MY NEW NFL POWER RANKINGS GOING INTO WEEK 17

SAINTS CLINCH TOP SEED, RAVENS TAKE OVER AFC NORTH

Here are my new  NFL Power Rankings for Week 17, with the New Orleans Saints clinching the top seed in the NFC along with the Baltimore Ravens taking over the AFC North.

After months filled with excitement, the 2018 NFL Power Rankings for Week 17 are finally here, which means the final weekend of regular season will consist of plenty of teams battling for playoff spots. Between the Philadelphia Eagles looking to keep their Wild Card hopes alive along with the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts battling it out for the final spot in the AFC, football fans certainly won’t be disappointed with the final weekend of action.

As for what happened this past weekend, well the New Orleans Saints have every reason in the world to be thrilled after locking up the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture following their win over the Steelers. Earlier in the season, it was the Los Angeles Rams that seemed like the favorite to finish on top of the NFC, but with the playoffs in the NFC now going through New Orleans, Sean Payton’s team loves their chances to represent the conference in Atlanta for the Super Bowl.

Speaking of Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin’s team has to be kicking themselves for losing another tough one in New Orleans since this team was coming off a big win over the New England Patriots a week before. Even more frustrating, the Steelers no longer control their own playoff destiny since they’re currently on the outside looking in at the moment, as the Baltimore Ravens, who made a huge statement on the road by defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, now sit on top of the AFC North.

The final week of the regular season always brings plenty of action and excitement to the table when looking at everything on the line for teams with something to still play for. So in honor of the end of the regular season, here are the latest NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 17.

32. OAKLAND RAIDERS (32) – PLAY MONDAY NIGHT

It sounds terrible to say, but the Oakland Raiders must be thrilled to see this season close to being over when looking at how they ended up being one of the biggest disappointments after high expectations back in September. Originally, the plan for the Raiders was to hire Jon Gruden to help this team return to the level of being contenders from a few years ago when they were a top contender in the AFC.

As Oakland fans know, Gruden has arguably made this team take a step back when seeing how Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper are both no longer part of the picture, whether it’s his fault or not. Not to mention, the Raiders may have a decision on their hands when it comes to Derek Carr since rumors are already swirling about whether he’s the guy Gruden wants around for the long run.

Before Oakland enters their final game of the regular season, the team will host the Denver Broncos in what can be best described as a Monday night meeting between two rivals with literally nothing to play for. Even if the Raiders win against the Broncos, it’s still not going to help the situation from this year in which they’ve been a complete disappointment.

31. ARIZONA CARDINALS (31)

How rough was Sunday’s game for the Arizona Cardinals during their loss to the Los Angeles Rams? Well, when seeing how Josh Rosen only threw for 87 yards with no touchdowns while Larry Fitzgerald managed to toss a 32-yard touchdown of his own, this shows what kind of game it was for the Cardinals.

In the long run, Arizona hopes this early experience by Rosen as a rookie will pay off since the team was in a tough position when Sam Bradford proved right away to be a complete bust. As bad as it sounds, Rosen struggling against the Rams was expected since the former UCLA star had already gone through plenty of rough performances over the course of the regular season, and seeing constant pressure from Aaron Donald certainly didn’t make things easier.

With a regular-season finale scheduled against the Seattle Seahawks on the road, it looks like the Cardinals are going to finish the 2018 season with only three wins since the changes of them winning that one seems unlikely. At least by the time next year rolls around, Rosen will be in a much better position experience wise, and should be able to help Arizona reach a new level on offense since he will be much more comfortable under center.

30. CINCINNATI BENGALS (29)

Back at the beginning of October, the Cincinnati Bengals appeared to be back on the winning track as a top contender in the AFC after the team jumped out to an impressive 4-1 start, only to watch it all slip away the rest of the way. While the Bengals can blame injuries to players like Andy Dalton and A.J. Green all they want for the way things have turned out this season, keep in mind some of the struggles were already taking place before this happened.

