Editions
Los 40 USA
Scores
Follow us on
Hello

NFL

NFL Power Rankings after Week 15: Lions lose, Chiefs costly win, Eagles and Vikings join race for one seed

After months at the top of the NFL Power Rankings we have a new number one after the Detroit Lions fell to MVP favorite Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

After months at the top of the NFL Power Rankings we have a new number one after the Detroit Lions fell to MVP favorite Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
EMILEE CHINNAFP

1) Philadelphia Eagles 12-2, last week 2

Ladies and gentleman, your new top team in the NFL Power Rankings. The Philadelphia Eagles are the hottest team in the league, having won their last 10. You wouldn’t have known it with all of the chatter of a locker room dust up between Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown. Both of them had plenty to say on the field, and after the game in front of the TV cameras. Hurts exploded for 290 yards and 2 TDs amid talk of the pass game being on the decline and Brown had 110 yards and a TD on 8 receptions. It wasn’t the perfect game for the Eagles, but they reminded us they can win even if Saquon Barkley isn’t playing at an MVP level. This seemed a bit deliberate from the Eagles and Sirianni who saw a chance to beat up a good team that is known for being the big, physical bullies.

2) Buffalo Bills 11-3, last week 4

Last week we said just because the Bills lost in LA didn’t mean that we should start to second guess them. Buffalo has shown they are a top team in the league all season and never was that more clear than on Sunday in Detroit. Buffalo has scored 30+ points in eight straight games, and it was the second straight game the Bills put up 40+ points. It’s true that their defense has given up 40+ points in each of those games, Josh Allen marks the difference. When his team needs a big play, a key first down, or a late TD he delivers. His consistency and reliability is what forces other teams out of their game plan, and to take wild chances like Detroit did with their onside kick with 12 minutes to go in the 4th. That’s why Allen is going to be the MVP, and that’s why the belief in Orchard Park is at an all time high. They may not have the one seed in the AFC when the playoffs come rolling around, but they have beaten the Lions and the Chiefs in Ford Field and Arrowhead.

3) Detroit Lions 12-2, last week 1

Sunday’s game against the Bills showed, it doesn’t matter how many points your offense can score, if you can’t stop anyone it’s going to end up costing you sooner or later. They got away with it in their game last week against the Packers, but injuries are adding up on the defensive side of the ball. Their 16 players either out for the season or on IR could be the Lions vulnerability heading into the playoffs. To add even more heartache in the Motor City, David Montgomery is going to miss the rest of the season with a sprained MCL. They aren’t going to have to play the Bills every week, but there should be more than just a little cause for concern for Dan Campbell and his team. If we know anything about this Lions team under Campbell, it’s that they know how to respond after a loss. Let’s see how they finish the season out, and what seed they end up with heading into the post season.

4) Kansas City Chiefs 13-1, last week 3

Oh boy. In a season that has been filled with way too much drama and heart dropping moments, the only thing that could really rattle the Chiefs fans’ feathers at this point of the season was seeing the scene that played out in Cleveland on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes takes a big hit, has to be carried off the field and didn’t return for the rest of the day. The Chiefs won and extended their cushion on the pack of the chasers in the AFC, to all but secure their one seed, but that was a side note in comparison to the headline coming out of Cleveland. Eyes and ears will be nervously anticipating any news concerning their QB’s ankle as so called experts will be lining up to serve suggestions to Andy Reid on how to handle Mahomes over the final three weeks of the season.

5) Minnesota Vikings 11-2, last week 5

The vultures were circling around US Bank Stadium for more than a month waiting for the Vikings to lose one of those one possession games and prey on a team that people were just waiting to fall off the map. That hasn’t been the case in the last two weeks. They lit up the Falcons last week, and dominated the Bears from start to finish on Monday night, but for some reason this team is the most doubted of the three 12-2 teams in the NFC. They are going to have a chance to shut everyone up and stun the world if they win out and take the one seed from the Lions and Eagles. Having said that, they do have the toughest road ahead of any of the teams tied at the top of the conference, but Sam Darnold: you’ve been shutting us up all season, so go ahead and shut us up again.

