There’s one week left in the season before the playoffs. Here is a ranking of all 32 teams.
1. New England Patriots 12-3 Prev:1
After a slow start, the Patriots ran away with it in the second half to beat Buffalo. Rob Gronkowski had another strong game with an insane one-handed catch. However, Tom Brady struggled again as he has now thrown an interception in five consecutive games.
2.Minnesota Vikings 12-3 Prev:2
Minnesota’s defense was on its A game, shutting out the Green Bay Packers. Minnesota has been the most consistent team in the NFL to this point and will likely head into the playoffs as the second seed in the NFC.
3.Pittsburgh Steelers 12-3 Prev:5
Antonio Brown remains the biggest question going forward for Pittsburgh. Without Brown in week 16, no Pittsburgh receiver had more than eight targets or eighty yards.
4.Los Angeles Rams 11-4 Prev:3
Todd Gurley amassed 150 rushing yards and multiple touchdowns for the second week in a row. Their defense brings pressure, ranking fourth in sacks and their offense is first in points scored. Los Angeles could be headed to Super Bowl Sunday for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
5.Philadelphia Eagles 13-2 Prev:4
Despite a scrappy win against Oakland, Nick Foles struggled immensely, resulting in a QB rating of 23.7. The Eagles went 1-14 on third down — a short run by Corey Clement. This is a big drop-off from Carson Wentz, who completed a league-high 64% of passes on third down.
6.New Orleans Saints 11-4 Prev:7
The Saints won a hard-fought game over the Atlanta Falcons to remain in control of the NFC South. Their two-headed backfield will carry them through the playoffs; they are second in the NFL in yards per attempt when rushing the football.
7.Carolina Panthers 11-4 Prev:8
Cam Newton led a late game-winning drive to clinch a spot in the playoffs. If everything goes right for Carolina, they are still in play for a first-round bye, but they need losses from New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Minnesota while beating the Atlanta Falcons in week 17.
8.Jacksonville Jaguars 10-5 Prev:6
The Jaguars’ top defense could not stop Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers, allowing 44 points in the loss. Still, they’ll be led during the playoffs by a defense that ranks third in yards allowed per game.
9.Kansas City Chiefs 9-6 Prev:11
The Chiefs looked strong, beating Miami by multiple possessions last week. They’ve rebounded from their midseason slump by winning three straight games. They’ll need the Chiefs that put up 42 against New England and not the one that put 9 against the Giants amid the playoffs.
10.Baltimore Ravens 9-6 Prev:12
Baltimore took control of the wild card race, jumping from the seven seed to the five seed with a one game advantage after week 16. While they haven’t officially clinched, they are being given a 94% chance to make the playoffs.
11.Atlanta Falcons 9-6 Prev:9
Atlanta failed to lock up a playoff spot, losing to New Orleans on Sunday. They still control their own destiny, but a loss combined with a Seattle win will eliminate them from the playoffs.
12.Seattle Seahawks 9-6 Prev:14
Seattle’s depleted defense shined in the win over Dallas to keep the Seahawks in contention. If they make the playoffs, Russell Wilson should be a top candidate for MVP because he accounts for over 80% of their offensive yardage.
13.Los Angeles Chargers 8-7 Prev:16
Los Angeles’ defense stepped up, forcing three turnovers and holding the Jets to just seven points in the win. The Chargers are still on the outside looking in; they need a win and a Titans loss to make the playoffs.
14.Dallas Cowboys 8-7 Prev:10
Dallas blew their chance to sneak into the playoffs, losing to Seattle at home. Even with Ezekiel Elliott back, Dak Prescott struggled, throwing two interceptions. Since Carson Wentz tore his ACL, Wentz has thrown 1 touchdown while Prescott has thrown none.
15.Detroit Lions 8-7 Prev:13
Detroit’s lack of a run game killed them the whole season. Their leading rusher, Ameer Abdullah, has struggled, only managing 3.4 yards per carry. This offseason, Detroit has to solve their problem at running back.
