Week 16 NFL Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots- The best part about the last few weeks for New England has been the emergence of Laurence Maroney, who rushed for 156 yards Sunday against Miami. The Giants will probably be resting some guys next week, so expect the Pats to get that undefeated record.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars- David Garrard has been darn near perfect this season. The 29-year old lifetime backup has thrown only three interceptions all year and has compiled a 102.2 quarterback rating. And it's about time Fred Taylor gets a trip to Hawaii.
3. Indianapolis Colts- Marvin Harrison who? Reggie Wayne has stepped up in a big way in Harrison's absence, going for 1,423 yards and 10 scores. Another eye-popping stat is Dallas Clark's 11 touchdown grabs. Despite the injuries, the Colts will be a tough out in the playoffs.
4. Dallas Cowboys- They haven't looked too impressive the past two weeks, losing at home to Philadelphia and almost falling to woeful Carolina. Add to the fact that Terrell Owens has a high ankle sprain, and Dallas fans everywhere must be sweating.
5. New York Giants- Had Brandon Jacobs been healthy all year, he would have made it to the Pro Bowl. Also, the emergence of rookie seventh-rounder Ahmad Bradshaw has given this team a new dimension in the running game. Plus, the defense is finally doing something it hasn't been able to do since the Giants' last Super Bowl run: getting big stops.
6. Green Bay Packers- Hopefully, the 35-7 drubbing the Bears handed them was an aberration, as that's the last thing a team needs heading into the playoffs. Still, Green Bay's offense is as explosive as its been since the late 90's, and possibly even better. Brett Favre has an unbelievable amount of targets to throw to.
7. San Diego Chargers- Quietly, the Chargers have won eight of 10 and will grab the third seed in the AFC with a win at Oakland next week. However, the inconsistency of Philip Rivers and lack of receivers he has to throw to has to be a concern. Neither Vincent Jackson nor Chris Chambers showed primary target capability this season.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers- They would be ahead of San Diego had they not lost Willie Parker for the rest of the year with a broken leg. Ben Roethlisberger is having an MVP-caliber season, throwing 32 touchdowns and hitting a variety of different receivers. Santonio Holmes is turning into a star.
9. Seattle Seahawks- Winners of six of their last seven, Seattle is heading into the postseason a hot team. Matt Hasselbeck has finally gotten back into the groove, posting a 91.5 rating and tossing 27 TDs. And how about that defense? Guys like Julian Peterson and Marcus Trufant are having unreal years.
10. Cleveland Browns- Their final game doesn't even matter. It all depends on the Titans, who get in with a win and lose out on the last playoff spot to the Browns if they don't. Either way, you have to love what Derek Anderson and the rest of this Cleveland squad has done this season. No one wants to see this team in the playoffs, either.
11. Tennessee Titans- They will be playing the Colts in the closing week of the season to determine whether or not they will be participating in January football. Considering Indy will probably be resting their key guys for most of the game, the chances of the Titans reaching the postseason are pretty high.
12. Washington Redskins- Somehow, the Redskins find themselves holding on to the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC. Todd Collins has been a breath of fresh air for this team, and the defense has really stepped it up the past three games. Because they will be playing the second-string of the Cowboys on Sunday, Washington will take care of business and get in.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- They may be ranked a little low, but I think the Buccaneers are going to be the weakest team in the postseason. Their offense has far too many question marks, and I don't know if they are tough enough to deal with the physical Giants in the first round.
14. Minnesota Vikings- Minnesota choked away a golden opportunity on Saturday, and because of that, they now need some help to make the playoffs. Tarvaris Jackson has reverted back to his old ways, throwing five picks and only one touchdown the past two games. Oh well. They had a good run.
15. Arizona Cardinals- Injuries and inconsistency down the stretch doomed this team's playoff chances, but the future is very bright for the young Cardinals. They probably have the league's best receiving corps in Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, and Bryant Johnson, and the defense has some good up-and-coming players like Gabe Watson and Darnell Dockett.
16. New Orleans Saints- Had they won Sunday, they would be in a "win-and-you're-in" position next weekend against Chicago, but the Saints choked big-time against the Eagles and now need a lot of assistance to make the postseason. The defense needs a lot of work for this team to even think about contending next year.
