Week 17
The Titans are making a run. The Chargers have solidified themselves at the top
of the heap, and who wants the Playoff Spots in the NFC. Scout.com's Randy
Taylor and Adam Caplan take a look around the NFL in this week's Power Rankings.
| Week 17 | Team | Last Week | Change | Record | Randy's Take | Adam's Take |
| 1 | San
Diego Chargers |
1 | - | 13-2 | They continue to show their character and talent by winning in tough surroundings and even when they don't play well. | Clearly the best team in the league right now but they still could improve in the secondary. |
| 2 | Chicago
Bears |
2 | - | 13-2 | Avoid serious injury, win the game and get the back-up quarterback some snaps. Done, done and done! | Thankfully for them Rex Grossman is starting to play better. |
| 3 | Baltimore
Ravens |
3 | - | 12-3 | The Ravens are playing at a high level at the right time. | The passing game is showing some improvement of late. |
| 4 | New
England Patriots |
5 | +1 | 11-4 | They're in the playoffs. That's the good news. They have to travel to play the streaking Titans. That's the not-so-good news. | Nice road win last week and getting back Laurence Maroney and Rodney Harrison back is huge. |
| 5 | New
Orleans Saints |
6 | +1 | 10-5 | The Saints have the "coach of the year", "player of the year" and "feel good story of the year." What more can you ask for? | Nice job of boucning back last week. |
| 6 | Denver
Broncos |
8 | +2 | 9-6 | Santa Claus must be a Broncos fan! Cutler continues to impress. | Maybe head coach Mike Shanahan was right about putting Jay Cutler in behind center. |
| 7 | Indianapolis
Colts |
4 | -3 | 11-4 | They better regain the passion they beat Cincinnati with a couple weeks ago. Right now, they're limping into the playoffs. | You have to still be very concerned with their run defense. |
| 8 | Philadelphia
Eagles |
10 | +2 | 9-6 | Andy Reid has put himself in the "coach of the year" race. The team has raised their play to make up for the loss of McNabb. | Jeff Garcia is doing a great job and their run defense is finally improving. |
| 9 | Dallas
Cowboys |
7 | -2 | 9-6 | A cynic might think Terrell Owens is only concerned about himself. Even the Tony Romo phenomenon can't overcome this guy. | They got trounced again at home, not a good sign. |
| 10 | Seattle
Seahawks |
13 | +3 | 9-6 | Even in the loss, they re-established themselves as a contender in the NFC. | They clearly aren't anywhere near as good defensively as they were last season. |
| 11 | Cincinnati
Bengals  |
9 | -2 | 8-7 | Santa Claus must not be a Bengals fan! That "naughty and nice" thing must really work. | Chad Johnson's play of late is concerning. |
| 12 | Jacksonville
Jaguars |
11 | -1 | 8-7 | They have playoff talent but must be kicking themselves about the missed opportunities. | The passing game is preventing them from being much better. |
| 13 | New
York Jets |
12 | -1 | 9-6 | The grit of this team has continued to carry them to the brink of a playoff bid. Coaching and the leadership of Pennington have been special. | They played a very physical game at Miami and were able to come out on top. |
| 14 | Tennessee
Titans |
20 | +6 | 8-7 | It's great to be a Titan! They're overachieving and winning games; they must be having fun. | Nice road win last week and they still have an outside shot at the playoffs. |
| 15 | Kansas
City Chiefs |
17 | +2 | 8-7 | KC must feel a lot like Jacksonville, who they play Sunday. They're a playoff caliber team that is letting it slip away. | The defense continues to underacheive and where's the pass rush? |
| 16 | Buffalo
Bills  |
15 | -1 | 7-8 | The Bills have laid ground work for success. They should go into the off-season with confidence in their quarterback, runningback and defense. | Tough loss at home against the Titans. Still, they're a lot better than anyone thought they could be. |
| 17 | New
York Giants |
14 | -3 | 7-8 | Just when you think they're out … they get pulled back in. The Giants are an erratic but dangerous team. | The defensive injuries still are an issue and Eli Manning's inconsistent play isn't helping either. |
| 18 | Carolina
Panthers |
23 | +5 | 7-8 | Will the real Carolina Panthers please stand up. If they sneak in the tournament, which is a very long shot, they know how to win as a wild card team. | Good win at Atlanta last week but too many of their top players are underacheiving. |
| 19 | Pittsburgh
Steelers |
16 | -3 | 7-8 | The reigning champs can go out with a roar or a wimper at Cincinnati this Sunday. | They were dominated at home last week which rarely happens. Not a good sign. |
| 20 | Atlanta
Falcons |
18 | -2 | 7-8 | The Falcons have themselves in a position to clinch a playoff spot. Unfortunately, it seems every team has to lose. | The lack of a pass rush is a big problem. |
| 21 | Green
Bay Packers |
24 | +3 | 7-8 | This is a time for miracles. If we could write a storybook ending to Brett Favre's career, it would have him returning to the playoffs. | They really haven't beat many good teams yet they're still alive for a playoff spot. |
| 22 | St.
Louis Rams |
26 | +4 | 7-8 | Marc Bulger continues to prove that he's an MVP type quarterback. | They're still alive for a playoff spot but barely. |
| 23 | San
Francisco 49ers |
22 | -1 | 6-9 | They've had enough success with this young and talented team to be excited about next year. | The passing game is still limited and the secondary needs to be improved. |
| 24 | Minnesota
Vikings |
21 | -3 | 6-9 | This must be a disappointing end to a season that started with promise. Let the Tarvaris Jackson era begin! | The passing game needs major work and the secondary needs to be more consistent. |
| 25 | Miami
Dolphins |
19 | -6 | 6-9 | The play of their defense has been overshadowed by their offense's inconsistency. | Their defense keeps them in most games but the offense is too inconsistent. |
| 26 | Washington
Redskins |
25 | -1 | 5-10 | In a year when they've been out of the playoff run for awhile, their final game with the Giants should generate a great effort. | The defense fell off again last week. |
| 27 | Cleveland
Browns |
27 | - | 4-11 | It's rumored that Coach Crennel had visions of drafting playmakers dancing in his head and not the usual sugarplums. | Derek Anderson should have been the starting quarterback much sooner. |
| 28 | Houston
Texans |
28 | - | 5-10 | They found a running game against the Colts! Most teams find a running game against the Colts! | They're improved over last year but they're still not even an average team. |
| 29 | Arizona
Cardinals |
29 | - | 5-10 | This team may be closer to being a contender next year than most think. | Their offensive line is playing much better of late but the defense continues to underachieve. |
| 30 | Tampa
Bay Buccaneers |
30 | - | 4-11 | The offseason personnel moves will be much more exciting than what the Bucs did on the field this year. | It will be a long time before they're going to be a playoff team. |
| 31 | Detroit
Lions |
31 | - | 2-13 | See Oakland. | Josh McCown should be the starting quarterback. |
| 32 | Oakland
Raiders |
32 | - | 2-13 | What's the tie breaker for the number one pick in the draft? | The defense is very competitive but the offense has underachieved all season. |
