Through 15 weeks there is no team standing out. The Green Bay Packers currently lead the pack but there are too many questions to answer around the league to definitively say there is a team to beat.
The Kansas City Chiefs are surging behind its defense. The same defense that couldn’t stop a nosebleed in the first quarter of the season.
The defending Super Bowl champions seem in trouble. A year that has been marred by injuries in their secondary has hit a hurdle with the season-ending torn ACL for wide receiver Chris Godwin. Fellow wide receiver Mike Evans is banged up. Running back Leonard Fournette could miss games. Oh, and linebacker Lavonte David is injured.
The Indianapolis Colts are surging at the right time. Well everyone but Carson Wentz. Who will win the AFC North? All of that and much more has to be answered in the final three weeks of the season.
But here’s the best one can do sorting the NFL Power Rankings going into Week 16:
1. Green Bay Packers (11-3)
This could be Aaron Rodgers’ best shot at a Super Bowl in a long time. That’s saying a lot considering Green Bay has been to back-to-back NFC Championship Games. Too bad this will be the ‘Last Dance’ for Rodgers and Green Bay.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)
Outside of the Las Vegas Raiders, teams have at least learned how to slow down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. However, the Chiefs defense has picked up the slack and carried Kansas City to seven straight wins and back on track to reach another Super Bowl.
3. New England Patriots (9-5)
The Patriots third? Yes. Despite their huge letdown against Indianapolis, the Patriots have a body of work that puts them square as a team to beat in the AFC. That’s even with Mac Jones as their quarterback.
4. Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
The Cowboys appear to be in the same boat as the Chiefs. Dak Prescott is struggling since coming back from a calf injury. Yet, the defense led by Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons has carried the Cowboys right into position to contend.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-4)
Buccaneers brought back all 22 starters plus Antonio Brown from their Super Bowl-winning team of last season. Unfortunately, health and the New Orleans Saints have been the team’s biggest kryptonite this season. Tom Brady steered Tampa through injuries on defense. But, it’s questionable he can through the loss of Chris Godwin.
6. Los Angeles Rams (10-4)
The Rams’ season is Super Bowl or bust. Anything short of it will be a failure. With that said, head coach Sean McVay and his coaching staff are still trying to figure out all of their pieces. It’s similar to the Buccaneers a year ago. We all know how that ended.
7. Indianapolis Colts (8-6)
Look out for the Indianapolis Colts. They have a run game that travels with MVP-candidate running back Jonathan Taylor. Only thing standing in the way of a Colts Super Bowl run is their quarterback Carson Wentz.
8. Arizona Cardinals (10-4)
Three weeks ago the Arizona Cardinals were at the top of the list of teams in the NFL. Now, they’re fading back to the rest of the pack. Losing wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins just adds to their recent struggles. Losing to the Lions could be the start of another late season collapse for Kliff Kingsbury’s team.
9. San Francisco 49ers (8-6)
The 49ers remind me of the Indianapolis Colts. They have a solid defense and a run game that travels.They also have a dynamic offensive player in Deebo Samuel. Yet, the 49ers’ season hinges on their quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
10. Buffalo Bills (8-6)
Josh Allen is an elite quarterback. The defense even without Tre’Davious White is one of the best, if not the best, in the league. Yet, the Bills have to prove they can stop the run and run on the elite teams to believe this team is a contender.
11. Tennessee Titans (9-5)
Getting back AJ Brown and Julio Jones changes the complexion of this team. It will also change the complexion and play of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has looked below average without his top two wide receivers healthy. Tennessee is 8-2 this season when Brown is on the field this season. They’re 1-3 without him.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (7-7)
The Eagles are sneaky good. When they play their style of football and quarterback Jalen Hurts is on, the Eagles can compete with just about anyone in the league. Consistency is the key. But the build of the Eagles makes them a threat to get hot and make a run.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)
The best of the AFC North, for now. Joe Burrow and the Bengals are probably the most balanced team in the division. But they’ve been up and down. The bad news, their schedule down the stretch is daunting. The good news, so is everyone else in the up and down AFC North.
14. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
The Chargers season hinges on the decisions of head coach Brandon Staley. His aggressiveness is the DNA of the team, but it can also be a hindrance much like it was last Thursday against the Chiefs.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6-1)
Mike Tomlin is one of the best three coaches in the NFL that gets the absolute most from his players. Ben Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh’s offense is hard to watch, yet, the Steelers keep finding ways to stay afloat in the playoff race. That’s a credit to Tomlin and his coaching staff.
16. Minnesota Vikings (7-7)
The Vikings currently hold the seventh seed in the NFC playoffs. But how long will they be able to hold on to it? They have a tough schedule to finish. No matter how the season finishes, this absolutely must be the last year head coach Mike Zimmer and quarterback Kirk Cousins are together.
17. New Orleans Saints (7-7)
Okay the Saints own the Buccaneers. Sean Payton’s coaching staff just knows how to out-coach Bruce Arians and his staff. New Orleans defense has the Buccaneers’ number. The question is can the Saints come to play against anyone else?
18. Baltimore Ravens (8-6)
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley is serving notice. However, the Ravens just can’t get out of their own way. If it’s not the massive numbers of injuries, then it’s head coach John Harbaugh’s insane love for going for two-point conversions that may be insurmountable for the fading Ravens to overcome.
19. Miami Dolphins (7-7)
Six straight wins have saved the Dolphins’ season. Now at 7-7 they have a legit shot at the playoffs. However, their schedule playing at the Saints, at the Titans and closing home with the Patriots will be daunting.
20. Cleveland Browns (7-7)
COVID helped knock the Browns to the back of the race in the AFC North. But they’re not out of it. They’ll get quarterback Baker Mayfield and the score of players who were forced out of Monday’s loss to the Raiders. Anything short of 2-1 in their final three games and their playoff hopes vanish.
21. Denver Broncos (7-7)
Any chance of the playoffs in Denver may have evaporated with Teddy Bridgewater’s concussion. Focus shifts to this offseason and finding a suitable quarterback that can lead their tough defense and solid skill players on offense to contention in 2022.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (7-7)
Derek Carr saved the Raiders season with his game-winning drive Monday at Cleveland.
23. Washington Football Team (6-8)
Their COVID outbreak may have just ended their season. Look where the Eagles are ranked in this power rankings and look where I have Washington. That’s how huge that game was. Their faint playoff hopes rest on Sunday night’s game at Dallas.
24. Seattle Seahawks (5-9)
Tuesday’s loss to the Rams marked the end of the Russell Wilson era in Seattle. The quarterback will be in a different uniform in 2022. The Seahawks will reboot this offseason with a new signal-caller.
25. Atlanta Falcons (6-8)
Could we be seeing the final days of Matt Ryan in a Falcons uniform? Moving on from the 36-year quarterback would save them at least $8.1 million against the salary cap.
26. New York Giants (4-10)
It’s time for the Giants to move on from quarterback Daniel Jones and find a replacement. Jake Fromm’s audition absolutely should start this week.
27. Carolina Panthers (5-9)
Time for Cam Newton to find a new career path. The Panthers are a mess and they actually committed $60 million to head coach Matt Rhule, with no NFL head coaching experience?
28. Detroit Lions (2-11-1)
The Lions are probably the best two-win team in NFL history. Their record doesn’t reflect how tough the team plays. That’s a reflection of head coach Dan Campbell. Now if they can get Jared Goff some receivers. Josh Reynolds is a start.
29. Chicago Bears (4-10)
Until Matt Nagy is fired, there is no need to putting too much energy into the Bears or evaluating Justin Fields too intensely.
30. Houston Texans (3-11)
The Texans own the Jaguars. David Stills has earned himself at the very least a reservation for a QB competition in training camp 2022. But everything starts with settling Deshaun Watson’s situation.
31. New York Jets (3-11)
If not for their upset wins over Cincinnati and Tennessee, the Jets would be the worst team in the league. A year under their belt should serve head coach Robert Saleh, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and quarterback Zach Wilson a lot of good.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12)
Now that they’ve got rid of the debacle of Urban Meyer, the Jaguars have an opportunity to correct owner Shad Khan’s mistake in hiring Meyer in the first place. Then again it’s Shad Khan. Khan’s son has built more winners in All-Elite Wrestling than Shad has with the Jaguars in a decade.
