally televised interview, only for the coach to bolt for a college job 12 hours later. Oh, and they got absolutely dominated. . . twice. Sunday's loss to Tampa was a bad one. Atlanta was held to a season-low 133 yards on the day. They've been outscored by 161-53 during their five-game losing streak. Bad times down South. Bad times, indeed. Right now, Atlanta's the worst team in the league.

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