Week 16 Power Rankings: Concern in Green Bay?

By Connor Byrne | Wednesday, December 26, 2007 | ( 28 )

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Every Wednesday during the NFL regular season, RealFootball365.com brings you its power poll, ranking the teams from the worst of the moment to the best. This is the 16th installment of 2007.

32. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 25; 4-11) - If you look up the word "laughingstock" in Webster's, the Raiders' logo might be next to it.

31. Baltimore Ravens (LW: 31; 4-11) - The fact that Baltimore is just 4-11 is a surprise, but people who expected the Ravens to be a Super Bowl contender entering the season were wrong, anyway. There isn't that much talent on this team, so it's not really stunning that it's bound for a high draft choice.

30. Atlanta Falcons (LW: 32; 3-12) - Bill Parcells made the right call when he spurned the Falcons for Miami. Atlanta is a true train wreck, and it'll take a long time before it starts heading in the right direction again.

29. Miami Dolphins (LW: 30; 1-14) - The Patriots have slowed down lately, but you have to give some credit to Miami for only allowing 28 points in a road game against a 15-0 team. In this case, a slight moral victory does exist for the Dolphins' defense.

28. St. Louis Rams (LW: 29; 3-12) - Given the way the Rams' players, including high-profile receiver Torry Holt, have bailed on head coach Scott Linehan, St. Louis will likely be looking for yet another sideline general during the offseason. That, folks, is not how to succeed as a franchise.

27. Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 28; 4-11) - The good news: The Chiefs had a quarterback throw for over 300 yards last week. The bad news: They still lost to the Lions, 25-20; and the QB wasn't youngster Brodie Croyle but longtime veteran Damon Huard, whose future in Kansas City isn't as the No. 1 signal-caller.

26. New York Jets (LW: 24; 3-12) - The Jets have lost several close games this year, but when you can't score points, you're not going to win often. Everything that went right for a playoff-bound New York team a year ago has gone wrong in 2007.

25. Denver Broncos (LW: 21; 6-9) - For the first time in a while, those calling for Mike Shanahan's head in Denver might have a point. Still, he shouldn't lose his job over this unfortunate season, the Broncos' second straight without the playoffs.

24. Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 27; 6-9) - Last week, for having enough left in them after a disappointing campaign to knock off rival Cleveland and possibly keep the Browns from the postseason, Cincinnati deserves plenty of accolades.

23. San Francisco 49ers (LW: 26; 5-10) - San Francisco is finally going in the right direction at year's end, but that doesn't mean Mike Nolan should be immune from the offseason chopping block. If the 49ers can find a big-time candidate -- Mike Holmgren, perhaps? -- willing to take their head coaching job, Nolan ought to go.

22. Carolina Panthers (LW: 20; 6-9) - With a solid offseason and the return of Jake Delhomme, the down-and-out Panthers should be able to make a playoff run next year.

21. Detroit Lions (LW: 23; 7-8) - Detroit, after beating Kansas City last week, has a chance to win its eighth game and gain some important momentum entering next year by knocking off Green Bay this Sunday.

20. Houston Texans (LW: 15; 7-8) - The Texans close their season with divisional rival Jacksonville, which will likely rest its starters, so they should be able to win and close the season a respectable 8-8; still, Houston -- 0-5 against the AFC South -- has a long way to go in terms of catching the teams within its division.

19. Buffalo Bills (LW: 14; 7-8) - Upstart Buffalo has tried as hard as any NFL team all year, but those who watched Sunday's 38-21 loss to the Giants saw a club that's dealt with devastating injuries and terrible luck throughout the campaign finally fall apart at the seams.

18. Arizona Cardinals (LW: 19; 7-8) - Arizona hasn't finished with at least eight wins in a season since 1998, so it might be important for the franchise's morale if it can beat the Rams this week and close 2007 with a .500 record.

17. New Orleans Saints (LW: 13; 7-8) - The Saints still have an outside chance of making the playoffs, but a team this inconsistent has no business playing meaningful January football.

16. Chicago Bears (LW: 22; 6-9) - The Bears began their road to a bounce-back '08 season by crushing arch-rival Green Bay on Sunday, 35-7, and keeping the Packers from winning home-field advantage for the NFC playoffs.

