NFL Power Rankings: Chiefs on top, Cowboys charging toward playoffs

classybuzzDecember 28, 2021

13 11 minutes read

Welcome again to The MMQB’s energy rankings, the place it’s my flip for the primary time since after Week 8. What’s modified since I used to be final right here? The Dolphins have gone 7–0, the Colts have gone 6–1 and more than 400 players have tested positive for COVID-19 in December alone.

Making an attempt to rank groups is commonly a troublesome, typically foolish, train. This 12 months it feels downright inconceivable. We’ve seen a number of video games moved (although not as many as final 12 months) and we’ve seen groups play with a dozen or extra gamers extracted from their roster. We’ve seen backups and understudies. We’ve seen assistant coaches in unfamiliar roles they haven’t ready for.

The entire season has been full of peculiar upsets hard-to-explain blowouts, and issues have solely felt extra random the final month as groups have been hit at totally different ranges.

1. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (11–4)

Final week: Win vs. Pittsburgh, 36–10
Subsequent week: at Cincinnati

The Chiefs have been the most effective crew within the league for the final 4 years now. We all know all about their rocky begin, and loads of individuals have written about their protection’s turnaround throughout this eight-game successful streak. What else is left to say? With their expertise and playoff expertise, they’ll be my favourite heading into the postseason.

2. Inexperienced Bay Packers (12–3)

Final week: Win vs. Cleveland, 24–22 (Saturday)
Subsequent week: vs. Minnesota

The Packers have the NFL’s finest report and have gained 5 in a row. I wouldn’t blame you for those who needed to place them No. 1, however I’m selecting to place them No. 2.

This isn’t completely associated to the 2021 crew, however I wish to resurface this tweet I shared on Saturday when Aaron Rodgers handed Brett Favre in profession landing passes as a Packer. I spent like 10 minutes on it, so it’s good to have a spot to share it.

The Packers have had a reasonably charmed 30 years! Additionally there are some enjoyable names on this chart.

3. Dallas Cowboys (11–4)

Final week: Win vs. Washington, 56–14
Subsequent week: vs. Arizona

The Cowboys are nonetheless loaded on offense and now very scary on protection. They shouldn’t be afraid of anyone within the playoffs, even when they must go on the highway. I’ll have an interest to see how many individuals choose them as their NFC Tremendous Bowl crew, and if the preferred crew within the nation tries to assert it’s been counted out.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11–4)

Final week: Win at Carolina, 32–6
Subsequent week: at New York Jets

I had been steadfast since earlier than the season in my perception that the Bucs can be headed again to the Tremendous Bowl. That feeling lasted proper up till they misplaced Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Leonard Fournette and Lavonte David in the identical recreation. So I’m knocking them down a number of pegs, however I do assume it’s simpler to study to adapt when guys are lacking than to determine it out on the fly in the course of a recreation.

5. Los Angeles Rams (11–4)

Final week: Win at Minnesota, 30–23
Subsequent week: at Baltimore

6. Indianapolis Colts (9–6)

Final week: Win at Arizona, 22–16 (Saturday)
Subsequent week: vs. Las Vegas

I wish to use this house to credit score the incomparable Conor Orr. He predicted earlier than the season that Indy would begin 0–5 after which rally to achieve the playoffs. The Colts began 0–3 and 1–4 (he was shut!) and is now 9–6 and the certifiable “crew nobody needs to play going into the playoffs.” If anybody is shocked how this season goes, inform that individual to learn extra Conor Orr.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (9–6)

Final week: Win vs. Baltimore, 41–21
Subsequent week: vs. Kansas Metropolis

What number of MVP awards do you assume Joe Burrow will win in his profession? I despatched out a really scientific ballot on Sunday, and one was the successful possibility (38.7%), beating out zero (37.8%) and a couple of (23.5%). One would even be my alternative—it’s exhausting to win greater than with so many different abilities within the league proper. However he’s been an ideal watch this 12 months, and it could be enjoyable if the Bengals keep scorching heading into the playoffs.

8. Buffalo Payments (9–6)

Final week: Win at New England, 33–21
Subsequent week: vs. Atlanta

The Payments can breathe a sigh of aid (or puff their chests out, if they like). It’s rather a lot simpler to shrug away the loss to the Patriots as the results of fluky situations now that they’ve gained the rematch, particularly within the style they did it. It hasn’t been easy crusing all 12 months, however this crew can beat anybody within the AFC, and all their opponents comprehend it.

