The wild-card race is heating up, and the most recent NFL power rankings reflect the significant moves made by advancing teams. What about the other spots now that the top three have been revealed? Here are our latest rankings.
NFL Power Rankings for Week 16: Philadelphia Eagles still has the best odds to win the Super Bowl
Read also: Week 16 Fantasy Injury Reports: Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and Dameon Pierce
32. Houston Texans (1-12-1, last week: 32)
Despite forcing overtime against the Chiefs in Week 15, nothing about the Texans’ performance this week (or any week this season) suggests they’re even close to playoff contention.
31. Chicago Bears (3-11, last week: 30)
Justin Fields had another “highlight-reel” performance in the Bears’ loss to the Eagles, and he left the game for one snap after returning limping.
30. Los Angeles Rams (4-10, last week: 29)
With their loss to Green Bay on Monday night, the Rams were eliminated from playoff contention. But that was just a formality; the reigning Super Bowl champions’ season was long over.
Read more: Fantasy Injury Reports for Week 16: Cooper Kupp, Kenneth Walker III, Treylon Burks and David Njoku
29. Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1, last week: 25)
Jeff Saturday’s Colts have now tied the NFL record for worst fourth-quarter scoring differential and blown the largest lead in league history in back-to-back games.
28. Arizona Cardinals (4-10, last week: 28)
The Cardinals are in a dark place with no clear path out of irrelevance…
27. Denver Broncos (4-10, last week: 31)
Finally, the Broncos won a game. Still, it’s difficult to be overjoyed in Denver at this point in the season, especially with the high first-round draft pick they’ve earned set to go to Seattle.
26. Atlanta Falcons (5-9, last week: 24)
25. New Orleans Saints (5-9 | last week: 27)
Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill had a successful game against Atlanta’s pass defense. Neither quarterback should be the Saints’ starter in 2023, but they were good enough to keep New Orleans in the NFC South race for at least one week.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8, last week: 22)
The Pittsburgh team that has less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs, but after a difficult season, it’s nice to see signs of progress.
23. Las Vegas Raiders (6-8, last week: 26)
22. Green Bay Packers (6-8, last week: 21)
Even after beating the Rams on Monday Night Football, the Packers have only an 8% chance of making the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight’s projections.
21. Cleveland Browns (6-8, last week: 23)
20. Carolina Panthers (5-9, last week: 20)
It’s impressive what interim head coach Steve Wilks has done to keep the Panthers motivated and competitive and alive in the NFC South since taking over for Matt Rhule 10 weeks ago
19. New York Jets (7-7, last week: 13)
The Jets are a 1.5-point underdog at home against the Jaguars on Thursday night, with Wilson expected to start again.
18. New England Patriots (7-7, last week: 15)
Even if the Patriots did not take a knee at the end of regulation and Jakobi Meyers did not literally throw the game away on an ill-advised lateral intercepted by Chandler Jones, the Patriots are still not a playoff team.
17. Washington Commanders (7-6-1, last week: 14)
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8, last week: 16)
The Buccaneers are 6-8 and unfit for the postseason, yet they have a 73 percent chance to host a playoff game because they play in the worst division in football.
15. Tennessee Titans (7-7, last week: 10)
The Titans’ playoff chances are dwindling. They’re 2-5 in their last seven games, with their only victories coming against the lowly Broncos and the struggling Packers.
14. New York Giants (8-5-1, last week: 19)
The Giants have been underdogs in all but four games this season, with a +2.75 average spread ranking seventh in the league.
13. Seattle Seahawks (7-7, last week: 11)
12. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-8, last week: 18)
Because of Lawrence’s performance, the Jaguars appear to be a more dangerous playoff team than others in the hunt with better records.
11. Detroit Lions (7-7, last week: 17)
The Lions are 6-1 in their last seven games, and with games remaining against the Panthers, Bears, and Packers, the playoffs are beginning to feel like a real possibility.
10. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6, last week: 12)
9. Miami Dolphins (8-6, last week: 8)
Three straight losses are a tough result and largely removes the Dolphins from the AFC East race, but if Mike McDaniel and Co. can take some lessons from this recent skid, Miami could be primed for a postseason run.
8. Baltimore Ravens (9-5, last week: 7)
The last few weeks have shown just how badly the Ravens need Lamar Jackson back. Without Jackson, they’re one of the worst offenses in football; with him, they’re a legitimate postseason contender. The drop-off could not be greater.
7. Minnesota Vikings (11-3, last week: 9)
This Vikings season has been hilarious. The Vikings clinched the NFC North and improved to 10-0 in one-score games after pulling off the largest comeback in league history on Saturday.
6. Dallas Cowboys (10-4, last week: 4)
5. San Francisco 49ers (10-4, last week: 6)
4. Cincinnati Bengals (10-4, last week: 5)
Sunday’s victory was one of the Bengals’ most impressive of the season. At this point in the season, only the Eagles are playing better complementary football than the new AFC North-leading Bengals.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (11-3, last week: 2)
Kansas City was caught playing with their food in Houston, but that doesn’t mean the Chiefs aren’t still one of the league’s juggernauts.
2. Buffalo Bills (11-3, last week: 3)
While the Bills defense has struggled at times recently due to injuries to Von Miller and Micah Hyde, Josh Allen has remained a superstar despite his own injury to keep the Bills atop the AFC – and that was evident as he led a game-tying drive in a snowstorm against Miami on Saturday night.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-1, last week: 1)
The Eagles won their 13th game of the season on Sunday, but it could have cost them. Jalen Hurts’s availability is in doubt after sustaining a sprained right shoulder against the Bears.
Related: The Latest Injury Reports Jalen Hurts of Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are still the NFC’s (+160) favorite to win the conference, and they only need one more win in the next three weeks to secure the top seed and a first-round bye. The Eagles will remain atop this list as long as Hurts is healthy enough to play in the postseason.
