End of season NFL Power Rankings: Ravens finish flying high, Bills top three, Jags crash out of playoffs

It’s been over 18 weeks, 131 days, and there have been 27 games played since the Lions and the Chiefs kicked off the season on the first Thursday in September. Since then, we have seen walkoff winners, franchise changing injuries and teams rise and fall up our NFL Power Rankings, and now that it’s all said and done, it’s time for our final Rankings of the NFL regular season.

1. Baltimore Ravens 13-4, last week 1

It’s a trick proposition having the one seed locked up going into Week 18. The common sense move is to rest your starters so they don’t get injured on a meaningless last game of the regular season. You also don’t want them getting rusty during their two weeks off. If they come out flat in the divisional round, you know who is going to be the first to get in line to tell you I told you so.

2. San Francisco 49ers 12-5, last week 2

They had first place wrapped up and there was no need to risk their players in the final week of the season. The one point loss to the Rams doesn’t mean much. We have seen what this team is capable of when they are healthy and Kyle Shanahan wants them firing on all cylinders once the divisional round of the playoffs comes calling.

3. Buffalo Bills 11-6, last week 3

Josh Allen is going to Josh Allen. For the good and the bad. We saw him nearly hand the game to the Dolphins in the first couple quarters of their division sealing win in Miami. Two picks in the end zone and a throw over the middle with seconds remaining on the first half clock cost the Bills at least 9 points if not more. It took a 96 yard punt return to activate him and the offense, but then he pulled a rabbit out of his hat a few times, like when he converted the 3rd and 13 to effectively end the Dolphins chances of tying the game. I’m still not sure if this team is worth of a two seed, but who else is in the AFC? They have home field until the AFC Championship and they are going to be a tough out in Orchard Park.

4. Cleveland Browns 11-6, last week 4

If you have the fifth seed locked up and can’t move up or down in the standings there is no need to play your starters and risk getting them injured, especially when you have a 39 year old QB that spent half the season watching games on the couch with a bag of Cheetos by his side. It will be a welcomed break for Flacco and the gang who are going to be one of the toughest outs of any of the Wild Card teams.

5. Dallas Cowboys 12-5, last week 5

There was one NFC East team that came out and played like they wanted to win the division on Sunday. It wasn’t the Eagles, it was the Cowboys. They went to Washington and handled their business like a team that expects to win not just their division, but their conference. Dak looked back to his best as he ended the season as the league’s top TD passer and the defense locked down the Washington offense that has looked apoplectic over the last month. This game seemed to be a perfect tune up for a Dallas team that is looking to make a run deep in the playoffs for the first time in way too long.

6. Kansas City Chiefs 11-6, last week 6

The Chiefs locking up the AFC West means they will get one game at Arrowhead this postseason. That’s the good news. The bad news is this is still a side that has failed to convince anyone they are the Super Bowl contenders they have been over the last half decade. It is the playoffs and you’d be hard pressed to bet against a team with Patrick Mahomes under center, but he’s going to have to show he can go on the road and win a game in January, if they get past the Dolphins in KC.

7. Los Angeles Rams 10-7, last week 7

The Rams knew what was on the line in Sunday’s game in San Fran and that’s exactly why they chose to start Carson Wentz as their QB, and sit a handful of their other most important players on both sides of the ball. The only worry I have about the Rams after giving their guys a “week off” is if they will be able to keep the momentum they have built up over the last month of the season. In the end, it’s a reunion of Matthew Stafford with the Lions in Detroit, and I’m thinking that about as much of a toss up as you can get in the opening round of the playoffs.

8. Detroit Lions 12-5, last week 8

It’s mission accomplished for the Lions who made the playoffs in a season they were expected to. It’s hard to be a team that isn’t used to success and live up to expectations. Detroit did so looking like one of the top teams in the league at times, but at times looking like one of the most volatile, unstable teams in the NFL. That kind of football doesn’t work in the playoffs, and I wonder if Dan Campbell’s style of coaching might just be tweaked once they get to the post season.

9. Houston Texans 10-7, last week 11

Congratulations to CJ Stroud, DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans. They have made one of the most remarkable turnarounds in NFL history and they did it with a first year QB and a first year coach. Let’s not forget the Strouds top three options in the passing game have been struck down by injury, but that didn’t stop the unquestionable rookie of the year from squeaking past the Colts in an all or nothing matchup in Indy. This young team has defied the odds all season long, so what makes us think they will suddenly stop just because the postseason is upon us?

10. Green Bay Packers 9-8, last week 12

Jordan Love did something that neither Brett Favre, nor Aaron Rodgers did in their first years with the Packers. He got his team to the playoffs, and he did so on the final day of the regular season. Surrounded by rookies and sophomores on his WR corp, Love led the Pack to the postseason with a 300 yard, two TD day. He has a new favorite target with Jayden Reed, and while these two are just starting to build their chemistry they will get an early crack at a playoff win in their career. Green Bay fans will just be happy to make the playoffs in their first year with out Rodgers, anything more than that is icing on the cake.

