The Cardinals reclaim the top spot this week in the power rankings while the Pats slowly climb their way up to the top of the list. Can they become the #1 team with only a few weeks left?
1. Arizona Cardinals With Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins coming back from injury, the Cardinals are back on top of this week’s power rankings after soundly beating the Chicago Bears this past Sunday. The offense should be back to its explosive self once Murray and D-Hop get acclimated to game conditions again after being out for the past few weeks. The Cardinals have a serious test this upcoming week with their game against their division rival, the LA Rams.
2. Green Bay Packers The Packers are still in play for the #1 seed and took the opportunity to rest up on a late bye this past week. This team is looking to bring back #1 cornerback Jaire Alexander from injury, who hasn’t played since week 4. With an offense still led by Aaron Rodgers and the defense playing better as of late, the Packers are still my pick to win the title.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers The defending champions handled business at home against the Falcons this week by a score of 30-17. Losing Antonio Brown to suspension for 3 weeks didn’t really matter this past Sunday as Chris Godwin had a huge game this week, going for 15 catches and 143 yards. Even with Brown out, the Bucs should be fine with a receiving corp of Mike Evans, Godwin and Rob Gronkowski. They’ll have their hands full when the Bills come to town this Sunday.
4. New England Patriots
Bill Belichick has done it again. The Patriots, despite horrific weather conditions and only passing the ball a total of 3 times, managed to beat their division rival in a slugfest. The Pats were able to consistently run the ball effectively while throttling the Bills offense all game. The new #1 seed in the AFC look to rest up with their upcoming bye week before a matchup with the Colts on December 18th.
5. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens went for the win with the game on the line and ultimately came up short against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday. To add to the Ravens injury woes that have plagued them all season, defensive star Marlon Humphrey has been lost for the forseeable future. If the Ravens want to regain home field advantage throughout the playoffs, they will have to do it by beating the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday, which is no easy task.
6. Kansas City Chiefs
The offensive explosion we saw from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense last week may have been a one time performance, because this past Sunday they went right back to being stymied by the Broncos defense. The Chiefs defense, on the other hand, continued to play very well and sealed the game with a pick-six by Daniel Sorenson. For the Chiefs to keep holding on to the AFC West, the offense is going to need to come back to life against the Raiders on the 12th.
7. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys handled business against a depleted New Orleans Saints team this past Thursday. Having Amari Cooper back from injury surely helped Dak open up the field more and find more favorable matchups against a solid Saints defense. Tony Pollard is filling in nicely for Zeke, who should be ready to come back with a full head of steam pretty soon. Dallas has a chance to really run away with the NFC East if they can win their divisional matchup against the Washington Football Team.
8. Buffalo Bills
Monday night’s loss to the New England Patriots was ugly for the Bills. Even though there were winds in excess of 50mph, Josh Allen tried to move downfield by throwing the ball unsuccessfully. The running game didn’t seem to get going either, as Josh Allen was the leading rusher with only 39 yards, If the Bills want to regain the division lead, they will have to win this crucial game against the Bucs on the road.
9. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams handled their business against Jacksonville this past Sunday. Matt Stafford had himself a clean game against an inferior opponent, throwing for just under 300 yards and 3 TDs. Sony Michel filled in nicely for Darrell Henderson, rushing for over 100 yards and finding the endzone. The Rams had their bounce back game, now they have a showdown with the #1 seeded Cardinals in a divisional showdown on Monday night.
10. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers had themselves a statement win last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. Justin Herbert had another great performance, throwing for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns and making key plays to keep the pressure on the Bengals. The Chargers defense, meanwhile, was able to force Joe Burrow into costly turnovers that kept the Bengals offense off the field. The Chargers look to keep their momentum going against a vastly depleted New York Giants team.
11. Tennessee Titans
The Titans got some great news this past week when it was reported that Derrick Henry’s recovery from injury was going better than expected. There is hope that he will be healthy and ready for the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. He is an integral part of the offense and the Titans need him for any chance of a deep playoff run. They should be able to fine tune their offense without Henry this upcoming weekend against a Jacksonville team that looks lifeless.
12. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals struggled to keep up with the LA Chargers, losing by a final score of 41-22. One bright spot of the game is that Tee Higgins continues to produce and shine, catching 9 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately for the Bengals, Burrow made one too many mistakes in the game, putting it out of reach. The Bengals still control their destiny when it comes to making the playoffs, and a winnable game against the 49ers should put them in a favorable position for a top wild-card seed.
13. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts absolutely trounced the Texans this past week. Carson Wentz and Jonathan Taylor played well enough to keep the score running while the Colts defense gave Houston’s offense absolute hell. Neither opposing QB threw for over 100 yards combined for the whole game. The Colts will have a chance to rest on their bye week before a true test against the Patriots in Week 15.
14. Las Vegas Raiders
Derek Carr did everything that he could to try and lead Vegas to a win against the Football Team, but it wasn’t enough as the Raiders lost the game 17-15. Outside of their Thanksgiving day win against the Cowboys, the Raiders have been in a free fall, dropping four out of five games so far. If the Raiders want to have any chance at a playoff berth, they are going to have to put a solid game plan together when they face Kansas City this weekend.
15. Denver Broncos
Kansas City’s defense was too much for the Broncos this past Sunday and they dropped a crucial divisional game that they needed to win. Even though the defense played extremely well and held Kansas City to only 2 scores, the offense was anemic this week and also handed Kansas City a backbreaking turnover that sealed their fate. At least this weekend, the Broncos should put another win on their resume when the Lions come to town on Sunday.
16. San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco wishes they could re-do their final drive against the Seahawks, which ended up being a loss by a score of 30-23. Jimmy G played relatively well, completing 2/3 of his passes for just under 300 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Elijah Mitchell continues to shine out of the backfield. The second half ended up being the most problematic for the 49ers, as the offense struggled and the defense could not stop Russell Wilson and Co. The 49ers look to try and stay in playoff position with a game against the Bengals on Sunday.
17. Cleveland Browns
The Browns had a chance to come up with new ways to move the ball down the field offensively and to rest during their bye week this past week. Baker hopefully took this chance to work on timing with his receivers and to build a further rapport with the rest of the offense. They’re going to have to be firing on all cylinders if they want to beat the visiting Ravens this upcoming Sunday.
18. Miami Dolphins
It sure was ugly, but the Dolphins were able defeat a depleted Giants team at home this past Sunday. Tua kept the stat sheet clean and managed the game well, completing just under 75% of his passes for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns. Miami’s defense was able to stifle Mike Glennon and the Giants offense all game. They’ll have a chance to rest and regroup during their bye week and prepare for an end of season blitz for the playoffs.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are moving up in the rankings after denying the Ravens a potential game winning 2pt conversion and holding on to win the game. Big Ben played just well enough to give them the go ahead score in the 4th and the defense held on when it mattered most. They are in the thick of the AFC playoff race for the 7th seed. To stay in the hunt, they are going to have to have an impressive outing against a desperate Minnesota Vikings team on Thursday night.
20. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings should be re-evaluating every single aspect of their team and what their game plans should consist of after losing to the only winless team in the league this past Sunday. While Kirk Cousins played well according to the stat sheet, on the drive where it mattered most, the offense sputtered, giving Detroit too much time left to drive down the field and score. The defense could not stop the Lions offense when it mattered most and now the Vikings find themselves in a precarious position. They are going to have to win crucial games to make the playoffs, starting with the Steelers on Thursday night.
21. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons weren’t able to stop the Tampa Bay Bucs’ offense this past weekend, as Brady was able to move down the field at will. Matt Ryan was able to also move down the field but the Falcons struggled to keep up with Tampa Bay, and the game eventually got out of hand. The Falcons, currently sitting at 5-7, can keep their slim playoff hopes alive by defeating their division rival, the Carolina Panthers, this upcoming Sunday.
22. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers were fortunate enough to have a bye week this past week and needed the opportunity to rest and re-group. At 5-7, there is still a slim chance for this team to make the playoffs, and with Cam Newton at the helm, anything is possible for them. A tough division showdown with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday will pretty much decide whether or not they will have a legitimate chance to make a playoff push or if they need to start looking at potential offseason moves.
23. Philadelphia Eagles
In a spot start, Gardner Minshew played extremely well against a hapless Jets defense. Minshew threw for 242 yards and 2 TDS while Miles Sanders continuously gashed the Jets defense to the tune of 120 yards on the ground. At 6-7, the Eagles are still in play for the #7 seed in the NFC playoff picture, but in order to try and make it, they are gonna have to heal up on this upcoming bye week to prep for a playoff push.
24. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks found a way to win their game against the 49ers. Russell Wilson looked more comfortable throwing the ball after coming back from finger surgery. Even though they lost Jamal Adams for the season, the defense held on and denied the 49ers a chance to tie the game with time winding down in the 4th quarter. At 4-8, the margin for error is slim to none if the Seahawks want to have a chance at making the playoffs, and they should be able to start a small winning streak when the Texans come to town this coming Sunday.
25. Washington Football Team
The WFT pulled out a gutsy win over the Las Vegas Raiders this past Sunday. Taylor Heinicke drove the offense down the field and Daniel Carlson drilled a 37 yard field goal to give Washington a desperately needed win to get them in the playoff race. They are the current 7 seed in the NFC and are looking to hold on to that spot by winning their game against NFC East division leader Dallas.
26. New Orleans Saints
Can Taysom Hill be the Saints quarterback of the future? If we were to go based solely off the last game against the Cowboys, the answer is no. While Hill was able to make plays with his legs and had a few nice passes, he could not complete over 50% of his passes and threw 4 interceptions. He will have another chance to show the coaching staff that he is the answer against a New York Jets team with the worst defense in the league.
27. New York Giants
Without Daniel Jones, the New York Giants offense may as well have never taken the field in their matchup against the Dolphins. Saquon yet again could not get going in the running game and Mike Glennon looked like he didn’t belong on the field. This team has a lot of soul searching to do, and a matchup against the Chargers with Glennon under center again doesn’t bode well for Big Blue.
28. Chicago Bears
The Bears showed a bit more life this week in their matchup against the Cardinals. The main thing that Chicago should be worried about now as the season begins to wind down is evaluating Fields. Not only that, they also have to figure out how to build around him so that he is in a position to succeed. A major test for Justin Fields awaits him on Sunday as the Bears travel to Wisconsin to take on the Packers.
29. New York Jets
It was a tale of two halves for the Jets when they took on the Eagles. Offensively, all 18 points came in the first half and the Jets were able to keep pace with Gardner Minshew and the Eagles offense. In the second half, the defense stepped up yet the offense disappeared. If the Jets can put together a complete game against the Saints this coming Sunday, the Jets can be a competitive team.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars once again laid an egg on Sunday against the Rams. Trevor Lawrence struggled again this game, throwing for 145 yards on 16/28 passing. The defense continues to struggle as well, as they could not stop the Rams from doing anything they wanted. Urban Meyer’s squad needs to figure out their offensive funk soon, and a game against the Tennessee Titans might be the place to show some fight.
31. Houston Texans
The Texans looked next to lifeless when they played the Colts on Sunday, to the point where they were shut out completely and couldn’t muster a single point. Tyrod Taylor practically handed the Colts two extra possessions in the first quarter and promptly got benched for Davis Mills, who couldn’t get anything going for them. The Texans desperately need the season to end and need to re-evaluate both the roster and the coaching staff.
32. Detroit Lions
The Lions have finally pulled it off and won a game in dramatic fashion. Jared Goff played extremely well and the defense played just well enough to hold on against the Vikings. With 1:50 left on the clock after a Justin Jefferson TD, Goff got them down the field 75 yards and threw a dime into the endzone to give the Lions a much needed morale boost without affecting their draft position. Can they do it again when they travel to Denver? It’s doubtful, but on any given Sunday, anything is possible.