NFL Week 15 power rankings

Week 14 is in the books, which means there are just three games remaining for all 32 teams. Many of the final 48 games will be meaningful, with more than 20 teams vying for playoff position, but of course only 12 can get in. That should make for a very interesting race in just about every division down the stretch, with even the mighty Cowboys still trying to lock down the NFC East title.

Thanks to a handful of losses by the top teams in the league, a familiar squad has reemerged as the No. 1 team in the power rankings. You can probably guess which powerhouse that is, but how far will the seemingly dominant Cowboys fall after their second loss of the season?

Robert Griffin III did nothing to improve the quarterback play in Cleveland and if he continues to struggle, it’ll only make a terrible situation worse in the offseason. The Browns need to find a true franchise quarterback, and landing two picks in the top 10 should make that very possible.

It’s never a good thing when you lose to the Jets, but the defeat was no surprise. The 49ers have holes all over the roster, and a top-five pick in the draft is exactly what they need. They’d be better off losing the rest of the way and improving their chances at a top-two pick.

The Rams were embarrassed at home by the Falcons, and it resulted in Jeff Fisher (deservingly) losing his job. With Fisher out, it’ll be interesting to see how the players respond, and whether they play with more passion and motivation.

It’s become apparent that the Jaguars have to consider moving on from Blake Bortles in 2017. He simply hasn’t gotten any better this season, and he’s only hurting the team at this point.

It took facing a one-win team for the Jets to actually nab a victory, but they still got it done. Bryce Petty isn’t lighting the world on fire, but he’s also not Ryan Fitzpatrick, so he’s got that going for him. If he can continue to play well down the stretch, it’ll make their offseason overhaul slightly easier to manage.

Could Matt Barkley actually be establishing himself as a starter in 2017? Not likely, but at least he’s making it a conversation to be had. For the third straight week, he turned in a decent performance for a team decimated by injuries. Surprisingly, he’s not the Bears’ biggest problem right now.

The Saints really aren’t playing for anything down the stretch, but upsetting the Buccaneers on the road would have been a huge boost to their confidence – especially after holding Jameis Winston to zero touchdowns. Drew Brees was uncharacteristically inaccurate, which is part of the reason New Orleans lost.

Carson Wentz had a solid game against the Redskins, improving his mechanics and showing great pocket awareness. His improved play wasn’t enough to match the high-powered offense of Washington, though. It’s fairly clear where the Eagles need to improve in the offseason: Wentz needs plenty of help around him on offense.

The Chargers simply have too many injuries to overcome, and though they haven’t given up on coach Mike McCoy in the face of all this adversity, it may not be enough to save his job. The Chargers’ season is essentially over, with the best-case scenario being an 8-8 record – and even that won’t happen.

The Cardinals had a golden opportunity to upset the Dolphins, especially after Miami QB Ryan Tannehill went down in the third quarter. Their inability to win this game proved that they’re simply not a very good team and need to do some serious reconstructing in the offseason – beginning with Carson Palmer and the quarterback position.

It’s a matter of too little, too late for the Panthers, but it’s good to see them fight till the end. Surprisingly, they now lead the NFL in sacks with 39, which is a huge improvement over where they were in the middle of the season. Cam Newton remains a question mark, as strange as that sounds.

The Bengals aren’t making the playoffs this season despite their win (by default) against the Browns. There’s simply no way they’re catching the Ravens or Steelers, especially with their inconsistency on offense.

The Colts needed a win badly against the Texans, and they couldn’t get the job done. They’re one game behind both Houston and Tennessee in the AFC South with just three games remaining. Road trips against the Vikings and Raiders won’t make things any easier.

Coach Rex Ryan’s seat is heating up fast. His team looked uninspired against the Steelers, allowing a franchise-worst 232 yards on the ground to Le’Veon Bell. That was the exact opposite of the performance Buffalo needed to save Rex’s job.

At least the Vikings can beat the lowly Jaguars. Taking down Jacksonville isn’t exactly a huge accomplishment, but a win’s a win. Unfortunately, it still won’t be enough to get them into the playoffs given that both Detroit and Green Bay are playing much better football.

Marcus Mariota completed only 6 of 20 passes for 88 yards, and the Titans still beat the Broncos. That’s Exotic Smashmouth football for you. On a more sobering note, throwing for 88 yards and winning isn’t going to happen much, especially in the playoffs.

