NFL Week 15 Power Rankings

It was a quality week of football as far as the on-field product goes, but it does suck to see a young promising quarterback like Carson Wentz go down to a torn ACL. It seems like there have been way too many major injuries so far this year and it’s just a bummer for football in general. There were some big upset and major comebacks and the playoff season is officially here. Week 15 has some really great games on the docket as well. Let’s get into the ranks!

Pittsburgh Steelers

Power Ranking: 1

Previous Rank: 1

Record: 11-2

Week 14 result: Win versus Baltimore Ravens, 39-38

Week 15: versus New England Patriots

This may have been the wildest game of the week. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 14 point lead only to fall behind by 11 heading into the fourth. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger just would not be denied as he threw for over 500 yards and two touchdowns. It’s hard to argue that Antonio Brown is not the best receiver in football and he went for over 200 yards. There’s a case to be made for Brown being the MVP of the league. Is he going to win it? almost certainly not since he has Le’Veon Bell and Big Ben as teammates. Still, he’s been indispensable to the offense. The defense had some major issues on defense without linebacker Ryan Shazier and will face an even bigger test next week versus the New England Patriots. The winner of this game likely will have home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles

Power Ranking: 2

Previous Rank: 3

Record: 11-2

Week 14 result: Win versus Los Angeles Rams, 43-35

Week 15: at New York Giants

There’s usually no such thing as a bad win, but the Eagles are going to put that theory to the test. They won a back and forth affair out in Los Angeles but might have suffered a much greater loss since quarterback Carson Wentz tore his ACL. No disrespect to backup quarterback Nick Foles, but Philly will not be able to make it through the NFC playoffs without Wentz. They are deep and talented throughout the roster but so is every other team in the NFC. A promising season may end with a thud and now the fate of the 2018 Eagles could be in question as well. Philly travels to New York to play the Giants this week.

Los Angeles Chargers

Power Ranking: 3

Previous Rank: 8

Record: 7-6

Week 14 result: Win versus Washington Redskins, 30-13

Week 15: at Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday Night

The Chargers continue to be just red hot as they easily dispatched the Redskins in this one. Quarterback Philip Rivers sliced and diced his way through the Redskin defense and sat out a chunk of the fourth quarter, though not before throwing for 300+ yards. Running back Melvin Gordon still underwhelms more often than not, but some of that slack is being picked up by receiver Keenan Allen. He’s come on stronger as the season has gone along.The Los Angeles defense is really shaping into form and if they wind up winning their division, they could be a real challenge to knock out of the playoffs. The victory on Sunday sets up a fun matchup in Kansas City with the lead for the AFC West on the line.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Power Ranking: 4

Previous Rank: 9

Record: 9-4

Week 14 result: Win versus Seattle Seahawks, 30-24

Week 15: versus Houston Texans

This was one of the biggest wins for the Jacksonville franchise in recent memory. Even though the Seattle Seahawks are decimated by injuries, they’re still viewed as a measuring stick for a young up and coming team. The defense gave up more points that they’re accustomed to, but that happens when Russell Wilson is the opposing quarterback. The Jaguars got a good game out of running back Leonard Fournette and quarterback Blake Bortles in the same game, which hasn’t happened very often this year. Bortles has really started to look a lot better as the season has worn on and that could be scary for other AFC teams. If Bortles is playing at a relatively high level, they have the other components to beat any team in the playoffs. That even includes the mighty New England Patriots. Jacksonville has their sights set on an AFC South title and can get one step closer by beating Houston this week.

Minnesota Vikings

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Power Ranking: 5

Previous Rank: 2

Record: 10-3

Week 14 result: Loss versus Carolina Panthers, 31-24

Week 15: versus Cincinnati Bengals

Minnesota finally saw their winning streak come to an end as they fought back to tie the game late but couldn’t pull out the victory. This game was very atypical for the Vikings as the defense did not play very well and got beat up by running back Jonathan Stewart of all players. The offense sputtered for a lot of the day as well. Receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs were held in check other than one big touchdown run by Thielen. It’s really the first time in a while that quarterback Case Keenum did not look all that great. The Panther defense was in his face all day long. While I don’t think a 10-3 team has a quarterback controversy, it’s hard not to realize Teddy Bridgewater is right there, ready for action. The Vikings should be able to get right back on track this week versus the Bengals.