6) Green Bay Packers 10-4, last week 7

It’s the same formula we have seen the Packers use for the last month. They weren’t able to do so against the Lions last week, but for three of the last four weeks they come out and smack the other team around for the opening fifteen minutes of the game. They jump out to double digit leads and are able to protect them the rest of the way. Josh Jacobs bares the brunt of the work load, and if Love is consistent, efficient and mistake free, then the Packers have a great chance to win. This was Green Bay’s second win over a team with a .500 record at the time of the game. A win over the Seahawks doesn’t make you an elite team, but it does give you a bit of credibility against a potential playoff opponent in the first round.

7) Baltimore Ravens 9-5, last week 8

Just when it seemed like the Ravens were starting to be put on the back burner of everyone’s mind after losing two of their previous three, Lamar Jackson and Baltimore remind us they are still capable of lighting it up. Sure, they played the Giants, and yes, they were coming off a BYE, but it was a game that Baltimore needed after a rough last couple of weeks. They rolled over New York as Jackson passed for more TDs than incompletions. Jackson probably won’t win the MVP and the Ravens definitely won’t get the one seed, but that will allow them to solely focus on fine tuning this team for a deep playoff run.


8) Pittsburgh Steelers 10-4, last week 6

We talked about getting to know who this Steelers team really is over the final four weeks of the season, and in their first game of this meat grinder of a finish leading up to the playoffs it looks like trouble could be brewing. Seeing TJ Watt go down late in the game is really concerning, especially if the offense is going to come out and lay a dud as soon as they meet a good defensive team like Philly. Russell Wilson and the offense had just 163 total yards against an Eagles defense that dominated them from wire to wire. The run game was non existent which meant the defense had to be on the field for 40 minutes against the Eagles. Their game next week against the Ravens is going to determine who wins the AFC North, and this brutal final stretch of the season might take it’s toll on the Steelers once the playoffs come around.

9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-6, last week 10

This is a ballsy team, and they showed some big ones in LA on Sunday. Baker Mayfield sets the tone for his guys and they follow suit. After throwing a pick and watching the Chargers recover a fumble on back to back possessions, the Bucs could have folded, on the road, all the way out in LA. But the Bucs have worked too hard to take the lead in the NFC South and they weren’t ready to give it up against the Chargers. Mayfield and the Bucs scored on their final six possessions, posting 30 unanswered points and showed that there was only one team that was ready for the playoffs in the game from Sofi Stadium.

10) Los Angeles Rams 8-6, last week 14

After lighting up the score board against the Bills last week, they Rams showed they have a defense than can come out and win games too. It was a rainy, windy, ugly Thursday night in San Fran. The kind of night finess teams like the Rams shouldn’t win, but the defense held San Fran to less than 200 total yards and just six points. Let’s give it up for Kyren Williams who had 58 total carries in the span of four days, and in those four days he had 195 yards and two TDs. Since we are giving out props, we have to give it up for Josh Karty too. He was 4/4 on a nightmare of an evening in San Fran and single handily won the game as the Rams took the lead in the NFC West. LA is now 7-2 with Puka and Cooper healthy. This team is right where you want to be heading into the final stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.

11) Denver Broncos 9-5, last week 9

The Broncos, and especially Bo Nix, came out of their BYE week a little groggy against the Indianapolis Colts in a huge game between two Wild Card aspirants. The rookie QB threw three picks, but got bailed out by his D which has been the back bone of this team all season. They came up with four turnovers, picking off Anthony Richardson twice, forcing a fumble and getting handed another by Jonathan Taylor. Denver may not have played well coming out of their BYE, but they took advantage of their opportunities and all but locked up a Wild Card spot with their win. It’s been a hell of a season for Payton and Nix in their first year together in the Mile High City. This is just a preview of what’s to come but there should be sky high hopes in Denver.