Sunday’s 26-18 loss to the Cleveland Browns was just another example of the kind of season this has been for Cincinnati, as it’s never easy to get swept by a division rival, especially when it comes to Hue Jackson. Once again, the question has to be discussed over what on earth the Bengals see in Marvin Lewis, as the head coach continues to receive opportunities he doesn’t deserve after the team will be missing out on the playoffs for a third year in a row.

Maybe after this season, the Bengals will finally realize what a terrible mistake it was to bring him back for 2018, and decide to part ways since most head coaches in his position would have been sent packing a long time ago. Talent wise, there’s no excuse for a team like Cincinnati to come up short the way they have this season, and as unfair as it sounds to put most of the blame on Lewis, he certainly deserves it.

29. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (27)

After pulling off two impressive wins in a row over the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, all eyes were on the San Francisco 49ers to see if they could continue the momentum against the Chicago Bears. On paper, there was every reason to believe the Bears would have little trouble getting by in this one, but the 49ers actually made things interesting in this one.

Unfortunately for San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan and company learned the hard way just how great of a defense Chicago has when seeing how they limited the 49ers to scoring just nine points, all of which happened to come in the second quarter. Pulling off an upset over the Bears would have been quite the accomplishment for this team, but at least the 49ers managed to give the NFC North champions a scare.

One can only imagine the potential surrounding San Francisco next season once Jimmy Garoppolo gets fully healthy since this offense seems to have plenty of surprise talent like George Kittle and Dante Pettis to work with. Coming up short of the hype this year was obviously frustrating for numerous reasons, but at least once the 49ers see Garoppolo get healthy, things should be much better in 2019.

28. BUFFALO BILLS (26)

Isn’t it crazy to think how much can change in a span of a year? Around this time last season, the Buffalo Bills were on the verge of finally putting an end to their playoff drought, only to be heading into Week 17 with only five wins to their name.

Things may not have gone the way Buffalo was hoping for during the 2018 season, but once again, Week 16 was the perfect example of how the team seems to finally have found a potential quarterback to build the franchise around in Josh Allen. Like most rookies facing a very talented team like the New England Patriots, Allen didn’t exactly put together his best performance against the defending AFC champions, but hopefully this experience will pay off in the long run.

Just because the Bills finally feel good about having a quarterback with potential in Allen doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to succeed when seeing how the Patriots are always going to be standing in Buffalo’s way as long as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are around. If only the Bills showed up on offense in the first half, maybe this game would have ended up being a little closer to put them in better position to take down the Patriots.

27. DETROIT LIONS (25)

Even though they have nothing to play for at this point in the season other than draft position, the Detroit Lions would have loved nothing more than to defeat the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday to shake up the NFC playoff picture a little bit. After jumping out to a 9-0 lead, the Lions seemed like they had the potential to actually pull off the win over their division rivals that is until the Vikings ran away with the 27-9 victory.

As bad as it sounds, this game was the perfect example of how this season has been for Detroit when considering many believed this team was capable of being a surprise contender in the NFC, which obviously wasn’t the case one bit. Matt Patricia has taken plenty of heat for the team coming up short in 2018, but for the Lions, the real question needs to be figuring out whether Matthew Stafford is the right answer under center.

While there have been times in which Stafford has looked like one of the toughest quarterbacks in the NFL, the former No. 1 pick seems like he’s taken a step back this season. By missing out on the playoffs for a second year in a row, it will be interesting to see what kind of adjustments are made during the offseason for Detroit since they clearly are in need of a few changes on both sides of the football.

26. NEW YORK JETS (30)

Even though the game wasn’t as meaningful for Green Bay Packers since they were already ruled out of the playoffs, this would have been a huge confidence boost for Sam Darnold and the New York Jets if they actually held on for the win instead of losing in overtime. All year, the Jets have been one of those teams that have been difficult to figure out since despite being a work in progress, there were times in which they would surprisingly play well.

On Sunday, it was one of those games in which New York looked pretty sharp when seeing how there was even a point in the second half when they were up 15 points on Green Bay. Unfortunately, the Jets have no one to blame other than themselves for allowing this loss to the Packers slip away, but at least Darnold has plenty to be proud of.

