1. Denver Broncos: After the Seahawks lost at home in a Week 16 matchup, the Denver Broncos are now number one in the power rankings. Peyton Manning threw his 51st touchdown pass in 2013 against the Houston Texans last weekend, breaking Tom Brady's record of 50. Manning and the Broncos offense is clearly the best in the league, but Von Miller's ACL injury will cause Miller to miss the rest of the season, a huge loss to the Broncos defense.
2. Seattle Seahawks: For the first time since 2011, the Seattle Seahawks lost in their own stadium, this time it was against the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 16 matchup. The game was low scoring, and it appeared that the Seahawks would be able to tie it within the final two minutes, but a costly interception cost them the game. This loss at home may shake the Seahawks' confidence at home, maybe planting a seed of doubt into their minds.
3. Carolina Panthers: Following their home win against the New Orleans Saints, all the Carolina Panthers need in order to clinch a first round bye is to win their Week 17 matchup against the Falcons on the road. Carolina's defense particularly, the run defense, has been absolutely superb so far in 2013, and with soon-to-be Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly leading the way, the Panthers are very likely to win the NFC South.
4. New England Patriots: The Patriots are unable to create any type of consistency in 2013, especially due to all of the devastating injuries; however, their dominant win over the Baltimore Ravnes on the road proves they are still a powerhouse in the NFL, especially with quarterback Tom Brady leading the way. The team played well on both sides of the ball, and they still have a shot at clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs despite all of the challenges they have faced.
5. San Francisco 49ers: Sure, Monday Night's game between the Niners and the Falcons was exciting to watch, but considering the Falcons were 4-10 going into this game, the Niners should have won by a larger margin. The Niners are on a five game winning streak, with a 10-2 record in their last 12 games. The defense as a whole carrying this time, and offensively a dominant running game allows the Niners to be in contention for a spot in the playoffs.
6. Kansas City Chiefs: After starting the season at 9-0, the Kansas City Chiefs have lost four of their last seven, proving that the Chiefs may not be a powerhouse in this league after all. The Chiefs defense is not nearly as stingy as they were at the start of the season. In their first 9 games, the Chiefs defense allowed an average of 12.3 points per game, whereas their defense is allowing nearly 24 points per game in the last seven. The number don't lie.
7. New Orleans Saints: The Saints' loss to the Carolina Panthers last weekend clearly shows New Orleans' terrible weakness when playing on the road. The Saints may be undefeated so far this season when playing in the safety of the Superdome, but on the road, they are 3-5, a clear weakness for the Saints. Peyton Manning is receiving all of the spotlight, but Drew Brees is also having yet another great season in 2013.
8. Arizona Cardinals: Many assumed that Arizona's two game winning streak would be snapped once they travelled to Seattle, but instead, Arizona handed the Seahawks their first loss at home since December of 2011. The Cardinals might just be the hottest team in the NFL right now, even though they have yet to be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.
9. Cincinnati Bengals: Originally, the Cincinnati Bengals offense struggled due to the inconsistent passing game under quarterback Andy Dalton. Wide receiver AJ Green is truly the centerpiece of this offense, as he ranks within the top 5 in the entire National Football League in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. The defense is clearly the core of this team as a whole, but AJ Green is the superstar of the team.
10. Indianapolis Colts: The Colts are obviously the most inconsistent team of 2013. This season, the Colts have beaten the 49ers, Seahawks, Broncos, and Chiefs (combined record of 46-14), but have lost to inferior teams such as the Chargers, Dolphins, and Rams. Quarterback Andrew Luck has shown signs of progress since his rookie season, but his future performance in the playoffs several weeks from now is unpredictable to say the least.