11. Miami Dolphins 11-6, last week 9

I’m getting a little tired of saying the same thing every week, and I’m sure Dolphins fans are sick of watching the same thing every week but Miami can not win a big game. They lost their lead in the AFC East thanks to three losses in their last five while only solidifying the case that Mike McDaniel’s team can’t win a big game. Unfortunately for Miami, there are only big games in the playoffs and I would be shocked if they can get through the first round on the road in what’s supposed to be a frigid day in KC.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers 10-7, last week 14

It was a nasty night in Baltimore but that’s what the Steelers like to play in. The rain didn’t sto and neither did Najee Harris who is just hitting stride at the right time. Mason Rudolph was almost perfect completing 18/20 passes, but the biggest loss coming out of the win in Baltimore is TJ Watt going down with what looks to be an injury that will keep him out for next week. With out the Defensive POY I don’t think the Steelers have a chance of getting out of the first round.

13. Philadelphia Eagles 11-6, last week 10

There’s a difference between taking your foot off the gas and just throwing in the towel. The Eagles looked like they had just eased up on the pedal a bit over the last few weeks, but going down 24-0 to the New York Giants in the last week of the season when the division title is on the line shows me this team doesn’t deserve to be considered a contender, and barley deserves to be in the playoffs. The Philly fans will tune in, because they are contractually obligated when you sign on to being a Philadelphia sports fan, but they better brace themselves because it could get ugly. Luckily for them, they play the Bucs in the first round, and that might be the only thing saving them from an early exit.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-8, last week 18

I ragged on Baker Mayfield last week because they came out and laid a dud. He was probably banged up last week too, but we really started to hear about it in the lead up to the Panthers game on Sunday. He is a tough guy that puts his body on the line for his team and the guys in the locker room respect that. It was far from pretty in Tampa’s 9–0, all FG win over Carolina, but the Bucs are in the playoffs a year after Tom Brady’s retirement, which is more than a lot of people thought possible at the beginning of the season.

15. Seattle Seahawks 9-8, last week 20

The Seahawks had one chance to get into the playoffs and they blew it last week against the Steelers at home. They took care of the Cardinals most likely knowing it was too late to claim the final Wild Card spot, but give Geno Smith and Pete Carroll a lot of props. They made it to the playoffs last year in a season that everyone called a fluke. They were right there this year, and if it hadn’t been for one of the toughest four week stretches against the Rams, Cowboys, Niners and Rams that resulted in a four game losing streak, they would have reached the payoffs for a second straight improbable season.

16. Indianapolis Colts 9-8, last week 13

The Colts weren’t supposed to stick around until the final week, the final quarter, the final minute of the regular season, but there they were, 15 yards away form the playoffs and if Ty Goodson makes the catch on 4th and 1, it might be the Colts and not the Texans in the playoffs. Shane Stiechen did a tremendous job in his first year as head coach, having to deal with a hold out from his running back, an injury to his rookie starter and an owner who makes sure to never make life too easy for anyone in the organization. This is going to be a good team in the years to come, but we will have to see what they do with the Jonathan Taylor situation in the offseason.

17. Las Vegas Raiders 8-9, last week 23

It was one last chance for the Raiders players to put in their best effort in hopes of keeping their interim coach Antonio Pierce around next year. That’s exactly what they did, at home, in front of their home fans. The Raiders will be looking for a little stability across the board, and I think that starts with the head coaching job. They have been been a one team coaching carousel over the last few years, and Pierce may be the one to cure their ails on the sidelines.

18. Cincinnati Bengals 9-8, last week 21

The Bengals were playing for pride in a divisional game in which the Browns were resting most of their starters. There wasn’t much to take away from this game except Joe Mixon getting his incentive bonus and seeing the incentive Jake Browning has going home every day. We weren’t too familiar with Browning before the season, but he has brought him and the whole family into the spot light in the last few months of the season.

19. Chicago Bears 7-10, last week 22

OK, the Bears didn’t beat the Packers in what was considered their “Super Bowl.” That may sour the incredible turnaround they had this season after starting the year 0-4. There’s no way they can select a QB with either one of their two early first round picks after what Justin Fields showed in the second half of the season. The question is, do they keep Matt Eberflus? And do they select a play making WR to compliment DJ Moore on the other side of the Chicago offense?

20. Denver Broncos 8-9, last week 16

What’s next in the Mile High City saga? Do the Broncos stay with Russell Wilson? Does he even want to stay in Denver after they forced him to take a pay cut by benching him for the final few games of the season. Everything that has happened since the Walton’s took the majority stake of the franchise been counter productive to the team. They can stock a store full of everything their fans might need in their daily lives but when it comes to football they have shown they are incapable of fielding a winning football team.

