Tag: NFL power rankings

How Week 16 win affected Chargers place in NFL power rankings

The Chargers stood steady in the NFL Power Rankings after their win over the Broncos.

The Chargers improved to 9-6 after beating the Broncos last Thursday.

After Week 16, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:

USA Today: 12 (Previous: 16)

“It took a 48-year stretch, but the Bolts have now converted the NFL’s last two successful fair catch kicks. Bummer that Bill Belichick, who enjoys an arcane football rule as much as anyone, won’t be on the sideline at Foxborough on Saturday when the Chargers visit.”

NFL: 10 (Previous: 13)

“First things first: The Chargers earned some serious nerd points from me with their fair-catch free kick. Like Jim Harbaugh, I find it to be my favorite play in football. Fair-catch free kicks come around about as often as Halley’s Comet, and they’re almost never successful, so that one from Cameron Dicker was a big yes from me, dawg. And when Justin Herbert carried his team on his back with a gutsy effort against the Broncos on Thursday — with the free-kick field goal giving them a boost heading into halftime — it reinvigorated me a bit when it comes to the Bolts, who have their flaws but remain plucky. I’m not quite convinced that the final 2.5 quarters of defense atone for everything we saw over multiple games prior to that point, but it was a much-needed start. If Los Angeles’ D can perform like that again at New England on Saturday, I’ll buy back even more shares. The Patriots don’t score a ton of points, but Drake Maye can stress the Chargers’ secondary if they’re not careful.”

ESPN: 11 (Previous: 12)

Rookie of the year: Wide receiver Ladd McConkey

“Right tackle Joe Alt and cornerback Tarheeb Still have strong cases, but McConkey has been the Chargers’ most important offensive player not named Justin Herbert. McConkey and Herbert have already become one of the league’s best quarterback-receiver pairings. Out of 34 QB-receiver combos with at least 75 targets this season, the two rank in the top five of QBR, completion percentage and yards per attempt. McConkey leads the Chargers in receptions (69), targets (94) and yards (960).”

CBS Sports: 12 (Previous: 13)

“The Chargers bounced back from the blowout loss to the Bucs with a nice division victory over the Broncos. One more victory and they are in the playoffs.”

Sports Illustrated: 12 (Previous: 14)

“Roughly 11 compensatory draft picks for Jim Harbaugh to completely overhaul the front end of this roster.”

Bleacher Report: 13 (Previous: 10)

“Watching two of the NFL’s stingiest defenses allow 55 points was a little odd, but this was an impressive gut-check win the Chargers. The run game in Los Angeles remains a question mark (this week’s stats were skewed by one long Gus Edwards run), but the Chargers play excellent defense and have the sort of high-end quarterback in Justin Herbert who can make all the difference in the world in a playoff game. The Bolts are not a team folks want to have to face in the Wild Card round.”

All 32 NFL teams (including the Broncos) ranked by FPI ratings

Going into Week 17, the Broncos have a -1.1 Football Power Index (FPI) rating from ESPN, which ranks 20th in the NFL. 

Sixteen weeks into the season, the Denver Broncos (9-6) have a -1.1 Football Power Index (FPI) rating from ESPN, which ranks 20th in the NFL.

The Cincinnati Bengals (7-8), who will host the Broncos in Week 17, are ranked 15th with a 0.3 FPI rating.

FPI is “a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season,” according to ESPN.com. “FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.”

So with that background in mind, here’s a look at how the league’s 32 teams stack up based on FPI going into Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season.

