NFL Week 16 Power Rankings

  |  
Dec 23, 2020
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

The NFL regular season is wrapping up, and you’d think it’d be clear by now who the top teams in the league are. Well, we know the Chiefs are good, but who else is actually on their level to compete for a Super Bowl right now? Are the Steelers even a playoff team? Is Area 51 actually housing aliens? There may not be an answer to any of those questions, but here is where I have every team ranked heading into Week 16. 

  1. Kansas City Chiefs

Last Week: 32-29 win @ NO

Trending: —

Next Week: 12/27 vs ATL

Patrick Mahomes was under pressure for much of this game, but the Chiefs have so many weapons that it was negated. The Chiefs also had their own great defensive performance that stopped a lot of what New Orleans wanted to do in the run game. It’s unclear as of now what the statuses of both Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Le’veon Bell are, but if at least one is healthy, the Chiefs seem unbeatable right now. 

  1. Buffalo Bills

Last Week: 48-19 win @ DEN

Trending: —

Next Week: 12/28 @ NE

Josh Allen is putting together a great season, and the Bills have officially won the AFC East. Their defense, while weaker than last season, has been stingy when they need to be and continue to force a ton of turnovers. They also got their running game going again this week which was a welcomed sight. 

  1. Green Bay Packers

Last Week: 24-16 win vs CAR

Trending: —

Next Week: 12/27 vs TEN

The Packers faltered a little bit in the second half, but they won another game and now fully control the number-one seed in the NFC. If Aaron Jones can consistently show up in the playoffs like he did on Saturday, Green Bay is a tough out in the NFC.

  1. Cleveland Browns

Last Week: 20-6 win @ NYG

Trending: ↑1

Next Week: 12/27 @ NYJ

The Giants defense is good, but Cleveland continues to prove that they are an elite team on both sides of the ball. Their normally awesome running game was not there this week, but Baker Mayfield was awesome. 2020 is strange: both Buffalo and Cleveland are now two legitimate top-five teams. 

  1. New Orleans Saints

Last Week: 29-32 loss vs KC

Trending: ↑1

Next Week: 12/25 vs MIN

The Saints lost, but let’s put some context behind it. Drew Brees is coming off breaking half his ribs, and who did he have to throw to? Emmanuel Sanders, Jared Cook, and three practice squad wide receivers. Not exactly the ideal situation when you have to go against Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Travis Kelce, and even more. All that said, the Saints lost by three points and had a second half lead in this game. They don’t get Michael Thomas back until the playoffs, but once he returns, this offense will look much better than it did Sunday.

  1. Baltimore Ravens

Last Week: 40-14 win vs JAX

Trending: ↑5

Next Week: 12/27 vs NYG

The Ravens are finally looking like the team we’ve expected them to be. Granted, they played Jacksonville this week, but like I’ve said in the past, the Jags are a very sneaky competitive team for how bad their record is. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting any time a team puts up over 40 points in back-to-back weeks. Baltimore is officially back.

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last Week: 31-27 win @ ATL

Trending: —

Next Week: 12/26 @ DET

Look, Tampa’s comeback was impressive. Coming back from 24-7 is a great feat against any NFL team. As impressive as it was, are we sure that it happens against any team other than Atlanta, though? Atlanta has so many of these games on their resume that as soon as this game became 24-14, I thought Tampa was going to win. It had less to do with my confidence in the Buccaneers than my lack of confidence in the Falcons. 

  1. Tennessee Titans

Last Week: 46-25 win vs DET

Trending: ↑4

Next Week: 12/27 @ GB

Derrick Henry is really good. Turns out, Ryan Tannehill is really good too. When you can combine those two on a team, the end result is unstoppable, at least offensively, and we get results like we saw Sunday against Detroit. The only remaining question mark is their defense, which is why I’m not sold on their playoff potential if they have to play against Kansas City or Buffalo. 

  1. Pittsburgh Steelers

Last Week: 17-27 loss @ CIN

Trending: ↓5

Next Week: 12/27 vs IND

There’s trouble brewing in Pittsburgh. Remember three weeks ago when this team was undefeated? Yeah, me either. No matter what you thought about this team then; you have to be thinking this team is now in prime position for a first round exit. More trouble may be on the horizon against the Colts.

