NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Latest Outlook and 2014-15 Super Bowl Odds

Las Vegas is fallible like anybody, especially when it comes to NFL lines and Super Bowl odds. 

Last week was a good example, as the house seemed to be swept away in the Johnny Manziel hype like the rest of the globe. The line hardly went past even, but the Cincinnati Bengals won a 30-0 torrid affair.

Things are better with Super Bowl odds. Like the rankings below, the odds digest the entire season as a whole and throw recent performances into the mix for good measure. The result is a picturesque view of a league set to begin a postseason push.

2014 Super Bowl Odds After Week 15

Team	Odds
New England Patriots	15-4
Denver Broncos	9-2
Seattle Seahawks	4-1
Green Bay Packers	4-1
Dallas Cowboys	16-1
Indianapolis Colts	18-1
Detroit Lions	18-1
Arizona Cardinals	22-1
Philadelphia Eagles	25-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	25-1
Baltimore Ravens	28-1
Cincinnati Bengals	33-1
New Orleans Saints	50-1
San Diego Chargers	66-1
Carolina Panthers	100-1
Kansas City Chiefs	100-1
Atlanta Falcons	100-1
Buffalo Bills	100-1
San Francisco 49ers	150-1
Minnesota Vikings	300-1
Houston Texans	500-1
Cleveland Browns	500-1
Miami Dolphins	500-1
St. Louis Rams	500-1
Chicago Bears	500-1
New York Giants	750-1
Washington	1000-1
Tennessee Titans	1000-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2000-1
New York Jets	2000-1
Jacksonville Jaguars	3000-1
Oakland Raiders	5000-1

Note: Super Bowl odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. ET

32. Washington (3-11)

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Good luck with the puzzle that is Washington.

For one reason or another, Robert Griffin III was back under center in a loss to the New York Giants. He threw for 236 yards and a score, but Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 D.C. puts it best:

Washington's season is over, but how the team plays will decide plenty of jobs.

31. Tennessee Titans (2-12)

The quarterback carousel in Tennessee never stops. 

Jake Locker left last weekend's game with a shoulder injury, which in turn led to another chance for Charlie Whitehurst, who went 10-of-24 for 203 yards.

An ugly affair all around, the Titans have now lost eight in a row.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-12)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just lost to a team with a backup quarterback. 

Actually, think about it—the Buccaneers have now lost to a Derek Anderson-led team twice this season.

What else really needs to be said?

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12)

Blake Bortles continues to have a weekly pass on the struggle bus. 

This past weekend was another down performance, as 210 yards and an interception are not numbers that will take down Baltimore at home.

Jacksonville continues to go through the motions, although a matchup with Tennessee on a short week is a good chance to pick up a win—Bortles and Co. only lost by two points in Week 6 to those Titans.

28. Oakland Raiders (2-12)

The Oakland Raiders were unable to pull off a second upset of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Derek Carr sure tried this past weekend, though. The rookie threw for 222 yards and a score on a miserable 27-of-56 line while his defense leaked throughout the contest.

These are important reps for Carr and other young players, though. A foundation continues to form in Oakland.

27. New York Jets (3-11)

Is a win over the Titans something to hang the hat on at this point? 

Perhaps. Geno Smith threw for 179 yards and a score, so at least there was not a turnover through the air.

It helps, though, that the defense dealt with Whitehurst all game. The unit certainly needs a break, as Tom Brady and Co. come to town next week.

26. Chicago Bears (5-8)

Chicago is a mess that is unlikely to find answers Monday as the season winds down. 

Marc Trestman's defense ranks 31st against the pass, and the team has lost five of its last seven. A high-profile matchup with New Orleans next means the defense will once again struggle for answers.

25. New Orleans Saints (5-8)

The New Orleans Saints are guaranteed a win on Monday Night Football not thanks to an encounter with the Chicago Bears, but thanks to it being road game.

Drew Brees and Co. have lost each of their last four home games for one reason or another.

The season is on the line Monday, so the team had better hope the trend holds true.

24. Cleveland Browns (7-7)

Ouch. 

Manziel now has an NFL start to his name to go along with 80 yards and two interceptions. Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan put it best:

The Browns and Manziel have a long way to go after a miserable home shutout.

