NFL power rankings

1. New England Patriots - Tom Brady is on a mission. Can anyone stop him?

2. Denver Broncos - I'm not sure what was more shocking for the Broncos: the 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones or losing to a team they beat on the road by three touchdowns just a month ago.

3. Green Bay Packers - So much for Green Bay's defenders getting healthy and helping them make a Super Bowl push.

4. Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan and Co. just barely averted an absolute disaster.

5. Seattle Seahawks - The Seahawks are better than the Falcons, but they didn't play like it for more than two quarters, and it cost them.

6. Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens pulled off nothing short of a miracle in Mile High, and they might need another one against the Patriots.

7. San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers might be the Super Bowl favorites at this point, and they are the most balanced team still playing.

8. Houston Texans - The Texans have to wonder if Matt Schaub is going to give them a legitimate chance to get to the Super Bowl.

9. New York Giants - Even in a down season, the Giants are still better than the Jets.

10. Minnesota Vikings - Christian Ponder's stock skyrocketed after Joe Webb turned in that disastrous playoff performance.

11. Chicago Bears - The Bears fired a successful head coach to hire one from the CFL. Alright then.

12. Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals hope the offseason is uneventful and the defensive line can build off their strong second half.

13. Washington Redskins - RGIII may be back in time for the start of next season, but there have to be some serious concerns about his future.

14. Indianapolis Colts - The Colts may not win as many games next year, depending on their schedule, but they should be a better team.

15. Dallas Cowboys - Rob Ryan was let go by the Cowboys, and he made it clear he wasn't happy about it on his way out the door.

16. New Orleans Saints - Expect this franchise to bounce back in a big way next year.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers need to get Ben Roethlisberger healthy and make massive upgrades to the offensive line despite a difficult salary cap situation.

18. St. Louis Rams - Rob Ryan would be an interesting fit in St. Louis.

19. Detroit Lions - Jim Schwartz will be on the hot seat heading into the 2013 NFL season.

20. San Diego Chargers - Mike McCoy seems like a solid hire for the Chargers, who need a spark offensively.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Vincent Jackson had a better than expected season, which is one positive going into 2013.

22. Carolina Panthers - The Panthers lost their offensive coordinator to the Browns, which had to come as a fairly big surprise.

23. Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins might have a huge hole at left tackle if they are unable to re-sign Jake Long.

24. Cleveland Browns - The Browns made a strange hire for head coach, but Norv Turner seems like a logical choice for offensive coordinator.

25. Tennessee Titans - Jake Locker is having shoulder surgery in the offseason, and you have to wonder if the Titans are sold on him as their quarterback of the future.

26. Buffalo Bills - The Bills hope they caught the next hot thing by hiring nearby Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone. At least the relocation costs will be cheap.

27. New York Jets - Rex Ryan took a vacation and ended up creating another controversy, this time over a tattoo on his right arm.

28. Arizona Cardinals - It's hard to figure out why the Cardinals would have any interest at all in hiring Todd Haley as their new head coach.

29. Philadelphia Eagles - A bunch of different, high-profile names continue to be floated around for the Eagles job.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars - Well, that didn't take long. The Jaguars new GM wasted little time in firing Mike Mularkey.

31. Oakland Raiders - It would certainly help the Raiders if they could keep Darren McFadden healthy for an entire season.

32. Kansas City Chiefs - Andy Reid wasn't out of work very long. It's surprising he took this job considering the quarterback situation.

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, Baltimore Sports Examiner

Steve DeClue has always had a passion for Baltimore-area sports. He covered the Baltimore Ravens for Baltimoresun.com and Scout.com. If you are looking for your fix on sports around the Beltway, Steve's your man. You may contact Steve with your comments and questions.

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