NFL Power Rankings: Hard-Charging Teams That Will Fall Short of Postseason

The following teams were all at the bottom of the power rankings for most of the first half of the season. They have all made their way up to a respectable position, but will ultimately fall short of postseason play. 

The holes dug in the early part of the season were too great. While they are mathematically alive, they will be watching the playoffs from the comfort of their homes.

San Diego Chargers

After years of getting away with sloppy first halves of the season, the Chargers are going to learn a hard lesson for the second consecutive year. You can't go through extended dry spells if you're going to win a division. 

A three-game winning streak has kept the Chargers mathematically alive, but it's going to do little else. 

The Broncos have a more favorable schedule. The Bills are on a terrible slide and have already beaten the Chiefs at Arrowhead. If Denver goes 1-1 but beats the Chiefs, the Chargers have no chance. 

San Diego also has a tough road to hoe. The Chargers are not going to go 2-0 in road games against the Lions and Raiders. The Chargers need to bring in a new coach, and Philip Rivers must regroup. 

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are in the same boat as the Chargers. They are in the midst of a nice finish, but dug too big of a hole for themselves early. They need to rely too much on other teams, and also need to beat a tough Cowboys team in Dallas. 

That's a losing formula. 

The Eagles have a lot of talent and will benefit from a full training camp. We're starting to get a sense of what this team is capable of. Unfortunately, Eagles fans are not going to see the rewards of any of that until next season.

Arizona Cardinals

Unlike the first two teams, the Cardinals are mathematically out of their division race, although the Wild Card is a mathematical possibility. But like those first two teams, the Arizona is too dependent on other team's losing. It's not going to happen. 

A trip to Cincinnati does not set up well for Arizona. The Bengals are also fighting for their playoff lives, and the Cardinals are on a long road trip, short week and are a dome team headed into what will be a cold weather stadium. The Cardinals gave it a good run, but they won't make the playoffs.

Seattle Seahawks

The Cardinals are in a similar boat to the Cardinals. They play in the same division as the Cardinals and are too reliant on other team's mistakes. It's not going to happen for them. 

Saturday's game will be tough for Seattle. They have to deal with the 49ers and their run defense, which is one of the best in the history of the game. 

They will have to pass the ball too much to beat the 49ers. But even if they beat the 49ers and the Cardinals the following week, the Seahawks will fall just short of the playoffs.

Michael Dixon's Week 16 NFL Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers	13-1
2. New Orleans Saints	11-3
3. New England Patriots	11-3
4. Baltimore Ravens	10-4
5. San Francisco 49ers	11-3
6. Pittsburgh Steelers	10-4
7. Houston Texans	10-4
8. Atlanta Falcons	9-5
9. Detroit Lions	9-5
10. Dallas Cowboys	8-6
11. Denver Broncos	8-6
12. New York Jets	8-6
13. Cincinnati Bengals	8-6
14. San Diego Chargers	7-7
15. Seattle Seahawks	7-7
16. New York Giants	7-7
17. Arizona Cardinals	7-7
18. Oakland Raiders	7-7
19. Philadelphia Eagles	6-8
20. Tennessee Titans	7-7
21. Carolina Panthers	5-9
22. Miami Dolphins	5-9
23. Kansas City Chiefs	6-8
24. Chicago Bears	7-7
25. Washington Redskins	5-9
26. Buffalo Bills	5-9
27. Cleveland Browns	4-10
28. Jacksonville Jaguars	4-10
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-10
30. Minnesota Vikings	2-12
31. Indianapolis Colts	1-13
32. St. Louis Rams	2-12

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