WEEK #17 PA Power Rankings
Guest writer Andrew Meder (MNChamps) gives his power rankings each week!

Rank	Team	Rec	Summary
1.		14-1	Surrendering 21 points to Josh McCown and Kahlil Bell is not exactly encouraging going into the playoffs. Green Bay's defense has struggled at times this season, and even last week was torched at times by a third string quarterback. Aaron Rodgers and this offense can outgun anybody, but as Kansas City showed, if you can keep them off the field, they can be beaten. This defense simply isn't good enough if Rodgers isn't destroying the opposing defense and spotting them a huge lead.
2.		12-3	Drew Brees this, Drew Brees that... Whatever. Congratulations on the record, but I hate how they clearly focused only on the record as the game was coming to a close. If it was the last game of the season, then sure, get your record and move on. But they have another game and could have just run the clock out and looked at the record in week 17. (Yes, I was beaten in one championship game because of that last drive. I hate record-chasers!)
3.		12-3	Much like Green Bay, this team is bailed out by big time quarterbacking. I see both of these teams the same way. There's definitely a way to stop them, but it's obviously easier said than done. They are top seeds for a reason, but they are far from perfect.
4.		12-3	The Niners shouldn't have trouble beating the Rams and securing the 2nd seed in the NFC. To me, this locks Jim Harbaugh in as the Coach of the Year. He took a 6-10 team and made it a legitimate title contender in one season. That's amazing.
5.		11-4	I really like how the Ravens used Ray Rice in the passing game last week. He keeps showing how much of a weapon he is. This team has incredible balance and should have a great shot at advancing in the playoffs.
6.		11-4	There's plenty of talent here, but they are limping into the playoffs. If Big Ben can't get healthy, they're as good as done.
7.		9-6	Stopping Drew Brees and the Saints while they pursued the passing record was a tall order. Still, it would have been nice to see a little more competitiveness, especially since these two teams are likely to meet in the playoffs. Once again, the passing attack looked great, but if the Falcons are going to win in the playoffs, it will be on the back of Michael Turner.
8.		10-5	For the first time since 1999, the Lions are back in the playoffs. I'm not sure if I would consider them Super Bowl contenders just yet, but this offense (thanks to Megatron) is a tough matchup for anybody.
9.		10-5	The fairytale is slowly unraveling before our eyes. T.J. Yates just isn't going to cut it in the playoffs. Losing to the Colts is about as bright as a red flag gets.
10.		8-7	There's the Tim Tebow we've been waiting for. He was totally ineffective passing and singlehandedly gave the game away with his 4 picks, two of which were returned for touchdowns. This offense has zero ability to come back from any deficit bigger than two scores.
11.		9-6	It would be pretty amazing if Cincy beats the Ravens and makes the playoffs in Andy Dalton's first season. What a godsend he and A.J. Green have been. You don't hear any more rumors about Marvin Lewis' job anymore, do you? This is a great example of why you don't dump a coach simply because the players act like idiots. One year has made a world of difference for this franchise. They will only keep rising. Now if their fans would just show a little support...
12.		8-7	And the season comes down to this. The Giants have fought to stay relevant all season long, and with a win against Dallas they will stay alive and head to the playoffs. A lot of people are speculating that Tom Coughlin could be fired if they lose. I have a hard time believing that... What more does this guy have to do in this league to prove that he's a good coach?
13.		8-7	Hopefully Tony Romo's hand is as healthy as the Cowboys say, because it would be a pretty sad ending to their season if he can't play effectively. They have been far too inconsistent this year.
14.		8-7	So, is this team still guaranteed to win the Super Bowl, Rex? I would say that this season may finally shut him up, but judging by his past failures, that's doubtful. He could win three games and still say he has the best team in the league. This team is all bark and no bite.
15.		8-7	They can still reach the playoffs if Kansas City can beat Denver, but they'll be lucky to make it. If they end up missing the postseason, the Carson Palmer trade will be a monumental bust. It's already shaping up to be an interesting offseason in Oakland. Jason Campbell was doing a great job of leading this team and developing his game, but the Raiders gave up far too much for Palmer to just hand the reigns back to Campbell. This is not an ideal situation for a head coach.
