NFL: WEEK 16 Power Rankings

Last week’s rankings in parenthesis

1. Patriots 11-3 (3):

Rob Gronkowski was a one-man wrecking crew with nine receptions for 168 yards in a nail-biting victory in Pittsburgh.

2. Eagles 12-2 (2):

All Nick Foles did in his first start was fire four touchdown passes to four receivers in a victory over the Giants.

3. Steelers 11-3 (1):

Loss of Antonio Brown to a partially torn calf muscle could wind up being a bigger deal than the loss to the Patriots.

4. Rams 10-4 (4):

They’re very close to snapping the third-longest playoff drought at 12 seasons. It has been a remarkable season for Sean McVay.

5. Saints 10-4 (5):

Ton at stake in the NFC South when they face the Falcons for the second time in three weeks Sunday.

6. Panthers 10-4 (6):

Players should be largely shielded from the mess that encircles owner Jerry Richardson, who will sell the team after the season.

7. Vikings 11-3 (7):

Week 17 finale against the Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium could have huge meaning if the NFC’s No. 1 seed is at stake.

8. Jaguars 10-4 (8):

They’ve secured their first playoff berth since 2007, ending the fourth-longest drought.

9. Chiefs 8-6 (12):

They re-established the running game, and all of a sudden everything looks good again.

10. Falcons 9-5 (9):

They were able to grind out a victory Monday night in Tampa Bay, but Matt Ryan wasn’t particularly sharp.

11. Seahawks 8-6 (10):

After defeating the Eagles, they were beaten up in Jacksonville and routed at home by the Rams.

12. Ravens 8-6 (13):

With the Colts and Bengals at home the next two weeks, it looks like John Harbaugh will steer his team into the playoffs.

13. Cowboys 8-6 (15):

Ezekiel Elliott returns in the nick of time with a slight chance at a playoff run still alive.

14. Chargers 7-7 (11):

Four-game winning streak was snapped with a dud performance in Kansas City, and now the dream is a long shot.

15. Lions 8-6 (16):

Cornerback Darius Slay has developed into one of the best in the league, and the Bears saw why Saturday.

16. Titans 8-6 (14):

Back-to-back road losses in Arizona and San Francisco have reduced their margin for error, and now they face the Rams.

17. Bills 8-6 (17):

Slim playoff hopes remain alive, but they’ll have to go to Foxborough and upset the Patriots this week.

18. Packers 7-7 (20):

It makes sense to let Brett Hundley start the remainder of the season nowthat a playoff bid is out of reach.

19. Raiders 6-8 (19):

Derek Carr is the latest example of why stretching out with the ball and reaching for the pylon is a bad idea.

20. Redskins 6-8 (22):

Kirk Cousins needs two modest performances to hit 4,000 passing yards for the third consecutive season.

21. Dolphins 6-8 (18):

Jay Cutler followed a brilliant outing against the Patriots with a complete dud in Buffalo. Kind of the story of his career.

22. Cardinals 6-8 (21):

They haven’t scored a touchdown since the second quarter of a loss to the Rams three weeks ago.

23. 49ers 4-10 (23):

Jimmy Garoppolo has the leverage now. The 49ers could have saved big if they had extended him at the time of the trade.

24. Broncos 5-9 (24):

Brock Osweiler played well in a victory over the Colts, but the Broncos will look at 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch.

25. Jets 5-9 (25):

A divorce this offseason with defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson is imminent.

26. Buccaneers 4-10 (28):

Jameis Winston played well Monday with three touchdown passes, but injuries added up to sting the Bucs.

27. Bears 4-10 (26):

They’ll go for the AFC North crown Sunday when they host the winless Browns. How in the world did they beat the Steelers?

28. Bengals 5-9 (27):

How devastating was the Monday night loss to the Steelers two weeks ago? They’ve been outscored 67-14 since.

29. Texans 4-10 (29):

Considering how well Deshaun Watson played before the knee injury, odds are Bill O’Brien will be back in 2018.

30. Colts 3-11 (30):

If you have any doubt whether Chuck Pagano will stay, consider they have squandered a halftime lead in seven losses.

31. Giants 2-12 (31):

They started the GM process by interviewing their player personnel boss, Marc Ross. Expect them to go outside, though.

32. Browns 0-14 (32):

Hue Jackson on DeShone Kizer: “I think that’s a fair question if he’ll ever get it. I think he will, but he has to keep working.”