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.

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

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.

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

Nobody wants the season to end quicker than Arizona.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

The Steelers, incredibly, are in the playoff race.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Baltimore is in desperate need of Lamar Jackson returning.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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