Cold, Hard Football Facts.com: Power Rankings: Week 13 2007

By Jonathan Comey

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With five games left before the NFL playoffs begin, the 2007 season has taken definite shape – very strong teams at the top, a large middle, and a seedy underbelly.

That's really not much different than any other season, but the names have definitely changed from a year ago. Here's last year's Dominant Dozen heading into Week 13, with this year's record in parenthesis:

1. Indianapolis (9-2)

2. San Diego (6-5)

3. Chicago (5-6)

4. Baltimore (4-7)

5. New England (11-0)

6. Dallas (10-1)

7. Kansas City (4-7)

8. Denver (5-6)

9. New Orleans (5-6)

10. Seattle (7-4)

11. Cincinnati (4-7)

12. Carolina (4-7)

The AFC West was the toast of the league a year ago. This season's its the biggest dud this side of a Ben Affleck movie. The NFC North was the Mighty Bears and the Three Dwarfs a year ago. This season Green Bay rules.

And if any team defines the topsy-turvy nature of the NFL year to year, it's Green Bay. The Packers at this time last year were 4-7 and No. 24 in our Power Rankings. This year, they're 10-1 and No. 2 in our Power Rankings, behind only mighty New England.

Green Bay is better against Quality Opponents than any team in the NFC (3-0, +13.3 PPG scoring differential). The Packers are also clearly more balanced than their opponent in Thursday night's NFC Game of the Century, Dallas, the team those not armed by the Cold, Hard Football Facts consider the best in the NFC. But we'll know more late Thursday night.

On to the rankings:

THE DOMINANT DOZEN

1. NEW ENGLAND (11-0, previous rank: 1)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 4-0, +16.5 PPG
Last week: Asante Samuel had two INTs, giving him 15 in his last 21 games including playoffs, to lead the Patriots to a 31-28 home win over Philadelphia.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Despite their absence Monday night, New England's tailback-by-committee is having a pretty darn good season: 232 carries for 1,036 yards and 4.47 YPA with six total touchdowns and 38 receptions.
Next: at Baltimore, Monday night. Not to say Baltimore is outclassed, but the Ravens’ four wins this year have come against Arizona, N.Y. Jets, San Francisco and St. Louis (combined 12-32).

2. GREEN BAY (10-1, previous rank: 2)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 3-0, +13.3 PPG
Last week: Packers piled up 481 yards of total offense in a 38-27 win at Detroit.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: RB Ryan Grant has yet to be outrushed by an opposing back in his five games as Green Bay’s featured back (four 100-yard efforts).
Next: at Dallas, Thursday night. Should be a great game, even if you won’t be able to see it on TV. It’s Comcastic!

3. DALLAS (10-1, previous rank: 3)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 2-1, +0.0 PPG
Last week: Cowboys held the Jets to 3.5 yards per play in 34-3 Thanksgiving turkey of a game.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: WR Terrell Owens has scored at least one touchdown in 18 of his 27 games with the Cowboys.
Next: vs. Green Bay, Thursday night. The Packers and Cowboys are 10-10 vs. each other all time in the regular season, with Green Bay holding a 434-424 scoring advantage. (Dallas holds a 4-2 advantage in their four postseason meetings.)

4. INDIANAPOLIS (9-2, previous rank: 4)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 3-2, +7.4 PPG
Last week: Colts rebounded from 10-0 deficit to smoke Atlanta 31-13.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Peyton Manning has thrown at least one INT in six of his last seven games; dating back to the 2006 playoffs, he’s thrown 19 picks in his last 15 games.
Next: vs. Jacksonville. Manning’s last three passer ratings vs. Jacksonville: 79.9, 61.5, 80.8.

5. PITTSBURGH (8-3, previous rank: 5)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 3-0, +17.0 PPG
Last week: In the most unwatchable football game this side of the Pee Wee Bs, Jeff Reed’s late fourth-quarter field goal gave the Steelers a 3-0 win in the “Quagmire Bowl.” Giggity.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Pittsburgh's pass defense (110 net yards passing allowed Monday) continues to be impenetrable – the most yards its allowed in a game all year is 248, in a loss to Denver.
Next: vs. Cincinnati.

6. JACKSONVILLE (8-3, previous rank: 6)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 3-2, -0.4 PPG
Last week: Jags were whistled for only a single penalty in a 36-14 win over the visiting Bills.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Jaguars are second in the NFL with 42 runs of 10 yards or better, 19 by Fred Taylor and 16 by Maurice Jones-Drew.
Next: at Indianapolis. With a win, Jags enter the final quarter of the season in a dead heat with the Colts for the AFC South division title.

7. TAMPA BAY (7-4, previous rank: 8)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-4, -7.6 PPG
Last week: The Bucs won the turnover battle 6-0 – but beat the Redskins only 19-13.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Lead RB Earnest Graham caught 19 passes in his first two starts with the Bucs; he’s caught only six passes in four games since. In his six starts, he’s carried 116 times for 484 yards (4.17 per carry) and 3 TDs.
Next: at New Orleans. Matchup of two all-time NFL losers is no “Aints-Yucks Bowl” – this time the game actually means something. Bucs can take a three-game division lead with four to play; Saints can insert themselves back into the playoff race.

