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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/NFLPowerRankers on 2024-01-02 21:00:15.
Welcome to week 17 of the official r/NFL Power Rankings! Happy New Year r/NFL! The Dolphins got a taste of their own medicine while the NFC South continues to cannibalize itself, both on the field and from the suites. Another quarterback down in Bryce Young, while Kyler Murray looks to have returned - or are the Eagles to take full credit? Can the Rams keep up their streak into the playoffs? Did Fields play well enough to team up with MHJ? Is Jordan Love for real for real? Discuss! 30/32 Reporting
| # | Team | Δ | Record | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ravens | – | 13-3 | This may well have been the best regular season game in Ravens history. On a day where early in the game the Ravens were without Brandon Stephens, Kyle Hamilton, and Marlon Humphrey the defense still found a way to contain one of the most explosive offenses in recent memory. The Dolphins, despite limited success against winning teams, had been putting it together on both sides of the ball and were coming off a pretty massive win against a very talented Cowboys team. By the time the game was over, you would have thought the Ravens were playing Florida State. Lamar Jackson tore Miami in half with 5 touchdown passes, having more TD passes than incompletions, and virtually locked up his second MVP award by the age of 26. The Ravens have now clinched the number one seed in the AFC and the road to the Super Bowl will run through Baltimore. However, if you ask Lamar or the rest of the team, they won’t be celebrating too much…. largely in part because, just like T.C Williams High School, they do in fact Remember the Titans and what happened the last time Lamar won MVP and we had the top seed in the AFC. All eyes are set on getting the banged up guys healthy now, and the countdown to January 20th begins. Big truss. -/u/TylerWadesIV | |
| 2. | 49ers | – | 12-4 | With his final pass of the game, Brock Purdy broke the team record for passing yards in a season with 4,280, doing so in only 16 games. With the win over Washington and the Eagles loss, the team has clinched the #1 seed in the NFC. What looked like it might be a candidate for game of the week is now only going to be interesting to see how long Shanahan plays the starters. | |
| 3. | Cowboys | +3 | 11-5 | For the sake of those looking, I will not be complaining about officiating this week, because Brad Allen doesn’t deserve to be talked about like he’s a professional. It would be like Rolling Stone reviewing the Tuesday night cover band at an Applebee’s in Toledo. Jimmy went into the Ring, Ceedee was redonkulous, Derrick Barnes is our MVP, and the One True Law of the NFC East looks on pace to last another year. All Dallas needs to do next week is avoid shitting their pants to play home football until at least the conference championship game. The most important step a team can take is always the next one, and that step is at FedEx field. | |
| 4. | Dolphins | -1 | 11-5 | After a disastrous 56-19 blowout in Baltimore, we head back home to face the Bills in a primetime game where the winner ends up the two seed, and the loser could find themselves in a very embarrassing situation. After losing Bradley Chubb in garbage time, we’re now down our two best pass rushers, our CB2 in Xavien Howard, and our best cover LB. We’ll also be facing a QB in Josh Allen who plays like we once held his family hostage whenever he faces us. What’s the worst that could happen? | |
| 5. | Bills | – | 10-6 | This Bills team is perpetually playing down to their competition, but they still found a way to notch an impressive fourth straight win. With that, it’s onto Sunday Night Football, and the biggest regular season game Buffalo’s had in years. A win in Miami would secure the Bills their fourth consecutive AFC division title and send them into the playoffs with a minimum of two home games. A loss, however, could likely mean elimination altogether. It’s exciting, stressful, and infuriating (given the level we’ve seen this team capable of playing at) —but it’s football. These are the moments we watch the game for. Bills fans have heard it a million times, but it never gets old: where else would you rather be than right here, right now? | |
