Playoffs? You Kidding Me?

Unscripted NFL Power Rankings
2013 Week 18

In the words of Jim Mora, "Playoffs? You kidding me? I just hope we can win a game!" He provided the material for that famous video in a different context than the postseason, but his words should ring true for the 12 teams fighting for a spot in the Superbowl. You can't make it to the end of playoffs without beating the very next team on your schedule; just hoping you can win that next game. Focus will be perhaps the most essential ingredient for teams to make it to the big game in MetLife Stadium. Well, that and turnovers. And scoring more points than the other team. That's how you win football games, in case John Madden hasn't taught you that already.

Before we really get going on the Top 10, I just want to say thanks to everyone who kept up with my random football turn here on the blog. I've had a lot of fun writing it and talking with all of you about it. And yall have given the blog a few thousand more pageviews on football posts alone during the season, so again, thanks for much for tuning in! But enough with the mushy stuff, let's talk about grown men trying to beat each other down. Hike!

Nipping at #10's heels: The Chiefs, Chargers, & Cardinals

10. Green Bay Packers (8-7-1)
Last Week: --
Top Ranking: 4th (Week 3)

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who returned Sunday after missing seven-plus games because of a broken collarbone, and receiver Randall Cobb, who returned from his Oct. 13 broken leg and caught two touchdowns against the Bears, makes them a dangerous offense again because of their big-play ability. Rodgers' average yards per passing attempt of 8.74 was second best in the league behind only Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9.12). The Packers' record in games Rodgers started and finished was 6-2. That equates to a winning percentage of .750. Only two of the 12 playoff teams -- the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos -- have a better winning percentage. Both went 13-3 (.813 winning percentage). - Rob Demovsky

9. New Orleans Saints (11-5)

Last Week: 7th

Top Ranking: 2nd (Week 6)

The Saints win over the Buccaneers was a good sign that the Saints still know where the “on” switch is inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Their offense was as dominant as ever, with 468 total yards and four touchdown passes by Drew Brees. That has to be a nice confidence boost heading into the playoffs after a nasty two-game losing streak in Weeks 15 and 16. But we still don't have any idea if the Saints can figure out how to take this show on the road, where they've struggled all season. The disparity between the Saints' home and road performances this year has been stunning. And now they'll have to be a road team throughout the entire playoffs -- with plenty of potential nasty-weather sites on the horizon. - Mike Triplett

8. Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
Last Week: 10th
Top Ranking: 1st (Week 9)

There was little doubt that the Colts would beat the Jaguars, who are officially on vacation, but the way they did it early on was the impressive part. The Colts had their best opening quarter of the season when they used the shotgun and no-huddle to score a season-high 17 points. Quarterback Andrew Luck was 10-of-18 for 135 yards in the first quarter, and running backs Trent Richardson and Donald Brown ran for both touchdowns in the quarter. Indianapolis held Jacksonville to 34 yards in the first quarter. The Colts (11-5) led by as many as 24 points and matched their win total of last season. The comfortable lead allowed Colts coach Chuck Pagano to rest Luck and several other key players in the fourth quarter. Pagano is the first coach in Colts history to win at least 11 games in each of his first two seasons. - Mike Wells

7. Cincinnati Bengals (11-5)

Last Week: 8th

Top Ranking: 7th (Week 18)

It may not have been pretty, but the Bengals' victory Sunday was just what they needed to build a little momentum entering the postseason. All week players and coaches talked about how they didn't plan on packing it in despite having already earned a playoff berth and another division title. They had every intention of playing their starters throughout the ballgame and doing whatever they could to beat their AFC North-rival Ravens, thereby helping keep the defending league champions out of the playoffs. If the win itself was the good, the bad and ugly were the four turnovers and poorly struck punt the Bengals had in the ballgame. If a team is going to have those miscues, it has to be glad to have them in a win. They could serve as good motivation for Cincinnati, too, as the Bengals look to correct their issues as they get ready for postseason. - Coley Harvey

6. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
Last Week: 6th
Top Ranking: 6th (Week 17, 18)

