The AFC playoff race is closer than before Week 15 started, while several NFC teams squandered opportunities to clinch playoff berths. With several top teams losing, there are plenty of shakeups in our NFL power rankings.
Week 15 is almost in the books which means there are just two more weeks until the regular season concludes and the playoff matchups are set. The Chargers and Chiefs got things started off with a thriller. The Chargers opted to go for two to win the game, and the gamble paid off as Mike Williams was wide open in the end zone.
“They busted [coverage],” Rivers told Chargers.com. “We had Travis [Benjamin] over there with [Mike Williams]. We motioned Travis and so then we had to communicate that they’re playing man coverage, and then had to communicate that they had two coming out and one coming in. It was the same play we ran when Mike had his first touchdown. We just dressed it up a bit.”
L.A.'s comeback victory means the two teams are tied atop the AFC West. The team that finishes second will not only miss out on one of the top two seeds but will end up playing on the road during Wild Card weekend. There is still plenty to be decided in the NFL playoff picture over the next two weeks.
The Rams Struggles Continue in December
It is hard to say a team with 11 wins is struggling, but the Rams have not played well in December. The once potent offense has not looked the same as the unit we saw at the beginning of the season. The Rams put up just six points against the Bears and once again struggled against the Eagles for much of the game.
Some thought the Rams' Week 14 struggles had to do with the climate, but they did not look much better back home in Los Angeles. The Rams still have a chance to secure one of the top two seeds in the NFC, but the team needs to get things figured out before the postseason if they hope to have any success when they get there.
Mitch Trubisky's Blinking Christmas Sweater Captures the Current Mood in Chicago
Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky asked the press if they preferred the Christmas lights on his sweater to be on or off. Trubisky's sweater was not the only thing shining brightly in Chicago this weekend as the Bears clinched their first playoff berth since the 2010 season. After the big victory, Trubisky noted the achievement is not a surprise to the Bears locker room even though they outperformed most people's preseason expectations.
“We know that nobody really believed in us on the outside in the preseason or even throughout the season,” Trubisky explained to the Chicago Sun-Times. “But we knew what type of team we had...When we go through adversity, we just become closer together. We make sure that it makes us better. That’s what we have done all season long.”
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No. 1 New Orleans Saints
The Saints are in the playoffs but are still competing with the Rams for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. New Orleans has an opportunity to get one step closer to home-field advantage with a win over a struggling Panthers team on Monday night. Carolina still has a chance at a Wild Card spot, so it is not a guaranteed win for the Saints, especially on the road.
Drew Brees discussed what the stretch run has been like for the Saints.
“You try to climb right, continue your climb and keep stacking the bricks so to speak," Brees said per the Saints website. "Keep building on what we have already established, what we have already accomplished and yet understanding that each game becomes the most important game, right? Just because there's so much at stake. We want to continue to play our best football and be an ascending team going to the playoffs...Yeah I mean we recognize it and that's why there is a great sense of urgency and it's great to be in a position where you control your own destiny. We don't need to be scoreboard watching, right. We focus on our stuff and all of it takes care of itself.”
The Saints have a tough remaining schedule with two games against the Panthers with a Week 16 contest against the Steelers sandwiched in between. Playing at the Superdome is one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL, so the Saints will be locked in for the rest of the season as they try to secure the NFC's top seed.
No. 2 Los Angeles Chargers
If you have not learned by now, don't count the Chargers out until the clock strikes zero. The Chargers once again pulled out a late comeback on primetime as they upset the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. The team now finds themselves in a tie with the Chiefs in the AFC West, which also happens to be the No. 1 seed in the conference.
With two games remaining, the Chiefs hold the tiebreaker in an important divisional race. The Chargers win over the Chiefs clinched a playoff spot, but there is a major difference in finishing first or second. The winner of the division will likely secure one of the top two seeds in the AFC which means a first-round bye and home field. The second place team will have to go on the road in the Wild Card round.
Philip Rivers once again showed us he still has the goods as he led a similar comeback against the Steelers just a few weeks ago. Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams was a major part of L.A.'s victory and explained how the team has become so resilient.
“This season means a lot seeing the fight in this group, it’s a group who doesn’t quit," Williams said per Chargers.com. "We had a lot of close games this year and we found ways to win. That’s the main thing. Last year, we weren’t winning those games and this year, we’re finding ways to win. You can see the fight in this group.”
The Chargers have a difficult Week 16 matchup against the Ravens then take on the Broncos in Week 17.
