Welcome to the post-Week 15 edition of triggering power rankings.
Check here for last week’s edition.
No. 32: Jacksonville Jaguars (-2)
The Jaguars lost the battle, but they are on pace to win the war. Trevor Lawrence is almost within reach.
No. 31: Cincinnati Bengals (+0)
While the Bengals did win, the Steelers are imploding. The Bengals are still in control of the third pick in the draft.
No. 30: New York Jets (+2)
The Jets stunned the world, upsetting the Rams in Los Angeles. Based on the money line, the upset (+1000) is the largest in over a decade. In return, the Jets no longer control their Lawrence destiny.
No. 29: Detroit Lions (+0)
The Lions can do some nice things, but this season has been a lost cause.
No. 28: Carolina Panthers (-2)
Carolina is competitive enough to give fans hope for the future while being bad enough to secure a high draft pick. It’s perfect.
No. 27: Philadelphia Eagles (+0)
Jalen Hurts had a great trip to Glendale, but the Eagles came up short in the dying seconds. It appears as if the Eagles have found a franchise quarterback.
No. 26: San Francisco 49ers (-1)
The 49ers and Cowboys played a fairly pointless game. Dallas won by one score after the teams exchanged bizarre touchdowns late. San Francisco scored on a Hail Mary with no time left.
No. 25: Dallas Cowboys (+3)
The 49ers and Cowboys played a fairly pointless game. Dallas won by one score after the teams exchanged bizarre touchdowns late. CeeDee Lamb returned an onside kick for a touchdown in the last few minutes.
No. 24: Atlanta Falcons (+0)
The Falcons had a 95 percent chance to win and lost. It is the fourth time that Atlanta has done that in 2020. Ouch.
No. 23: Houston Texans (+0)
Houston became the first team in NFL history to lose a fumble in the red zone in the last two minutes of a game twice. Both came against the Colts. Ouch.
No. 22: Denver Broncos (-2)
The Broncos were decimated by Josh Allen and the Bills.
No. 21: New York Giants (+0)
The Giants ran into a better team as the Browns executed seamlessly for much of the game. New York could have been closer had they converted on fourth downs, but the Browns were superior.
No. 20: Las Vegas Raiders (-2)
With Derek Carr about to miss game action, Marcus Mariota will get a showcase against the Dolphins. The Raiders would need a miracle to make the playoffs.
No. 19: Los Angeles Chargers (+3)
The Chargers have won back-to-back one-score games. Justin Herbert is poised to be a star for a decade.
No. 18: New England Patriots (-1)
The Dolphins eliminated the Patriots from playoff contention. It is the first time since 2008 that the playoffs will not feature the Patriots. Wow.
No. 17: Washington Football Team (-1)
Washington nearly upset the Seahawks. They may be 6-8 (and moving down), but they have a scary defense. Washington could make noise in the playoffs.
No. 16: Minnesota Vikings (-2)
The Vikings have slumped to 6-8, and they are now two games out of playoff contention. They underachieved.
No. 15: Chicago Bears (+4)
If the Bears did not have an inexplicable six-game losing streak, they would be in the playoffs. It is a shame because they are playing complementary football now.
No. 14: Arizona Cardinals (+1)
Arizona took care of Philadelphia. They currently occupy the seventh seed in the NFC, and they should solidify their spot with a win over San Francisco.
No. 13: Miami Dolphins (+0)
Miami is holding on for dear life, fending off New England to win their ninth game. With Las Vegas and Buffalo on the docket, the Dolphins are in a win both-and-in scenario.
No. 12: Pittsburgh Steelers (+0)
Pittsburgh is not dropping because they fell last week. They scored 17 points in a half, so they showed more offensive potential than they had earlier in December. By the same token, there is no reason for the Steelers to lose in Cincinnati against Ryan Finley.
No. 11: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1)
The Buccaneers engineered a 17-point comeback to beat the Falcons. It was concerning for them to be clobbered for a half, but at least they showed up in the second half.
No. 10: Seattle Seahawks (+1)
Seattle held off Washington in a gritty game. Seattle controls its destiny for the NFC West crown, and they still have a shot at the top seed in the NFC.
No. 9: Los Angeles Rams (-4)
What was that? The Rams, despite having extra time to prepare for the 0-13 Jets, had an awful gameplan. Instead of attacking one of the worst secondaries in the NFL, Los Angeles insisted on running the ball. It failed.
No. 8: Indianapolis Colts (+1)
While the Colts have been lucky with a pair of Houston fumbles in recent weeks, they have played great football for much of the season. They have a real shot at 12-4.
No. 7: Baltimore Ravens (+1)
Baltimore beat Jacksonville by 26. It was not a perfect performance from Lamar Jackson, but the Ravens did score 40 points for the second week in a row. However, they need help to get into the playoffs. In an ironic turn of events, the Ravens would benefit from the Steelers beating the Colts or Browns over the next two weeks.
No. 6: New Orleans Saints (-2)
The Saints dropped their second game in a row. Drew Brees was rusty in his return, but he did have one of the most beautiful throws of the week. New Orleans is still among the elite teams in the league.
No. 5: Tennessee Titans (+2)
The Titans are suddenly first in the NFL in scoring, and they have five games in a row with 400 yards. The defense is improving as well. No one wants to face Tennessee at this point.
No. 4: Cleveland Browns (+2)
The Browns still have a negative point differential after their first multi-score win in two months. Baker Mayfield has turned a corner, and he can be considered an elite quarterback. Defensively, the Browns are shaky, but they played well on Sunday night.
No. 3: Green Bay Packers (-1)
The Packers won their 11th game, but it was a little close for comfort. They only had 291 yards against Carolina’s below-average defense. They close out the season with the 10-4 Titans and 7-7 Bears. Green Bay is currently 1-2 against teams that are above .500.
No. 2: Buffalo Bills (+1)
The Bills have the NFL’s best third-down offense, and they have 20 first downs in every game. Josh Allen is playing his way into the MVP conversation. Buffalo is a miracle Arizona touchdown from being on an eight-game winning streak. They have scored 24 or more points in the last seven games.
No. 1: Kansas City Chiefs (+0)
The Chiefs have won nine games in a row. They have surpassed 397 yards in eight of those games. The AFC is almost certain to have to go through Arrowhead Stadium at this point.
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