Week 13 Power Rankings

By Anh Vo

1)      Green Bay Packers (11-0) – The only knock on this team is that they still don’t have a running game, but their superior passing game makes up for it as no team has been able to stop them. Every player on their receiving corp is dangerous (with the exception of Donald Driver) and they all run great routes. Their defense is just as good as last season. While they do give up yards and points occasionally, they make up for those with big plays at critical times. If the Packers can get James Starks to turn it on again like he did in the playoffs last season they will be a sure bet to win the Super Bowl again.

2)      New England Patriots (8-3) – The Patriots offense will always be prolific so long as Tom Brady is out there, however, they still lack the deep threat in that offense. They hoped that void would be filled when they signed Chad Ochocinco, but that hasn’t worked out. Meanwhile, until they can fix their defense, you can’t label them as the favorites with confidence to come out of the AFC. However, surprisingly, their defense has improved as of late despite injuries to their starters as they have been able to pressure opposing quarterbacks pretty well. Will they continue to improve on defense? And will it sustain through the playoffs? We’ll see.

3)      Baltimore Ravens (8-3) – The Ravens will always go as far as their defense takes them, and as of late, they have been on a tear. Even with an injured Ray Lewis they still hold their ground. Ray Rice has been playing well, but not as well as many would expect coming into the season. He’s getting the touchdowns, but has only had four games where he rushed for more than 75 yards. As for Joe Flacco, he’s had a pretty disappointing season thus far statistically. His receiving corp is better this season compared to last season, yet he hasn’t shown any improvement in his game. He needs to play at a higher level if the Ravens want to get over the hump in the playoffs.

4)      New Orleans Saints (8-3) – If there is any team that can challenge the Packers in the NFC, it would be the Saints. They have the quarterback and fire power on offense that can match that of the Packers, but their defense is still a liability. They utilize their receivers the same way the Packers do, and they have one player who is practically unguardable in Jimmy Graham. He’s too fast for linebackers, and too tall for defensive backs. I like how they are finally establishing a consistent running game as of late with Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, and Darren Sproles. This is the one part in their game that they do have over the Packers. If they can somehow improve their secondary going into the playoffs, I wouldn’t be surprised if they edge out the Packers in an upset.

5)      Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) – The Steelers have taken a step back, but the Steelers are still the Steelers and they will find ways to win. The defense isn’t the same defense that strikes fear in opponents anymore, but they are still good. Ben Roethlisberger isn’t as good this season compared to last season (partly due to his thumb injury), but he is still efficient enough to carry the team. The passing game is still there, but the Steelers really need to re-establish their running game. Rashard Mendenhall has six rushing touchdowns, but only one game where he topped 100 yards, and that is simply not enough. If the Steelers want to go far in the playoffs again they will need Rashard Mendenhall to get going and also for their offensive line to do a better job at opening up holes for him to run through.

6)      Dallas Cowboys (7-4) – Ever since DeMarco Murray took over the duties at running back, the Cowboys became a complete team. The team was already good all around, but the only thing they lacked was a good running game when Felix Jones was in the backfield. They have since filled that void with the new rookie, who is much more explosive, and have won their last four games. They have also found another weapon in Laurent Robinson, who has become a touchdown machine in the last several games. When Miles Austin and Mike Jenkins get healthy, they will be a really dangerous team.

7)      Houston Texans (8-3) – If this team was completely healthy, there’s no doubt I would have ranked them up there with the Packers. Initially, they were a complete team, but then both Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart went down, and now they are left with their third-string quarterback. However, I trust Gary Kubiak when it comes to evaluating talent, and if he said he liked T.J. Yates at the start of training camp then I trust that he is a pretty good quarterback who will be able to do enough to keep the Texans going. The Texans have the number one overall defense, the best offensive line, and the best running game in the league, so all T.J. Yates has to do is not turn the ball over and keep the drives going on offense.

8)      San Francisco 49ers (9-2) – I know they have the second best record in the league, but hey, let’s be honest, they still don’t have a passing game. On Thanksgiving Day, they were exposed when they played the tough Ravens defense that contained the run and forced the 49ers to beat them through the air, and they couldn’t do it. The 49ers have the same talent they had last season, with the exception of Braylon Edwards (who has been banged up and a non-factor), Donte Whitner, and a few new rookies. The biggest difference is that this season they have a good coach who is really competitive and has the team playing hard. This team reminds me of the New York Jets two seasons ago. They have a really good defense and a good running game on offense. All the quarterback has to do is just manage the game and throw when necessary to keep the drives alive. But let’s not forget who we’re talking about here… (Alex Smith). He’s still the same Alex Smith that has poor accuracy, makes poor decisions, can’t be trusted to throw the ball down the field, and turns the ball over, whether it be interceptions or fumbles.