No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs
Just when the Chiefs thought they were about to get some breathing room in the AFC West, the Chargers mounted a comeback to stun the Chiefs at Arrowhead. The loss now ties Kansas City with Los Angeles in the AFC West and the Chiefs hold the slight edge in the tiebreaker. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid wants his team to learn from the loss in order to allow them to get better for their postseason run.
"As long as we learn from it, that's the important thing right now," Reid explained to ESPN. "You don't take anything for granted at home or anywhere else. You have to bear down. ... The best thing we can do is learn from it and make ourselves a better football team."
One positive note for the Chiefs to take away from the loss was the play of Damien Williams. The Chiefs have been searching for a running back since they released Kareem Hunt. Spencer Ware was thought to be the guy, but an injury sidelined him in Week 15. Williams averaged 4.9 yards per carry and had six receptions for 74 yards.
Kansas City will go on the road to Seattle in Week 16 for a major Sunday Night Football matchup with both teams fighting for playoff positioning in their respective conferences. The Chiefs close out the season against the Raiders in Week 17. Kansas City has had a playoff spot locked up for some time, but are now in danger of losing the division if they slip up in Seattle.
No. 4 Los Angeles Rams
The Rams' December woes continue as their comeback attempt came up short against the Eagles. Los Angeles was once thought to be a lock to get one of the top two seeds in the NFC but is now in danger of playing on Wild Card weekend if they do not turn things around soon.
Jared Goff failed to throw a touchdown pass while throwing two interceptions against the Eagles. To make matters worse, Todd Gurley suffered an injury against Philadelphia and looked to be playing through a lot of pain towards the end of the game.
The good news for the Rams is their next two games are against two teams fighting for the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. The Rams head to Arizona in Week 16 to play the Cardinals. They finish things up at home against the 49ers. As San Francisco proved in Week 15, nothing is guaranteed if you don't bring your A-game.
Despite losing to the Eagles, the Rams are still the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Another loss puts this in serious jeopardy but with their upcoming schedule chances are the Rams will get things turned around.
No. 5 Houston Texans
The Texans needed the fourth quarter to pull out a win against a struggling Jets team. It was not Houston's most impressive win, but any victory is a good one when it comes in December. The Texans are now in the lead for the No. 2 seed in the AFC, which would give Houston a first-round bye and home field in at least the Divisional Round.
It was a monster day for DeAndre Hopkins who finished with 10 receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns. After the game, Deshaun Watson spoke about his ability to stay composed despite the Texans trailing in the fourth quarter.
"The game is never over for me," Watson explained to ESPN. "The plays are never over sometimes. I just go out there with the ball in my hands, put the load on my shoulders and lead the team to victory. I've been doing that my whole life and I have to continue to do that at this level. Every game comes down to a final drive. You've got to be able to block out all the noise, lock in and try to lead the team to victory."
Houston will be favored in their final two games. The Texans go on the road in Week 16 to face the Eagles. Houston closes out the season against an underwhelming Jaguars team. Texans fans are rooting for the team to win these two games, and the Patriots to stumble to clear even more room for a top two seed in the AFC.
No. 6 Chicago Bears
While several of the NFC playoff contenders squandered their opportunities, the Bears seized the moment to clinch a playoff berth. The Packers may not be the team we are used to seeing, but defeating Green Bay to head to the postseason is still quite a feat for Chicago.
The Bears are still within reach of a first-round bye but are more likely to end up with the three seed. Chicago's defense once again came up big as Leonard Floyd and Khalil Mack both recorded multiple sacks. The Bears prevented Aaron Rodgers from throwing a touchdown. Mitch Trubisky did not put up crazy numbers but was a model of efficiency. Trubisky was 20-of-28 for 235 yards and two touchdowns.
“We came into the season striving for this," Bears safety Adrian Amos explained to the Chicago Tribune. "But you realize you have to take it step by step. … Everybody in here is loose, together, having fun. It’s been that way for a long time. And today, knowing this was a big game, nobody was stiff and uptight. It was more excitement. Loose. And when you’re loose, you can go out there and let it hang.”
The Bears made the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season. With the way Chicago's defense is playing, the Bears have an opportunity to make some noise in the postseason.
Chicago will have to go on the road for their remaining two games. The Bears face the 49ers in Week 16 who just upset the Seahawks. Chicago closes out the season against a Vikings team they could be playing the following week in the playoffs.
No. 7 Pittsburgh Steelers
Just when Steelers fans had given up hope, Pittsburgh came away with a massive victory against the Patriots. It was a game that not only gives the Steelers the momentum they need heading into their stretch run, but it may have saved their playoff hopes. Pittsburgh was in danger of losing their fourth straight game, which would have dropped them below the Ravens in AFC North.