  1. Seattle Seahawks

Last Week: 20-15 win @ WSH

Trending: —

Next Week: 12/27 vs LAR

The Seahawks took early control of this game. While they absolutely took their collective foot off the gas in the second half, the bad defense stepped up when they needed to. The fact that they let Washington get back into this game and have a chance to take the lead with a minute left is concerning, though.

  1. Indianapolis Colts

Last Week: 27-20 win vs HOU

Trending: ↓2

Next Week: 12/27 @ PIT

If Keke Coutee doesn’t fumble at the two yard-line, we’re having a very different conversation about this game. The Texans now could have beaten this team twice had they not fumbled twice on the goalline. Indy still won, though, putting them in prime position to make a playoff run. 

  1. Arizona Cardinals

Last Week: 33-26 win vs PHI

Trending: ↑1

Next Week: 12/26 vs SF

Kyler Murray is back on track after his recent struggles, and DeAndre Hopkins had a great game. Normally, having a game this close against the Eagles would be a bad thing, but Philly seems to have found their guy in Jalen Hurts. 

  1. Los Angeles Rams

Last Week: 20-23 loss vs NYJ

Trending: ↓1

Next Week: 12/27 @ SEA

This is not good. Yes, the Rams have secured their playoff position already. However, that does not excuse losing to this awful Jets team. It especially does not excuse getting dominated for much of the game by this awful Jets team. Jared Goff was bad, which is something I’m sure all Rams fans have been worried about all year.

  1. Washington Football Team

Last Week: 15-20 loss vs SEA

Trending: —

Next Week: 12/27 vs CAR

While this game was ugly early on, Washington managed to get back into it and remain competitive. That is very reassuring for this team if they do in fact make the postseason. The fact that they managed to do it without Antonio Gibson or Alex Smith was very impressive as well. 

  1. Chicago Bears

Last Week: 33-27 win @ MIN

Trending: ↑1

Next Week: 12/27 @ JAX

If the Bears played this well all year, they’d be competing with the Packers for the NFC North title. Mitch Trubisky was good, David Montgomery ran all over Minnesota’s defense, and the defense locked down Adam Thielen. That said, Chicago has not played this well all season, so I am not confident in their ability to sneak back into the playoffs. 

  1. Miami Dolphins 

Last Week: 22-12 win vs NE

Trending: ↓1

Next Week: 12/26 @ LV

Miami won, but it was unimpressive. Tua was underwhelming throughout. The Patriots offense is also one of the worst units in the league without Damian Harris on the field. The Dolphins may be an impressive 9-5; however, the AFC is just so deep that it feels like they won’t have enough to make the playoffs. 

  1. Philadelphia Eagles

Last Week: 26-33 loss @ ARI

Trending: ↑4

Next Week: 12/27 @ DAL

Philadelphia seems so much more fluid and confident with Jalen Hurts under center. He brings a revitalizing quality to an offense that was stagnant and dying under Carson Wentz. This may seem like a high ranking, but if Philly chooses to keep him as the starter into next year, I wouldn’t be surprised if this will be a playoff team. 

  1. Los Angeles Chargers

Last Week: 30-27 win @ LV
 Trending: ↑5

Next Week: 12/27 vs DEN

The Chargers won an overtime game! I know, the Raiders have been bad lately. Even with that, this feels like the beginning of an attempt to loosen the vice grip that horrible luck has had on the franchise. Justin Herbert is great, and if they can create a defense to help him, this will be a really good team. 

  1. Minnesota Vikings

Last Week: 27-33 loss vs CHI

Trending: ↑3

Next Week: 12/25 @ NO

The Vikings are not going to make the playoffs. While disappointing, there are still positives. Kirk Cousins is good, Dalvin Cook is great, and Justin Jefferson is absolutely fantastic. The defense is not really able to stop anyone, though.

