Sunday, December 22, 2024
Sports

NFL power rankings, Week 18: Patriots rise, Vikings fall

The NFL power rankings for Week 18 are here, and while the New England Patriots are rising, the Minnesota Vikings took a big hit.

32

Houston Texans 2-13-1

Last rank: 32nd

The Texans have to lose once more and they have the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft. However, the Colts loom…

31

Chicago Bears 3-13

Last rank: 31st

Chicago has hung tough in most of its games, but couldn’t against a motivated Lions team. One more game, and then a huge offseason.

30

Denver Broncos 4-12

Last rank: 30th

Denver put two scares into the Chiefs this season, but ultimately they’re sitting on a 15-game losing streak to Kansas City.

29

Arizona Cardinals 4-12

Last rank: 29th

Nobody wants the season to end quicker than Arizona.

28

Indianapolis Colts 4-11-1

Last rank: 28th

Jeff Saturday can’t be a serious candidate for the job moving forward.

27

Los Angeles Rams 5-11

Last rank: 26th

After hammering the Broncos, the Rams found the going much tougher against the Chargers in a blowout loss.

26

Atlanta Falcons 6-10

Last rank: 27th

Desmond Ridder looked good against the Cardinals. Now, is that because Ridder made progress, or because it’s the Cardinals?

25

Las Vegas Raiders 6-10

Last rank: 25th

Terrific effort and incredible showing from Jarrett Stidham, but not enough to beat the Niners.

24

Carolina Panthers 6-10

Last rank: 22nd

Carolina fought really hard the last few months under interim coach Steve Wilks, but losing out to Tampa Bay for the NFC South is probably good long-term.

23

Cleveland Browns 7-9

Last rank: 24th

Deshaun Watson has been underwhlming, but the Browns picked off Carson Wentz three times to win in Washington.

22

New Orleans Saints 7-9

Last rank: 23rd

The Saints had a very uneven year, and although they beat the Eagles in Philadelphia, they now look at a long winter.

21

New York Jets 7-9

Last rank: 19th

The Jets looked like a playoff team in early November. Now, with a week remaining and on a five-game losing streak, New York is eliminated.

20

Tennessee Titans 7-9

Last rank: 17th

Tennessee has lost six straight, and yet if it wins on Sunday, it doesn’t matter.

19

Washington Commanders 7-8-1

Last rank: 13th

Starting Carson Wentz seemed like a terrible idea, and it proved even worse than imagined.

18

Pittsburgh Steelers 8-8

Last rank: 21st

The Steelers, incredibly, are in the playoff race.

17

Miami Dolphins 8-8

Last rank: 11th

Between injuries and a leaky roster, the Dolphins are on the brink of a complete meltdown. Still, a win over the Jets and a loss by New England puts it in the playoffs.

16

New England Patriots 8-8

Last rank: 20th

For a playoff spot, the Patriots have to win their final game, or the Dolphins must lose to the Jets.

15

Seattle Seahawks 8-8

Last rank: 18th

Give the Seahawks credit, they aren’t going away in a year everybody assumed would be lost from the start.

14

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-8

Last rank: 16th

The Buccaneers scored 30 points for the second time all year, and now they will host the No. 5 seed in the NFC Wild Card round.

13

Detroit Lions 8-8

Last rank: 15th

Detroit is alive going into Week 18. Who thought that would happen at 1-6?

12

Green Bay Packers 8-8

Last rank: 14th

Incredibly, the Packers are a home win away from getting into the playoffs. What a wild ride.

11

New York Giants 9-6-1

Last rank: 12th

Kudos to Brian Daboll and the Giants, who fought through a four-game winless streak to make the playoffs. A great story.

10

Minnesota Vikings 12-4

Last rank: 7th

Minnesota is 12-4, and not a single person on earth is confident it’ll make the Divisional round.

9

Baltimore Ravens 10-6

Last rank: 9th

Baltimore is in desperate need of Lamar Jackson returning.

8

Jacksonville Jaguars 8-8

Last rank: 10th

Jacksonville has won four straight and is a dangerous team if it gets into the playoffs. Talent all over the roster.

7

Los Angeles Chargers 10-6

Last rank: 8th

The Chargers are playing their best ball and getting healthy with the return of Joey Bosa. Los Angeles is a legitimate contender.

6

Dallas Cowboys 12-4

Last rank: 6th

Dallas needs Dak Prescott to stop turning the ball over, but the Cowboys have a killer defense and ample weapons.

5

San Francisco 49ers 12-4

Last rank: 5th

San Francisco allowed Jarrett Stidham to look like a Pro Bowler, but found a way to win.

4

Cincinnati Bengals 11-4

Last rank: 4th

The only thing which matters is the health of Damar Hamlin.

3

Philadelphia Eagles 13-3

Last rank: 1st

The Eagles are getting really banged-up at the wrong time. Philadelphia now needs to win in Week 18, or it’s very likely going to be a wild card team.

2

Buffalo Bills 12-3

Last rank: 3rd

Again, the only thing which matters is the health of Damar Hamlin.

1

Kansas City Chiefs 13-3

Last rank: 2nd

The Chiefs let Denver hang around, but it took care of business. Very good season for Kansas City to this point.

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