We’re down to three weeks left in the regular season and to be perfectly honest, writing rankings has become even more impossible this year than previous years. For example, this week we have the Bills at #3 and the Steelers at #21 and just a few weeks ago the Steelers (ranked #12 at the time) likely would have been favored over the Bills (#13 at the time). Several teams have had roller coaster seasons to this point and the final three weeks are likely to be no different.
The rankings didn’t see any major movement this week; the Vikings took the biggest fall, as they dropped five spots, while three separate teams each moved up three spots each (Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Seattle).
The Prime Time Pick’em had a good week (4-2) but should have been really good (5-1). The season record moves to 32-22. This week not only do we have two Saturday games, but thanks to Christmas falling on a Monday, we have 3 games on Monday. Let’s start with the Thursday game first, as the Rams host the Saints in what is an enormous game with wild card implications. Something is telling me to take the Saints, but the Rams are rolling right now, so give me the home team.
The Saturday matchups feature two backup quarterbacks and a third stringer. I’ll take the Bengals over the Mason Rudolph-led Steelers and I like the Bills over the Chargers (though I expect LA to show some fight this week).
The Sunday night game should have been flexed out, but it wasn’t, so we are forced to watch the Broncos host the Patriots. Smart money is on Denver, but I’m going against the grain and taking the Patriots.
On Christmas, I like the home teams; give me Chiefs over the Raiders, the Eagles over the Giants and the 49ers over the Ravens.
Here are the rankings as we head to Week 16. Teams’ previous ranking in ( ).
1. San Francisco 49ers (2): It’s San Francisco’s world and the rest of us are just living in it. Is this the year we see a non-QB win the MVP?
2. Baltimore Ravens (3): It was not a pretty win and I frankly don’t believe this team is all that good (who is, though?) but we should learn everything we need to know about them this week.
3. Buffalo Bills (5): The Bills are back in the top 3 for the first (and only) time since Week 4, yet they’re currently not even in the playoff if they started today. But what team wants to face Buffalo right now?
4. Miami Dolphins (6): Miami gets another chance this week to beat a good team. Or, at least, a team with a winning record.
5. Cleveland Browns (7): Ugly is an understatement, but a win is a win.
6. Dallas Cowboys (2): This team struggles on the road and against good teams. Not an ideal combination when it comes to playoff football.
7. Philadelphia Eagles (4): Three straight losses but the Eagles still remain one of the best teams in football, at least record-wise.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (8): They actually still have a decent shot at finishing as the #1 seed yet again, if the Ravens cooperate and lose a couple of games down the stretch.
9. Detroit Lions (9): If that is the Lions team we are going to see the rest of the year, they are the 2nd best team in the NFC and can at least give the 49ers a challenge.
10. Houston Texans (11): They found a way to get a win with Case Keenum but they really need CJ Stroud back if they want a legitimate shot to win the AFC South.
11. Los Angeles Rams (12): Don’t look now but the Rams have won 4 of 5 since the bye and are sitting in the final playoff spot.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (15): Jake Browning has literally brought the Bengals back from the dead and has them firmly in the playoff picture.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (10): Jacksonville simply couldn’t get out of their own way on Sunday night and made their road to a division title much more complicated.
14. Indianapolis Colts (17): The Colts continue to surprise and at 8-6 are still an AFC playoff team as of today, and with games against the Falcons and Raiders coming up, there’s no reason to think that will change.
15. Denver Broncos (13): I was never a believer in this team, despite having won five of six, and they proved me right on Saturday night.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (18): They’ve now won three straight and are in control of their own destiny. Frankly, their matchup this week against the Jags is meaningless. As long as they win their final 2 games, they will win the NFC South.
17. New Orleans Saints (19): The Saints are back at .500 and have a huge matchup against the Rams this week that can go a long way in helping their wild card hopes.
18. Seattle Seahawks (21): Few teams needed a victory more than the Seahawks and boy did Drew Lock deliver when it mattered. They’re on the outside looking in but have a reasonable chance to win out, and if they do I have no doubt they will wind up as a playoff team.
19. Minnesota Vikings (14): Despite the loss, the Vikings were able to maintain the #6 seed. They’ll have their work cut out for them as they face the Lions twice and Green Bay once to end the season.
20. Green Bay Packers (16): Just two weeks ago this team was coming off three straight wins, including games against the Lions and Chiefs. Now they’ve lost to the Giants and Bucs in ugly fashion and have fallen all the way to the #11 seed. As crazy as it seems though, if they win out (at Carolina, at Minnesota, home vs Chicago) they have a pretty good chance to sneak into the playoffs.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers (20): Pittsburgh has now lost three straight and suddenly appear as if not only will they miss the playoffs, Mike Tomlin’s streak of never finishing below .500 may be in jeopardy.
22. Atlanta Falcons (22): At 6-8 and in desperation mode, the Falcons are turning back to Taylor Heinicke this week against the Colts.
23. Tennessee Titans (24): Tennessee is eliminated from the playoffs and while it sure seems like they’ve been a bad team all season, the truth is they’ve lost four games by three points or less, including two in overtime.
24. Chicago Bears (25): The Bears move up a spot despite the loss, as they have played some very inspired football in recent weeks. In my opinion, unless they crash and burn the final three weeks, they’ve probably done enough to give head coach Matt Eberflus another season.
25. New York Jets (23): The Jets have officially been eliminated from the playoffs and thus it appears any hope of Aaron Rodgers making a miraculous return this year is gone as well.
26. Las Vegas Raiders (28): The Raiders are still mathematically relevant but will have to win on the road at Kansas City this week to keep hope alive.
27. New York Giants (26): The Giants are not yet eliminated but with two games left against the Eagles and one against the Rams, it feels safe to say their season is over.
28. Los Angeles Chargers (27): Never in a million years did I expect to see this team anywhere this low in the rankings but, here we are. It seems appropriate after trailing 42-0 at halftime against a sub-par team.
29. Arizona Cardinals (29): There are no moral victories but putting up 29 points against a very good 49ers team seems like something to be excited about.
30. Washington Commanders (30): The only thing I learned from this game is that Jacoby Brissett is still in the league.
31. New England Patriots (31): This team still stinks but I certainly wouldn’t put it past Bill Belichick to find another win or two before the season ends.
32. Carolina Panthers (32): They managed their second win of the season, but still own the worst record in football.
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