{"id":20828,"date":"2022-01-05T22:22:16","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T22:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/?p=20828"},"modified":"2022-01-05T22:22:18","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T22:22:18","slug":"nfl-power-rankings-week-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/nfl\/nfl-power-rankings-week-18\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 18"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BY ADAM GREENE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we go into the final week of the regular season, and our first ever 17 game season, it\u2019s our next to last chance to deliver our arbitrary praise and scorn on all 32 NFL teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. GREEN BAY PACKERS (13-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the top seed already locked in for the NFC, there\u2019s no reason for head coach Matt LaFleur to let Aaron Rodgers, Devante Adams and most of his key starters see the field against a Detroit Lions team with literally nothing to lose at home. And I mean that. The Lions have locked in the No. 2 overall pick and can\u2019t move up or down, regardless of the final result of this one. Pack it in, Pack. You won\u2019t regret it. Last week: No. 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. LOS ANGELES RAMS (12-4)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the Packers have nothing to play for Sunday, the Rams do. A win automatically gives then the NFC West championship and the No. 2 seed in the NFC. It would also break a five game losing streak to the San Francisco 49ers. A loss doesn\u2019t knock LA out of the NFC West title, as the Arizona Cardinals would still have to beat the Seattle Seahawks, but this \u201cAll In\u201d team can\u2019t back into the playoffs on a loss against a team they have the roster to dominate. A defeat to the 49ers again, in this situation, would all but end any serious Super Bowl hopes for Los Angeles. Last week: No. 3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (12-4)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bucs got a nice little scare on the road against the Jets, but what really came from that debacle was the end of the Antonio Brown experience. Tampa Bay watched their star wideout and Tom Brady bestie toss his jersey and equipment into the stands and exit the field shirtless like he was on an episode of Cops<\/em>. The Buccaneers eventually won and are playing only for seeding Sunday, but they\u2019re down to one quality wide receiver, Mike Evans, who himself isn\u2019t completely healthy as they embark on their Super Bowl defense. Last week: No. 4<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. TENNESSEE TITANS (11-5)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Titans stumbled into the top seed in the AFC when the Kansas City Chiefs took a tumble in the final seconds against the Cincinnati Bengals. They have to win Sunday to keep it, but will have reinforcements coming in the possible return of Derrick Henry from injured reserve. He probably won\u2019t play, but you can rest assured that you\u2019ll see him in a couple of weeks in the playoffs. Tennessee really needs that bye. Last week: No. 6<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-5)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A last second field goal from the Cincinnati Bengals knocked the Chiefs from the top seed and into the Wild Card round. While they\u2019ll definitely host at least one playoff game, unless the Titans fall in the Divisional Round, they\u2019ll likely have to play one on the road. Here\u2019s a fun fact: Patrick Mahomes has never played in a road playoff game in his career. Last week: No. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. ARIZONA CARDINALS (11-5)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bleeding stopped as the Cardinals picked up a big win in Dallas against the Cowboys. Arizona is already in the NFC playoffs, but a victory Sunday against the Seahawks and a Rams loss to the 49ers will land them an NFC West Championship and home playoff game. Last week: No. 8<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. DALLAS COWBOYS (11-5)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to Mike McCarthy Mike McCarthy-ing all over the place Sunday night, the Cowboys now find themselves as the No. 4 seed coming into the final week of the season. While that still means they\u2019ll have a home playoff game, it would be against those same Cardinals or the Rams. And even if they somehow get by one of those teams, their next trip would more than likely be to Green Bay to face Aaron Rodgers on two weeks\u2019 toe rest. It was a bad loss, is what I\u2019m saying. They should rest starters Saturday to prep for whatever they can come the Wild Card Round next week. Last week: No. 5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. CINCINNATI BENGALS (10-6)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A month ago, Cincinnati was completely out of the playoff bracket. Now, after a shocking last second win over the Chiefs, they\u2019re the AFC North Champions and a week and a half away from hosting a playoff game. Joe Burrow has a legit shot at winning the NFL\u2019s Comeback Player of the Year and J\u2019Marr Chase surely has Offensive Rookie of the Year locked up. Last week: No. 10<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. BUFFALO BILLS (10-6)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bills have already secured a playoff spot, but with a victory over the New York Jets Sunday, they\u2019ll secure their second consecutive AFC East Championship. They\u2019ll be the first team that\u2019s not the New England Patriots to win back to back AFC East titles since the 1990 and 1991 Buffalo Bills. Last week: No. 9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (10-6)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of the Pats, if the Bills do stumble and New England knocks off the Dolphins, then they\u2019ll be back atop the NFC East for the 18th<\/sup> time in the last 21 years. There\u2019s not a great chance of it happening and that usually means a team can rest its starters before the playoffs, but rookie QB Mac Jones needs the reps and Bill Belichick will rest when he\u2019s dead and usurping Satan as the new Lord of Hell. Last week: No. 11<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (9-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carson Wentz got off the NFL\u2019s Covid reserve list in time for kick off last week, but played like a guy that spent the five days before fighting off a deadly respiratory disease. Indy is in the postseason with a victory at the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they haven\u2019t beaten the Jags on the road since 2014. Last week: No. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (9-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jimmy Garoppolo\u2019s thumb injury has persisted and it\u2019ll likely be Trey Lance once again taking the Niners into battle against a team they\u2019ve dominated for two and a half years. Garoppolo has never lost to the Rams. Lance has never played the Rams. To add to the drama, if the New Orleans Saints win earlier in the day and San Fran loses, they\u2019re out of the playoffs. Last week: No. 13<\/strong>
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (9-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chargers control their destiny. A win over the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday puts them in the playoffs. A loss puts them on their Lay-Z-Boys. Last week: No. 15<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eagles have secured a playoff spot and all they can do Sunday is embarrass the Mike McCarthy led Cowboys. So bet accordingly. Last week: No. 16<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (9-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of a season to forget, the Raiders are alive for a postseason berth and control their own destiny to get there. All they have to do is beat the Chargers. Last week: No. 17<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

16. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-7-1)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to Ben Roethlisberger\u2019s lap of victory Monday night at Heinz Field, he\u2019s earned the chance to go out on his shield in the playoffs. All the Steelers need to make it happen is a victory over the Baltimore Ravens and for the Jaguars to upset the Colts. Last week: No. 20<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

17 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (8-8)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their QB situation may still be a mess, but the Saints can claim the final NFC Wild Card spot with a win Sunday at the Atlanta Falcons and a 49ers loss. Last week: No. 22<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

18. BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-8)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamar Jackson has a chance to play against the Steelers Sunday, but since the Ravens are playing for nothing, they might as well sit him out and get him 100 percent healthy for next year. And, while we\u2019re talking about next year, how about firing offensive coordinator Greg Roman while you\u2019re at it? Last week: No. 14<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

19. MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-8)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dolphins went from holding down a playoff spot to being instantly eliminated last week after their loss to the Titans. Now, all they can do is make sure the Patriots have no chance at another AFC East title. Last week: No. 12<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

20. CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-9)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just in case you needed one more piece of evidence that Baker Mayfield should walk the plank, you had Monday night\u2019s meltdown in a winnable game where Cleveland\u2019s defense was playing out of its mind. Last week: No. 18<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

21. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-9)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Word is that Mike Zimmer is coaching his last game for the Vikings Sunday. I\u2019m sure no one is more excited about it than Mike Zimmer. Last week: No. 19<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

22 DENVER BRONCOS (7-9)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we\u2019re talking about fired coaches, there\u2019s no reason to keep Vic Fangio\u2019s name out of the ejector seat. Denver isn\u2019t letting anything slip just yet, but whether he stays or not, there needs to be a completely new offense and new quarterback, regardless of what it costs. Last week: No. 21<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

23 ATLANTA FALCONS (7-9)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took 17 weeks but the Falcons finally proved my preseason playoff prediction wrong. All it took for me to know it would happen was watching them play in Week 1. Last week: No. 23<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

24. CHICAGO BEARS (6-10)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s like we can\u2019t stop stumbling across coaches that either will be fired or probably should be fired, which sounds about right for this section of the list. Of all the open jobs, the Bears look pretty good to me with solid playmakers on both sides of the ball and an exciting second year quarterback. I\u2019d call up Doug Pederson before the final whistle stops echoing Sunday. Last week: No. 25<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

25. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-10)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I don\u2019t think the Seahawks should \u201cfire\u201d Pete Carroll, I do think it\u2019s time for him to hang up that Microsoft Surface tablet there\u2019s no way he\u2019s learned how to use and call it a Hall of Fame career. I definitely wouldn\u2019t start a Russell Wilson-less rebuild with him at the helm. Last week: No. 27<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

26. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (6-10)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WFT is about to get a name, along with a new quarterback and, hopefully for Ron Rivera\u2019s sake, half a new roster. My money is on the Admirals, primarily because it looks like what Washington actually fumbled out in their teaser video<\/a>. Last week: No. 24<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

27. CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-11)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sam Darnold\u2019s return looked exactly like we all expected it would. Now, thanks to their trade to acquire the former first rounder, they\u2019re stuck with, at least, his contract for another year regardless of what they do at QB. And there aren\u2019t a ton of options. Last week: No. 26<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

28. NEW YORK JETS (4-12)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a nice little treat for not only putting a scare into the Bucs, but helping end Antonio Brown\u2019s stint with the defending Super Bowl Champions, I\u2019ve bumped them up a spot. Enjoy it, fellas. Last week: No. 29<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

29. HOUSTON TEXANS (4-12)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will David Culley survive the offseason coach purge? And does anyone outside of the Texans offices care? And who would even want this job with its own Jim Jones helping run the team<\/a>? Last week: No. 28<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

30. NEW YORK GIANTS (4-12)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t want to say that Joe Judge is on crack, but this rant to the media<\/a> after his team\u2019s latest debacle looked awful \u201ccrack-ish\u201d as Jamie Foxx used to say. Last week: No. 30<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

31. DETROIT LIONS (2-13-1)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just in time to do nothing to mess up the Lions draft position, Jared Goff looks to make his return, Considering that the Packers are playing for nothing and will likely sit their starters, this could be a good chance for Goff to up that Detroit record and make us all some money in the process. Last week: No. 31<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

32. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-14)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The great thing about the Jaguars potentially hiring Jim Caldwell as their next head coach is, when he\u2019s garbage and the team is garbage, then no one in either the NFL or in NFL punditry that will ever bring up Jim Caldwell as an NFL head coach ever again. This is the kind of mess you have on your hands when you refuse to fire one of the worst general managers (Trent Baalke) in professional sports. On the plus side, these No. 1 overall picks will look great in Rams uniforms in a couple of years. Last week: No. 32<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NFL season is rolling along and the Week 18 Schedule is up and taking bets at BetOnline.AG<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect with us our socials on Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> for the latest sports news, viral moments, betting odds and the occasional memes.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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