What is wrong with Pittsburgh? Three straight losses and a totally anemic offense, including a completely ineffective ground game, is spiraling this team into a hole. Once the leading candidate for the top seed, they need the Chiefs to lose TWICE to even have a chance at it, and now both the Browns and Ravens are nipping at their heels for the division title. Fortunately the top four power teams had established a large lead over the rest of the pack, or the Steelers would have dropped further this week.
Team Power Rankings [Last week's position]
1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1) [1] : Their defense kept Drew Brees at bay for most of the game, and Patrick Mahomes still showed his ball magic.
2. Green Bay Packers (11-3) [3] : The leading candidate for the NFC top seed, the Packers continue to win despite some injury concerns.
3. New Orleans Saints (10-4) [2] : The return of Drew Brees didn't quite go as planned, but things were looking good in the fourth quarter. A precursor of things to come?
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) [4] : A team definitely self-destructing
5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5) [6] : With the fall of the Steelers, the Ravens see a possible division title in their future.
6. Indianapolis Colts (10-4) [5] : It wasn't easy against the Texans, but the Colts continue to win
7. Miami Dolphins (9-5) [8] : They can't win the division, but a playoff spot seems within their grasp. Tua is doing quite well, and firing up this team.
8. Buffalo Bills (11-3) [9] : Now in line for the second seed in the conference, and capturing their first division title in the 2000's, this team does nothing but win.
9. Tennessee Titans (10-4) [12] : A truly impressive performance this week, the Titans contain to stay atop the division despite pressure from the Colts.
10. Seattle Seahawks (10-4) [10] : They escaped against Washington, but consistency is still a problem for them.
11. Los Angeles Rams (9-5) [7] : Geez, they lost to the Jets! 'Nuff said.
12. Tampa Bay Bucs (9-5) [11] : Their defense gave up too many big players to Matt Ryan and the Falcons
13. Arizona Cardinals (8-6) [13] : They held back the Eagles, but their defense showed some holes
14. Cleveland Browns (10-4) [14] : Nice dominant performance over the Giants, and another Steelers loss puts the AFC North title in reach.
15. Chicago Bears (7-7) [17] : Wonderful offensive performance lands the Bears within range of the seventh playoff spot.
16. Washington (6-8) [15] : They still lead the NFC East as everyone but the division-trailing Cowboys lost
Divisional Power Rankings [Last week's position]
1. AFC North [2] : Despite the Steelers' collapse, the division impresses with Cleveland, Baltimore, and now Cincy
2. NFC West [1] : Just a half-point behind is the NFC West, which was hurt by the Rams' loss to the previously winless Jets
3. NFC South [3] : The Saints may have lost, but once the rust came off Drew Brees he looked as sharp as before. Both the Bucs and Falcons impressed this week.
4 (tie). NFC North [4] : Nice performances from everyone except the Lions
4 (tie). AFC East [5] : The Jets won, which means the worst performance of the week was from... New England?
6. AFC South [6] : The Titans and Colts continue to battle for the lead, while the other two teams are not too competitive.
7. AFC West [7] : The Raiders are out of playoff contention, so the Chiefs are carrying the entire division.
8. NFC East [8] : Not a great week, but all teams remain in contention for the division title
Divisional and playoff races
AFC: The Chiefs remain on top, and clinch the top seed with a win. Buffalo clinched the AFC East, and the Patriots will miss the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. The playoff teams are nearly set. Wins by the Browns, Titans, and Colts clinch the playoffs for them. The Ravens find themselves as the first team out, so they need to win one more game than the Dolphins.
The Steelers clinch the AFC North with one more win. Both the Ravens and Browns would need to win out, and the Steelers lose their remaining games, to stand a chance. The Ravens hold the tiebreaker over the Browns, so they hope the Browns lose one game in the next two weeks.
NFC: The Saints and Seahawks clinched playoff berths this week. No new division titles are set. The Bucs, Rams, and Cardinals clinch the playoffs with one more win. The Bears need to win out AND hope the Cardinals lose a game, or the Bucs lose two games. The Saints clinch their division with a win. Washington clinches with a win AND a Giants loss. The Giants clinch if they win out and Washington loses one game. The Seahawks clinch with a win AND Rams loss. The Rams would need to win out and have Seattle lose a game. The Cardinals need a minor miracle to win the division.