  1. Detroit Lions (13-2): 8.6
  2. Green Bay Packers (11-4): 7.2
  3. Baltimore Ravens (10-5): 6.9
  4. Buffalo Bills (12-3): 6.6
  5. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3): 4.7
  6. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1): 4.0
  7. Minnesota Vikings (13-2): 3.5
  8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7): 2.4
  9. San Francisco 49ers (6-9): 2.3
  10. Houston Texans (9-6): 1.1
  11. Washington Commanders (10-5): 1.0
  12. Los Angeles Rams (9-6): 1.0
  13. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5): 0.9
  14. Miami Dolphins (7-8): 0.7
  15. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8): 0.3
  16. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6): 0.2
  17. Arizona Cardinals (7-8): 0.1
  18. New York Jets (4-11): -0.6
  19. Seattle Seahawks (8-7): -0.9
  20. Denver Broncos (9-6): -1.1
  21. Atlanta Falcons (8-7): -1.6
  22. Chicago Bears (4-11): -1.9
  23. Cleveland Browns (3-12): -2.0
  24. Tennessee Titans (3-12): -2.1
  25. Indianapolis Colts (7-8): -2.7
  26. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12): -3.5
  27. New England Patriots (3-12): -4.2
  28. Dallas Cowboys (7-8): -4.7
  29. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12): -6.5
  30. New Orleans Saints (5-10): -7.5
  31. New York Giants (2-13): -8.7
  32. Carolina Panthers (4-11): -9.2

The Broncos will aim to improve their rating when they face the Bengals on Saturday. Denver’s current ranking is unchanged from last week.

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Where the Dolphins landed in power rankings after Week 16 win

The Dolphins got a Week 16 win, but few experts think the team is in the top half of the league.

The Miami Dolphins are, once again, a win away from getting back to .500. After a 29-17 win against the San Francisco 49ers, the team is 7-8 heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

The Dolphins had opportunities in Weeks 7, 13, and 15 to even their wins and losses, but fell short all three times. Fortunately for Miami, a Week 17 matchup against the Cleveland Browns looks to offer the easiest chance yet to leave the losing record behind.

But even if the Dolphins finish the year with back-to-back wins, a trip to the playoffs are a long shot for the team.

Here’s where experts rank the Dolphins heading into Week 17:

Miami will face the 3-12 Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on Sunday in a Week 17 game.

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NFL Week 17 power rankings: Rams creep into top 10 after beating Jets

The Rams are unanimously viewed as a top-12 team in the NFL based on the latest power rankings

It’s been a long road to get to this point for the Los Angeles Rams, winning eight of their last 10 games after starting 1-4. They’re currently 9-6 thanks to their four-game winning streak, taking over sole possession of the NFC West lead.

NFL analysts have come around on the Rams during this recent stretch, moving them up consistently week after week in their power rankings. After sinking as low as the mid-20s, the Rams have cracked the top 10 at multiple outlets and are viewed as a legitimate contender.

Here’s a look at the latest power rankings following the Rams’ latest win over the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon.

USA Today: 9th (last week: 9th)

ESPN: 12th (last week: 13th)

NFL.com: N/A (last week: 14th)

CBS Sports: 10th (last week: 11th)

Bleacher Report: 12th (last week: 14th)

ProFootballTalk: 11th (last week: 13th)

Yahoo Sports: 10th (last week: 11th)

The Athletic: 11th (last week: 12th)

FOX Sports: 9th (last week: 11th)

The Ringer: 9th (last week: 11th)

High: 9th – Low: 12th – Average: 10.3

The Rams may not have played like a playoff team each and every week this season, but they’ve found different ways to win in the last four games. They came back to beat the Saints, won a shootout against the Bills, outdueled the 49ers in a defensive battle and overcame the cold weather to beat the Jets.

It hasn’t always been pretty but the important thing is the Rams are winning games. That’s all that matters this time of year.

49ers steep drop off in 2024 doesn’t need to matter

The 49ers don’t have to be defined by 2024.

It felt like the San Francisco 49ers hit rock bottom multiple times this season, but no thud made a louder sound than Week 16 when they were eliminated from the playoffs and lost a winnable game vs. the Miami Dolphins.

The loss pushed the 49ers all the way down to No. 22 in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings, and it’s unlikely we’ll see them climb the rest of the season.

Fortunately for San Francisco, we’re not typically defined by our mistakes. We’re defined by how we respond to them… or something like that.

Judging the 2024 49ers is difficult because of their injuries and overall talent. On paper they look like a contender. In reality they’re beat up and in general playing too poorly to justify any ranking much higher than where they’re at. They have turnover issues, penalty problems and execution difficulties on both sides of the ball.

