From the Hart: PFW NFL Power Rankings

Patriots Football Weekly has created a weekly Power Ranking based on the proprietary Wilson-Hart Power Index. The system uses the most important statistics in the game ¡ª those most closely associated to winning and losing ¡ª to rank all 32 NFL teams based on their performance to date this season.

As the season rolls toward a finish, things are getting very interesting near the top of the Wilson-Hart Power Index. Thanks to a victory in New England, the 49ers have moved into a tie for the No. 1 overall spot with the Texans.

For the Patriots, Sunday nights loss dropped Bill Belichicks boys five positions to No. 7 overall.

One very interesting team thats been on the rise, and now finds itself at No. 4, is Seattle.

Things are also settling in near the bottom of the Index, as the bulk of the teams that have been eliminated from the postseason are near the basement of the rankings. The lone exception is Indianapolis, with Andrew Lucks squad closer to the bottom of the league than the teams nine wins might otherwise warrant. But the numbers never lie!