NFL Power Rankings after Week 15: Niners roll, NFC East up for grabs, Ravens hold serve

The Niners and the Ravens distanced themselves from the rest of the pack at the top of their respective conferences with Week 14 wins which will set up a mouth watering Christmas Eve matchup between the leaders in the NFC and AFC. Speaking of Christmas, I won’t be able to give a couple of my best buds, and most faithful readers of these Power Rankings a present this year. So I hope they appreciate this Seinfeld edition of Power Rankings. If you don’t know Seinfeld like us, some of these references might go over your head. If you don’t like Seinfeld, you should probably just not even bother reading these Rankings.

Here they are. Our Power Rankings after Week 14.

1. San Francisco 49ers 11-3, last week 1

For those of you that were wondering if the Niners were for real during their three game skid, let their six game wins streak remind you, they are real and they are spectacular. Led by two MVP candidates, the offense is looking even better than they did during their first five weeks of the season when they averaged 33.4 points, scoring 34.5 over the last six weeks. The defense is back to it’s best, having only given up 20+ once in their win streak. That came in Sunday’s blow out win over the Cardinals.

2. Baltimore Ravens 11-3, last week 2

The best team in the AFC made me really ponder if I had the guts to jump them over the Niners for the top spot in these rankings. They have been the most consistent team this season. All other teams at the top have gone through mini slumps that have raised questions that the Ravens haven’t had to answer. I’m not yella, but I’m still not ready to put the Ravens at No. 1.

3. Miami Dolphins 10-4, last week 7

Another beat down of a lowly team for the Maestro of Miami as he and the Dolphins continue thier tear through the bottom feeders of the NFL. Tua Tagovailoa was without Tyreek Hill, but you could barley notice as Jalen Waddle used the Cheetah’s absence to have his best game of the season, catching 8 balls for 142 yards and a TD in the 30-0 shellacking of the Jets. The top spot in the AFC may very well come down to who wins the Dolphins - Ravens game in two weeks time, but before that the Dolphins have to worry about the Cowboys next week.

4. Kansas City Chiefs 9-5, last week 5

The ship straightened for the Chiefs in Foxborough this week, but the waters are still choppy in KC. We saw Patrick Mahomes snap like Crazy Joe Devola last week in the Chiefs loss to the Bills, and Mahomes aired out another rare burst of frustration at Kadarious Toney in the 4th quarter of their win against the Patriots on Sunday. Toney has had his well documented troubles this year, and finally we are seeing them takes their toll on the reigning MVP.

5. Buffalo Bills 8-6, last week 8

Hes back on the wagon. It’s official. After weeks of bashing Josh Allen and the Bills (with good reason in my defense), the Bills look exactly like the team we have been expecting them to look like all season. Allen wasn’t great because he didn’t have to be. James Cook exploded for 179 yards as he pulverized the Cowboys, inducing a panic attack in Big D. Allen threw for just 94 yards in a Bills blowout that keeps them even with the two 8-6 teams that have the final couple Wild Card spots in the AFC. This is exactly the kind of team the division winners will be looking to avoid in the first round of he playoffs, if they make it.

6. Dallas Cowboys 10-4, last week 3

“I didn’t like the show. I didn’t like you. You just really stunk.” I’m sure that’s what Cowboys fans woke up thinking after watching their team get humbled by the Bills in Buffalo. They still lead the NFC East but after seeing them get embarrassed at Orchard Park, ghosts of Cowboys past are starting to appear. If Dallas don’t win their division and end up having to go on the road in the playoffs they are in trouble. Their four losses have come on the road, and with the Dolphins and Lions up next, it’s going to be tough for them to keep pace with the Eagles in the NFC East.

7. Philadelphia Eagles 10-4, last week 4

“I had ‘em, Jerry. I had ‘em….”

“And then?”

“I lost ‘em.” The Eagles led or had a share of the lead for 59:30 of Monday night’s must win game in Seattle. They had a golden opportunity to retake the lead in the NFC East with a win, but Hurts and the Eagles weren’t able to hold off a come back bid from Seattle’s second string quarterback. The first two losses in this three game win streak were understandable. But you would think a team playing in a game that could make the difference between home field for most of the playoffs would step up and finish the job. This is not the way you want to be finishing the season if you’re an Eagles fan.

8. Cleveland Browns 9-5, last week 10

If the Browns make the playoffs, we will look back at Amari Cooper’s 51 yard TD run as the play that got them to the postseason. There have been plenty of memorable moments since the return of Joe Flacco, but this one may be worth a Wild Card bid. Flacco has found his fountain of youth in Cleveland and he’s looking younger than Ponce de Leon in year No. 16.

