NFL Power Rankings (After Week 16)


Well thanks to Seattle's loss to Arizona, there are changes near the top of this week's NFL Power Rankings. Everyone behind the Seahawks moved up one place and the Seahawks slipped all the way back to No. 6 (can't lose to the Cardinals trying to find an identity for 2020). Both New England (No. 7) and Houston (No. 8) moved up two spots and Buffalo and Minnesota also tumble. No new teams made the Top 10 this week ... really, none deserving of the honor!

 1. (1 last week/7 weeks at No. 1) Baltimore (13-2): Doesn't matter what you put in front of Lamar Jackson and Co., not even the "best" team on paper to start the season in the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns. Ravens won, 31-15. We've been regretting that selection of the Browns for AFC North champs for a long while now.

 2. (3) San Francisco (12-3): With the postseason coming, it was a good test for the 49ers to find out if they had the right stuff against the soon-to-be-former defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers were pushed, but in the end, Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle and Robbie Gould made everything all better by winning, 34-31. But the Sunday night game with Seattle is looming for a division title.

 3. (4) New Orleans (12-3): The Saints really love playing with the heartstrings of their fans – they spotted the Tennessee Titans a 14-0 lead after one quarter and just when it looked like the game was going to be a replay of the Atlanta debacle in the Superdome, they turned it on and won it eventually, 38-28. Drew Brees threw for 279 yards and three TDs and still didn't make the NFL's all-time Top 100 team! That should keep Saints fans up for nights!

 4 (5) Green Bay (12-3): Aaron Rodgers? Yeah, he was OK. Aaron Jones? He was awesome to the tune of 154 yards rushing and two second-half TD runs to put the Minnesota Vikings away, 23-10, and to win the NFC North. Not bad work done by first-year coach Matt LaFleur.

 5 (6) Kansas City (11-4): It's been a struggle through injuries for the Chiefs this season, but nonetheless, welcome back to the Top 5, guys! The defense starred in this last win, a 26-3 rout of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Oh, Patrick Mahomes did throw for 251 yards and two TDs in the win.

 6 (2) Seattle (11-4): Umm, guys, umm ... you can't lose to the Arizona Cardinals, regardless of how much Kyler Murray has grown over the past year, especially on your home field! You are Seattle, the big bad Seahawks, the Legion of Boom, Super Bowl champs six years ago, runners-up the next year! What happened to you?! Time to find your dignity and beat the 49ers at home on Sunday night. But if the Cardinals could do it ... oy vey!

7 (9) New England (12-3): Again, the Patriots took the Buffalo Bills' best punch in the mouth and stood up in a 24-17 victory at home, clinching another AFC East championship. Tom Brady with a TD pass, Nick Folk kicked three field goals and the team wins another division title. Maybe the Patriots have been messing with our feelings about them being a Super Bowl champion all this time? Naaaaah!!!

 8 (10) Houston (10-5): Every time I tell people not to sleep on the Texans, the Texans sleep on us and lose a game that makes you scratch their head. But after a hard-fought 23-2o win over the improving Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday, I'll say it again and maybe this time I'll be proven right – don't sleep on these AFC South champion Texans!

 9 (8) Buffalo (10-5): If there was a category of "Oh, so close," it's these Buffalo Bills. No, they're not close to the '90s teams that failed every year in the Super Bowl, but at least they finally have some kind of identity. They came up short twice against the Patriots and will go to the playoffs for the second time in three years. At least they get a chance to show what they're made of in postseason.

 10 (7) Minnesota (10-5): Everything was looking so good on Monday night. Kirk Cousins hit Stefon Diggs with a touchdown pass and it was 10-3 and the Vikings were on their way to a glorious night at U.S. Bank Stadium. Then Aaron took over ... no, not Rodgers, but Jones and his two rushing TDs in a 23-10 win. And so Kirk Cousins is 0-for-his career on Monday night football and the Vikings are entrenched in the sixth spot for the playoffs, waiting on a dance partner they will travel to next week for the NFC Wild-Card round.




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