Week 15 of the 2019 NFL regular season schedule is officially in the books. Now it’s time to see how all 32 teams stack up heading into Week 16. For reference purposes, here’s a link back to last week’s NFL Power Rankings.
BLG’S WEEK 16 NFL POWER RANKINGS
NFL WEEK 16
1 - Baltimore Ravens (Last Week: 1) - 2019 is the year of Lamar Jackson. How can you not feel like this Ravens team is going to win the Super Bowl?
2 - Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 3) - The Chiefs have four wins in a row. A first-round bye is within reach if the Pats drop a game.
3 - San Francisco 49ers (LW: 2) - Classic trap game scenario to lose to Atlanta at home after being New Orleans on the road last week. They still have a chance to rebound but the loss was costly as they dropped from No. 1 to No. 5 in the NFC playoff picture.
4 - New Orleans Saints (LW: 4) - Obligatory “Drew Brees broke Peyton Manning’s career touchdown mark” comment.
5 - Seattle Seahawks (LW: 5) - The Seahawks only rank 6th in DVOA and 11th in point differential but they’re currently sitting at the No. 1 seed. If they can beat Arizona and San Fran at home in the next two weeks, they’ll lock it up.
6 - New England Patriots (LW: 6) - The Pats looked a little shaky in Cincy at first but ultimately walked away with a blowout win. Probably didn’t hurt that they were taping their opponent’s sideline prior to the game.
7 - Green Bay Packers (LW: 7) - The Packers have road games in Minnesota and Detroit as they try to clinch not only the NFC North but a first-round bye as well.
8 - Minnesota Vikings (LW: 8) - The Vikings haven’t officially clinched a playoff spot just yet but they’re basically in. I’m sure Kirk Cousins won’t choke in the team’s first playoff game.
9 - Buffalo Bills (LW: 10) - The Bills are going to the playoffs for the second time in three years. Prior to 2017 they hadn’t made it once in 18 years. Sean McDermott’s done a good job in Buffalo.
10 - Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 9) - The Steelers blew their chance for the No. 5 seed but they’re still alive for the No. 6 spot. There have to be concerns about the quarterback situation after Devlin Hodges had a 43.9 passer rating against Buffalo.
11 - Houston Texans (LW: 13) - Houston’s playoff chances increased by 31.2% to 97.6% with a win over Tennessee. Credit to the Texans on likely winning the AFC South but can’t help feel like they’re a one-and-done team once again.
12 - Tennessee Titans (LW: 11) - The Titans suffered their second loss of the Ryan Tannehill starting quarterback era. If the season ended today, they wouldn’t be in the playoffs. They have some work to do for a wild card spot.
13 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 15) - The Bucs have won four in a row. Seems like they’re going to mistakenly talk themselves into bringing James Winston back.
14 - Dallas Cowboys (LW: 17) - The Cowboys dropped 44 on a Los Angles team that was playing for a potential wild card spot. Dallas can officially clinch the NFC East with a win in Philly this weekend. Maybe they don’t need to fire Jason Garrett after all! Everything’s fine!
15 - Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 16) - Two clutch Carson Wentz performances have the Eagles just two more wins away from clinching the NFC East. Philly must beat Dallas at Lincoln Financial Field or their season is over.
16- Los Angeles Rams (LW: 12) - The Rams came up incredibly small in a loss that essentially eliminated them from making the playoffs. Not a strong way to follow up their Super Bowl appearance last season.
17 - Chicago Bears (LW: 14) - Da Bears’ unlikely playoff push came to an end with a loss in Green Bay.
18 - Atlanta Falcons (LW: 22) - The Falcons have some quality wins (at New Orleans and at San Francisco) this season despite finishing with a losing record. Is that enough to save Dan Quinn’s job?
19 - Denver Broncos (LW: 18) - The Broncos have lost nine straight games to KC.
20 - Indianapolis Colts (LW: 19) - Jacoby Brissett does not look like the long-term answer in Indy.
21 - Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 21) - Philip Rivers could be playing his last two games with the Chargers. If so, the Chargers could have a new starting quarterback for the first time since 2005.
22 - Cleveland Browns (LW: 20) - Surprise: the Browns are a mess. Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. are reportedly saying they want out of Cleveland. Freddie Kitchens clearly does not have things under control.
23 - Carolina Panthers (LW: 23) - The Panthers are turning to rookie quarterback Will Grier after losing their sixth game in a row with Kyle Allen under center.
24 - Arizona Cardinals (LW: 28) - The Cards snapped their six-game losing streak with a decisive win over Cleveland.
25 - New York Jets (LW: 24) - To no surprise, the Jets were no match for Baltimore.
26 - Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 29) - Gardner Minshew led the Jags on a game-winning touchdown drive in the clutch. Will Nick Foles retire after this season?
27 - Oakland Raiders (LW: 26) - The Raiders’ final game in Oakland ended with a loss to a bad Jacksonville team. Way to go out with a whimper.
28 - Washington Redskins (LW: 27) - Dwayne Haskins finally showed some legitimate promise after previously not looking so good. Not that it matters much because this team will always be screwed with Dan Snyder around.
29 - New York Giants (LW: 32) - Eli Manning is no longer below .5000 as a starter and the Giants still have the No. 2 pick for now. Good week for them.
30 - Miami Dolphins (LW: 25) - The Dolphins beat Philly but couldn’t beat either New York football team. Okay.
31 - Detroit Lions (LW: 30) - Losing for better draft positioning is the only thing Lions fans can look forward to as the season draws to a close. Getting Chase Young at the No. 2 pick is still within reach.
32 - Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 31) - The Bengals are just one more loss away from clinching the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Only a matter of time before the Joe Burrow era begins in Cincy.