NFL Week 17 Power Rankings

And just like that, the 2020 NFL regular season is over. It always bewilders me how quickly the season progresses, and I’m never quite ready for the disappointment it brings. Nevertheless, the most exciting five weeks of football are ahead.

For 18 teams, home awaits as they enter their offseason, while the other 14 now get to chase after the Lombardi. So, with change already underway in preparation for 2021, and for the last time in the 2020, how does the power balance look in the NFL heading into the playoffs?

1.       Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)

The Chiefs lost just their second game of the season in Week 17 as their backups took center stage. Of course, it didn’t mean anything, with the Chiefs having clinched the number one seed in the AFC last week, so it basically functioned as an extra bye week for some of the team’s stars. The Chiefs are absolutely the favorite to win it all.

2.       Buffalo Bills (13-3) +1

Since the Bills’ ‘Hail Murray’ loss to the Arizona Cardinals they have been the hottest team in the NFL. They have won out, shellacking multiple teams - they've averaged 30.8 points per game - while seemingly having more fun than any team in the NFL. Everything about this team feels great heading into the playoffs.

3.       Green Bay Packers (13-3) -1

The Packers locked up the NFC’s number one seed with relative ease on the back of another MVP performance from Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was superb, throwing four more touchdown passes to bring his season total to 48 – a franchise and career high, and tied for fifth in NFL history. The defense is playing a lot better, and with Rodgers and Davante Adams playing as they are, I have no doubt the Packers can go all the way.

4.       New Orleans Saints (12-4)

The Saints closed out the 2020 regular season with a bang, locking up the number two seed with a stomping of the Carolina Panthers. COVID-19 may still have an impact, though, after keeping all of the team’s running backs out in Week 17. Most should be good to go, but Alvin Kamara’s best case scenario is being activated on Saturday, then playing the next day having had no in person-preparation or training. Nevertheless, I like the Saints’ chances to progress to the Divisional Round.

5.       Baltimore Ravens (11-5) +3

What a late season resurgence for the Ravens. Against the Bengals, the Ravens ran wild, racking up 404 yards on the ground to end the year with five straight wins and secure a rematch with the Tennessee Titans. The Titans have handed the Ravens two of their most painful/frustrating defeats over their last two meetings, so Baltimore should have no struggles getting fired up for this game. 

6.       Tennessee Titans (11-5) +1 

The Titans certainly left it late against the Houston Texans, undoubtedly leaving their fans pulling at their hair, but they emerged with a key victory to win the AFC South and lock up a home playoff game. They’ll face the Ravens having seemingly already formulated a way to beat them, can they do it for the third time in a row?

7.       Seattle Seahawks (12-4) -2

What is it about the Seahawks making everything as hard as possible? On Sunday against the Arizona-San Francisco 49ers they left it until the fourth quarter to really get the offense going. Their inconsistency and intermittent struggles could be costly come the playoffs, but they have the guys to pull them back into games, at least.

8.       Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) +1

After somewhat of a mid-to-late season slump, the Bucs are back in form and have drawn the ‘easiest’ playoff matchup in facing the 7-9 Washington Football Team. The Bucs should absolutely put away Washington, but they are a team who has fallen victim to playing to their opponent’s level. Nevertheless, this team is talented enough to win the Super Bowl.

9.       Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) -3

Sunday’s loss was fairly meaningless, the Steelers had already clinched the division and had clearly resigned to owning the number three seed by benching key starters. They enter the playoffs having lost four of their last five with little sign of improvement, and will now face the Cleveland Browns for the second time in seven days, but they may have an easier go with them than they expected. 

10.   Indianapolis Colts (11-5)

The Colts certainly finished the season with a bang on the back of Jonathan Taylor. The rookie running back had a slow start to the season, struggling with the adjustment to the NFL, but he has finished the season on fire, including a 253-yard performance on Sunday to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark on the year. Between the defense and ground game, this team is a threat.

11.   Cleveland Browns (11-5) +1 

For the first time since 2002 the Browns are in the postseason. They made it nervy in Week 17, allowing the Mason Rudolph-led Steelers to hang around and nearly come back, but that doesn’t matter as they’re in now. They now have to go Pittsburgh to face the Steelers again, this time at full strength, to extend their fantasy season. Although, they'll have to do it without their head coach, starting left guard, and more, due to a flurry of positive COVID-19 tests. The Browns can't catch a break. 

12.   Los Angeles Rams (10-6) +1

Thanks to Jared Goff’s thumb injury, the Rams had to turn to John Wolford, formerly of Wake Forest and the AAF. In his first NFL start he played well, certainly well enough to comfortably lead the Rams to a win. Now attention turns to Goff’s health, and if Wolford has to go again, can he keep pace with the Seahawks?

13.   Chicago Bears (8-8) +2

Somehow, the Bears managed to backdoor their way into the playoffs. On a day they lost, to finish the season at .500, they snuck into the playoffs by virtue of the Arizona Cardinals’ loss. Mitch Trubisky has looked better since returning to the lineup, but Sunday showed how much he and they could struggle now against the best teams.

14.   Washington Football Team (7-9) +3

Washington’s route to the playoffs may have been ugly, and you can argue about their clinching scenario or seeding, but they’re in and it would be silly to rule them out. Is it unlikely they go all the way? Yes. But, this team is more than capable of beating any team on any day.

15.   Miami Dolphins (10-6) -4 

I don’t like that the Dolphins are this low, as I would take them over Washington, Chicago, and Los Angeles, but they didn’t make the playoffs, so what can you do? They also have an incredibly bright future as they hold the Houston Texans’ first round pick, which happens to be third overall. The Dolphins are primed to roll.

