Power Rankings

Rank  Category  Current   Last Week   Team   SU   ATS  Betting Notes 1 4 13-6 10-8-1 Whether you believe he's worth it or not, Joe Flacco is going to get paid. In four playoff games, he wound up throwing for 1,140 yards and 11 touchdowns without an interception. It would've been interesting to see how he would've fared if the 49ers had taken a late lead, but with one improbable comeback already to his credit, he may have very pulled of something legendary given how he's been going. 2 2 12-5-1 10-8 The worst thing you can possibly take home from a Super Bowl are regrets, which is why the sting of not giving Frank Gore an opportunity on the final set of downs should haunt everyone associated with the 49ers, particularly those with a hand in play-calling. With Haloti Ngata sidelined and Gore doing the heavy lifting to get them down to goal-to-go, it was criminal not to involve him with the championship on the line. 3 1 13-5 10-8 Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez didn't get to be a part of the Patriots' final stand, which was fitting considering how often the two most dangerous weapons on the team got to share the field in 2012. It sounds whiny that Pats fans blame Tom Brady's 25 incompletions and two picks against Baltimore on Gronkowski breaking his forearm, but that doesn't mean there's not a ring of truth to that. 4 3 14-4 9-8-1 Just in case you needed a reminder, Julio Jones went for 11 catches, 182 yards and two scores in that grueling loss to San Francisco. The second-year All-Pro is already the NFC's best receiver not named Calvin Johnson and figures to become more productive as he gains experience. With Matt Ryan now owning a playoff win, the Falcons can look back on the season as a step forward. 5 2 13-4 11-6 Whether John Elway agrees with John Fox's decision to take the ball out of Peyton Manning's hands with 31 seconds and two timeouts, citing shell-shock, it's unforgiveable. Playing scared is no way to advance in the postseason, especially when you've gone out and acquired one of the few guys on the planet you should trust to get you into field goal range in that situation. Instead, the Broncos let their season-long aspirations hang on a coin flip and a prayer. They deserve their fate, watching from the couch. 6 5 12-6 13-5 Between Russell Wilson, Russell Okung and Richard Sherman, the Seahawks came up with a franchise quarterback, an elite tackle breakthrough and a shutdown corner in 2012. If top pass-rusher Chris Clemons had been out there in Atlanta, they may not be looking forward to next year so soon, but the future couldn't look brighter. 7 6 13-5 10-8 One silver lining in the failed final run from the Texans was the emergence of rookie receiver DeVier Posey. The third-round pick from Ohio State had only six regular season catches, but made an impact in the postseason and should serve to help take pressure off Andre Johnson going forward if he's able to build off his late success. 8 7 12-6 10-8 Watching Aaron Rodgers shake hands with Greg Jennings and Donald Driver as the seconds ticked down in San Francisco provided a reminder that these Packers are going to look drastically different next season. It's been a pleasure watching them all work. 9 8 10-7 10-6-1 Mike Shanahan will have to live with his awful decision to stick with Robert Griffin III after re-aggravating his knee injury late in the first quarter, but that will be easier to do if the partial ligament tears he suffered don't linger and hinder his preparations for next season. 10 6 11-6 10-7 Corner Vontae Davis rallied for a big finish, notching AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors to close the regular season and making multiple big plays in a losing cause at Baltimore. He only ended up costing the Colts a late second-rounder, as a conditional sixth-rounder is no longer headed to Miami because Davis failed to play 65 percent of Indy's defensive snaps. 11 11 10-7 9-8 Losing in the manner they did, since Christian Ponder and Percy Harvin were forced to watch helplessly from the sidelines, should leave the Vikings encouraged. They're closer than probably given credit for, but must find a competent backup to push their young QB and find a starting-caliber receiver to help better take advantage of the attention Adrian Peterson receives. 12 12 10-7 9-7-1 Although second-year QB Andy Dalton is taking most of the heat despite consecutive playoff appearances, the Bengals will concentrate most ensuring they remain stout up front. That means negotiations with top offensive lineman Andre Smith and stud DE Michael Johnson will take top priority. 13 13 10-6 7-9 Marc Trestman's hiring means that QB Jay Cutler will have his hands in everything and therefore be happy, but the prolific offense that's envisioned will hit a major road block if offensive line play fails to improve. Second-year GM Phil Emery is rolling the dice with a major facelift, but he's got to do his part getting the right personnel to ensure the experiment doesn't blow up in his face. 14 14 9-7 8-8 Despite David Wilson's flashes of explosion in the season's final month, Ahmad Bradshaw proved how invaluable he was to the offense with his versatility and pass protection. Count on the Giants doing everything to keep him. 15 15 8-8 6-10 Although injuries played a huge role in missing the playoffs, the lack of a sustained running game also hindered the cause. Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer had flashes of brilliance they failed to sustain and Rashad Mendenhall became disengaged due to injuries and disharmony. Odds are he's done as a Steeler. 