23. St. Louis Rams (6-8)

The St. Louis Rams just lost to the Arizona Cardinals by allowing four field goals. Still, few teams want to dance with Jeff Fisher's squad this year.

"I'm glad we don't have to play the Rams anymore," wideout Larry Fitzgerald said after the win, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com.

St. Louis touts a top-12 defense against the pass and rush with no intentions of shutting things down. Favorites had better watch out.

22. New York Giants (5-9)

Make it two in a row for Eli Manning and the Giants, although that's thanks to their recent stretch of schedule more than anything.

The Giants just took care of Washington on the shoulders of Manning's three touchdowns, but things figure to come back down to Earth in the coming weeks against St. Louis and Philadelphia.

After all, the latter shut the Giants out 27-0 back in Week 6. Injuries to players such as Victor Cruz took down the Giants this year.

21. Carolina Panthers (5-8-1)

Not only have the Carolina Panthers won two games in a row, it was the aforementioned Anderson who saved the season this past week against Tampa Bay. 

Anderson, in place of Cam Newton, threw for 277 yards and a score and helped to hold the ball for more than 37 minutes of play.

Now all the Panthers need to do is get healthy and finish strong against Cleveland and Atlanta.

20. Minnesota Vikings (6-8)

Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and the Minnesota Vikings have nothing to be ashamed of as their two-game winning streak snapped in Detroit. 

Bridgewater misfired on just 10 passes on the way to 315 yards with a score and two picks.

The real story is an impressive defense that held Matthew Stafford to just one touchdown and the Lions as a whole to 80 rushing yards.

Mike Zimmer continues to build something special, with next season looking quite bright.

19. Atlanta Falcons (5-9)

For just a second, the Atlanta Falcons seemed to be on the right path. 

An ugly loss to Green Bay and a loss to Pittsburgh now has Matt Ryan and Co. looking up to two teams in the miserable NFC South.

The league's worst pass defense must now visit New Orleans, where either side could deal a season-ending blow.

18. Houston Texans (7-7)

It is back to the drawing board for the somewhat-competitive Houston Texans.

The team lost Ryan Mallett this past Sunday in a loss to Indianapolis. Tom Savage took over and suffered the same fate, as noted by John McClain of The Houston Chronicle:

In other words, .500 to finish the season is a blessing at this point.

17. Miami Dolphins (7-7)

The Miami Dolphins are at rock bottom. 

Losers of three of their last four, the last two games—28-13 and 41-13 losses—are indicative of how much effort the team is putting into contests at this point.

There was never a major shot at catching New England in the division, but now Ryan Tannehill and Co. can likely kiss the postseason goodbye entirely.

16. Buffalo Bills (8-6)

Talk about a season-defining win.

As SportsCenter notes, the Buffalo Bills defense has been on fire as of late:

Buffalo has won three of its last four and remains in the hunt thanks to a win over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. While great, the season hinges on a showdown in Foxborough in Week 17.

15. Kansas City Chiefs (8-6)

The Chiefs now have a semblance of revenge with a win over Oakland this past weekend. 

Alex Smith threw for 297 yards and a pair of scores, while Andy Reid once again got away with only rushing Jamaal Charles a small amount of times before his exit with a slight injury (12).

Kansas City is in a good spot to sneak into the playoffs, but it will take strong showings against Pittsburgh and San Diego to close the season.

14. San Francisco 49ers (7-7)

Stick a fork in the San Francisco 49ers. Thank those in the front office, too. Melissa Jacobs of TheFootballGirl.com hits the nail on the head:

The 49ers are now losers of three straight and sit at .500. The season is over.

13. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)

Winners in four of their last five, the Baltimore Ravens took care of business against Jacksonville despite only one touchdown from Joe Flacco and 16 carries for Justin Forsett.

The only problem now is that Cincinnati swept the team and the series with Pittsburgh was a split. Should the Ravens not win out and the dominoes fall in their favor, they will watch the playoffs from home.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5)

Le'Veon Bell continues to do it all for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The star back rushed for 47 yards and a pair of scores Sunday against Atlanta but also caught five passes for 72 yards in the process.

Pittsburgh has now won three of its last four, the lone loss being of the last-second variety. A season-ending bout with Cincinnati has never looked more important this year.

11. San Diego Chargers (8-6)

Owners of perhaps the deadliest season-ending stretch of all, the San Diego Chargers are now losers of two straight. 

