Cowboys, Ravens, And Seahawks On The Rise
The NFL playoff picture is so convoluted at the moment that you’d waste a lot of man hours trying to figure out each and every playoff scenario here as we are entering the month of December.
How wild and crazy is the playoff picture? Well for one, the NFC East may not need a team with a winning record to win it while the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns actually have something to play for over the final five weeks.
In short, every game from here on out is critical for teams in the hunt, and a number of those teams will be squaring off with each other over the final five weeks of the season.
In this week’s power rankings I will be evaluating every team in the situation of playing “spoiler” over the final five weeks of the season, seeing exactly which teams can affect wildcard contenders as well as playoff contenders vying for divisional supremacy, a first round bye and home-field advantage.
Let’s begin!
1. New Orleans Saints (10-1)
The New Orleans Saints could ruin the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers playoff chances. Dallas is leading the NFC East, but could still get in as a wildcard with nine or 10 wins.
2. Los Angeles Rams (10-1)
The Los Angeles Rams could effectively end the Detroit Lions playoff hopes this Sunday at Ford Field while also spoiling the Philadelphia Eagles’ in Week 15, as Philadelphia remains in the hunt for the NFC East or a wildcard.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-2)
The Kansas City Chiefs could spoil the Seattle Seahawks chances at a wildcard spot with a victory over them in Week 16.
4. Chicago Bears (8-3)
To the joy of Chicago fans, the Chicago Bears could spoil the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings chances at wildcard spots. Minnesota, however, is still in well play for the NFC North.
5. New England Patriots (8-3)
The New England Patriots will have a chance to spoil the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills’ chances at the postseason. Two of those games are at home where they are undefeated.
6. Houston Texans (8-3)
The Houston Texans have an important game in two weeks with their AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts. Winning that game not only dents Indianapolis’ chances of a AFC South title, but also a wildcard.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3-1)
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a chance to dent Cincinnati’s playoff hopes at home in Week 17, but with Andy Dalton lost for the rest of the season, they may not have to. There’s also some team coming to town in Week 15.
8. Los Angeles Chargers (8-3)
The Los Angeles Chargers will have plenty of opportunities to play spoiler with three games remaining vs wildcard contenders, but the game they most are looking forward to is Week 17 at Denver where they can exact revenge for a Week 11 loss in Carson, California.
9. Dallas Cowboys (6-5)
The Dallas Cowboys will have the opportunity to spoil the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts seasons. Both teams are in the hunt for their divisions.
10. Minnesota Vikings (6-4-1)
The Minnesota Vikings will have an opportunity to spoil Seattle’s season in Week 14 when they make the trip to the Pacific West.
11. Baltimore Ravens (6-5)
The Baltimore Ravens will have a chance to play spoiler in Week 16 vs the Los Angeles Chargers. Consider that Los Angeles has games with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs before, and this may be a pressure packed situation for the Chargers.
12. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)
The Indianapolis Colts can play spoiler vs the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans. Tennessee may be out of the hunt for a wildcard by the time that Week 17 matchup takes place.
13. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
The Seattle Seahawks have a pivotal matchup with the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14, one in-which they’ll have an opportunity to leapfrog Minnesota in the playoff race while hurting Minnesota’s playoff chances.
14. Carolina Panthers (6-5)
The Carolina Panthers will have an opportunity in Week 16 to potentially ruin the Atlanta Falcons wildcard chances, but it may not be necessary with Atlanta’s upcoming schedule. They also have two games remaining with New Orleans in which they could keep New Orleans from home-field.
15. Washington Redskins (6-5)
If Washington wants any chance at the NFC East, they’ll have to beat the Philadelphia Eagles at least once. They’ll have two opportunities to do so, with one loss doing harm for Philadelphia’s playoff chances.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (5-6)
The Philadelphia Eagles will have a chance to ruin the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins playoff chances. They have a total of three games vs those teams over the final five weeks of the season.
17. Tennessee Titans (5-6)
The Tennessee Titans have a chance to spoil Indianapolis and Washington’s playoff hopes. They’d most likely need to beat Indianapolis in Week 17 to make the postseason.
18. Denver Broncos (5-6)
The Denver Broncos can spoil one of their AFC wildcard competitors season next week when they face the Cincinnati Bengals, and then in Week 17 when they host the Los Angeles Chargers.
19. Cleveland Browns (4-6-1)
The Cleveland Browns are a dangerous team that over their final five games will have the opportunity to spoil playoff contenders vying for a division title or a wildcard spot seasons. All five of their remaining opponents, which include the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers, are in the hunt.
20. Green Bay Packers (4-6-1)
Green Bay may not get into the postseason even if they run the table, but if they do, they could potentially ruin Chicago’s chances at a division title with a win at Soldier Field in Week 15.
21. Miami Dolphins (5-6)
Miami has little margin for error at this point of the season, and mathematically they can derail the Bills faint postseason chances next week. They also can negatively affect New England’s playoff standing with a victory over them in Week 14.
22. Atlanta Falcons (4-7)
The Atlanta Falcons are on the verge of missing the postseason, and if they do, they’ll have a chance to keep the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers on the outside with them.
23. Detroit Lions (4-7)
Detroit is another team a loss away from being virtually eliminated from the postseason picture. As much as that saddens and angers Lions fans, being a hindrance to Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings playoff chances in the final two weeks may be just what the doctor ordered.
24. Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)
The Cincinnati Bengals have dropped five out of their past six games, and with Dalton lost, perhaps keeping Pittsburgh from a first-round bye and Los Angeles and Denver from the postseason can serve as consolation prizes for a team unlikely to make the postseason.
25. Buffalo Bills (4-7)
The Buffalo Bills are unlikely to win out to and get help to make the postseason, but they could do damage to Miami’s playoff chances, with games against them in Week 13 and Week 17.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can potentially keep New Orleans from the number one seed in the NFC playoffs while hurting a number of other playoff hopefuls chances.
27. New York Giants (3-8)
The New York Giants have remaining games against the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins. All three of those teams are vying for division titles.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8)
The Jacksonville Jaguars have five remaining games against teams in the playoff hunt, three of those happen to be divisional rivals.
29. New York Jets (3-8)
The New York Jets have four remaining games against teams vying for a playoff spot, they could keep New England from a first round bye with an improbable upset in Week 17.
30. San Francisco 49ers (2-9)
The San Francisco 49ers play the Seattle Seahawks twice over the final five weeks of the season and the Los Angeles Rams once. They could damage Los Angeles’ chances at the first round bye or hurt Seattle’s at a wildcard spot.
31. Arizona Cardinals (2-9)
The Cardinals can do significant damage to the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks playoff chances with road victories. They also wouldn’t mind keeping Los Angeles from a first round bye.
32. Oakland Raiders (2-9)
The Oakland Raiders have the Kansas City Chiefs twice over the final five weeks of the season, as well as matchups with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos. They could shake up the playoff picture with wins over the the first two teams mentioned.
What are your thoughts on this week’s NFL power rankings? Leave your comments below!