Week 16 Power Rankings
Bill Parcells once said, “You are what you record says you are.” He’s right. By this point in the season, teams that started slowly get hot much like the Rams, Bucs, and Broncos have and teams that came blazing out of the gates come down to earth as the Chargers, Seahawks, and Steelers have.
Those teams reaped the benefits and drawbacks of their recent play in this week’s edition of the power rankings, and everybody else moved around as a result. Injuries, schedules, and last week’s fantastic finishes also played huge roles in whether or not teams were able to climb or slide.
There’s no playing around anymore. It’s almost Christmas time and even as snow begins to fall across the country, there is nowhere to hide.
Let’s see how the 32 teams shook up this week.
32. New York Giants (no change)
Record: 2-12
At 1 PM on Sunday, my dad (a Ravens fan) told me that he was nervous about the Ravens’ chances against the Giants because they tend to play down to their level of competition. I said, “Dad, it is quite literally impossible to match how bad this Giants team is.” I was right.
31. Las Vegas Raiders (no change)
Record: 2-12
At least Vegas plays hard, right? They kept it close against the Falcons, but in the end, that offense which might have lost to my intramural flag football team if it weren’t for Brock Bowers only generated nine points. That’s 10 straight losses for a team without a coach and a quarterback.
30. New England Patriots (down 2)
Record: 3-11
Drake Maye and the Patriots are like the photo of the Bugatti parked in the mobile home park. I only saw one play from the Patriots vs Cardinals game and it was an interception on a perfect pass from Maye that was inexplicably bobbled by Kayshon Boutte and picked by Sean Murphy—Bunting. What’s worse is that Maye seems like the only player crestfallen to see his team lose every week.
29. Tennessee Titans (up 1)
Record: 3-11
Tennessee can’t win games but they continue to prove that they’re better than the bottom three teams by succeeding in an element of every game. Last Sunday, they forced three turnovers of Joe Burrow which nobody has done all season. Though it resulted in a 10-point loss, Tennessee hung around against an elite offense.
28. Carolina Panthers (down 3)
Record: 3-11
The Panthers have been getting credit for almost winning games but after a 30-14 loss to the Cowboys, it’s time to admit that they are a bad team. Bryce Young threw two interceptions and Chuba Hubbard only logged 32 yards rushing. The Panthers have now lost four straight games.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (up 2)
Record: 3-11
Jacksonville rolled out a quarterback in Mac Jones whose only win wince week seven last year was a 10-6 victory over Tennessee two weeks ago, and they dropped 25 points and 294 passing yards on a talented Jets defense. The Jags surrendered 32 points of their own but showed signs of life in the loss.
26. Cleveland Browns (up 1)
Record: 3-11
The Jameis Winston show is coming to an unsatisfying close. At its peak, he combined four touchdowns with three terrible interceptions on Monday Night Football against the Broncos. Last week, he passed for only 146 yards and threw three interceptions and the game to the Chiefs.
25. Chicago Bears (down 2)
Record: 4-10
I’ve had a tough time weighing how terrible the Bears’ coaching has been but with a roster this talented with no wins in their last eight games, I have to believe this is the worst coaching staff in the league. The Bears didn’t stand a chance against the Vikings and should legitimately fear ruining the development of Caleb Williams.
24. New Orleans Saints (no change)
Record: 5-9
Coach Rizz’s magic might be wearing off. The Saints made the play call that never works at the goal line—a half-field speed out. And Alvin Kamara is out for the season to go along with a surplus of wide receiving injuries. The Saints are flipping between quarterbacks and are due for a poor finish to the season.
23. New York Jets (up 3)
Record: 4-10
Sauce Gardner’s game-sealing interception was an aberration based on how the Jets have performed in the clutch this season. It improves them to 3-7 in one-score games this season which is obviously too little too late, but a bright spot for a few days before news leaked that Woody Johnson's son is running the team.
