Divisions are beginning to be won and playoff berths are beginning to be clinched as we approach Week 14 and the final stretch of the 2012 NFL regular season. The Texans (1), Falcons (2), Patriots (3) and Broncos (5) have guaranteed themselves a shot at the Vince Lombardi trophy, while others still have something to play for down the stretch.

Ten teams in last week’s top 15 played each other in Week 13, causing a shakeup in this week’s rankings. The Ravens were bounced out of the top five after losing to the Steelers, and the Saints drop to No. 16 after losing their second straight game. New Orleans most likely will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Many teams with high expectations before the season have sunk to the gutter of the Power Rankings. The Chargers (25), Panthers (28) and Eagles (29) haven’t lived up to the talent and potential they have on their rosters.

Click here to listen to Mut, Merloni, and Zarbano discuss this edition of the Power Rankings.

1. (1) Texans (11-1) — The balance on both sides of the ball is the main reason the Texans have been so successful. No defense is better on third down, while the offensive rushing attack is one of the most lethal in the game. That combination has put the Texans at the very top of league in average time of possession.

2. (2) Falcons (11-1) — The victory over the Saints not only gave the Falcons their 11th win, but it also gave Matt Ryan and company tremendous confidence going forward. The quarterback went into Thursday night’s game with a career 2-6 record against New Orleans. The victory all but knocked the Saints out of playoff contention while bolstering belief that this is Atlanta’s year.

3. (4) Patriots (9-3) — The next two weeks will tell us a lot about how good this Patriots team really is. The Pats have rattled off wins against inferior opponents, now Tom Brady and the high-octane offense will face two of the best teams in the NFL. The defense has shown improvement while continuing to force turnovers. That’s a great sign for New England fans.

4. (3) 49ers (8-3-1) — By relegating Alex Smith to holding a clipboard, Jim Harbaugh opened himself up to criticism. Much of the blame for Sunday’s loss to the Rams has to go to Harbaugh. Quarterback controversy of any kind is harmful to a team, and Harbaugh is solely responsible. Deciding to go with Colin Kaepernick is one thing, but failing to clearly name a starter is a whole different problem. Announcing that the team is going with the “hot hand” only creates instability and insecurity in the locker room. The coach needs to pick Kaepernick or Smith and stick with his decision the rest of the way. December is not the time to start messing around.

5. (6) Broncos (9-3) — The Broncos haven’t loss since October and mostly likely will extend their winning streak to eight games Thursday after playing the Raiders. Denver leads the league in second-half scoring with an average of 19.3 points per game.

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Undefeated no more. The Falcons were grounded for the first time this season, and thus dropped to No. 2 in WEEI NFL Power Rankings. Rising up to take their No. 1 spot are the Texans. The Niners (3), Packers (4) and Bears (5) round off the top five for a second straight week. The top 10, meanwhile, saw three quarterbacks suffer injuries. Jay Cutler, Alex Smith and Ben Roethlisberger left their games and did not return. If any of these quarterbacks miss time it could greatly affect playoff seedings in both conferences.

Michael Vick also suffered a concussion, but his injury is less impactful since the Eagles’ chances of making the playoffs are slim to none. The Saints marched up three spots to No. 14 after knocking off the Falcons. The Bucs also jumped a few spots to No. 15.

As Week 11 rolls in, it’s pretty clear which teams are the pretenders and which teams are the contenders. However, the recent slew of quarterback injuries puts an interesting twist to the playoff race.

Click here to listen to Mut, Merloni and Zarbano discuss this week’s NFL Power Rankings.

1. (2) Texans (8-1) — The Texans now have two impressive road wins against the Broncos and Bears. How a team performs against a solid opponent on the road is a true measure of how good it really is. The Texans went into Chicago, forced four turnovers, and proved to the league they are a force with whom to be reckoned.

2. (1) Falcons (8-1) — Sometimes a loss can help a team realize in what areas it needs to improve. “It’s going to make us a better football team,” Tony Gonzalez said to NFL.com. “I guarantee it.” With Gonzalez’ 16 years of experience, it’s tough to argue with the tight end.