It was not the cleanest game for Ben Roethlisberger, who finished with 235 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Roethlisberger did just enough to help the Steelers squeak out a win in a low-scoring affair.
With James Conner sidelined, rookie running back Jaylen Samuels was a revelation. Samuels rushed for 142 yards and averaged 7.5 yards per carry. The Steelers defense was able to force Tom Brady into making uncharacteristic turnovers. Joe Haden's impressive interception just in front of the Patriots goal line may have been the play of the Steelers season.
Pittsburgh still has some work to do in order to solidify their playoff aspirations. The Steelers go on the road in Week 16 to face the Saints, the top team in our NFL power rankings. Pittsburgh finishes out the season at home hosting their AFC North foes from Cincinnati.
No. 8 New England Patriots
The Patriots are showing something we are not used to seeing from Bill Belichick's team: vulnerability. It is not that New England is a bad team. Losing a close game to the Steelers is far from embarrassing. The scarier thing for Patriots fans is the dynasty is finally showing cracks in the armor.
We have seen this story before where most people write off the Patriots only to have them come back with vengeance. While you can never discount the Patriots, this team is far from the well-oiled machine we are used to seeing.
Brady has made critical errors over the last two weeks, and the lack of offensive weapons seems like it may be too much for the Patriots to overcome in the playoffs. Rob Gronkowski continued his struggles and was held to two receptions for 21 yards against the Steelers. New England squandered several red zone opportunities which played a big role in their defeat.
The good news for the Patriots is they have a favorable remaining schedule where they will be favored in both games. The Patriots will not have to leave Foxborough for the rest of December as they host the Bills in Week 16 then the Jets in Week 17.
New England's loss means they are now playing on Wild Card weekend unless they get some help from the Texans. The Patriots are far from dead, but they look as beatable as they ever have under Belichick heading into the postseason.
No. 9 Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks threw away an opportunity against a bad 49ers team to punch their ticket to the postseason. Seattle was haunted by penalties both at the end of the fourth quarter and once again in overtime. The Seahawks had 14 penalties for 148 yards, and it was too much for the team to overcome on the road.
Seattle's pass rush is starting to show shades of their defense from past years, but the offense has struggled to find consistency. The Seahawks have solidified their run game, but there are still question marks surrounding the rest of the offense. The offensive line made critical penalties and the unit as a whole still needs some work before the postseason.
Chris Carson rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown against the Niners. Carson also was active in the passing game with six receptions for 29 yards. If you do not count running backs, the Seahawks wide receivers and tight ends only had a total of nine receptions against San Francisco.
The Seahawks have what it takes to win a game or two in the playoffs, but the current roster would have its work cut out for them against teams like the Saints and Rams.
Seattle gets to stay at Century Link Field for the next two games. The Seahawks will need to lean on their home crowd as they take on the Chiefs in a big-time Sunday Night Football matchup. Seattle squares off with the Cardinals in Week 17 in a matchup where they will be favored.
No. 10 Dallas Cowboys
While there was no guarantee the Cowboys would beat the Colts, Dallas entered Week 15 in prime position to secure a playoff spot. Instead, the Cowboys offense looked dreadful as they were shutout in a blowout loss in Indianapolis. The Cowboys are still in a good position to make the postseason, but the way they lost to the Colts should be cause for concern.
The Cowboys offense has been much improved since the team traded for Amari Cooper, but the team showed it still has plenty of holes. Dallas had less than 200 yards passing against the Colts. Dak Prescott finished with a QBR of 20.4. Prescott is far from the only issue with the Cowboys offense, but Prescott has struggled with his accuracy throughout the season.
The Dallas defense also deserves part of the blame as the Cowboys allowed Marlon Mack to rush for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett believes their run defense was a big reason for the loss.
"Obviously, we didn't play well enough in any phase of our game to win," Garrett told ESPN. "We can't allow them to run the ball the way they want to run it."
Prescott noted the Cowboys struggles in the red zone have to be addressed.
“A competitor never wants to get shut out,” Prescott said per the Cowboys website. “The shutout definitely hurts. The shutout pisses you off, especially when you’re down there early in the red zone and you have opportunities to score and you don’t...We’ve just got to find a way to get in the end zone. And when you don’t, you give a team like that momentum.”
With the Bears notching another win, the Cowboys are unlikely to climb higher than No. 4 in the NFC. Dallas hosts Tampa Bay in Week 16 as they try to clinch a playoff berth. The Cowboys travel to New York to take on the Giants in their regular season finale.
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