16.Buffalo Bills 8-7 Prev:15
Buffalo fell apart in the second half, getting outscored by three possessions by New England. The Bills still have a chance at the playoffs but they need help from the Chargers and Titans to get in.
17.Washington Redskins 7-8 Prev:20
Jamison Crowder leads the team with an underwhelming 63 receptions. Terrelle Pryor did not live up to expectations and Washington will need to find a true number 1 receiver in the offseason.
18.San Francisco 49ers 5-10 Prev:18
Jimmy Garoppolo is now 4-0 with Niners. Last week was their most impressive win, putting up 44 points on Jacksonville. While it’s too late now, the 49ers will be a force in the NFC next season.
19.Arizona Cardinals 7-8 Prev:23
Arizona has missed the production of David Johnson following his week 1 injury. With him out of the lineup, Arizona ranks 30th in rushing yards per game. They need to address the issue at quarterback but can also be excited for Johnson’s return in 2018.
20.Tennessee Titans 8-7 Prev:19
After an 8-4 start, the Titans have continued to collapse, losing their third game in as many weeks. Win and in scenario for them but that will be tough; they have to play Jacksonville to close out the regular season.
21.Green Bay Packers 7-8 Prev:17
Green Bay had nothing to play for and it showed, getting shut out by Minnesota. Now teams are complaining that Aaron Rodgers should be released. If the Packers are forced to release Rodgers then the NFL is screwed up.
22.Oakland Raiders 6-9 Prev:21
Following an MVP-caliber season, Derek Carr’s production has decreased, with his passer rating dropping from 96.7 to 86.0. It was thought that Oakland could only improve after a twelve-win season due to the signing of Marshawn Lynch, but their success has diminished.
23.Miami Dolphins 6-9 Prev:24
With Jay Ajayi gone, Kenyan Drake has put together a nice season for Miami. Drake has 544 yards on the ground in 8 games after only getting 25 yards on 10 carries in 7 games when Ajayi was a Dolphin.
24.Cincinnati Bengals 6-9 Prev:29
After a heartless loss to Minnesota, the Bengals bounced back with an upset win over Detroit. Marvin Lewis will coach his final game with the team in week 17 when they face Baltimore.
25.Chicago Bears 5-10 Prev:26
Chicago avoided embarrassment by beating the Browns in week 16. Despite going 1-10 in the NFC to this point, the Bears swept the AFC north, going 4-0 in non-conference games.
26.Denver Broncos 5-10 Prev:22
Following two wins, Denver lost again, this time to the injury-depleted Redskins. It’s been said all year that Denver has a playoff level defense but their situation at quarterback is killing their chances of success.
27.Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-11 Prev:25
Tampa Bay couldn’t hold off a late comeback by Carolina as they blew the lead late in the fourth quarter. Injuries to their defensive line have hurt as the Bucs are last in the NFL in sacks.
28.New York Jets 5-10 Prev:27
In two starts so far, Bryce Petty has been awful, completing 47.4% of his passes with only one touchdown. Will fans finally see former Penn State QB, Christian Hackenberg, in action next week?
29.Indianapolis Colts 3-12 Prev:28
The Colts aren’t just held back by the lack of Andrew Luck. Their defense brings little to no pressure on the quarterback as they rank only behind Tampa in sacks.
30.Houston Texans 4-11 Prev:31
Houston lost another game as they have lost five straight. But man, what a catch by Deandre Hopkins!
31.New York Giants 2-13 Prev:30
The Giants offense was stagnant once again, getting shut out by the Arizona Cardinals. The Giants should give rookie Davis Webb snaps in week 17; he will likely be a Giant in 2018.
32.Cleveland Browns 0-15 Prev:32
Cleveland blew their best chance at a win, losing to the Chicago Bears. With a loss to Pittsburgh next Sunday, the Browns will join the 2008 Lions as the only 0-16 seasons.
