NFL power rankings entering Week 16 of the 2022 season (previous ranks in parentheses):
1. Eagle (1): One more win, and they’ll lock up the NFC East plus conference first-round byes and home-field advantage. If that happens on Saturday in Dallas, Philadelphia could have an awfully challenging month trying to manage player health while staying sharp enough so as not to fall flat when the divisional round rolls around. .
2. Bengal (2): A sweep of the putrid NFC South in hand, time to move on to weightier matters — namely trying to stay in first place in the AFC North while closing out the schedule against New England, Buffalo and Baltimore.
3. Head (3): How big a weapon has RB Jerrick McKinnon become? Only TE Travis Kelce has scored more than McKinnon’s half-dozen TDs (12) for the 2022 AFC West champs.
4. 49ers (6): During its league-best seven-game winning streak, the NFC West titleist has allowed an average of 11 points. As great as rookie Brock Purdy has been, Brock Lesnar can play quarterback here and this group will still be rolling.
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5. Bill (5): Keep an eye on rookie RB James Cook, who has really started to eat into starter Devin Singletary’s snap count this month.
6. Cowboys (4): They are in consecutive post season appearances for the first time in 15 years. But QB Dak Prescott’s 3.9% interception rate is easily the highest of his career … and just as much of a bigger concern than whoever is running deep routes in the postseason as Dallas’ No. 3 wideout.
7. Dolphins (8): Yep, they’ve dropped three straight. But they almost (literally) shot the best of Buffalo — in snowy Orchard Park and in a short week after living on the West Coast — and delivered a refreshing reminder that they can hang out with almost anyone… although they Do better than hang with the pack on Christmas Day.
8. Vikings (7): Historic, amazing comeback… blah, blah. The fact that they fell into a 33-point hole — at home — says nothing about the seven sacks Minnesota surrendered or its three turnovers, whichever team ends up traveling to Minneapolis during the playoffs. Can leave with a lot of confidence in a win.
9. Ravens (9): Without QB Lamar Jackson injured most of the last three games, Baltimore didn’t even score 200 passing yards or 17 points in any of them.
10. Lion (13): It seems Dan Campbell’s bandwagon is getting filled with a lot of people who are far from Motown. Detroit closes with Carolina, Chicago and Green Bay… which spells out as a good formula for the Lions’ first playoff venture in six years.
11. Chargers (11): Congratulations to QB Justin Herbert, the first player to surpass 4,000 passing yards in his first three NFL seasons.
12. Giants (17): This could be the last ride for QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley … but the figurative arrival – Sunday night – of rookie OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux ensures this team will have a star in 2023.
13. Patriots (10): Sunday’s loss will forever be remembered for the misjudged laterals that not only cost New England the game, but probably a postseason spot as well. But how long can the fact that the Pats got nothing from QB McJones be hidden? Anyway, on to Cincinnati.
14. Jaguar (18): His ascent coincided with that of QB Trevor Lawrence. But WR Jay Jones, who scored three times in Sunday’s upset of Dallas, has also been a big part of Jacksonville’s surge.
15. Jet (12): If the injured Mike White was playing himself into the QB1 role in recent weeks, his absence — and what the NYJ offense is without him — could only secure his future with this organization.
16. Buccaneers (14): Good chance what was arguably the worst game of QB Tom Brady’s career (four turnovers Sunday) will springboard TB12 into the first losing season of his 23-year career…a result that becomes reality with another loss. Will go
17. Commander (15): They certainly weren’t helped by Sunday night’s officiating … but Washington also didn’t take care of business and is in great danger of falling into the clutches of Seattle or Detroit.
18. Seahawks (16): As their once-promising season continues, a compelling debate is coming to the fore – re-sign Geno Smith, or draft the quarterback with the projected top-five pick stolen from Denver in the Russell Wilson robbery?
19. Titans (19): They have lost four games in a row for the first time under head coach Mike Vrubel. They may have to settle for first place in the AFC South in five straight.
20. Packers (21): Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are technically still in the playoff mix. And they’ll need some help from the Commanders, Seahawks and Lions (who they’ll see in the season finale) to make the playoffs.
21. Brown (22): They have won two of three since the return of QB Deshaun Watson, who is slowly getting into form. But he probably doesn’t have enough runway this year to restore Cleveland to the postseason.
22. Steelers (23): It’s 2022, yet he ran the ball 66% of the time in Sunday’s win. Maybe this is a fitting tribute to RB Franco Harris as the 50th anniversary of the “immaculate reception” approaches… although this play is a testament to the wonderful things that happen by putting the ball in the air.
23. Panthers (20): This 5-9 team looked bad when it lost at home to Pittsburgh, with Carolina still in control of its playoff fortunes – just winning the next three.
24. Saint (26) : They’re also 5-9, but this is where getting swept by the Bucs really puts a damper on New Orleans’ hopes for a postseason return.
25. Attacker (29): Talk about living on opposite ends of the football spectrum from one week to the next. Maybe the return of TE Darren Waller can stabilize the last-gasp playoff push.
26. Bear (25): QB Justin Fields has surpassed 70 yards on the ground in each of his last five games, the longest streak by a quarterback in the Super Bowl era (since 1966). 69 over the last three, and he would break Lamar Jackson’s single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback (1,206).
27. Rams (27) : Baker Mayfield’s spell in Green Bay waned. The Rams, at 4–10, are officially tied with the 1999 Denver Broncos (6–10) for the most losses ever by a defending Super Bowl champion.
28. Falcon (24): As tough as it was to watch rookie Desmond Ridder on Sunday, it’s a necessary assessment for a franchise likely to be in the quarterback market a few months from now.
29. Colts (28): No matter how long Jeff Saturday’s NFL coaching career turns out to be, he will almost certainly be part of league lore for years to come — as the man who oversaw the greatest one-game meltdown of all time. does.
30. Broncos (31): Nothing says coal in your stocking like watching this Denver team on Christmas afternoon.
31. Cardinals (30): The starting quarterback is injured. The backup quarterback is hurt. The general manager’s health could be the reason for his departure. Since when did “Hard Knocks” become a spin-off of “Grey’s Anatomy”?
32. Texas (32): He has suddenly got a tough out. And given that the last three opponents are AFC South varieties, Houston better be careful that this franchise doesn’t lose out on that No. 1 overall draft pick.
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