NFL Power Rankings Week 15: 2016 Standings, Reaction for All Teams Post-MNF

Another strong performace from Tom Brady has the Patriots looking like the top team in the AFC.Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Week 14 came to a close Monday night with the New England Patriots knocking off the Baltimore Ravens 30-23. The result keeps New England atop the AFC standings while moving the Ravens out of first place in the AFC North.  

Monday's game also capped an exciting week of football that carried plenty of other playoff implications. The Kansas City Chiefs took over the AFC West by beating the rival Oakland Raiders on Thursday. The Green Bay Packers kept their postseason hopes alive by eviscerating the lifeless Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field.

The New York Giants, meanwhile, managed to keep the NFC East race alive for another week by handing the Dallas Cowboys their second loss of the 2016 season.

What does all of this mean for the playoff race at large? That's exactly what we're going to examine today. We'll be running down the conference standings based on playoff seeding—meaning division leaders will be ranked at the top, regardless of records. We'll also be running down our own power rankings based on factors like records, divisional competition and team health.

In addition, we'll take a look at some of the more interesting entries on our list.

Week 15 Standings

Week 15 Power Rankings

1. Odell Beckham Jr.'s Trade to Cleveland Has the Browns Hyped

   

2. Le'Veon Bell's Power Move Pays Off After Signing Massive Deal with the Jets

   

3. Friends to Foes, Ex-UGA Teammates Sony Michel & Todd Gurley Meet in Super Bowl

   

4. Brandin Cooks Gave a Super Gift to This Special L.A. Rams Employee

   

5. MVP Front-Runner Patrick Mahomes Loves Ketchup as Much as Torching Defenses

   

6. Chicago Bears Hoping to Ride Club Dub All the Way to the Super Bowl

   

7. The Worst Fantasy Football Punishments for Last Place Finishers

   

8. NFL Players Bring Soccer Traditions to the NFL with Post-Game Jersey Swaps

   

9. JuJu Smith-Schuster Is a Man of the People

   

10. Buffalo Bills Superfan "Pancho Billa" Continues to Inspire Squad

    

11. Happy 26th Birthday to New York Giants WR and NFL Icon Odell Beckham Jr.

    

12. Chiefs' QB Patrick Mahomes Is 'Showtime' on More Than Just the Football Field

    

13. Adam Thielen's Wild Ride from Obscure Underdog to Record-Breaking Vikings WR

    

14. 49ers' Kyle Shanahan and His Son Carter Are Hyped for Lil Wayne's Album to Drop

    

15. The Cleveland Browns Are Winning Off the Field Too with Their Community Service

    

16. Steelers RB James Conner's Journey from Beating Cancer to Starting in the NFL

    

17. Does Donovan McNabb Deserve Your 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Vote?

    

18. B/R Fantasy Expert Matt Camp Gives His Picks for Keep or Release After Week 2

    

19. Does Hines Ward Deserve Your 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Vote?

    

20. Rookie Linebacker with One Hand Shaquem Griffin Starting for Seahawks in Week 1

    

Notable Rankings

2. New England Patriots

New England's win over Baltimore on Monday night was impressive. It showed just how dangerous the Patriots offense can be, even without star tight end Rob Gronkowski. The loss of Gronkowski is one of the reasons we still have the Cowboys ranked higher than the Patriots.

Even without Gronk, though, Tom Brady had little trouble slicing through a very good Baltimore Ravens defense—rated fifth overall by Pro Football Focus. Brady passed for more than 400 yards on the night and found the end zone three times.

It's also worth noting that the Patriots defense had a strong performance against the Ravens and has been solid most of the year. If not for a pair of special teams turnovers that were turned into touchdowns, the Ravens would likely have lost by a lot more.

As a unit, the Patriots defense is rated second overall by Pro Football Focus. The Patriots allow just 17.7 points per game, second-fewest in the NFL.

This combination of surgical offense and efficient defense is what makes New England one of the top Super Bowl contenders in the league right now. The Patriots are going to be a tough out come playoff time, as the Ravens learned on Monday.

"I don't know what a shot in the mouth feels like, but I can almost guarantee you this can be kind of similar," linebacker Terrell Suggs said, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. "We didn't come here for no moral victory."

12. Denver Broncos

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The Denver Broncos would be in the AFC playoffs if the season ended today, but we're not so sure they end the season there. The defending Super Bowl champions are flawed, and they are starting to show those flaws at a rapid pace.

Sunday brought a disappointing defeat at the hands of a team that was the worst in the league in 2015. The Tennessee Titans battered the Broncos with a strong rushing attack and bullied them on the team's way to a 13-10 victory.

That game raises some legitimate concerns for Denver. While the Titans do have a strong offense—rated sixth overall by Pro Football Focus—their defense is more on the average side. Tennessee is rated just 23rd in overall defense by Pro Football Focus and allows an average of 23.5 points per game.

Denver's production of 10 points should give you an idea of how much the Broncos offense is struggling.

As Denver head coach Gary Kubiak said, the Broncos were close to being good enough on offense to win.

“We had four or five plays to make, a couple on [quarterback Trevor Siemian’s] behalf and a couple on the receiver’s behalf, that would have closed the football game,” Kubiak explained, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “Those are the plays we have to go make.”

Earning 10 points wasn't enough to put away the Titans. It probably won't be enough to take care of the Patriots, Chiefs or Raiders—the three teams remaining on Denver's schedule.

15. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore's loss makes it more difficult for the Ravens to climb their way into the playoffs. However, it definitely isn't impossible, especially with Denver struggling and the Miami Dolphins dealing with an injury to starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

If the Broncos continue losing and Tannehill misses extensive time with what the Dolphins are calling a ligament sprain, then the Ravens can get back into the wild-card picture.

An easier path for the Ravens, though, would be to win out and take back control of the AFC North. The Ravens currently find themselves a game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers in the division, but they will play Pittsburgh in Week 16.

If the Ravens can beat the Steelers there, they will hold the advantage thanks to two head-to-head victories. Assuming the Ravens also take care of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore would finish at 10-6 and with the AFC North crown.

That Week 16 matchup is in Pittsburgh, though, so this is all part of a challenge that is certainly easier to put on paper than actually accomplish.