NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Analyzing Standings Entering Week 17
The NFL playoff picture is all but set with 10 of the 12 spots locked up, but there is plenty of drama still remaining heading into Week 17.
After all, seeding and the final postseason slot for each conference are still up in the air, even if the NFC South winner will have a losing record. What’s more, it is somewhat easier to rank the teams in comparison to each other with an entire season of sample size in the rearview mirror.
With that in mind, here is a look at the latest power rankings with one more week remaining in the season.
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32. Tennessee Titans (2-13)
The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars battled for the last spot in these power rankings in Week 16, and the Jaguars won the game. However, the argument can be made that the Titans came out on top because they are in position to possibly get the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Adding someone like Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota could change the fortunes of the franchise for years to come.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-13)
Speaking of teams that could use a Mariota or even Jameis Winston, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one game away from finally putting the disaster of the 2014 season in the past.
Tampa Bay managed a measly three points against Green Bay in Week 16 and would be much better off losing to the New Orleans Saints in Week 17 than winning. That is the backwards nature of the NFL draft for losing teams late in the year.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
Credit the Jacksonville Jaguars for battling all season with a rookie quarterback and a young receiving corps, but wins were just not in the cards this season. A couple more years of impressive drafting could set Jacksonville up for contention in a mediocre AFC South, but winning five games in a season may be a better immediate goal for 2015.
29. New York Jets (3-12)
The New England Patriots seem to bring the best out of the New York Jets. If only New York could bring that intensity to the table every single week.
The Jets lost to the Patriots by a single point in Week 16 and looked like a team that could contend based on its defense alone. Alas, that has not been the case for the majority of this forgettable season, which is why the Jets are 3-12.
28. Oakland Raiders (3-12)
Most NFL fans may not be paying attention, but the Oakland Raiders are 3-2 in their last five games.
The youngsters are starting to turn things around with a full season under their belt, and the Raiders won’t be in the Mariota or Winston sweepstakes when the draft rolls around. Their future is in Derek Carr.
27. Chicago Bears (5-10)
The Chicago Bears have been the most disappointing team in the entire league this season when preseason expectations are taken into consideration.
Jay Cutler has been a disaster, the defense is playing at a high school level and there will likely be major changes during the offseason. For as much offensive talent as is on the roster, the Bears could not have performed worse this season.
26. Washington (4-11)
Washington gets a boost in these rankings for an impressive performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16. It knocked the Eagles out of playoff contention (along with the Dallas Cowboys’ win) and gave Washington a glimmer of hope heading into the offseason.
How much credit you give Robert Griffin III for the win depends on your opinion of the Eagles' porous defense, but at least Washington got a much-needed win.
25. St. Louis Rams (6-9)
The St. Louis Rams lost some of that team-nobody-wants-to-play luster when they were exposed by the New York Giants in Week 16.
The pieces are still there for the Rams to compete sooner rather than later, especially in the front seven on defense, but they really need a reliable quarterback moving forward. Whether they get one in the draft remains to be seen.
24. New Orleans Saints (6-9)
The New Orleans Saints controlled their own destiny in the terrible NFC South until they lost to the Atlanta Falcons at home. Now, they are out of playoff contention.
New Orleans was a disappointing 3-5 at home this season, which is the main reason it won’t be playing in January. Drew Brees and the offense still put up solid numbers, but the defense couldn’t string together stops throughout the year.
23. New York Giants (6-9)
As ESPN Stats & Info noted, the New York Giants have some sad company this season:
The Giants unearthed a gem in Odell Beckham Jr., which should have their fans excited for the future, but there is little reason for optimism outside of that. Still, as the Detroit Lions of yesteryear could tell you, sometimes all it takes is one elite wide receiver to make the quarterback look better and keep the team competitive.
22. Minnesota Vikings (6-9)
The Minnesota Vikings lost one of those games that can be absolutely gut-wrenching in the NFL in the final minutes of their Week 16 showdown against the Miami Dolphins. Of course, it would have been much more painful if the Vikings were in playoff contention.
With Teddy Bridgewater under center, though, it is not difficult to envision Minnesota competing for the playoffs next year.