Los Angeles Rams

Power Ranking: 6

Previous Rank: 5

Record: 9-4

Week 14 result: Loss versus Philadelphia Eagles, 43-35

Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks

The Rams couldn’t quite get the job done on Sunday and lost a very close game to the Eagles. The score looks a little wider than it was because the Eagles scored a defensive touchdown while the clock was on zero after a failed lateral attempt. Running back Todd Gurley continues to get it done in all facets of the game and maybe if receiver Sammy Watkins had been a bit more involved, the Rams could have won. Cooper Kupp is a really nice complimentary weapon in any offense, but the difference to push Los Angeles over the top could be getting Watkins going a little more. They already have a dynamic offense that puts up almost 30 points a game. Imagine if Watkins was more of a focal point. This was a step back for the defense, but it’s hard to criticize too much. It’s not the first time Carson Wentz has made a defense look bad. A big divisional game is next as the Rams go into Seattle.

Carolina Panthers

Power Ranking: 7

Previous Rank: 11

Record: 9-4

Week 14 result: Win versus Minnesota Vikings, 31-24

Week 15: versus Green Bay Packers

The Panthers knocked off the Vikings at home and suddenly the NFC South looks very crowded at the top. Running back Jonathan Stewart rose from irrelevance to have a monster three-touchdown game but when the Panthers needed a play the most, it was quarterback Cam Newton who delivered. He broke off a long run towards the end of the game that set up the winning touchdown and the defense did a pretty nice job against a dynamic offense. Make no mistake, this was a big win for Carolina as they proved they can hang with the cream of the crop. Their reward for taking down one of the best teams in the conference is they likely get to face the Packers with quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center.

New England Patriots

Power Ranking: 8

Previous Rank: 4

Record: 10-3

Week 14 result: Loss versus Miami Dolphins, 27-20

Week 15: at Pittsburgh Steelers

This was about as surprising of a loss as the NFL sees this season. Maybe the Patriots were guilty of looking forward to to the Steelers matchup next week. Maybe they just played poorly. Maybe tight end Rob Gronkowski is really that important to the Patriots offense. It seems likely that it’s a combo of all those factors. One thing is for sure: when the opposition hits Tom Brady repeatedly and gets him off his spot, he is a mere mortal. Of course, that is easier said than done. New England will almost surely come back this week with a vengeance and the Steelers matchup will bring out the best of them. You can take that to the bank as long as Bill Belichick is the coach.

Atlanta Falcons

Power Ranking: 9

Previous Ranking: 12

Record: 8-5

Week 14 result: Win versus New Orleans Siant, 20-17

Week 15: At Tampa Bay, Monday Night Football

It seems like this game has gotten lost in the shuffle after a wild Sunday slate of games, but the Falcons overcame three interceptions by quarterback Matt Ryan to walk away with a much-needed victory this past week. He absolutely cannot play that poorly and Atlanta still walk away with a win very often. They held the Saints to just 17 points, although it did help that New Orleans lost running back Alvin Kamara on the first drive. Atlanta running back Devonta Freeman looks all the way back from his concussion and was a driving force behind the offense. The Falcons defense stepped up in a big spot and the victory in Seattle a few weeks ago suddenly is looming very large. That’s the reason the Falcons are in the playoffs right now. They travel to Tampa Bay this week for Monday Night Football.