Week 16 picks
What's this? No Thursday night game? Nope. And with the Hawaii Bowl cancelled, go enjoy a football-free Christmas Eve with your family.
Friday
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints : Drew Brees shook off the rust in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs and nearly engineered a brilliant comeback. He won't need to come back in this game, as the Saints should lead nearly the whole game. SAINTS, 28-17
Saturday
Tampa Bay Bucs at Detroit Lions : The Lions would like to play spoilers, but Tom Brady has a history of laser-focus when playing for a playoff berth. I really doubt the Bucs will lose this game, and the Bucs will advance to the playoffs. BUCS, 30-23
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals : The Cards need this win to keep pace in the playoff race, and I think they'll get it. 49ers QB Nick Mullens has not been playing well, and now C.J. Breatherd will take his place under center. That won't help. CARDINALS, 27-17
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders : On paper, the Dolphins should win this game easily. However, rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa is actually a weakness in this game. Raiders coach Jon Gruden will create a scheme to confuse the young player, who hasn't yet accumulated enough experience to recognize subtle defensive shifts. The Dolphins might fall behind, and if Coach Flores keeps him in there, they may not come back. His best bet? Bring in Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Raiders could win this game, but with the playoffs on the line, let's see if they do bring in Fitzpatrick to help win. DOLPHINS, 27-23 (if Fitz plays), RAIDERS, 23-20 (if not)
Sunday early games
Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs : The Chiefs defense will keep Matt Ryan and company in check, and the Falcons can't stop the Mahomes magic. CHIEFS, 31-17
Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars : Beating the Vikings last week was a tremendous boon for the Bears. Not only did they rejuvenate the defense, but they get an easy game this week to keep them in playoff contention for one more week. BEARS, 27-13
Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans : Ryan Findlay took over field generalship of the Bengals and engineered an upset of the Steelers, but he was helped by the still-sputtering Steelers offense. Overcoming the Texans defense will be another matter entirely. TEXANS, 27-24
Cleveland Browns at New York Jets : Can the Jets make it two in a row? Not against the Browns defense. BROWNS, 23-13
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers : The Steelers still haven't figured out the problems on offense, especially their anemic running game (traditionally a Steelers strong point). That will be devastating against the Colts, who aren't having any problems on offense. COLTS, 27-17
New York Giants at Baltimore Ravens : Another one-sided game, as the struggling Giants offense has to face the stingy Ravens defense. RAVENS, 27-13
Sunday late games
Carolina Panthers at Washington [Will someone come up with a contest to name this team?] : Washington didn't look too bad against Seattle last week. Even Dwayne Haskins, who hasn't been able to match his Ohio State magic as a pro, had a good game. It looks like Haskins will start again, but the quarterback with the bigger issue is Teddy Bridgewater. He does not do well when he is pressured, and quarterback pressure is the specialty of Chase Young. WASHINGTON, 23-16
Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers : The weakened Chargers defense will allow the Broncos more than usual, but Denver is still more offensively-challenged than we have seen in previous seasons, and Justin Herbert has the Chargers offense rolling. CHARGERS, 30-23
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks : Will it help or hurt Seattle that the Rams lost to the Jets last week? Certainly, the Rams will want to play a great game to reverse that result, but that game also exposed some vulnerabilities that Pete Carroll and the Seahawks will be quick to exploit. This game will be close, and the Rams could pull it out, but I think their weaknesses will come under attack. SEAHAWKS, 24-20
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys : Jalen Hurts has given new life to the Eagles since he became the starter, showing the type of moves that they hoped to see more often from Carson Wentz. I think Hurts will find ways around the Cowboys defense and move into second place in the division, after a Giants loss to Baltimore. EAGLES, 27-17
Sunday night
Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers : The Packers certainly have the offense to excel over the Titans, but the Titans defense can be tough hitters, and the Packers squad is a bit thin. If too many players are taken to the locker room, the Titans might come back to win this one. PACKERS, 33-30
Monday Night Football
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots : The Bills have clinched the division, but they will not rest this week. With no bye for the number two seed, you might wonder why not. They are playing the Patriots, the team who has dominated them (and the rest of the division) for over 11 years. This is a revenge game, baby! BILLS, 28-20
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