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NFL Week 13 Power Rankings

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A former top team continues to fall hard as the defending NFC Champions continue to climb.

  1. Carolina Panthers 12-0 (1)-The best teams won’t always win by huge margins. Fighting tooth and nail and being able to come away with the win is a sure fire sign of a great team. The defense fell apart against Drew Brees and the Saints but Cam Newton’s offense played a two minute drill that would make any offensive coordinator proud. The Panthers faced a fourth and 4 and didn’t run anything fancy, just something to get enough yards to keep the drive alive. Now leading the rest of the league by two games, in two weeks this could be officially the best team in the NFL for the 2015 season.
  2. Arizona Cardinals 10-2 (3)- After the Rams handed the Cardinals their first loss, you just had to know the Cardinals were going to roll into St. Louis and crush the Rams. Well it also helps that the Cardinals have been on a tear after losing to the Steelers and the Rams haven’t played decent football in over a month. That didn’t stop the Cardinals from looking like the second most dominant team in the NFC. Their next big test will come this Thursday where they try to cement the second seed by taking on the Vikings.
  3. Cincinnati Bengals 10-2 (4)- Another convincing win over a team who shouldn’t even come close to beating them. The Bengals continue to be one of the most impressive teams of the season and are a fun squad to watch. The wins are dominant enough to over shadow the two blemishes in the loss column. The only team with better overall chemistry is the Cardinals. Andy Dalton is having the best year of his career and has all the weapons around him to get deep into the playoffs. There is no reason this team can’t make the Super Bowl and if the Patriots don’t find holes for their injuries, nothing will stop them.
  4. Denver Broncos 10-2 (5)- The Broncos offense stalled a bit against the Chargers but their defense were able to put the brakes on Phillip Rivers holding them to a lone field goal. The second half was completely void of any point making this a boring game to watch if you were looking for a shootout. Brock Osweiler put up average numbers again and if I were a Broncos fan, I would be a bit worried about how he is going to do when the pressure really gets to him come playoff time. It feels like just a matter of time before another team knocks them off.
  5. New England Patriots 10-2 (2)- It was shocking enough that the Broncos knocked them off, but the Eagles? Nobody in their right mind would have predicted this one. The Eagles special teams and defense alone scored 21 points and Tom Brady got going a bit too late to finish the comeback. He had to make 56 attempts to keep the Patriots within a score of the game. If anything the comeback falling short has a ray of hope. It could have been worse but thanks to excellent play calling and execution the Patriots did get one more shot before falling short. It just shows even down by 21 in the fourth, you can’t count out a Tom Brady led team.
  6. Seattle Seahawks 7-5 (8)- Three weeks ago this team looked like it was going to come rolling back and the crushing win over the Vikings should put an end to any of the doubters out there. The Vikings defense was always something to be feared and often proved week after week but they were no much for a quarterback like Russell Wilson who can beat you a plethora of ways. If may be too late for the Seahawks to take the division but rest assured, the 6th playoff spot is there’s and no one is going to take it.
  7. Minnesota Vikings 8-4 (6)- If anything, their loss against the Seahawks exposed Teddy Bridgewater. He completed only 17 passes for 118 yards. In comparison Wilson completed just four more passes than that and finished with 274 yards. From the Seattle’s first touchdown, it was clear how this game was going to go. The Vikings had no answer for anything Seattle threw at them and that could be a problem. In just five weeks these two teams could meet again and unless adjustments are made, we are going to be seeing much of the same.
  8. Green Bay Packers 8-4 (7)- The Packers are not a bad team but compared to the other teams on this list, I have a hard time picking them winning over anyone else. If it wasn’t for a penalty and a hail mary, the Lions would take the season series. I have been asking for changes since they lost three straight and it seems they are staying the course. That paints the picture for a quick exit come this post season.
  9. Kansas City Chiefs 7-5 (9)- It wasn’t an easy win against the Raiders but divisional matchups are always tough and the Raiders are not an easy win anymore. Alas, the Chiefs pick up their sixth straight win in route to finishing the season strong and getting a much deserved playoff spot. They may have their challenges but the schedule favors them more than anyone else. Expect to see Kansas City playing in January.
  10. Pittsburg Steelers 7-5 (N/A)- I take them out of the top ten one week only to put them back the next week. I always thought the Giants were the hot and cold team of the league but lately the Giants are pretty cold. The Steelers on the other hand are impossible to predict. But as of late, the leadership of Ben Roethlisberger is going unnoticed. Without him, this team isn’t even in the conversation. Right now they are on the outside looking in but this is the most proven team of the wild card contenders. If I had to pick who gets a spot, it’s the Steelers.

Knocked out of the top ten- Colts/Texans who tied last week for the 10th spot.

Photo-Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America

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