Football fans can say whatever they want about the former USC star, but watching him toss three touchdown passes against Green Bay shows what kind of potential Darnold has as the future quarterback of this team. The Jets have been through plenty of quarterbacks in recent years, but after all this time; Darnold seems well worth the wait.

25. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (24)

Even though it was a long shot, football fans were interested to see if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had what it takes to pull off a major upset on the road against the Dallas Cowboys to shake up the NFC playoff picture a little bit. Unfortunately, it was the Buccaneers that came up short for the third game in a row, leaving the team with plenty of questions in need of answering this offseason when it comes to Jameis Winston.

Starting off the regular season on a rough note without Winston as a result of a suspension was difficult for Tampa Bay to deal with. And while the quarterback position has been quite a roller-coaster ride this season when seeing how the team has gone back-and-forth since Ryan Fitzpatrick has shined at times, it’s been Winston leading the offense in recent weeks.

One of the main reasons why Tampa Bay was most likely leaning in this direction was due to trying to figure out if Winston was worth keeping around heading into the 2019 season, or if they would be better off searching for someone else. Winston has come up big at times since taking over again for Fitzpatrick, but some of the mistakes made on Sunday shows why the Buccaneers are uncertain about their quarterback.

24. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (28)

As bad as it sounds, the Jacksonville Jaguars were the last team anyone expected to take down a contender like the Miami Dolphins in Week 16 when seeing how this season turned out to be a complete disappointment. Back in September, the Jaguars seemed like a team that picked right up where they left off in the winter as a top contender in the AFC with a 2-0 start, but unfortunately it has been all downhill for the most part since then.

Defeating a team like Miami, who was hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive, will certainly make Jacksonville feel good at the moment, but this is still a team with plenty of questions in need of answering once the offseason officially gets underway. For starters, the Jaguars will face a tough decision when it comes to whether Doug Marrone deserves another chance or if it would be to go with a fresh start.

As tempting as it would be to give Marrone another chance since it’s only one season, it doesn’t take away from Jacksonville finishing as one of the biggest disappointments from 2018, especially on the defensive side of the football. Also, the Jaguars need to figure out what to do with Blake Bortles at quarterback after seeing how this season turned out for the former first-round pick.

23. CAROLINA PANTHERS (22)

Make that seven losses in a row for the Carolina Panthers after falling to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, although it’s tough to have high expectations when Cam Newton has already been shut down for the season. On a positive note, at least fantasy football owners with Christian McCaffrey on their roster most likely ended up winning their league championship when seeing how the Panthers star had another strong outing on offense.

Back in October, Carolina appeared to be at least a lock for a Wild Card spot in the NFC following an impressive 6-2 start before it all fell apart during the final two months. Time after time, the Panthers just continued to find new ways to come up short when it mattered the most towards the end of games, which has resulted in Ron Rivera finding himself on the hot seat in recent weeks.

A team like Carolina following that impressive start shouldn’t have been in this position heading into the final week of the regular season, and now the question becomes what the team will end up deciding on with Rivera. As much as the Panthers want to give him another chance to turn things around in 2019, this still doesn’t take away from what seems like a season that turned into a complete waste.

22. NEW YORK GIANTS (21)

Give the New York Giants credit for keeping things close with the Indianapolis Colts when considering they have nothing to play for at this point, and nearly pulled off what would have been a major upset. When seeing how the Giants were leading the entire game until the final minute when the Colts took the 28-27 lead before going on to win, this shows just how close this team really was to pulling off what would have been an amazing win.

One can only imagine how different things would have been for New York this season if they didn’t lose seven of their first eight games, but at least when seeing how the team has shown plenty of improvement in the second half, it gives hope for 2019. Whether Eli Manning is still part of the picture is a different story when looking at all of the questions surrounding the veteran quarterback, but at least the offense with Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley could put this offense in amazing shape for years to come.

