Devereaux’s NFL Week 15 Power Rankings

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Week 15 will be a big week for some teams as a win could give them a playoff berth and a loss could crush their playoff hopes. This week has big implications for seeding as some No. 1 seeds could drop to No. 5 and vice versa. 

Here are my NFL Week 15 Power Rankings: 

1. Baltimore Ravens (11-2) (Last week: 1): Lamar Jackson came into practice this week with a hurt quad, and since the Ravens already have a playoff berth, it would be wise to sit him this week against the struggling New York Jets. 
2. San Francisco 49ers (11-2) (Last week: 2): The 49ers will be coming off one of the better NFL scoring games in recent years against the New Orlean Saints. Although their offense may have been fantastic, the team should be worried that they allowed the Saints to score 46 points pretty easily. 
3. New Orlean Saints (10-3) (Last week: 5): The New Orleans Saints participated in the NFL’s 1053rd Scorigami. Drew Brees and the offense were unstoppable against the 49ers, but their defense took a back seat as they allowed unwanted penalties and yards when it mattered the most. 
4. Seattle Seahawks (10-3) (Last week: 4): A tough loss to the divisional rival Los Angeles Rams saw Russell Wilson have a rare game in which he did not throw for a passing touchdown, and threw more picks than scores. 
5. Minnesota Vikings (9-4) (Last week: 6): This was not an impressive win against the Detroit Lions, but a win is a win. The offense was very efficient, but the pace of the game was extremely slow. Kirk Cousins, after a slow start to the season, has been fantastic for the Vikings and is leading them to a possible divisional title. 
6. The New England Patriots (10-3) (Last week: 3): There is no offense on this team. For the Patriots to have a big play, they have to go into their trick play book. The referees definitely did not help the Patriots in this game as they missed four crucial calls that could have given them chances at winning the game. 
7. Green Bay Packers (10-3) (Last week: 7): Another game that Aaron Jones dominated in saw him post almost 200 scrimmage yards (134 rushing, 58 receiving). He is leading the Packers’ offense week in and week out. 
8. Kansas City Chiefs (9-4) (Last week: 10): A game in which the Chiefs’ defense looked better than the offense is a rare sight. The defense has been hit or miss all year, but they showed up when it mattered the most against the Patriots. They may have gotten some help from the referees, but it was still a great showing defensively. 
9. Buffalo Bills (9-4) (Last week: 8): Buffalo had the fewest turnovers allowed since the month of October. Although they fumbled in this game, the Bills know how to protect the ball which is a great category to stand out in going into the playoffs. 
10. Tennessee Titans (8-5) (Last week: 12): Ryan Tannehill and the surging Tennessee Titans are now a team to be afraid of heading into the final weeks of the season. They are 6-1 under Ryan Tannehill and soon to have a playoff spot in their grasp. 
11. Houston Texans (8-5) (Last week: 9): A surprising and embarrassing loss at the wrong time for the Houston Texans creates an opening for the Tennessee Titans to gain a hold of the AFC South. The Texans have to face the Titans twice in the next three weeks, and losing one of those games could spell trouble for the Texans’ playoff hopes. 
12. Los Angeles Rams (8-5) (Last week: 13): A huge win against the Seattle Seahawks seems a little late for the surging Rams. This recent win streak may have come too late to save their playoff hopes. They need the Vikings to lose out. 
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5) (Last week: 14): Mike Tomlin for Coach of the Year. He is on his third-string quarterback, third-string running back and second-string receivers. Tomlin brought a 1-4 team to an 8-5 record with a possible spot in the playoffs. 
14. Indianapolis Colts (6-7) (Last week: 15): After a hot start for Jacoby Brissett, the young quarterback has been struggling to move the offense. This could be due to them losing their starting running back, Marlon Mack. The Colts have a big decision to make this offseason regarding Brissett’s future. 
15. Chicago Bears (7-6) (Last week: 18): Just like the Los Angeles Rams, this late surge seems hopeless for the Chicago Bears. Mitchell Trubisky is trying to save his job, as he has been good for the Bears, showcasing his talents by ripping apart the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and New York Giants. 
