Hello, Guest!
Week 17 Power Rankings - Colts Back Behind Patriots
Chris Pokorny December 28, 2007
Chris Pokorny
PFC Owner & Writer

Tell Chris your opinion.

In our Week 17 NFL Power Rankings, our final one of the regular season, the Indianapolis Colts moved back to the No. 2 spot. Over the second half of the season, I've been waiting for the Colts to get some of the players healthy again and for the Cowboys to show some sign of fading.

Top Riser: Washington Redskins (No. 15 to No. 11).
Top Faller: Denver Broncos (No. 21 to No. 25). Power Rankings
 

Week 17 Power Rankings
Rank Last Wk. +/- Team Comment
1 1 - - The Patriots are 15-0. This isn't a team that faces pressure; they cause it. The talk this week isn't whether or not the Patriots will win, but whether or not the Giants should rest their starters so they don't lose any confidence heading into the playoffs. If that's not intimidation right off the bat, then I don't know what is.
2 3 +1 - Marvin Harrison is set to return this week, which is exactly what I needed to hear to move them back ahead of the Dallas Cowboys. The Colts are getting healthy and playing to an above-elite level again.
3 2 -1 - Is the buzz dying off of the Dallas Cowboys a little bit? Tony Romo had similar late-season struggles last year. At least this year he won't have to worry about handling a snap in the postseason.
4 5 +1 - The Jaguars are starting to pile it on against any team that stands in their way. This team has underachieved considering their potential the past few years under Jack Del Rio. This year, they've delivered in impressive fashion.
5 4 -1 - The Packers have lost three times this season. Two of those losses came against the Chicago Bears. I guess it's a good thing that the Bears didn't win enough to be the final wildcard team, right? Other than that, the Packers are still fine.
6 6 - - Like the Jaguars, the Chargers continue to tear through the competition as the year goes on. Although they have a victory over the Colts this year, you still have to wonder if Philip Rivers has shown he has what it takes to take down the Colts again, or contend with the Patriots.
7 7 - - I can't say I 100% agree with Jon Gruden's strategy to rest his starters last week when the third seed could've still been at stake. He chosen the "for-sure healthy" route for some of his best players though, and either way, they would've had to of beaten Green Bay or Dallas to possibly get another shot at a home game after the wildcard weekend.
8 8 - - Willie Parker is out for the year. The defense is still playing poorly. Ben Roethlisberger is still banged up. The only good news for the Steelers as of late is that they clinched the AFC North.
9 10 +1 - By locking up the third seed, Seattle won't have to worry about the trailing Buccaneers. They'll have either the Saints, Redskins, or Vikings to do battle with in round one of the postseason.
10 9 -1 - The fate of the Browns rests in the outcome of the Titans/Colts game Sunday night. Any way you look at it, the Browns have blown too many games on the road this season.
11 15 +4
- The Redskins have won three games in a row, and if they make the postseason, they will have earned it with wins over the Giants and Vikings the past two weeks. Plus, they would've (likely) needed a win this weekend over the Dallas Cowboys.
12 12 - - Last week, I said the only way the Giants would get through their final two weeks was if they found a running game. They found it for one week -- can it carry over to the playoffs now?
13 13 - - The defense shows up on a weekly basis, but I've yet to see Vince Young show the leadership it takes to win a postseason game. Until that happens, the Titans will be looked at as nothing more than a walkover team in the postseason if they make it.
14 11 -3
- It's hard to say the Vikings blew their chance at the postseason, because we knew Tarvaris Jackson still didn't have the "it" factor, at least this season. They still stand a chance though with one Redskins loss coupled with a win over Denver.
15 14 -1 - The Saints do have one final chance, yet again. If the Vikings and Redskins lose and the Saints win, an undeserving, yet potent team, will be the NFC's final wildcard team.
16 16 - - It's a good thing NBC didn't make the Texans' matchup with the Colts the Sunday nighter. Not only did the Texans not deliver as expected, they were already eliminated from postseason contention.
17 19 +2 - I haven't liked what Donovan McNabb has brought to the table overall the past two years with the Eagles, but something has sparked a little bit of hope over the past several weeks: McNabb is taking off and running with the ball.
18 17 -1 - I wasn't surprised when the Bills leapt out to a big lead early on against the Giants. I was surprised when they ended up blowing the lead rather easily.
19 18 -1 - With a little bit of defense next season, maybe the Cardinals can take their shot at the NFC West for the third or fourth year in a row rather than disappointing again.
20 20 - - The Lions won't finish with ten losses, and as a whole, if they reach eight wins, it is still a step forward for the franchise.
21 23 +2 - The Bengals' season has been filled with lowlights, but preventing the Browns from clinching the playoffs was a highlight even though they didn't play too good.
22 22 - - Matt Moore kept the Panthers in it against the Panthers. And, some Panther fans have to be killing themselves knowing that a Week 16 win would've kept them eligible for the postseason heading into Week 17. In reality though, they didn't stand a chance.
23 26 +3
- Shaun Hill gave the 49ers something to root for again, even if it came more so against some of the Buccaneers' backups. Can they end the season with a three-game winning streak?
24 24 - - Bragging rights over the Packers is the only thing that has come out of this season for the Bears.
25 21 -4
- And the snoozefest carries on...
26 25 -1 - The Rams, like the Cardinals, need to find a defining defensive image in the offseason.
27 28 +1 - You want to root for Chad Pennington, especially when he completes a high percentage of his passes. When it comes to making the throws he should make in the clutch though, he fails to come through.
28 27 -1 - JaMarcus Russell's effort last week was as bad as you could get. That's the reason why we wanted to see him sooner: so he didn't look so raw heading into next season, when he's supposed to be ready.
29 29 - - Over the second half of the season, the Chiefs are technically the NFL's worst team.
30 31 +1 - It's hard to believe that just a few years ago, Michael Vick made this one of the league's most exciting teams. People were talking multiple Super Bowls.
31 30 -1 - The Ravens are so depleted that even the Dolphins could probably beat them. Oh, wait...
32 32 - - Bill Parcells, just by having his name mentioned with the Dolphins, has boosted the franchise's image.

Do you have an opinion on this article? Do you want direct fantasy football advice from one of our writers? You can e-mail us at pokorny@pfcritics.com. Be sure to label your subject line appropriately so we don't think it is spam. Please include your name (can be a screename), city and state. We guarantee a response to any questions or comments you have, and will publish them in our next mailbag session if appropriate.

Sponsors
NFL tickets and Super Bowl tickets

Meet Doc's Advisory Board for:


PFC Pick'em
- The 2008 PFCritics Pick'em Challenge is now open for registration. Join Now and win big! Sponsored by sportsbettingstats.com
Add to My Yahoo!
Topsites
PFCritics.com

© 2004-2024 PFCritics.com. All Rights Reserved.