As much as the Giants could have gone with a young quarterback back in April, Barkley is clearly a talented player at running back that is an absolute threat every time he touches the football, whether it’s as a runner or receiver. If Barkley’s rookie campaign is any indication of what the future holds New York’s offense could be extremely dangerous in 2019.

21. DENVER BRONCOS (20) – PLAY MONDAY NIGHT

A few weeks ago, the Denver Broncos seemed to be getting back on track in the playoff conversation by pulling off three impressive wins in a row before things fell apart in recent weeks. When seeing how great the Broncos were playing, wins over the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns should have been easy for Vance Joseph’s squad to work with.

Now, Denver enters their second-to-last game against the Oakland Raiders, and if they were to come up on the losing end for a third game in a row, it really wouldn’t come as that much of a surprise. At the end of the day, this would just sum up what kind of season it’s been for the Broncos since this team went from seeming to find their answer in Case Keenum to missing out on the playoffs for a third year in a row.

To top it off, talk is beginning to heat up again about Denver possibly parting ways with Vance Joseph as head coach, which shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise when seeing how close this was to happening after last season. As bad as it sounds, a fresh start may be best for both parties.

20. ATLANTA FALCONS (23)

Just like a few other teams on this list, the Atlanta Falcons will go down as one of the biggest disappointments from the 2018 season when seeing how this team had playoff expectations heading in, only to be watching from home. Not to mention, after two previous playoff appearances in a row, the Falcons seemed like a strong candidate to flirt with the idea of becoming the first team in NFL history to play in their own stadium for the Super Bowl.

Now, Atlanta enters the offseason looking to make some adjustments to make sure this doesn’t happen again in 2019, with possible changes to the coaching staff coming into play. As great as Dan Quinn has been at times since taking over the head coaching duties for the Falcons, it’s tough for him to defend the disappointment that has taken place this season.

Not even earning a second win in a row over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday can help Atlanta feel better about everything since this still doesn’t take away from the frustration the team has been dealing with all season. At least with all of the talent on offense, the Falcons will be one of the early candidates to turn things around in 2019 to get back on the winning track.

19. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (19)

At this point in the season, it’s tough not to feel bad for the Washington Redskins when looking at all of the injuries this team has been dealing with, especially at the quarterback position. The fact that Washington has been rolling with Josh Johnson, their fourth quarterback of the season, shows just how frustrating it’s been this season in the injury department.

To top the frustration off, the Redskins seemed to be in well control of the game against the Tennessee Titans before falling apart late in the second half, resulting in another loss. As great as it would have been to see Washington to earn a tough win on the road to put them in better position for a playoff spot, this team has sadly been looking forward to the 2019 season for a few weeks now since the top priority this offseason will be making sure key players get healthy.

Give Washington credit for even being in the playoff hunt this late in the season since there weren’t many believers in the offseason who thought this team had what it takes to be in the conversation. If this doesn’t give the Redskins hope for 2019, nothing will at this point.

18. MIAMI DOLPHINS (15)

Remember a few weeks ago when the Miami Dolphins looked like a team that could potentially squeeze into the playoffs following a shocking win over the New England Patriots? Since that insane win, the Dolphins have lost two games in a row to ruin any shot of earning a spot in the playoffs, with the latest coming on Sunday to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

When seeing how the two teams compare on paper, most football fans a team like Miami playing at home would have little trouble getting by Jacksonville, especially with all the inconsistent play on the offensive side of the football. Turns out, the Jaguars finally decided to have one of those games in which they played well on the defensive side of the football after limiting the Dolphins to scoring just seven points in this one.

For the most part, Ryan Tannehill has been playing pretty well over the last few weeks, but it will be interesting to see if Miami changes their mind once the offseason rolls around. It would have been one thing if Tannehill led the Dolphins to a playoff berth, but with the regular season ending in disappointment for Adam Gase’s squad, things could quickly change.