21. Cleveland Browns (7-8)
Talk about a train wreck.
The Cleveland Browns were in playoff contention for most of the season, but two straight losses after turning the reins over to Johnny Manziel have them on the outside looking in. Cleveland still has a solid defense and running game, but Manziel (or whoever is the quarterback next year) will have to be better in 2015.
20. San Francisco 49ers (7-8)
Whether it is poor health, a lack of chemistry or distractions surrounding the head coach’s future, the San Francisco 49ers have been incredibly disappointing this season. In fact, they can throw their hat in the ring with the Bears for the league’s biggest flop.
The 49ers are almost always a Super Bowl contender, but they will have to revamp the roster next season. A game-breaking (and younger) wide receiver would help, as would a clean bill of health for the defense.
19. Kansas City Chiefs (8-7)
As long as we are talking about teams that looked like a lock to reach the playoffs until a late-season collapse, the Kansas City Chiefs have lost four of five games (and even dropped one to the Oakland Raiders).
Teams have finally figured out that stuffing the box to stop the run forces the Chiefs offense to be one-dimensional with a struggling passing game. At this point, Kansas City needs a minor miracle to reach the playoffs.
18. Atlanta Falcons (6-9)
Record aside, the Atlanta Falcons are one home game away from winning the NFC South and hosting a playoff game. This is still a dangerous team because of Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Roddy White, but the defense will hold them back from anything significant in the postseason.
17. Carolina Panthers (6-8-1)
If the Carolina Panthers can beat the Falcons, they will take their losing record into the playoffs.
The good news for Carolina is that Cam Newton is relatively healthy (or as healthy as you can hope to be after a scary car wreck) and Jonathan Stewart is playing some of the best football of his career. If that combination can keep the clock running and the Falcons' aerial attack off the field, the Panthers will be playing in January.
16. Buffalo Bills (8-7)
The Buffalo Bills were in the playoff race all season until they lost a heartbreaker to Oakland in Week 16. Losing to the lowly Raiders is a disappointing way to end the season, but the Bills overachieved this year.
A solid defense should be back next season with a more experienced Sammy Watkins. Who starts at quarterback for the Bills on opening day in 2015 will certainly be an interesting development.
15. Miami Dolphins (8-7)
Speaking of AFC East teams that overachieved, the Miami Dolphins stayed in playoff contention longer than many expected. What’s more encouraging for the fanbase moving forward is that Ryan Tannehill looked like a budding star in the league on a number of occasions.
Perhaps he can lead the team into the postseason in 2015.
14. Baltimore Ravens (9-6)
The Baltimore Ravens need the San Diego Chargers to lose in Week 17 to have any hope at the playoffs thanks to a Week 16 loss to the Houston Texans.
Joe Flacco played one of the worst games of his career against Houston, and it is difficult to feel good about the Ravens moving forward after a performance like that (3-of-17 for 27 yards and two interceptions in the first half). A win over Cleveland in Week 17 could change things.
13. Houston Texans (8-7)
The majority of the press surrounding the Houston Texans this season has been about J.J. Watt, and deservedly so, but Arian Foster has helped the offense win some games. Now they still have some faint hopes at reaching the playoffs even with a mess of a quarterback situation (here’s to you, Case Keenum).
Still, Watt and the defense have kept this team afloat all season, and a postseason appearance would bolster his MVP chances.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (9-6)
The Philadelphia Eagles collapsed down the stretch of the season, and Chip Kelly is still without a playoff win in his young coaching career.
A season-ending injury to quarterback Nick Foles was difficult to overcome, but the defense is the reason the Eagles won’t be in the playoffs. Look for the front office to address that side of the ball in the draft and perhaps free agency this offseason.
11. San Diego Chargers (9-6)
Cliches like “gamer” and “grit” and “toughness” are thrown around far too liberally in sports, but Philip Rivers deserved all of those accolades when he led his team back from a 28-7 halftime deficit in Week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers with a back injury.
Now San Diego controls its own destiny in the race for the playoffs. Injured or not, the Chargers would be a dangerous opponent in the postseason.
