NFL Power Rankings – Week 15

Who’s up, who’s down? Frank Schwab surveys the NFL landscape now that the Week 14 games are in the books.

After watching them throw out an absolute dud at home against the Lions, one question lingers: How in the world did this team win at Lambeau Field? (Josh Rosen)

With Reggie McKenzie fired, the Raiders’ next general manager hire is a crucial one. Jon Gruden will still have the power, but he needs a strong personnel man that he respects to guide him into a better offseason than he had in 2018. (Jon Gruden)

George Kittle had 210 yards at halftime, four yards short of Shannon Sharpe’s single-game NFL record for a tight end. He was held without a catch in the second half. The 49ers couldn’t get him one catch after halftime to get the record? (George Kittle)

Watching the Jaguars barely try to tackle Derrick Henry, combined with the Colts winning at the Texans on Sunday … Jacksonville shutting out Indianapolis in Week 13 is just baffling. (A.J. Bouye)

It will be lost in the shuffle because the Chargers won and nobody was focused on that game, but the Bengals taking the Chargers to the brink on the road was an impressive effort for a team that has nothing to play for. (John Ross)

Is there another team that wants the season to end more than the Falcons? Being down 34-7 at Green Bay through three quarters says all you need to know. (Desmond Trufant)

Not only were the Redskins down 40-0 to the Giants, it was a Giants team without Odell Beckham. The good news is this week the Redskins get to face the Jaguars, who might be the least motivated team in the NFL. (Mark Sanchez)

Josh Allen has 99, 135 and 101 yards rushing the past three games. Allen, in just nine games, leads the Bills in rushing. (Josh Allen)

Maybe it matters, maybe it doesn’t, but it’s a positive for Todd Bowles to avenge the worst loss of the Jets’ season. The Jets were absolutely awful in a loss to the Bills a few weeks ago, but they pulled out a close win on Sunday. (Trumaine Johnson, Darryl Roberts)

The Lions won, but they had 218 yards on offense. Injuries have really hurt, but it’s surprising how bad Detroit’s offense has slipped. Nobody is speaking glowingly anymore about the future of offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. (Theo Riddick)

Odell Beckham practiced on Wednesday and Thursday before showing up on Friday’s injury report as limited, then was ruled out Saturday with a bruised quad … it just seems a little off. Or maybe it’s totally normal and it seems off because it’s Beckham, and everything with Beckham becomes a bigger story than it should be. (Odell Beckham Jr.)

Getting outscored 25-0 in the second half against the Saints wasn’t the best look. For the first half it looked like the Buccaneers were emerging as that “team that plays really well after their playoff hopes are dead” squad for this season. (Jameis Winston)

Fair or not, if the Packers go on a tear to end the season, wouldn’t you have to hold that against Mike McCarthy if you’re another team interviewing him for a head-coaching vacancy? (Randall Cobb)

Before Sunday, it wasn’t crazy to start considering the Broncos a possible wild-card contender. Then they lost to a 49ers team that was 2-10. It’s not quite as bad as the Steelers’ loss to Oakland on Sunday, but pretty close. (Von Miller)

The Panthers have had no luck in close games. Of their seven losses, six have come by a touchdown or less. That’s how thin the margins are in the NFL. (Ian Thomas)

It was a little surprising that Doug Pederson, whose calling card last season was being aggressive, didn’t go for a two-point conversion after the Eagles scored with 1:45 left. Instead, the Eagles tied the game, lost in overtime, and their season is on life support. (Doug Peterson)

Kirk Cousins didn’t do much in another big game. That has been an issue all season. This season is a huge disappointment. (Kirk Cousins)

There’s a crazy scenario for the Browns can make the playoffs. It’s improbable but not impossible. (Jarvis Landry)

The Kenyan Drake touchdown was awesome, and before that play he had six touches. Six! There aren’t many coaching decisions that have been stranger this season than the Dolphins simply refusing to give Drake a bigger part of the offense. (Kenyan Drake)

Eric Ebron has 13 touchdowns. The single-season record for a tight end is 17 by Rob Gronkowski. Ebron might not get the record but the fact it’s even a realistic conversation means this was a great value signing by the Colts. (Eric Ebron)

It’s not like Derrick Henry didn’t have a chance to carve out a bigger role. Early in the season he had two games with 18 carries, and did little with it. If Thursday night’s 238-yard explosion happens in that first month, maybe it’s an entirely different season for Henry. (Derrick Henry)

The most damaging loss on Sunday might have been by the Ravens. Had they gotten a stop on either fourth down on the Chiefs last drive, or put together a game-winning drive at the end of regulation or overtime, they’d be the AFC North favorite right now. (Lamar Jackson)

Not only are the Seahawks looking good for a wild-card spot, they’ll likely be the top wild-card team in the NFC. There are a lot of great candidates for coach of the year, but Pete Carroll needs to be mentioned too. (Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin)

Antonio Brown is one of the best receivers of his era, a likely Hall of Famer. Yet this season, JuJu Smith-Schuster has more catches and more yards too. Smith-Schuster was a grand slam draft pick by the Steelers in the late second round last year. (JuJu Smith-Schuster)

Amari Cooper was the star, but Dak Prescott’s 455 yards against the Eagles was impressive too. If Prescott plays like that (without the two interceptions he threw) that obviously raises Dallas’ ceiling. (Dak Prescott)

A win would have been better, but a loss Sunday didn’t really hurt the Texans too much. They still have a two-game lead in the division and are still in the mix for a first-round bye thanks to the Patriots’ crazy loss. (Christian Covington)

Next week’s game at Pittsburgh is a big one in terms of securing a first-round bye. Lose that and the door is open for the Texans to get the second seed. Giving up that Kenyan Drake touchdown might haunt them for a while. (Kyle Van Noy)

Maybe the result would be different if the teams meet in Los Angeles in January, but the Bears domination of the Rams offense was so thorough, you have to wonder if Chicago just matches up with the Rams really well. There’s no way Los Angeles wants to see the Bears defense again in the playoffs. (Roquan Smith)

Sunday was a tough spot for the Chargers, coming off a huge road win over the Steelers with a massive AFC West game against the Chiefs coming on Thursday. You don’t want to have to stop a two-point conversion to avoid going to overtime at home against the Bengals, but it’s somewhat explainable. Now they get their shot on Thursday night to keep the AFC West race interesting. (Keenan Allen)

What’s left to say about Patrick Mahomes anymore? His 48-yard pass to Tyreek Hill on fourth down to keep the Chiefs alive on Sunday was as good as you’ll ever see. If he wins MVP, that throw will be one of the main reasons. (Patrick Mahomes)

The difference between the top three teams is slight. Even though it’s clear they’re the top three teams, everyone is beatable. We saw that with the Bears beatdown of the Rams on Sunday night. The playoffs might get really crazy this season. (Jared Goff)

It was hard to move the Saints back to the No. 1 spot considering how badly they struggled for six quarters against the Cowboys and Buccaneers. But they came alive in the second half at Tampa, they have a win over the Rams and they still seem like the most complete of the three teams vying for the top spot. (Mark Ingram)