NFL Power Rankings: Where 49ers stand after win over Seahawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The NFL’s best teams all got tested Sunday. Some passed, and others fell on their face.
The Bears gave the Philadelphia Eagles all they could handle on the lakefront, but eventually, Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown were too much for Justin Fields to overcome. Josh Allen led the Bills to an epic comeback in the snow over the Miami Dolphins. At the same time, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs narrowly escaped disaster against the Houston Texans.
The Dallas Cowboys weren’t so lucky. Jerry’s ‘Boys blew a 17-point lead to the red-hot Jacksonville Jaguars, falling 40-34 in overtime. In Tampa Bay, Joe Burrow and the Bengals scored 33 unanswered points to erase a 17-point hole of their own and deal Tom Brady another crushing defeat.
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots’ horrific blunder cost them a chance to win in Las Vegas and might be the reason they miss the playoffs this season.
Here’s where each team stands after Sunday’s Week 15 action:
32. Houston Texans (1-12-1): The Texans are just waiting to hear their name called to start the 2023 NFL Draft.
31. Arizona Cardinals (4-10): The Cardinals were bad with Kyler Murray. But they are dreadful without him or Colt McCoy under center. They are onto 2023 in the desert.
30. Chicago Bears (3-11): Matt Eberflus’ team continues to be a thorn in the side of almost every team they play, but they lack the talent and winning plays to get over the top.
29. Denver Broncos (4-10): Perhaps Broncos Country should ride with Brett Rypien going forward. Or hope to face Trace McSorley each week.
28. Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1): Jim Irsay should have tried to lock Jeff Saturday in U.S. Bank Stadium after blowing a 33-0 lead to the Vikings. Hey, at least Saturday wasn’t afraid to blow the lead. Has to mean something.
27. Los Angeles Rams (4-9): At least the Rams are interesting with Baker Mayfield on board to finish the season.
26. Atlanta Falcons (5-9): Here we start the NFC South grouping. In his NFL debut, Desmond Ridder graded himself as a C- or D. That C- is generous for a 97-yard showing.
25. New Orleans Saints (5-9): The Saints’ win Sunday guaranteed the Bears a top-four pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. A thank you card is on the way from Halas Hall.
24. Carolina Panthers (5-9): Carolina rushed for just 21 yards against the Steelers on Sunday. When Sam Darnold is your quarterback, that’s not going to get it done.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8): The Bucs puked all over themselves in blowing a 17-0 lead to the Bengals. But there’s good news on the horizon: a Christmas Day date with the corpse of the Cardinals.
22. Cleveland Browns (6-8): Deshaun Watson is slowly making strides in the Browns’ offense. That’s good news for 2023. This season is a wash unless the unthinkable happens.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8): The Steelers brutalized the Panthers in the trenches on Sunday. That should show them the path toward a return to contention in 2023.
20. Green Bay Packers (5-8): Green Bay needs to win out and have some magic happen to return to the playoffs this season. Never say never, but the curtain is about to drop on the 2022 Packers.
19. New England Patriots (7-7): Mac Jones took the blame for not tackling Chandler Jones on the Patriots’ game-ending blunder against the Raiders. That’s leadership, but it’s hard to blame the quarterback for Rhamondre Stevenson and Jakobi Meyers deciding to play pitchy-pitchy woo-woo instead of going to overtime.
18. Tennessee Titans (7-7): We thought the Titans were the best team in a bad division. It turns out neither of those things is true.
17. Las Vegas Raiders (6-8): The Raiders got bailed out by an all-time gaffe and a questionable touchdown call against the Patriots. Finally, something went the Silver and Black’s way.
16. Seattle Seahawks (7-7): Are the Seahawks even worth mentioning as a playoff contender at this point? Not really.
15. New York Jets (7-7): Zach Wilson’s return was a mixed bag Sunday. He threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Lions. But he made some bad decisions in the second half, leading to an uneven performance. Following the loss to the Lions, Wilson said he “had to be better.” Accountability is a sign of growth for the former No. 2 pick.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-8): With the stink of Urban Meyer finally washed away, Trevor Lawrence looks like the generational prospect who was promised. The Jags are a wagon that just might run over the Titans and into the playoffs.
13. Washington Commanders (7-6-1): A ticky-tack illegal formation and a non-PI call cost the Commanders a chance to tie the game against the Giants. Brutal night for the officials in D.C.
12. New York Giants (8-5-1): Kayvon Thibodeaux arrived Sunday night against Washington. One-man wrecking crew.
11. Detroit Lions (7-7): The Lions are looking more and more like a playoff team each week. The thought of Dan Campbell managing a playoff game both excites and terrifies me.
10. Miami Dolphins (8-6): Miami has now lost three games in a row and is leaking oil as the finish nears. Can Tua keep them from sinking before the playoffs arrive?
9. Baltimore Ravens (9-5): Lamar Jackson should bring the film from the Ravens’ 13-3 loss to the Browns to his next contract negotiation. Without Lamar, the Ravens have no chance.
8. Minnesota Vikings (11-3): This is the ceiling for the Vikings until they prove they aren’t fraudulent. Digging a 33-point hole against Jeff Saturday was not the way to do it.
7. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6): The Chargers are getting healthy and might be one of the most dangerous teams in the AFC come playoff time. No one wants to face Justin Herbert in a single-elimination tournament.
6. Dallas Cowboys (10-4): The Cowboys can’t be trusted in the clutch.
5. San Francisco 49ers (10-4): It’s not crazy to envision Brock Purdy holding the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season. That speaks to the incredible roster John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have built.
4. Buffalo Bills (11-3): Josh Allen looked like his old self in rescuing the Bills from a snowy loss to the Dolphins. Does he have enough in his MVP bag to wipe away decades of Buffalo misery?
3. Kansas City Chiefs (11-3): Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen have been fantastic, but Patrick Mahomes is your MVP. At least, he should be.
2. Cincinnati Bengals (10-4): Joe Burrow has two 17-point comebacks in his career. One over Patrick Mahomes and one over Tom Brady. Joe Cool is impossible to kill.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-1): The Eagles are the biggest bullies on the NFL block and should be heavy favorites to come out of the NFC. Only Brock Purdy stands in their way.