10. Indianapolis Colts (10-5)
The Indianapolis Colts looked anything but playoff ready in their Week 16 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Andrew Luck has carried this team the majority of the season, but he is in something of a slump down the stretch. If he doesn’t snap out of it, the Colts may be staring at an early exit in the postseason.
The defense also has to play much better than it did against Tony Romo and the Cowboys attack.
9. Arizona Cardinals (11-4)
Nobody may believe in the Arizona Cardinals, but they have won 11 games behind one of the best defenses in the league.
Still, a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 removed any doubts about whether the Cardinals are a potential Super Bowl contender. The offense just isn’t up to the task of scoring enough points against elite defenses like the one Seattle brings to the table.
8. Detroit Lions (11-4)
ESPN Stats & Info noted how important the loss of Dominic Raiola will be for the Detroit Lions in their critical Week 17 showdown with the Green Bay Packers:
Maybe he shouldn’t stomp on the opponent after the play.
Regardless of Raiola’s dirty play, the Lions are a contender in the postseason because of their strong defense. That is a scary proposition for a team that also features Calvin Johnson as a threat to break the game open on any play.
A win over the Packers would move the Lions up in these rankings as a division champ and potential No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
7. Cincinnati Bengals (10-4-1)
Running back Jeremy Hill certainly seemed pleased to clinch a playoff spot with an impressive win over the Denver Broncos in Week 16, according to The Associated Press (via ESPN.com): "I know a lot of guys are never fortunate enough to make the playoffs. In college, I wanted to play for a national championship but never got the chance.”
Cincinnati erased some prime-time doubts with an impressive performance against the Broncos and now has a chance to win the division against Pittsburgh.
The problem is the Bengals already lost to the Steelers in Cincinnati once this year. It’s going to take one of their best performances of the season to clinch the division crown.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
Nobody wants to play the Steelers in the playoffs, or at least not the Steelers that have won three games in a row and have a golden opportunity to win the division.
The offense is second in the league in passing yards per game, and there are few teams in the entire NFL that have a threesome as dynamic as Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.
Pittsburgh will be a tough out in the postseason.
5. Dallas Cowboys (11-4)
NFL on ESPN pointed out that it may be time to stop making fun of Romo in December:
Romo has been excellent all season, and when you throw in Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, the Dallas offense will be a problem for any defense this postseason. The ironic thing is a home game in the postseason may not be the best thing for the NFC East champs considering the Cowboys are a perfect 7-0 on the road this year.
4. Denver Broncos (11-4)
It is easy to get caught up in the moment in the NFL and penalize the Denver Broncos in these rankings after a loss to the Bengals, but this is still one of the best teams in the league. As long as they beat the Raiders, they will get a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Peyton Manning hasn’t looked like the dominant force he typically is the past few weeks, but it will be difficult stopping him, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Julius Thomas in the postseason. It would not be a surprise if Denver was back in the Super Bowl.
3. Green Bay Packers (11-4)
Speaking of dynamic offenses that could work their way into the Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers are a home win against the Lions away from winning the NFC North.
Aaron Rodgers and his band of dynamic receivers could very well win the title, but this clash with Detroit is monumentally important. With a win, the Packers will play their first playoff game at home after a first-round bye. With a loss, they will have to go on the road and play in the Wild Card Round.
That is plenty of pressure on the final game of the regular season.
2. Seattle Seahawks (11-4)
The Seattle Seahawks have fought through that early Super Bowl hangover and now look like arguably the top team in the league—or at least in the NFC.
The Legion of Boom is dominating on defense, Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson are a dynamic duo on offense and the 12th Man will bring its A-game to the postseason. Good luck beating that combination on the way to the Super Bowl.
1. New England Patriots (12-3)
The New England Patriots looked anything but dominant against the Jets in Week 16, but they clinched a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Patriots have won 10 of the past 11 contests and have a solid defense to go along with Tom Brady and the offense. As long as Rob Gronkowski stays healthy, New England will be able to score against almost any team in the league.
A showdown between Brady and the Legion of Boom in the Super Bowl would certainly be a treat for NFL fans.
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