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NFL Power Rankings Week 16

As the NFL season comes to a close we examine who’s closing strong and who’s fading down the stretch. Week 16 of the 2009 season will be remembered for the Indianapolis Colt’s somewhat controversial decision to rest their starters for the playoffs, for the Bucs upset of New Orleans and Minnesota’s Monday Night OT loss to the Bears, it will also be remembered as the week the Cowboys squashed concerns about their recent failures of December’s past.

1. Indianapolis Colts – Although they lost their first game of the year they remain on top but the Chargers are closing fast.

2. San Diego Chargers – The Chargers crushed a Tennessee Titans team that was playing well and once again Norv Turner has San Diego playing its best football at the right time of year.

3. Philadelphia Eagles

4. New Orleans Saints

5. New England Patriots – winners of three straight and locked into the #3 or #4 seed in the playoffs, a dangerous team come playoff time.

6. Minnesota Vikings

7. Green Bay Packers

8. Arizona Cardinals

9. Dallas Cowboys – we can quell the December swoon discussion for the next 10 months or so. Riding a two-game winning streak, the Cowboys are in position to win the NFC East for the second time in three seasons and hottie Shaun Suisham successfully took over the kicking duties.

10. Cincinnati Bengals

11. Pittsburgh Steelers

12. Houston Texans

13. Baltimore Ravens – tough loss at Pittsburgh but they have a chance to regroup and secure a playoff spot with a win at Oakland this weekend.

14. Denver Broncos

15. New York Giants

16. New York Jets – the Jets remain in the playoff hunt because of a favorable schedule and the Colts having nothing to play for this past week.

17. Atlanta Falcons

18. Carolina Panthers

19. Tennessee Titans

20. Miami Dolphins – the reigning AFC East champions will more than likely miss the playoffs after laying a turd at home against the Texans.

21. San Francisco 49ers

22. Jacksonville Jaguars

23. Chicago Bears

24. Cleveland Browns – with a new GM (Mike Holmgren) headed to town the Browns are no longer just showing up for a weekly beating but rather are playing with a sense of urgency.

25. Oakland Raiders

26. Buffalo Bills

27. Seattle Seahawks

28. Washington Redskins

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

30. Kansas City Chiefs

31. Detroit Lions

32. St. Louis Rams – have secured the #1 pick in next years NFL draft.

Week 15 of the 2009 NFL season is done and the AFC playoff picture is a friggin mess while the NFC is somewhat simplified. The Cowboys ended the Saints run at perfection but canned their struggling kicker and suddenly the NFC East looks formidable again.

1. Indianapolis Colts – Colts remain perfect with a win at Jacksonville. The Colts aren’t destroying teams but they continue winning in a division where every team is above .500

2. New Orleans Saints – a lose to the Cowboys doesn’t do anything to diminish their season or chances at the playoffs.

3. San Diego Chargers

4. Philadelphia Eagles

5. Minnesota Vikings – a lose to the Panthers?!? At this time of year good teams who have something to play for shouldn’t lose to crap teams like Carolina.

6. Arizona Cardinals

7. Dallas Cowboys – the Cowboys end their two-game losing streak and inch closer to a playoff berth but the season ender versus Philadelphia could be the one game they must win.

8. Green Bay Packers – ended their five game winning streak with a lose on the game’s final play at Pittsburgh.

9. New England Patriots

10. Cincinnati Bengals

11. Baltimore Ravens

12. New York Giants – destroyed the Redskins on the road to keep their post season hopes alive. They own the tie-breaker over the Cowboys if they can win out.

13. Miami Dolphins – one of five inconsistent AFC teams at 7-7 that could beat anyone and lose to anyone on a given Sunday.

14. Tennessee Titans -one of five inconsistent AFC teams at 7-7 that could beat anyone and lose to anyone on a given Sunday.

15. Houston Texans – one of five inconsistent AFC teams at 7-7 that could beat anyone and lose to anyone on a given Sunday.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers – one of five inconsistent AFC teams at 7-7 that could beat anyone and lose to anyone on a given Sunday.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – one of five inconsistent AFC teams at 7-7 that could beat anyone and lose to anyone on a given Sunday.

18. Denver Broncos – will be one of the worse wildcard teams ever if they hang on to make the playoffs

19. Atlanta Falcons

20. New York Jets

21. San Francisco 49ers

22. Carolina Panthers

23. Oakland Raiders – this is not a typo, JaMarcus Russell played well in the Raiders come-from behind win at Denver.

24. Chicago Bears

25. Seattle Seahawks

26. Buffalo Bills

27. Washington Redskins

28. Kansas City Cheifs

29. Detroit Lions

30. Tampa Bay Bucs

31. Cleveland Browns

32. St Louis Rams

Week 13 of the 2009 NFL season is in the books, for some teams it’s a time to make a run for the playoffs while others can begin looking forward to next April’s defensive heavy NFL draft. The Partriots and Steelers continue their downward spiral in the AFC while Philadelphia and Arizona, who squared off in last year’s NFC Championship Game, are heating up.

1. New Orleans Saints – in a classic let down game following their big Monday night win against the Patriots, the Saints won a game they should have lost against the Redskins. The Saints retain the top spot for their overall body of work.

2. Indianapolis Colts – took care of business early against the Titans for their best overall game in a month.

3. Minnesota Vikings – losing to the defending NFC champs on the road is not enough to drop the Vikings from the top 3.

4. San Diego Chargers

5. Arizona Cardinals – Warner looked great in his return from concussion-like symptoms and both Boldin and Fitzgerald got a TD catch.

6. Philadelphia Eagles – rolled big in Atlanta with the first real significant contributions from Michael Vick.

7. Cincinnati Bengals

8. New England Patriots – have now dropped 3 of 4 games and their AFC East lead is down to one game over the Dolphins and NY Jets.

9. Green Bay Packers

10. Dallas Cowboys – Tony Romo goes 41/55 for 392 yards and 3 touchdowns but the Cowboys couldn’t run the ball and special teams killed Dallas against the Giants. San Diego, winners of seven straight, is next up for the Cowboys.

11. Denver Broncos

12. Baltimore Ravens

13. Jacksonville Jaguars

14. New York Giants – rebounded with a nice all around effort against the Cowboys in a must-win situation.

15. Miami Dolphins

16. Pittsburgh Steelers – gave up 21 points to the Raiders in the 4th quarter en route to their fourth straight loss.

17. New York Jets

18. Tennessee Titans

19. Atlanta Falcons – Falcons are reeling without Matt Ryan and are in real danger of missing the playoffs.

20. Houston Texans

21. San Francisco 49ers

22. Chicago Bears – Bears win by running the ball and limiting Jay Cutler’s chances.

23. Carolina Panthers

24. Seattle Seahawks

25. Oakland Raiders – If Bruce Gradkowski had started the season at quarterback the Raiders would have been playoff contenders.

26. Buffalo Bills

27. Washington Redskins – Redskins come close but lose again, this time in OT to New Orleans after Shaun Suisham misses a chip shot FG that would have almost certainly won the game in regulation for the Redskins.

28. Kansas City Cheifs

29. Detroit Lions – The NFL’s worst pass defense allowed Chad Ochocinco nine catches for 137 yards and a touchdown. Good thing either safety Eric Berry of Tennessee or corner back Joe Hayden of Florida will be available for the Lions in next April’s draft.

30. Tampa Bay Bucs

31. Cleveland Browns

32. St Louis Rams