3. (3) 49ers (6-2-1) — Alex Smith is doing much better, according to Jim Harbaugh, after suffering a concussion Sunday. The Niners will face the Bears on Monday night in what could be a battle for the No. 2 seed in the NFC. They’ll need Smith against one of the most relentless defenses in the league.

4. (4) Packers (6-3) — The offensive line will be shaken up as a result of the Packers placing starting right tackle Brian Bulaga on injured reserve. Guard T.J. Lang will be forced to move to tackle and Evan Dietrich-Smith will come off the bench and start at guard. The Packers are an extremely beaten up team with many key players nursing injuries.

5. (5) Bears (7-2) — The Bears were 7-3 last year when Jay Cutler went down with an injury. They finished their last six games of the season with a 1-5 record and missed the playoffs without their starting QB. Cutler won’t miss the rest of the season, but the Bears may lose some critical ground in the NFC while he is recovering from his concussion.

6. (6) Patriots (6-3) —It’s hard to see this Patriots team make the Super Bowl if the defense continues to play this poorly. There are too many good quarterbacks in the AFC who are capable of exposing the Pats D in the playoffs. One positive about this defense is that it is very opportunistic. New England leads the league in turnover ratio with a plus-16.

7. (8) Ravens (7-2) — Two of their next three games are against the Steelers. The Ravens are entering a crucial stretch in their season when they have a great opportunity to gain some separation in the AFC North with the injury to Ben Roethlisberger.

8. (9) Broncos (6-3) — Denver is clicking on all cylinders. Peyton Manning has been the story, but the team’s defense has contributed as well. Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil have contributed to 17 of the team’s league-leading 31 sacks.

9. (7) Steelers (6-3) — Any hope of winning the division went out the window when Ben Roethlisberger got injured on Monday night. The timing couldn’t have been more unfortunate for Steelers fans, as this team was just starting to get on a roll.

10. (10) Giants (6-4) — We’ve seen this before from the Giants at this point of the season, so you can’t count them out. However, Eli Manning and the offense have been horrendous. Manning hasn’t thrown a TD pass in his last 99 attempts.

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How powerful are the top 10 teams in this week’s WEEI NFL Power Rankings? Well, powerful enough to have gone a perfect 8-0 in Week 8 (the Texans (2) and Ravens (8) had byes). Remarkably, the top 10 stayed the same for the second week in a row. Matt Ryan and the Falcons have been at the No. 1 slot for five straight weeks.

On the other side, teams positioned from Nos. 11-19 in last week’s rankings weren’t as lucky. They combined for an 0-9 record in Week 8. The Eagles (16) and Jets (24) both fell significantly after suffering embarrassing losses.

We’re halfway through the season and some teams have overachieved while others have disappointed greatly. At the start of the season, no one would have thought the game between the Dolphins (15) and Colts (25) in Week 9 would have any playoff implications — but astonishingly enough, it does. On the other hand, the Saints (19) and Panthers (30) haven’t come close to living up to expectations. Those two teams have a combined 3-11 record.

1. (1) Falcons (7-0) — They’ve proven they can come from behind, they’ve proven they can blow teams out, and they’ve proven they can win on the road. The Falcons are the league’s best team and the only remaining unbeaten.

2. (2) Texans (6-1) — The best team in the AFC will look to pick up right where it left off after the bye week. The Texans are ranked in the top five in both pass and run defense. This is a team in line to not only win its second playoff game in franchise history but also to go deep in the postseason.

3. (3) Giants (6-2) — It wasn’t a pretty victory, but it was a win against a divisional opponent nonetheless. The Giants have a comfortable 3½-game lead in the NFC East. 

4. (4) 49ers (6-2) — If the 49ers offense can play as methodically and efficiently as it did on Monday night, San Francisco can be the most complete team in the league. Defensively, we know what this team is capable of. The Niners allowed a total of seven rushing yards against the Cardinals. That’s domination.

5. (5) Packers (5-3) — There are reports that the Packers might be interested in trading for Steven Jackson before the Thursday deadline. That would be a solid move for a team that ranks 26th in the league in the running game. Starting running back Alex Green averaged just 2.5 yards per carry against the league’s worst run defense, the Jaguars.

