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Power Rankings: Week 13

The Packers were taken down by the Giants. Tampa Bay had their momentum halted in a divisional contest when they hosted Atlanta. The Patriots put the Jets in their place once and for all as far as the 2012 season goes.

Big happenings with big implications.

But what would it mean for the PFF weekly power rankings? Let’s see what the week's games meant for our analysts choices.

 

[table id=646 /]

 

And now on to our overall rankings.

1. Houston Texans (1st)

It could have been very different but for some odd (is odd the right word?) officiating. But the Texans march to the postseason carries on, though they’ll need Matt Schaub to handle pressure better than he did against Detroit.

2. New England Patriots (4th)

A comfortable win over the Jets and New England seem to be hitting form at the right time. It’s gone a little unnoticed, but Tom Brady is playing as well as he ever has.

3. San Francisco 49ers (3rd)

They went to the SuperDome and put a beating on New Orleans. There’s no doubt Colin Kaepernick has added something to the offense, but will there come a time when it costs them? That’s the question on a lot of peoples’ minds.

4. Denver Broncos (2nd)

That was an unconvincing win and, in the eyes of some analysts, enough to help them drop two spots. Still, they’re a dangerous team even if we’ve seen them play better.

5. Atlanta Falcons (6th)

Another close win, but this time it was at least at the expense of a tough Buccaneers side. The running game has to be viewed as a concern though, while injuries to their cornerbacks (after already losing Brent Grimes) aren’t ideal.

6. New York Giants (10th)

And they’re back. You never know what to expect from the Giants, but that win was huge in terms of keeping distance between themselves and the rest of the NFC East. A team nobody wants to play come postseason time.

7. Green Bay Packers (5th) and Chicago Bears (9th)

The battle for the NFC North is one that our analysts can’t yet decide. One is coming off a convincing win and the other a resounding defeat, but clearly we have not forgotten how the Packers handled the Bears early on in the season. Week 15 can’t come soon enough.

9. Baltimore Ravens (7th)

Yes they won, but once again they were utterly unconvincing. The Chargers' defense gave them a big assist on that Ray Rice run and bigger challengers remain ahead.

10. Seattle Seahawks (8th)

There’s going to come a time when you just accept that the Seahawks are a limited team. How else do you explain a near complete inability to win on the road? They’re young and learning, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13th)

They had an opportunity to make the NFL take notice of them as legit contenders but just couldn’t get the job done against Atlanta. Still, they’re in the postseason hunt and continue to impress.

12. New Orleans Saints (12th) and Cincinnati Bengals (16th)

Two teams who appear to be heading in different directions. You feel the Saints big chance was to beat the 49ers, but they didn’t have the firepower to do it. Cincinnati is beating up on bad teams but what more can you expect from them. They’re back in the race with playmakers on both sides of the ball.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (11th)

It’s a shame that just when the Steelers seemed to be hitting their stride, Big Ben took a shot that put him on the sidelines. It’s all gone wrong since then and they really need their quarterback back before it’s too late.

15. Washington Redskins (18th)

How about that RG3? He’s pretty good, right? The Redskins have the look of a team that with a few tweaks could be incredibly good, but that defense looks a little light in parts.

16. Indianapolis Colts (17th)

Another big win as the Colts remarkable transformation continues. This is more than just about one man, with changes on both sides of the ball really starting to bear fruit.

17. Dallas Cowboys (14th)

Another tough loss for Dallas who keep putting themselves in positions its near impossible to come back from. Something has to change, right?

18. Minnesota Vikings (15th)

They can’t win with Adrian Peterson fumbling and Percy Harvin not on the field. It’s impossible. The Bears schooled them.

19. Miami Dolphins (20th)

They rebounded and that defense had itself a nice game. For a team that was all about the future they’re a lot further along than most would have said.

20. Detroit Lions (19th)

What can you say about Detroit? They outplayed our top ranked Texans team, but they didn’t walk away with the win. Was last year an overachievement or this year an underachievement? Both?

21. St Louis Rams (21st)

Winning is always good, but when the opposition starting quarterback is rookie Ryan Lindley it comes with an asterisk. You get the feeling this team is finding itself.

22. New York Jets (24th)

When they’re bad, they’re very bad. Rex Ryan got a pass last year, but considering how the wrongs haven’t been righted, will he get another one?

23. Buffalo Bills (22nd)

They really needed to beat the Colts. They didn’t. That’s the story of their 2012.

24. San Diego Chargers (23rd)

It’s almost a game in San Diego to find new and inventive ways to lose. It’s hard to see Norv Turner there next year, but there are components of a good team.

25. Carolina Panthers (28th)

The Eagles made it easy for them at times, but the Panthers needed a bit of luck in a massively disappointing season. Don’t be fooled into thinking this team is terrible, there are some good players on the roster.

26. Tennessee Titans (25th)

Firing the offensive coordinator seemed a bit unnecessary at this stage of the year. The defeat to Jacksonville was a lot like their season. Some good, some bad, ultimately disappointing.

27. Cleveland Browns (29th)

Rarely blown away, the Browns are building something. Will a new owner notice this or want to start from scratch?

28. Arizona Cardinals (27th)

They shouldn’t have found themselves in this position, yet they’re wasting a very good defense (not too mention the prime years of Larry Fitzgerald) with some woeful quarterback play. A shame, since they’ve done a reasonable enough job of patching up the offensive line.

29. Philadelphia Eagles (26th)

Yuck. Just yuck.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (31st)

There’s no denying they looked a more competent offense with Chad Henne. Even if he didn’t seem inclined to get rid of the ball quickly when the Titans were blitzing.

31. Oakland Raiders (30th)

Can the season end already?

32. Kansas City Chiefs (32nd)

Can we pretend the season never happened?

 

Follow Khaled on Twitter: @PFF_Khaled

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