Week 15 Power Rankings
By AJ Olona
32. New York Jets (0-13):
Last week: 32
Positions Moved: 0
The New York Jets are one of the most unimpressive teams that we have ever seen. It is clear now that the Jets are not going to win a single game this year. Adam Gase will soon be removed from his position as head coach and the Jets will be trying to start over with Trevor Lawrence under center.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-12):
Last week: 31
Positions Moved: 0
The Jacksonville Jaguars picked possibly the worst year to tank. The Jaguars are bad, but not quite as bad as the Jets. One has to feel bad for Gardner Minshew, as it is clear that the team surprisingly has given up on the young quarterback, despite the promise he has shown.
30. Cincinnati Bengals (2-10-1):
Last week: 30
Positions Moved: 0
The Bengals were the first team in a long time to make the Dallas Cowboys looked good, as they lost 30-7. With this team missing Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon, there is no direction at all. The offense is terrible and the defense follows suit.
29. Atlanta Falcons (4-9):
Last week: 23
Positions Moved: -6
The Falcons took a huge step back after losing to the 3-9 Chargers in Week 14. The Falcons rushing attack has been nonexistent for weeks, and we even saw the passing game take a step back as Matt Ryan threw three interceptions on this day. The offseason cannot come quicker in Atlanta.
28. Houston Texans (4-9):
Last week: 20
Positions Moved: -8
The Houston Texans are doing a huge disservice to DeShaun Watson. This Texans team is bad. After a pathetic and heartbreaking last-second loss to the Indianapolis Colts just a week ago, the Texans followed it up with an even worse loss to the unimpressive Chicago Bears.
27. Carolina Panthers (4-9):
Last week: 25
Positions Moved: -2
The Panthers were not able to keep up with the Denver Broncos in their shootout in Week 14. They have lost 7 of their last 8 games (4 of which were against teams with losing records). Without Christian McCaffery, this team lacks a spark to gain any real momentum on the year. They currently sit 4th
26. Detroit Lions (5-8):
Last week: 22
Positions Moved: -4
The Lions were not able to capitalize on the momentum they had since firing Matt Patricia. While the Lions lost to one of the best teams in football in the Green Bay Packers, the game was never really as close as the score indicated. The Lions once again failed to consistently establish the run and actually lost QB Matt Stanford to a rib injury. The Lions play the Titans this upcoming week and even if they do have Stafford in this game, their playoff hopes are now slim.
25. Dallas Cowboys (4-9):
Last week: 29
Positions Moved: +4
Andy Dalton was able to put the Cowboys up huge in his revenge game against the Bengals giving them their first win in what feels like forever. While the win here helps, the cowboys have lost significant ground in the NFC East title run to the Washington Football Team. They’ll need to string together some wins to close out the season in order to make an unspectacular playoff push.
24. Los Angeles Chargers (4-9):
Last week: 27
Positions Moved: +3
The Chargers were finally able to pull off a close win on the season, beating the Falcons 20-17. Any wins that the Chargers can get at this point in the season is a good confidence booster for Justin Herbert and this young Chargers team.
23. Denver Broncos (5-8):
Last week: 26
Positions Moved: +3
The Broncos got a huge win over the Carolina Panthers this week, moving them up 3 spots in the rankings. This was the best that the Broncos offense has looked all season, and more specifically, Drew Lock. Lock was able to throw for 280 yards and 4 touchdowns with no turnovers. If the young quarterback can avoid turning the ball over, this Broncos offense might have some life next season.
22. Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1):
Last week: 28
Positions Moved: +6
The Eagles got a huge spark from their rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts. After the horrific season the Carson Wentz had so far, the Eagles had finally had enough of it and looked to the rookie and the results were impressive. Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders ran all over the New Orleans Saints, one of the better run defenses over the past few seasons. Hurts finally sparked enough juice and life into the Eagles offense to propel the team to a win over a very good Saints team. The Eagles will need to bottle this momentum going forward in order to make a run at the NFC East title.
21. New York Giants (5-8):
Last week: 21
Positions Moved: 0
The New York Giants were not able to capitalize on their huge win over the Seattle Seahawks from a week ago. With Daniel Jones returning to the lineup, the Giants were only able to put up 7 total points against the Cardinals in a defeat. It is starting to be more clear what the issue is in New York. With the Washington Football Team continuing to win, things aren’t getting easier for the Giants.
20. New England Patriots (6-7):
Last week: 17
Positions Moved: -3
After their most impressive win in Week 13, the New England Patriots followed it up with their worst loss of the season, losing 24-3 to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. Cam Newton has been so inconsistent all season long and was pulled from this game after another poor performance. On the year, Newton only has 5 passing touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. This loss was huge for the Patriots as it put them even further out of contention for an AFC wildcard spot.
