While most power rankings will fluctuate wildly, these should stay reasonably similar on a week-to-week basis.
Number 32: Cincinnati Bengals (ELO: 1161, +0)
The Bengals yet again took a loss. While they will almost certainly draft Joe Burrow in April, the Bengals are the worst team in football.
Number 31: Detroit Lions (ELO: 1203, -1)
The Lions have been a horror show over the last few weeks. Not only have the Lions been ravaged with injuries, but they have also been hit with atrocious play.
Number 30: Miami Dolphins (ELO: 1270, -6)
Hard work can only take a team so far, and the Dolphins hit a wall on Sunday against the Giants. The Dolphins were thoroughly outclassed by another bad team, and the Dolphins need to look themselves in the mirror before they move on.
Number 29: New York Giants (ELO: 1278, +2)
The Giants were able to win their first game since September as Eli Manning likely will walk off into the sunset with a perfectly balanced record of 117 wins and 117 losses. Goodbye, Eli.
Number 28: Carolina Panthers (ELO: 1287, -1)
Kyle Allen is hot garbage. Thankfully, the Panthers will save us from watching Kyle Allen pose as an NFL quarterback as they will be starting Will Grier against the Colts on Sunday.
Number 27: Oakland Raiders (ELO: 1291, -1)
The Raiders have let down everyone in America with their performance. After being one of the surprising teams of the first two months of the season, the wheels have come off in Oakland, and the Raiders stink.
Number 26: Washington Redskins (ELO: 1302, -1)
Washington played very well against a superior Eagle side, but Josh Norman let Greg Ward score the game-winning touchdown with just a few seconds left. While the Redskins do not have much of a direction, they aren’t as bad as some of the other teams in the league.
Number 25: Jacksonville Jaguars (ELO: 1306, +3)
The Jaguars ended one of the saddest skids in football history with a comeback win over the Raiders. While it does nothing but hurt draft position, it was nice to see that the Jaguars could field a competitive football team.
Number 24: New York Jets (ELO: 1321, -1)
Despite losing by three touchdowns to the Ravens, the Jets looked solid at times in all three facets of the game. They had a marvelous special teams performance, but no one has been able to stop Lamar Jackson since September, and the Jets were just victimized by the future MVP.
Number 23: Cleveland Browns (ELO: 1335, -1)
Is Kenyan Drake gone? Drake’s performance against the Browns will haunt Cleveland for the rest of the season as Cleveland had a golden opportunity to get back into the playoff hunt as both Pittsburgh and Tennessee lost. However, now the Browns need eight results to go their way to make the playoffs. The drought will grow one more season.
Number 22: Arizona Cardinals (ELO: 1353, +7)
The beneficiary of Kenyan Drake, the Cardinals rolled to their first win in two months. Led by Kyler Murray and the aforementioned Drake, the Cardinals were efficient offensively and made enough plays defensively to stop the Browns.
Number 21: Indianapolis Colts (ELO: 1387, -1)
No one beats the Saints on Monday Night Football. The Colts are now eliminated from the playoffs, and they were victimized by Drew Brees’s record-breaking touchdown.
Number 20: Los Angeles Chargers (ELO: 1403, -1)
The Chargers cannot stop turning the ball over as they turned it over seven times against the Vikings on Sunday. Despite the Vikings getting crushed with injuries, the Chargers offered no match to the assortment of running backs and pass-catchers that the Vikings put on the field.
Number 19: Denver Broncos (ELO: 1427, -1)
The Broncos suffered a gigantic letdown after demolishing the Texans. Going to Arrowhead, the Broncos fell behind early and never gain any traction. The Broncos should be okay moving forward, but it was not a good performance against the Chiefs.
Number 18: Atlanta Falcons (ELO: 1429, +3)
The Falcons narrowly beat arguably the best team in the NFC. The offense and defense played well enough, but the Falcons need to improve their consistency before they can be considered a playoff threat in the future.
Number 17: Pittsburgh Steelers (ELO: 1489, -4)
Despite the excellence of the defense, the Steelers were let down yet again by their putrid offense. On a week to week basis, the Steelers trot out arguably the worst offense in football. No matter how good the defense is, you can’t win with an inept offense as the Steelers have.
Number 16: Chicago Bears (ELO: 1502, -2)
The Bears looked flat for most of the game against the Packers. However, they were one play away from potentially tying the game, but their tight end failed to lateral the ball to an open rusher. It was a sad way to see the Bears eliminated from the playoffs, but they need to have a better offense next season.
Number 15: Philadelphia Eagles (ELO: 1505, +2)
The Eagles pulled out a clutch win over the Redskins. Carson Wentz appeared to be halfway decent for the first time in several months, and Miles Sanders had a tremendous performance. While they only won in the final seconds, the Eagles have shown yet again that they can play in the clutch. None of that will matter however if they lose to the Cowboys on Sunday.