16.   Arizona Cardinals (8-8) -2

The Cardinals have seemingly been on multiple paths throughout the season. At times they seemed destined for the playoffs, while at others they switched from being a middle of the pack team down as bad as a low-end team. Their season ended with a disappointing chirp, but with an influx of talent at a few spots, and hopefully more growth from Kyler Murray, the Cardinals figure to be back in contention next year.

17.   Las Vegas Raiders (8-8) -1

Heading into the final month or so of the season I truly believed the Raiders were going to be a playoff team, and a good one at that. Since then they completely collapsed, as their defense gave up yards and points as if they wanted to. Nevertheless, general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden appear to have this boat sailing in the right direction.

18.   Los Angeles Chargers (7-9) +3

Despite ending the season with a four game win streak, finding a rookie QB who threw 30+ touchdowns, and having multiple stars return healthy next season, the Chargers decided to move on from HC Anthony Lynn. Given the results of the last two seasons it is understandable, but it is a little surprising they didn’t give him one more year and full offseason with his young QB.

19.   Minnesota Vikings (7-9) +1 

The Vikings may not be heading to the playoffs after another disappointing season, but they certainly had one huge positive to take away from this season: rookie WR Justin Jefferson. Jefferson set the franchise standard for receptions and receiving yards as a rookie, overtaking Randy Moss, with 88 catches for 1,400 yards. He also set the NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie. Now it is time to catch the rest of the team up to him and Dalvin Cook.

20.   San Francisco 49ers (6-10) -2

2020 was unquestionably an incredibly frustrating and disappointing year for the 49ers. Coming off a Super Bowl appearance, injuries ravaged their team and left them with an incredibly long shot to make the playoffs. They have to find some answers to the questions at the QB position, and they have to get healthy, in order to return to the heights of 2019.

21.   New England Patriots (7-9) -2

Welcome back to the ground, New England. Going into the season there was a cautious optimism surrounding the Patriots, with Cam Newton looking to resurrect his career and the team looking to find success post-Tom Brady, instead they stumbled and struggled with a talent-poor offense and a defense gutted by COVID-19 opt-outs. It’s on to 2021 for the Patriots.

22.   New York Giants (6-10) +2

The manner in which the Giants missed out on the playoffs, having done their part in winning a wild game against the Dallas Cowboys, was understandably tough. However, they could have avoided that scenario by winning more than six games. They were not a playoff team this year, but Joe Judge seems to be building the right blocks to get them there.

23.   Dallas Cowboys (6-10) -1

Given the start to the season the Cowboys had, that they were in with a shot of the playoffs in Week 17 was wild. They couldn’t quite do their part, and wouldn’t have gotten the help they needed in the Sunday night game, but this offseason is going to be huge for the Cowboys, and there has to be one priority: re-sign Dak Prescott.

24.   Denver Broncos (5-11) -1

The biggest outcome of this season for the Broncos is that it has resulted in John Elway stepping away from the GM role – he’ll now be team president. Since the Broncos’ success with Peyton Manning they have struggled to compete, and Elway’s team building is a part of that. The incoming GM will have an important decision to make regarding Drew Lock, but there are several pieces to be excited about on this roster. 

25.   Detroit Lions (5-11)

Would you expect what is expected to be Matthew Stafford’s final game in Detroit to be anything but a shootout? I hope not. The Lions lost, which is also fitting, as another bleak season came to an end. What’s next? Yet another head coach search, this time with a new GM, and maybe a complete changing of the guard in the Honolulu blue.

26.   Carolina Panthers (5-11) +1

There is no way to avoid that the Panthers season ending loss was ugly, but that shouldn’t take away from a season that at least showed they hired the right guy. Questions about Teddy Bridgewater will follow this team throughout the offseason, and if they lose offensive coordinator Joe Brady to a head coaching job there could be even more questions. Nevertheless, I’m excited to see Matt Rhule continue to build his team.

27.   Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1) +1

The Bengals were slaughtered by the Ravens in the final game of the season as they gave up 404 rushing yards and managed just three points. Zac Taylor will remain the head coach – though he’ll likely be on the hot seat next year – and has a roster with a lot of holes to fill. Thankfully for the Bengals they have one position they don’t have to worry about: quarterback.

28.   Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1) -2

What happened on Sunday night in Philadelphia was nothing short of a farce. The manner in which the Eagles handled this game was pathetic. I’ve not seen such an egregious attempt to lose a game and undermine a sport like it, and I’m sure the Eagles will eventually feel the consequence of that decision.

29.   Atlanta Falcons (4-12) +1

Considering the talent the Falcons have at their disposal, every year they don’t make the playoffs is a disappointment. Their four wins this year take that to a new level. It feels like it is time for the Falcons to hit the reset button and start anew with a new person at the helm.

30.   Houston Texans (4-12) -1

The Texans’ 2020 season couldn’t really have ended in a more fitting way than it did against the Titans. The Texans fought hard against a playoff team, fighting back to take the lead with just 18 seconds remaining, only to give up one deep completion and a game-winning field goal. The only solace for Texans fans is that Deshaun Watson is clearly one of the game's elite QBs. 

31.   New York Jets (2-14)

After a two-game win streak the Jets’ season ended how it began: with a loss. More importantly, though, Adam Gase is no longer the head coach. People losing their job is always sad, but for the football team it was overdue. However, I don’t know how attractive the Jets job will be to incoming coaches as there is a lot of work to do.

32.   Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15) 

Going 1-15 does have the benefit of affording the Jaguars control of the draft, but it also signaled the end of Doug Marrone’s tenure in Jacksonville. Since making the AFC Championship game in 2017, Marrone led the Jaguars to a 12-36 record, so this move is hardly surprising. Lots of change is ahead in Jacksonville, will it finally work?