NFL Week Sixteen power rankings

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Previous ratings in parentheses.

FIRST TIER: BEST OF THE BEST
1 New Orleans (1)
2 Indianapolis (2)
3 San Diego (4)
SECOND TIER: SOLID PLAYOFF CONTENDERS
4 Minnesota (3)
5 Arizona (5)
6 Philadelphia (6)
THIRD TIER: POTENTIAL PLAYOFF CONTENDERS
7 Cincinnati (7)
8 New England (8)
9 Green Bay (10)
10 NY Giants (11)
11 Denver (9)
12 Dallas (16)
13 Baltimore (13)
THIRD TIER: BARELY ABOVE-AVERAGE TO AVERAGE
14 Tennessee (17)
15 Miami (12)
16 Pittsburgh (19)
17 Houston (18)
18 Jacksonville (15)
19 NY Jets (14)
FOURTH TIER: VERY BAD, BUT NOT THE WORST
20 Atlanta (20)
21 San Francisco (21)
22 Carolina (24)
23 Chicago (25)
24 Seattle (22)
25 Washington (23)
FIFTH TIER: TEAMS WITHOUT ANY REDEEMING VALUE WHATSOEVER
26 Buffalo (26)
27 Oakland (27)
28 Kansas City (28)
29 Tampa Bay (29)
30 Cleveland (31)
31 Detroit (30)
32 St. Louis (32)

BIGGEST RISERS: Dallas (4 spots), Pittsburgh (3 spots)
BIGGEST FALLERS: NY Jets (5 spots), Jacksonville, Miami and Tennessee (3 spots)