9)      Detroit Lions (7-4) – The Lions sure have lost some steam since the start of the season, but they are still a very dangerous passing team. But it looks like they finally have a running game with the resurrection of Kevin Smith…but then he went down with an ankle sprain. However, it is a good thing that it is only minor so he should be back soon. Some help in the backfield now helps alleviate the pain on Matthew Stafford’s throwing finger, as he would not have to throw as much. The Lions’ defense has been tamed as of late, and will now be hurting more without Ndamukong Suh for the next two games. Their biggest concern though is their secondary, as they have been burned by opposing receivers, and it does not help with Chris Houston out with a knee injury. Let’s see how the Lions respond in the next few games.

10)   Atlanta Falcons (7-4) – Their passing attack hasn’t been stellar as many anticipated going into the season, but they have improved in the last few games compared to the start of the season. Tony Gonzalez has bounced back this season and has been a reliable target for Matt Ryan, but Roddy White hasn’t been as good as they had hoped. Now with Julio Jones banged up again, it will be interesting to see how Harry Douglas will do in the next upcoming games. There are reports that Michael Turner is now dealing with a groin injury, which is going to hurt them going forward. With a history of groin injuries, if this continues to linger, the Falcons might have to ease up on his work load to keep him healthy. The Falcons defense has been on and off this season, as they do give up a good amount of points, but they do have a good run defense. Their defense will have to be more consistent now to compensate for the injuries of Julio Jones and Michael Turner if they want to make the playoffs.

11)   New York Giants (6-5) – The defense is banged up right now, and it showed in the last game with the Saints when they got lit up for 49 points. The Giants have not been the same ever since Ahmad Bradshaw fractured his foot. He is much quicker and a better slasher than Brandon Jacobs, and that really hurts their offense because now Eli Manning has to throw a lot more. Hakeem Nicks hasn’t been playing well, and Mario Manningham is hurt, so it has been the “Eli Manning and Victor Cruz Show,” which won’t be enough for their difficult schedule coming up.

12)   Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) – The Bengals have been surprising thus far on both sides of the field. Andy Dalton has been playing really well for a rookie and so has A.J. Green. They are a balanced team on offense, and Cedric Benson has been consistently good, but not spectacular. The defense has been good at containing the run, but their already suspect secondary is now gonna take a step back with their top cornerback Leon Hall out for the season. It will be interesting to see if the Bengals can maintain their success against the tough Steelers and Texans defense coming up.

13)   Oakland Raiders (7-4) – The Raiders have played well despite having a new quarterback in the system and not having Darren McFadden. Michael Bush has filled in nicely and the defense has made some big plays and forcing turnovers in the last three games. However, their receiving corp has been shaky due to inconsistency and injuries, so we’ll see how well their passing game does for the remainder of the season as they will be forced to pass more to remain in the game against high offensive teams. I still have my concerns with Carson Palmer though, as he does turn the ball over quite often when taking a lot of shots downfield.

14)   Chicago Bears (7-4) – I know what you’re thinking: “What the heck?! Why are the Bears ranked so low?!” Unless Caleb Hanie catches fire spontaneously, this team is starting to fizzle out quick. They have average receivers, a weak offensive line, and now they have a quarterback who will be turning the ball over even more. Their defense has been great, but now they will be seeing the field even more as the offense will struggle to keep drives alive.

15)   Denver Broncos (6-5) – The Broncos are on a roll right now. Winning four in a row, and five of their last six games, the new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has the defense playing hard right now. Pressuring the opposing quarterback has been the biggest factor with Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil on both ends. Meanwhile, Tim Tebow has been doing a good job of running the ball, making good, accurate passes at critical times, and not turning the ball over. It also looks like Willis McGahee is slowly coming back to form as he had some nice runs in the last game against the Chargers. As long as the Broncos can keep the games close, Tim Tebow and the Broncos’ running game will have a very good chance of sneaking out victories.

      Editor's Note: Please welcome Anh to TheFFAddict as the newest addition to our website. He will have a new article (power rankings) after every week, for the rest of the season. Make sure you check him out on Twitter for a good football conversation, @PrototypeDemo.