6. (6) Bears (6-1) — The Bears D already has returned six interceptions for touchdowns and is one of the main reasons the team is in first place in the NFC North. If Jay Cutler can stay healthy, the Bears can go deep into the playoffs. That’s a big IF. The Bears QB has been under duress a lot over the last two weeks and has been sacked 11 times in that span.

7. (7) Patriots (5-3) — The Patriots historically get better when the month of November rolls around. It doesn’t hurt that six of their remaining eight games are against the Bills, Colts, Dolphins, Jets and Jaguars. There’s no reason to believe the Pats can’t lock up at least the No. 2  seed in the AFC.

8. (8) Ravens (5-2) — Ravens fans are hoping to see more Ray Rice in the team’s offensive game plan in the second half of the season. The star running back is the team’s best weapon offensively, but for some reason his workload has been limited at times. Baltimore will limp out of the bye week without defensive standouts Lardarius Webb and Ray Lewis.

9. (9) Broncos (4-3) — We already know how impressive Peyton Manning has been this season, but the Broncos D really stepped up in Sunday night’s win over the Saints. Denver held the Saints to just 14 points and Drew Brees passed for just 213 yards. The Saints offense looked out of rhythm for most of the night, and a lot of credit has to go to Denver’s defensive unit.

10. (10) Steelers (4-3) — Jonathan Dwyer has revived the Steelers running game and offense. In two starts, the Steelers running back has averaged 6.7 yards per carry. The strong running game also puts less pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and keeps opposing defenses guessing.

11. (11) Seahawks (4-4) — Since defeating the Patriots in dramatic fashion, the Seahawks are 0-2. All four of their losses have come on the road. Pete Carroll told local radio station ESPN 710 in Seattle that his team “could easily be 8-0.” The problem is that argument could be reversed pretty easily — especially if you look at the legendary “Fail Mary” game against the Packers earlier in the year.

12. (13) Cowboys (3-4) — Tony Romo already has thrown 13 interceptions this season, three more than his total all of last year. The Cowboys are a mediocre team that isn’t disciplined enough to be successful in the NFL.

13. (14) Vikings (5-3) — Christian Ponder‘s play of late has to be a concern for Vikings fans. After starting the season without throwing an interception, he’s now thrown at least one in four straight games.

14. (20) Lions (3-4) — The young Matthew Stafford certainly has a knack for leading his team to victory in the fourth quarter. The Lions QB has nine career game-winning drives after downing the Seahawks on Sunday. All three Lions wins this season have come by way of the game-winning drive.

15. (21) Dolphins (4-3) — The Dolphins have rattled off three straight wins, and there finally is postseason hope for fans in Miami. Two of their three losses have come in overtime. It was a good sign that backup quarterback Matt Moore was able to enter the game without any hiccups. Rookie Ryan Tannehill‘s status for Sunday’s game is up in the air, but the quarterback said he was “optimistic” he’d be ready to play.

16. (12) Eagles (3-4) — Michael Vick sure looked and sounded like a beaten man following his team’s loss to the Falcons. The Eagles’ season is quickly spiraling out of control, and you have to wonder how much longer Andy Reid will survive.

17. (15) Chargers (3-4) — No seat is hotter than Norv Turner‘s. The Chargers’ embarrassing 7-6 loss to the lowly Browns was just another step closer to the inevitable firing of Turner. This team has way too much talent for a 3-4 record.

18. (17) Cardinals (4-4) — They didn’t lose in September but didn’t win in October. The Cardinals have lost four straight and quickly are losing ground in the NFC. Until the Cards learn how to protect the quarterback, they will be a pretender.

19. (16) Saints (2-5) — Despite the return of interim head coach Joe Vitt, the Saints defense showed no improvement. The Saints are the first team to allow at least 400 yards in seven straight games. Ouch.

20. (18) Redskins (3-5) — The defense has a poor pass rush and an even worse secondary. The Redskins also missed a lot of tackles in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers. Halfway into the season it’s clear that the team was right to draft Robert Griffin, but Washington is a few pieces away from being a legit Super Bowl contender.

21. (24) Buccaneers (3-4) — Greg Schiano has done a terrific job changing the losing culture in Tampa Bay. This is a young team that has shown improvement throughout the year. The Bucs won just four games all of last year.

