Well, that was quite the week of football — and during Christmas week no less! We’ve got quite the shake-up in our power rankings this week. Several contenders made another big-time statement, while other so-called contenders looked like they had too much Christmas turkey on gameday!
Happy holidays everyone. And with that, it’s time to dive into our final edition of the NFL power rankings before the new year!
32. Carolina Panthers (32)
Unbelievable! Bryce Young throws for 312 yards and two touchdowns…and the Panthers still lose? Will this team ever get a break?
Carolina’s D forgot to show up for gameday against Jordan Love and the reeling Packers, losing a surprisingly high-scoring affair 33-30. At least these guys have been showing some fight under interim HC Chris Tabor?
31. Washington Commanders (30)
The Commanders’ season in a nutshell! Put up 28 points against a stingy Jets’ defense and still lose because your helpless defense gave up 30 to Trevor Siemian. Of course.
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Washington erased a 20-point deficit and took a late 28-27 lead, only for the D to collapse and allow Greg Zuerlein to play hero with a game-winning 54-yard boot. Like we said, it’s the Commanders for you ladies and gentlemen.
Ah well, at least Jacoby Brissett is looking a lot better than Sam Howell. May as well let him finish out the season, no?
30. Arizona Cardinals (29)
Nice week for Cardinals fans on #TeamTank. They were thoroughly dominated by the Chicago Bears then watched the New England Patriots upset the Denver Broncos on Sunday night — putting Jonathan Gannon’s squad into the No. 2 draft pick spot.
Two more losses, and Arizona can choose one of Caleb Wililams, Drake Maye or Marvin Harrison Jr.!
29. New England Patriots (31)
Typical Bill Belichick. Just when you think his Patriots are ready to give up on the year, they go into Mile High City and spoil the Denver Broncos’ postseason hopes.
And because Belichick may or may not want to sabotage Robert Kraft one last time before his possible departure, why not ruin the Patriots’ draft positioning? Funny that even in a lost season, the Pats have beaten 3 playoff hopefuls in the Bills, Steelers and Broncos.
Bill’s still got it, folks.
28. Los Angeles Chargers (28)
The banged-up, Justin Herbert-less Chargers put up an admirable fight against the streaking Buffalo Bills on Saturday night. But as always, the Chargers “Chargered” it up by falling apart in the final minutes. The more that stays the same.
If there’s one silver lining, it’s that the loss helps the Chargers stay in contention for a top-five draft pick.
27. Tennessee Titans (26)
The Titans put up a big-time fight against a superior and desperate Seattle Seahawks team without Will Levis — but Geno Smith’s last-minute TD pass to Colby Parkinson handed Tennessee its 10th loss.
Just like that, the Titans have now suffered back-to-back double-digit losing seasons for the first time since 2014 and 2015. Makes you wonder if it has Mike Vrabel on the hot seat…?
26. New York Giants (24)
The Giants put up quite the fight against a slumping Eagles team on Christmas Day, but at the end of the day, Philadelphia just has far too much more talent. And that showed in the Giants’ 33-25 loss.
At 5-10, the Giants have clinched yet another double-digit losing season. Brian Daboll may or may not be coaching for his job, so how the G-Men finish here certainly bears watching.
25. New York Jets (27)
Well, it wasn’t pretty, but the Jets avoided an embarrassing collapse and just narrowly squeaked out a victory over the Commanders.
In this lost season, Jets fans will take any cause for celebration they can. A thrilling win on Christmas Eve is something to enjoy, and now they have a chance to play spoiler against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday.
24. Chicago Bears (25)
Justin Fields and the Bears offense put up a superb effort against the hapless Cardinals…all while watching the Panthers lose again.
The first overall pick is almost locked up. But also importantly, these Bears are showing vast improvement on both sides of the ball — and Matt Eberflus certainly looks like someone deserving of a third year on the job.
23. Minnesota Vikings (18)
What a brutal and devastating defeat for the Vikings. They lost Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson to injury. Nick Mullens still had 411 yards passing, but his four interceptions proved to be the difference in a tough 30-24 loss to the Lions.
You heard Minnesota go silent after the pick. Vikings fans know they had to have that one. They now HAVE to win out and get some help to sneak in.
22. New Orleans Saints (17)
Dennis Allen’s crew certainly looked like a team that had no desire to make the playoffs in Thursday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Strange, because they’re still very much alive in the race for the NFC South.