A team doesn’t just get to be deemed “good” because their accumulation of talent is strong. They need to show it between the lines and this season the 49ers haven’t done that. It led them here where the Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons and all three NFC West teams sit ahead of them.

And as the 49ers fall, teams like the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers are rising and hot on their tail.

How far the 49ers drop in these final two weeks remains to be seen, but it also doesn’t really matter compared to what lies ahead next season. 2024 was an abysmal year in every facet. There’s a path to a bounce back season in 2025 though, and finding that path will be much more important than how hard they hit rock bottom in 2024.

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Broncos drop 5 spots in NFL power rankings after ‘TNF’ loss

Following their loss on ‘Thursday Night Football,’ the Broncos dropped five spots in NFL power rankings this week.

Coming off a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, the Denver Broncos are now ranked No. 15 in Nate Davis’ latest NFL power rankings for USA TODAY Sports. That’s down five spots from the team’s No. 10 ranking last week.

The Cincinnati Bengals, who will host Denver on Saturday, are ranked No. 14. The Bengals-Broncos showdown will have huge playoff implications.

Here is Davis’ commentary on Denver going into Week 17:

However if they lapse at Cincinnati on Saturday – and Denver’s résumé overfloweth with victories against lightweights – then, with no wild-card berth yet secured, the pucker factor will go up significantly heading into Week 18.

Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs are ranked No. 3, the Chargers are ranked No. 12 and the Las Vegas Raiders are ranked No. 27.

The Buffalo Bills are ranked No. 1 and the New York Giants are ranked No. 32 (last). To view the complete NFL power rankings going into Week 17, visit USATODAY.com.

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NFL power rankings: Detroit Lions are still the team to beat

Going into Week 17, the Detroit Lions remain the team to beat in the NFL.

Following their 34-17 win over the Chicago Bears (4-11) on Sunday, the Detroit Lions (13-2) remain the team to beat in the NFL. Yes, even above the Kansas City Chiefs (14-1).

Kansas City has a better record, but they’ve had several fluky results this year and if they meet Detroit in the Super Bowl, the Lions should be considered the favorite. There’s no guarantee that the Chiefs will reach the title game, though, because the Buffalo Bills (12-3) and Baltimore Ravens (10-5) could stand in their way in the postseason.

Even the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) and Denver Broncos (9-6) could be capable of tripping up KC in the playoffs. The Lions, meanwhile, are clearly the top contender in the NFC.

NFL power rankings after Week 16

  1. Detroit Lions (13-2)
  2. Buffalo Bills (12-3)
  3. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)
  4. Washington Commanders (10-5)
  5. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
  6. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
  7. Green Bay Packers (11-4)
  8. Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
  9. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
  10. Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
  11. Houston Texans (9-6)
  12. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
  13. Denver Broncos (9-6)
  14. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
  16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
  17. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
  19. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
  20. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
  21. Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
  22. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
  23. New Orleans Saints (5-10)
  24. Carolina Panthers (4-11)
  25. Chicago Bears (4-11)
  26. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
  27. Tennessee Titans (3-12)
  28. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
  29. New England Patriots (3-12)
  30. New York Jets (4-11)
  31. New York Giants (2-13)
  32. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)

Week 17 will kick off on Christmas Day with a Chiefs-Steelers matchup followed by a Ravens-Texans showdown.

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All 32 NFL teams (including the Broncos) ranked by FPI ratings

Going into Week 16, the Broncos have a -1.2 Football Power Index (FPI) rating from ESPN, which ranks 20th in the NFL. 

Fifteen weeks into the season, the Denver Broncos (9-5) have a -1.2 Football Power Index (FPI) rating from ESPN, which ranks 20th in the NFL.

The Los Angeles Chargers (8-6), who will host the Broncos in Week 16, are ranked 17th with a -0.0 FPI rating.

FPI is “a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season,” according to ESPN.com. “FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.”

So with that background in mind, here’s a look at how the league’s 32 teams stack up based on FPI going into Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season.