12) Houston Texans 9-5, last week 12

Houston hosted the Dolphins coming off of a much needed BYE in which the Texans had plenty of time to sort out some of the issues that had been plaguing them over the last month an a half. So did it look like they fixed those issues? Did they look like the team that started the season winning five of their first six? No. The defense did their job, picking off Tua three times, and forcing another fumble but Houston had less than 200 total yards of offense. Stroud had 131 yards passing and Dare Ogunbowale was the leading rusher on the day, with one rush that came on a fake punt that he took for 35 yards. Right now the Texans look like a team that Wild Cards will be lining up to play in the first round.

13) Seattle Seahawks 8-6, last week 13

The Seahawks had a chance to keep their cushion over the rest of the division, but staying true to the ways of the NFC West this season, they weren’t able to stay on top of the table and we end the week with another new team in first place. The division leader seems to change on a weekly basis, and I’m sure there are more changes in store, but will the Seahawks be able to retake the lead after losing it late in the season? If Geno Smith is going to be sidelined for a game, two games or even three games after suffering a knee injury then Seattle is going to have no chance against the Vikings next week, the Bears and then the Rams in what could be an all or nothing game in Week 18.

14) Washington Commanders 9-5, last week 15

For thirty minutes the Commanders looked like they were going to roll to a win in New Orleans. We have seen rookie QBs struggle after their BYE week for what ever reason but that wasn’t the case for Washington’s rookie, at least for a half hour. Jayden Daniels looked like he did in the first half of the season when he was the shoe in for the Rookie of the Year, but then halftime came and the Commanders flat lined. They just held on, stopping a two point conversion that would have cost them the game and might have ended up costing them a Wild Card spot later in the season. They are still in danger of losing their spot in the playoffs, but not as much as if they had they lost that game on Sunday.

15) Los Angeles Chargers 8-6, last week 11

The Chargers had a chance to show they were a real, contending, legit team against the Bucs and they choked. That was kind of a “show me” game for both LA and TB, but only one team came out and showed they are ready to get to the playoffs and compete in the playoffs and it wasn’t LA. The defense, which is the only legit part of the Chargers, got shredded by Baker and Mike Evans and again Justin Herbert wasn’t up for the challenge. LA weren’t just in the game, they were leading at halftime, but in the last two quarters when your metal is tested, the Chargers showed they are a soft side that can’t beat a good team. They will most likely get a Wild Card spot, but they have just one win over teams that has a .500 record or better. Unfortunately, in the playoffs those are the only kinds of teams you see.

16) Arizona Cardinals 7-7, last week 18

The Cards finally snapped their three game losing streak following their BYE back in Week 11, and fortunately for them the rest of the NFC West has kept them in the race for the division title. If the Cards are going to have any chance it’s going to be on the back of James Conner and not Kyler Murray. When they get him going that opens up the rest of the offense. He had 110 yards and two TDs, of course that’s easier to do when you play the Patriots.

17) Miami Dolphins 6-8, last week 16

I didn’t want to buy into the Dolphins comeback until they played and beat an actual team. The Texans game was highlighted on the schedule as a make or break game, even though Houston is far from what we consider as a good team at the moment. The narrative as been the same since Mike McDaniels’ has been in Miami. They can’t win the big one, and this year they aren’t even going to have a chance to blow it in the playoffs because they won’t be there.

18) Indianapolis Colts 6-8, last week 17

I’m not going to dump on Jonathan Taylor for letting go of the ball before stepping over the goal line in a play that might have cost the Colts the game and a chance at the playoffs. He’s been the only good thing happening in Indy for the last few years. The problem is much bigger and much more profound than one boneheaded play. The Colts don’t have a QB, and they know it. You don’t make plays like the toss back that was picked off by Nick Bonitto and taken back for a TD if you have a QB that can move the ball. Richardson had a completion percentage of less than 50% again. And the Colts lost again. That’s five Ls in the last seven games and this one might have been the final nail in their playoff coffin.