Derek Carr keeps taking careless sacks. He keeps throwing back-breaking interceptions. The o-line keeps breaking down, and this ageing defense is really showing its, well, age. Dennis Allen can’t coach, either.
Other than that, things aren’t sooo bad for the 7-8 Saints entering Sunday’s must-win against Tampa Bay?
21. Denver Broncos (16)
What a gut punch. The Broncos had a get-right game against the practically punchless Patriots on prime time — and they still lost.
Sean Payton has to be kicking himself for the head-scratching timeout usage that allowed the Patriots to score the game-winning field goal. And Pat Surtain getting lit up in coverage when it mattered most? What a sour way to see your playoff hopes practically end.
It’s on to 2024 at this point…
20. Atlanta Falcons (21)
The Falcons kept their slim NFC South hopes alive by upsetting Gardner Minshew and the surging Colts — and in ultra-dominant fashion with a 29-10 victory.
With that, Taylor Heinicke will most certainly get the nod for next week’s must-win over the Bears. Arthur Smith’s group isn’t done yet!
19. Green Bay Packers (20)
It was closer than it should have been, but Matt LaFleur’s Packers narrowly prevailed over the Panthers to keep their playoff hopes intact. Losses by the Saints and Vikings added up to a good week for Jordan Love and company.
Green Bay’s gonna have to win out and get some help to sneak in. The Vikings and Bears round up their final two games. Buckle up, Cheeseheads.
18. Las Vegas Raiders (23)
The Raiders absolutely took it to the defending champion Chiefs on their home field for a season-saving 20-14 victory. If that isn’t good enough to buy Antonio Pierce the full-time head coaching gig for next year, then what is?!
The 7-8 Raiders aren’t done just yet. They still need a ton of help to sneak in, but the fact they’re still alive at this point of the season is a testament to the remarkable turnaround under coach Pierce.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars (15)
This is quite the meltdown we’re witnessing in Duval County. The Jaguars were once in the running for the AFC’s top seed, and now they’re doing their best to give away the AFC South to Houston or Indianapolis. What a world.
Four straight losses for a team that’s supposed to be vying for a championship is nothing short of inexcusable. Trevor Lawrence is getting more and more beat up, and the Jaguars’ o-line and defense have seemingly forgotten that it’s not the offseason yet.
The good news: The Jaguars still control their own destiny for the division and finish out against Carolina and Tennessee. What could possibly go wrong?
16. Houston Texans (12)
We know they didn’t have CJ Stroud…but you’d expect a little more effort from a playoff-hopeful Houston team — considering the Browns were down to third-string QB Joe Flacco.
But alas, the Texans were mostly a no-show in their 36-22 loss to Cleveland. That’s a big-time blow to their postseason hopes, and it’s awfully tough to envision a scenario where they get in now. They need to win out and get A LOT OF help.
15. Indianapolis Colts (11)
Just an absolutely miserable letdown of a loss by the Colts. They got some help with several other AFC playoff contenders losing, and Indy responded by losing to Atlanta by 19? That just can’t happen.
Like the other playoff hopefuls in the AFC, Indy’s gotta win out now. That’s manageable with the Raiders and Texans at home to wrap up their regular season.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (22)
Mason Rudolph and George Pickens ripped the Bengals defense apart on Saturday, saving the season with a big-time 34-11 home win over their bitter rivals. Who saw that coming?
Rudolph of all guys unlocked Pickens’ immense potential — and suddenly the Steelers are very much alive and well in the AFC wild card race. Thank you very much!
13. Cincinnati Bengals (9)
Brutal. Ugly. Nope nope nope. That cannot happen. Nope nope nope. But it did happen.
The surging Bengals lay an egg at the worst possible time — to the rival Steelers with a third-string QB in. Jake Browning reverted back to looking like, well, a backup QB in Saturday’s 34-11 blowout loss. And with the Chiefs and Browns next on the schedule? Hard to think the 8-7 Bengals will qualify for the postseason at this stage. T’was a good fight, but not all stories have a happy ending
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14)
Time to BAKE! The Buccaneers are rolling with four straight W’s — the latest being an absolute demolishment of Trevor Lawrence’s Jaguars at Raymond James Stadium.
The Bucs were supposed to be garbage this year, yet somehow they’re better now than a year ago — even with Tom Brady out of the picture. Now all the Bucs need to do is win one of their final two games to lock up a third straight division title.
With the Saints and Panthers on the schedule, that’s essentially a done deal!
