NFL Week 17 Power Rankings: Is the NFC Now the Power Conference?
NFL Week 17 Power Rankings don't come easy to choose this Monday. And not just because four teams have yet to play their Week 16 games!
The league's decision to backload the schedule with divisional games has made for a great close to the regular season. And although half of the division winners have already been decided, there are still four more to be crowned, not to mention several Wild Card spots.
As always, overall record is not the only factor in determine who is better than who across the league. If it were, power rankings would be meaningless: you could just look at the standings.
More so than anything, it's a team's recent performances that are most important.
So check out these second-to-last power rankings for the 2010 NFL season.
32 Through 21
1 of 21
No. 32: Carolina Panthers (2-13)
Thanks to some input from the Denver Broncos, the Panthers have now clinched the worst record in the NFL, nine seasons after George Seifert and the 2001 club did the same.
No. 31: Houston Texans (5-10)
Since Week 8, the Texans have one victory, a 20-0 win over the Titans, who themselves have one win since Week 8.
No. 30: Tennessee Titans (6-9)
It's hard to say who's been worse in the second half, the Titans or Texans, but since the Titans have at least one win in December, they're higher by a slot.
No. 29: San Francisco 49ers (5-10)
The 49ers are a mess from top to bottom and the rebuilding began today.
No. 28: Minnesota Vikings (5-9)
Brett Favre or no Brett Favre, Metrodome or no Metrodome, this Vikings team has been awful the past two weeks, being outscored 61-17.
No. 27: Denver Broncos (4-11)
Under Tim Tebow, they hung close with the Raiders, then toppled Houston with a sparkling fourth quarter comeback. That's promising.
No. 26: Buffalo Bills (4-11)
Sure, the Patriots clobbered the Bills last week, but aside from that 34-3 loss to the league's premier team, they've been very good since mid-November: 4 wins and an overtime loss to
No. 25: Arizona Cardinals (5-10)
Although they've won two of their last three, this team is still one of the worst in the NFL: they lost to the one-win Panthers just eight days ago.
No. 24: Cincinnati Bengals (4-11)
After snapping their horrific ten-game losing streak, the Bengals have two wins in a row, including one over a desperate Charger team. Furthermore, they really haven't been out of a game since Week 1.
No. 23: Dallas Cowboys (5-10)
Even with your third string quarterback, you cannot lose to the Arizona Cardinals...who are also on their third string quarterback.
No. 22: Cleveland Browns (4-11)
The Browns have lost three in a row (two on the road, and a third to the 10-4 Ravens) but they've all been pretty close games: Cleveland hasn't been out of a game in the fourth quarter since Week 6.
No. 21: Detroit Lions (5-10)
Three wins in a row, and a near upset over NFC North-winning Chicago has inspired some hope in Detroit for 2011.
No. 20: Seattle Seahawks
2 of 21
Record: 6-9
Week 16: 38-15 loss at Tampa Bay
Week 17: Home vs. St. Louis
The NFC West title is on the line this Sunday, but the Seahawks have had so-called "must wins" every week in December. And they've lost each time.
They were blown out at San Francisco, crushed at home to the Falcons, and had no answers for the Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount and the Bucs offense last Sunday.
They'll face a similar team this weekend: young, blossoming quarterback (Sam Bradford), big, powerful running back (Steven Jackson), improving defense.
If recent history is any proof, their shot at winning a division title with a 7-9 record is unlikely.
No. 19: Washington Redskins
3 of 21
Record: 6-9
Week 16: 20-17 (OT) win at Jacksonville
Week 17: Home vs. New York Giants
The Jaguars had everything in the world to play for at home last Sunday. Yet Mike Shanahan's oft-maligned team toppled them. Pair that with near wins in Dallas and at home versus Tampa Bay the previous two weeks, and Washington has put together a pretty nice stretch.
Rex Grossman isn't the second coming of Sammy Baugh but he's been pretty good. And the defense is starting to come around, coincidentally with Albert Haynesworth far away from the practice facilities.
There are still many flaws on and question marks about this team. But Shanahan has begun to right the ship.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
No. 18: Oakland Raiders
4 of 21
Record: 7-8
Week 16: 31-26 loss vs. Indianapolis
Week 17: At Kansas City
The Raiders' hopes for their first winning season since their Super Bowl team of 2002 died last Sunday against the Colts.
But Oakland has played pretty good football the last month. The Raiders defeated divisional rivals Denver and San Diego, and nearly upset the Jaguars on the road in Week 14.
The running game is one of the best in the NFL, Jason Campbell has played better in the second half and the defense is surprisingly the third-best against the pass.
They should be a dark horse to win the West in 2011.
No. 17: Miami Dolphins
5 of 21
Record: 7-8
Week 16: 34-27 Loss vs. Detroit
Week 17: At New England
This team might be the biggest conundrum of the 2010 NFL season.
They go to Oakland and convincingly defeat the Raiders, who were in contention to win the AFC West. And they go to East Rutherford and topple the desperate Jets.
