NFL Power Rankings Week 13: AFC Sweet ‘n Weak 16

Nov 24, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) spikes the football after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Faith has been restored in the playoff dreams of Tennessee Titans enthusiasts. Sort of.

So many 5-6, even 4-7 teams who “supposedly” want the AFC’s second and final wild-card berth. The Titans have a 4-0 record against that group of teams. How dumb must they feel about losing to the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars? Those losses have put them in a three-game stretch where they must win at least two of the upcoming games: Colts (7-4), Broncos (9-2) and Cardinals (7-4).

Do the Titans want it? It’s time to make up for their mistakes. If they don’t want it, one can bet that those AFC North teams will try to make a run for it. Or maybe Philip Rivers, although that San Diego Chargers defense may prevent them from becoming legitimate contenders.

Let’s take a look at some Week 13 NFL power rankings for the 2013-14 season. These rankings include all 16 playoff teams. They’re not a listing of each team’s playoff seeding.

Week 13 NFL Power Rankings: AFC 1-16 (TW LW Team Record)

Obvious Top 4
01 01 Denver Broncos 9-2
02 03 New England Patriots 8-3
03 02 Kansas City Chiefs 9-2
04 05 Cincinnati Bengals 7-4

Titans Could’ve Had AFC South Lead…”Could’ve”
05 04 Indianapolis Colts 7-4

5-6 Team With the Best Quarterback
06 08 San Diego Chargers 5-6

5-6 Team Who Just Beat Team with Best Quarterback
07 07 Miami Dolphins 5-6

4-0 Against Teams No. 6-13
08 09 Tennessee Titans 5-6

Week 13 Thanksgiving Day Must Watch
09 11 Baltimore Ravens 5-6
10 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 5-6

Life Support
11 06 New York Jets 5-6

Stick a Fork in ‘Em: They’re Done
12 10 Cleveland Browns 4-7
13 12 Oakland Raiders 4-7
14 14 Buffalo Bills 4-7

YES! We’re Not the Worst Team in the NFL—or even our own division anymore!!!
15 16 Jacksonville Jaguars 2-9

Titans Fans: Remember When this OT Loss was “Quality?”
16 15 Houston Texans 2-9

Observations on next page.

Week 13 AFC Power Rankings: Observations

Nov 24, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Tennessee Titans strong safety Daimion Stafford (39), cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson (29) and cornerback Alterraun Verner (20) celebrate after the Titans defeated the Oakland Raiders 23-19 at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

• Week 12 proved one thing: there are no unbeatable teams. Just major disappointments.
• Kansas City losing their top two pass-rushers turned their No. 1 defense into a meatball squad. Their losing streak extends to three games unless they defeat Denver.
• That Broncos vs. Patriots game was strange. It’s hard to take much from it. Each team is capable of beating one another on any given night. What matters is a potential January showdown.
• The best team in this conference? Maybe a Bengals team with Andy Dalton playing well. The problem is that Dalton is far from consistent.
• As a Titans supporter, watching all these Colts blowouts makes me sick. Chalk it up as another wasted opportunity. AFC South lead could’ve been Tennessee’s.
• AFC’s second wild-card participant could easily finish with an 8-8 record. Very easily.
• Note to self: Stop overrating the Jets. There’s no way this team wins more than eight games with Geno Smith. Even that is unlikely.
• Nine consecutive losses? Houston, we’re beyond a problem.
• If the Titans could just steal a win in Indianapolis, they have a realistic chance to win that No. 6 seed with a 9-7 record. They’d still need to win one of two (Broncos, Cardinals) before finishing against Jacksonville and Houston.
• I’ll put my homerism aside: if I had to guess who’d get that second wild-card berth, I’m taking the winner of the Thanksgiving Day showdown between Baltimore and Pittsburgh. HOWEVER, that changes if Tennessee can get over the hurdle and finally upset Indianapolis.

Agree or disagree with any of these power rankings? Give your take in the comments, Twitter or Facebook.