19. San Francisco 49ers. 5-8):
Last week: 18
Positions Moved: -1
The 49ers took another rough loss, this time at the hands of the Washington Football Team. Unfortunately, the 49ers’ injuries are still too much to overcome, an issue that has preceded them all season long. While Nick Mullens is playing as well as anyone could in his situation, he is a backup quarterback and will not be enough for the 49ers to make a push. As long as Mullens is under center, things will not get better for the 49ers.
18. Chicago Bears (6-7):
Last week: 24
Positions Moved: +6
The Chicago Bears made a huge leap this week after a dominant win over the Houston Texans. The Bears knocked down Houston 36-7 and it was never even close. With Mitchell Trubisky holding onto the football, and with David Montgomery looking the best he ever has in the NFL, it’s possible the Bears are finally figuring things out as the season comes to an end. Fans just better hope that it is not too little, too late.
17. Washington Football Team (6-7):
Last week: 19
Positions Moved: +2
After a 2-7 start to the season, the Washington Football Team currently finds themselves in the middle of a 4-game win streak where they are firmly at the top of the NFC East. While the offense continues to be an issue, the defense is good enough to carry them at least to the playoffs. The Football Teams’ defense was able to score 14 of the teams 23 in the win over the 49ers. If Alex Smith misses some time due to injury, things may start to spiral once again for the Football Team just as it did to start the season off. This week against the Seattle Seahawks will say a lot about this team.
16. Las Vegas Raiders (7-6):
Last week: 15
Positions Moved: -1
Following up their worse showing of the season, a near loss to the New York Jets, the Raiders followed it up with a huge loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The Raiders currently find themselves two games out after the loss. The offense was not able to get anything going in Week 14, turning the ball over 3 times — one of which was an interception that was returned 50 yards for a touchdown. The Colts were able to throw all over the Raiders’ secondary and rookie running back Jonathan Taylor had his coming out party against the Raiders, rushing for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Raiders need to beat the Chargers on Thursday night or else they can officially kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.
15. Minnesota Vikings (6-7):
Last week: 16
Positions Moved: +1
After going on a bit of a run in recent weeks, the Vikings came crashing back down with their loss to the Buccaneers. While the Vikings were not able to secure a win, neither were many other teams in the hunt for NFC wildcard spots. The Buccaneers are a top team in the NFL and have been all season long. The Vikings were able to keep this game close, for the most part. The fact that Minnesota showed that they can compete goes a long way for a team that started the season 1-5.
14. Arizona Cardinals (7-6):
Last week: 14
Positions Moved: 0
The Cardinals got a much needed win over the New York Giants in Week 14. With the Seahawks and the Rams both winning this week as well, the Cardinals cannot afford any more mishaps. Kyler Murray finally got back to using his legs more often, making it hard for the Giants to defend. On defense, Hasson Reddick had one of the best days rushing that we will ever see, getting to the quarterback FIVE times on the day. For this team to have any luck going into the offseason, they will need to rely on the arm and legs of Kyler Murray and force the ball to DeAndre Hopkins as much as possible.
13. Miami Dolphins (8-5):
Last week: 12
Positions Moved: -1
Though the Miami Dolphins were not able to come away with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs, there were able to do something that very few teams in the NFL have been able to do the last three season; force Patrick Mahomes to turn the ball over. For the first time since his rookie season, Patrick Mahomes struggled and looked lost at points. The Dolphins were able to pick of Mahomes 3 times in the game while also being in a position to almost win the game. Despite the loss, the Miami Dolphins proved that they are serious contenders in the AFC, and teams are starting to notice.
12. Baltimore Ravens (8-5):
Last week: 11
Positions Moved: -2
The much needed win puts the Ravens a little bit closer in the hunt for an AFC playoff spot. Despite the huge showing from the Ravens against the Browns, they are still on the outside looking in. With the win, the Ravens sit at 8-5 behind the Dolphins, Colts and the Browns in line for a wildcard spot. While the win this week was huge, the Browns need to put together a few more impressive ones and hope that teams in front of them don’t have the same success.
11. Tennessee Titans (9-4):
Last week: 13
Positions Moved: +2
The Titans remain outside the top 10 despite a crushing win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After an embarrassing showing against the Cleveland Browns a week ago, the Titans needed an easy win, and they got it. The Jaguars are in full-on tank mode at this point in the year. The Titans will need a much more impressive win to show that they belong higher on this list. With the Detroit Lions on deck for this upcoming week, we may have to wait a little while longer to find out.
