NFL Power Rankings

My current NFL Power Rankings.

I’m going to use these rankings as the order for my 2019 NFL Mock Draft during the 2018 draft season. Follow @walterfootball.

I’ve gone from WORST to FIRST, so if you don’t see reverse numbering (via Javascript), don’t worry; the 49ers and Cardinals aren’t my top teams.

Updated: Dec. 18

Arizona Cardinals (3-11) – Previously: 31.
Josh Rosen sucks now, but wait until next year when the NFL changes its rules and allows quarterbacks to have emotional support animals with them on the sidelines. Rosen will be rocking and rolling once those new rules are implemented.

Oakland Raiders (3-11) – Previously: 30.
The Raiders won their Super Bowl over the Steelers, so it’s no surprise that they didn’t show up to play Cincinnati. In fact, that Pittsburgh victory was basically the Super Bowl of all Super Bowls for them, like if you got all 52 champions together, aged down everyone to prime condition and revived deceased greats like Walter Payton, and you had a grand tournament to determine the best Super Bowl team ever, that’s what Oakland’s victory over Pittsburgh felt like. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Raiders didn’t try hard for the rest of the year.

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10) – Previously: 28.
Can you imagine what would’ve happened had the Jaguars fallen on their faces like they were supposed to when they beat the Jaguars 6-0 a few weeks ago? They’d be tied for the worst record in the NFL right now, and they’d be in prime position to draft the quarterback of their choice. Instead, they may have to move up for a signal-caller just in case another team decides to leap ahead of them.

Washington Redskins (7-7) – Previously: 32.
This is so frustrating. I wanted to bet against Mark Sanchez. That’s all I wanted for Christmas. Yet, the Redskins took that away from me, signing a competent quarterback to play over Sanchez instead. How dare they try to make the playoffs? I mean, seriously, guys, what’s more important here, my gambling addiction or a shot at the postseason? Come on!

Cincinnati Bengals (6-8) – Previously: 27.
The Bengals won by two touchdowns despite their quarterback being terrible. I guess that’s what happens when you battle a horrible team coming off its Super Bowl victory. I would not expect Cincinnati to have the same luck next week.

Miami Dolphins (7-7) – Previously: 16.
I had the Dolphins listed as underrated last week, but that was before I knew how injured Ryan Tannehill was. I also assumed Xavien Howard would play against the Vikings. Howard was out, while Tannehill continued to play poorly because he’s not healthy at all.

San Francisco 49ers (4-10) – Previously: 29.
Facebook friend Jeremy W. pointed out the following interesting stats:

The 49ers, in the past two seasons…

With Jimmy Garoppolo or Nick Mullens: 9-5
With Brian Hoyer or C.J. Beathard: 1-15

That one win, if you’re keeping track, is against Eli Manning.

New York Jets (4-10) – Previously: 26.
Idiot kicker Jason Myers screwed Jets bettors, and Robby Anderson’s drop ruined a potential game-tying drive with a couple of minutes remaining, but Jets fans have plenty to be optimistic about. Sam Darnold looked great against a tough defense, as it’s clear that he’s made great strides since he struggled in the middle of the season. Oh, and the loss also means that the Jets can preserve their great draft positioning! If they can get the Cardinals, Raiders and 49ers to lose, they’ll have a legitimate chance to land Nick Bosa.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-9) – Previously: 25.
I’d like to say something witty about the Buccaneers’ incompetence, but nothing I could write would beat what Charlie Campbell wrote about them this week. Check out the Monday Morning Draft, where Charlie absolutely rips the Buccaneers while also providing solutions on how they could fix their problems.

Atlanta Falcons (5-9) – Previously: 24.
I don’t even know if you should count Atlanta’s win over the Cardinals, as it was quite literally the same thing as grown men beating down on a whiny, spoiled rich kid crying in a safe space. Josh Rosen gave the Falcons three touchdowns with his horrible turnovers. Good grief.