16 16 8-8 6-10 The Cowboys could still get tremendous value for Tony Romo if they choose to part ways with him. Although Jerry Jones sounds opposed to the idea, that could just be for bargaining purposes. Drastic change seems inevitable after a second straight season ended in mediocrity. Firing a few assistant coaches shouldn't cut it. 17 17 7-9 9-7 Ron Rivera's brief stint as head coach has been riddled with glaringly bad decisions, so it's no surprise the team is 2-12 in games decided by a touchdown or less under his watch. A four-game winning streak to end the season may save him, but he'll need to refine his approach if he's going to last beyond 2013. 18 18 7-9 8-8 Making Sean Payton the league's highest-paid coach was one step in the right direction. Firing defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was another. There's no question the Saints will have better leadership this season, which means this sub-.500 blip can be flushed away quickly. 19 19 7-8-1 11-5 If Lovie Smith doesn't wind up with a head coaching gig, a Rams defense that can use his leadership to rise to the next level awaits. St. Louis fans have fond memories of his work prior to him leaving for the Bears head job. Rob Ryan, Dick Jauron and Romeo Crennel are other high-profile options. 20 20 7-9 9-6-1 Despite the late collapse, Greg Schiano proved competent in his first season and seems to be a guy the fan base can rally around as a leader. Too bad the same can't be said about Josh Freeman, whose inconsistency threatens to continue pulling the franchise down as patience with him wears thin. 21 21 7-9 7-9 The Chargers wasted little time raiding division champ Denver for Mike McCoy's services, which also gives them a window into how to stop Peyton Manning next season. Considering what defensive coordinator John Pagano has back on that side of the football, San Diego has to again be considered the biggest threat to the Broncos' dominance of the AFC West. 22 22 7-9 8-8 All in all, the Dolphins overachieved with a rookie head coach and quarterback. Life would be made a lot easier for rookie Ryan Tannehill if he had more dynamic options in the passing game, so GM Jeff Ireland needs to spend an early pick on the likes of a Terrance Williams, Keenan Allen or Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins, who opened eyes with a great Chick Fil'A Bowl effort against LSU. 23 23 6-10 7-9 If Jake Locker can make a breakthrough and stay healthy throughout Year No. 3, the Titans have a shot at becoming one of the NFL's most prolific offenses. Don't lose sight of the fact he moved the ball well after returning from injury despite playing behind a patchwork offensive line beseiged by injuries. It would help to have Kenny Britt at 100 percent all season, too. 24 24 6-10 7-9 The Doug Marrone-led regime can only hope the offensive line will be able to stay healthier under their watch. Every team deals with injuries up front, but with two terrific backs and an offense that has weapons, this team can take a significant step if young cogs like Zebrie Sanders and Chris Hairston become factors. 25 25 6-10 7-9 Be it Michael Vick, Alex Smith or another option, Rex Ryan can't afford not to have a competent veteran under center if he's going to make it through one more season. In a weird twist, Mark Sanchez was actually so awful that he probably bought Ryan the extra year given the rationale that a competent passer would've had the Jets in playoff contention. 26 26 5-11 8-7-1 Although the Rob Chudzinski hire was met with a collective yawn from a national perspective, fans in Northeast Ohio are thrilled to have a life-long Browns fan in place at the top. Their continued enthusiasm will be determined by how effective new coordinator Norv Turner will be in helping mentor Brandon Weeden to turn around the offense. 27 27 5-11 7-9 Bruce Arians was a great hire, a true home run given losing out on Andy Reid, but this is by no means an overnight fix. The Cardinals were the butt of jokes at the NFL Honors ceremony, as emcee Alec Baldwin mentioned Larry Fitzgerald not being in attendance and quipped, "now he has way too much in common with the rest of the Arizona Cardinals offense." Too easy. 28 28 4-12 6-10 Jim Schwartz went 0-for against the NFL North for the second time in four seasons and finished with a losing record for the third time. His team either led or was in position to lead in the fourth quarter in seven of their last eight losses. 29 29 4-12 4-12 All eyes will be on Chip Kelly, but his choice of defensive coordinator could be what determines how successful he is right out of the gate. Nick Allioti took enormous pressure off him but stayed put at Oregon, giving him a major decision that is expected to be made shortly after the Super Bowl. Whether he goes with an NFL name or someone from the college game following National Signing Day, he should do so remembering that Eagles fans have short tempers and little patience. 30 30 4-12 5-11 Lamarr Houston closed out the season with a 13-tackle effort against San Diego, adding 1.5 sacks to take over the team lead in that category. In a down year for a unit that played well below expectations for defensive-minded first-year head coach Dennis Allen, Houston was one of the few bright spots. 31 31 2-14 7-9 At least Justin Blackmon looks like he figured things out. His late surge also raised further questions about Blaine Gabbert, since the second-year QB couldn't establish chemistry with the team's top receiver the way veteran backup Chad Henne managed to. 32 32 2-14 5-11 Andy Reid was a brilliant hire, especially since he'll be able to groom a quarterback to upgrade the team's biggest weakness. He's bringing along his boy Juan Castillo to coach the offensive line instead of the defense, which Eagles nation can testify doubles as great news for Chiefs fans.

Updated Tue, Feb. 5, 11:30 AM ET