In between those great wins they lose to Cleveland, Detroit and Buffalo, three teams that have a combined record of 13-31.
And although the defense was pretty solid in 2010, Chad Henne and the running game certainly regressed in 2010. Would letting go of Tony Sporano really be the cure? Probably not.
No. 16: San Diego Chargers
6 of 21
Record: 8-7
Week 16: 34-20 loss at Cincinnati
Week 17: At Denver
The Chargers are the poster boys for stats being overrated. They are second in the NFL in passing, second in yards per game and tops in total defense. Yet they have been eliminated from the playoffs and could finish the season at .500.
They are still a supremely talented team and very well could win the AFC West next year.
But they have a terrible habit of playing down to their competition: case in point, falling behind by 21 points before losing to Cincinnati on Sunday.
No. 15: New York Giants
7 of 21
Record: 9-6
Week 16: 45-17 loss at Green Bay
Week 17: At Washington
Much like the Chargers, the Giants are one of the league's best teams in terms of yardage gained on offense and yardage surrendered on defense.
But the turnovers committed by the Giants offense have been almost paralyzing. Sunday it was the same old story: interceptions thrown by Eli Manning and fumbles by Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.
In all this team has committed a league-high 41 turnovers. If they had a number like the Atlanta Falcons (14) maybe they'd be in line for the NFC's top seed. They have that much talent on both sides of the ball.
No. 14: St. Louis Rams
8 of 21
Record: 7-8
Week 16: 25-17 win vs. San Francisco
Week 17: At Seattle
It wasn't easy (or pretty) but they got the win they needed Sunday, defeating the 49ers to hold out hope for an unlikely NFC West title.
And although they had dropped two straight coming into this weekend, those two losses came to surefire playoff teams in Kansas City and New Orleans.
Nothing about this team is spectacular (except maybe the rookie season of Sam Bradford), but they are pretty solid in every phase of the game, and they'll need to be when they go to Qwest Field next Sunday night.
No. 13: Jacksonville Jaguars
9 of 21
Record: 8-7
Week 16: 20-17 (OT) loss vs. Washington
Week 17: At Houston
The Jaguars completely dropped the ball last week, losing at home to the Redskins in a game they really should have won.
But without Maurice Jones-Drew they were fighting a losing battle against almost any team in the NFL. David Garrard is a decent quarterback but that team isn't playoff caliber without MoJo.
Still, they aren't out of the AFC South race yet. And since they have been ultra-competitive in the past two months (their three losses since Week Seven are by a combined 17 points), they should defeat the woeful Texans and hope that that Colts blow it.
No. 12: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10 of 21
Record: 9-6
Week 16: 38-15 win vs. Seattle
Week 17: At New Orleans
The loss to Detroit last week really hurt, but the Bucs are still in the playoff hunt, although it's a terribly uphill battle. Regardless of whether or not they get a playoff berth, this is a very good team with high hopes coming into 2011.
Josh Freeman has become a tremendous clutch quarterback and LeGarrette Blount is probably their running back of the future (did you see his run yesterday!?)
But it's the defense that is most surprising. They really have one of the best secondaries in the NFC and once the pass rush starts to catch up, they will be a playoff team next year.
No. 11: Indianapolis Colts
11 of 21
Record: 9-6
Week 16: 31-26 win at Oakland
Week 17: Home vs. Tennessee
After the three straight losses (punctuated by Peyton Manning's interception binge), the Colts have won three straight.
They still have several question marks on defense, but the running game is starting to come back to form: the past two weeks, they've averaged better than 170 yards the last two weeks.
With woeful Tennessee coming to Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, the Colts should wrap up their seventh AFC South title in eight years. But once the postseason comes around, they are probably the worst AFC contender.
No. 10: New York Jets
12 of 21
Record: 9-6
Week 16: 38-34 loss at Chicago
Week 17: Home vs. Buffalo
The Jets lost another close one on Sunday, this time to the NFC North=leading Bears. But they showed more offense against Chicago than they had in the previous three weeks combined.
So in consecutive weeks, they split on the road against two very good opponents in touch wintry conditions. Those two games were good preparation if they want to do any damage in the postseason.
But the defense has got to do better than surrendering five touchdowns to a mediocre offense like Chicago's. Otherwise, against Indianapolis or Kansas City, they will get crushed in the Wild Card round.
No. 9: Green Bay Packers
13 of 21
Record: 9-6
Week 16: 45-17 win vs. New York Giants
Week 17: Home vs. Chicago
Even without Aaron Rodgers, this team is pretty good: their defense is probably the best unit in the NFC.
But with Rodgers, they might be a Super Bowl team. They have a great corps of receivers and have proven they can play well on the road: defeating the Jets at the New Meadowlands and nearly upsetting the Patriots in Foxborough.
Being a Wild Card, they'll have a tough road to Dallas, but with the Bears coming to town the Packers will have a chance to head into the postseason with a major confidence-boosting win.
