NFL Power Rankings: Week 17 Standings Based on Latest Super Bowl Odds
With the season nearing its end and the playoffs on the way for just a few franchises, the latest Super Bowl odds reflect the huge shift from this past weekend.
The Seattle Seahawks completely flipped the NFC playoff picture and now have the inside track to clinch the No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, historic franchises like the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers are now back in the postseason after missing out last year.
Every team still receives Super Bowl odds, even if it is the Oakland Raiders or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Neither franchise can miraculously win eight games this weekend to make the tournament, but both still exist.
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Note: Super Bowl odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated Dec. 24 at 11 a.m. ET.
32. Oakland Raiders (5000-1)
Currently, the Raiders have no shot of making the playoffs, much less hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. But after playing spoiler over the last several weekends against the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills, this has been an entertaining team to watch down the stretch.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (3000-1)
Often mentioned alongside the Raiders for their similar struggles, the Jacksonville Jaguars haven't debunked that notion this season. A win over the lowly Tennessee Titans followed by taking down the playoff hopeful Houston Texans would be a great way to finish another horrid year.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2000-1)
The struggle is very real down South. Tampa Bay has not only been abysmal this season but has a chance to be by far the worst at home.
ESPN Stats & Info points out a staggering statistic about the lowly Buccaneers:
Of course, the home loss against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16 dropped the Bucs to seven losses in Raymond James Stadium. On the bright side, Lovie Smith might have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick with a loss to the New Orleans Saints—which would drop the franchise to 0-8 at home.
29. New York Jets (2000-1)
Who would have guessed that another year under Rex Ryan and John Idzik wouldn't go well for the New York Jets? Well, just about any NFL fan. New York has been out of the postseason picture for a while thanks to terrible quarterback play but will have a chance at a high draft choice—again.
28. Washington Redskins (1000-1)
Robert Griffin III looked like his old self in an upset win against the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. His future is still up in the air with the Washington Redskins, but sweeping the Dallas Cowboys this weekend would heal some of the wounds in D.C.
27. Tennessee Titans (1000-1)
Currently riding extremely low on a nine-game losing streak with recent losses to the New York Giants, Jets and Jags, the Tennessee Titans look like one of the worst teams in the NFL. But much like the Buccaneers, there is hope for a No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
There's also the potential that Tennessee might be bringing in a veteran quarterback in Jay Cutler, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com:
Depending on how you view Cutler, this is either reason for hope or just more bad news. Cutler would be given a second chance, but what he does with it would change the Titans franchise—for better or worse.
26. New York Giants (750-1)
The days of making late January runs for the Giants appear to be in the rear-view mirror for now. Having young talent like Odell Beckham Jr. and Andre Williams means making another run in the near future doesn't seem so far off.
25. Chicago Bears (500-1)
Speaking of Cutler, the current Chicago Bears quarterback is set to return after riding the pine last weekend. In order for the Bears to get out of the cellar of the NFC North, however, they'll need him to lead them to a season sweep of the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday.
24. Cleveland Browns (500-1)
Much like the Bears, the Cleveland Browns have completely fallen apart late in the season. Johnny Manziel is out with a hamstring injury. Brian Hoyer might not be ready to go either, per Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. The final game could be up to Connor Shaw to win, which is exactly how Mike Pettine drew up his rookie season as a head coach.
23. St. Louis Rams (500-1)
Unlike most of the teams behind them, the St. Louis Rams have an identity with their defense. That nasty defense didn't show up in Week 16, when the Rams were dismantled by the Giants. Having a chance to reshape the playoffs this weekend against Seattle, the defense has one more opportunity to shine.
22. Miami Dolphins (500-1)
Even with an 8-7 record, the Miami Dolphins are already out of the playoff hunt for another year. Joe Philbin has slowly steered the team in the right direction but hasn't quite gotten over the hump.
In a division where both the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots look like powerful teams, making that jump will be tough for Miami.
21. Kansas City Chiefs (500-1)
Andy Reid has the Kansas City Chiefs on the cusp of a playoff run yet again in his second season with the franchise. They'll need some help, however, but they still have a shot with a win over the San Diego Chargers in Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday.
20. Houston Texans (500-1)
Having superstars on both sides of the ball has given the Houston Texans a decent balance all season. In fact, outstanding seasons for both J.J. Watt and Arian Foster have led to Pro Bowl nods for both, per the Texans' official account:
Watt seems to have the inside track to Defensive Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Foster has garnered some attention for Comeback Player of the Year.
What Bill O'Brien has done in his first season in Houston has often been overshadowed by the success of Bruce Arians and others. On the heels of a two-win season, the Texans can turn a complete 180 with a victory this weekend to move to 9-7 and potentially make the postseason.
19. Minnesota Vikings (300-1)
The next two on the list don't seem to make much sense, but the Minnesota Vikings are still ahead of two potential playoff teams in Super Bowl odds. Teddy Bridgewater has looked impressive along with Anthony Barr, but the Vikings still seem a few years away from making a postseason run.
18. San Francisco 49ers (150-1)
Heading into the season, no one would have guessed the 49ers would be grasping at straws just to finish at .500. That's the exact scenario they face against the Arizona Cardinals, with change seemingly coming for the franchise in the offseason.
17. Buffalo Bills (150-1)
Now we'll return to teams with hopes of making the playoffs really quickly. Buffalo has an outside shot, but that window seemingly closed after a loss to the Raiders—yes, those Raiders. If the team can somehow knock off the Patriots and get some help, then it has a great defense to lead the way.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (100-1)
On Thanksgiving Day, the Philadelphia Eagles moved to 9-3, with the NFC East seemingly in their grasp. Heading into Week 17, they are out of the playoff hunt after losing to the Redskins to drop to 9-6. The fall hasn't been a graceful one for the once-soaring Eagles.