Detroit Lions (5-9) – Previously: 22.
Kenny Golladay was a monster this past Sunday against Buffalo’s great pass defense, so you have to wonder where this has been all year. Seriously, what happened, Kenny? My fantasy team would like to know!

The Lions’ loss to Buffalo was perfect. Detroit helped its draft positioning, while Golladay gained some momentum and confidence for a big 2019.

Carolina Panthers (6-8) – Previously: 21.
Outside of a trick play, the Panthers didn’t score a single point against the Saints. Cam Newton injured his shoulder with 5:50 remaining in the Tampa game. Newton has been awful since then. It’s a damn crime that the Panthers covered against the Saints when they were vastly beaten in every statistical category.

Buffalo Bills (5-9) – Previously: 23.
The Bills should be 7-7 right now. They’ve outgained the previous two opponents prior to Detroit (Dolphins, Jets) by a combined 360 net yards, and they averaged more yards per play than both.

Buffalo’s victory hurts its draft status, but the team should still be in position to take the top offensive tackle in the 2019 NFL Draft, Florida’s Jawaan Taylor.

Green Bay Packers (5-8-1) – Previously: 19.
The Packers are 5-8-1 following their loss to Chicago. Again, here’s a rundown of their wins this year:

– Aaron Rodgers’ miracle comeback versus the Bears

– A win over the Bills at home

– A close call against the C.J. Beathard-led 49ers on Monday night

– A win over Brock Osweiler and the injury-ravaged Dolphins.

– A big win over the Falcons, who made mistakes on every drive, save for the first one.

Now that the Packers are eliminated from the playoffs, they should sit Aaron Rodgers for the final two weeks. He’s not healthy, and there’s no point in risking further injury. Plus, I’d love to bet against colorblind quarterback DeShone Kizer again.

Denver Broncos (6-8) – Previously: 20.
Case Keenum was given $25 million in guarantees this offseason. Just so he could throw two interceptions and heave inaccurate balls in a must-win game versus the Browns. Now that’s money well spent!

That said…

Underrated NFL Team: See why the Broncos are an underrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

New York Giants (5-9) – Previously: 17.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Giants are an underrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Minnesota Vikings (7-6-1) – Previously: 14.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Vikings are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Philadelphia Eagles (7-7) – Previously: 18.
If the Carson Wentz injury surprised you, then you haven’t paid close attention to the Eagles. This team is constantly banged up to the point that the training staff needs to be completely replaced. If you’re still not convinced, consider this video from former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho:

(Edit: YouTube deleted this video, probably on orders by owner Jeff Lurie.)

The good news is…

Cleveland Browns (6-7-1) – Previously: 15.
Can you imagine where the Browns would be now if they had fired Hue Jackson prior to the season and replaced him with someone who actually knew what they were doing? Rather than be 6-7-1, the Browns could be 8-6 at the very least right now.

Oh, and it was nice of the Browns to bring in Kobe Bryant as a motivational speaker prior to the Denver game. Bryant was able to tell the Cleveland players how to impose their will on their opponent, come through in the clutch and find good deals on jewelry after cheating on their wives.

Dallas Cowboys (8-6) – Previously: 13.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Cowboys are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Tennessee Titans (8-6) – Previously: 12.
The Titans need to beat the Redskins because I don’t think they’re defeating the Colts in Week 17. The AFC South rock-paper-scissors looks like this:

Colts dominate Titans
Titans dominate Jaguars
Jaguars dominate Colts

I’m not sure where the Texans fit in, but that’s how those three teams operate. If you don’t believe me, check out Marcus Mariota’s career record versus Andrew Luck. Mariota has never beaten Luck!

Houston Texans (10-4) – Previously: 11.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Texans are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Baltimore Ravens (8-6) – Previously: 9.
How did the Ravens not cover the nine-point spread against the Buccaneers? They had double the first downs, 28-14! I feel like if they play that game 10,000 times, the Ravens win by double digits way more often than not. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers got lucky with a couple of fluky long plays and a muffed punt.