Chip Kelly won the NFC East title in his first season as a head coach in the NFL despite a rough night on the sideline. The Eagles' defense bailed Kelly and his offense out, holding the Cowboys to one touchdown and three field goals. The victory gives the Eagles a 10-6 record -- six more wins than last year -- and a date this Saturday night with the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs in Philadelphia. The Saints are 3-5 on the road this season. The Eagles have won their past four home games after enduring a 10-game home losing streak. It will be Kelly’s first NFL playoff game, although he does have plenty of experience coaching on Saturdays. - Phil Sheridan

5. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)

Last Week: 3rd

Top Ranking: 1st (Pre-Draft, Preseason, Week 2)

This week against Green Bay, the 49ers need to find the end zone. The 49ers have settled for field goals way too many times this season. The 49ers must finish drives. The Packers have a beatable defense and the 49ers must score touchdowns more than they score field goals. What San Francisco absolutely cannot do is let Aaron Rodgers take over. The 49ers’ defense has been good, but it has been giving up some passing yards, especially in the past couple of weeks. A lot of those yards came when opponents were in catch-up mode. But San Francisco can’t allow Rodgers to control this game. It must keep him honest in a game that they may miss cornerback Carlos Rogers, who is nursing a hamstring injury. - Bill Williamson

4. New England Patriots (12-4)
Last Week: 5th
Top Ranking: 1st (Pre-Free Agency)

It has seldom come easy for the New England Patriots in the 2013 season, so it was fitting Sunday’s finale against the visiting Buffalo Bills was played in a steady downpour from start to finish. Just another obstacle to overcome in a season full of them. This is what the good teams do, finding different ways to win and new players to rise up when adverse conditions and injuries strike. After 16 regular-season games, we can now decisively declare that the banged-up 12-4 Patriots are in that category. Where it takes them, even after they secured the AFC’s No. 2 seed and a first-round playoff bye, no one knows. But there’s a feeling from seemingly all corners of the locker room that this group is one players feel good about taking their best shot with in the every-play-is-magnified postseason. At this point, that’s really all they can ask for, with their first game in the divisional round scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 11, at 8:15 p.m. ET. So the short-handed but resilient team will take its best shot after a well-deserved playoff bye, with more obstacles surely ahead for a club that keeps finding new ways to overcome them. - Mike Reiss

3. Carolina Panthers (12-4)

Last Week: 4th

Top Ranking: 3rd (Week 18)

The Panthers (12-4) win the NFC South title and a first-round bye for the playoffs. They are also the hottest team entering the playoffs with 11 wins in their past 12 games. The Panthers followed a six-sack performance against New Orleans with nine against Atlanta. For the most part they did it with the front four, which has been their staple all season. Quarterback Cam Newton finished 15-for-27 for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for 72 yards on 12 carries to give him his first win against Atlanta in his hometown in three starts. The time off will give wide receiver Steve Smith, who missed this game with a sprained knee, to return at full strength. It will give a team that had its bye week after its third game a much-needed rest. - David Newton

2. Denver Broncos (13-3)
Last Week: 2nd
Top Ranking: 1st (Week 5, 6, 7, 12, 15)

The win on Sunday meant quarterback Peyton Manning and the Broncos' offense closed out the regular season with every significant scoring and passing record in their possession. Manning finished the regular season with 5,477 passing yards to go with 55 touchdowns while the Broncos had broken the league scoring record by halftime. Denver also earned home-field advantage throughout the AFC postseason. The Broncos will get a weekend off with their bye through the wild-card round. They will try to balance enough work to keep their edge with the idea of getting a fairly battered team a little rest. But after last season's double-overtime loss at home in the divisional round, there will be a big push from the team's veterans to make sure everybody stays on track. - Jeff Legwold

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

Last Week: 1st

Top Ranking: 1st (Week 1, 3, 4, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18)

After giving up 200 yards rushing in St. Louis earlier this year, the Seattle defense was a brick wall Sunday, allowing 13 yards rushing. Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch had his best game in over a month with 23 carries for 97 yards and one touchdown. This all led to Seattle reaching all its regular-season goals with the NFC West title, a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs. The 13-3 mark ties the team record for regular-season wins. Seattle now has won 15 of its past 16 home games. - Terry Blount