| 6. | Lions | -2 | 11-5 | "Screw it. I’d rather beat them in the playoffs anyway, so that’s kind of my mentality." ~ Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions face the Minnesota Vikings week 18 with a slim chance of gaining the 2nd seed in the NFC if the Eagles and Cowboys both flop. The team has already stated that starters will be playing, and they are expecting key defensive players Alim McNeil and Ceedy Duce (fka CJ Gardner-Johnson) to see snaps in the season finale in preparation for the first ever Lions playoff game at Ford Field. Additionally, the return clock has been started for 2nd year edge James Houston, who will hopefully bring a jolt of energy to the recently revitalized pass rush. The Lions are getting healthy at the right time, and look for the game against Minny to be a tune-up for the first Lions postseason since 2016. | |
| 7. | Browns | +1 | 11-5 | The Browns are playoff bound. With 1/3rd of the top end payroll on IR or out, and on our fourth QB, the Browns will be a Wild Card hopeful. Starters are expected to rest in week 18 with the Ravens locking up the division. What a time to be alive. Go Browns. | |
| 8. | Chiefs | +1 | 10-6 | 8 straight AFC West Championships. Knocked the Broncos and the Bengals out of the playoffs at the same time. Redzone offense looked like hot garbage but the team was able to move the ball down the field at will. I don’t think the Chiefs are going to win the Super Bowl this year but I also don’t think they’re nearly as bad as the talking heads and Reddit would have you believe. | |
| 9. | Eagles | -2 | 11-5 | Going from 10-1 to 11-5 is never fun, but the writing was on the wall. Lucky bounces, beneficial calls, unforced errors from opponents. All of these things circled the team mid-season when the narrative was about not playing up to a standard. Now it’s clear that this is the standard: mediocre play calling that ignores the strengths of the offense, catastrophically bad situational defense, and the inability to hold onto a lead. Will this loss be the spark that turns the team around? Will we finally see the on-paper juggernaut show up on the field? Will the agony continue? Tune in next week when the Eagles play a (probably) meaningless game against the Giants to fine tune their sputtering engine before limping into the playoffs. | |
| 10. | Rams | – | 9-7 | The Rams win despite their best efforts but what really matters is that a playoff spot has been clinched, which is pretty crazy because a few weeks ago we were 6th in 2024 mock drafts. Nobody thought the Rams would do anything this year, and for the first half of the year that was seemingly correct when they sat at 3-6. They had an NFL record 14 draft picks make the 53-man roster and were favored to win just 4 games this season with the 2nd youngest team in the league. But thanks to a stellar draft class that includes ROTY candidates on both sides of the ball and Kyren Williams changing the complexion of the offense, they are now 6-1 since their bye (with a lone nailbiter road loss to the Ravens) and have a legitimate shot and making playoff noise. A historically bad ST unit will certainly rear it’s ugly head at the worst time, but by all measures, this season has been a huge success versus expectations. Despite what happens in the postseason, the Rams have all their 2024 draft picks and ~$60mm in cap space available so any bill for the 2022 Super Bowl has been officially paid. | |
| 11. | Texans | +2 | 9-7 | In his return from the concussion protocol, CJ Stroud threw for 213 and 1 TD against the Titans defense while fellow rookie Will Anderson Jr. racked up 2 sacks on only 12 defensive snaps. Now the Texans turn their sights onto a win or go home game against the Colts to close out the season. Last year, the Texans came into the final game in Indy looking to lock up the number 1 pick in the draft. This year, they return looking to clinch a playoff berth and possible division title. Win or lose next week, the turnaround that this team has done in one season is simply incredible. | |
| 12. | Jaguars | +2 | 9-7 | Through the game management of C.J. Beathard and on the legs of ETN, the Jaguars managed to top their month long skid. In doing so, they still retain control of their destiny as they head into the final week of the season. Should they continue to capitalize on some of the refound defensive fervor and continue to find ways to convert on third down vs the Titans, Jacksonville will be the AFCS team hosting a playoff. Fall short and either of the Colts or Texans will instead find themselves atop shit mountain. If ever there was a time to start a winning streak, this is it. | |
| 13. | Seahawks | -2 | 8-8 | Sunday vs. the… |
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