22. (22) Bengals (3-4) — Andy Dalton has thrown at least one interception in all seven of his games this year. That’s one important area he’ll have to improve in during the second half of the season if the Bengals want a chance at making the playoffs for the second straight year.

23. (27) Raiders (3-4) — They’ve won two straight, but those were against teams ranked 31 and 32. The Raiders’ schedule gets a little more difficult the next three weeks as they face the Bucs, Ravens and Saints.

24. (19) Jets (3-5) — Rex Ryan probably has one of the most predictable dilemmas of the season. That dilemma is whether or not to start Tim Tebow at quarterback over Mark Sanchez. As soon as the team traded for Tebow, it was obvious that a few bad games for Sanchez would result in an overwhelming push for “Tebow Time.” Jets fans are eager for anything but what they’ve gotten so far. Sanchez has proven what he can do and what his limitations are. This team isn’t going far with Sanchez behind center. Why not try something else?

25. (28) Colts (4-3) — Many believed the Colts would be improved, but it’s been remarkable how fast this team has progressed from last year. A record over .500 seven games into the season is quite a feat for a team that didn’t win a game until December last year.

26. (23) Titans (3-5) — The Titans defense struggles in many different areas. The pass rush is weak, the run defense is terrible, and on Sunday, the communication was terrible. The Titans lined up with only 10 men on the field twice during the Colts’ game-winning overtime drive.

27. (25) Bills (3-4) — The Bills spent the offseason improving their defense, but those signings have shown little positive results. The Bills run defense is the worst in the league and the team is allowing an average of 32.4 points per game.

28. (26) Rams (3-5) — The Rams’ lack of weapons on offense makes it difficult for them to compete against some of the elite teams in the league. Sam Bradford needs more talented receivers to target. Heading into the bye, Danny Amendola should be ready to get back on the field when the Rams play the 49ers in two weeks.

29. (30) Browns (2-6) — Coach Pat Shurmur gave his players the opportunity to take Monday off after a huge win on Sunday, but they decided to show up for work anyway. The Browns are a young team, and the most important thing right now is that they play hard and continue to show improvement week after week.

30. (29) Panthers (1-6) — Cam Newton has been subject to a lot of criticism. The Panthers have lost five straight games, and the second-year QB has taken a step back from his rookie season. Newton’s fourth-quarter interception was returned for a touchdown. He’s not protecting the football and that’s been an issue the team has struggled to overcome throughout the year.

31. (31) Jaguars (1-6) — If your team has the league’s worst passing offense, that usually translates into a very subpar record in the NFL. Mike Mularkey has yet to find a way to get first-round draft pick Justin Blackmon more involved in the offense. For all the hype, the fifth overall pick has been disappointing to say the least.

32. (32) Chiefs (1-6) — The Chiefs have been outscored by their opponents by an astounding 89 points this season. People in Kansas City no longer have to watch the games to see if the Chiefs will win, they just have to watch to see how much they’re going to lose by.

Which NFL teams are in your top 10? Leave your opinions/comments below or e-mail them to powerrankings@weei.com. You also can send comments via Twitter to @JoeytheFishWEEI.

For the third straight week, a new team climbs to the top of the WEEI NFL Power Rankings. The 49ers now have the throne as they come off two dominant performances against playoff teams. The Patriots’ reign at No. 1 didn’t last long and they drop to No. 7 after a shocking loss to the Cardinals at home.

Balance is the key attribute to the top three teams. The 49ers (1), Texans (2) and Falcons (3) all have great defenses to go along with a strong offense.

The Saints continue to march in the wrong direction and fall all the way to No. 18. Meanwhile, the 2-0 Eagles jump all the way to No. 5 after a huge win over the Ravens.

More change is in store for the teams in the top 10. Two of the powerhouses of the AFC, the Patriots and Ravens, will face off on Sunday night. One team will bounce back after suffering a loss in Week 2 while the other will fall a game below .500.

Check back here next Tuesday to see how all 32 teams rise and fall. Here are the rankings, with last week’s rank in parentheses:

Click here to listen to Mut, Merloni, and Zarbano discuss the NFL Power Rankings.

