NFL power rankings: Steelers still No. 1 after Wednesday win

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-0) | Last week’s rank: 1

Coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers gave a “junior varsity” performance in the victory Wednesday afternoon over the Ravens in a game postponed three times. But it was enough for the Steelers to remain unbeaten, although the loss of LB Bud Dupree to a potential season-ending knee injury was costly.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) | Last week’s rank: 2

Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill put up huge numbers in the triumph at Tampa Bay. The Chiefs are giving the Steelers no margin for error in the race for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

3. New Orleans Saints (9-2) | Last week’s rank: 3

The Saints are 2-0 with Taysom Hill filling in for Drew Brees after Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 last season as Brees’s stand-in. Coach Sean Payton knows how to make this backup-QB thing work. Of course, the Broncos’ QB shortage Sunday helped quite a bit in this case.

4. Tennessee Titans (8-3) | Last week’s rank: 5

The magnitude of the turnaround against the Colts, from a 17-point loss 17 days earlier to a 19-point victory Sunday, was striking. It does feel as if the Titans are the class of the AFC South and the first game against the Colts, rather than the rematch, was the aberration.

5. Green Bay Packers (8-3) | Last week’s rank: 6

Aaron Rodgers was terrific Sunday night against the Bears, and the Packers all but wrapped up the NFC North title. But there’s no reason to celebrate too much about that, even when it becomes official. The goals are much larger.

6. Seattle Seahawks (8-3) | Last week’s rank: 8

The defense is playing a bit better, although just about anyone can shut down Carson Wentz and the Eagles these days. The pass rush has improved greatly since Carlos Dunlap’s arrival. If that can be sustained and the running game can be reasonably productive to help Russell Wilson and those receivers, the Seahawks’ Super Bowl chances are as good as anyone’s in the NFC.

7. Buffalo Bills (8-3) | Last week’s rank: 9

The Bills returned from their bye week and rebounded from the pre-bye loss to the Cardinals with Sunday’s triumph over the Chargers. Few are paying much attention to the Bills. The Steelers and Chiefs clearly are the AFC’s leading powerhouses. But the Bills will be a tough out in the playoffs, no matter the opponent.

8. Cleveland Browns (8-3) | Last week’s rank: 10

The Browns have secured their first non-losing season since 2007. One more victory gives them a winning season. Few would have expected that much progress in Year 1 for Coach Kevin Stefanski. This is the team that everyone thought the Browns would be last season.

9. Miami Dolphins (7-4) | Last week’s rank: 15

Ryan Fitzpatrick filled in capably at QB for injured rookie Tua Tagovailoa in Sunday’s routine win over the Jets. But make no mistake: This needs to be Tagovailoa’s team, both now and moving forward, whenever he’s healthy enough to play. Coach Brian Flores seems to recognize that.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) | Last week’s rank: 11

The Buccaneers have looked less and less like a Super Bowl-worthy team, but analyst Tony Romo ended the CBS broadcast Sunday by saying he thinks there’s a chance the Chiefs-Bucs game was a Super Bowl preview. Will Romo be prescient again?

11. Indianapolis Colts (7-4) | Last week’s rank: 4

The usually sturdy defense was a no-show Sunday against the Titans, and the Indianapolis offense is not built to go out and outscore an opponent of that caliber. The Colts have to be able to win with their defense and with QB Philip Rivers managing the game on offense.

12. Los Angeles Rams (7-4) | Last week’s rank: 7

That was a stunning loss to the 49ers. Maybe the Rams aren’t worth trusting after all.

13. Arizona Cardinals (6-5) | Last week’s rank: 12

Kyler Murray has not looked like the same player since he suffered that shoulder injury against the Seahawks. The loss Sunday at New England was ugly. It would be too bad if that injury proves to be the undoing of what had been shaping up as a feel-good season for Murray, Coach Kliff Kingsbury and the Cardinals.

14. Baltimore Ravens (6-5) | Last week’s rank: 13

The Ravens somehow were competitive Wednesday in Pittsburgh. If their outbreak is behind them and they can field a less-depleted lineup soon, the schedule down the stretch is not imposing and they should be able to make a push toward the playoffs.

15. Las Vegas Raiders (6-5) | Last week’s rank: 14

What in the world happened with that 43-6 loss in Atlanta? The Raiders have looked like a good team at times, but maintaining that level has been an issue. Even excellent teams have bad performances occasionally. But that bad? Against a team of that caliber? Not so much.