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11. Philadelphia Eagles
12. San Diego Chargers
13. Philadelphia Steelers
14. Chicago Bears
15. Baltimore Ravens
16. Dallas Cowboys
17. Green Bay Packers
18. Miami Dolphins
19. St Louis Rams
20. New York Jets
21. Detroit Lions
22. New York Giants
23. Buffalo Bills
24. Tennessee Titans
25. Minnesota Vikings
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
28. Atlanta Falcons
29. Cleveland Browns
30. Washington Redskins
31. Oakland Raiders
32. Houston Texans
2. Seattle Seahawks: For the first time since 2011, the Seattle Seahawks lost in their own stadium, this time it was against the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 16 matchup. The game was low scoring, and it appeared that the Seahawks would be able to tie it within the final two minutes, but a costly interception cost them the game. This loss at home may shake the Seahawks' confidence at home, maybe planting a seed of doubt into their minds.3. Carolina Panthers: Following their home win against the New Orleans Saints, all the Carolina Panthers need in order to clinch a first round bye is to win their Week 17 matchup against the Falcons on the road. Carolina's defense particularly, the run defense, has been absolutely superb so far in 2013, and with soon-to-be Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly leading the way, the Panthers are very likely to win the NFC South.
4. New England Patriots: The Patriots are unable to create any type of consistency in 2013, especially due to all of the devastating injuries; however, their dominant win over the Baltimore Ravnes on the road proves they are still a powerhouse in the NFL, especially with quarterback Tom Brady leading the way. The team played well on both sides of the ball, and they still have a shot at clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs despite all of the challenges they have faced.
5. San Francisco 49ers: Sure, Monday Night's game between the Niners and the Falcons was exciting to watch, but considering the Falcons were 4-10 going into this game, the Niners should have won by a larger margin. The Niners are on a five game winning streak, with a 10-2 record in their last 12 games. The defense as a whole carrying this time, and offensively a dominant running game allows the Niners to be in contention for a spot in the playoffs.
6. Kansas City Chiefs: After starting the season at 9-0, the Kansas City Chiefs have lost four of their last seven, proving that the Chiefs may not be a powerhouse in this league after all. The Chiefs defense is not nearly as stingy as they were at the start of the season. In their first 9 games, the Chiefs defense allowed an average of 12.3 points per game, whereas their defense is allowing nearly 24 points per game in the last seven. The number don't lie.7. New Orleans Saints: The Saints' loss to the Carolina Panthers last weekend clearly shows New Orleans' terrible weakness when playing on the road. The Saints may be undefeated so far this season when playing in the safety of the Superdome, but on the road, they are 3-5, a clear weakness for the Saints. Peyton Manning is receiving all of the spotlight, but Drew Brees is also having yet another great season in 2013.
8. Arizona Cardinals: Many assumed that Arizona's two game winning streak would be snapped once they travelled to Seattle, but instead, Arizona handed the Seahawks their first loss at home since December of 2011. The Cardinals might just be the hottest team in the NFL right now, even though they have yet to be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.
9. Cincinnati Bengals: Originally, the Cincinnati Bengals offense struggled due to the inconsistent passing game under quarterback Andy Dalton. Wide receiver AJ Green is truly the centerpiece of this offense, as he ranks within the top 5 in the entire National Football League in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. The defense is clearly the core of this team as a whole, but AJ Green is the superstar of the team.
10. Indianapolis Colts: The Colts are obviously the most inconsistent team of 2013. This season, the Colts have beaten the 49ers, Seahawks, Broncos, and Chiefs (combined record of 46-14), but have lost to inferior teams such as the Chargers, Dolphins, and Rams. Quarterback Andrew Luck has shown signs of progress since his rookie season, but his future performance in the playoffs several weeks from now is unpredictable to say the least.
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11. Philadelphia Eagles
12. San Diego Chargers
13. Philadelphia Steelers
14. Chicago Bears
15. Baltimore Ravens
16. Dallas Cowboys
17. Green Bay Packers
18. Miami Dolphins
19. St Louis Rams
20. New York Jets
21. Detroit Lions
22. New York Giants
23. Buffalo Bills
24. Tennessee Titans
25. Minnesota Vikings
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
28. Atlanta Falcons
29. Cleveland Browns
30. Washington Redskins
31. Oakland Raiders
32. Houston Texans
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