2020 NFL Week 13 Power Rankings, Part One

Yeah, a little bored and the like, and decided to go ahead and do at least a dry run of the Power Rankings this week.

Little has changed for my prospective Super Bowl matchup:  New Orleans has solidified it's #1 seed in the NFC after Seattle somehow lost...  TO THE FREAKING NEW YORK GIANTS!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

To a division which has only won six games outside itself?  And none of them to teams over .500 until today???

Well, we also have some news:

Four teams out, and two teams in!

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.  Both have qualified for the playoffs today.

Conglaturations (and that is intentional) to the Jets (Raiders, how the fuck did it take a Cliffhanger to beat an 0-11 team???) Bengals, Chargers (Really, 46-0 to the Patriots???  That is only the tenth-largest shutout in the history of the league, and the biggest since 2012!!!), and Jaguars for being the first four teams out of the playoffs.

So at least a quick look here at both the current kayfabe and Power Rankings -- knowing that there are still three games left in the week:

AFC Kayfabe:

1. Pittsburgh 11-0 plays Monday  Kansas City takes the #1 if the Steelers lose (KC 9-1 in the AFC, Pittsburgh would be 8-1)
   
2. Kansas City 11-1, clinched playoff spot.
3. Buffalo 8-3 plays Monday
4. Tennessee 8-4, split with the Colts, 3-1 in the division vs. 2-2 for the Colts
5. Cleveland 9-3
6. Miami 8-4, 5-3 in the AFC
7. Indianapolis 8-4, 4-4 in the AFC

First out is Las Vegas at 7-5, then Baltimore at 6-5, the Ravens playing Tuesday.

NFC Kayfabe:

1. New Orleans 10-2, clinched playoff spot.
2. Green Bay 9-3
3. LA Rams 8-4 and a win over Seattle (play again Week 16)
4. NY Giants 5-7 (and they've WON four in a row to get there!!!! -- now the first three are Washington, Philly, and Cincinnati...)
5. Seattle at 8-4
6. Tampa at 7-5
7. Minnesota at 6-6, see below.
   

Right now, Minnesota and Arizona are 6-6, the Niners play tonight in Arizona against Buffalo at 5-6.

Arizona has the current tiebreaker anyway with San Francisco (they won the first meeting Week 1, they play again Week 16).  Both teams (Arizona and Minnesota) are 4-4 in the conference.    

But common games:  Detroit (MIN W and a second coming, ARI L), Seattle (MIN W, ARI split), Dallas (ARI W, MIN L).  So there will be four games common eventually.  Minnesota is 2-1 and a fourth coming.  Arizona is 2-2.

Now for the Power Rankings, how I see the NFL rigging things.  I'll keep this one quick and do a fuller one after Monday's and Tuesday's games:

AFC:

1. Kansas City.  All roads go through Kansas City unless Mahomes takes a massive injury.
2. Pittsburgh.  The league doesn't want them, but what other choice might be available at this rate in a month if KC goes down?
3. Cleveland:  Yeah, I'm going to go Cleveland for right now here, not that it really matters, end of the day.  That might even change Tuesday, for all I know.
4. Buffalo
5. (More like 4A) Miami.  Same thing I've said a couple weeks now, but don't look now...  Another win and we may have to put the Patriots somewhere on this list.
6. Tennessee
7. Indianapolis

NFC:

1. New Orleans.  Super Bowl XXXII Redux.  They'll do the job like the Raiders did.
2. LA Rams.  More because I'm not sold on anyone else in the conference.
3. Seattle.  Bad, BAD loss today.  That's one which will cost the 12th Man.
4. Tampa Bay, but their margin for error is rapidly approaching zero.
5. Green Bay.  Could move up on the basis of few other choices, but I don't see them beating the Rams, Bucs, or Saints in January. 

I am not yet prepared, because LOL NFC Least, to think of putting the 5-7 Giants on the list.  But four in a row can't be ignored.  They have Arizona, Cleveland, and Baltimore next.  Call me after those three games.