10. Seattle Seahawks (9-4):
Last week: 7
Positions Moved: -3
The Seahawks move down significantly despite their 40-3 dominant win over the New York Jets. While this team needed a big win after their embarrassing loss to the New York Giants, it’s hard to read too much into this game. Beating the Jets really doesn’t mean all too much. The Seahawks are going to have to beat a much better team to get the bad taste of their loss to the Giants out of our mouths.
9. Cleveland Browns (9-4):
Last week: 10
Positions Moved: +1
The Browns moved up in the power rankings despite their loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. Justin Tucker was able to put the game away with a late 55-yard field goal for the Ravens following an amazing back and forth game. The Browns showed that they can hang with any opponent, especially on offense. When comparing this matchup with the one against the Ravens in Week 1, it’s easy to see the improvements from this Browns team. Despite the loss, they remain the fifth seed in the AFC.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5):
Last week: 9
Positions Moved: +1
The Bucs got back in the win column against a good Vikings team after having the previous week off. Despite the win, the Buccaneers defense has not looked quite as dominant as it has a few weeks back when it was playing at an elite level. On the other side of the ball, it appears as though there is such a thing as too many weapons. Tom Brady is spreading the ball around but the Buccaneers have no consistent standout pass catchers. They have a much needed matchup against the Atlanta Falcons to hopefully boost their confidence even more heading into the playoffs.
7. New Orleans Saints (10-3):
Last week: 3
Positions Moved: -4
The New Orleans Saints lost to Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21. The Eagles have not been good all season long but saw a bit of a resurgence when Jalen Hurts stepped in for Carson Wentz. While the Saints were able to keep their win streak going with Taysom Hill at quarterback, they finally showed vulnerabilities. While Taysom Hill arguably had the best passing game of his career so far, it was not enough to pull out the win. With Drew Brees reportedly coming back soon, this team cannot afford any more losses to bad teams like the Eagles.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2):
Last week: 2
Positions Moved: -6
After winning their first 11 games of the season, the Steelers are currently on a 2 game skid. The Steelers just suffered a bad loss against the Buffalo Bills and look very beatable. The rushing attack has been nonexistent for the Steelers lately, and it is making things harder for Roethlisberger and these Pittsburgh receivers. While the defense is still good, it appears that injuries are starting to finally catch up with them. These next few weeks will be huge for the Steelers to prove that they are as good as their record suggests.
5. Indianapolis Colts (9-4):
Last week: 8
Positions Moved: +3
(via Indianapolis Colts)
The Colts just got one of their most impressive wins of the season, beating the Las Vegas Raiders 44-27. The Colts were able to dominate on the ground with over 200 rushing yards on the day spearheaded by 150 yards from rookie Jonathan Taylor. They were also able to get things going through the air as well, getting T.Y. Hilton involved early. With Hilton finally finding his form late in the season, the Colts can attack teams in any way. Also add on the fact that their defense is still scary good, forcing 3 turnovers against the Raiders, one of which was one of the most impressive interceptions that you’ll ever see.
4. Los Angeles Rams (9-4):
Last week: 6
Positions Moved: +2
(Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
The Rams are finally starting to string together impressive wins, this time the New England Patriots were the unlucky foes. The Rams completely shut down the Patriots in every facet of the game, beating them 24-3. The Rams are getting great play from their defense, led by star player Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, as well as good production from their rushing attack. With Cam Akers finally taking over, Jared Goff is not asked to do too much, and that is the recipe for success for this team.
3. Buffalo Bills (10-3):
Last week: 5
Positions Moved: +2
(Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports)
The Buffalo Bills have been slightly up and down this season, but lately, they have been on fire. This week’s win over the 11-1 Pittsburgh Steelers was no better example of how good the Bills could be. The Bills were able to contain the Steelers’ offense and make Ben Roethlisberger worried in the pocket. On the other side of the ball, Josh Allen balled out, once again looking like a potential MVP candidate.
2. Green Bay Packers (10-3)
Last week: 4
Positions Moved: +2
(USA TODAY Sports)
The Green Bay Packers were able to get another strong win in Week 14, this time against the Detroit Lions. While the Lions are not a top team in the NFL, they are a divisional rival of the Packers and the win was huge. The Packers, and Aaron Rodgers more specifically, have been on fire since their overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Rodgers is playing like the league’s MVP this season and everyone should be scared.
1. Kansa City Chiefs (12-1)
Last week: 1
(Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)
Positions Moved: 0
The Kansas City Chiefs have now won eight straight games as they beat the Miami Dolphins in Week 14. Despite this being one of the worst games that we have seen from Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs were still able to put together another strong win against a good Miami team. If the Chiefs can play well despite Mahomes’ mishaps, everyone should be worried.
Follow AJ on Twitter @age_lona