17. GREEN BAY PACKERS (18)

All of the disappointment from the regular season didn’t prevent the Green Bay Packers from showing up in Week 16 to defeat the New York Jets, although it was a lot closer than expected since it took them until overtime to seal the win. For the second year in a row, the Packers will be watching the playoffs from home, but when seeing how Aaron Rodgers put together another amazing performance against the Jets, one can only imagine his 2019 motivation.

Seeing Rodgers combine for four touchdowns (two rushing) against New York may be viewed as too little, too late by many, but also when seeing how much of a disappointment this season has been for the most part, Green Bay fans will take it. The poor play by the defense may look concerning for the Packers since allowing 38 points to an offense like the Jets is never something to be proud of, but at least if Green Bay ends the year on a positive note, it will make them feel better heading into the offseason.

With some decisions to make at head coach, the Packers will hopefully be in a much better position around this time next year since it would unbelievable to consider Rodgers missing out on the playoffs for a third year in a row. At least with young talent at receiver to play alongside Davante Adams, Rodgers and Green Bay should feel confident in their chances of this happening.

16. CLEVELAND BROWNS (16)

Due to all of the drama surrounding Hue Jackson, the rivalry between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals was taken to a whole new level during the 2018 season. And as crazy as it is to believe, it was the Browns of all teams that ended up with the sweep on the season with the team even being in position to actually finish the year with a winning record.

When considering that Cleveland had previously gone 1-31 during their previous two seasons leading up to 2018, this team has plenty to be excited about when it comes to the potential surrounding this team in the future. Similar to a few other teams already discussed so far, the Browns have been in desperate need of finding a quarterback to build the franchise around, and it’s been amazing to see Baker Mayfield quickly catch on as the best quarterback for the offense under center.

While most rookie quarterbacks tend to struggle for the most part during their first NFL season, the fact that Cleveland is 7-7-1 heading into their final game shows how much of a leap this team has made in 2018. Making the playoffs certainly would have been great to see take place, but as long as the Browns pick up where they left off in 2019, maybe this will finally happen next season.

15. TENNESSEE TITANS (14)

Do the Tennessee Titans have what it takes to sneak into the playoffs? Defeating the Washington Redskins ended up being tougher than expected in front of their own fans, and losing Marcus Mariota before halftime was another crushing blow to the Titans.

Nothing against Blaine Gabbert since the former first-round pick deserves plenty of credit for filling in for Tennessee when Mariota went down, but it’s tough to imagine this team making any kind of noise come playoff time with the backup at quarterback. The Titans can make the argument all they want about Gabbert being on board for this kind of position, but deep down the team knows a healthy Mariota is going to give this team their best chance of a playoff run if they were to earn the opportunity.

At least with the win over Washington, Tennessee remains in great position for what will be an epic Week 17 showdown against the Indianapolis Colts. After all of the back-and-forth play from the regular season, it will be interesting to see how Week 17 ends for the Titans when it comes to whether they return to the playoffs for a second year in a row or end up watching from home.

14. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7)

Just when it seemed like the Pittsburgh Steelers were becoming a serious threat in the AFC again, the team came up short against the New Orleans Saints to put the pressure on heading into Week 17. As frustrating as it was for the Steelers to come up on the losing end for the fourth time in five games, one can only imagine how they’re feeling over not having control of their playoff fate.

Not only does Pittsburgh need to win next weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals, but Mike Tomlin and company will need the Baltimore Ravens to come up short against the Cleveland Browns as well. In other words, there’s a good chance the Steelers could be watching the playoffs from home this year, and if that is the case, it would seem like a complete waste of a season when looking at all of the talent this team has to work with.

Then again, Pittsburgh would have no one to blame other than themselves when seeing all of the games they came up short. Sadly, poor officiating can’t even be blamed for the Steelers losing to the Saints since there were a few key mistakes made throughout the contest that ended up being costly.

13. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10)

Imagine after pulling off an impressive shutout win over the Dallas Cowboys, the Indianapolis Colts followed up with a frustrating loss at home to the New York Giants since this would have basically ruined any chance of Andrew Luck and company making the playoffs. After a poor start, the Colts have done an amazing job at getting back on the winning track this season just to be part of the playoff conversation this late in the season, and despite being in the hunt, this team still needs some help during Week 17.