New Orleans Saints

Power Ranking: 10

Previous Rank: 6

Record: 9-4

Week 14 result: Loss versus Atlanta Falcons, 20-17

Week 15: versus New York Jets

It has to be a little disconcerting for the Saints to see how badly the offense played after running back Alvin Kamara left with a concussion early in this game. Sure, receiver Michael Thomas had a strong statistical game, but to just score 17 points and to see a dominant running game get shut down? That may not be the greatest sign. The Saints defense had a pretty strong game and rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore played really well against Julio Jones for most of the night. Jones actually showed some frustration and annoyance at times, which is out of character. That usually means the corner is doing his job well. Drew Brees is probably still replaying his game-sealing interception in his head. It was a ghastly decision as he tried to hit backup tight end Josh Hill…in triple coverage. That’s not ideal when the Saints were in a position to tie the game. They should be able to bounce back this week versus the Jets at home.

Seattle Seahawks

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Power Ranking: 11

Previous Rank: 7

Record: 8-5

Week 14 result: Loss versus Jacksonville Jaguars, 30-24

Week 15: versus Los Angeles Rams

The two biggest takeaways for the Seahawks are A. Russell Wilson continues to be one of the best quarterbacks in the game and B. the defense is in a lot of trouble if linebackers K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner are injured. Wilson bounced back from a tough first half and almost led a fantastic comeback, but fell just a little short. It’s one of the best days a quarterback has had against the Jacksonville defense all season. On the other side of the ball, the defense is playing with more second string players than first string and it’s starting to show. I’m a fan of defensive lineman Michael Bennett, but he should have been suspended for his actions at the end of this game. He went low on a Jaguar offensive lineman and caused an ugly scene when the game was decided. In addition, lineman Quinton Jefferson tried to enter the stands to confront a fan. As frustrated as Jefferson had to be with drinks being thrown at him, he can’t even think about doing that. It’s also on the NFL to find out how stadium security helped that sequence get out of hand. The fake tough guys in the crowd wouldn’t have been real tough had Jefferson got into the stands.

Dallas Cowboys

Power Ranking: 12

Previous Rank: 14

Record: 7-6

Week 14 result: Win versus New York Giants, 30-10

Week 15: at Oakland Raiders

This game was probably a little closer than the final score looks, but Dallas went into New York and got the job done. they pretty much have to win out and get some help to see the postseason, and that’s what they did on Sunday. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for a career-high in yardage and tacked on three touchdowns as well. The running back tandem of Alfred Morris and Rod Smith continue to play very well while Ezekiel Elliott is suspended. Receiver Dez Bryant caught a long touchdown pass, so you know things were going well for Dallas. Linebacker Sean Lee continues to be one of the most underrated difference makers in the NFL. The Dallas defense is just worlds different when he isn’t on the field. They can keep their slim playoff chances afloat this week when they travel to Oakland to take on an abysmal Raiders squad.

Baltimore Ravens

Power Ranking: 13

Previous Rank: 13

Record: 7-6

Week 14 result: Loss versus Pittsburgh Steelers, 39-38

Week 15: at Cleveland Browns

Baltimore isn’t going to fall even after a loss because they almost went into Pittsburgh and walked out with a victory. This game was back and forth all night and the Ravens fell apart at the end, not even being able to move the ball to give kicker Justin Tucker a shot a winning the game. Quarterback Joe Flacco continues to be totally average, but running back Alex Collins was phenomenal Sunday night. Some of it can be chalked up to the Steelers defense finding their way without Ryan Shazier, but nobody should take anything away from Collins. He was a monster all night long. The Ravens likely should have just given him the ball to salt the clock away towards the end of the game instead of trying to pass the ball. Baltimore still has a clear path to get in the playoffs as a Wild Card team and then anything can happen. They will try to keep Cleveland winless next week.

Buffalo Bills

Power Ranking: 14

Previous Rank: 15

Record: 7-6

Week 14 result: Win versus Indianapolis Colts, 13-7

Week 15: versus Miami Dolphins

In all honesty, there isn’t much to take from this game. The blizzard conditions just make it too hard to know how this game would have gone in normal weather. Running back LeSean McCoy was a beast in this game and receivers Kelvin Benjamin and Deonte Thompson both made some spectacular plays in the elements. Buffalo remains entrenched in the Wild Card hunt and face a Dolphins team that is just playing for their checks this week.

