NFL Power Rankings, Week 16: The Buffalo Bills are circling the wagons
After being left for dead, the Buffalo Bills were cornered with two shots in the chamber and hit both of them. Now at 9-6, they are back in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
Plus, the Eagles are no longer soaring after three straight losses, while the black birds from Baltimore look as good as they ever have in the Lamar Jackson era. Here is how all 32 teams stack up ahead of Week 16.
32. Carolina Panthers
Last Week: 32
Huzzah! The Panthers won a game… 9-7 in front of what looked like 17 people. The Chicago Bears will kindly thank them if they don’t win another game this season.
31. New York Giants
Last Week: 30
I don’t know how much magic “Tommy Cutlets” has left. That was an ugly loss to New Orleans in which the team didn’t score a touchdown.
30. New England Patriots
Last Week: 31
The Patriots lost, but they move up simply because I think they would beat the Giants if they played today. Their defense gave the Chiefs a hard time for a solid portion of the afternoon.
29. Washington Commanders
Last Week: 29
Death, taxes, and the Commanders allowing a deep touchdown pass with no defensive back in a 15 yard radius of the receiver who scores. This team just needs to get to the offseason and begin this rebuild.
28. Atlanta Falcons
Last Week: 27
Well, you just lost to the Panthers and only put up seven points in doing so. It’s safe to say the Falcons will be in the market for a quarterback in the offseason, and could also be searching for a new head coach.
27. Arizona Cardinals
Last Week: 28
The Cardinals may have inferior talent to the 49ers, but they fought like hell for 60 minutes, and made the game interesting in the first half.
26. New York Jets
Last Week: 25
The conversations between Garrett Wilson and Aaron Rodgers on the sideline was more entertaining to try and decipher than watching the Dolphins shutout the Jets and outclass them for 60 minutes.
25. Los Angeles Chargers
Last Week: 21
Watching the Chargers without Justin Hebert is cruel and unusual punishment. At least we’ll see him with a new, hopefully competent, head coach the next time we see him take the field.
24. Tennessee Titans
Last Week: 26
Will Levis plays with the passion of a Four Loko filled with firecrackers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough to lift the Titans to their second straight win.
23. Chicago Bears
Last Week: 23
If Robert Tonyan or Darnell Mooney held onto passes that hit them directly in the hands, the Bears would have beaten Cleveland. Also, Justin Fields is making the decision to move on from him a tough one for the Bears to make.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers
Last Week: 19
The Steelers have lost three consecutive games and are all but eliminated from playoff contention after a 7-4 start.
21. New Orleans Saints
Last Week: 22
The NFC South will come down to the Saints and Tampa Bay, who are now both 7-7 waiting for the other to take the wrong step.
20. Las Vegas Raiders
Last Week: 24
Putting up 63 points, and they could have scored more against a division-rival. Antonio Pierce is making a case that he should get the full-time gig with the Raiders.
19. Minnesota Vikings
Last Week: 18
The Vikings let one slip away against the Bengals, and they have a huge matchup with the Lions up next as they to try and keep ahold of a Wildcard spot.
18. Green Bay Packers
Last Week: 15
Joe Berry really needs to go. This defense can’t stop anyone right now, and it’s costing them football games.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last Week: 20
Four touchdowns and a perfect passer rating from Baker Mayfield? Tampa Bay is getting hot and looking like they did in the first month of the season.
16. Indianapolis Colts
Last Week: 17
The Colts overcame a 13-point deficit and scored 30 unanswered against the Steelers, and they pounded the ball down Pittsburgh’s throats in the process.
15. Seattle Seahawks
Last Week: 16
Seattle they are not a fraud, they call Drew Lock their bodyguard.
My apologies to Jeezy for how ungodly white that sounded. What a game-winning drive for Lock, though, as the Seahawks keep their season alive.
14. Denver Broncos
Last Week: 11
Denver was outclassed in all facets against the Lions. They aren’t out of the AFC playoff race, but the road just got harder.
13. Cincinnati Bengals
Last Week: 14
Jake Browning did it again, leading a comeback win over the Vikings in overtime as the Bengals get to eight wins and may get to the playoffs without Joe Burrow.
12. Los Angeles Rams
Last Week: 13
Matthew Stafford is playing like a top five quarterback right now. If the season ended today, the Rams would play the Cowboys in the playoffs, and I have to say, this may be the year where a No. 7 seed defeats a No. 2 seed. If the Rams get in, watch out,
11. Jacksonville Jaguars
Last Week: 9
The Jaguars have a lot to figure out. Offensively, they couldn’t get a point on four drives that ended in Ravens’ territory. Defensively, they allowed the Ravens to run all over them despite entering the week at No. 2 in defensive rush success rate. This team still has a ways to go before they are Super Bowl contenders.
10. Cleveland Browns
Last Week: 12
The Browns are a nine-win team that is almost certainly going to the playoffs despite all of their injuries- Kevin Stefanski is the Coach of the Year.
9. Houston Texans
Last Week: 10
This was the week of backup quarterbacks leading comebacks apparently because Case Keenum led the Texans from 10 down to defeat the Titans and stay alive in the AFC Wildcard race.
8. Philadelphia Eagles
Last Week: 3
The Eagles have lost three consecutive games, and Jalen Hurts hasn’t thrown a touchdown in that span. He also leads the NFL in turnovers.
7. Detroit Lions
Last Week: 8
Is there a team better coming off a loss than the Lions? This is the second time this season they have just dismantled an AFC West team after a bad loss. This Detroit team can beat anyone when they are at their best.
6. Dallas Cowboys
Last Week: 2
The Cowboys’ run defense was severely exposed against Buffalo, and they face another AFC East team that loves to run when they face the Dolphins this week.
5. Miami Dolphins
Last Week: 7
Even without Tyreek Hill, Tua Tagovailoa played a masterful game as Miami shut out the Jets. Now, a tough test awaits them with Dallas up next on the schedule.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Last Week: 5
The Chiefs defeated the Patriots, but their holes at receiver are glaring and could be what costs them from repeating as Super Bowl champions.
3. Buffalo Bills
Last Week: 6
The Bills have defeated the Chiefs and Cowboys in consecutive weeks, and allowed just 27 points combined throughout both games. James Cook has 362 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in that span, as well. With their defense flexing their depth, and the offense finding a legitimate running game, who wants to play Buffalo?
2. Baltimore Ravens
Last Week: 4
Lamar Jackson is playing like an MVP candidate, and the Ravens will find out just how good they really are when they play the 49ers on Christmas night.
1. San Francisco 49ers
Last Week: 1
The 49ers have two MVP candidates on their offense, meaning three of the leading candidates for MVP will be on display next Monday on Christmas as the league’s two best teams square off.