Number 14: Los Angeles Rams (ELO: 1551, -7)
I jumped the gun on the Rams. After dispatching the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, the Rams had quite the let down as they let the Cowboys obliterate them. The Rams are on the precipice of playoff elimination as they need to win out and have the Vikings lose out to have a shot at the playoffs. The Rams will likely kiss their playoff chances goodbye on Saturday night.
Number 13: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ELO: 1556, +2)
If the season was 18 games, the Buccaneers would have a chance at the playoffs. Sadly, the season will end in two weeks, and the Buccaneers have no hope of making the playoffs. Jameis Winston is playing as if his life depends on it, and he will likely parlay his play into a shiny new franchise tag.
Number 12: Dallas Cowboys (ELO: 1593, +4)
The Cowboys registered a huge win over the Rams on Sunday. The entire offense and defense were rolling for 60 minutes as Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Sean Lee had some of their best performances of the entire season. Dallas just needs to beat Philadelphia on Sunday to clinch of berth in the playoffs.
Number 11: Green Bay Packers (ELO: 1610, +1)
The Packers figured out a gritty win over the Bears on Sunday. While I do not trust the Packers, they will likely get a top-two seed in the NFC and get a bye. The defense still hemorrhages yardage, but having a game played at Lambeau should help them significantly.
Number 10: Tennessee Titans (ELO: 1621, -1)
The Titans had a let down against the Texans, but I’m not willing to sell all of my Titan stock quite yet. Despite a tough schedule coming up with the Saints and Texans again, the Titans still have enough offensive and defensive talent to edge the Steelers in the hunt for the final AFC playoff spot.
Number 9: Houston Texans (ELO: 1640, +1)
The Texans got a huge step up on the Titans with a win on Sunday. The Texans could potentially clinch the AFC South with a win over the Buccaneers and a Titans loss to the Saints. The Texans play the complete brand of football, and they could be a dangerous team for one game in the playoffs. Beyond one game, the Texans will fizzle out as per usual.
Number 8: Buffalo Bills (ELO: 1641, +3)
The Bills have had a fantastic defense all season long, but Josh Allen holds the keys for the Bills to move up moving forward. The Bills will almost certainly get the No. 5 seed in the AFC as they would require divine intervention for the Patriots to lose to the Dolphins Week 17. As the fifth seed, the Bills will likely travel to Houston for a wild card game.
Number 7: Minnesota Vikings (ELO: 1680, +1)
The Vikings had a dynamic win over the Chargers on Sunday. Despite getting marred with injuries on offense, the Vikings were able to keep it together and roll to a 29-point win. The Vikings can clinch a playoff spot with a win in either of their last two games or if the Rams lose and either of their last two. In an eerily similar fashion, the Vikings would need to win out accompanied by the Packers losing out to win the division.
Number 6: Seattle Seahawks (ELO: 1685, +0)
Seattle is a nice story to be the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but I doubt their depth of talent offensively and defensively. With injuries beginning to pile up and Josh Gordon getting suspended yet again, the Seahawks are a serious threat to go one and done in the playoffs, especially if they were to lose Week 17 to the 49ers.
Number 5: New England Patriots (ELO: 1687, +0)
The Patriots got back into business with a resounding went over the Bengals. Stephon Gilmore is continuing to run away with defensive player of the year honors, and Tom Brady did not look like an old man on Sunday. The Patriots face another stiff test in the Bills on Sunday, but they would lock up the AFC East with a win in either the last two weeks.
Number 4: San Francisco 49ers (ELO: 1841, -2)
The 49ers had a similarly bad letdown as other teams in the league as they lost to the Falcons in the final seconds. The 49ers have been hit hard by the injury bug in recent weeks, and they need to have all hands on deck to secure the number one seed and get home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Despite being the No. 5 seed, the 49ers control their destiny and would be the number one seed if they win their final two games.
Number 3: Kansas City Chiefs (ELO: 1867, +1)
The Chiefs rolled to their 10th win of the season, beating the Broncos by 20 at home. The Chiefs offense looked great despite the crummy weather, and their defense had another stellar performance. As of now, I think the Chiefs are the most likely team to win the Super Bowl.
Number 2: New Orleans Saints (ELO: 1883, +1)
The Saints came back from their tough defeat at the hands of the 49ers to demolish the Colts in front of America. Drew Brees has strengthened his claim to be the greatest statistical quarterback to ever live, and Michael Thomas is having a season for the ages. As of now, the Saints would be my favorite to win the NFC if they can secure home-field advantage.
Number 1: Baltimore Ravens (ELO: 1896, +0)
Despite winning by three touchdowns, the Ravens had an abysmal defensive and special teams performance on Thursday night. If the Ravens were to play like that against any other team in the league, they would likely lose. However, the Ravens were heavily aided by an ill-advised interception from Sam Darnold as well as general incompetence from Le’Veon Bell. The Ravens are still the best team in the league, but the gap is shrinking with the Saints.
