It's time for a special edition of the NFL power rankings, this time looking at all of the teams that have made it into the playoffs. So, instead of the top 10, this week my NFL power rankings will have a top 12 and I'll rank the teams on how strong they are going into the playoffs. Seed doesn't count for everything and neither does record, what matters is how the teams are doing heading into the postseason. That means that all of the remaining teams that made it into the first round of the NFL playoffs are starting fresh. Let's see how the remaining NFL playoff teams get ranked.

Wild Card Playoffs NFL Power Rankings

1. New York Giants - The Giants are heading into the postseason with the number one seed in the NFC after beating the hard charging Carolina Panthers. Despite sitting some of their starters in the second half against the Vikings, including Eli Manning, they still almost won that game as well. With the confidence from last year's successes, this team will be a hard out, especially in the cold weather at the Meadowlands.
2. Indianapolis Colts - Remember when this team was 3-4? When rumors of Peyton Manning's demise were circulating around the news wires? Hmm.... neither ring a bell. Nine straight wins and heading to the playoffs with Manning at the top of his game and the defense clicking.
3. Baltimore Ravens - Nobody expected the Ravens to make the playoffs with a rookie quarterback at the helm. But Joe Flacco has kept his mistakes to a minimum and Ray Lewis has been playing like this was 2001. I've said for months this is an extremely dangerous team if Flacco can play with poise... he has done that, and the Ravens certainly appear dangerous going into the Wild Card playoff round.
4. Carolina Panthers - The Panthers were awfully close to getting a win against the Giants and the number 1 seed. They then finished the season with a win on the road against the Saints, which wouldn't be a huge deal if the NFC South teams weren't seemingly invincible against each other at home. Strong running games rarely have bad days and Delhomme has big game experience.
5. Tennessee Titans - I'm not putting too much thought into their week 17 performance. The Titans have a bye week and need to make sure they get healthy by then. The big concern is obviously Albert Haynesworth and the rest of that D-Line being at 100%. If I could count on that, the Titans would probably be higher in the NFL Wild Card playoffs power rankings.
6. Miami Dolphins - Talk about a team that nobody expected to be here, 11-5 after 1-15. Same numbers, but oh how that placement of a dash can make all the difference in the world. And they have the Jets to thank for it all, not just for the win in week 17 (as predicted, of course), but for releasing Chad Pennington, the most accurate quarterback of all time... oops.
7. Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles were a team left for dead midway through the season. McNabb was pronounced finished and Reid was on his way out of Philadelphia. But the perennial playoff contenders finished strong, eliminated the Cowboys from the playoffs - also as I predicted - and are firing on all cylinders for some Wild Card playoffs action.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers - I wouldn't dream of putting the Steelers this low in my playoff power rankings if not for Ben Roethlisberger suffering a concussion in the final week of the season. With the bye week he should be good to go, but it's always hard to say as so little are known with concussions and at this point, how serious his may be.
9. San Diego Chargers - If you're the New England Patriots, sitting at 11-5 and missing the playoffs, you must have an extra special feeling inside for the San Diego Chargers, champions of the PAC-10, er, AFC West. Nonetheless, the Chargers pulled themselves together following some self-imposed and out of their control referee blunders and are another late, hot team entering the Wild Card playoffs.
10. Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons have bested their doubters throughout the entire course of the season. The only reason they are ranked this closely to the bottom in my playoff power rankings is that the team is still so inexperienced. Their situation is not the same as the Ravens, also led by a rookie quarterback but with a core of veteran defenders with years of playoff contention.
11. Minnesota Vikings - While the NFC North wasn't as pathetic as the AFC West, it wasn't much better. And with the first winless team ever at the bottom of their division, the argument could be made that the NFC North is actually worse. How many men in the box against Adrian Peterson in the playoffs? 10? All 11?
12. Arizona Cardinals - The Cardinals apparently forgot about the last few weeks of the season after wrapping up the also pathetic NFC West, which might be the worst division of them all! The offense is explosive, and Kurt Warner has been there and done that, but can the squad pull it all together and play a full game against an intense opponent?

There's the entire list of playoff contenders here in my NFL Wild Card playoffs power rankings. Next week the playoff power rankings will again be narrowed down to only include the remaining teams. Enjoy the first round of the postseason, Wild Card weekend is always fun!