NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Review and Reaction to 2016 League Standings

With just two weeks to go in the 2016 NFL season eight of the 12 playoff spots are still up for grabs. 

The Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders have already punched their tickets to the postseason. Nearly half the league is still alive for the final eight spots. 

Heading into Week 16, in which a number of teams will be fighting for their playoff lives, here's a look at how each team stacks up in the latest power rankings:  

Rank	Team	W-L
1	Dallas Cowboys	12-2
2	New England Patriots	12-2
3	Oakland Raiders	11-3
4	Seattle Seahawks	9-4-1
5	New York Giants	10-4
6	Kansas City Chiefs	10-4
7	Pittsburgh Steelers	9-5
8	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8-6
9	Tennessee Titans	8-6
10	Green Bay Packers	8-6
11	Atlanta Falcons	9-5
12	Miami Dolphins	9-5
13	Baltimore Ravens	8-6
14	Denver Broncos	8-6
15	Detroit Lions	9-5
16	Houston Texans	8-6
17	Carolina Panthers	6-8
18	Washington Redskins	7-6-1
19	Indianapolis Colts	7-7
20	Buffalo Bills	7-7
21	New Orleans Saints	6-8
22	Minnesota Vikings	7-7
23	Arizona Cardinals	5-8-1
24	Cincinnati Bengals	5-8-1
25	San Diego Chargers	5-9
26	Philadelphia Eagles	5-9
27	Chicago Bears	3-11
28	Los Angeles Rams	4-10
29	New York Jets	4-10
30	Jacksonville Jaguars	2-12
31	San Francisco 49ers	1-13
32	Cleveland Browns	0-14

10. Green Bay Packers

When the Green Bay Packers dropped four straight games earlier this season much of the talk surrounding the Packers' struggles was about Aaron Rodgers and the offense. While Rodgers' play may have dipped, the more serious concern was actually the performance of the defense—especially against the pass. 

During the Packers' current four-game win streak, however, the defense has improved dramatically compared to their four-game skid:

	Pass Yds/Gm	TO Forced	Avg Total QBR
4-Gm Losing Streak	300.8	2	87.3
4-Gm Win Streak	241.8	12	55.8

The Packers are still alive in the race for the NFC North title, but they'll need the defense to continue to keep up their current pace. 

Green Bay hosts Minnesota in Week 16, followed by a showdown with the Detroit Lions in Week 17, which could decide the division title. 

16. Houston Texans

Tim Warner/Getty Images

The Houston Texans are making a quarterback change. And, as ESPN Stats & Info pointed out, that's nothing new for the Texans:

"

Tom Savage: Texans’ 9th starting QB since 2013, tied with Browns for most in that time. Brandon Weeden, Brian Hoyer have started for both.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 19, 2016"

Despite the Texans' revolving door at quarterback, they're two games away from wrapping up their second consecutive AFC South title. 

Even with the Texans on the verge of another trip to the playoffs, it's tough to view them as a viable contender in January. 

Houston is 5-0 in their division, including a come-from-behind win on Sunday over the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, they're 3-6 outside of the struggling AFC South. 

The Texans host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night in Week 16, followed by their regular-season finale in what could effectively be the AFC South division championship game against the Tennessee Titans. 

18. Washington Redskins

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

After a convincing Week 11 win over the Packers, the Washington Redskins looked like a virtual lock for the playoffs. But after Monday night's 26-15 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Redskins have now dropped three of their last four games and are in must-win mode entering the final two weeks of the regular season. 

There are lot of places to point fingers after Washington's most recent loss, but it has to start with the offensive coaching staff. Despite never trailing by more than two scores, Kirk Cousins attempted 47 passes while Redskins running backs carried the ball just 11 times.

The unbalanced game plan likely contributed to Cousins' 49.5 Total QBR, per ESPN. That was his worst output since Week 5 against the Ravens. 

Entering the game, Washington controlled its own destiny to clinch a playoff berth, but now it's in need of help, according to Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan:

"

#Redskins blow golden opportunity in one of their worst performances of the season. Now need 2 wins & losses by TB, GB to get into playoffs.

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) December 20, 2016"

The Redskins are 3.5-point favorites in their Week 16 game at the Chicago Bears, according to OddsShark. However, they have a tough task ahead in Week 17 when they host the New York Giants. 

They defeated the Giants 29-27 in Week 3, but since Eli Manning joined the Giants in 2004, the Redskins have swept the season series just once (2011).