Going into Week 15 of the NFL season, we knew that there were going to be some very entertaining and compelling matchups to take notice of. That ended up to be the case, though some games were not quite as competitive as we thought. Some were very competitive though, and one if you turned it off at halftime like many did, you missed an epic fourth quarter.
For the second-straight week, our No.1 team that we had in the power ranking going in, lost. That would be the New England Patriots this time. And that just so happens to be the game that many turned off at the half, when the Patriots were down four touchdowns. They came back to tie it up, though ended up losing to the 49ers.
Will that affect the way that the power rankings come out this week going into Week 16?
1. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons demolished the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants 34-0 in a game that many thought was a measuring stick for Atlanta. The Falcons passed with flying colors, beating the Giants in every facet of the game. They move back up to the top of the power rankings this week because of it. If they win this week, Atlanta would lock up the No.1 seed in the NFC. The Falcons play in a special edition of Monday Night Football on Saturday night on the road against the Detroit Lions.
2. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers had to hold on for dear life against the Patriots on Sunday night on the road, but were able to do so. San Francisco showed that they have the personnel on offense to put up big points, and not just rely on their defense. This performance definitely add momentum to the Super Bowl championship bandwagon accumulating in San Francisco.
3. New England Patriots
We are normally accustomed to seeing the Patriots run up the score on their opponents, not the other way around. That wasn’t the case though against the 49ers in the first half. But they never gave up, and had a shot to win the game in the fourth quarter. New England falls two spots in this week’s power rankings because of the loss at home, but make no mistake, this team is ready for a Super Bowl run.
4. Houston Texans
The Texans defeated the Indianapolis Colts 29-17 to win the AFC South Division over the weekend, and now have the goal of the No.1 seed and home-field advantage in the postseason once it gets underway. A couple of more wins will do just that.
5. Denver Broncos
The Broncos keep looking better each week, and doubled the score of the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in a 34-17 victory. Denver is still just one-game behind the Houston Texans in the AFC for the No.1 overall seed. It will be interesting to see if they will be able to sneak in there and grab it. They will of course need help from the Texans.