  1. Detroit Lions (12-2): 8.4
  2. Buffalo Bills (12-3): 7.3
  3. Green Bay Packers (10-4): 6.8
  4. Baltimore Ravens (9-5): 6.6
  5. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2): 5.1
  6. Minnesota Vikings (12-2): 3.5
  7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6): 2.6
  8. San Francisco 49ers (6-8): 2.6
  9. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4): 1.3
  10. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1): 1.0
  11. Washington Commanders (9-5): 0.9
  12. Houston Texans (9-5): 0.9
  13. Los Angeles Rams (8-6): 0.8
  14. Arizona Cardinals (7-7): 0.7
  15. Miami Dolphins (6-8): 0.3
  16. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8): -0.0
  17. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6): -0.0
  18. New York Jets (4-10): -0.3
  19. Seattle Seahawks (8-6): -0.9
  20. Denver Broncos (9-5): -1.2
  21. Chicago Bears (4-10): -1.7
  22. Tennessee Titans (3-11): -2.1
  23. Indianapolis Colts (6-8): -3.0
  24. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12): -3.9
  25. Atlanta Falcons (7-7): -4.4
  26. New England Patriots (3-11): -5.3
  27. Dallas Cowboys (6-8): -5.8
  28. Cleveland Browns (3-11): -5.9
  29. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11): -6.0
  30. New Orleans Saints (5-9): -6.9
  31. New York Giants (2-12): -8.5
  32. Carolina Panthers (3-11): -10.1

The Broncos will aim to improve their rating when they face the Chargers on Thursday. Denver has moved up two spots in the rankings since last week.

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Steelers fall two spots in NFL’s latest power rankings

The Pittsburgh Steelers drop in the NFL power rankings despite injuries, but their overall strength remains undeniable in 2024.

Oh, how the Black and Gold have fallen—or have they? Following the completion of Week 15’s games, recent NFL power rankings suggest so. Heading into their matchup with the Eagles, the Steelers were ranked sixth in the entire NFL, third among all AFC teams.

However, the Steelers’ loss to the Eagles spelled disaster for their ranking, dropping them two spots to eighth, now one behind the Baltimore Ravens.

Currently, the top five teams in the NFL Network’s rendition of the post-Week 15 power rankings are as follows: the Philadelphia Eagles, the Buffalo Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Detroit Lions, and the Minnesota Vikings.

Several high-level teams made little to no change at all—the Vikings holding steady at fifth, and the Chiefs remaining at third. It’s not hard to argue that the Steelers should have been included among these teams.

The Steelers’ loss to the Eagles was not indicative of the team’s overall strength in 2024, as Pittsburgh was grappling with several short-term injuries at the time.

As Week 18’s regular season finale draws ever closer, power rankings from multiple sports outlets will have no choice but to acknowledge the true capabilities of the Steelers.

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49ers dreary season summed up by place in NFL power rankings

The 49ers are in an embarrassing spot in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

The San Francisco 49ers’ rough 2024 season can be perfectly summed up by where they landed in the post-Week 15 NFL power rankings from USA TODAY.

While power rankings don’t hold weight in terms of a team winning a Super Bowl, they give a good snapshot of how a team looks from the 30,000-foot, national perspective.

USA TODAY dropped the 49ers to No. 19 overall in the rankings, which is a fine spot for a 6-8 team that is 1-4 in its division. It’s who’s around San Francisco that really drives home where their various stumbles this season have left them in the NFL pecking order.

Just ahead of the 49ers at No. 18 are the Atlanta Falcons – losers of four in a row before somehow sneaking past the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday to cap Week 15.

Just behind the 49ers at No. 20 are the Dallas Cowboys – a laughingstock that is now tied with San Francisco in the standings.

The Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots are the three teams just behind Dallas, signaling the realm the 49ers could fall into with another bad loss or two in their final three games.

As for the rest of the NFC West, they’re all way in front of San Francisco. The Arizona Cardinals are at No. 15, one spot behind the No. 14 Seattle Seahawks. The division-leading Los Angeles Rams are at No. 9.

In a year where the division was imminently winnable, instead of sitting way above the rest of the NFC West, San Francisco is looking up at them while slumming it with the Cowboys and Falcons.

Ouch.

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