1. (2) 49ers (2-0) — It’s clear, the 49ers are the best team in the league. Jim Harbaugh‘s team doesn’t seem to have a weakness. The Niners have a strong run game, a formidable passing attack and an elite defense. Alex Smith has completed over 70 percent of his passes and has been protecting the ball well.

2. (4) Texans (2-0) — The Texans took care of business in Week 2 and improved to 2-0. It’s tough to gauge how good this team really is after Houston played two extremely weak opponents. It will be fun to watch the Texans against Peyton Manning and the Broncos next week. Read the rest of this entry »

Drew Brees hopes to have all the answers for the Saints once the season begins. (Mike Petraglia, WEEI.com)

FOXBORO — It’s the question that will hover over the Saints all season. How will they do without their head coach all season?

Thanks to the one-year suspension handed down to their head coach Sean Payton and a six-game suspension to Joe Vitt – who is serving as interim head coach in camp – the Saints are about to head out into unchartered waters.

Not even the 2007 Patriots had sanctions like this to deal with after “Spygate.”

“First of all, nobody can replace Sean Payton,” Drew Brees said Wednesday, a day before their preseason contest with the Patriots at Gillette. “We do our best. I feel like we built a solid foundation here thanks to Sean with the type of assistant coaches we have, the type of players, the type of leadership we have so you do the best you can.

I still don’t have all the answers, none of us do, in regards to how exactly this thing is going to work, especially once Coach Vitt – who has been our interim head coach in essence – when he serves his suspension, who’s going to be in essence our head coach. All those things are to be determined.”

The unwritten words there are: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has really put it to the Saints and penalized players who were caught in the cross-fire of a scandal that is still being fought by linebacker Jonathan Vilma in the courts.

Brees is the same person who was quoted last week as saying “no one trusts Roger Goodell.”

“As you go through camp, that’s the time to establish your identity, see who steps up, see how it’s all going to fit. Everyone finds their role and then you go out within your role and do your job, as Sean Payton would say and then the rest takes care of itself.

“I’m anxious. I was anxious to get into training camp, as all of us were, just to get on the field and get playing football again, because that’s what we do, that’s what we get paid to do and that’s what we love to do. And it just eliminates so many of the distractions we’ve had to deal with this offseason.”

Safe to say, Brees and the Saints feel they have a point to prove in the 2012 season. And it begins with the preseason.

In an annual Patriots tradition, offseason workout winners adorn the cover of the first Gameday. (Mike Petraglia, WEEI.com)

FOXBORO — Clear skies and humid temperatures in the low 80s are expected for the first Patriots game since Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

Tom Brady, according to multiple reports, will play in tonight’s preseason opener against the Saints, who beat the Cardinals on Sunday night, 17-10, in the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, OH.

Brady will likely play in at least the first two series of the game and get between 10-15 snaps of action as he tries to get accustomed to an offensive line that will be vastly different to start 2012.

Gone are Matt Light (retired), Logan Mankins (ACL recovery), Sebastian Vollmer (injured) and Brian Waters (absent from camp). Nate Solder figures to be the starting left tackle, as he’s seen the most action at that spot in camp. Dan Connolly is a candidate at left guard while Ryan Wendell could be replacing center Dan Koppen on the starting unit. On the right side, Donald Thomas has been seeing a great deal of action at guard while second-year lineman Marcus Cannon is expected to see plenty of time at right tackle.

The Saints are playing their second game without head coach Sean Payton. He has been replaced by interim coach Joe Vitt, who has been overseeing the two practices with the Patriots on Tuesday and Wednesday this week in Foxboro. Vitt has also been suspended for the first six games of the regular season with Steve Spagnuolo likely getting the nod to coach the team to start 2012.

With Brady starting for the Patriots, Drew Brees is likely to start for the Saints but again is only expected to see action for the first quarter.

On the defensive side of the ball, this will be the first chance for the Patriots to catch a glimpse of rookies Dont’a Hightower and Chandler Jones. Both first round picks are expected to start with the first team as Hightower has been spending most of training camp lining up next to Jerod Mayo in the linebacker unit. With Brandon Spikes missing the last four practices, Hightower moved inside and Mayo has been playing on the outside.

Defensive end Chandler Jones has been seeing a lot of time on the right defensive end, the primary spot for pass rush in the NFL.

