Week 17 NFL Power Rankings: RealClearSports' Power Ranking Averages Move Denver Broncos To No. 13

The Denver Broncos remain a top 15 team in the Week 17 NFL power rankings, but only barely. A loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on New Year's Day will surely drop them out of the top 15, especially if the Oakland Raiders win and head to the playoffs as the AFC West champion. But for this week, RealClearSports' Power Ranking Averages has moved the Broncos to the No. 13 team this week. That's a three-spot drop from last week's No. 10 position.

The team's actual average came out to be 13.14 since there was very little variance this week. Fox Sports had the outlier this week by moving the Broncos to No. 11. Three other rankings had the Broncos at No. 13 and the remaining three moved the Broncos to No. 14 (the Sporting News did not have its rankings out for this calculation).

The Raiders come in at No. 16, though the actual average is 15.29. The Philadelphia Eagles force the Raiders out of the No. 15 spot since its average was a straight 15. Will we see the Raiders leap the Broncos next week?

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Week 17 NFL Power Rankings: NBC Sports Drop Broncos To No. 14

The Denver Broncos (8-7) head into Sunday's game hoping secure their place in the 2012 AFC Playoffs, but the Broncos, losers of two straight games, face a familiar face Week 17 in their former starting quarterback, Kyle Orton. In order to reach the playoffs and fend off the Oakland Raiders, the Broncos will almost certainly need to win on Sunday.

According to the Week 17 Power Rankings from NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk, the Broncos brass better hope Denver can win on Sunday:

14. Broncos (No. 10; 8-7): If Kyle Orton pulls the plug on Tebowmania, John Elway may have to leave Denver permanently.

The Broncos initially entered the 2011 NFL Season with Kyle Orton as their starting quarterback, but after the team went 1-4 under his direction, head coach John Fox promoted QB Tim Tebow to the first string offense. With Tebow starting, the team has gone 7-3, completing several dramatic comebacks, but the recent losing streak leaves Denver tottering on the brink of playoff elimination.

Orton, meanwhile, requested to be released so he could join the Chicago Bears -- who had just lost QB Jay Cutler to a thumb injury -- and the Kansas City Chiefs picked him up off the waiver wire. Orton is averaging a career-best 315.6 yards per game and has gone 1-1 as the Chiefs starting QB.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Denver for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Denver Broncos be sure to visit Mile High Report. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

NFL Power Rankings Week 17: ESPN Drops Denver Broncos To No. 13

Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos (8-7) are still a leading story in the NFL heading into Week 17, but now people are looking for a crushing collapse that would have the team miss the playoffs completely after controlling their own destiny. ESPN is even joining in, and in their Week 17 NFL Power Rankings the Broncos have dropped two spots to No. 13 overall. More concerning that the slight drop is the sentiment attached to the move:

13. Denver Broncos (8-7, LW: 11) - Was TebowMania a thing for 2011? A big start to 2012 and he and the Broncos are going, improbably, to the postseason. (Kuharsky).

After Tebow turned the ball over four times in Week 16, nobody is quite sure what to expect in a do-or-die Week 17 game. It should be a very compelling situation to watch, but the tenor of Tebow coverage seems to be changing ever so slightly in anticipation of an undesired result for the team.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Denver for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Denver Broncos be sure to visit Mile High Report. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Week 17 NFL Power Rankings: SB Nation Drops Denver Broncos To No. 14

Another week, another loss and another drop in the NFL power rankings for the Denver Broncos. In SB Nation's Week 17 NFL Power Rankings, the Broncos fell four spots from No. 10 to No. 14:

14. Denver Broncos (8-7, LW: 10): After all the Tim Tebow hoopla, the Broncos have been beat up in two straight weeks. The real test comes this weekend when the Broncos just have to beat the Chiefs to clinch the division title.

And can you just imagine what will happen if Tebow and the Broncos lose what is essentially a playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs on New Year's Day? Tebow is probably going to be blamed in some form or fashion if that happens. The quarterback usually takes the blame for those types of things. Now, if it's another four interception game for Tebow that is another matter.

But even the four-game drop by the Broncos has them as the highest AFC West team. The Oakland Raiders come in right behind them at No. 15 and a chance at the playoffs. That is, as long as they defeat the San Diego Chargers and also see the Broncos lose to the Chiefs. Realistically, it's not far-fetched for that to happen.

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NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Fox Sports' Brian Billick Drops Denver Broncos To No. 11

The Denver Broncos didn't experience that big of a drop off in Brian Billick's Week 17 NFL power rankings for Fox Sports. The team moved down by just one spot to No. 11 this week. Billick writes:

The Broncos will never win a game with Tim Tebow turning the ball over four times, especially if two of them are returned for touchdowns.

I don't know. I think no team with any quarterback will win a game by turning over the ball four times, including two that are returned for touchdowns. But since Tim Tebow is the story here, he is the specific target of Billick this week.

Still, only the Cincinnati Bengals moved ahead of the Broncos this week, and the Bengals are in position to win the second AFC Wild card spot. The New York Giants jumped up six spots to No. 12 and face a win-an-in situation against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

The Broncos are teetering on the edge of not making the playoffs. No one in Denver wants to see the Oakland Raiders win the AFC West.

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NFL Power Rankings, Week 17: CBS Sports Drops Broncos To No. 13

The Denver Broncos have dropped to lucky No. 13 in CBS Sports' Week 17 NFL power rankings. OK, maybe it won't be that lucky for the Broncos this weekend when they face the Kansas City Chiefs on New Year's Day. But then again, are we really going to believe ins silly superstitions?

Anyway, Pete Prisco dropped the Broncos from No. 10 to No. 13 and is wondering what is up with Tim Tebow:

Was that the real Tim Tebow against the Bills? Or can he bounce back to beat the Chiefs and win the AFC West?

Prisco has always been a doubter over Tim Tebow and the last two weeks have certainly given him fuel for the fire. Tebow was unable to deliver against the Patriots and then made things worse when he threw four interceptions against the Buffalo Bills last weekend.

The last time Tebow faced the Chiefs he was 2-of-8 passing and had that late 50-plus yard touchdown throw to Eric Decker to secure the victory. Win and the Broncos are the AFC champions.

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Week 17 NFL Power Rankings: Denver Broncos Looking At Another Drop Following Loss To Buffalo Bills

The Denver Broncos are looking at taking another drop in the various NFL power rankings after Saturday's loss to the Buffalo Bills. The team had peaked at No. 8 a couple of weeks ago.