Week 17 NFL Power Rankings
By Liam McKeone
The final edition of your weekly NFL power rankings. Thanks for reading. Let's get ready for the playoffs.
32. Cincinnati Bengals (1-14)
Despite their absolute best efforts, the Bengals have secured the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The clock starts now.
31. Washington Redskins (3-12)
The Redskins got the loss and Dwayne Haskins managed to escape this season without a serious injury. A lot of work to be done over the next six months.
30. Miami Dolphins (4-11)
Despite all that talk before the season, the Dolphins are not one of the worst teams we've ever seen. Some encouraging moments, but they might've played their way out of a franchise QB, depending on how this last week goes.
29. Detroit Lions (3-11-1)
I don't think there's any amount of money that would convince me to watch this team play football right now. At least Kenny Golladay has established himself as a certified stud.
28. New York Giants (5-10)
The Giants needed to lose if they wanted to land Chase Young. But on the plus side, another multi-TD day for Daniel Jones gives a lot of hope going forward.
27. Arizona Cardinals (5-9-1)
Marching into Seattle and winning is a tall task any week, much less when the Seahawks are battling for playoff positioning. A very impressive win from this squad.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10)
This team is bad, but with Gardner Minshew, there's at least a semi-clear path towards success. But whoever takes on that task won't have an easy time of it after Tom Coughlin's firing.
25. Carolina Panthers (5-10)
The Panthers have had their moments this season, but after suffering a beatdown at the hands of a mediocre Colts team, wholesale roster changes must and will be made.
24. New York Jets (6-9)
Is beating the Steelers enough to keep Adam Gase employed? From the sounds of it, he doesn't care all that much as long as the checks keep cashing.
23. Denver Broncos (6-9)
Beating this version of the Lions isn't the highest honor, but Drew Lock looks good enough that the Broncos can focus on the other holes in their roster in the upcoming draft.
22. Los Angeles Chargers (5-10)
The Chargers lost their last home game to the Raiders in front of a sea of silver and black. They're adrift without a clear direction forward and no place to call home. Thoughts and prayers to the dozens of Chargers fans that remain.
21. Atlanta Falcons (6-9)
The Falcons are winning just enough games to make Dan Quinn's future employment a question mark, and it continued against Jacksonville.
20. Cleveland Browns (6-9)
What an utter disaster of a season.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
Jameis Winston is really doing his best to make Tampa's decision difficult. Another multi-interception day in a winnable game means he's that much closer to the never-before-seen land of the 30 TD/30 INT club.
18. Chicago Bears (7-8)
Chicago is adrift without a clear path as Mitch Trubisky continues to disappoint. Oh, what could have been...
17. Oakland Raiders (7-8)
The Raiders are somehow still alive for the final wild card spot. Even if they don't make it, it's been a successful second year for Jon Gruden.
16. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
Crushing the Panthers isn't much of a consolation for missing the playoffs after a hot start, but it's something.
15. Los Angeles Rams (7-8)
The Rams' midseason spurt of excellence came to a crashing halt over the last two weeks. This development should be awfully concerning considering how much money they owe key players next year.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-8)
The defense is excellent and T.J. Watt is going to be a problem for a long time, but the QB situation prevents them from being taken seriously this year.
13. Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
Dallas is an immense disappointment, even if they squeak into the playoffs with a .500 record. Their inability to beat a decimated Eagles squad with the division on the line may yet be the final indictment for Jason Garrett.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (7-8)
Philly surviving this long despite their laundry list of key injured players is a win in of itself.
11. Tennessee Titans (8-7)
Their loss against the Saints was still a loss but Week 17 was all that mattered when it comes to the Titans' playoff hopes. As long as everyone is healthy, they have a great shot at making an appearance in January.
10. Houston Texans (10-5)
Houston beat Tampa Bay, but didn't look good doing so. Deshaun Watson will show up come playoff time, but his ankle injury is worth monitoring.
9. Minnesota Vikings (10-5)
They were missing their best player in the loss to Green Bay, but Kirk Cousins falling apart on national TV... again... is quite worthy of concern for Vikings fans.
8. Buffalo Bills (10-5)
Losing on a fourth-and-goal in the last 30 seconds is as close Buffalo has come to beating New England in a long time. A loss is a loss, but they have to feel good about where their team is at with a playoff spot locked down.
7. New England Patriots (12-3)
The Patriots looked as good as they have all season in a tight win over the Bills. This should be a matter of great concern for everyone else, even if the offense isn't anywhere near perfect.
6. Seattle Seahawks (11-4)
Losing Chris Carson is a bigger blow than losing to Arizona at home. Beastmode is back, but how far can Russell Wilson take this team if the run game isn't potent?
5. Green Bay Packers (12-3)
The offense still didn't look as good as one would expect, but the Packers' pass rush has strayed into elite territory. They're a well-rounded team heading into the postseason.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (11-4)
Oh, boy. The Patrick Mahomes Death Star is getting to full power. The defense looks like it could be a factor come playoff time, too.
3. San Francisco 49ers (12-3)
San Francisco pulled out another win despite a poor performance from Jimmy Garoppolo. That's not terribly encouraging at this point in the season, but if they can secure homefield with a win over Seattle in Week 17, it'll be tough to bet against them.
2. New Orleans Saints (12-3)
It was a tough start, but New Orleans came around to beat Tennessee on the back of Michael Thomas.
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-2)
The AFC runs through Baltimore this playoff season after a victory over Cleveland. With most of their key contributors resting in the final week, eyes now face January and the postseason.