17. Buffalo Bills- They fought long and hard against the Giants but came up short. Still, this Bills' team, particularly the defense, has a lot to look forward to in the near future. It just needs to get its quarterback situation figured out (Trent Edwards is not the answer). Why Buffalo gave up on J.P. Losman so easily, I don't know.
18. Houston Texans- Houston has had a very good season, and if Ahman Green and Andre Johnson had stayed healthy, they might be in the playoff conversation right now. Also, the emergence of tight end Owen Daniels has given the Texans one of the more underrated offenses in the NFL.
19. Philadelphia Eagles- What this team will look like next season, I have no clue, but changes need to be made. The first thing they need to do is draft a wide receiver, as Kevin Curtis was Donovan McNabb's only reliable wide-out all year long. Brian Westbrook shouldn't be the team's second option in the passing game.
20. Detroit Lions- So much for Jon Kitna's 10-win guarantee. He might not even be the team's starting quarterback come next year, as he fell of a cliff in the second half of the season. Detroit also needs a halfback, as Kevin Jones just isn't getting it done. The secondary needs some help on defense.
21. Cincinnati Bengals- With the talent this team has, it's a complete mystery to me how they're only 6-9. However, Carson Palmer doesn't look like the same signal-caller we saw two years ago, and Rudi Johnson was ravaged by injuries all season, as evidenced by his paltry 2.9 yards per carry average.
22. Denver Broncos- Despite its disappointing season, Denver has quite a few things to look forward to next year, including the developing combination of Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall. Plus, is halfback Selvin Young for real, or is he simply another product of Mike Shanahan's system?
23. Chicago Bears- The defense went from being the most feared in the NFL last season to a complete pushover this year, ranked 28th overall in the league. Chicago also will never be taken seriously again unless they determine who their quarterback is, and Cedric Benson appears to be a bust at the running back position.
24. Carolina Panthers- Had it not been for all of the injuries they went through this season, I'm pretty sure the Panthers would have won the NFC South. There is still an ample amount of talent on this squad, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The cornerback trio of Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas, and Richard Marshall is downright filthy, and rookie Jon Beason has been a machine at linebacker.
25. San Francisco 49ers- Will Shaun Hill take Alex Smith's job heading into next season? With the way he's played in each of his three starts (five touchdowns, one pick, and a 101.3 rating), it appears he has a very good chance of doing so. The 49ers could very well be an eight or nine-win team in 2008.
26. New York Jets- Arguably the NFL's biggest disappointment this year, the Jets have a lot to do in the off-season to get back to being a playoff contender. It starts with evaluating their quarterback situation; is Kellen Clemens really the future signal-caller of this team, or do they need to draft one? They also need a pass-rusher, as Shaun Ellis has fallen off the past couple of seasons.
27. St. Louis Rams- Their 3-12 record is very mis-leading, as the Rams were killed by injuries this year. As long as Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson stay healthy, St. Louis will contend in the NFC West next season. You can bank on that. However, that incident between Torry Holt and coach Scott Linehan looked a little troublesome. That stuff doesn't just happen.
28. Oakland Raiders- JaMarcus Russell has looked awful in the limited time he's seen so far, but he'll get a chance to redeem himself when he makes his first career start against San Diego next week. And what has happened to Oakland's defense this year? Cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Fabian Washington have not even come close to reaching their production from 2006.
29. Baltimore Ravens- They have lost nine in a row and are on their way to what is probably the most disastrous season in their short history. At least Troy Smith looked halfway decent in his debut. If Baltimore can just find their quarterback (is Smith it?), they will be okay for the future.
30. Kansas City Chiefs- Much like the Ravens, Kansas City's season started spinning out of control a long time ago. They have lost eight straight and, again like Baltimore, have no definite signal-caller. Plus, Larry Johnson appears to be winding down already. Yes, I understand he broke his foot, but he was averaging only 3.5 yards per carry before that, anyway.
31. Atlanta Falcons- It's gotten so bad in Atlanta that Bill Parcells passed up on a job opening there to go to the Dolphins. Yes, the 1-14 Dolphins. If that's not a kick in the face then I don't know what is. The Falcons are crossing their fingers for Brian Brohm to still be on the board when they draft in April. However, a quarterback is not all they need, as the offensive line is terrible, their running game is uncharacteristically bad, and they still have no receivers.
32. Miami Dolphins- Well, at least they got their win two weeks ago.