The theme of this week's NFL power rankings is "ouch." There were a number of significant injuries that hit teams—particularly playoff contenders—hard and now they will have to make due with spare parts and hope they catch lightning in a bottle.
Not all the teams on this particular list have been hit by the injury bug, but that does not mean they are not on the decline. Some teams that were in contention at the start of the season just aren't built for the long haul or have overachieved up to this point.
With little separation between the top teams and the mediocre teams, there are certain trends and patterns you can look for to see who is going to start a slow, steady decline.
Here are three teams that will have either started their decline or will very soon.
Houston Texans
Unlike past years when they seemed to beat themselves, the Texans finally had a breakthrough and were poised to make a serious run in the playoffs. Then disaster struck quarterback Matt Schaub and now they have to turn to Matt Leinart, who hasn't been good since his last year at USC in 2005.
Hope is not lost for the Texans because their running game is so good and the defense has been far better than anyone expected, but when the time comes that they have to throw the ball to win a game—and it will at some point—the odds are against them being able to do it effectively.
The Texans will still go to the playoffs because the rest of the AFC South is not very good, but they will be a quick exit and another offseason of "what if" will run through Houston.
Baltimore Ravens
It's a good thing the Ravens have figured out how to beat the Steelers (2-0) because they are mediocre against everyone else (4-3).
The Ravens have gone from being inconsistent to downright insulting. They are insulting fans and analysts who take the time to watch them play as if they don't even care to be out there. They are insulting themselves by playing like bums against teams they are superior to.
A playoff berth was always going to be hard to come by because of the depth in the AFC, but they are doomed because they continue to shoot themselves in the foot.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons had a golden opportunity to make themselves a factor in the playoff race against the Saints, but head coach Mike Smith had no faith in his defense to get a stop in overtime and forced his offense to convert a 4th-and-1 from their own 30-yard line.
That loss was the end of their playoff hopes. They had just won three-straight games before that game and had all the momentum in the world. But they didn't make the plays when they had to and that is the kind of loss that lingers with a team.
The preseason Super Bowl hype has faded and now they will be lucky to win nine games when all is said and done.
Adam Wells' Week 11 NFL Power Rankings
1. Green Bay Packers
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. New Orleans Saints
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. New England Patriots
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Houston Texans
8. Chicago Bears
9. Detroit Lions
10. New York Giants
11. Atlanta Falcons
12. New York Jets
13. Cincinnati Bengals
14. Dallas Cowboys
15. Oakland Raiders
16. Buffalo Bills
17. San Diego Chargers
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
19. Tennessee Titans
20. Denver Broncos
21. Philadelphia Eagles
22. Arizona Cardinals
23. Kansas City Chiefs
24. Minnesota Vikings
25. Washington Redskins
26. Carolina Panthers
27. Seattle Seahawks
28. Miami Dolphins
29. St. Louis Rams
30. Jacksonville Jaguars
31. Cleveland Browns
32. Indianapolis Colts
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