9. New England Patriots (9–6)

Final week: Loss vs. Buffalo, 33–21
Subsequent week: vs. Jacksonville

Two straight losses have taken some shine off the Patriots’ season, after individuals have been calling them the most effective crew within the AFC for a bit. I don’t assume they ever have been, although after all it’s simpler to say that now. Anyway, I’ll put them one spot under the Payments, whom they misplaced to this week, and one spot forward of the Titans, whom they beat convincingly in late November.

10. Tennessee Titans (10–5)

Final week: Win vs. San Francisco, 20–17 (Thursday)
Subsequent week: vs. Miami

I is perhaps president of the A.J. Brown fan membership (I’m on report that he’ll lead the NFL in receiving touchdowns for your entire 2020s decade) so it was good to see him again on the sphere and dominating like he was Thursday towards the 49ers. Mike Vrabel is true that folks began writing Titans obituaries a bit early, but it surely’s truthful to say that win was a lot wanted. If Derrick Henry truly returned for the playoffs, it is perhaps the only greatest story line of wild-card weekend.

Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports activities

11. Arizona Cardinals (10–5)

Final week: Loss vs. Indianapolis, 22–16 (Saturday)
Subsequent week: at Dallas

The Cardinals have misplaced 5 of eight and, truthful or unfair, individuals are extra involved about this downturn due to how final season ended. They’ve an enormous alternative to silence the critics towards the Cowboys this week, or else all the questions will persist heading into the playoffs.

12. Los Angeles Chargers (8–7)

Final week: Loss at Houston, 41–29Next week: vs. Denver

I feel there’s a transparent drop from the highest 11 all the way down to no matter tier it’s that begins right here. Dropping to the Texans is simply inexcusable for a crew that’s severe about reaching the playoffs, not to mention making a leap to the higher echelon of the AFC. However there are sufficient mediocre or struggling groups that I needed to put the Chargers someplace, and they’re nonetheless proper within the thick of the race.

13. San Francisco 49ers (8–7)

Final week: Loss at Tennessee, 20–17 (Thursday)
Subsequent week: vs. Houston

Information that Jimmy Garoppolo is harm and Trey Lance could also be beginning immediately makes 49ers vs. Texans much more fascinating. However this rating is predicated on what they’ve performed with Jimmy G in there, and I assumed San Francisco had separated itself type the morass combating for the seven seed and staked its declare as a deserving No. 6. We’ll see if a scenario which will profit the franchise in the long run hurts them within the current.

14. Baltimore Ravens (8–7)

Final week: Loss at Cincinnati, 41–21
Subsequent week: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Issues have actually unraveled for the Ravens, a crew I had within the Tremendous Bowl as just lately as our MMQB midseason predictions. I consider them now like final 12 months’s 49ers. I don’t assume any much less of them as a franchise, I simply acknowledge there are too many accidents to beat and stay up for being very excessive on them once more subsequent August.

15. Cleveland Browns (7–8)

Final week: Loss at Inexperienced Bay, 24–22 (Saturday)
Subsequent week: at Pittsburgh (Monday)

Rooting for the Browns have to be torturous, given the skinny margins which have existed from prime to backside within the AFC North and the possibilities they’ve needed to win shut video games which have fallen the incorrect means. It has to really feel like much more of a step again given what a pleasure trip final 12 months appeared like.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (8–7)

Final week: Win vs. New York Giants, 34–10
Subsequent week: at Washington

The Eagles have already exceeded my preseason expectations for them, and credit score Nick Sirianni’s well-publicized pivot to the run recreation that coincided with the Eagles’ turning their season round. The trail is obvious for Philly to seize a wild card spot, and if it shakes out that means I feel the Eagles can simply be blissful to be there.

17. Miami Dolphins (8–7)

Final week: Win at. New Orleans, 20–3 (Monday)
Subsequent week: at Tennessee

Elevate your hand for those who anticipated the Dolphins to win seven video games in a row after they began 1–7. Put your hand down, liar. The Dolphins haven’t crushed anybody good, however in a league with this many middling, struggling or depleted groups, they haven’t actually needed to. (To be truthful, I although the Ravens have been good when Miami caught them on a Thursday evening.) This can be a fascinating trip that has taken Miami into playoff place, however we’ll know much more about them after they play the Titans and Patriots the subsequent two weeks.

18. Las Vegas Raiders (8–7)

Final week: Win vs. Denver, 17–13
Subsequent week: at Indianapolis

The Raiders received pummeled by the Chiefs (for a second time) in a loss that I assumed was the tip of their season, and so they responded with a pair of wins to remain within the hunt. They’ve been completely common, and want only one win for his or her second above .500 season since 2002.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7-1)

Final week: Loss at Kansas Metropolis, 36–10
Subsequent week: vs. Cleveland (Monday)

The Steelers have been alternating wins and losses for a month now, and each time I’m able to declare them useless they arrive again and win a recreation I didn’t see coming. That’s the NFL in 2021. That’s additionally a well-coached crew with some gifted veterans. Massive Ben will get the Browns on Monday evening after which a basic Ravens rivalry recreation I may see getting flexed into prime time to attempt to preserve what might be the final season of his profession alive.

