WEEK 13 NFL Power Rankings

 

Ho hum. Another week and another win for the Indianapolis Colts, who are now 11-0 on the season and sitting firmly atop the Power Rankings yet again. The Colts' dominance of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night kept them two games up on the Denver Broncos for the best record in the AFC, and three games up on the Jacksonville Jaguars for top spot in the AFC South division.

That means Indy is quickly running out of things for which to play. Another couple of weeks of winning, and the great debate will start - should the Colts go all out for a 16-0 record, or should they rest key players like Edgerrin James and Peyton Manning in preparation for the playoffs?

Colts supporters will be watching those developments closely - mainly because Indy is a healthy 8-3 against-the-spread this season as their offense kicks it up a notch and their defense continues to stymie opponents. A resting Manning or James might not prevent Indianapolis from winning down the stretch, but it could be enough to knock a touchdown or two off their output each game. As well, less offense for Indy would lead to more possessions for the opposition, and the potential for more points being scored on the Colts. Anyone hoping to ride Indianapolis the rest of the way might want to root for a loss in the next couple of weeks, just to keep them hungry down the stretch.

The Colts' 8-3 ATS record in 2005 ranks second in the league, after the Broncos' 8-2-1 mark. Four teams have picked up seven ATS wins to this point - the Chiefs (7-4), Chargers (7-3-1), Giants (7-3-1), and Bears (7-3-1). The lowest number of ATS wins compiled this year by any team is three; a mark matched by each of the Jets, Eagles, and Cardinals. Surprisingly, the league's worst team (the Houston Texans) has won four times ATS on the season. Here is the Week 12 edition of the NFL Power Rankings.

The 2005-06 NFL Week 13 Power rankings. Click your favorite team for their NFL Team Resources Page.

Week 13 NFL Power Rankings:				Last Weeks Power Rankings >>
05 Record	Rank	Team		2005 NFL Power Rankings - Comments
11-0-0	1	Colts		Next up on their quest for a perfect season: Sunday's home game versus the overmatched, 3-8 Tennessee Titans.
9-2-0	2	Broncos		With the Chiefs and Chargers also both on win streaks, the Broncos can't let up over the final weeks of the season.
9-2-0	3	Seahawks		Seven straight wins has them way ahead in the NFC West, and boasting the best record in the conference.
8-3-0	4	Bengals		Had to put up big points to get past the Ravens last week, but came out alone on top of the AFC North division.
8-3-0	5	Bears		Have won seven in a row, but their lead in the NFC North would be more comfortable if the Vikings cooled down.
7-4-0	6	Chargers		Defeated the Redskins for their fourth straight win last week; go for five straight against the Raiders in Week 13.
8-3-0	7	Panthers		Got back in the win column by topping the Bills last week, but managed to score only 13 points in the victory.
8-3-0	8	Jaguars		Byron Leftwich's injury gives the team to David Garrard, who will be tasked with leading the Jags to a Wild Card spot.
7-4-0	9	Steelers		Couldn't come close versus the Colts on Monday night, and fell below the Bengals in the division as a result.
7-4-0	10	Giants		The Giants will get to host that game with the Cowboys; they're coming off a loss as well, a squeaker versus Seattle.
7-4-0	11	Cowboys		Lost to the Broncos in their Thanksgiving game; have a showdown with the Giants for first in the NFC East this week.
7-4-0	12	Chiefs		Beating the Pats last week kept them in the thick of the AFC West race; go head-to-head with the Broncos this week.
7-4-0	13	Falcons		Thanksgiving Day win over the Lions was easy; their matchup with the Panthers in Week 13 should be tougher.
7-4-0	14	Buccaneers		While the Falcons and Panthers are beating each other up this week, the Bucs will be playing the lowly Saints.
6-5-0	15	Patriots		Have the worst record of any division-leading team, but don't look to be in much danger of missing the playoffs.
6-5-0	16	Vikings		Don't look now, but the Vikings have won four games in a row. Can make it five this week when they play the Lions.
5-6-0	17	Eagles		Topped the Packers last week, but will need to beat the Seahawks on Monday night to push their record to .500.
5-6-0	18	Redskins		Remember when the Redskins were riding high in the standings and the rankings? Have now lost three in a row.
5-6-0	19	Rams		Snap a losing streak with a win over the lowly Texans, and all of a sudden Mike Martz wants to return to the sidelines.
4-7-0	20	Raiders		Gave up 33 points to Gus Frerotte and the Dolphins last week, and are hopelessly in the cellar in the AFC West.
4-7-0	21	Dolphins		Battle the Bills this week in an AFC East matchup; would need a New England collapse to challenge for the division.
4-7-0	22	Bills		Put up only 9 points against the Panthers last week, Sunday's lowest output. J.P. Losman isn't moving the offense.
4-7-0	23	Browns		Catch a break in their game with the Jaguars this week, as they'll face David Garrard instead of Byron Leftwich.
3-8-0	24	Titans		Steve McNair picked up 343 passing yards against the 49ers last week; won't get that many this week versus Indy.
3-8-0	25	Cardinals		Kurt Warner threw for 315 passing yards on Sunday, but they still only managed 17 points in a loss to the Jaguars.
3-8-0	26	Saints		Found a team they could beat last week, the New York Jets. Get the Buccaneers at Tiger Stadium in Week 13.
4-7-0	27	Lions		So long, Steve Mariucci. Maybe Dick Jauron will be able to coax a decent performance out of Joey Harrington.
3-8-0	28	Ravens		What was more surprising, that the Ravens put up 29 points or that the Ravens allowed the opposition to score 42?
2-9-0	29	Packers		If the Packers keep up all the losing, they might be able to replace Brett Favre with Matt Leinart next season.
2-9-0	30	49ers		Can play the role of spoiler this week against the Patriots, in a late-afternoon start (4:15 p.m.) at Gillette Stadium.
2-9-0	31	Jets		Have lost four games in a row, but can move into a third-place tie in the NFC West by beating the Cards this week.
1-10-0	32	Texans		What management is thinking now: Wouldn't Vince Young look good in a Houston Texans uniform next season?