NFL Power Rankings after Week 16: Ravens take top spot, Cowboys falling, Browns make moves
A long Christmas weekend of NFL football has come to a close and the playoff races are heating up as we head into the final two weeks of the season.
I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend full of fun, family and football. There was a lot to take in, from the Rams win on Thursday to start the weekend to Steelers downing the Colts on Saturday, to the Dolphins edging the Cowboys on Sunday and the Ravens topping the Niners on Monday night. There was a lot to take in, so lets take a look at our Power Rankings going into the final two weeks of the season:
1. Baltimore Ravens 12-3, last week 2
I´ve been holding off this move all season, but the Ravens leave me no choice. Congratulations for finally reaching the top spot. Seeing what Baltimore did in San Fran has me thinking I waited entirely too long to pull the trigger on the Ravens.
2. San Francisco 49ers 11-4, last week 1
The losing streak is gone but all is not lost. The Niners still control their own destiny for the top seed in the NFC. Purdy threw four picks. That’s not good, but it’s hard to place all the blame on him for three of those INTs. The Niners will be fine. We have seen them bounce back before, and there is a part of me that still thinks this is the best team in the league.
3. Miami Dolphins 11-4, last week 3
Miami finally got their long awaited and much anticipated win against a winning team. It comes at the perfect time for a Dolphins team that has two great teams waiting for them in the coming weeks. They could end the season as the one seed if they win out, or a Wild Card if they lose both games to the Ravens and Bills.
4. Buffalo Bills 9-6, last week 5
No one is getting in the Bills way in their quest for a playoff spot. Not even Easton Stick and Giff Smith. That is the Chargers QB and interim coach, just in case you stopped paying attention to the Chargers two months ago like everyone else in the NFL.
5. Philadelphia Eagles 10-4, last week 7
It was a win that should feel like a loss for the Eagles and their fans, who are starting to get all too familiar with that losing sensation over the last few weeks. Everything is just off and there´s really no explanation for it. The good news is they have retaken the NFC East lead and have the Cardinals and the Giants to wrap up the regular season.
6. Cleveland Browns 10-5, last week 8
If the Browns make the playoffs (which is almost guaranteed) they are going to party like it’s 2015. That was Amari Cooper’s rookie season, and Joe Flacco´s eighth season in the year. On Sunday in Houston they looked like Tom Brady and Randy Moss in their prime.
7. Kansas City Chiefs 9-6, last week 4
Giving up two TDs in a span of 10 seconds isn’t how you win football games. Were are finally starting to see the cracks show as Patrick Mahomes frustration is seeping more and more with each passing week. They are certain to make, the playoffs but once they are in, then what?
8. Detroit Lions 11-4, last week 9
The good news: the Lions won their first division title in over two decades. The bad news: they gave up 400 yards passing to a guy name Nick Mullens. That’s not the kind of comforting statistic you want to see on the same day you qualify for the playoffs, but they got a division road win against a team in the thick of the Wild Card chase, so enjoy this Lions fans.
9. Dallas Cowboys 10-5, last week 6
It’s starting to get a little uncomfortable in Big D. As soon as people started talking about them being a Super Bowl team and Dak being the favorite for the MVP, they go on a two game slide. It would behoove the Cowboys to stay out of the spotlight, but their big mouth fans would never allow that.
10. Los Angeles Rams 8-7, last week 14
The Rams had a job to do on Thursday night and Matthew Stafford and Puca Nacua stood on their business as LA wiggled their way into a Wild Card spot. There aren’t many teams playing better football than Sean McVay´s men at the most important time of the season.
11. Denver Broncos 7-8, last week 11
Losing to the Lions in Detroit is understandable, but losing the week after to the Bailey Zappe and the Patriots in Denver is inexcusable. If they miss out on the postseason, don´t look back at their 1-5 start to the season. Look back at this Week 16 loss.
12. Cincinnati Bengals 8-7, last week 10
We had to see Jake Browning come down from cloud nine at some point or another. He did in Pittsburgh and they landed in a four way tie for the final Wild Card spot at 8-7.
13. Houston Texans 8-7, last week 13
It hurts to see what’s happening to the CJ Stroud-less Texans. After an incredible turnaround from one season to the next, they are on the verge of losing out on a Wild Card spot after a two game slide, but are tied at the top of the AFC with Jacksonville and Indy at 8-7. Hopefully Stroud recovers from his concussion to make a final playoff push against the Colts and Titans in the last two weeks of the season.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-7, last week 16
This is the Baker Mayfield that the Bucs were hoping to see when they signed him. Not just a QB who is a fighter and that will make a play or two that might be good enough to win a game. They wanted to see him dominate and in the last two weeks, that is exactly what he has done. Combine that with a defense that turned the Jags over four times and we have a team that is not just capable of winning the NFC South, if not making a run in the playoffs.
15. Jacksonville Jaguars 8-7, last week 12
I don´t think anyone envisioned this late season collapse by the Jags. They have lost four straight and are hanging on to the AFC South by a thread. The good news is they have Carolina and Tennessee up next. If they can’t win those two games, they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.
16. Indianapolis Colts 8-7, last week 15
The Colts went into Atlanta and got pushed around by a team that looked more desperate to win. The Colts aren’t out of the playoff race yet but they have games against two aspiring playoff teams in the Raiders and Texans over the next couple weeks. They are going to have to play like the Falcons did against them on Sunday.
