NFL Week 14 Power Rankings Still Run by Giants

The NFL's Week 14 power rankings and standings are taking a bit of a back seat this week, with the biggest NFL stories being off the field. Coincidentally, the New York Giants are both the biggest story on and off the field this week. In the NFL power rankings and in the pundits eyes, the Giants are still the best team in football and proved it further over the Redskins. But Plaxico Burress and his gun have more press this week than the Giants' 11-1 record.

The Giants carried on with the distraction and were barely thrown off track in their win over the Redskins. The Giants position on top of the NFL power rankings is therefore further assured, even as the Tennessee Titans have the same record. But the Titans don't even have the biggest buzz in the AFC right now.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers struggled for several weeks, they are now instantly pegged as the second best team in the AFC after throttling the Patriots. Pundits and NFL power rankings experts quickly forgot that the Jets had all the buzz as the AFC's biggest new contender last week, after the Jets were upset by the Broncos.

The Titans didn't have to prove much by destroying the Lions on Thanksgiving. Now the Titans have to hold off the Jets, Steelers, and the still surging Colts in the AFC. The Giants still have the clearest path in the NFC, however.

The NFL power rankings now have to take the gaudy records of teams in the NFC South more seriously, however. The Panthers and Bucs have 9-3 records, with the Falcons at 8-4. The NFC South was considered lightweight for most of the year, despite their records.

But now that the Panthers and Bucs have a Monday Night showdown for first place ahead, and now that the NFC South could get three teams in the playoffs instead of the NFC East, the NFL power rankings have no choice but to put NFC South teams high up.

The top of the NFL power rankings might look something like this as the final quarter of the season begins.

1. New York Giants: 11-1

2. Tennessee Titans: 11-1

3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-3

4. Carolina Panthers: 9-3

5. Indianapolis Colts: 8-4

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-3

7. New York Jets: 8-4

8. Dallas Cowboys: 8-4

9. Baltimore Ravens: 8-4

10. Atlanta Falcons: 8-4

11. New England Patriots: 7-5

12. Minnesota Vikings: 7-5

Sources

Chicago Daily Herald- "POWER RANKINGS: WHO NEEDS PLAXICO?" blogs.dailyherald.com/node/1036