16.		7-8	The Eagles are starting to look like the best team in the NFC East. It's really a shame they struggled so much early in the season, because the talent is definitely here. When they're playing well, they are as good as anybody in the league. Here's a special shout out to LeSean McCoy--thanks for carrying me to the championship, but three points? REALLY? He scores a touchdown in every game this season and decides to lay an egg on Championship weekend? I know I'm not the only owner who had to deal with that. Hard to hate on the guy, but C'MON MAN!
17.		8-7	Believe it or not, this team still has a shot at the last wildcard spot, but they need a lot of help. Interestingly, if they do happen to make it, their first game will be against Houston, who they play this week. The Titans could definitely beat the T.J. Yates-led Texans.
18.		7-8	Maybe Pete Carroll does know what he's doing after all. This team isn't flashy or elite, but Seattle is definitely not the pushover it once was. This is a tough, physical team.
19.		7-8	Arizona was one tangled shoelace away from tying that game up as time expired. John Skelton looked awesome in the fourth, but they only needed the comeback because of the three picks he threw early. He's done some nice things, but I still don't think he's a long term solution at QB.
20.		7-8	This off-season could bring some major changes in San Diego. Norv Turner should be gone (though he deserved to be fired last year, and the year before, and the year before that...). On top of the coaching change, Philip Rivers' two favorite targets--Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson--are both slated to become free agents. This could be an entirely different team next season.
21.		7-8	Losing Jay Cutler hurt. Losing Matt Forte was too much. This team simply isn't competitive without them, but not many teams can withstand losing their top QB and RB.
22.		6-9	Cam Newton is basically guaranteed the Rookie of the Year trophy. This is a player that a franchise can build around. That needs to start this offseason. They obviously hit a home run with Newton, but can they do it again?
23.		6-9	After knocking off Green Bay, Kansas City drops right back into their losing ways against Oakland. It's hard to tell what direction this team is going. But it probably isn't good.
24.		5-10	Matt Moore has to get a long look for the starting gig next season. He seems to be developing a lot of chemistry with Brandon Marshall, who has also had a pretty great season. If he cuts down on his drops, he could be a top 5 wide receiver.
25.		6-9	You think some anger from a seven game losing streak was released on Saturday? The Broncos took the brunt of that frustration. It actually reminded me of how dominant Buffalo was during that early season run they had.
26.		5-10	Rex Grossman threw an interception to a Vikings defensive back. Every Vikings defensive back that played in that game is likely to be washing dishes during next year's NFL season. By the transitive property of mathematics, Rex Grossman is TERRIBLE. This team is in desperate need of a quarterback.
27.		4-11	Maurice Jones-Drew is the only reason Jacksonville's four fans show up to each game. I'd be worried about getting crap from Jaguars fans for writing that, but hey, there's only four and I doubt they're reading this! If Shahid Khan is smart (and since he's mega-rich I would hope that's the case) he'll get this franchise out of Jacksonville as soon as possible. It's time to completely start over for the Jaguars brand.
28.		4-11	Peyton Hillis, this team's lone bright spot, is likely gone this off-season. Last year it looked like Cleveland was finally starting on the path to relevance. Now, it's back to the drawing board.
29.		4-11	I still like Raheem Morris, and think he should get another chance with this team. As he himself has said, you don't go from being a Coach of the Year candidate one season to the worst coach in the league the next. They have certainly underachieved, but I'd like to see him get a chance to use that as motivation for next year.
30.		3-12	It only keeps getting worse in Minnesota. The Vikings go from the Brett Favre/Brad Childress blowout of last season, to the abysmal play this year, and now Adrian Peterson's knee. Also, beating Washington eliminated the Vikings from contention for the #1 overall pick. Oh, and did I mention the team still doesn't have a stadium lined up for next season? This franchise has legitimately hit rock bottom.
31.		2-13	For the first time since October, Indy is out of the bottom spot! The Colts are shockingly showing a lot of fight now. It certainly won't save Jim Caldwell's job or erase the bad taste from this season, but it is nice to see guys with nothing to play for still having some fire.
32.		2-13	The Rams' offense is just terrible. They didn't turn the ball over and Steven Jackson had a decent game, but the ball never really moved down the field. Now they're looking at potentially holding the #1 overall pick in April. They could receive a king's ransom from a team wanting Andrew Luck, and could provide a ton of help for Sam Bradford.