  1. Las Vegas Raiders

Last Week: 27-30 loss vs LAC

Trending: ↓3

Next Week: 12/26 vs MIA

Things just keep going downhill for the Raiders lately. Now they don’t have Derek Carr which absolutely hurts whatever remaining hopes they have of the playoffs. 

  1. San Francisco 49ers

Last Week: 33-41 loss @ DAL

Trending: ↓2

Next Week: 12/26 @ ARI

Again, the 49ers are just really beat up. Losing this game takes them out of playoff contention for good, but who really expected them to make it?

  1. Dallas Cowboys

Last Week: 41-33 win vs SF

Trending: ↑4

Next Week: 12/27 vs PHI

Dallas fans might hate this, but the offense looks a lot better without a ton of carries going to Ezekiel Elliott. Tony Pollard just looks more energized and has more to prove. Not to mention, he doesn’t put the ball on the ground every other game. 

  1. Houston Texans 

Last Week: 20-27 loss @ IND

Trending: ↑2

Next Week: 12/27 vs CIN

Poor Deshaun Watson. That’s about all I have to say about Houston this week. It’s now to the point where he’s had to turn David Johnson into a top receiver who, since 2016, has not been capable of an extended role in the passing game. 

  1. Denver Broncos

Last Week: 19-48 loss vs BUF

Trending: ↓4

Next Week: 12/27 @ LAC

There’s not too much to take away from this game other than Buffalo is really good. The Broncos were completely overmatched both on offense and defense, but that’s to be expected from a team with Super Bowl aspirations. 

  1. New England Patriots

Last Week: 12-22 loss @ MIA

Trending: ↓7

Next Week: 12/28 vs BUF

New England’s offense is not the same without Damian Harris on the field. They cannot put drives together to score touchdowns, which was ultimately their demise on Sunday. They kicked four field goals and had zero touchdowns. 

  1. New York Giants

Last Week: 6-20 loss vs CLE

Trending: ↓2

Next Week: 12/27 @ BAL

The Giants defense did a good job of slowing down the two-headed monster of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, but they were not good in the pass defense. Mayfield made a few plays, and that turned out to be too much for this offense to keep pace with.

  1. Cincinnati Bengals

Last Week: 27-17 win @ PIT

Trending: ↑4

Next Week: 12/27 @ HOU

The Bengals forced either a punt or turnover on all seven of Pittsburgh’s first half drives. That was basically the difference in the game along with their ability to put points up on a defense that a month ago everyone thought was elite. As it should have been, too. Cincinnati scored the second most points that this defense has allowed all season, and the most since week four against Philadelphia. 

  1. Carolina Panthers

Last Week: 16-24 loss @ GB

Trending: ↓1

Next Week: 12/27 @ WSH

Bridgewater’s second quarter fumble on the goalline was a turning point in the game. Instead of bringing the score to 14-10, Green Bay scored minutes later to make it 21-3. That was all it really took for the Packers to walk away with a win. 

  1. Detroit Lions

Last Week: 25-46 loss @ TEN

Trending: ↓1

Next Week: 12/26 vs TB

The defense could not stop Tennessee at anything. Derrick Henry ran free. Ryan Tannehill threw passes everywhere. Corey Davis broke open a huge touchdown. When you give up 46 points, there’s not much a very-injured Matthew Stafford can do to change the outcome. 

  1. Atlanta Falcons

Last Week: 27-31 loss vs TB (and refs)

Trending: ↓1

Next Week: 12/27 @ KC

I jokingly included the refs in here, but no matter how stupid that ball placement was at the end of the game, there is no excuse for blowing this lead. Atlanta just can’t figure out how to hold big leads on Tom Brady. 

  1. New York Jets

Last Week: 23-20 win @ LAR
 Trending: ↑1

Next Week: 12/27 @ NYJ

Like I said, 2020 is strange.

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars

Last Week: 14-40 loss @ BAL

Trending: ↓1

Next Week: 12/27 vs CHI

The Jaguars lose once again, and despite being a much more competitive team than the Jets for much of the year, they now sit in the driver’s seat for the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. To be honest, this is probably a better outcome for all parties involved, anyway.

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