This time the Chargers held Peyton Manning to 233 yards and just one touchdown but still allowed five field goals.

Philip Rivers looked uncomfortable all day, throwing one score and two picks. A shot at the postseason continues to slip away, especially with road games against San Francisco and Kansas City still on the schedule.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)

Sometimes Chip Kelly's quick-twitch attack backfires.

It did on Sunday Night Football when the offense had the ball for just over 18 minutes and came up short behind two Mark Sanchez interceptions.

Worse is the play of the defense as of late. The secondary collapsed on itself against Dallas, allowing Dez Bryant to catch six passes for 114 yards—half of his receptions went for touchdowns.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (9-4-1)

Cincinnati took advantage of a rookie quarterback to capture its fourth win in five tries. 

The bulk of the credit goes to rookie back Jeremy Hill. The LSU product took more playing time in stride and found 148 yards and two scores on 25 carries.

Cincinnati is at its best when it can run the ball at an elite level to protect Andy Dalton. The Bengals are clearly already in postseason form.

8. Indianapolis Colts (10-4)

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts continue to hum along toward a divisional title. 

Things were far from perfect in Week 15 on the way to a win over Houston. Luck posted an 18-of-34 mark with two scores and a pick. The team only rushed for 110 yards.

So it goes against Houston, though. Perhaps the team had its eye on a high-profile showdown with the Dallas Cowboys that comes next week.

7. Detroit Lions (10-4)

A win is a win, folks.

Besides, Detroit excels in one particular area most of the league does not, per ESPN's Michael Rothstein:

After falling behind 14-0 to the Vikings, the Lions still got a win and remain in the NFC North race.

6. Dallas Cowboys (10-4)

Thanks to a trio of touchdown passes from Tony Romo, the Cowboys are now alone at the top of the NFC East.

The Cowboys are winners in four of their last five. It helps that DeMarco Murray continues to churn out elite performances, such as 81 yards and two scores Sunday night.

All Dallas needs to do now is hold strong against Indianapolis and Washington. 

5. Arizona Cardinals (11-3)

The Cardinals just got past the Rams last Thursday for win No. 11.

Now for the bad news—the team lost another starting quarterback, this time Drew Stanton. ESPN's Chris Mortensen has the details:

"

Initially, the Cardinals believed he had fully torn the ACL, which had been repaired in 2007, but an MRI revealed a Grade 2 sprain, which is a partial tear.

With successful rehab and a knee brace, Stanton has a realistic chance of returning four weeks from the injury -- meaning he could be back for the playoffs, especially if Arizona secures a first-round bye, which is within reach for the 11-3 Cardinals.

"

Arizona is in for the postseason either way, but how the team performs once there is a major question.

4. Denver Broncos (11-3)

Manning continues to look a bit shaky, but four straight wins this time of year means a whole lot in the rankings department. 

Regardless of whether it took five field goals or not, the Broncos got a road win in San Diego.

Much will continue to be said about the offense, but keep in mind the league's second-best rush defense complements Manning. It is a scary thought moving toward the postseason. Grinding out the clock and keeping Manning off the field does not work.

3. Green Bay Packers (10-4)

One loss on a short week to an elite defense does not doom Rodgers and the Packers. 

A 17-of-42 line with two interceptions is downright awful, but it is hard to imagine one of the MVP front-runners has another performance like that the rest of the way.

The best news of all is that the Packers finish the season at home against the Lions. That showdown will dish out a divisional crown, so Rodgers' ability to put this behind him is quite important.

2. Seattle Seahawks (10-4)

The defending champions continue to look like one of the most dangerous teams in the league.

Seattle now has four consecutive wins, including two over rival San Francisco in three weeks.

Surprise time—Seahawks star back Marshawn Lynch torched the 49ers for 91 yards and a score on 21 carries. Beast Mode's team is not one most want to see at this point of the season.

1. New England Patriots (11-3)

Again, Brady and the New England Patriots sit in the top spot. 

Nine wins in the last 10 tries will do that for a team. So too will a 41-13 rout of divisional foe Miami, a team that entered with a solid pass defense and a win over the Patriots on the resume this season.

So much for that. The Patriots are the best team in the league right now thanks to a top-10 run defense and an offense led by Brady. The proof is right out on the table for the public to see. 

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).