NFL Computerized Power Ranks: Week 15

We are through 15 weeks of the regular season and the best news is that the Thursday night games are finally over! Yes, no thinking about fantasy teams or being forced to make pick’em picks on Wednesday nights, and my power ranks actually reflect the results of all games played.

These week, the most recent #1 team, the Patriots, were dethroned by the 49ers, and fell all the way to 5th place.  Replacing them is an old favorite of the ranks this year, the Houston Texans, who beat the Colts to clinch the AFC South.  The Falcons’ dominating shutout win over the Giants moved them up to #2, leapfrogging the Broncos, who remain as #3.  The 49ers moved up to #4

Not much to talk about on the low end.  In a #31 vs. #32 clash of the titans (not Tennessee), the Raiders beat the Chiefs to move up to #30, knocking down the Jaguars.  The other Titans (Tennessee) won to move out of the bottom 5, pushing the hapless Lions to #28.

The biggest gainers were the Dolphins, who floated to the top of the pile of crap bunched up on the low end of the ranks after beating Jacksonville.  The biggest losers were the Bucs and Jets, who lost to bury their playoff hopes.

Playoff Projections (Remember, these ranks are weighted on recent success, so at this point of the season some projections become unrealistic based on the current standings)

NFC
1st Round Byes: #2 Falcons, #4 49ers
#10 Giants @ #7 Redskins
#6 Seahawks @ #8 Packers
Top 5 Out: #11 Bears, #13 Cowboys, #14 Vikings, #17 Rams, #18 Panthers

AFC
1st Round Byes: #1 Texans, #3 Broncos
#15 Colts @ #5 Patriots
#12 Ravens @ #9 Bengals
Top 5 Out: #16 Browns, #19 Dolphins, #21 Steelers, #24 Jets, #25 Chargers