22. Indianapolis Colts (down 2)
Record: 6-8
The Colts played a must-win game like a pre-season game, committing two of the worst plays you’ll ever see—a WR screen pass that was intercepted by Nik Bonitto for a pick-six and Jonathan Taylor dropping a would-be touchdown run at the goal line. Taylor’s run should have put the Colts up 20-7 but once it was negated, the Colts gave up 24 straight points.
21. Atlanta Falcons (up 1)
Record: 7-7
Atlanta is one of the worst 7-7 teams in my memory. How does a terrible quarterback, average skill position players, and a defense that generates no pressure, and the 20th best DVOA win seven games? The answer is that it wins close games which the Falcons did on Monday night against a hapless Raiders team. Somehow, Atlanta is still in the mix.
20. Miami Dolphins (down 2)
Record: 6-8
Sunday showed that the Dolphins might just be a subpar football team and that they need too many elements in their favor to win. Miami only has one win all season that wasn’t at home or at an indoor stadium and it came against the Patriots. Tua Tagovailoa’s three picks against Houston raise brutal offseason questions for a team that has lost its mystique from years past.
19. Dallas Cowboys (up 2)
Record: 6-8
This version of the Cowboys would give the Chargers a run for their money in the AFC wild-card race. They are playing their best football and defending at a very high level. The jokes about Rico Dowdle as RB1 are aging more poorly by the week and Cooper Rush isn’t getting in the way. Unfortunately for Dallas, they play in the juggernaut NFC where the teams in playoff position just keep on winning.
18. San Francisco 49ers (down 1)
Record: 6-8
In the words of Central Cee, San Fran had their chance but blew it. Their defense only surrendered 12 points to a previously unstoppable Rams offense, but the offense couldn’t muster up 12 points of their own in a must-win game. Brock Purdy finished the game 14-31 for 142 yards and an interception, raising serious questions about his rookie extension
17. Arizona Cardinals (up 2)
Record: 7-7
Arizona gave themselves a fighters chance by winning Sunday by taking care of the Patriots. They’ll almost certainly have to win out to make the playoffs or win two out of three including a win against the Rams and hope Seattle loses out. Their inconsistency is what put them in this position in the first place so they have only themselves to blame.
16. Cincinnati Bengals (no change)
Record: 6-8
Cincy is finally winning and last Sunday, they did something they hadn’t done since week seven. They won without a superhuman performance from Joe Burrow. Sure, it was the Titans, but Zac Taylor has to be encouraged by a win led by his defense. The Bengals are still technically alive in the playoff hunt, but need a loss this week will eliminate them.
15. Seattle Seahawks (down 6)
Record: 8-6
Seattle slid six spots in the rankings and for a good reason. I’ve hated their O-Line all season and they looked terrible against the Packers, going so far as injuring Geno Smith. Their defense looked vulnerable too as it has all season. With the loss, Seattle is now 1-4 in their last five primetime games.
14. Los Angeles Chargers (down 4)
Record: 8-6
The Chargers are my third biggest dropped off the week because of how they looked against the Buccaneers. Tampa finished the game on a 30-0 run and made a fool out of the Chargers’ running game and defense which were supposed to be their strong suits. Justin Herbert appears to be struggling with a bad left ankle which is hindering the Chargers’ chances greatly.
13. Washington Commanders (down 1)
Record: 9-5
A 9-5 record at 13th seems despicable but Washington barely squeaked by a New Orleans team that is always injury-ravaged at this time of year. They are also competing in a conference with Tampa Bay and Los Angeles who frankly look stronger than them right now. Although Jayden Daniels is back to his old self, Washington’s best ball might be behind them.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (up 4)
Record: 8-6
It’s not crazy to say that Baker Mayfield has been the fifth-best quarterback in the NFL this year (Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Jared Goff have definitively been better). He weathered the storm when Mike Evans went down, and now that Evans has returned to the lineup, Tampa has rattled off four straight and is in prime position to win their division for the fourth year in a row.
11. Los Angeles Rams (up 4)
Record: 8-6
The Rams are the Bucs with a higher upside. They’re winning and Matthew Stafford isn’t even playing his best ball. This is a top-five offense at their peak and a talented defense that just needs to rise to the occasion against the big-name players like Saquon Barkley and Justin Jefferson to become Super Bowl contenders.
