NFL POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 15

BY ADAM GREENE

We’re in the home stretch and, as usually happens in the final month of the season, a team with Tom Brady as its quarterback grabs the top spot.

This was probably the most shuffling we’ve done in the Top 10 all season, with the Buffalo Bills dropping completely out of the top third of our arbitrary rankings.

1. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (10-3)

For the first time since Week 3, the Buccaneers return to the top spot. They’ve meandered around the Top Five all season, but thanks to the Los Angeles Rams knocking off perennial top performer, the Arizona Cardinals, Tom Brady’s boys retake the throne. And they do it with the easiest remaining schedule in the entire NFL. More good news for the Bucs — a win over the New Orleans Saints Sunday punches their ticket to the postseason officially. Last week: No. 2

2. GREEN BAY PACKERS (10-3)

In spite of Aaron Rodgers’ toe and Invermectin addiction, the Packers currently hold the top seed in the NFC thanks to the aforementioned Cardinals defeat. Last week: No. 3

3. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-4)

After fixing the defense, the Chiefs now appear to have their offense back on track. So, you have that to worry about, everyone else in the AFC. Last week: No. 4

4. ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-3)

The Cards still hold a one game lead in the NFC West and a home playoff game. They should have no issues keeping it this week as the travel to Detroit to take on the hapless Lions. More bad news came Wednesday when they learned DeAndre Hopkins will miss the rest of the regular season with a knee injury. They might get him back in time for the playoffs, but, man, that first round bye would help. Last week: No. 1

5. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-4)

Coming out of the bye, the schedule is about to get real for New England. They play at the Indianapolis Colts Saturday, then face the Bills again. And this time it won’t be in Buffalo, so the Bills might actually show up to play. Last week: No. 5

6. TENNESSEE TITANS (9-4)

The Titans basically got two byes, the first in an actual week off and the second in a match up with the Jacksonville Jaguars. This week they have a veritable playoff game when they travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers, who are right outside the bracket. Last week: No. 7

7. LOS ANGELES RAMS (9-4)

Here’s a fun fact — Monday night’s win over the Cardinals was Matt Stafford’s first against a team five or more games over .500. He had also never once defeated a team with 10 or more wins. Here’s one that’s significantly less fun — the Rams are in the midst of a rough Covid-19 outbreak amongst their vaccinated players. The good news is, two negative tests 24 hours apart and they all could be available Sunday when they host the Seattle Seahawks. Last week: No. 8

8. DALLAS COWBOYS (9-4)

Mike McCarthy guaranteed a win over the Washington Football Team. The Cowboys brought their own heated benches with them to WFT’s stadium. This should have been a hubris filled disaster, but it wasn’t. No one is more shocked about it than I am. Well, maybe Ron Rivera. Last week: No. 9

9. BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-5)

Man, when the luck runs up for Baltimore it goes ice cold. Tyler Huntley has been OK in relief for Lamar Jackson this season, but I don’t see Baltimore beating the Packers this week without their former MVP behind center. Last week: No. 6

10. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8-5)

Justin Herbert has the chance to put his team in the AFC West driver’s seat with a win over Kansas City Thursday night. He’ll get to do it at home at SoFi Stadium, though it probably won’t be a home crowd. As the Chargers’ QB, he has to be used to it by now. Last week: No. 11

11. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-6)

The Colts have the chance to save civilization by handing the Patriots their first loss since two weeks before Halloween and knocking them from the top spot in the AFC. So this is a perfect time, with the NFL riddled with Covid-19 cases, for unvaccinated Carson Wentz to mess it all up. Last week: No. 12

12. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (7-6)

After beating the Cincinnati Bengals last week, the 49ers’ path to the playoffs is now clear. They’re the “last” team in the NFC bracket (currently in the sixth spot) with a winning record. Two of their last four games are against teams with losing records, including the Houston Texans,. Nothing short of something catastrophic happening could upend their postseason plans. But this is San Francisco, and something catastrophic happens there four or five times a season. Last week: No. 16

13. CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-6)

Barely hanging on against the Ravens back up QB isn’t the best look for a team trying to prove it belongs in the postseason. They’re currently outside the AFC bracket looking in, but lots could happen Saturday and Sunday to change that. They two have been hit with the Covid stick, with Baker Mayfield testing positive Wednesday along with 17 of his teammates. Last week: No. 17

14. BUFFALO BILLS (7-6)

Way to step up and silence the haters there, Bills. The only way Buffalo could have been more exposed by the Bucs last Sunday was if their OnlyFans was hacked. I don’t think this team is even making the playoffs. Last week: No. 10

15. MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-7)

The Dolphins are still in the playoff hunt in the AFC thanks to a wide open Wild Card scrum, but they can’t afford to take another loss. Luckily this week they host the New York Jets so they won’t have to. Last week: No. 18

16. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-7)

A week after falling to the Detroit Lions, the Vikings decided to show up to play the Pittsburgh Steelers. In doing so, they’ve kept their own postseason hopes alive while dealing serious damage to Pittsburgh’s. If there was ever a week for Kirk Cousins to remain ensconced in his Tupperware, this is it with Covid numbers in the league rising every day. Last week: No. 19

17. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-6-1)

The Steelers let the Vikings derail their playoff plans last Thursday, but had an extra few days to prepare to get right back on the tracks with a win over the Titans Sunday. Last week: No. 13

18. DENVER BRONCOS (7-6)

In spite of pretty much every move they’ve made with their roster recently, the Broncos remain in the AFC playoff hunt. They face a de facto playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday to stay there. Last week: No. 19

19. CINCINNATI BENGALS (7-6)

The Bengals and Bills have the same record and are pretty much the same team at this point. A squad that came out hot, but seems to wilting under the pressure of the stretch. Last week: No. 14

20. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (6-7)

The Eagles come out of their bye still a contender in the NFC’s Wild Card pile up. They could sneak into the bracket this week with a win and a Vikings loss. Last week: No. 21

21. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (6-7)

For the Eagles to do that, they’ll have to knock out the current No. 7 seed — the WFT. After last week’s utter humiliation on their home field at the hands of the Cowboys, a team whose inept head coach guaranteed a victory beforehand no less, I don’t have a lot of hope that Washington can keep it. Week 14: No. 15

22. ATLANTA FALCONS (6-7)

Like the Eagles, the Dirty Birds can sneak into the bracket with a victory and an assist. In their case, they need the Bucs to beat the New Orleans Saints (not a hard ask) and the Bears to take down the Vikings (significantly tougher to count on). And the win that would even keep them in the mix over the 49ers would be a legit accomplishment on its own. Last week: No. 25

23. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (6-7)

The wheels are finally completely detached from the Raiders’s bus now, which was to be expected. The fact they’ve managed to win a game over the last month, let alone take one over the Cowboys, was an accomplishment in itself. It’s time to blow up this team and start over. Start with Mike Mayock and it wouldn’t hurt to give Derek Carr a new place to play too. Last week: No. 20

24. CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-8)

While the Panthers are still mathematically alive in the NFC playoff race, realistically it’s probably not happening. So here on out I’m just rooting for the strongest possible finish for Cam Newton and the team in hopes they can remain consciously coupled in the coming years. Last week: No. 21

25. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (5-8)

Like the Panthers, the road for a Seahawks postseason berth seems impassible, but they can still finish strong. A win over the Rams, a team that’s consistently had their number Sunday, could do a lot to set this team up for a solid postseason. And it might be Russell Wilson’s last chance to do it with Seattle. Last week: No. 23

26 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-8)

Speaking of a Russell Wilson trade, the Saints would be an ideal destination for the former Super Bowl winning quarterback and allow Sean Payton to work the magic he did with Drew Brees for the last decade. Last week: No. 24

27. CHICAGO BEARS (4-9)

The Bears put up a fight, but ultimately couldn’t keep it rolling for four quarters against the Packers, which is pretty much the story under Matt Nagy this season. There won’t be a Matt Nagy story next season. Last week: No. 26

28. NEW YORK GIANTS (4-9)

The Giants are on the verge of taking their biggest “L” of the 2021-22 season and that’s keeping Joe Judge as their head coach. The man has shown absolutely no reason for New York to continue employing him. I can’t remember the last coach in Judge’s position, a Matt Patricia, Dan Quinn or Jay Gruden, that was worth keeping the following year. They are setting up their 2022 campaign up to fail. Last week: No. 27

29. NEW YORK JETS (3-10)

While the Jets are no worse than the Giants, at least they broke the seal on a new coach last season, hiring Robert Saleh. There’s no way to tell what kind of job Saleh is doing this year as New York has one of the weakest rosters in the sport. It’s too bad his coaching destiny could be tied to Zach Wilson, because I pegged that kid as a guy that will get a head coach fired in the preseason and have not changed my mind. Last week: No. 29

30. DETROIT LIONS (1-11-1)

Now that they’ve gotten the lone victory, the Lions don’t need to win another game. With the Cardinals coming to town Sunday, they have very little to worry about. Last week: No. 30

31. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-11)

Urban Meyer is in his first year as an NFL head coach and it should be his last. Anything outside of firing him outright shows that Shad Khan should be forced to sell the team. Last week: No. 31

32. HOUSTON TEXANS (2-11)

Speaking of organizations that should be blown to pieces, every single person associated with the Houston Texans should be fired. The fact that they managed to win two games is probably the most surprising thing that’s happened in the 2021 NFL season. This team was built for 0-17 and didn’t get it done. But, hey, there’s always next year. Last week: No. 32

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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