Dave B’s NFL Power Rankings – Week 17
NFL Power Rankings – Where Every Team Sits After Week 16
Week 16 is over and the playoff picture is as muddy as it was last week – a few of the top contenders lost and in turn failed to cement their position on the Rankings. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that no team wanted to head into the playoffs on a high.
That said there are some climbers and some sliders but the top 3 somehow remain the same.
Let`s break it all down in this week’s edition of Dave B’s NFL Power Rankings
1. SEAHAWKS (Last Week: 1)
Lost their first game on home turf in nearly two years Sunday to a surging Cardinals team. Although the “unbeatable at home” label is gone, the Hawks still own the best all-around team in the game right now. We’ll give them a mulligan for Sunday’s effort.
2. BRONCOS (Last Week: 2)
Peyton Manning broke the season TD record with 4 TD tosses on Sunday in what turned out to be an easy win. The Broncos can score at will but the absence of Wes Welker and the news of Vonn Miller’s season ending injury is reason for concern. Denver’s defense is still as leaky as they come – not a good sign heading into the playoffs.
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3. PANTHERS (Last Week: 3)
The Panthers have won 10 of their last 11 games and knocked off the Saints on Sunday to take control of the NFC South. The defense is insane, namely Luke Kuechly and Cam Newton is turning into one of the better leaders in the NFL. Nobody wants to play the Panthers right now – for good reason!
4. PATRIOTS (Last Week: 6)
The Pats really sent a message in Week 16 with an annihilation of the Ravens in Baltimore. New England looked good in every aspect of the game in the win and jump back into the top 5 because of their impressive win.
5. 49ERS (Last Week’s Ranking: 4)
The Niners got a bit lucky in their Candlestick finale but a win is a win. They drop a spot this week despite the victory but will enter the playoffs as one of the more dangerous Wild card teams.
6. SAINTS (Last Week: 5)
The Saints are officially a bad road team – 3-5 this season and they are now have lost control of their own fate with their loss to Carolina on Sunday. New Orleans will likely have to go out on the road now during their playoff drive – not good for a team whose Superdome dominance won’t be a factor this year.
7. CARDINALS (Last Week: 8)
The Cardinals did the impossible – they beat Seattle in the Pacific Northwest. Now they stare a playoff spot in the face but they will need to beat the 49ers and for the Saints to lose in order to get into the postseason.
8. BENGALS (Last Week: 11)
The Bengals did what was expected of them – they destroyed the Vikings in a game that Andy Dalton looked like a Pro Bowler. I’ve said it before and will say it again – the Bengals are only as good as Andy Dalton. When he’s on Cincinnati will be tough to beat.
9. COLTS (Last Week: 12)
The Colts have won two straight games and the defense is finally starting to help out the offense. They now have 10 wins on the season including victories against Seattle, San Francisco, Denver and Kansas City. The Colts deserve a top 10 spot – glad they are finally playing like it.
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10. EAGLES (Last Week: 10)
The Eagles absolutely destroyed the Bears in Week 16 after losing by 18 to the Vikings in Week 15 – tough team to figure out. They have the Cowboys left on the schedule – a win and they are in the playoffs. And now comes word that Dallas has lost Tony Romo to a back injury. The starts are aligning.
11. CHIEFS (Last Week: 7)
The Chiefs have lost four of their last five games and got beaten by a team (Indianapolis) that they will likely face in the Wild Card round. It’s hard to believe this team was 9-0 just five weeks ago!
12. CHARGERS (Last Week: 15)
The Chargers are still alive in the playoff race amazingly. They will need some help but we can’t ignore road wins over Denver and KC – those wins have them in the dirty dozen. Philip Rivers has been remarkable and Ryan Matthews is finally playing like everyone had envisioned when they drafted him.
13. RAVENS (Last Week: 9)
14. DOLPHINS (Last Week: 14)
15. RAMS (Last Week: 20)
16. STEELERS (Last Week: 18)
17. COWBOYS (Last Week: 19)
18. PACKERS (Last Week: 16)
19. BEARS (Last Week: 13)
20. JETS (Last Week: 25)
21. LIONS (Last Week: 17)
22. TITANS (Last Week: 21)
23. GIANTS (Last Week 24)
24. BILLS (Last Week: 22)
25. BUCCANEERS (Last Week: 23)
26. JAGUARS (Last Week: 29)
27. VIKINGS (Last Week: 26)
28. BROWNS (Last Week: 27)
29. FALCONS (Last Week: 28)
30. RAIDERS (Last Week 30)
31. REDSKINS (Last Week: 31)
32. TEXANS (Last Week: 32)