As for what took place on Sunday, it was surprising to see Indianapolis trail the entire game against New York before coming through in the final minute with the go-ahead touchdown to secure the 28-27 win. All of a sudden, the team’s Week 17 showdown with the Tennessee Titans has all sorts of meaning for the Colts since one can only imagine the high level of intensity that will be taking place with a potential trip to the playoffs on the line.

Then again, no matter how things turn out for Indianapolis this season, the team should just be thrilled over the fact that Andrew Luck is back to his old ways on offense when looking at all of the uncertainty from early on. Nobody knew what to expect from the former No. 1 pick with his shoulder after missing all of last year, but at least Luck has proven he still has what it takes to be the Colts quarterback, and Sunday was just another example to back it up.

12. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (17)

What is it about Nick Foles stepping up in big games when the Philadelphia Eagles need him the most? One week after leading the Eagles to a thrilling, surprise win over the Los Angeles Rams in front of a national audience, the Super Bowl MVP elevated his game to a whole new level on Sunday to help defeat the Houston Texans.

Watching Foles throw for 471 yards to go along with four touchdowns against a top defense in Houston shows just how special of a quarterback he truly is for Philadelphia, and without him, there’s no way this team is still in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Eagles may need some help from the Chicago Bears defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17 on top of defeating the Washington Redskins just to have a fighting chance, but at least Foles still has them in the mix.

One can only imagine the high level of confidence Philadelphia will be playing with if they find a way to sneak into the postseason. But before thinking about that scenario, the Eagles are focused on what’s most important for next weekend, which is figuring out a way to take down the Redskins in Washington, which is far from a guarantee.

11. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (13)

Early on, it looked like the Minnesota Vikings received a bit of a scare against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, which Philadelphia Eagles fans would have loved to see when looking at how their playoff fate comes down to Mike Zimmer’s squad. Turns out, after trailing 9-0, this would end up being the only points scored by the Lions, as the Vikings would go on to score the next 27 points, putting them in great position to clinch a Wild Card spot during the final weekend.

All Minnesota has to do is win, and they will be back in the postseason, but of course that’s always easier said than done since the Chicago Bears are still in the hunt for a first-round bye. If the Vikings are going to have any chance of taking down the NFC North champions, Kirk Cousins will need to shine once again on offense.

Rightfully so, Cousins has taken plenty of heat this season for his inconsistent play under center since Minnesota is paying him all of that money for a reason. After throwing three touchdown passes during the win over the Lions, here’s to hoping the Vikings quarterback comes up with a similar performance, or even better, in Week 17 against the Bears.

10. DALLAS COWBOYS (11)

For the second time in three seasons, the Dallas Cowboys are NFC East champions after clinching the division on Sunday following their win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers kept things closer than expected towards the end of the game, but at the end of the day, the Cowboys showed just how dangerous of a football team they can be.

Now, the question becomes whether Dallas has what it takes to see better results this time in the playoffs unlike two years ago when they were eliminated in the Divisional Round by the Green Bay Packers. At least this time around, the Cowboys are older and more experienced to make it seem like they may actually have what it takes to make a serious run.

Dak Prescott was already fortunate to have a top running back in Ezekiel Elliott, but the addition of Amari Cooper has helped this offense reach a whole new level since this team was lacking a top reliable option at wideout. Come playoff time, Dallas could be one of those teams that nobody wants to see if they return to the level from a few weeks ago when Jason Garrett’s squad was viewed as the hottest team in the NFC.

9. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (12)

One week after losing a heartbreaking game in overtime to the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks were looking to finally lock up a playoff spot in the NFC when hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in front of a national audience. Just in case there were any doubters over the Seahawks having what it takes to be a threat come playoff time, watching them defeat the Chiefs the way they did shows why no one in the NFC should want to play them.