Tennessee Titans

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Power Ranking: 15

Previous Rank: 10

Record: 8-5

Week 14 result: Loss versus Arizona Cardinals, 12-7

Week 15: at San Francisco 49ers

Detroit Lions

[the_ad id=”71961″]I’m not sure how to explain it, but quarterback Marcus Mariota has taken a major step backward in his progression. There’s no way around the fact that he’s been dreadful this year. Whether it has to do with opponents having a full season worth of tape on the offense or just a general lack of weapons, this season is not turning out how the Titans want it to. How they have won eight games, I have no idea. Their record is very hollow and unless Mariota picks up his play in a hurry, the Titans might not even make the playoffs. They actually opened up as an underdog to the 3-10 49ers this week. That tells you where the perception is for Tennessee, and it’s hard to argue that it isn’t deserved.

Power Ranking: 16

Previous Rank: 20

Record: 7-6

Week 14 result: Win versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-21

Week 15: versus Chicago Bears, Saturday afternoon

Quarterback Matthew Stafford takes his fair share of criticism, but he’s one of the tougher players in the league. This guy takes an enormous amount of punishment every year and just keeps on trying to keep the Lions in the hunt. There was doubt he could even play in this game due to an injured throwing hand, but he went out and played pretty well aside from a couple of interceptions. A team like Detroit can’t be picky about how they win games and the trio of Stafford and receivers Golden Tate and Marvin Jones can put up points. The defense is just average and they’re probably going to settle in as a middle of the pack team. That’s going to make it difficult to get a Wild Card berth with how loaded the NFC is. The play the Bears on a rare Saturday afternoon regular season game this week.

Kansas City Chiefs

Power Ranking: 17

Previous Rank: 21

Record: 7-6

Week 14 result: Win versus Oakland Raiders, 26-15

Week 15: Versus Los Angeles Chargers

Kansas City finally got back into the winning column as they basically throttled the Raiders. The score looks close but the Chiefs had this game well under control. The offense still hasn’t clicked the way they were at the start of the season, but at least running back Kareem Hunt showed up in this one. They still have a long way to go to recapture their mojo from the first five weeks. Quarterback Alex Smith has been a roller coaster since then and the defense has been getting ripped apart until the Raiders putrid offense showed up. The challenge is much different when the Chargers offense rolls into Arrowhead this week. The winner has a leg up on the AFC West title.

Green Bay Packers

Power Ranking: 18

Previous Rank: 22

Record: 7-6

Week 14 result: Win versus Cleveland Browns, 27-21

Week 15: at Carolina Panthers

Well, the season just got interesting for the Packers. They should get quarterback Aaron Rodgers back from a broken collarbone and reports say he’s looked like himself in practice. This changes the complexion of the entire NFC playoff picture because of how great Rodgers is. The offense immediately goes back to one of the best in the league and the defense can make just enough plays. Jamaal Williams has seized his chance to be the lead back in the offense and the receiving corps will be much more dynamic with a real quarterback at the helm. They still need to basically win out but that outcome is in their hands.

Arizona Cardinals

Power Ranking: 19

Previous Rank: 23

Record: 6-7

Week 14 result: Win versus Tennessee Titans, 12-7

Week 15: at Washington Redskins

It’s a testament to coach Bruce Arians that the Cardinals are even flirting with .500 with how many injuries they have had throughout the season. The Cardinals are in an interesting spot in the long-term, as they will likely be facing a rebuild sooner than later. As far as next year, they should have a reasonable shot to make some noise if they can keep quarterback Carson Palmer healthy for the season. Running back David Johnson should be back to full health as well and the offense can be really good with those two combining with receiver Larry Fitzgerald. They need to draft a quarterback to groom in this draft, along with other pieces.