21. New Orleans Saints 9-8, last week 17

The Saints might have ended the season with a win, but the last offensive play of the Saints season might have cost Dennis Allen his job. Jameis Winston took it upon himself to switch up the victory formation play and get Jamal Willams his first TD of the season. Was it a good teammate move? Maybe. Was is a blatant show of disrespect to the coach? Absolutely. Allen has had two mediocre seasons in New Orleans, and now faces increased speculation about his job security after that play seemed to suggest he has lost control of the locker room.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars 9-8, last week 15

It was a late season collapse of epic proportions. They lost four of five heading into the final week of the season, but still had a chance to win the division if they just beat the lowly Titans, a team they beat 34-14 earlier in the season. In the end they not only fell victim to Derrick Henry in his farewell game in Tennessee they fell victim to their own perpetual mistakes that ended up costing them a spot in the postseason. We talked earlier this season about this team being a young side that needed time to grow throughout the season, but instead of progressing they regressed. Do they keep things the same and show faith in the unit that got them to the playoffs last season or do they clean house this offseason?

23. Atlanta Falcons 7-10, last week 19

With all due respect to Arthur Smith, if you don’t want a team running up the score on you, don’t let them run the score up on you. The game was over, the season was over, and it turns out his underwhelming tenure in Atlanta is over. The Falcons are going to have to start from scratch, figuring out who their next coach will be and then who their next QB will be after Desmond Ridder’s season brought about more questions then answers in Atlanta.

24. Minnesota Vikings 7-10, last week 24

It seemed unjust to see the Vikings lose six of their last seven after putting up such a fight in the wake of losing Kirk Cousins (and Justin Jefferson for a large chuck of that span). Kevin O’Connell tried to find the right fit under center, but in the end the Vikings season ended with Kirk Cousins snapped achilles in Green Bay back in late October.

25. Arizona Cardinals 4-13, last week 26

The Cardinals were a field goal away from ending their season with a win which wouldn’t have done much for them except maybe drop them down the draft board come April. While Matt Prater did his team a favor by missing the walkoff winner, it is good to see Kyler Murray and James Connor back to their best in the desert.

26. Tennessee Titans 6-11, last week 28

Tennesse payed tribute to Derrick Henry and his long reign in Nashville and he payed them back with one last vintage performance all the while knocking a hated divisional rival out of the playoffs. It was a memorable day capped off by a stroke of class from The King who thanked his faithful followers after almost a decade in the Music City. It may not have been the season was expecting to end his tenure in Tennessee, but it was a send off fit for a royal which is what Henry has been as a Titan.

27. New York Giants 6-11, last week 25

In Tyrod Taylor’s eyes the QB competition that we are sure to see take place in the offseason in New York is already underway, and he is making a fantastic case to be the QB1 in the Big Apple next year. He has 297 yards and a TD against the plummeting Eagles team, and a win against Philly is always going to get you in the good graces of the Giants fans who have had very little to be happy about.

28. New York Jets 7-10, last week 30

The Jets ended the season doing what they should have been doing all season long after Aaron Rodgers went down with a season ending injury on the fourth snap of the opening game, let Breece Hall touch the ball 40 times. Too bad it didn’t snow for 18 straight weeks in Jets games, because they actually would have had a chance to make the playoffs. It’s going to be a big offseason for NY, and get ready for a whole lot of Aaron Rodgers talk starting……. now.

29. Los Angeles Chargers 5-12, last week 27

There are a lot of teams that will welcome the end of the season with open arms, but maybe no team more than the Chargers who had realistic hopes of making a Super Bowl run. Those dreams were shattered just a few weeks into the season, but they got rid of the dead weight on the sideline and now will be hoping to find Justin Herbert a coach that will bring out the best of his abilities.

30. New England Patriots 4-13, last week 29

Is it the end for Bill Belichick in New England? That remains to be seen, and as you would expect the six time Super Bowl winner wasn’t willing to reveal his future plans with the media after the Pats 17-3 loss to the Jets. One thing he did say was that he would be willing to give up the personnel duties in Foxborough which, if you read between the lines, might suggest his inclination to stay put.

31. Washington Commanders 4-13, last week 31

Ron Rivera is gone in the nation’s capital and no one is surprised that the two sides have decided to part ways. The team is under new ownership as of last season, and you have to respect Josh Harris for sticking it out with the incumbent for the season, but now he can put his hands in the clay and mold this team the way he feels fit. Does that future feature Sam Howell at QB? That remains to be seen.

32. Carolina Panthers 2-15, last week 32

There are a lot of teams that will be happy the end of the season is here, but none more so than the Carolina Panthers. It hurts to finish last in the league. It hurts not getting the first pick in the draft after being the worst team in the league. What has to hurt even more is seeing the guy you passed on with your first pick last year take his team to the playoffs. Carolina needs a lot, but what they need more than anything is a change of ownership, which I don’t see happening any time soon.