Final NFL Power Rankings See Patriots Fall To Fourth As Champion Packers Finish on Top

As the football world enters the darkest days in the calendar, it’s time to really start reflecting upon on 2010, which was the most-watched season in NFL history. For the next few weeks (and maybe months), the most important game will be played between the owners and players, but let’s put that on the back-burner for a few moments and check out one final set of power rankings.

There was so much parity throughout the regular season, but there was little doubt in the playoffs over which teams were among the league’s elite. And over the last month or so, the Packers clearly separated themselves as deserving Super Bowl champions.

NFL Power Rankings
1 Last week: No. 10 Record: 10-6 (won Super Bowl)	Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers didn’t have Donald Driver, and his healthy receivers kept killing him with drops, but he held strong and proved himself as one of the league’s best quarterbacks.
2 Last week: No. 5 Record: 12-4 (lost Super Bowl)	Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger has said he played the worst game of his career in the Steelers’ Super Bowl XL victory against the Seahawks. He wasn’t much better in Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl XLV loss to the Packers.
3 Last week: No. 8 Record: 11-5 (eliminated in AFC Championship)	New York Jets The Jets justified their trash talk by beating the Patriots, but then they stuck their foot in their mouths by forgetting to show up against the Steelers. That’s where all of the talk can be dangerous.
4 Last week: No. 1 Record: 14-2 (eliminated in divisional round)	New England Patriots The Patriots took a major step forward in 2010, and they’re set up to contend again in 2011. That still won’t ease the pain of an early elimination in the playoffs.
5 Last week: No. 2 Record: 12-4 (eliminated in divisional round)	Baltimore Ravens The Ravens fell apart earlier than normal in their playoff loss to the Steelers. Baltimore had a fourth-quarter lead in all four of its regular-season losses, but it never led in the fourth quarter in the postseason defeat. Instead, the Ravens just blew its entire 14-point advantage in the third quarter.
6 Last week: No. 7 Record: 11-5 (lost NFC Championship)	Chicago Bears Quarterback Caleb Hanie, whose 16th birthday was on 9/11, will forever be a Chicago cult hero. Can he make a run at the starting job in training camp, though?
7 Last week: No. 4 Record: 13-3 (eliminated in divisional round)	Atlanta Falcons Falcons lost three games by a combined 23 points in the regular season, but the Packers pounded them by 27 in the playoffs.
8 Last week: No. 6 Record: 10-6 (eliminated in wild-card round)	Philadelphia Eagles As phenomenal as Michael Vick was in the regular season, the Eagles’ early playoff loss will re-spark the debate: Can Vick beat good defenses in the playoffs?
9 Last week: No. 9 Record: 10-6 (eliminated in wild-card round)	Indianapolis Colts If Peyton Manning throws for 4,000 yards in 2011, it will be the second time in his career when he’s had six consecutive 4,000-yard seasons. Brett Favre and Dan Marino are the only two quarterbacks in NFL history with six total 4,000-yard seasons. Oddly enough, the three have a combined record of 2-3 in the Super Bowl.
10 Last week: No. 11 Record: 10-6 (eliminated in wild-card round)	Kansas City Chiefs Despite limited playing time in 2009 and splitting carries in 2010, running back Jamaal Charles has 2,587 rushing yards in the last two seasons, which is the fifth most in the NFL in that span. He is also sixth in the league since 2009 with 3,352 yards from scrimmage.
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