NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Predicting Standings After Season Finales

This past week of football did a lot to clear up the NFL playoff picture, but there are still some teams whose fates have yet to be determined.

In the AFC, the Tennessee Titans and the Pittsburgh Steelers remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. 

Next week's Tennessee vs. Indianapolis matchup will determine which of the teams will clinch the sixth playoff spot. If the Baltimore Ravens win their Week 17 matchup against Cleveland, they will secure the AFC North division title. If Baltimore loses and Pittsburgh wins, the Steelers will clinch a playoff berth. 

In the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles are the only team to still have a chance at a postseason despite not being projected in the playoffs. 

The Eagles have a chance at the playoffs if they beat the Washington Redskins and the Minnesota Vikings lose to the Chicago Bears. However, if the Vikings win, then they will clinch a playoff berth regardless of the outcome of Philadelphia's game.

Week 17 is sure to be nerve-wracking for these teams and their fans. Here's a look at the projected standings after all of the Week 17 games, along with an analysis of the games that could impact the playoff picture.

Projected Standings After Week 17

AFC

1. Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)

2. Los Angeles Chargers (12-4)

3. New England Patriots (11-5)

4. Houston Texans (11-5)

5. Baltimore Ravens (10-6)

6. Indianapolis Colts (10-6)

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6-1)

8. Tennessee Titans (9-7)

9. Cleveland Browns (7-8-1)

10. Miami Dolphins (7-9)

11. Denver Broncos (7-9)

12. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)

13. Buffalo Bills (6-10)

14. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

15. New York Jets (4-12)

16. Oakland Raiders (3-13)

NFC

1. New Orleans Saints (14-2)

2. Los Angeles Rams (13-3)

3. Chicago Bears (11-5)

4. Dallas Cowboys (10-6)

5. Seattle Seahawks (10-6)

6. Minnesota Vikings (9-6-1)

7. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)

8. Green Bay Packers (7-8-1)

9. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

10. Washington Redskins (7-9)

11. Carolina Panthers (6-10)

12. New York Giants (5-11)

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)

14. Detroit Lions (5-11)

15. San Francisco 49ers (4-12)

16. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)

Matchups to Watch

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are coming off of an incredible win over the Los Angeles Chargers, led by rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson and the strong Baltimore defense.

Jackson had 204 passing yards and a touchdown, while the Ravens defense picked off two of veteran Philip Rivers' passes to work the clock and get in field goal range, beating the Chargers 22-10.

Jackson has stepped up in Joe Flacco's absence to throw six touchdowns on three interceptions, adding three rushing touchdowns and over 600 rushing yards—the second most rushing yards on the team. Since taking over the starting position, Jackson has won five of his six games—with the one loss an overtime 24-27 defeat to Kansas City. 

Similar to Jackson, rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield has made an impact on his team—bringing hope to the struggling squad. Both rookies are also Heisman Trophy winners—winning back-to-back seasons, with Mayfield winning in 2017 and Jackson in 2016.

The Browns ended the 2017 season winless, making them the second team in league history to finish a season 0-16. Mayfield has come in and turned that around, leading the Browns to a more successful campaign.

Mayfield has thrown 3,349 yards, with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Running back Nick Chubb joins him as a top player on the field, with 972 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

While Mayfield and Jackson are similar as passing quarterbacks, the fact that Jackson is a dual-threat quarterback gives him an edge. His ability to take the ball himself if he can't find an open target makes him better under pressure. Paired with Baltimore's superior defense, the Ravens seem to have an advantage over Cleveland.

If Baltimore can continue to play as it has the past six weeks—both offensively and defensively—it should be able to notch a win over Cleveland and win the AFC North Division title. This would secure the team a playoff spot, giving the Ravens the chance to play in the postseason for the first time since the 2014 season.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans

The Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans are neck and neck with 9-6 records going into their Week 17 matchup. A win for either team will guarantee them the sixth seed in the wild-card round.

The Colts boast a top-10 rushing defense, only allowing 1,533 yards and 12 touchdowns to opponents. This does not bode well for Tennessee's Derrick Henry, who has the most touchdowns of any back or wideout.

Henry has run for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns—second only to quarterback Marcus Mariota's 13 total touchdowns on the team.

If Indianapolis can contain Henry, it has a much better chance at winning the game and securing a playoff berth.

Beyond Henry, Mariota has a go-to receiver in Corey Davis. Davis has racked up yards when moving the ball down the field—totaling 843 receiving yards—but has struggled to find the end zone with only four touchdowns. 

Like the Colts, the Titans have a top-10 defense, but in receiving. Tennessee has only allowed 18 receiving touchdowns and a little less than 3,434 yards. This could pose an issue for Indianapolis, who leans primarily on its receivers, just as Tennessee leans on its running back.

Andrew Luck has proved himself to be a dominant offensive force for Indianapolis, throwing for 4,308 yards and 36 touchdowns on 14 interceptions.

His chemistry with receiver T.Y. Hilton and tight end Eric Ebron have made the team successful. Hilton leads the team with over 1,000 receiving yards, and Ebron joins him with 12 receiving touchdowns. Marlon Mack joins the duo as the team's lead rusher with 789 yards and eight touchdowns.

What's going to give the Colts the edge over the Titans is their player diversity. While the Titans depend heavily on Henry, the Colts have a few different options between wideouts and backs. So even if Indianapolis locks down Henry and Tennessee locks down the wide receivers, the Colts would still be victorious and move on to the playoffs, as they have various players they can utilize.

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings

The Chicago Bears have had an incredible season so far, with their defense having a breakout season. The Bears have the No. 4 overall defense, allowing opponents an average of only 18.2 points per game—the third lowest in the league. Chicago's defense has 897 total tackles, 46 sacks and 27 interceptions on the season.

Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky leads the team on offense with an average of 224.4 yards per game, 27 total touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Running back Tarik Cohen leads the team in total touchdowns, with two rushing touchdowns on 420 yards and five receiving touchdowns on 717 yards. 

The Bears have had impressive wins, like a 15-6 victory over the then-No. 1 Rams and an earlier 25-20 win over the Vikings. However, Chicago has also struggled to be consistent—losing to the Dolphins early on, falling to the Giants a few weeks ago, and narrowly coming away with a 14-9 victory over San Francisco in Week 16.

While the Bears have clinched a playoff berth with their NFC North division title and are still competing for a first-round bye, Minnesota has much more at stake in the Week 17 matchup.

The Vikings need a win over the Bears to move on to the playoffs, as the Eagles will be taking on the Redskins and should win. If the Eagles lose or tie to the Redskins, the Vikings will move onto the playoffs no matter their outcome.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins—with 4,166 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 10 interceptions—has found dependable targets in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Thielen leads the team with 1,335 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, while Diggs follows with just 974 yards and eight touchdowns. 

Chicago's defense may be stout, but they struggle more defending the pass game than the rush. The Bears defense has given up 21 receiving touchdowns, which bodes well for the Minnesota wideouts. 

With much more to lose, a more fluid and dynamic offense and a chance to exploit a Bears team that seemed to struggle in Week 16, Minnesota should be able to outplay Chicago at home to secure its spot in the playoffs.

Stats courtesy of ESPN

Playoff scenarios via CBS Sports