New York Jets

Power Ranking: 20

Previous Rank: 16

Record: 5-8

Week 14 result: Loss versus Denver Broncos, 23-0

Week 15: at New Orleans Saints

This loss for the Jets couldn’t have been much worse. Not only did Denver stomp them out, they lost quarterback Josh McCown to a broken hand. They’re now in the hands of Bryce Petty and possibly Christian Hackenberg. Needless to say, that’s not good for Jets fans. It’s entirely possible New York won’t win another game this season and their focus is now fully on the 2018 draft. They have to go into New Orleans this week.

Chicago Bears

Power Ranking: 21

Previous Rank: 25

Record: 4-9

Week 14 result: Win versus Cincinnati Bengals, 33-7

Week 15: at Detroit Lions, Saturday afternoon

One of the more surprising wins of the season came in Cincinnati when the Bears destroyed the Bengals. Chicago saw some promise from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky on the road and their number one priority has to be to get him some receivers. Running backs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen could form an excellent 1-2 punch in the right offense. The Bears would be wise to find a coach to nurture their young quarterback and they can keep working on building up the defense. They face another tough road test in Detroit this week.

Washington Redskins

Power Ranking: 22

Previous Rank: 17

Record: 5-8

Week 14 result: Loss versus Los Angeles Chargers, 30-13

Week 15: versus Arizona Cardinals

It’s not the fairest thing to judge considering the injuries the Redskin offense has suffered, but this team really looked like they packed it in on Sunday. The Chargers got out to a fast start and Washington had no fight in them. The number one story of the offseason is likely to be the fate of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Washington should have locked him up before the season started to a long-term deal but now the future is totally unsure. If he stays, he needs another receiver in a big way. Josh Doctson hasn’t cut it yet and Jamison Crowder is best suited for a slot role. Really, they just need some health. With Cousins, they can make a fast turnaround.

Cincinnati Bengals

Power Ranking: 23

Previous Rank: 18

Record: 5-8

Week 14 result: Loss versus Chicago Bears, 33-7

Week 15: at Minnesota Vikings

If we’re talking about teams that showed absolutely no fight, the Bengals have to be first on the list. They still had a slim chance to make the playoffs but they totally laid down to a three-win Bears team. The Bengals have no other choice but to get rid of coach Marvin Lewis. The results just aren’t there and there have been too many terrible losses. It’s an attractive landing spot for someone as the Bengals have a talented roster. They need offensive line improvements, but the vast majority of teams do. It’s hard to see them putting up a fight in Minnesota.

San Francisco 49ers

Power Ranking: 24

Previous Rank: 3-10

Record: 3-10

week 14 result: Win versus Houston Texans, 26-16

Week 15: versus Tennessee Titans

It’s an obvious truth in the NFL, but what a difference a quarterback makes, even on a bad team. Fans don’t want to get carried away, but the early returns on Jimmy Garoppolo are more than promising. Jimmy G has completed over 66% of his passes and thrown for over 600 yards. He’s gotten all this done without receiver Pierre Garcon, who’s on injured reserve. San Francisco looks like they have their quarterback for the foreseeable future and only had to give up a high second round pick for him. If they can complete a rebuild around him, the hardest part might be in the past. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 49ers beat Tennessee this week.

Oakland Raiders

Power Ranking: 25

Previous Rank: 19

Record: 6-7

Week 14 result: Loss versus Kansas City Chiefs, 26-15

Week 15: versus Dallas Cowboys

It’s one of the great mysteries of the 2017 season that the Oakland offense has been this bad. It should be a dynamic attack with solid running backs and quarterback Derek Carr was supposed to take another step forward. That hasn’t happened and there will almost surely be a new offensive coordinator next season. It’s difficult to explain why this season slipped from Oakland because they have plenty of pieces. Since they play in the AFC West, there’s still a chance they can sneak into the playoffs. It’s just not very likely and they face the Dallas Cowboys this week.

