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NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Reaction and Standings Ahead of Saturday's Games
December 20, 2019
With two weeks remaining in the 2019 NFL season, much remains unsettled at the top. Only three divisions have been decided—the AFC North, AFC West and NFC South—and all four first-round byes are there for the taking.
Eight teams have secured postseason berths. Another nine remain in play for the postseason.
These final two weeks are going to be a veritable thrill ride, and it all kicks off with a trio of Saturday games. Each of them carries potential playoff implications.
How does the league stack up heading into that final week? Let's take a look.
Playoff Picture
AFC
Baltimore Ravens 12-2
New England Patriots 11-3
Kansas City Chiefs 10-4
Houston Texans 9-5
Buffalo Bills 10-4
Pittsburgh Steelers 8-6
Tennessee Titans 8-6
Cleveland Browns 6-8
Oakland Raiders 6-8
NFC
Seattle Seahawks 11-3
Green Bay Packers 11-3
New Orleans Saints 11-3
Dallas Cowboys 7-7
San Francisco 49ers 11-3
Minnesota Vikings 10-4
Los Angeles Rams 8-6
Philadelphia Eagles 7-7
Week 16 Power Rankings
1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. New Orleans Saints
5. Kansas City Chiefs
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Buffalo Bills
8. Minnesota Vikings
9. New England Patriots
10. Houston Texans
11. Los Angeles Rams
12. Tennessee Titans
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
14. Dallas Cowboys
15. Philadelphia Eagles
16. Chicago Bears
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18. Indianapolis Colts
19. Atlanta Falcons
20. Cleveland Browns
21. Oakland Raiders
22. Carolina Panthers
23. Denver Broncos
24. Los Angeles Chargers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars
26. New York Jets
27. Arizona Cardinals
28. New York Giants
29. Miami Dolphins
30. Detroit Lions
31. Washington Redskins
32. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers appear to be one of the more dangerous teams in the NFC. They have a future Hall of Famer at quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, an exciting young play-caller in Matt LaFleur and an aggressive defense that can frustrate opponents more than raw numbers might suggest.
On Monday, though, we may not even consider Green Bay the best team in the NFC North.
The reality is that the perception of the Packers changes weekly and upon the situation. Yes, if they're playing hosts in the postseason—and Green Bay is still alive for the No. 1 seed—the Packers will be tough to beat.
However, they could lose to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday and wind up the fourth seed—or even the sixth, if they lose and Minnesota wins in Week 17.
Would the Packers be as dangerous as a road team in the playoffs? Perhaps not. They've gotten blown out twice this season on the road, once to the San Francisco 49ers, a team we know will be in the postseason.
How the Packers perform in Minnesota Monday could dramatically change how they are viewed going into January.
9. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots find themselves near the bottom of the top 10. Given the team's offensive struggles, that might even feel generous.
The Patriots have scored an average of just 20.3 points per game over their last six. If we take out a 34-point outing against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals, they've averaged just 17.6 points since Week 9. With offensive powerhouses like the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs—two teams New England has lost to—in the AFC field, that's a problem.
"I think it's going to cost them," former NFL linebacker James Harrison said on FS1.
It's impossible to count out New England because it has a championship-caliber defense, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Defense and playoff experience can go a long way in the postseason.
However, the Patriots are going to struggle in a shootout situation, and they've shown essentially no ability to mount a comeback in 2019. Can they still scratch, scheme and push their way to a Super Bowl appearance? Of course, but they aren't going to make it look easy.
10. Houston Texans
In a sense, the Houston Texans are the opposite of the Patriots. With players like Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, Carlos Hyde and Will Fuller V, their explosive offense is a heck of a lot of fun to watch. Only six teams have produced more yards this season than Houston, which has averaged 376.9 of them.
However, the Texans defense is as unreliable as New England's offense, perhaps more so. It's particularly poor against the pass, allowing the fifth-most yards in the league through the air.
While the Patriots could struggle to keep up with some of the AFC's top offenses, the Texans could struggle to stop them.
That defense will be tested by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday and tested hard. While the Buccaneers will be without wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, quarterback Jameis Winston has been slinging it lately. Over his last two games—one without Evans and largely without Godwin—he has passed for 914 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
There's a very real possibility that the Texans don't even leave Tampa Bay with a victory, which would leave the door open for the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South.