Other than last season, Seattle was always one of those teams who seemed to pick things up late in the season when it mattered the most before the playoffs, which appears to be the case once again. By taking down a Chiefs team that will most likely be the top seed in the AFC, the Seahawks seem ready to take on any team standing in their way of representing the NFC in this year’s Super Bowl.

Between Russell Wilson tossing three more touchdown passes to go along with Chris Carson leading the way once again in the ground game, Seattle’s offense is loaded with weapons to work with. After winning five of their last six games, look out for the Seahawks come January, as their recent win over the Chiefs has them fired up more than ever.

8. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (2)

Just when it seemed like the Los Angeles Chargers were earning plenty of high praise for their win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens took place in which they received a major wake-up call. One game obviously doesn’t determine what to expect from a team since the Chargers could still make plenty of noise come playoff time, but seeing them lose the way they did to the Ravens was concerning.

Yes, the argument can be made that Los Angeles is dealing with injuries on both sides of the football, and could have seen better results if certain players were healthier, but all the team can do now is focus on the bigger picture, which is they’re already in the playoffs. Come playoff time, the Chargers will hopefully look like the team that’s been extremely dangerous in the weeks leading up to Week 16, and have what it takes to make a run.

As much as Los Angeles doesn’t want to hear about this recent loss being a learning experience, that’s exactly the approach they need to take. Despite this rough loss to the Ravens, the Chargers are the last team anyone should sleep on comes January when seeing how they’ve looked at times during the regular season.

7. BALTIMORE RAVENS (9)

If the Baltimore Ravens were looking to make a statement when it comes to being one of the last teams anyone should want to play in the playoffs, they certainly did so on Saturday when looking at how impressive their win over the Los Angeles Chargers was. Not to mention, Lamar Jackson made another big statement with one of his better games by showing he does have what it takes to lead the Ravens on offense when seeing some of the criticism the rookie has received in recent weeks.

It’s crazy to think how there was a time over a month ago in which John Harbaugh’s name was on the hot seat a few weeks ago when looking at some of the struggles Baltimore has been dealing with before turning things around. In fact, the Ravens have been so impressed with Harbaugh helping this team get back on track, there’s already been talk about a new contract in the works for down the road.

But before jumping that far ahead, all Harbaugh cares about is making sure Baltimore lives up to the hype come playoff time, assuming all goes well during Week 17. No matter who they could potentially see, the Ravens are feeling all sorts of confidence at the moment, and seem capable of defeating anyone standing in their way.

6. HOUSTON TEXANS (6)

Thanks to some previous struggles involving the New England Patriots, the Houston Texans entered Week 16 in control of their own destiny for a first-round bye, and were hoping to take advantage of a favorable matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Once again, Deshaun Watson showed just how dangerous of a quarterback he can be when rolling on offense, but unfortunately the Texans came up short in this one after the Eagles converted a 35-yard field goal at the end to seal the victory.

All of a sudden, Houston finds themselves in the position from a few weeks ago in which the team looks like they’ll be playing on opening weekend of the playoffs, which is fine. As frustrating as it was to see the Texans slip out of the No. 2 seed following Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, this will still be quite a dangerous team come January when looking at all of the talent on both sides of the football.

Houston showed Philadelphia on numerous occasions just how much of a threat they can be on both offense and defense, meaning this team will be just fine in the long run. Plus, let’s not forget the Texans were already at a disadvantage with Lamar Miller missing in action, which is why Watson was forced to step it up even more in the ground game after leading the team with 49 yards to go along with two scores on top of his two touchdown passes.

5. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (8)

Deep down, the Buffalo Bills knew they were going to be an absolute long shot to take down the New England Patriots when seeing how the two teams compared on paper from a talent perspective. Not to mention, the Patriots knew that suffering another loss would only keep them in the conversation of possibly being eliminated right away once the playoffs finally got underway.

Believe it or not, New England not only managed to pull off the easy win over Buffalo, but thanks to some help from the Philadelphia Eagles knocking off the Houston Texans, the defending AFC champions control their own fate once again for a first-round bye. And with the Patriots hosting the New York Jets for the regular-season finale, it’s safe to assume that Tom Brady and company are going to end up hanging on to that No. 2 spot.