16. New England Patriots (5-6) | Last week’s rank: 19

The Patriots beat the Cardinals in a game in which Cam Newton had 84 passing yards, threw two interceptions and had a passer rating of 23.6. Try figuring that one out.

17. New York Giants (4-7) | Last week’s rank: 20

Things are looking decidedly better with a three-game winning streak. The NFC East title is within reach. But the hamstring injury suffered by QB Daniel Jones is a problem. Is Colt McCoy good enough for the Giants to prevail even in this sorry division? And the schedule toughens considerably with the Seahawks, Cardinals, Browns and Ravens up next in succession.

18. San Francisco 49ers (5-6) | Last week’s rank: 22

19. Houston Texans (4-7) | Last week’s rank: 18

Deshaun Watson, almost entirely unnoticed, is having a tremendous season for a bad team with his 24 touchdown passes, five interceptions and 112.5 passer rating. If only he had some help.

20. Atlanta Falcons (4-7) | Last week’s rank: 23

The Falcons are capable of playing well, as they showed Sunday against the Raiders. They have been far better since the coaching change. There’s just not much left to salvage in a season following an 0-5 start.

21. Washington Football Team (4-7) | Last week’s rank: 26

Washington is on a two-game winning streak and played well during its Thanksgiving win at Dallas, even while benefiting from the Cowboys’ coaching blunders. But things get decidedly tougher from here with the Steelers, 49ers and Seahawks next on the schedule. Washington would be fortunate to manage even one victory during that stretch.

22. Minnesota Vikings (5-6) | Last week’s rank: 28

The Vikings, after a 1-5 start, have caught the Bears, who began 5-1. The Vikings are also back in the NFC wild-card chase. It has been quite a transformation.

23. Denver Broncos (4-7) | Last week’s rank: 16

The Broncos’ no-QB game went about as expected with one completion, two interceptions and a 0.0 passer rating for WR-turned-QB Kendall Hinton. To their credit, Drew Lock apologized and took responsibility for the QBs’ mask-wearing failure, and Coach Vic Fangio blamed his team’s QBs rather than complaining about the league’s decisions.

24. Carolina Panthers (4-8) | Last week’s rank: 17

Kicker Joey Slye missed a would-be game-winning FG just after Teddy Bridgewater left the field with an apparent injury. The QB said later that he had done something to his arm but was fine. It wasn’t exactly a storybook finish to Sunday’s game at Minnesota for the Panthers. But the loss is not such a big deal as long as Bridgewater is fully healthy.

25. Chicago Bears (5-6) | Last week’s rank: 21

Mitchell Trubisky kept doing Mitchell Trubisky things with his three turnovers during Sunday night’s loss to the Packers, and he clearly was not the answer to the Bears’ ongoing QB woes. But, really, did anyone expect him to be? Suddenly, Coach Matt Nagy’s job security is becoming an issue.

26. Detroit Lions (4-7) | Last week’s rank: 24

27. Los Angeles Chargers (3-8) | Last week’s rank: 25

The clock-management issues and play selection late in Sunday’s loss to the Bills intensified the focus on Coach Anthony Lynn’s job security. It’s too bad, because the Chargers are so close to being a much better team.

28. Dallas Cowboys (3-8) | Last week’s rank: 27

Mike McCarthy defended the coaching decisions made Thursday by him and his staff. He was about the only one. That was as bad a game as you will ever see an NFL coach have.

29. Philadelphia Eagles (3-7-1) | Last week’s rank: 29

So much for the notion that the Eagles would build on the success they had right before their bye week. They’re on a three-game losing streak. Some are clamoring for QB Carson Wentz to be benched, and suddenly there’s a bit more scrutiny on Coach Doug Pederson. This team should be so much better than it is.

30. Cincinnati Bengals (2-8-1) | Last week’s rank: 30

The Bengals had their chance late against the Giants before the fumble lost by fill-in QB Brandon Allen sealed their loss. But, really, none of it matters. The season essentially ended for the Bengals with Joe Burrow’s knee injury. This is all just playing out the string.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10) | Last week’s rank: 31

The firing of GM Dave Caldwell came with the Jaguars on a 10-game losing streak and staring, for now, at the No. 2 choice in the draft. That probably would mean the new GM would get to try to build around Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.

32. New York Jets (0-11) | Last week’s rank: 32

It simply hasn’t worked with Coach Adam Gase and QB Sam Darnold. Maybe Darnold will fare better elsewhere. Perhaps Gase is a better coach than he has showed in this job. But clearly it’s time to start over, and finding the right coach to replace Gase and then drafting Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence to supplant Darnold would be promising initial steps.

Source: WP