There are no official inactive lists for preseason games but with several players missing the last several practices, you can pretty much count on not seeing Spikes, defensive lineman Gerard Warren, defensive lineman Jonathan Fanene, Ron Brace, Logan Mankins, Sebastian Vollmer and Tracy White.

In an annual tradition, the offseason workout winners in the Patriots weight training program adorn the cover of “GAMEDAY” and they are: WR/KR Julian Edelman, K Stephen Gostkowski, RB Danny Woodhead, DB Patrick Chung, OL Nate Solder, DL Jermaine Cunningham, LB Jeff Tarpinian, LB Jerod Mayo, LB Bobby Carpenter and DL Trevor Scott.

Tonight also marks the first game the Patriots will play using NFL replacement officials. The officials are comprised from various college conferences around the country and select high profile and accomplished high school leagues.

Small Ball: Pats Steve Gregory (left) and Danny Woodhead (middle) chat with Darren Sproles (43) after practice. (Mike Petraglia, WEEI.com)

FOXBORO — Sunshine again baked the practice fields outside Gillette Stadium Wednesday morning as the Patriots and Saints finished their final joint practice in advance of their Thursday night preseason game in Foxboro.

The two teams warmed up for 45 minutes before going against each other for approximately 90 minutes in a toned-down practice in shorts and shells.

The two teams will meet on Thursday night at 7:30 at Gillette Stadium in the preseason opener for the Patriots.

ROLL CALL
The notable absentees from Wednesday included linebacker Brandon Spikes for a fourth straight day, defensive lineman Gerard Warren, offensive linemen Kyle Hix and offensive lineman Dustin Waldron. Also missing again were Spencer Larsen, Matt Kopa, Tracy White, Visanthe Shiancoe, Jake Ballard and Jonathan Fanene.

In shorts were tight end Daniel Fells,, offensive linemen Logan Mankins and Sebastian Vollmer, Ron Brace and Myron Pyror, rookie cornerback Alfonzo Denard, and tackle Markus Zusevics .

Fullback Eric Kettani and offensive lineman Darrion Weems were both in attendance in shorts and shells and participated in all of practice in shorts and shells.

Here are nine other things we learned from Day 12 of training camp:

OFFENSIVE LINE:

In what could be the starting lineup for the offensive line for Thursday night, Nate Solder started at left tackle, Donald Thomas was at left guard, Ryan Wendell was center on the first unit, Dan Connolly got extensive work at right guard and Marcus Cannon opened up at right tackle. The interesting note from Wednesday was Nick McDonald getting a look at center for several snaps as the Patriots mixed up their rotations along the offensive line later in practice. Dan Koppen again found himself on the second team offensive line. McDonald – while playing right tackle – was the only Patriots player to take a lap on Wednesday for a false start during 11-on-11 drills.

DEFENSIVE GROUPINGS:

Rookies Dont’a Hightower and Chandler Jones continue to get a lot of work with the first team, an indication they could be starting when the defense takes the field for the first time Thursday night. With Spikes missing his fourth straight practice, Hightower continues to play on the inside linebacker spot with Jerod Mayo playing on the outside. Vince Wilfork and Brandon Deaderick again swapped out with Kyle Love on the defensive line.

VINCE THE QUARTERBACK:

Vince Wilfork likes to joke about his offensive prowess after intercepting a pair of passes last season. Well, on Wednesday, he was the quarterback handing off to Kyle Love early in defensive line drills as the second and third string D-linemen got their work in against each other early in practice. Wilfork had some fun handing off both under center and in the shotgun.

SPECIAL ADVICE:

Bill Belichick won’t hesitate talking to anyone if he thinks he can gain some perspective on the game he hasn’t had before. Such appeared to be the case just before the two teams began scrimmaging as he spoke to veteran placekicker John Kasay. The 42-year-old Kasay is entering his 22nd season in the NFL after being drafted in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Seahawks. Belichick and Kasay chatted for about 10 minutes on the sideline. Belichick also spoke with someone on the sidelines who was wearing an NFL hat and may have been a so-call “spot-checker” – someone from the league that visits NFL camps to make sure all practice guidelines are being followed. Read the rest of this entry »