Words couldn’t even describe how New England was feeling after another tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15 since they basically handed the first-round bye to Houston, but none of that matters at this point. Right now, all the Patriots care about is being in their current position since they know the importance of an extra week off.

4. CHICAGO BEARS (4)

The good news for the Chicago Bears is with their win over the San Francisco 49ers; they at least locked up the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff picture, although the team is still in play for a potential first-round bye. Thanks to their head-to-head win over the Los Angeles Rams a few weeks ago, the Bears can earn the No. 2 seed with a win over the Minnesota Vikings during Week 17 along with the NFC West champions coming up short against the 49ers.

Either way, just the fact that Chicago will be back in the playoffs after all of those years finishing on the bottom of the NFC North is beyond exciting to see, as Matt Nagy has done an unbelievable job during his first season as head coach. Defeating the 49ers was a little more difficult than originally expected when seeing how close they made it, but the important factor is the Bears came through when it mattered the most.

Now, the question becomes whether Chicago can receive some help from San Francisco during the regular-season finale to have a shot at the No. 2 seed over Los Angeles. It may sound like a long shot at this point, but anything is possible when it comes to the NFL.

3. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (3)

Despite back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks, there’s a good chance the Kansas City Chiefs will still finish with the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, which could mean bad news for opponents. However, if there were anything to take away from these previous two weeks, it would be the Chiefs have proven they are in fact beatable.

Without question, what Patrick Mahomes has been able to accomplish during his first full season as the starter has been truly incredible to witness, and if he ends up winning MVP honors, nobody would really be all that surprised. Of course, a great quarterback like Mahomes can only do so much on his own without the proper support of his defense, which has proven to be an issue at times throughout the regular season.

Watching Kansas City allow Seattle to score 38 points shows this team is far from a guarantee to make a serious run in the playoffs once January rolls around, but at least with Mahomes under center, the Chiefs still have to love their chances. After missing out on numerous occasions to lock up the top seed in the AFC, here’s to hoping it finally happens during Week 17 so they can enjoy that extra week off.

2. LOS ANGELES RAMS (5)

Leading up to Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sean McVay faced a tough decision when it came to whether Todd Gurley should play after suffering a minor knee injury the week before when the Los Angeles Rams lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. With all due respect to the Arizona Cardinals, there’s a good chance Gurley would have played if it were any other team, but all that matters for the Rams is they still managed to win while allowing their beloved running back to rest.

For insurance purposes, Los Angeles made the decision this week to bring C.J. Anderson on board, and even though they obviously saw potential in the move, it was surprising to see the veteran rush for 167 yards to go along with a score in the win over Arizona. Many questioned how Anderson would look during his Rams debut in Week 16, but watching him shine the way he did makes the offense look even more dangerous for when the playoffs get underway.

As for the defensive side of the football, Aaron Donald made another case to be part of the MVP conversation after finishing with three sacks in this one. Winning over Patrick Mahomes may be difficult, but as long as Donald helps the Rams make a serious run, that’s all Los Angeles cares about.

1. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1)

Locking up the top seed in the NFC with one week to go gives the New Orleans Saints plenty of reasons to be excited since they can afford to rest some of their star players during the regular-season finale.

Most importantly, the Saints deserve all of the credit for making another statement during their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers to show why they deserved the No. 1 seed, and this is going to be a fun team to watch in the playoffs.

Ever since they suffered that heartbreaking loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round last January, New Orleans has been a team on a mission to earn a shot at redemption since the team seemed capable of winning the Super Bowl. Only time will tell when it comes to seeing if the Saints can see better results this time around, but they have to love their chances.

Between Drew Brees continuing to play like a MVP candidate along with New Orleans having a strong running attack thanks to Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, it’s no wonder this team is so dangerous. Competing with other top contenders like the Los Angeles Rams won’t be easy, but now that the No. 1 seed is locked up, the Saints are ready for any challenge.