The Texans surprisingly came away with a much-needed victory against the Colts, separating themselves from Indianapolis in the division. They still have to stave off the resilient Titans, who are coming off of a big win over the Broncos. Brock Osweiler still has to improve in order for the Texans to make noise in the playoffs, but Sunday’s win was a step in the right direction.

The Ravens once again played the Patriots tough, as they always do. It was good to see them show some resilience after falling behind 23-3. Catching the Steelers in the AFC North will be difficult considering the way Pittsburgh is playing, but it’s still possible with three games remaining – one of which is against Big Ben’s squad.

The Dolphins are going to have a tough road to the playoffs with Ryan Tannehill likely out for some time. They have to play three straight divisional games to close out the year, including a finale against the Patriots. Jay Ajayi will need to play even better than he has for them to have a shot without their starting quarterback.

The Broncos have a Super Bowl-caliber defense, just as they did last season, but the offense is nowhere near as good as it was in 2015 – and that’s saying something. The main reason is that they can’t run the ball despite Trevor Siemian playing decent of late.

The Redskins will be a scary team for anyone who crosses their path in the coming weeks. The offense is explosive with Kirk Cousins playing well, and getting the ball to your No. 1 receiver is no easy task thanks to Josh Norman. They’re not in the playoffs just yet, but they can make some noise if they do sneak in.

The Buccaneers have passed every test in recent weeks, but none will be bigger than Sunday’s primetime showdown with the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. If Jameis Winston can lead Tampa Bay to victory in that game, the Bucs will bolster their odds of being a playoff team. If not, catching the Falcons in the NFC South will be tougher – especially with Atlanta taking on the 49ers.

The Packers are on a roll of late, improving on defense (now that they’re healthy) while getting stellar play from Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson. They’re gearing up for a run at the playoffs with a potential winner-take-all showdown taking place in Week 17 against the Lions.

The Lions will be forced to not only stave off the red-hot Packers in the NFC North, but they’ll have to do so with Matthew Stafford battling a finger injury. They should still get into the postseason and will be a dangerous squad once in the tourney, but the lack of a running game is concerning.

Are the Giants the team that beat the undeniable best team in the league on Sunday night? Or are they the team that struggled with the Browns for three quarters and fails to beat any opponent handily? They’re probably somewhere in-between the two, but as long as the defense keeps playing the way it has, they’ll be a team no one wants to play.

The Seahawks’ Jekyll and Hyde season continues with yet another disastrous performance offensively. Russell Wilson’s five interceptions weren’t all on him, but he was far too wild with his throws, making careless attempts more than he should have. The Seahawks are no strangers to an occasional clunker, but their inconsistency has to worry some folks around Seattle. 

This is the team no one wants to play right now. Le’Veon Bell is the most dominant player in the league thanks to a recent month-long stretch in which he racked up 823 yards from scrimmage. And in Sunday’s beatdown (298 yards), Bell had 176 yards before contact against the Bills. That’s astonishing.

The Raiders ran into a hot and outstanding Chiefs team, so it’s hard to fault them for losing on the road. However, Derek Carr’s finger injury is a bit concerning, as is their inability to play in the cold weather. Because of both of those factors, securing a first-round bye and a home playoff game will be huge for Oakland, which still has a shot at winning the West and a No. 2 seed.

The Falcons, a complete team? They’re not completely balanced and well-rounded defensively, but on offense, no team is more consistent. They laid 42 points on the lowly Rams and are playing their best football of the season. Having the top offense in the NFL certainly counts for something.

The Chiefs may not be the flashiest team, but they certainly get the job done. They beat the Raiders on Thursday night to take over control of the AFC West, giving them an inside track to a first-round bye. If they’re fortunate enough to host a playoff game – whether it’s on wild-card weekend or in the second round – at least one playoff win seems likely.

The Cowboys played their worst game of the season behind two interceptions by Dak Prescott. The defense, on the other hand, played its best game, which is promising for Dallas going forward. It’s hard to knock this team down too much considering its 11-2 and had one bad game, but Prescott’s play over the past two weeks is a trend that he needs to bring to a halt.

Tom Brady and the Patriots established themselves as MVP and Super Bowl favorites, respectively, in their win over the Ravens on Monday night. It was an impressive victory without Gronk and with Julian Edelman struggling, but it simply shows Brady’s ability to carry a team in the face of adversity.