10. Houston Texans (up 3)
Record: 9-5
I have to believe Houston can get hot after back-to-back wins led by their ascending defense in spite of a very underwhelming year from C.J. Stroud year. Houston got on a roll at this point last year and in a huge matchup with the Chiefs this Saturday, I believe Houston will rise to the occasion and show the world who they truly are. They have to show us first.
9. Denver Broncos (up 2)
Record: 9-5
Denver is in action right now with a chance to win their fifth straight game and clinch their first playoff birth since they won the Super Bowl in 2015. They’ll win if Bo Nix doesn’t turn the ball over and the defense continues to be stingy as it has all year while giving up the fewest points in the league. They are undeniably the feel-good story of the AFC.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (down 1)
Record: 10-4
If you read Tuesday’s article, you’d know that I still have the Steelers in my inner circle of contenders but they need a win against the Ravens this week to prove that they belong. The Eagles blew them out of the water last week, and without George Pickens, the Steelers offense is unable to generate explosive plays.
7. Baltimore Ravens (up 1)
Record: 9-5
This Ravens season reminds me of 2020 when they started 6-5 after going 14-2 in 2019. Amid all of the questions about their legitimacy as a contender, Baltimore ripped off five straight including a win over the Giants to finish 11-5. Well, after falling to 8-5, they got their win against the Giants and now look to run the table against Pittsburgh, Houston, and Cleveland. I think they can do it.
6. Detroit Lions (down 5)
Record: 12-2
Detroit at six is obviously controversial, but I remember watching the 2021 Ravens lose practically every defensive player they have and absolutely fold. There’s such thing as one too many injuries and I think the Lions have reached that point. They have the best offense in the NFL, they’re 12-2, and we’ve only seen one game in which their defense was utterly dominated, so I can’t slide them too far down the rankings, but don’t be surprised if they continue to fall.
5. Green Bay Packers (up 1)
Record: 10-4
The Packers are headed in the opposite direction of the Lions. Though they haven’t gotten much press this year, Green Bay is the most complete team in the NFL and unlike most NFC teams, they’ve got a quarterback in Jordan Love who is still ascending this season. Their domination of Seattle on Sunday Night Football was one of the most impressive wins of the season and it won’t be their last.
4. Buffalo Bills (no change)
Record: 11-3
Buffalo is not at the top of the heap like other sites might say they are. Allowing 86 points in back-to-back weeks is not a winning recipe unless you have Josh Allen playing like he was born on another planet. Right now, Allen is carrying the load and it’s fun to watch, but he needs help from his defensive unit. I think he’ll get it as the Bills’ schedule eases up drastically in the last three weeks of the regular season.
3. Minnesota Vikings (up 2)
Record: 12-2
The only thing holding pundits back from picking Minnesota to win it all is Sam Darnold’s ugly past which seems to be having no effect this season. Minnesota has the best defense of anybody in the top five and maybe the entire league and when Darnold is dishing it out like he has been in December, the Vikings should be favored against everybody. Now, they’ve got to prove that they’re for real. They close the regular season with the Seahawks, Packers, and Lions.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (up 1)
Record: 13-1
Kansas City can cement themselves as invincible to everyone except Buffalo if they beat Houston this week for their 14th win of the season. Winning isn’t just a result—it’s a skill and the Chiefs have it which is why they move up the rankings. The only thing holding them back from the top spot is that their offensive line continues to be leaky.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (up 1)
Record: 12-2
For the first time since week 13 of last season when the Eagles began their supernatural funk, Philly finds themselves in the top spot. That’s what 10 wins in a row and a thumping of Pittsburgh will do for you. Better yet, Philly’s knocking on the door of home-field advantage as Lions defenders fall one by one. Though I didn’t feel comfortable putting them at number one, no team is playing better than the Eagles.
Don’t think you can put the eagles over the chiefs without them losing again