15. Minnesota Vikings (LW: 11; 8-7) - Earth, meet the Vikings.

14. Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 18; 7-8) - If you want to admire a team that refuses to quit, cherish these Eagles, who were once 5-8 but have knocked off the NFC's No. 1 seed, Dallas, and playoff-contending New Orleans in successive weeks.

13. Cleveland Browns (LW: 8; 9-6) - Let's not mince any words: The Browns had a golden opportunity to climb into the AFC playoffs by beating hapless Cincinnati last week, but they choked. Now, Cleveland's wild-card chances are bordering on shot. So much for this feel-good story, it seems.

12. Tennessee Titans (LW: 12; 9-6) - If the Titans beat the Colts' backups this week, they'll earn their 10th win and the AFC's last wild-card spot. Am I crazy, or would this be the conference's least impressive No. 6 seed in a while?

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 9; 9-6) - While the Bucs' reserves played last week, does that really give the team an excuse for losing to San Francisco?

10. Washington Redskins (LW: 16; 8-7) - Despite everything they've dealt with this year, the Redskins are one victory away from clinching the last playoff position in the NFC. All that's standing in Washington's way is arch-rival Dallas' backups.

9. New York Giants (LW: 17; 10-5) - New York, which was 17th in last week's rankings, nixed any notion of a second-half collapse by thrashing Buffalo on the road last Sunday and taking the NFC's fifth seed. The Giants will probably face so-so Tampa Bay the first weekend in January, so expect Big Blue to advance to Round 2.

8. Seattle Seahawks (LW: 10; 10-5) - Prediction: Seattle will visit Dallas in the NFC title game.

7. Green Bay Packers (LW: 3; 12-3) - As my colleague Os Davis so astutely pointed out yesterday, Brett Favre has quietly thrown four touchdowns against seven interceptions since Thanksgiving. Green Bay no longer has the look of a true Super Bowl contender; in fact, expect the Packers' season to end during the second weekend in January, when they face Seattle. (That's just a prediction, of course.)

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 7; 10-5) - Without Willie Parker, you have to wonder how far the Steelers, considered Super Bowl contenders throughout the year, will go in January. Odds are they aren't a serious threat to New England or Indianapolis in the AFC.

5. San Diego Chargers (LW: 6; 10-5) - Through four weeks of the regular season, the Bolts were 1-3, and there were fingers being pointed at seemingly everyone within the organization. Since, San Diego has rallied and gone 9-2. As long as Norv Turner doesn't screw things up too badly in January, these guys have the ability to play with anyone.

4. Dallas Cowboys (LW: 5; 13-2) - Like Green Bay, a fellow elite NFC team, Dallas is playing mediocre-to-poor football at exactly the wrong time. You have to wonder if any team from this inferior conference can play with the AFC's Super Bowl representative.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 4; 11-4) - The Jaguars are always considered a ball-control, defense-first team, yet they've scored 24-plus points 10 times this year and added a season-high 49 in a blowout win over Oakland last weekend. Don't be surprised if the red-hot Jags ultimately hoist the Lombardi Trophy in early February. Yes, they're that good.

2. Indianapolis Colts (LW: 2; 13-2) - The Colts' theme song ought to be Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Takin' care of business." After all, it's what they do best.

1. New England Patriots (LW: 1; 15-0) - The only thing in the way of New England and regular-season perfection is the Giants, who have clinched the NFC's No. 5 playoff spot and will probably be playing their backups. Therefore, expect New England to finish 16-0; however, because of the petulance and greed of the NFL, its television network and certain cable companies, most Americans won't see the Pats achieve their milestone. What a shame.

RealFootball365.com wishes its readers all the best this holiday season.

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Comments: 28 | Sign Up View all comments


	No.1 Eclipse	04:30 AM 12/26/2007

	What? The Oakland Raiders at 32, behind train wrecks like Atlanta, Baltimore and MIAMI? Come on, Connor, you're purposely goosing...


	No.2 Raider Revenge	10:51 AM 12/26/2007

	WOW how can a team drop from 25 to 32 that's seven spots. Miami, Broncos and Chiefs lost to the Raiders. Go figure.