20. Minnesota Vikings (7–8)

Final week: Loss vs. Los Angeles Rams, 30–23
Subsequent week: at Inexperienced Bay

For a number of years now, the Vikings have been the league’s most unpredictable crew—able to beating anybody on any given day or choking and blowing a lead in gorgeous style. The one factor that’s modified is that this 12 months 15 to twenty different groups determined they’d observe the identical blueprint. Let’s simply stick them at No. 20 and admit they may beat the Packers to make Week 18 fascinating.

Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports activities

21. New Orleans Saints (7–8)

Final week: Loss vs. Dolphins, 20–3 (Monday)
Subsequent week: vs. Carolina

Copy and paste what I wrote in regards to the Ravens, as that is one other crew that has simply been devastated by accidents in a means that feels unfair. The distinction right here is New Orleans wants to seek out its long-term reply at quarterback to benefit from the remainder of the expertise on its roster. However watching Ian Guide simply take shot after shot towards the Dolphins didn’t really feel like watching an precise Saints recreation.

22. Denver Broncos (7–8)

Final week: Loss at Las Vegas, 17–13
Subsequent week: at Los Angeles Chargers

There are such a lot of groups within the center which can be principally the identical high quality, and the Broncos could have gotten squeezed a bit right here after shedding two straight video games with Drew Lock. It shouldn’t shock anybody in the event that they beat the Chargers this week, and you might even think about their protection holding the Chiefs to an in depth one in Week 18. However that is perhaps too little too late for an AFC also-ran.

23. Atlanta Falcons (7–8)

Final week: Win vs. Detroit, 20–16
Subsequent week: at Buffalo

The Falcons have suffered their share of blowout losses this 12 months, however have gained sufficient shut video games to hold round. However that is one other one in all a number of pretenders that simply doesn’t have sufficient good wins to scare anyone. I don’t blame them for bringing Matt Ryan again this 12 months, however they’ll proceed to face questions till they determine what’s subsequent.

Final week: Loss at Dallas, 56–14
Subsequent week: vs. Philadelphia

Washington had truly gained 4 straight video games to get again to .500, however the crew adopted that up with three straight division losses and has now reached the “combating teammates on the bench throughout video games” portion of their season. Successful the worst division in soccer final 12 months (with a shedding report) could have elevated expectations increased than they need to have been this 12 months.

25. Chicago Bears (5–10)

Final week: Win at Seattle, 41–29
Subsequent week: vs. New York Giants

It was good of the Bears to provide Matt Nagy another season, however I feel that is precisely the kind of 12 months lots of people anticipated when the crew determined to remain the course final offseason.

26. Seattle Seahawks (5–10)

Final week: Loss vs. Chicago, 25–24
Subsequent week: vs. Detroit

If this actually is the tip for Pete Carroll and/or Russell Wilson in Seattle, it’s ending … properly, in the way in which issues typically across the NFL. The Seahawks’ run of 9 straight successful seasons, eight of them with double digits, is outshined due to what the Patriots did in the identical time interval, but it surely’s been a tremendous run. Even the league’s most secure franchises have down years every now and then. We’ll see if that’s what that is in Seattle or if it’s the beginning of an extended battle.

27. Carolina Panthers (5–10)

Final week: Loss vs. Tampa Bay, 32–6
Subsequent week: at New Orleans

Matt Rhule is platooning quarterbacks, firing underlings and evaluating himself to Jay-Z. Issues have taken a flip since this crew began the season 3–0.

28. Houston Texans (4–11)

Final week: Win vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 41–29
Subsequent week: at San Francisco

Davis Mills is an actual feel-good story, and it’s fascinating to consider how we’d take into account his rookie season if he got here into it with the identical expectations because the first-round picks in his draft class. He spoke to our Albert Breer about it after beating the Chargers.

29. Detroit Lions (2-12-1)

Final week: Loss at Atlanta, 20–16
Subsequent week: at Seahawks

The Lions are higher than three different groups! At the least in my guide. They fought the entire season after they may’ve packed it in.

30. New York Giants (4–11)

Final week: Loss at Philadelphia, 34–10
Subsequent week: at Chicago

If I used to be Gary Gramling, I might be a coward and say the Jets and Giants are tied. However I’m not, so I’ll declare the Giants are the marginally higher New York crew, I suppose. (It’s high-quality, Gary won’t ever see this.)