15. Carolina Panthers (75-1)
At 6-8-1, the Carolina Panthers simply need a win or tie this weekend to host a playoff game. With a win, the Panthers would also have a shot at pulling off a home victory, similar to the 7-9 Seahawks following the 2010 season.
Jonathan Jones of The Charlotte Observer points out who might be coming into Charlotte for the Wild Card showdown:
Given the fact that the Cardinals are now starting Logan Thomas—their fourth quarterback this season—Carolina's defense would have an opportunity to shine. All that aside, a loss this weekend means no playoffs and a potential top-10 selection. That's a win-win situation for Carolina regardless of the outcome.
14. Baltimore Ravens (75-1)
In desperate need of a win and some help, the Baltimore Ravens still have a chance to be the third AFC North team in the postseason. However, Baltimore might get to 10 wins and still miss out while the Panthers or Falcons would get in with sub-.500 records.
If Carolina does find its way in while Baltimore heads home, let's just say the reaction from Steve Smith promises to be epic.
13. Atlanta Falcons (66-1)
This could be as simple as saying, "See Carolina's situation," but that wouldn't be fun. Atlanta's higher odds might be due to its earlier win on the road against the Panthers. Or maybe it's the fact that the Falcons are 5-0 in the NFC South.
Regardless of why they have 66-1 odds, the Falcons can make the postseason with a win on Sunday. They also might have a favorable matchup with the Cardinals, as previously noted.
12. Arizona Cardinals (50-1)
As impressive as the Cardinals have been this season, nearly every NFC team is hoping to face them in the playoffs due to their struggles under center. However, Arians has proved he can win with his defense alone, so this will be an interesting team to watch in January.
11. San Diego Chargers (40-1)
One memorable comeback for the Chargers has propelled them from an outsider to the driver's seat for the No. 6 seed in the AFC. One slip-up this weekend could be costly for San Diego and a huge boost for the Chiefs' chances.
Philip Rivers spoke about the difficulty of getting a win against the division rivals on the road, per the Chargers' official account:
San Diego was able to make an epic run to make the postseason last year and even came away with a victory in January. However, it'll need the same type of luck this Sunday to mirror that success.
10. New Orleans Saints (33-1)
In the department of things that make zero sense, the Saints remain ahead of myriad potential playoff teams in Super Bowl odds. Drew Brees has done some special things in his career, but even he can't save New Orleans this year after being eliminated in Week 16.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (33-1)
Apparently beating the defending AFC champion Denver Broncos wasn't enough to earn more respect for the Cincinnati Bengals. Marvin Lewis has another shot to win the division crown this weekend and has a plethora of offensive weapons to get the job done.
8. Indianapolis Colts (25-1)
There have been several games this season in which it seemed like the Indianapolis Colts needed to hit the reset button. A 51-34 loss to the Steelers was answered with a 16-point shellacking of the Giants. Losing by 22 to the Patriots was a precursor to a four-game winning streak.
Given a chance to improve its seed in the AFC against Dallas, Indy looked uninterested during the 42-7 blowout loss. The Colts will head into the postseason at 4-5 against winning teams, which is not quite a recipe for success in the second season.
7. Detroit Lions (22-1)
A year after crumbling late in the season to miss the playoffs, the Detroit Lions have a chance to win the NFC North this Sunday. Already locked into the postseason, the Lions might also earn a bye and home-field advantage for the divisional round.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (14-1)
How far exactly can the Three B's lead the Steelers in the postseason after missing out in 2013? Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown have been dynamic all season. Throw in Martavis Bryant and an experienced defense, and Pittsburgh seemingly has all the tools for a late run.
5. Dallas Cowboys (8-1)
Tony Romo isn't playing around this December, and neither is Dez Bryant. Even with DeMarco Murray limited against the Colts, the Cowboys' explosive tandem made a difference in the passing game.
Dallas has been surging this December thanks to masterful play from Romo. NFL on ESPN notes the staggering statistics for the former scapegoat in the Big D:
Let's just say those December woes are over for Dallas this season. The next question will be whether the great play continues into January with a shot at the Super Bowl on the line.
4. Denver Broncos (13-2)
Cincinnati has typically been an underwhelming team in primetime matchups, but that all changed against the Broncos on Monday night. Four interceptions from Peyton Manning won't get the job done next month, but Denver will have a week off if it can simply take down lowly Oakland.
3. Green Bay Packers (11-2)
The playoffs start this Sunday for the Packers with the NFC North on the line. A victory gives them a chance at a bye in the first round, but a loss would send them to the Wild Card Round. Regardless of the outcome, Green Bay still looks like a team to beat with Aaron Rodgers and Eddie Lacy surging.
2. New England Patriots (11-4)
In the AFC, the current favorite to reach the Super Bowl is New England. Given the team's recent 10-1 record since the infamous Monday Night Football loss to the Chiefs, New England once again looks like an AFC powerhouse heading into January.
1. Seattle Seahawks (13-5)
That defense. The dynamic play of Russell Wilson. Beast Mode being activated yet again before the playoffs.
All of those are reasons why the Seattle Seahawks are currently the Super Bowl favorites heading into Week 17. An argument can be made for several other teams at this point, but the defending champions have looked even more dominant recently than their 2014 run.
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