NFL Power Rankings (Week 16)
After hanging on for dear life, the Packers escaped Baltimore with a win, maintaining their hold on the top spot in the rankings. If the playoffs have to go through Lambeau, that’s a huge advantage, despite what happened last season. The Chiefs come from behind win secured their top AFC spot as they look to be the only legitimate team in that conference. And doing it with their defense is what’s making it more impressive. The Rams shoot up my rankings after another solid win where the Stafford to Kupp connection looked absolutely unstoppable. The Cowboys also shoot up my rankings, not so much for what they did, but really for what happened to the other top NFC teams, like the Buccaneers, who were shut out and suffered potentially season-altering injuries.
The Bills continue to beat up on bad teams. They don’t belong this high, but the lack of depth among the top teams is astounding to me. The Patriots were defeated by the Colts, but Mac Jones rallied after a rough start to instill some confidence in me that he might be able to win a game for this team if need be. They’re a clear tier below the top teams though due to their lack of explosiveness. Indy continues to impress and is not a team someone wants to face in January. The Chargers blew an incredible opportunity in a game they controlled for three and a half quarters, but they can’t be counted out entirely. The Cardinals may deserve to be out of the top 10 altogether after getting smacked around by Detroit. This team looks to be an early exit come the postseason.
The Titans had a crushing defeat this week, keeping the race in the AFC South tight. The reason they’re still this high is solely due to the possibility/likelihood of a fresh Derrick Henry being available in a few weeks. That’s not a team anyone would want to face. The entire AFC North continues to confuse everyone, with every team being .500 or above, but with no team having more than 8 wins. The Bengals are still the scariest team, and do currently hold the lead in the division, but the Ravens can certainly change that if they do get reasonably healthy. The Steelers and Browns don’t instill fear in anyone, but may wind up sneaking in. The Dolphins continue to soar as they’ve now rattled off an impressive six straight victories. The Raiders postseason hopes stayed alive with their win this week.
Of all the NFC teams outside the top 5, the 49ers are emerging as the biggest threat to steal a game in the postseason. The Saints, Vikings, and Eagles all won this week as well, and certainly could put some pressure on one of those top teams, but it’s tough to have as much confidence in them given how bad they’ve all looked at times throughout the season.
At 7–7, the Broncos have impressed much of this season. They certainly do still have realistic playoff aspirations, but they’re clearly a step below the rest of those AFC teams. The Falcons and Football Team are mathematically still in the race, but losses to two contending Wild Card teams this week really hurt their chances. The Seahawks and Panthers are ready for the offseason as well.
The Bears and their fan base are certainly over this season and this head coach. They’ve simply been horrible for most of this season. The Lions soar up the rankings after a truly inspired, dominant performance over what was supposed to be a Super Bowl contending team, despite a good chunk of their roster being out due to injury or Covid. This team is headed in the right direction, with the right coach, and the right mindset as they finish up their season. The Giants have reached a new low, as they simply look horrendous. The Texans got a nice win this week, defeating the Jaguars, who now face the Jets in a game with serious draft pick implications.