9. Detroit Lions 10-4, last week 11

The Lions finally snapped out of their funk with a thumping win over the Broncos at Ford Field. They were sliding down our Power Rankings while the Broncos were on the rise, but Dan Campbell’s men pulled the switcharoo on Denver, and they did it was a dominant performance by the backfield duo named Rhythm and Bruise. Montgomery and Gibbs are going to be the barometers of this team’s success for the rest of the season.

10. Cincinnati Bengals 8-6, last week 13

Jake Browning is a good man. A very, very good man. He hasn’t just eased the devastation and depression of an entire city, he has erased it entirely. You can’t tell me there were many Cincy fans who thought they still had a chance at the post season after Burrow went out for the season. Since Browning’s return, they have rattled off three straight wins and are averaging 32 points a game.

11. Denver Broncos 7-7, last week 9

Denver’s defense, which we should acknowledge is the reason they are in a position to be thinking about a playoff spot, was exposed on Saturday night in Detroit. They allowed 185 yard rushing and didn’t T.C.O.B when it came to turnovers. If they are going to get into the playoffs they are going to have to take care of business against the Pats, Chargers and Raiders (who all have second string QBs under center).

12. Jacksonville Jaguars 8-6, last week 6

Doug Pederson’s team are on a three game slide at the exact wrong time of the season. They look more like the Del Boca Vista Jaguars than the Jacksonville team that beat the Chiefs, and rattled off seven of eight wins before embarking on their losing streak. They have lost their lead in the AFC South, and suddenly there is a real possibility of the Jags missing the playoffs. Luckily for them, they play three teams with losing records to finish off the season.

13. Houston Texans 8-6, last week 12

Everyone knows I’m a Titans fan, but I couldn’t help myself rooting for DeMeco Ryan’s Texans yesterday. It’s been incredible to watch what he and C.J. Stroud have done in thier first year on the job. Even with the understudy Case Keenum under center, the Texans out lasted the Titans and go into the final three weeks of the season in a three way tie in the AFC South.

14. Los Angeles Rams 7-7, last week 16

Since Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp returned to full fitness the Rams have quietly put together one of the best months in the league. They have won four of their last five, and the only loss came last week to the top seed in the AFC, in the road in Baltimore. If the Rams can somehow make the playoffs after starting the season 3-6, this might be considered the best comeback since the Jerk Store called.

15. Indianapolis Colts 8-6, last week 17

What kind of Bizzaro world are we living in where the Colts can hang on to a playoff spot without their QB1 since Week 5 and one of the top RBs in the league on the bench for the last three game? They just keep winning, and now they are in a three way tie in the AFC South with the emerging Texans and the sliding Jags. Shane Steichen should be the favorite for Coach of the Year after turning this team around amid hold out threats, injury issues and turmoil in the front offices.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-7, last week 18

There was no shrinkage form the Bucs in the Battle of the Bays from the Frozen Tundra. Instead, Baker Mayfield and Tampa went into Lambeau and thawed the Packers thanks to their QBs best game in years. They now hold the lead in the NFC South, with three weeks to go. They play the Jags, the Saints and the Panthers to end the season, and the season could be on the line in their game against New Orleans.

17. Green Bay Packers 6-8, last week 14

The Packers don’t lose at home in December. Or at least they didn’t used to. The Frozen Tundra was their fortress of solitude for years and years, but the defense who took responsibility for carrying this team early in the season got shredded like a block of Wisconsin cheddar by Baker Mayfield who went for 381 yards and 4 TDs, and dropping the Packers out of playoff positioning.

18. Seattle Seahawks 7-7, last week 24

There are must wins, and then there are potentially season ending games. The Seahawks returned to Seattle in a life or death matchup against the one-time best teams in the league, who came in desperate for a win themselves. As three point underdogs coming into the night, people loaded up on Philly like Kramer did for Jerry when Reggie Miller and the Pacers came to town, but the defense did enough to keep Drew Lock and the offense in the game until the final two minutes. Lock proved he’s no phony with a 10 play drive that ended in a game winning TD that keeps the Seahawks in the playoff race.

19. New Orleans Saints 7-7, last week 20

Say what you want about the NFC South, but they have three teams knocking on the door of the postseason. The Saints have the same record as the Bucs, and control their own destiny in the division with a game in Tampa scheduled in two weeks time. New Orleans still has to go to LA before that, and take on a Rams team looking for one of their potential Wild Card spots. If New Orleans can win those two games, they might call Check Mate on the division.

20. Minnesota Vikings 7-7, last week 15

The Vikings called. Their running out of quarterbacks. Josh Dobbs was benched and listed as the third string “emergency quarterback” after his last two games that saw him throw four INTs and then throw for 63 yards as he failed to lead his team in the end zone in a 3-0 win in Vegas. They are 1-3 in their last four, but somehow Minnesota are still in Wild Card position. They are going to have to figure out their QB situation as they finish of the season with NFC North games against the Lions and Packers and Lions.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-7, last week 19

The Steelers have lost three straight games to drop out of playoff positioning. Pittsbugh fans wanted Matt Canada gone. He left and they went 1-3 in their next three games. Now they want Mitch Trubisky gone at QB. It’s going to take a Festivus miracle to bring the offense to life. Instead they will continue to have to rely on the feats of strength from TJ Watt and the defense.