Indianapolis Colts (8-6) – Previously: 10.
I had the Colts down as underrated last week, but I can’t give them that distinction after they shut out the Cowboys, 23-0. They’re not 23 points better than the Cowboys on their home field, but they were certainly way more than three points better. People simply couldn’t get the 6-0 Jacksonville loss out of their heads.

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5-1) – Previously: 8.
The Steelers just covered for the first time since beating the Panthers in that strange Thursday night game. I’d like to be more enthusiastic about their victory over the Patriots, but they barely beat a team despite having 10 fewer penalties. Seriously, if the Steelers are going to pay off the refs, could they at least ask the officials to make it less obvious next time?

New England Patriots (9-5) – Previously: 3.
What the hell happened to the Patriots? Tom Brady looks like a … ummm … 41-year-old. And Rob Gronkowski looks like a … ummm… broken-down player the coach tried to trade in the offseason. Maybe the loss to Pittsburgh shouldn’t have been so surprising. Then again, the officials absolutely f***ed them with some ridiculous penalties.

By the way, the Steelers, now confident after beating the Patriots for the first time in centuries, have helped the Dolphins with a new logo to commemorate the Miami Miracle:

Seattle Seahawks (8-6) – Previously: 7.
The Seahawks have played sloppily the past two weeks. I think the loss to San Francisco was a case of them looking ahead to playing Kansas City. They had a short week of prep work, and that game didn’t mean all that much to them, so I’ll let it slide.

Los Angeles Rams (11-3) – Previously: 4.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Rams are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Chicago Bears (10-4) – Previously: 5.
Congratulations to myself on the Bears winning the division. I had a 12/1 ticket on Chicago doing so. I look forward to collecting my winnings to help offset the severe losses I’ve taken for having three entries in the Supercontest!

At any rate, the Bears clearly should be ahead of the Rams. I hope they don’t get tripped up in San Francisco like everyone else has been, as I’d like to see them get the No. 2 seed over a team I’ve been calling overrated all year.

Los Angeles Chargers (11-3) – Previously: 6.
I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong. I now believe I was incorrect for putting the Chargers on the overrated list even though they – groan – barely beat the 49ers and Bengals at home Ugh.

The Chargers are now second in DVOA. Their defense, despite the injuries, did a great job on the Chiefs. Philip Rivers is playing great, and Mike Williams is coming into his own. Even the kicker isn’t screwing up! If Keenan Allen and Melvin Gordon are healthy for the playoffs, this team will be very difficult to stop.

Kansas City Chiefs (11-3) – Previously: 2.
The Chiefs seemed to be gifted a victory against the Chargers when Philip Rivers threw two interceptions in the opening half. Yet, Kansas City couldn’t put away the Melvin Gordon- and Keenan Allen-less Chargers. Sure, they held a double-digit lead for most of the evening, but they were legitimately outgained by the Chargers throughout.

Kansas City simply doesn’t seem like the same team without Kareem Hunt. Damien Williams looked like a solid replacement, but he doesn’t have the game-breaking ability Hunt possessed.

New Orleans Saints (12-2) – Previously: 1.
Tommy Lee Lewis is my new sworn enemy for ruining the Saints cover (or at least push). Then again, maybe I should blame Sean Payton. “Oh, I have Drew Brees, and Alvin Kamara, and Mark Ingram, and Michael Thomas, and Tre’Quan Smith who is a third-round pick, and Ben Watson, but nooo, let me give the ball to this Tommy Lee Lewis dude!”

Ugh. Anyway, the Saints won’t have to play outside again from this point forward. That sounds like an ideal situation.

The MVP race:

1. Drew Brees
2. Patrick Mahomes
3. Philip Rivers
4. Aaron Donald
5. Andrew Luck

Brees has pulled ahead of Mahomes again in the wake of the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers, and Philip Rivers has actually pulled a lot closer to Mahomes. It’s a three-man race at the moment.

Andrew Luck moves into the top five, as he’s playing great football after understandably beginning the year slowly.

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