Week 15 NFL Power Rankings: Patriots Regain Top Spot, Steelers Jump Into Top 5

With the playoffs looming, many contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pack - but that pack is still largely cluttered thanks to close division races and plenty of teams still alive for potential wild card berths. So, how do all the other teams stack up against each other going into the final three weeks of the season? Here's our latest Power Rankings:

1. New England Patriots (11-2)
New England's offense looked fine without Gronk, as Tom Brady passed for over 400 yards and three touchdowns against the best defense in the league in Baltimore. The road to a Super Bowl still runs through Foxborough.

2. Dallas Cowboys (11-2)
Dallas lost for the second time of the year this weekend, and both losses have come to the Giants. With Prescott's play declining, it remains to be seen if this is a cause for concern, or if New York simply just has Dallas' number.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (10-3)
Kansas City has won 21 of their last 25 games, and after beating the Raiders, they showed they're a team that should be taken seriously.

4. Oakland Raiders (10-3)
Oakland will likely be a wild card team as the Chiefs have the tiebreaker over them in the division, but this team is still incredibly dangerous on both sides of the ball.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5)
Look who is back among the NFL's best teams! After a rocky start, the Steelers have found their stride, winning their last four games in a row.

6. Seattle Seahawks (8-4-1)
The Seahawks were playing as well as anyone, then got smacked by the Packers on the road thanks to five interceptions from Russell Wilson. Seattle has struggled on the road this year, but they're still in line for the two-seed in the NFC.

7. New York Giants (9-4) 
After a 2-3 start, the Giants have won seven of their last eight games and are looking like a real threat to make a run in the playoffs.

8. Detroit Lions (9-4)
The Lions are for real, winning eight of their last nine games. However, their ability to make a playoff run may be limited by Matthew Stafford's middle finger injury.

9. Denver Broncos (8-5)
We know how good the Broncos can be, they just don't show it that often, losing three of their last five games. They're in real danger of not making the playoffs if they can't reach 10 wins.

10. Washington Redskins (7-5-1)
The Redskins have shaken off an 0-2 start to be in the top half of the league. Can they maintain it and get a playoff spot? As long as Kirk Cousins continues to play well, they can compete with anyone.

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5)
Don't look now, but Tampa Bay has won FIVE straight games and are tied with the Falcons for the NFC South lead. If their defense continues to play well - and Jameis Winston continues to take care of the ball - they could become a serious playoff threat.

12. Atlanta Falcons (8-5)
Atlanta has lost two of their last four games, but a 42-14 drubbing of the Rams show this team may have found their groove again at the right time. 

13. Green Bay Packers (7-6)
Another team surging at the right time, the Packers have won three games in a row, including the last two over the Texans and Seahawks. It looks like Aaron Rodgers & Co. are finally playing up to their potential.

14. Miami Dolphins (8-5)
At 1-4, the Dolphins were left for dead. Now, everything has clicked as they've won seven of their last eight games. Are they a real playoff contender? We'll see how they perform without Ryan Tannehill.

15. Baltimore Ravens (7-6)
A road loss to the Patriots isn't a cause for alarm, but it reinforced what we know about Baltimore. This team's good isn't great but they play at a fairly high level on average.

16. Minnesota Vikings (7-6)
All of the luster from Minnesota's 5-0 start has worn off. Their offense is atrocious, and their defense hasn't been able to consistently carry the load. They may struggle to make the playoffs.

17. Houston Texans (7-6)
The Texans struggle against good competition (and that's putting it mildly), but are still tied for first place in the AFC South after beating the Colts for the send time this season.

18. Tennessee Titans (7-6)
Tennessee has quietly won three of their last four games, including victories over the Packers and Broncos. A Week 17 game against the Texans could determine if they make the playoffs or not.

19. Buffalo Bills (6-7)
Rex Ryan is officially on the hot seat after the Bills have lost five of the last seven games. At 6-7 they're a distinct long shot at making the playoffs.

20. Cincinnati Bengals (5-7-1)
These Bengals simply aren't the team of the past few years. Their offense can't move the ball consistently, and their defense is like Swiss cheese.

21. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
The Colts have fallen behind both the Texans and Titans in the division, and have upcoming road games against Minnesota and Oakland. It doesn't look like they'll make the playoffs.

22. Carolina Panthers (5-8)
Carolina is not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention after beating the Chargers are Sunday, but they might as well be.

23. Arizona Cardinals (5-7-1)
Arizona's down year got worse on Sunday, losing to the Dolphins to really kill any remote chances they had of making the playoffs.

24. San Diego Chargers (5-8)
The Chargers looked like they had turned it around - but have now lost three of their last four games. Another season lost to injury in San Diego.

25. New Orleans Saints (5-8)
Until New Orleans improves their defense, they aren't going anywhere. The Saints ensured that by losing four of their last five games.

26. Philadelphia Eagles (5-8)
Philadelphia is 2-7 after a hot 3-1 start, showing all of the inconsistencies you could expect from a young team.

27. New York Jets (4-9)
The Jets are really good when they're good. They're also really bad when they're bad. They've had a difficult schedule so far, but this is BAD.

28. Chicago Bears (3-10)
The Bears are a team in flux undergoing a rebuild, but they have looked worse than expected. Their defense has been gashed every week, and their offense can't put points on the board. 

29. Los Angeles Rams (4-9)
Jared Goff is a disaster, the players have shown minimal effort on the field, and now Jeff Fisher has been fired. Things are going to get worse in LA before they get better.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11)
The Jags are dreadful. It's only a matter of time before Gus Bradley gets fired. 

31. San Francisco 49ers (1-12)
After San Francisco's surprising win over the Rams, they look like the lackluster team we thought they were, losing 12 games in a row. They could be worst team in the league if it wasn't for the Browns.

32. Cleveland Browns (0-13)
It really looks like the Browns won't win a game for the rest of the season.

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