11. Seattle Seahawks (19)
How about that? Back-to-back last-minute wins suddenly has Seattle back in the playoff picture — and in control of its own destiny. They’re a game clear of Minnesota, Atlanta, New Orleans and Green Bay — with the Steelers coming to town next week.
Let’s see if Seattle’s top weapons can lead the way to another postseason berth.
10. Los Angeles Rams (13)
Don’t let the final score fool you — that was utter domination by the Rams against the Saints on Thursday night. And every other NFC playoff contender should pay attention, because Sean McVay’s crew is quickly emerging as that potential wild card team nobody will want to face.
The Rams, at 8-7, are one step closer to a postseason ticket. They visit the Giants and the 49ers to wrap up the season — but San Fran might do them a solid and bench their starters if the top seed is locked up anyway.
9. Kansas City Chiefs (5)
Well, that was a Christmas day disappointment for Chiefs fans. Woof.
Kansas City was outclassed from start to finish by an inferior albeit more hungry Raiders team at home. So now the Chiefs can kiss their hopes at a first-round bye — not that they look like a team well-positioned to make a deep playoff run anyway. Not with this set of pass-catchers.
8. Dallas Cowboys (4)
Oh look, another big-time game the Cowboys just blew with the chance to prove themselves as contenders. Who saw that coming?
Back-to-back losses to Buffalo and now Miami have taken the Cowboys out of the running for the NFC’s top seed. That’s a problem for a team that only looks like a contender when they’re playing at home.
7. Philadelphia Eagles (10)
It was not at all pretty and could have easily been a loss, but the Eagles just-barely held off the resilient Giants at home to snap a three-game losing skid.
And with the Cowboys losing to Miami, they control their own destiny for the NFC East. With the Cardinals and Giants rounding out their schedule, it shouldn’t be hard — but you obviously never know with these Eagles.
6. Buffalo Bills (8)
Was it pretty? No. But the Bills still got it done against the Easton Stick-led Chargers and just put themselves that much closer to locking down a playoff berth.
Josh Allen went into Superman mode when his team needed it most, and just like that, the Bills are now 9-6 with two games to go. They’ll most certainly beat the hapless Patriots at home next Sunday, and the Week 18 finale against Miami is certainly shaping up to be a doozy — one that could determine the division title winner.
5. Cleveland Browns (7)
The Joe Flacco magic continued in Sunday’s domination of Houston. He threw for 368 yards and three touchdowns, albeit with two interceptions. Flacco may be 3-1 as the Browns’ QB, but those need to come down if the Browns are to make noise in the postseason. Bottom line: Kevin Stefanski’s resilient group is now 10-and-5 and in the fortunate position to play the vulnerable victor the weak AFC South in the wild card round
4. Miami Dolphins (6)
You asked for it — you got it. At long last, the Dolphins finally beat a team with a winning record — outlasting Dak Prescott’s Cowboys in a major thriller in South Beach.
Win their final two games, and Miami is the AFC’s top seed. But if they lose out and Buffalo wins out, the division goes to the Bills. Time for Mike McDaniel’s group to really buckle down here.
3. Detroit Lions (3)
Congrats to the Lions on locking down their first division title in 30 years — and their very first NFC North crown.
Yeah, it’s concerning to see that defense get gashed by Nick Mullens. The pass D will have to get cleaned up come January, but for now, Lions fans can bask in this special accomplishment. What a job by Dan Campbell and company, considering where they were just two years ago.
2. San Francisco 49ers (1)
That was an ugly, ugly loss against a far more prepared Ravens team on Monday night. A four-INT outing by Brock Purdy is cause for concern, too.
Then again, which NFC teams don’t have a cause for concern? The 49ers still control their own destiny for the NFC’s top seed — and you can’t tell us the Jekyll-and-Hyde Lions, Cowboys or Eagles are more trustworthy than Kyle Shanahan’s group.
Definitely an ugly performance at home, but we wouldn’t worry unless they lose out on home advantage.
1.Baltimore Ravens (2)
If the 49ers can’t stop these guys, then who can?! Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense made easy work of the NFC’s top team — and the Baltimore D was mostly able to keep all of San Fran’s top weapons intact.
A 33-19 road win on Christmas day against the team that many viewed as the overwhelming favorite to win the Super Bowl? That’s how you claim the top spot in our rankings — and the Ravens will clinch the AFC’s top seed with a win over Miami next week.
What changes would you make to our week 17 NFL power rankings?
