NFL Power Rankings: Final 2013 Rankings
By Dean Holden
SLR’s Final 2013 NFL Power Rankings: 32-25 Dec 22, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski during the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
32. Houston Texans (2-14) NC
The Houston Texans are on the clock for the 2014 NFL draft. Remember how this team won a playoff game last year? And how they won their first two games this year? How did they lose 14 straight? Just… how?
31. Washington Redskins (3-13) NC
Finally, the disaster is over. Somehow, there was enough dysfunction in the Redskins’ locker room to take them from a playoff berth and division win to a franchise record in losses in one season. What is the future of Mike Shanahan? Robert Griffin? Kirk Cousins? Lots of questions for this team as they figure out what went wrong. Probably ought to fix that awful defense, too.
30. Cleveland Browns (4-12) ▼2
The reports are already in that the Browns are firing Rob Chudzinski as head coach. That’s first-year head coach Rob Chudzinski. For a city that has never made the Super Bowl and was without a team for several years, they sure don’t exhibit much patience. What coach or free agent in his right mind will want to go to Cleveland now?
29. Oakland Raiders (4-12) NC
Hey, it could have been worse. They could have finished the season getting shut out by one of the NFL’s worst defenses. Instead, they were only shut out for about three quarters. Ugh.
28. Atlanta Falcons (4-12) ▲1
The Falcons played better this year when they had nothing at stake than they did when winning meant something, and very nearly trolled the Panthers out of their first-round playoff bye. That doesn’t change the fact that they’ve been a penalty-prone mess all season, and will need major changes to get things fixed.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12) ▼1
A 4-4 finish is actually pretty auspicious given their 0-8 start. This team was never out to accomplish much this season, but they fought everybody. Through half the season, they looked like the worst team in history. Eight games later, they’re nowhere close to even the worst team this season. They might actually have a few things to build on.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) ▼1
Like the Jaguars, they did a good job of turning a futile start into a reasonably respectable season. I mean, nobody sits around dreaming of 4-win seasons or anything, but they were a team that had to be taken seriously in the second half of the season.
25. Minnesota Vikings (5-10-1) ▲1
For an obviously bad team with a poor defense and quarterback issues, the Vikings have played their hearts out down the stretch. They went 3-2-1 in their last six games, and their last six games came against teams that finished no worse than 7-9. Two of those wins came without Adrian Peterson, and the 7-9 team was only because they just beat the Lions in the Metrodome’s final game.