19) Cincinnati Bengals 6-8, last week 20

As soon as the Bengals playoff chances nearly vanish, they start to win games. Sometimes football can be cruel, but Cincy put themselves in that position after playing terrible football for the first month of the season. On Sunday in Tennessee it was the defense that came up big, picking off the Titans’ QBs four times (talk about way too little, way too late), as Burrow was allowed to take a break from throwing for 300+ yards in every game. There is still a slight chance for the Bengals, but they are going to need just about every star in the Milky Way to align to even have a chance, and that’s assuming they are able to win out against the Browns, Broncos and Steelers.

20) San Francisco 49ers 6-8, last week 19

Scoring six points, at home, in a must win game with the season on the line tells you all you need to know about this year’s San Francisco 49ers. They just don’t have it this season. Obviously having Christian McCaffery in the suites of Levi’s Stadium instead of on the field, and Brandon Aiyuk out since about two months ago doesn’t help. But Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel were still on the field which would be enough to get the Niners into the end zone at least once right? Wrong. After Deebo went chirping on Twitter only to erase his message, only to have a couple big drops and just 16 yards receiving. It was a fitting way to see the Niners playoff chances end, and now the question is, has the Niners’ Super Bowl window closed in the Bay?

21) Dallas Cowboys 6-8, last week 23

How much are the Cowboys going to be thinking about that blocked punt turned Leon Lett play made against the Bengals last week? If they keep winning, that’s all Jerry Jones and Cowboys nation will be stewing on for the rest of the season and into those lonely desolate months during the spring and summer. Cooper Rush led his guys into Carolina and had a career high three passing TDs, but more importantly the defense gave us a glimpse of what they are capable of when Micah Parsons and his crew are healthy. They sacked the Carolina QB six times, forced four turnovers and controlled the game from start to finish. Even if the Cowboys had beat Cincy last week, it still would have taken a miracle for them to sneak into the playoffs. As it stands, the Vikings, Packers, Commanders, Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals are sitting above them in the Wild Card picture.

22) Atlanta Falcons 7-7, last week 21

The Falcons needed a win to save their season, but they didn’t need a win like that. Their 15-9 victory over the lowly Raiders invokes no additional belief in this team that had lost four straight games and plummeted out of the top spot in the NFC South. Kirk Cousins finally broke is four game TD less streak, throwing one TD but he had just 117 yards, and after the game he sounded disgusted in himself and the Falcons offense which didn’t get into the red zone all game. He sounded like that early in the season, and assured people things would turn around and they did for a while, but Atlanta has circled the wagon. This is not a team playing like they deserve to get into the playoffs, but two of their last three games are against teams that are just as bad as the Raiders, so they still have a shot.

23) New Orleans Saints 5-9, last week 22

It was a tale of two halves in New Orleans. The first tale in the first half was more than forgettable as Jake Haener had just two first downs in the opening two quarters from the Super Dome. The defense kept the Saints in the game, holding Washington to just two TDs, as they went into the half down 14-0. Spencer Rattler came into the game in the second half and nearly led a comeback that would have put the Commanders Wild Card spot in serious jeopardy. Rattler led scoring drives on all four of the Saints second half possessions and looked like the best rookie QB on the field in a game that had Jayden Daniels under center on the other side of the field. They were a two point conversion away from stunning the Commanders, but the Saints are building something at the end of the season as Darren Rizzi continues to make is case to be the head coach of the future in the Big Easy.

24) Carolina Panthers 3-11, last week 25

It was only a matter of time before the Panthers started to look like the Panthers again. Bryce Young and Carolina had a nice run of staying in games against some of the top teams in the league, but they looked a little worn out in their game against the Cowboys. Young was under constant pressure, most of the time courtesy of Micah Parsons and that led to him getting sacked six times, throwing two INTs, and losing two fumbles. Carolina have three more games to figure out which direction they want to go with the future of this franchise. The main question for the rest of the season will be surrounding Bryce Young, and if he is capable of leading this team.

25) Chicago Bears 4-9, last week 24

Eight straight losses and the Bears may not win another game until next season. This season was supposed to end with a potential run to the playoffs for their rookie QB who is expected to bring in the new age in the Windy City. That is the opposite of what’s going on now with the Bears. He has been taking a beating and has admitted his body is fatigued, and his mind has to be as well. The offense is broken, and won’t be fixed until next year, but the defense has been just as bad lately. Against the Vikings they gave up first downs on 3rd and long time after time while the offense converted just one third down all game.

