NFL Power Rankings Week 16 – The Undercard Knockout

As we witnessed a weird week in football that started on a Thursday and ended the next Tuesday, one thing was made clear: the NFL playoffs won’t start sometime in January, but they have already begun.

Sure, the official dates and seedings have yet to be determined, but every week a team will be getting  knocked out of contention. We might not be labeling these games as a “win or go home,” but losing in these finals weeks can be severely detrimental.

 

1. Green Bay Packers (11-3)
Green Bay sits atop the NFC standings with three games left to play. They’ve scored 30 or more points in their last four games.

 

2. Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)
The Chiefs have flexed their offensive muscle in their last two contests and they’ve pushed their win streak to seven games. They currently hold the top spot in the AFC.

 

3. Los Angeles Rams (10-4)
Cooper Kupp breaks the Rams’ single season receptions record after grabbing his 120th catch of the season. Kupp now has 122 catches and 14 touchdowns on the season.

 

4. Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
The Cowboys have reeled off three victories in a row, outscoring their opponents 75-43 during that stretch. They currently sit in the number two spot in the NFC.

 

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-4)
Tom Brady officially has some kind of bad karma when it comes to facing the New Orleans Saints. The team is now dealing with a slew of injuries, which couldn’t come at a worse time on top of the loss that drops them in the NFC standings.

 

6. New England Patriots (9-5)
The Patriots’ rush defense has been less than stellar this season. They currently rank 24th in rushing  yards allowed after the Colts ran for 226 yards against them.

 

7. Arizona Cardinals (10-4)
Arizona’s two game slide has come at the worst possible time. They are starting to lose ground in the NFC playoff standings and the division lead.

 

8. Tennessee Titans (9-5)
The Titans have lost three out of their last four, and they’ve scored exactly 13 points in each of those losses. Tennessee is ranked 15th in total points scored.

 

9. Indianapolis Colts (8-6)
The Colts have won five out of six games and have catapulted themselves into the top wild card spot. They still have an outside chance at winning the AFC South as well, but losing both matchups to Tennessee might hurt them.

 

10. San Francisco 49ers (8-6)
The 49ers have won two in a row and they’ve allowed an average of 18.0 points in those two games. They currently rank sixth in total yards allowed.

 

11. Buffalo Bills (8-6)
The Bills snapped a two game losing streak and won at home for the first time since week five. They can pull even for the division lead with a win over New England on Saturday.

 

12. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)
The Bengals have (all of a sudden) found themselves at the top of the AFC North. They will play the Ravens and Browns in two out of their last three games.

 

13. Baltimore Ravens (8-6)
John Harbaugh’s insatiable need to go for two at the end of games has now bitten him twice in the backside. The Ravens have lost their grip on the AFC North title.

 

14. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
The Chargers have attempted a total of 20 field goals this season and missed only two. You kind of scratch your head at why they would bypass field goal opportunities.

 

15. Cleveland Browns (7-7)
The Browns’ defense is currently ranked fifth in total yards allowed. The offense is currently ranked 19th in total yards gained.

 

16. Philadelphia Eagles (7-7)
The Eagles have won two in a row and they’ve rushed for over 200 yards in both of the victories. They now pass Washington in the NFC standings, but the teams play each other again in two weeks.

 

17. Miami Dolphins (7-7)
The Dolphins rushed for 183 rushing yards, with 107 yards and two touchdowns coming from Duke Johnson. The Dolphins have extended their winning streak to six in a row.

 

18. Minnesota Vikings (7-7)
Minnesota has now won two in a row after snapping a two game losing streak. The will have a tough couple of games coming up to stay in playoff contention.

 

19. Denver Broncos (7-7)
The Broncos have traded wins and losses every week since week nine. This after starting the season on a three game winning streak followed by a four game losing streak. Their .500 record suits them well.

 

20. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6-1)
The tie with Detroit earlier in the season is haunting the Steelers right now. They are in ninth place in the AFC with all the wild card teams sitting at 8-6.

 

21. New Orleans Saints (7-7)
The Saints have won two in a row, giving up a total of nine points during that stretch. The defense currently ranks sixth in total points allowed.

 

22. Las Vegas Raiders (7-7)
The Raiders snapped a two game losing streak to keep their playoff hopes alive. They allowed their lowest point total of the season versus the Browns.

 

23. Washington Football Team (6-8)
Washington has now lost two in a row after a four game win streak. They’ve allowed a total of 54 points during that stretch.

 

24. Atlanta Falcons (6-8)
The Falcons’ playoff hopes are fading fast. They play a suddenly revved up Lions team on Sunday.

 

25. Seattle Seahawks (5-9)
Seattle has now snapped a streak of nine straight winning seasons. Their playoff hopes are pretty much over.

 

26. Carolina Panthers (5-9)
Carolina has struggled to score during their current four game losing streak. Their playoff hopes are all but over, having less than a 1% chance of getting into the postseason.

 

27. Chicago Bears (4-10)
Justin Fields continues to show why he was a first round draft pick at the quarterback position. The question will be what kind of leadership the Bears’ organization chooses going forward, because they have a huge building block.

 

28. New York Giants (4-10)
Daniel Jones will be shut down for the rest of the season with a neck injury. You have to wonder if this marks the end of his Giants’ career or at least his tenure as a starter.

 

29. Houston Texans (3-11)
Houston is ranked 31st with 207 total points scored this season. They’ve scored 89 of those points in their three victories.

 

30. New York Jets (3-11)
The Jets’ defense had a real good game on Sunday, despite the 31 points they have up. They currently rank 32nd in total points allowed.

 

31. Detroit Lions (2-11-1)
Detroit has hit their hottest point of the season, winning two out of their last three games. They are averaging 23.0 points per game during that stretch.

 

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12)
The Jaguars last three games will be overshadowed by it’s coaching search and questions about Trevor Lawrence’s future. Their draft placement will also be a hot topic.