NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Recognizing The Real

1.  Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2)
Last week #3
Big Ben now has the most pass attempts with 502 and the second most yards with 3,744. Good luck trying to match his production. Defensively the Steelers are fourth against the pass.

2.  Philadelphia Eagles (11-2)
Last week #4
To say the loss of quarterback Carson Wentz will be big is an understatement. The fact that they average 143 rush yards per game with a loaded backfield should ease some of the pain. Nick Foles is a viable backup/starter.

3.  New England Patriots (10-3)
Last week #1
The Patriots have five turnovers in their last three games. That matches the amount they had in their first 10 games. Brady has not looked sharp in the past two games.

4.  Minnesota Vikings (10-3)
Last week #2
They had a rare loss when they’ve rushed the ball well. A bunch of dropped passes didn’t help either. Still, the third ranked defense has stiffled most of their opponents week in and week out.

5.  Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)
Last week #8
Jacksonville’s defense is good enough to beat any team in the NFL. They have the most sacks in the NFL with 47 and are at or near the top in most defensive categories. A very scary thought heading into the playoffs for the rest of the league.

6.  Los Angeles Rams (9-4)
Last week #5
The Rams defense has had a few lapses but overall they are not playing around. Their offense is very hard to stop averaging 30.4 points per game.

7.  Carolina Panthers (9-4)
Last week #9
Carolina is tied for third in the league with 40 sacks. The backfield is usually the reason for their wins, whether it be Cam Newton or the rushing attack.

8.  New Orleans Saints (9-4)
Last week #6
The Saints got banged up in their last tilt and it’s a real cause for concern. After a four week stretch of not giving up more than 17 points, they’ve allowed 20 or more points in their last four.

9.  Atlanta Falcons (8-5)
Last week #12
Atlanta has allowed 17.8 in their last five games going 4-1 in that stretch. They only allow 211.5 passing yards per game. Their defense has been impressive this season dishing out hard hits on almost every play.

10.  Seattle Seahawks (8-5)
Last week #7
The Seahawks have a tough time scoring no matter what their rank says. Their defense continues to be special, despite the injuries.

11.  Los Angeles Chargers (7-6)
Last week #13
The Chargers are as hot as a team can possibly be. Wide reciever Keenan Allen is fifth in the NFL with 1,143 yards and sixth with 83 catches. The Chargers are fifth in total yards, winning seven of their last nine games.

12.  Dallas Cowboys (7-6)
Last week #14
Mr. Jones’ boys have won their last two scoring 68 points and giving up only 24. They are keeping their slim playoff hopes alive going into a tough final three games.

13.  Baltimore Ravens (7-6)
Last week #11
The Ravens have the most interceptions in the NFL and are second in forced turnovers. They’ve won three out of their last four.

14.  Tennessee Titans (8-5)
Last week #10
Tennessee has eight wins, How? Ok they’ve allowed only five rushing touchdowns which is the lowest amount in the league.They score 21 points per game but allow 22.6 per. I’m lost at how they’ve reached that many victories and their numbers don’t look as good as their record does.

15.  Kansas City Chiefs (7-6)
Last week #17
The Chiefs have the least amount of turnovers in the NFL which is great. They allow 373.3 total yards per game which is terrible.

16.  Buffalo Bills (7-6)
Last week #18
Buffalo has won two of their last three. Funny thing is they’ve been outscored 40-32 and giving up three turnovers in that span.

17.  Detroit Lions (7-6)
Last week #15
I never understood why Calvin Johnson was deemed Megatron when Mathew Stafford had the cannon for an arm. Without him, their offense wouldn’t exist right now.

18.  Green Bay Packers (7-6)
Last week #16
The Packers squeaked out two straight overtime wins. They have a slim chance to make the playoffs. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is eligible to play Sunday so the chance gets a little bit bigger.

19.  Oakland Raiders (6-7)
Last week #19
Oakland is 3-3 in their last six games. They have 20 turnovers and only forced 10. Probably not the route you take when trying to win.

20.  Miami Dolphins (6-7)
Last week #23
The Dolphins have won their last two games out scoring opponents 62-29. Jay Cutler has been solid throwing for 498 yards and five touchdowns (two picks) in that span.

21.  Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
Last week #24
The Cardinals can stop the run but can’t seem to find the running lanes themselves. They have won two of their last three and have played solid despite injuries to key positions.

22.  New York Jets (5-8)
Last week #20
The Jets totaled 100 yards of total offense on Sunday and were shutout for the first time since week five of the 2014 season. New York has lost six of eight and have all but no playoff hope.

23.  Washington Redskins (5-8)
Last week #21
The Redskins can’t stop the bleeding. It’s almost like they want the other team to outscore them. They’ve allowed 68 points in their last two games and scored a robust 27 points.

24.  Cincinnati Bengals (5-8)
Last week #22
Cincy has lost two straight games, getting outscored 56-27. They’ve allowed the most rush yards in the league. Not really sure what their plan was but it’s not like they are missing a bunch of key position players.

25.  Chicago Bears (4-9)
Last week #28
The Bears defense has been solid all year. When they get the running game going they keep games close if not winning the game outright.

26.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-9)
Last week #25
The Buccaneers only salvation is that they force turnovers. Jameis Winston coming back didn’t help much. I mean he’s not a running back.

27.  Houston Texans (4-9)
Last week #26
DeAndre Hopkins is second in the NFL with 1,233 yards and 88 catches. He has the most touchdowns catches with 11. The lone bright spot for the Texans.

28.  Denver Broncos (5-9)
Last week #27
Denver won their first game since week four. They remain a team that allows very few yards to opponents.

29.  San Francisco 49ers (3-10)
Last week #29
The Shannahan system of success; Jimmy Garoppolo has come in and provided San Francisco with its first winning streak. They’re not gonna win anything but it’s nice to see them moving in the right direction.

30.  Indianapolis Colts (3-11)
Last week #30
The Colts aren’t that good, there’s no way around it. They give up 26.3 points per game while only averaging 16.3 points a contest.

31.  New York Giants (2-11)
Last week #31
The Giants are team in turmoil to say the least. This is a defense that allows the most points in the NFL and an offense that’s second to last in scoring. My goodness, what a water an oil mixture.

32.  Cleveland Browns (0-13)
Last week #32
The Browns are last in the NFL averaging 15.1 points per game. The woeful Browns have one win in their last 29 games.