Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Several elite teams had wins under their Christmas trees, and many of the league’s best had coal in their stockings in the Week 17 power rankings.
The penultimate week of the NFL season is now upon us (sad face), and Santa brought a lot of very nice gifts for some very good teams who are getting hot at the right time. That said, some of the league’s best found coal in their stockings in the form of a loss.
With the playoffs mere weeks away, here are how all 32 teams stack up from worst to best.
The team has cracked the top 20.
The Miami Dolphins have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL, as they have the second-longest active winning streak behind only the Kansas City Chiefs.
Seven weeks ago, the Dolphins season looked like it was on life support, and many were wondering if it was time to pull the plug. Since then, Miami has completely turned their season around, and they’re vying for an opportunity to make the postseason.
In USA TODAY’s weekly power rankings, writer Nate Davis has Brian Flores’ team jumping three spots from their position last week from No. 23 to No. 20.
Here’s what Davis had to say about the Dolphins:
“They’ve leveled back to .500 after their 1-7 start, mostly fattening up on patsies. Currently the AFC’s 11th-place team, Miami won’t face another team with a losing record.”
Davis is right. During their winning streak, Miami defeated the Texans, Ravens, Jets, Panthers, Dolphins, and Jets again. That’s not exactly the best the league has to offer.
With three games left against the Saints, Titans, and Patriots, the Dolphins have a tough test for them to make a run at the playoffs.
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The Touchdown Wire Week 16 NFL Power Rankings highlight just how fleeting life in the NFL can be for both players and teams.
Things can change in the blink of an eye in the National Football League. One minute your team is considered one of the best in the league, the next you’re potentially watchin the playoffs from the couch. One minute, your organization is viewed as the inevitable Super Bowl Champions, the next minute you have glaring weaknesses.
One minute, you are the starting quarterback for a playoff contender. The next minute. you’re released.
That is life in the NFL, which Jerry Glanville once famously referred to as the “Not For Long” league. Right now some players, and some teams, are finding that out the hard way.
