NFL Power Rankings: Where 49ers sit after beating Commanders originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Christmas Weekend delivered some presents to NFL playoff hopefuls while leaving others clinging to life.
Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Mike Tomlin can’t be killed. Tua is sinking the Dolphins, the Lions threw up on themselves in Carolina, and the Patriots just can’t get out of their own way.
Meanwhile, Brock Purdy guided the 49ers to an eighth straight victory with a 37-20 victory over the Commanders.
Here’s where each team stands with two weeks remaining in the regular season:
32. Denver Broncos (4-11): Let’s ride … to the dump.
31. Houston Texans (2-12-1): Lovie Smith isn’t really going to fumble the No. 1 overall pick. Is he?
30. Arizona Cardinals (4-11): Sean Payton is apparently assembling some sort of coaching avengers group for his next stint. Could that be in Arizona with Kyler Murray?
29. Chicago Bears (3-12): Two more losses and a win by the Texans, and the Bears are staring at what could be a franchise-altering scenario. Land the No. 1 pick, trade it for multiple first-round selections, and set your franchise up to rise in the NFC North.
28. Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1): If the Colts decide to detonate their roster and enter a full-scale rebuild this offseason, the Bears should be burning up their phone lines. But that’s not Jim Irsay’s M.O. Jim Harbaugh in Indianapolis still feels like a good bet.
27. Atlanta Falcons (5-10): Desmond Ridder might not be it. I don’t think Arthur Smith is, either.
26. Cleveland Browns (6-9): The Browns are lucky Russell Wilson has been a one-man dumpster fire in Denver. Otherwise, everyone would focus on how bad Deshaun Watson has looked since his return. At least Cleveland only sacrificed $250 million and their organizational reputation on him. Small potatoes.
25. Los Angeles Rams (5-10): Baker Mayfield has a 98.9 passer rating since joining the Rams. With good coaching and a strong system, he’s an above-average NFL starter.
24. New Orleans Saints (6-9): The Saints are giving their all for Dennis Allen. Whether or not that’s good for the franchise’s long-term health remains to be seen.
23. Tennessee Titans (7-8): Tennessee has been abysmal for more than a month, and now the Titans are without Ryan Tannehill. Whether their season ends in Week 18 or the Wild Card Round, the Titans’ 2022 run is coming to a close.
22. Carolina Panthers (6-9): Carolina could have used the current version of Baker Mayfield earlier in the season. Maybe Ben McAdoo was the problem.
21. Las Vegas Raiders (6-9): The Raiders have to make a decision about Derek Carr and his future with the team this offseason. It won’t be an easy choice.
20. New England Patriots (7-8): For years, the Patriots’ mantra was “Do Your Job.” Now, New England’s best players are trying to do too much, and it’s cost the Pats in back-to-back weeks.
19. Seattle Seahawks (7-8): At least Pete Carroll won the Russell Wilson debate.
18. Washington Commanders (7-7-1): With a playoff berth hanging in the balance, the Commanders need an injection of life at quarterback. Not sure Carson Wentz qualifies.
17. New York Jets (7-8): The Zach Wilson era in New York is over. There’s no coming back from getting benched for Chris Streveler.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8): I could say the Bucs are a team no one wants to face in the playoffs, but that would be lying.
15. Detroit Lions (7-8): The Lions got run over by the Panthers on Christmas Eve. A very Lions Christmas.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-8): Where was this Steelers defense during the first eight games of the season?
13. New York Giants (8-6-1): Daniel Jones has to be nearly perfect for the Giants to win games. That has been a rare occurrence during the second half of the season.
12. Miami Dolphins (8-7): The Dolphins are imploding before our eyes. Not sure the man Twitter dubbed “Tua TurnTheBallOvah” can right the ship.
11. Green Bay Packers (7-8): Everything the Packers needed to happen to keep their playoff hopes alive did in Week 16. The NFC should have killed Aaron Rodgers when it had the chance.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8): Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields turned out to be head and shoulders above the rest of the 2021 QB class. Who could have seen that coming?
9. Baltimore Ravens (10-5): Tyler Huntley’s agent put in overtime during the holiday week, making sure everyone knew his client was the fourth Pro Bowl alternate quarterback for the AFC. If that doesn’t tell you we should stop talking about “snubs,” then nothing will.
8. Minnesota Vikings (12-3): Kirk Cousins has eight fourth-quarter comebacks this season. Maybe he’s not so … ah, forget it.
7. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6): The Chargers just need to beat Nick Foles to clinch a playoff berth. What could go wrong?
6. Dallas Cowboys (11-4): The Cowboys needed to find a way to beat Gardner Minshew on Saturday to maintain the mirage that they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Mission accomplished?
5. San Francisco 49ers (11-4): Kyle Shanahan might have finally found the quarterback of his dreams in Brock Purdy.
RELATED: Grading 49ers’ offense, defense in win over Commanders
4. Buffalo Bills (12-3): The Bills eventually pulled away from the Bears, but Josh Allen still doesn’t seem 100 percent right. That’s an issue since there’s no room for error in the loaded AFC.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (12-3): Jalen Hurts has been phenomenal, but Patrick Mahomes is the MVP. Not sure it should be close.
2. Cincinnati Bengals (11-4): Joe Burrow won’t apologize for winning. Nor should he. The defending AFC champs have rounded into form at the perfect time.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-2): The Eagles were the better team Sunday in Dallas, even without Jalen Hurts, but mistakes cost them against the Cowboys. No matter. As long as Hurts is behind center come playoff time, the Eagles are the NFC frontrunner.