It’s getting harder and harder to do the Power Rankings every week for the bottom of the barrel. Everyone is just interested in the Top 10 and who will make the playoffs. I considered limiting the list but I get too much joy out of ripping on the crappy teams of the league. Not much change at the top this week but nice movement in the middle as mediocre teams jostle for playoff positioning.
| Rank (Pv) | Team | Record | Comment |
| 1 (1) |  |
12-1 | Take the poll and tell me if this team is for real. I still don’t know. |
| 2 (2) |  |
12-1 | In the AFCCG, would it be harder for New England to go to Pitt and win or vice versa? |
| 3 (3) |  |
12-1 | Squeeked by the Redskins to make it the first time in history that the NFL had three 12-1 teams. |
| 4 (4) |  |
10-3 | Ravens on national TV might make it a little harder for Peyton to get the record this week. |
| 5 (5) |  |
10-3 | Looked good in beating a semi-hot Bucs team to solidify their position atop the AFC West. |
| 6 (7) |  |
10-3 | Winning the division with 3 weeks left was impressive. Now let’s see if they can somehow steal homefield advantage. |
| 7 (6) |  |
9-4 | Pennington had one of his worst career games but the Steelers defense had a lot to do with that. Still the top Wild Card. |
| 8 (8) |  |
7-6 | So now they have an offense to go with that great D. But beating the Browns is something everyone does. |
| 9 (9) |  |
8-5 | Came back from a trouncing to beat a “quality” division opponent. In the NFC, quality is loosely defined. |
| 10 (8) |  |
8-5 | People in Denver are grumbling about Shanahan but he has $20M left on his contract. |
| 11 (13) |  |
8-5 | Tough to use the Giants as a measuring stick but I had to move the Ravens up based on a convincing win. |
| 12 (14) |  |
7-6 | See comment above. |
| 13 (18) |  |
7-6 | If Darrell Jackson was Brett Favre, ESPN would’ve tried to give him the Nobel peace prize. |
| 14 (16) |  |
6-7 | Gotta give them a lot of credit for climbing themselves up to the last wild card spot. |
| 15 (11) |  |
7-6 | This team collapses every single year like this. Tice is gone after this season. |
| 16 (12) |  |
6-7 | It was a slim shot but beating New England would’ve kept them in the playoff race. |
| 17 (17) |  |
5-7 | Losing to a top AFC team on the road is nothing to be ashamed of. Still alive for a playoff spot. |
| 18 (15) |  |
6-7 | I was really hoping that the Rams and Seahawks would end up tied at 8-8 for the division win. The west makes me want to puke. |
| 19 (23) |  |
5-8 | I believe Madden said about their defense, “It’s not as if they’re not trying.” Considering the results, they might as well not be. |
| 20 (19) |  |
5-8 | At least Kevin Jones might turn out to be a player. |
| 21 (21) |  |
5-8 | When I sucked in little league, they used to say “good try” to me too. |
| 22 (20) |  |
5-8 | Chad Hutchinson found out that unlike the Vikings, the Jags actually play some defense. |
| 23 (28) |  |
5-8 | Win in Dallas means Haslett gets to keep his job for one more week. But I hear the listing on his Nawlins home is still going up. |
| 24 (25) |  |
4-9 | Sean Taylor is a beast. How can a guy that big be fast enough to play in the secondary? |
| 25 (22) |  |
5-8 | You can’t follow up a great MNF game against Seattle with a stinker to New Orleans! It’s like following up Caddyshack with… well, Caddyshack II. |
| 26 (24) |  |
4-9 | Maybe I spoke too soon about Kerry Collins. Thanks for the -1 fantasy points, buddy! |
| 27 (29) |  |
4-9 | They had this game won! Typical of the season. Moved up based solely on Drew Bennett going nuts. |
| 28 (27) |  |
5-7 | Eli had a 0.0 passer rating… Even as Peyton, Troy, and Donovan struggled in their rookie seasons, they never had a 0.0 rating. |
| 29 (30) |  |
3-10 | What could I possible say about this team. Their uni colors are indicative of how they’re playing. |
| 30 (31) |  |
2-11 | Giving the Broncos a game in Denver is cause to move up 1 spot, right? |
| 31 (32) |  |
2-11 | Finally moves out of the cellar with their second win! |
| 32 (26) |  |
4-8 | Only this team could lose to the Niners. TWICE. I’m putting them at the bottom just for that. |
3 replies on “Week 14 NFL Power Rankings”
Um… Didn’t New England GO to Pitt and win the AFC Title Game during the 2001 season? Nothing new this time (BOTH teams are better than that year, don’t argue that).
Cardinals: #32. Ah yes.
Last year, however, they were the worst team in NFL history. I am sure of it. That is why I wanted Dave McGinnis to coach my Falcons. He is a great coach stuck in a lowsy spot. Arizona should rot in hell for firing him (but hiring Dennis Green = Partial Redemption). Hopefully Minnesota will fire Tice and hire McGinnis. Or better yet, a real franchise so that this guy can proove his worth.
On that note, Atlanta is STILL the worst (insert current record) team in NFL history. No 10-3-0 team has ever been more pitiful. The Chargers are starting to make believers out of me.
FYI, for the second time I picked the Chargers ATS. The ONLY other time I did was the one week they lost ATS. So I was 0-1 ATS when I picked them and 0-11 ATS when I picked against them. I picked them again and they miraculously found a way to cover. Now I am 1-12 picking the Chargers games this year. My best is the Bills (11-2). Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.
On that note, my Super Bowl projections (assuming there is a god and Buffalo can get into the postseason with 10 wins) is Buffalo vs. Carolina. I know I had New England vs. Philadelphia in the preseason and that has hope, but if you asked me to rate the top teams in each conference (which you did not) right now, Buffalo would be #1 in the AFC and Carolina would be in a 6 or 7 way tie in the NFC. They’d beat Atlanta, Seattle, Minnesota, or Green Bay easily come the playoffs (or St. Louis if they’d win a tie breaker among 7-9 teams [or even Arizona]). They have beaten Philadelphia before and they’ll find a way to collapse.
On that note, good night.
Carolina is looking good LATELY but they don’t have an answer for TO and Westbrook, who the Eagles were without last year.
It wouldnt be close.
Re: Um… Actually, the Steelers had terrible special teams and probably one of the worst secondaries in the league in 2001, which is quite a big difference from this year. Our special teams are strong, and Troy Polamalu might go to the Pro Bowl in the secondary. In 2001, the reason we were so good was an insane pass rush protecting our secondary up until the AFC Championship, when the Pats spread us out. If the Pats beat us again, it’ll be a much different game than it was in 2001.
As for the Bills being the strongest team in the AFC, well look at their QB. That’s a guaranteed collapse in the playoffs, if they even make it. The Panthers won me a good bit of money last year, so I’d agree with you there, although I wouldn’t take them over the Eagles again this year.