26) New York Jets 4-10, last week 27

I don’t know if Rodgers wants to stick around in New York. I don’t know if New York wants Rodgers to stick around, but these next few weeks should tell us a lot about how the four time MVP QB is feeling heading into the offseason. For the first time in a long time, maybe all season, it looked like Aaron Rodgers was having fun. Of course when you comeback to win in the 4th quarter, throw for 3 TDs, nearly 300 yards and see one of your best buds end the day with 198 receiving yards and two TDs it’s easy to show a little smile. This was what Rodgers and Jets fans planned to see all year, and it shows that there is still some gas in the tank. The question will be, is Rodgers mentally ready to go through another long season in New York?

27) Cleveland Browns 3-11, last week 26

There was a moment in this season where the Browns might have given the Chiefs a run for their money, but this wasn’t that moment. The Jameis Winston flame has faded in Cleveland and to make matters worse Nick Chubb broke his foot and will miss the rest of the season. Winston got picked off three times, DTR was picked off another time on a day that the Browns turned the ball over six times. Had they hung on to the ball on a few of those possessions, they might have had a chance to beat the Chiefs, but giving KC the ball on six of your 14 total drives isn’t going to do you any favors.

28) New England Patriots 3-11, last week 28

The only thing to monitor in Foxborough for the rest of the season is the progress of Drake May. Not much else matters, but the rookie is showing plenty of signs of promise despite the rest of the team not playing up to his level. He went 19/23 for 202 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. While he has been a revelation, Jarod Mayo’s defense has been the biggest disappointment in New England this year, giving up 25 or more points in each of their games during their four game losing steak.

29) Jacksonville Jaguars 3-11, last week 29

Wins don’t matter any more in Jacksonville. At this point of the season, you really don’t even want to win if you are in the Jags position. What I was more focused on was Mac Jones, who seemed to be relishing a chance to show the rest of the NFL he can still play in this league. He threw for nearly 300 yards, two TDs, and sure two picks too, but he looked like he was having fun for the first time maybe in his pro career. His body language was great, and that resulted in him playing a great game. It wasn’t enough to hold off the Jets from coming back and winning, but for Jones that should feel like a win.

30) Las Vegas Raiders 2-11, last week 30

The “Tank for Shadeur” signs are finally being flashed around Allegiant Stadium as the Raiders pursuit for the top pick in the draft is in full swing. There isn’t much to play for other than pride for Las Vegas, but there wasn’t much pride on display for the Raiders in the first 55 minutes of the game. They came back and gave the Falcons a scare, but that was more about the Falcons not closing out the game as it was the Raiders digging in and showing that they are a respectable football team. In the end, the plan worked to perfection. Play well enough to not get blown out, but don’t play well enough to risk winning the game and putting the No. 1 pick in jeopardy.

31) Tennessee Titans 3-11, last week 31

This week might have marked the last of the Will Levis era in Tennessee. He threw three picks against a defense that has been allowing quarterbacks to light them up week after week, but Levis couldn’t take advantage of his opportunity. Mason Rudolph came in and did a little better, but not much. This team needs a lot of help in the offseason, but their Week 15 game against the Bengals only strengthened their case to get a QB in this year’s draft.

32) New York Giants 2-12, last week 32

There really is no reason to show up to Metlife to watch the Giants play, unless you are a fan of the other team and you want to watch them blow out New York in New York. They haven’t won a game at home all season, they played the majority of the game with Tim Boyle under center and they watched Lamar Jackson throw more TDs than incompletions. The Giants are a disaster to the surprise of no one. They have been institutionally clueless for years, so it’s no surprise that the team that gave Daniel Jones big money and let Saquon Barkley walk is in line for a No. 1 or No 2 pick in the draft. Giants fans will be hoping to get one of those picks, but fully expecting those in the front office to blow that pick too.

Rules