Indianapolis Colts

Power Ranking: 26

Previous Rank: 26

Record: 3-10

Week 14 result: Loss versus Buffalo Bills, 13-7

Week 15: versus Denver Broncos

Just like the Bills, I’m not taking anything from the Blizzard Bowl of 2017. They now have a very quick turnaround to face a Denver Broncos defense at in Indy. It’s likely not going to be a fun game for quarterback Jacoby Brissett and company.

Miami Dolphins

Power Ranking: 27

Previous Rank: 29

Record: 6-7

Week 14 result: Win versus New England Patriots, 27-20

Week 15: at Buffalo Bills

Beating the Patriots is a major accomplishment and the Dolphins won this game soundly. The score looks close but the game wasn’t. This was the Super Bowl for Miami and they showed up. The defense beat up Tom Brady and Jay Cutler threw three touchdowns in the victory. This seems like a one-off performance from the Dolphins and they still sit under .500. A suddenly important game looms in Buffalo this week.

Houston Texans

Power Ranking: 28

Previous Rank: 27

Record: 4-9

Week 14 result: Loss versus San Francisco 49ers, 26-16

Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars

The Houston staff should feel ashamed they let quarterback Tom Savage back on the field after he suffered a terrifying injury in this game. He took a hard hit and appeared to be shaking and was clearly hurt badly. Coach Bill O’Brien saying they wouldn’t have let it happen if they had video is a total cop-out. The sequence is being investigated and it’s just not good enough to let them off the hook from any aspect. On the field, receiver DeAndre Hopkins is a bad, bad man. Houston just needs to hope they’re healthy in 2018.

Denver Broncos

Power Ranking: 28

Previous Rank: 30

Record: 4-9

Week 14 result: Win versus New York Jets, 23-0

Week 15: at Indianapolis Colts

This is exactly how the Broncos were supposed to win games. They shutout the Jets offense and their own offense played just well enough. It was interesting to see running back C.J. Anderson get a big workload. He didn’t so much with it against a tough Jets run defense, but he probably should have been this involved the whole season. It’s too late for the 2017 season, but the Broncos are a quarterback away from being a major threat in the AFC.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Power Ranking: 29

Previous Rank: 27

Record: 4-9

Week 14 result: Loss versus Detroit Lions, 24-21

Week 15: versus Atlanta Falcons, Monday Night Football

It’s incredible that the offense has taken this big of a step back. This was supposed to be the season quarterback Jameis Winston stepped up and the 1-2 receiving duo of Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson were supposed to terrorize defenses. That hasn’t come close to happening and they have to move on from their current coaching staff. An offense can’t be this poor without someone paying the price. Step one will be to get Winston to stop turning the ball over so much. They welcome in Julio Jones and the Falcons this week for Monday Night Football.

New York Giants

Power Ranking: 31

Previous Rank: 31

Record: 2-11

Week 14 result: Loss versus Dallas Cowboys, 30-10

Week 15: versus Philadelphia Eagles

The Giants fired coach Ben McAdoo but the results didn’t change this week. Even with naming quarterback Eli Manning the starter again, the offense couldn’t get anything going. The defense played well for a little while before giving up a ton of points late. The offseason can’t get here fast enough for this group.

Cleveland Browns

Power Ranking: 32

Previous Rank: 32

Record: 0-13

Week 14 result: Loss versus Green Bay Packers, 27-21 in overtime

Week 15: versus Baltimore Ravens

The Browns were so very close to getting their first win of the season. They had a 14 point lead in the fourth quarter and just couldn’t hold on. The Packers walked off with a win after a ghastly interception from Deshone Kizer, who had actually played fairly well up until that point. Receiver Josh Gordon changes the complexion of the entire offense and it’s still amazing how good he’s been since his return. They fired Sashi Brown this week and hired John Dorsey to be the GM. That likely doesn’t bode well for coach Hue Jackson, but we’ve seen Cleveland do stranger things.

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