NFL Power Rankings - Week 15 - Final Edition

Here's the final edition of our weekly power ranking roundup heading into week 15.

1. Major Media Networks & Affiliates

Michael Silver at Yahoo Sports: 9th (nc). "Will this defunct Showtime series be the next 3D offering on the Cowboys Stadium video boards – and if they show clips before the home team’s field goal attempts, how loudly will fans boo?"

Pete Prisco at CBSSports.com: 9th (-2).  "They head to New Orleans, trying to snap a two-game skid. Good luck against that team in that building."

ESPN: 11th (-1).  "Any home-field advantage the Cowboys might have in their new palace disappears in December. (Clayton)"

[update] Fox Sports: 11th (-1). "Speaking of movies, the Cowboys are living out their annual December version of Groundhog Day yet again. You know, the one where the NFC East-leading Cowboys enter the month feeling high and mighty. Then, they tank in the final four weeks in huge games, and we watch dumbfounded Wade Phillips and solemn Tony Romo shrivel in the spotlight of the postgame pressers. Best of luck against the Saints without DeMarcus Ware!"

SportingNews.com: 11th (-2). "OLB DeMarcus Ware escaped serious injury, but his team faces serious December issues."

NationalFootballPost.com: 11th (-3). "December has officially arrived in Dallas, and we are still wondering about the fourth- down call on the goal line."

[update] Don Banks' Power Rankings: 11th (-3). "I checked with the NFL office and the NFC does indeed have to qualify six teams for the playoffs. It's in the rule book. But who's really playoff-worthy in that No. 6 slot? Seriously. Do the math. One of the following teams has to make the playoffs: Dallas, the Giants, Atlanta or San Francisco. Yeesh. The Giants and Falcons have both lost six out of eight, and yet I like their chances to sneak in better than those of the reeling Cowboys. That speaks to the desperation in Dallas."

Peter King in MMQB: 10th (-2).  "I know it's not fashionable to say anything nice about the Cowboys in December, but I don't believe their season's over yet. Sorry."

NFL.com's Brain Trust of Experts: 13th (-2).

2. Blogs & Other Media

The Big Lead.com: 10th (nc).  "Two straight losses. The beginning of their annual December swoon? Surely you’ve heard something about it, no?"

ProFootballWeekly: 10th (-4).  "The four goal-line runs could come back to haunt them."

Weii.com: 12th (-2).  "The potential loss of DeMarcus Ware, the Cowboys’ best pass-rusher, would make it even more difficult for Dallas to beat the Saints next week. It’s a bad time for Ware to get hurt as the team continues to struggle in December."

Zac Wassink at Associated Content: 12th (-2). "NFC East is nothing special outside of Philadelphia and it's December. Just how low can Dallas fall in these NFL power rankings?"

Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com: 13th (-1). "The good news is that, at this rate, the Cowboys won't get a chance to lose another playoff game."

[update] ColdHardFootballFacts.com: 13th (-2). "Can we officially put a moratorium on “Dallas is bad in December” stats, stories and sidebars? We get it. Not good in December. Moving on. We suggest the national media universally adopt our "Curse of Flutie" explanation."

Fanhouse.com: 13th (-3). "Dallas' annual December collapse is in full swing after back-to-back losses, and a Saturday night trip to New Orleans doesn't bode well for righting the ship. That said, the NFC is such a mess that Dallas could lose out and still get in the playoffs at 8-8. Just one win in the final three weeks might get the job done."

3. Statictics & Computer based rankings.

AdvancedNFLstats: 8th (nc). Offense ranked No. 3 (nc), Defense ranked No. 17 (+5). This ranking model includes offensive and defensive passing and running efficiency, offensive turnover rates, defensive interception rates, and team penalty rates.

WhatIFsports: 8th (-1). These guys simulate every possible match-up in the NFL 100 times, and use the winning percentages from those nearly 50,000 games to evaluate every team, with updated rosters and depth charts.

FootballOutsiders: 9th (nc). Offense ranked No. 4 (nc), Defense No. 21 (-2), Special Teams No. 16 (-2).

tom slick publishes his Rankings on SBNation's The Falcoholic: 9th (-1). He weighs offensive and defensive points scored/allowed relative to all other teams to determine his rankings.

Great Blue North Draft Report: 10th (-3). This site calculates rankings by first round draft selection order based on own and opponent W/L record if the season were to end today.

Covers.com: 11th (-1). "Is the Cowboys December swoon really taking place again? They are at New Orleans, at Washington and hosting the Eagles to end the year and that is not a good closing schedule."

Jeff Sagarin's NFL rankings: 14th (-3). These are rankings based on W/L record, points differential and schedule strength.

Here's how the NFC East and our next opponent, the Saints, fared:

	This Week	Last Week	This Week	Last Week	This Week	Last Week	This Week	Last Week	This Week
Whatifsports	8	7	5	10	13	12	25	27	1
Advancednflstats	8	8	4	4	6	7	15	16	1
CBSsports	9	7	5	6	14	12	27	27	2
tom slick	9	8	8	6	18	17	17	19	7
Yahoosports	9	9	5	8	13	12	25	27	1
FootballOutsiders	9	9	2	2	13	12	20	20	1
ProFootballWeekly	10	6	5	8	12	12	26	27	1
Great Blue North	10	7	5	8	13	11	27	28	2
The Big Lead	10	10	5	8	14	12	22	24	1
NFP	11	8	5	7	14	13	23	25	1
SI.com	11	8	5	7	14	12	26	27	1
SportingNews	11	9	5	10	16	12	26	28	1
Foxsports	11	10	7	11	12	12	25	26	1
Covers.com	11	10	6	7	14	12	26	26	1
ESPN	11	10	5	8	14	12	26	27	1
Assoc. Content	12	10	5	7	16	12	24	28	2
Weii.com	12	10	5	7	17	9	24	23	1
Fanhouse.com	13	10	6	9	17	13	25	26	2
CHFF	13	11	6	7	16	13	24	25	1
NFL.com	13	11	5	7	14	12	22	25	1
ProFootballTalk	13	12	5	8	14	10	22	27	1
Sagarin Ratings	14	11	6	9	16	12	26	27	2
Average	10.8	9.1	5.2	7.5	14.1	11.9	23.8	25.2	1.5

For a summary of all NFL teams using some of the same rankings, go to NFLpowerranks.com