17. Green Bay Packers 7-8, last week 17
The Pack needed a win to stay alive in the playoff race. They got it, but it wasn’t pretty. What happened to the days in which the GB defense was supposed to carry this teams to victories like Jaire Alexander said earlier this season? That hasn’t been the case lately.
18. Seattle Seahawks 8-7, last week 18
The Seahawks were playing for their season against the Titans in Tennessee and it showed. After their incredible win over Philly last week, Gino Smith came back which didn´t solve all of their problems but he delivered in the clutch with a 14 play game winning drive that ended in a TD with under a minute left.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-7, last week 21
It’s what they have been calling for since Kenny Pickett went down with an ankle injury a few weeks ago. Mike Tomlin finally put Mason Rudolph under center and look what happened. George Pickens finally gets into the offense which exploded for 34 points and the Steelers are back in Wild Card contention. What happens when Kenny Pickett gets healthy is a whole other issue.
20. New Orleans Saints 7-8, last week 19
It just looks like it’s not going to cut it for the Saints this year. They got smacked around by a much better team than them in a game between direct rivals for a playoff spot. I don’t believe, but they have a chance to shut me up and win the division if they win out against the Bucs and Falcons.
21. Las Vegas Raiders 7-8, last week 22
Give that man his money! Antonio Pierce didn’t need to beat the Chiefs to deserve the head coaching role for next year and years to come, but he did it anyway. These players have rallied around him and they are playing, not just great football, but winning football. Unfortunately that aren´t always the requirements to get a coaching job with the Raiders.
22. Atlanta Falcons 7-8, last week 24
On the brink of elimination, the Falcons did what they had to do thanks to the return of Taylor Heinicke. Every year around this time he makes plays and has games that makes you wonder why more coaches don’t believe in him as a starter. The Falcons have to get through Chicago set up what could have a playoff spot on the line.
23. Chicago Bears 6-9, last week 23
There are a few things happening with Chicago´s recent run of good form. The first is that Justin Fields is earning the starting job for the future. That’s a good thing for Bears fans. Another thing is the Bears keep winning which is dropping them lower down the draft list. That’s not a good thing considering Chicago wanted two top five draft picks. The final thing is these wins might be earning Matt Eberflus consideration to hold on to his job. I´ll leave it to Bears fans to decide if that’s good or bad.
24. Minnesota Vikings 7-8, last week 20
It was a wild ride for the Vikings, who we must admit put up a fight until this point in the season. They put up a fight against the Lions too, despite their QB throwing four INTs, but it looks like Minnesota is running out of gas right before the finish line. Credit to them for surviving as long as they did.
25. New York Giants 5-9, last week 25
Did Christmas bring the Tommy DeVito fairytale to an end? Brian Daboll said you don’t bench a QB for one bad performance after DeVito failed to get his team in the end zone in New Orleans last week. Apparently one and a half bad performances is enough for Daboll to bench his QB as he went with Tyrod Taylor who almost came up with a miraculous comeback against the fading Eagles.
26. Los Angeles Chargers 5-10, last week 26
What do you want me to say? You want praise Easton Stick and Giff Smith for putting up a fight against the Bills? I´ll pass. No offense to these guys, but talking about a team led by two guys that probably won’t be there next year seems like a waste of time.
27. Tennessee Titans 5-10, last week 27
Nothing too noteworthy in the Titans loss to the Seahawks expect it was most likely Derrick Henry’s final game as a Titan. He is without question one of the greats in franchise history, and all we can do it tip our cap, say thanks and hope that he goes to a team that can get him the ring that he could never win in Tennessee.
28. Arizona Cardinals 3-12, last week 28
Not much has changed since Murray’s return. This team needs talent in a hurry. They are close to a No. 1 pick in the draft, but they have to keep losing and hope for a Carolina win in the next two weeks.
29. New England Patriots 4-11, last week 30
What are these final few weeks all about for the Patriots? First of all, it’s an audition, if you want to call it that, for Bill Belichick to keep his job in New England. Second of all, it’s a chance to play spoiler, which Belichick hasn’t gotten many chances to do very often. They have the Bills and Jets to close the season. A very fitting couple teams in what could be Belichick´s final games in Foxborough.
30. New York Jets 6-9, last week 31
It was just about as Jets of a win as the Jets could win. Going up thanks to a fantastic first half from Breece Hall, only to lose a 20 point half time lead and kick a game winning field goal in the last five seconds of the game. Robert Saleh got the vote of confidence for next year, but if he blows that lead, who knows what could have happened.
31. Washington Commanders 4-11, last week 29
The Commanders showed some heart after one of the most disheartening starts to a game you could imagine. They were down 17-0 in the first quarter after staring the game with an INT, a blocked punt and a three and out, but battled back to take the lead in another game in which Jacoby Brissett almost led a comeback off the bench. The Commanders QB situation to end the season is only going to make things more complicated for whoever is the coach in the nation´s capitol next season.
32. Carolina Panthers 2-13, last week 32
A week after beating the Falcons, Carolina almost played spoiler to another playoff hopeful in the Packers. It’s taken a while, but Bryce Young is finally starting to look like an NFL QB. While this team is getting better, they aren’t a structured enough squad to rush to the line and spike the ball with 8 seconds on the clock, and that’s why they weren’t able to tie the game up in the final moments of the fourth.