Patriots Football Weekly has created a weekly Power Ranking based on the proprietary Wilson-Hart Power Index. The system uses the most important statistics in the game - those most closely associated to winning and losing - to rank all 32 NFL teams based on their performance to date this season.
As we head toward the final two weeks of the NFL regular season, things are settling into place in the Wilson-Hart Power Index. Seattle maintains the top spot, although the gap was closed quite a bit by the Chiefs in the No. 2 position. Those two have separated themselves a decent amount from the 49ers, who moved up to No. 3.
The Panthers moved up two spots to No. 4 overall, passing a Patriots team that dropped single position to No. 5 with the loss in Miami.
The top 18 teams in the Index are still eligible for the postseason, while the Lions, at No. 21, are the lowest-ranked team still holding playoff hopes.
Slots 22 through 32 are now held by teams who've been eliminated from the postseason, with Oakland dropping a massive six slots to take over the No. 32 position that had previously been held with regularity all year by the Jaguars (31) and Texans (29).
We're coming down the stretch and the NFL cream is rising to the top, as shown in the Wilson-Hart Power Index
| THIS WEEK'S RANK | LAST WEEK'S RANK | MOVEMENT | TEAM | CURRENT RECORD | WILSON-HART POWER INDEX |
| 1 | 1 | same | Seattle Seahawks | 12-2-0 | 2.167 |
| 2 | 2 | same | Kansas City Chiefs | 11-3-0 | 3.833 |
| 3 | 4 | up 1 | San Francisco 49ers | 10-4-0 | 7.000 |
| 4 | 6 | up 2 | Carolina Panthers | 10-4-0 | 7.500 |
| 5 | 4 | down 1 | New England Patriots | 10-4-0 | 8.833 |
| 5 | 3 | down 2 | New Orleans Saints | 10-4-0 | 8.833 |
| 7 | 7 | same | Philadelphia Eagles | 8-6-0 | 10.167 |
| 8 | 8 | same | Cincinnati Bengals | 9-5-0 | 10.333 |
| 9 | 9 | same | Denver Broncos | 11-3-0 | 11.000 |
| 10 | 10 | same | Arizona Cardinals | 9-5-0 | 11.167 |
| 11 | 11 | same | Chicago Bears | 8-6-0 | 11.667 |
| 12 | 13 | up 1 | Miami Dolphins | 8-6-0 | 12.333 |
| 13 | 11 | down 2 | Dallas Cowboys | 7-7-0 | 13.833 |
| 14 | 14 | same | Indianapolis Colts | 9-5-0 | 14.333 |
| 15 | 15 | same | San Diego Chargers | 7-7-0 | 14.667 |
| 16 | 22 | up 6 | Baltimore Ravens | 8-6-0 | 16.167 |
| 17 | 18 | up 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-8-0 | 16.333 |
| 18 | 20 | up 2 | Green Bay Packers | 7-6-1 | 16.833 |
| 18 | 21 | up 3 | St. Louis Rams | 6-8-0 | 16.833 |
| 20 | 17 | down 3 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-10-0 | 17.167 |
| 21 | 16 | down 5 | Detroit Lions | 7-7-0 | 17.833 |
| 22 | 19 | down 3 | Tennessee Titans | 5-9-0 | 18.333 |
| 23 | 23 | same | Buffalo Bills | 5-9-0 | 18.500 |
| 24 | 28 | up 4 | Minnesota Vikings | 4-9-1 | 23.333 |
| 25 | 24 | down 1 | Cleveland Browns | 4-10-0 | 23.500 |
| 26 | 27 | up 1 | Atlanta Falcons | 4-10-0 | 23.667 |
| 27 | 25 | down 2 | New York Giants | 5-9-0 | 24.833 |
| 28 | 29 | up 1 | New York Jets | 6-8-0 | 26.667 |
| 29 | 32 | up 3 | Houston Texans | 2-12-0 | 27.333 |
| 30 | 30 | same | Washington Redskins | 3-11-0 | 27.500 |
| 31 | 31 | same | Jacksonville Jaguars | 4-10-0 | 28.000 |
| 32 | 26 | down 6 | Oakland Raiders | 4-10-0 | 28.167 |