22. Las Vegas Raiders 6-8, last week 23

After getting shut out by the Vikings in last week, the Raiders reversed the peephole and turned the attention to the futility of the LA Chargers with a historic day from Allegiant Stadium. They did it with a rookie, second string QB and without last year’s league leader in rushing yards. I hope Antonio Pierce is on the sidelines in Vegas next year, because for the first time in a long time, the Raiders are playing for their coach, and that was evident in their blowout on Thursday night.

23. Chicago Bears 5-9, last week 21

The Bears are in that strange middle ground where the Chicago faithful obviously want their team to win, but losing the final few games wouldn’t be the worst thing either. That’s what’s so vexing. There are a lot of people in the Windy City who would like to see a change on the sideline and if the Bears keep winning that scenario may not play out.

24. Atlanta Falcons 6-8, last week 22

If you want to be a playoff team, or even if you want to pretend to be a playoff team, you have to beat the worst team in the league with your season on the line. Blame it on the rain, blame it on it being a divisional match up, blame it on the Panthers blacked out unis. I’m going to blame it on Bijah Robinson and the Falcons pitiful run game. Some teams love the slop, but the Falcons left their cozy abode in ATL and played a team who looked like they had more to play for then a team with a playoff spot on the line.

25. New York Giants 5-9, last week 26

It’s been a tale that has swept the state of New York this season. A young man’s strange journey from mom’s house to the Meadowlands. Tommy DeVito exploded on to the scene and has brought his goomba’s with him, but not even the magic man or his Italian Sports Hall of Fame agent could save the Giants from a beatdown in the Bayou. He and his squad have been a sight for sad eyes in the Big Apple and who knows, he might be playing for the starting role next season over the next three games.

26. Los Angeles Chargers 5-9, last week 25

It finally happened. Brandon Staley has been let go of his post as head coach of the LA Chargers. All it took was a 63-21 drubbing at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders. There are no doubt Bolts fans who probably wish they would have taken that beating earlier in the year so the front office would have made the move months ago, but it’s going to be back to the drawing board as the Pain and Yearning continues LaLa Land.

27. Tennessee Titans 5-9, last week 27

There have been more than a handful of Titans games in which they choose not to run. That wasn’t the case in their divisional matchup against Houston. They ran the ball 30 times, but gained just 66 yards in their overtime loss to the the Texans. The good news, is that Will Levis’ injury looks to be a short term problem, although he may miss the rest of the season.

28. Arizona Cardinals 3-11, last week 28

Got to give it up to Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. They dared jump on the tracks with an Niners freight train coming through, and went toe-to-toe with our top team in the Power Rankings for the first two quarters. Resistance was futile, and in the end San Fran landed the death blow in the third quarter when Purdy connected on the first of two McCaffery TDs in the third quarter to put the Cardinals out of their misery.

29. Washington Commanders 4-10, last week 29 NSR

I think Ron Rivera’s decision to yank Sam Howell was a little unfair. The decision points the finger at Washington’s starting QB, who has laid his life on the line to keep his job this season. He has been sacked more than anyone in the league, and still is in the top 7 in passing yards, and looks to be one of the few signs of promise for the Commanders going forward. After another disappointing season in the nation’s capital, I think it’s Sack Lunch time for coach Rivera.

30. New England Patriots 3-11, last week 31

The Pats may have beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh last week, but it was Cry, Cry Again for fans in Foxborough as the Chiefs came to town and handed New England their seventh loss in eight home games. With not a whole lot to look forward to from here until the end of the season and Bill Belichick potentially on his way out, this could be a time for reflection and appreciation for a coach who has turned this franchise into the most successful franchise in NFL history.

31. New York Jets 5-9, last week 30

Watching the Jets collapse has been repulsively attractive. Like looking at the sun. You don’t stare at it. It’s too risky. Ya get a sense of it and then you look away. They tried to hold on for as long as they could as the defense did everything possible to keep New York in the playoff hunt until Aaron Rodgers could possibly make a miraculous return from his torn achilles. The playoff chances are gone after a stretch of six losses in seven games in which the offense is averaging 8.1 points a game.

32. Carolina Panthers 2-12, last week 32

Good for the Panthers. It’s been a wretched season, and on the most miserable of days in Carolina, they treated to their die hard fans who stuck with them through thick and thin, rain or shine, to the second win of the season. I’m happy for the fans, I’m happy for the players, but I’m not happy Bozo the Clown in the front office who is probably celebrating this win like he had something to do with it, and nothing to do with their disastrous seasons over the last five years.