No. 8: Kansas City Chiefs
14 of 21
Record: 10-5
Week 16: 34-14 win vs. Tennessee
Week 17: Home vs. Oakland
The Chiefs clinched the AFC West for the first time since 2003, and get a chance to continue their home dominance in at least one round of the playoffs.
And although Matt Cassel has posted fantastic (even Brady-like) numbers and the running game is second to none, there has to be some apprehension about this club's postseason hopes.
The Chiefs still don't have a win over a team that, at the time, had a winning record. That doesn't mean they can't win a playoff game or two or three. But they won't be playing the Titans, Cardinals or Broncos in January.
No. 7: New Orleans Saints
15 of 21
Record: 10-4
Week 16: At Atlanta
Week 17: Home vs. Tampa Bay
The Saints are still one of the league's best teams, especially on the offensive side of the ball. But they really haven't played their best football since Halloween, when they handled the Steelers at home.
Still, Drew Brees is capable of putting up 40 points on any team, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a team in the NFC that is confident about shutting them down.
Based on what we've seen the six weeks, the Saints defense, on the other hand, probably isn't capable of containing Philadelphia, Green Bay or Atlanta once the playoffs roll around.
No. 6: Philadelphia Eagles
16 of 21
Record: 10-4
Week 16: Vs. Minnesota (Tuesday)
Week 17: Vs. Dallas
If we were power ranking the most exciting teams in the NFL, the Eagles would run away with the vote. But in terms of "best" teams, the Eagles aren't quite there yet.
It took a miracle to defeat the Giants; otherwise, they would probably finish the season as a Wild Card team, if they made the playoffs at all.
As it stands, they are capable of earning a two seed. But the defense has to get better and start playing a full 60 minutes, unlike their efforts in recent weeks against New York, Houston and Dallas.
No. 5: Baltimore Ravens
17 of 21
Record: 11-4
Week 16: 20-10 win at Cleveland
Week 17: Home vs. Cincinnati
The Ravens are probably going to finish up as a 12-4 Wild Card team (prompting another debate about re-seeding once the postseason starts).
But even if they do finish tied for second in the AFC North (only missing out on a division title because of a divisional record tiebreaker) they are capable of winning three straight road games to qualify for Super Bowl XLV.
Just look at what they've done this season: a five-point loss at Cincinnati, a three-point loss to Pittsburgh, a five-point loss at Atlanta, an overtime loss at New England. Aside from the Week 2 defeat by the Bengals, those narrow losses came to teams that will probably have a bye.
No. 4: Pittsburgh Steelers
18 of 21
Record: 11-4
Week 16: 27-3 win vs. Carolina
Week 17: At Cleveland
The absence of Troy Polamalu was noticeable against the Jets and would have been noticeable in Week 16 if they weren't playing the Panthers and their inept offense.
But the rest of the team is solid enough to overcome life without Troy...at least for one more week: they have to have him back for the postseason if they want to win even a single playoff game.
Still, they've shown an ability to defeat teams they are better than: Cincinnati twice, Buffalo (barely), Oakland. So if they can repeat that for one more week, against Cleveland, they will lock up the two seed.
No. 3: Chicago Bears
19 of 21
Record: 11-4
Week 16: 38-34 win over New York Jets
Week 17: At Green Bay
The Bears probably aren't better than the Steelers, but they did something Pittsburgh couldn't last week: defeat the Jets, at home in the cold. For that, Chicago takes a higher spot on the power rankings.
Matt Forte can be such a dynamic player, and that showed on Sunday, so it's a wonder why he doesn't get more carries. If he does, and Jay Cutler somehow manages to limit the turnovers, they could be a Super Bowl contender.
That defense will have to improve on what they've done the past two weeks, however, if they want to shore up a two seed. They won't defeat the Packers next Sunday if they play like they have the past three weeks, surrendering 36 points to the Patriots and 34 points to the Jets.
No. 2: Atlanta Falcons
20 of 21
Record: 12-2
Week 16: Vs. New Orleans
Week 17: Vs. Carolina
No matter what the Falcons record is, they are going to have to defeat the Saints to prove that, without a doubt, they are the best team in the NFC.
Not only would that victory shore up the NFC South and the top seed in the playoffs, but they can show that they are a supremely balanced group by besting Drew Brees. Their secondary has given up a lot of yards (22nd overall).
Furthermore, they better get used to playing in big games: they likely have several more coming in January.
No. 1: New England Patriots
21 of 21
Record: 13-2
Week 16: 34-3 win at Buffalo
Week 17: Home vs. Miami
The Patriots remain, hands down, the best team in football. They have met every challenge in the last two months of the season, defeating playoff teams in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Green Bay, Indianapolis, and the Jets.
They aren't flawless, especially on defense. But Tom Brady and the offense just seem capable of putting up points whenever they need to.
A trip to Dallas is far from guaranteed, but given how they've dominated at Gillette Stadium this year (7-0) whoever they play in the AFC playoffs will have a tall order.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")