16. Dallas Cowboys (6-7) (Last week: 11): Jason Garrett does not have any form of grip on this team. The play-calling seems to be ruining the talents and great season that Dak Prescott is having. Even with the defense in shambles and the offense being stalled the past two games, the Cowboys are still ahead in the division and could still see a playoff berth with a losing record. 
17. Oakland Raiders (6-7) (Last week: 17): The Raiders’ chances of making the playoffs are now at one percent. Give Jon Gruden some credit, as he had a dysfunctional preseason and a young core and turned it into a competitive football team for most of the year. 
18. Cleveland Browns (6-7) (Last week: 16): Rumors have been floating around that Odell Beckham, Jr. wants out of Cleveland. This rumor has been spreading for the past three weeks, but the mishandling of his injury makes an OBJ trade almost definite. 
19. Philadelphia Eagles (6-7) (Last week: 20): The Eagles’ chances of making the playoffs are still alive with Monday night’s win against the New York Giants. Their last three games are all against their division; lucky them. 
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) (Last week: 21): Jameis Winston added another three interceptions to his total during Sunday’s contest. That is now 23 interceptions on the season, not good at all for a “franchise” quarterback. 
21. Los Angeles Chargers (5-8) (Last week: 22): Happy Birthday, Philip Rivers. For your 38th birthday present, you got a win against the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars.
22. Carolina Panthers (5-8) (Last week: 19): Players were furious that Ron Rivera was fired last week and it showed during Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. 
23. Denver Broncos (5-8) (Last week: 24): Drew Lock has looked great in his first two games as the starter, but so has Daniel Jones, Kyle Allen, and Gardner Minshew. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Broncos fans. 
24. Atlanta Falcons (4-9) (Last week: 27): Dan Quinn has not only ruined a Super Bowl window for Matt Ryan and the Falcons but is now ruining their draft stock in the 2020 draft. Get Quinn out of Atlanta. 
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9) (Last week: 23): The Jaguars have a quarterback issue that needs to be fixed this offseason. Nick Foles was not the answer and Minshew is still young and raw. 
26. Arizona Cardinals (3-9-1) (Last week: 26): Kyler Murray finally looked like a rookie in a game. Murray threw three interceptions against the Steelers for his seventh, eighth and ninth on the year. 
27. The New York Jets (5-8) (Last week: 30): The Jets almost lost to a team that could only score field goals the whole game. Sam Darnold will need to take a huge leap next year in order for Jets fans to feel at ease with him as their guy. 
28. Detroit Lions (3-9-1) (Last week: 25): Every analyst and reporter will blame head coach Matt Patricia for the Lions’ struggles. This is a bit unfair, as he has no control over injuries to Matthew Stafford and Kerryon Johnson, as well as no control over the roster, either. Give Patricia another year before firing him. 
29. Miami Dolphins (3-10) (Last week: 28): Jason Sanders was responsible for all 21 points for the Dolphins this week. Going 7-for-8 in a game is already the best thing that a kicker has done in a season for any team, excluding Justin Tucker’s weekly success. 
30. The New York Giants (2-11) (Last week: 31): Eli Manning is now below .500 when he starts. I do not think that Manning will be okay with retiring as a below-.500 quarterback, so do not be surprised if he heads to a team that will give him a chance to get back to .500 or better this offseason. 
31. Washington Redskins (3-10) (Last week: 29): Derrius Guice went out with another injury early on in Sunday’s game and is done for the season. 
32. Cincinnati Bengals (1-12) (Last week: 32): No, the New England Patriots are not having another Spygate scandal, Cincinnati. I know that your season has been a huge bust and the Patriots have in the past been part of scandals, but that does not mean that the reason they were filming scouts was to figure out your 1-12 record. The recordings were for a film production that the Browns approved.

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