8. SEATTLE (7-4, previous rank: 10)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -3.3 PPG
Last week: Seattle needed a goal-line stand (of sorts) to beat St. Louis 24-19.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Seahawks have allowed 11.1 PPG in their seven wins, 26.3 PPG in their four losses.
Next: at Philadelphia. The Eagles and Seahawks have played only 10 times over their 32 years together in the league (Philly leads the series, 6-4).

9. CLEVELAND (7-4, previous rank: 11)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-3, -12.0 PPG
Last week: Kellen Winslow Jr. caught 10 passes in a 27-17 win over the Texans. In Cleveland's seven wins, Winslow boasts 43 grabs for 606 yards.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Despite his 134 yards against Houston Sunday, RB Jamal Lewis isn’t picking up steam as the season goes along; he averaged 4.9 YPA in September, 3.4 YPA in November.
Next: at Arizona. Believe it or not, this is the toughest game left on the Browns’ schedule.

10. SAN DIEGO (6-5, previous rank: 14)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-3, -9.0 PPG
Last week: Improved to 5-2 vs. teams with losing records with 32-14 win over Baltimore.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Antonio Gates is on pace for 1,213 yards, which would be 77 shy of Kellen Winslow’s tight end record of 1,290 set in 1980.
Next: at Kansas City. Speaking of tight ends, KC’s Tony Gonzalez has 51 catches and 666 yards in his last seven games against the Chargers.

11. NEW YORK GIANTS (7-4, previous rank: 7)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-3, -0.5 PPG
Last week: New York's offense was outscored by Minnesota's defense, 18-17, in a demoralizing loss at home.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: In 13 career November starts, Eli Manning has thrown 14 TDs and 22 INTs.
Next: at Chicago. Rex Grossman (or maybe Brian Griese) vs. Manning in the “QBs Who Get Booed At Home Bowl.”

12. PHILADELPHIA (5-6, previous rank: 13)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-4, -1.0 PPG
Last week: Eagles had perhaps the greatest moral victory in NFL history, almost knocking off the mighty Patriots in New England.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Eagles are -7 on the giveway-takeaway list, but they make up for it on fourth down – they’re 7-for-9, opponents are 0-for-7.
Next: vs. Seattle.

THE TEPID TWENTY

13. MINNESOTA (5-6, previous rank: 19) – Vikings QBs have passed for fewer yards than opposing QBs in all 11 games this year.

14. TENNESSEE (6-5, previous rank: 9) – After turning in three straight 100-yard games during a three-game win streak, RB Lendale White has totaled 29 carries for 81 yards and 2.8 YPA over Tennessee's three-game losing streak.

15. DETROIT (6-5, previous rank: 12) – The Lions’ top four WRs (Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald) are on pace for a combined 3,420 yards.

16. NEW ORLEANS (5-6, previous rank: 22) – WR Marques Colston has 584 receiving yards and 42 catches over his last five games.

17. WASHINGTON (5-6, previous rank: 16) – Another rough season in Washington gets unfathomably worse with the death of Sean Taylor.

18. HOUSTON (5-6, previous rank: 18) – With four Quality Opponents left to play (Tennessee, Tampa, Indy, Jaacksonville), the Texans are longshots to reach .500, let alone the playoffs.

19. ARIZONA (5-6, previous rank: 15) – The Cardinals rank 10th in passing yards (2,820), but just 28th in yards after catch (833).

20. CHICAGO (5-6, previous rank: 23) – The Bears lead the NFL with 32 dropped passes.

21. CINCINNATI (4-7, previous rank: 25) – Carson Palmer’s INTs are up sharply since last season (2.5 percent of throws in 2006, 3.6 percent in 2007) despite a dip in sacks (2.3 per game in 2006, 1.4 per game in 2007)

22. DENVER (5-6, previous rank: 17) – Brandons (Stokley and Marshall) have accounted for 51.4 percent of the Broncos’ passing yards.

23. BUFFALO (5-6, previous rank: 20) – The Bills have been outgained by an astounding 4,163-2,941 margin this season.

24. KANSAS CITY (4-7, previous rank: 21) – Team nickname is “Chiefs.”

25. ATLANTA (3-8 previous rank: 24) – Starting tailback Warrick Dunn averages 3.2 YPA, backup Jerious Norwood 5.7. In 2006, it was Dunn 4.0, Norwood 6.4.

26. OAKLAND (3-8, previous rank: 30) – A scrambler no more: QB Daunte Culpepper has rushed for 40 yards on 20 carries this season.

27. BALTIMORE (4-7, previous rank: 26) – The Ravens have registered just 22 sacks this year, and Terrell Suggs leads with four. In 2006, four different Ravens had chalked up 10+ sacks.

28. ST. LOUIS (2-9, previous rank: 29) – Isn’t Gus Frerotte a little old (36) to still be playing like a rookie (51.8 passer rating)?

29. NEW YORK JETS (2-9, previous rank: 27) – Of the Jets’ first 12 drives vs. Green Bay, 11 of them were four plays or less.

30. SAN FRANCISCO (3-8, previous rank: 31) – The Niners’ 37 points vs. Arizona was only 23 less than they’d scored in their previous seven games combined (60).

31. CAROLINA (4-7, previous rank: 28) – Why so low? Carolina has been outscored 133-50 in its five games since their bye (all losses).

32. MIAMI (0-11, previous rank: 32) – Just when the Dolphins remember how to play defense (36 points allowed in their last four games), their offense falls apart (27 points in four games).