NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Giants Save Their Season, Seahawks Make a Late Playoff Push
What a crazy week of football. Some teams took control of their own destiny for the playoffs even though they didn’t have pretty performances. The Denver Broncos, thanks in large part to some awful late game play by Marion Barber including a late game fumble in field goal range, have taken control of the A.F.C. West. In the N.F.C. East the Giants stood by and watched the Cowboys self-destruct in the final moments as Eli Manning and Jason Pierre Paul kept the Giants season alive.
A few other teams really benefited from this weekend. Miraculously, the Eagles can win out and still make the playoffs if the Giants and Cowboys collapse. As for the wrong side of things: Tennessee had a great opportunity to make a strong push for the playoffs, but faltered down the stretch, though their future looks bright with all of their talented and productive young players.
#32. Indianapolis Colts-
The Colts are terrible. Peyton Manning for M.V.P.
#31 St. Louis Rams
The Rams are inching close to grabbing Matt Kalil in the 2012 N.F.L. draft, though there are reports out there that Kalil is strongly considering returning to school for his senior season.
#30 Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings, surprisingly only have two wins. When you watch them play you think they are better than a two win team, but they make too many mistakes to win some of these tight games. What sucks for Jared Allen is that he is having a career year, a defensive N.F.L. Player of the year, kind of season. 17.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and he’s single handily keeping Vikings in many games.
#29 Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs didn’t show up again. They are a team that is a real Quarterback away from being good. Now, the lack a lot of depth, but they have plenty of talent at a lot of positions. And the next head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs is…?
28 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Seem low? The Buccaneers have lost seven straight games in a row. I hadn’t even realized that. The Buccaneers were supposed to compete for the playoffs this year, but have been woeful the past month and a half. They’ve had some close calls but no one cares about close. They are more talented than this, but at some point they have to take a big hit for losing so many games in a row, right? playing Dallas, Carolina, and Atlanta down the stretch won’t help any. They just got blown out by the Jaguars. The Jaguars!
The Buccaneers have gone from “youngry” to….I don’t have a witty nick-name. They are Just Terrible.
#27 Cleveland Browns
The Browns kept the game really close against the Steelers until the very end. The question now for the Browns is, do they have their franchise quarterback. I asked Dan Kadar of mocking the draft that question (he’s a Browns fan, for those who didn’t know). I think it’s real intriguing, especially for us draft fans. Holmgren has a history of trying to find quarterbacks late in the draft, but could they really pass on a Robert Griffin or Matt Barkley if they are available.
#26 Jacksonville Jagaurs
You blow out a team, you get a little love. I had them maybe too low last week, and maybe a little high this week, but they are one of the few teams down in this range that actually won.
#25 Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins once again look ordinary on Sunday against the Eagles who absolutely destroyed them at home. Sparano had an outside shot at keeping his job with the Dolphins play the last month and a half, but that Eagles game probably ended that Dream. I was going to move the Bills here, but the Dolphins might have loss Matt Moore for the foreseeable future and they can’t keep playing well with J.P. LOSTman (see what I did there?) can they?
#24 Carolina Panthers
The Panthers still need to run the football and really they just need to learn how to win, but the future is bright. Both the Bills and Panthers have lost and don’t look great, but their records are 5-8 Buffalo and 4-9 Carolina. I think Carolina would win on a neutral field though, if that’s any consolation.
#23 Buffalo Bills
The Bills have fallen apart in the second half of the season, the problem with the Bills is that they have no depth. They can’t overcome many injuries at all. They also need someone to rush the passer (who knew that it was Aaron Maybin?), and someone to stretch the field consistently on offense. Depth everywhere would help as well.
I’m really disappointed in the Bills performance on Sunday. I even picked them as my upset of the week in my picks column thinking they could go out to San Diego and play a close game. The Bills didn’t not play well at all. And like the Browns the question now becomes do they feel they need to find a franchise Quarterback?
#22 Washington Redskins
The Redskins are showing some heart and good Rex Grossman can keep them in any game because they have a plus defense, but when bad Grossman shows up… *shudder*
#21 Arizona Cardinals
In all honesty I feel like I should have the Cardinals even a little higher. I think they are 5-1 in their last six games with a win over the Eagles and Cowboys recently (who I unfairly have put ahead of the Cardinals) and if the Cardinals win out they can actually make the playoffs. What an amazing turn of events for this team.
#20 Philadelphia Eagles
And here come the Eagles. They do this every-year just like the Chargers. Start awful come on strong at the end of the season hope that it’s not too late to get into the playoffs. And that’s where they area again this season. Somehow miraculously if the Eagles win out (which would include a win over Dallas), Dallas goes 1-2 and the Giants lose two of their last three games the Eagles will win the division. Still not out of it yet. This weekend they play the Jets, the loser of this game has an uphill battle for the playoffs, well if the Eagles lose they are finally put out of their misery.
#19 Oakland Raiders
Couldn’t be more disappointed with the play of the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. I thought they had a chance to keep it close with their plus running game, but instead they just stunk up the joint. The Raiders are doing everything they possibly can to show themselves out of the playoff race.
#18 Tennessee Titans
The Titans are a young team who had a rookie quarterback in during the waning minutes of the game on Sunday, a game they definitely could have won against the Saints, but I’m not going to fault them too much for that. This was suppose to be a rebuilding year, but they have done an excellent job competing. Jake Locker has looked mighty impressive in his limited game play. The Titans look to have a real bright future if they can get another WR weapon (though Damian Williams is playing fairly well down the stretch) and Chris Johnson returns to form they could easily compete for the playoffs in 2012.
#17 Seattle Seahawks
With the one last night, the Seahawks are 4-2 in their last six games with wins over Philadelphia and Baltimore during that stretch. Had they beaten Washington they’d be in great position to compete for a playoff spot instead of hoping everything breaks their way.
Power rankings continued on the second page.