16. Los Angeles Rams
(8-7. Last week: 14)
A last-second loss to San Francisco made it official — the Rams aren’t going back to the Super Bowl. If you think back to the start of the season, that’s highly surprising. On paper, the Rams had a roster that was loaded after adding veterans Clay Matthews and Eric Weddle in the offseason. Nevertheless, the Rams missed the playoffs for the first time in Sean McVay’s three seasons. There could be a price to pay for that. Don’t be surprised if McVay feels pressure from above to make changes to his coaching staff. But let’s cut to the chase and talk about the biggest issue with the Rams. When they were a playoff team, running back Todd Gurley was the focal point of the offense and an all-around threat. But the Rams reduced Gurley’s role this season to go easy on his delicate knee. He didn’t produce nearly as much as in previous seasons, and that made things tough on the offense. Quarterback Jared Goff is good, but not the kind of guy who can carry a team. To get back to the playoffs next year, the Rams have to find a replacement or at least a complement to Gurley.
15. Oakland Raiders
(7-8. Last week: 18)
The Raiders beat the Chargers, and believe it or not, Oakland somehow remains mathematically alive in the playoff race, although their chances are miniscule. To be entering the last game of the season with even a remote chance at the playoffs is huge progress for after going 3-13 last year in Jon Gruden’s first season of his second stint with the Raiders.
“Let’s not sugarcoat it, we’ve been through a lot,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “To say we are still playing in Week 17 for something, that’s unbelievable. No one thought we would be playing for the playoffs. Let’s just keep it real.”
In reality, the Raiders probably won’t be going to the playoffs. But they now have some momentum behind them as they move to their new home in Las Vegas next season.
14. Dallas Cowboys
(7-8. Last week: 13)
Let’s get straight to the point. The Cowboys choked. They entered Sunday needing only a win against Philadelphia to clinch the NFC East title. It didn’t happen, as they lost 17-9 at Lincoln Financial Field. Somehow, the Cowboys still can make the playoffs if they win their finale against Washington and Philadelphia loses to the Giants. The bigger issue: Why are the Cowboys even in this position? Their roster is loaded, particularly on offense with quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott and wide receiver Amari Cooper. Those three guys alone should get you to 10 wins, especially in a weak division. But that hasn’t happened for the Cowboys, and somebody’s got to pay. That’s obviously going to be coach Jason Garrett. Even if the Cowboys somehow make the playoffs, Jerry Jones must part ways with Garrett. The Cowboys have enough talent to be a Super Bowl contender. Instead, they’re a borderline playoff team.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
(8-7. Last week: 12)
A 16-10 loss to the New York Jets took a lot of the air out of Pittsburgh’s playoff chances. For the Steelers to qualify for the postseason, two things need to happen. First, Pittsburgh needs to beat the Ravens next week. That may be easier than it sounds, because Baltimore already has clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed and may rest its starters. But the Steelers also need the Titans to lose to the Texans. It’s a minor miracle that the Steelers are even remotely in playoff contention in the final week after losing quarterback Ben Roetshlisberger to injury early in the season. They’ve scraped by with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges at quarterback. But Rudolph got hurt Sunday. So did running back James Conner and center Maurkice Pouncey. If the Steelers somehow end up in the playoffs, Mike Tomlin should be Coach of the Year.
12. Tennessee Titans
(8-7. Last week: 11)
The Titans lost to New Orleans on Sunday, a day after the Texans clinched the AFC South. Still, Tennessee remains in the hunt for the final AFC wild-card spot. The easiest way for the Titans get in to the playoffs is to beat Houston on Sunday. Otherwise, they will need help from other teams to back into the postseason. But no matter what happens, this season has turned out to be a productive one for the Titans. They opened the season with Marcus Mariota and hoped he could firmly establish himself as the franchise quarterback. That didn’t happen. Tennessee turned to backup Ryan Tannehill who has surprised virtually everyone. Tannehill saved Tennessee from a losing season, and he’s almost certainly going to get a nice contract in the offseason. The future looks bright for the Titans and Tannehill. But the present isn’t over yet. If this team can squeeze into the playoffs, anything becomes possible.
11. Philadelphia Eagles
(8-7. Last week: 16)
For Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz, Sunday’s NFC East showdown with Dallas was the biggest game of his career — and he rose to the occasion. Wentz threw for 319 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and only one sack to lead the Eagles to a 17-9 victory. He had plenty of help from rookie running back Miles Sanders, who racked up 79 yards and a touchdown on the ground, plus five catches for 77 yards). The win puts Philadelphia in the driver’s seat in the division. If Philadelphia beats the Giants next week, the Eagles win the division. They also can lose and still win the division if Dallas loses to Washington. If the Eagles lose Sunday and the Cowboys win, Dallas wins the division. It’s been a crazy year in the NFC East, so no outcome would be surprising.
10. Houston Texans
(10-5. Last week: 10)
The Texans won the AFC South for the fourth time in five years, but there shouldn’t be too much celebrating. Let’s be honest. The Texans aren’t a team that scares any of the other AFC playoff teams right now. Houston beat the Buccaneers on Saturday, but they struggled mightily in doing so. Tampa Bay tried to give the game away early with three interceptions in the first half. But the Texans allowed Tampa Bay back into the game and allowed Jameis Winston to throw for 335 yards. The Texans are hoping pass-rusher J.J. Watt will be healthy enough to return for the playoffs. That would be a big boost for the defense. But the offense’s performance against Tampa Bay leaves real concerns. Despite five Bucs turnovers, Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson managed just 184 passing yards and no touchdowns, and the running game never got on track. If the Texans are going to do any damage in the postseason, they need to play much better than they did against Tampa Bay.
9. Minnesota Vikings
(10-5. Last week: 9)
Coming into Monday night’s game, a lot was made about Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins’ 0-8 record on Monday nights and 7-14 in prime time overall. Those seemed like random, meaningless stats. But, where there is smoke, there is fire. After throwing for only 122 yards, Cousins now is 0-9 in Monday night games and 7-15 in prime time. But Cousins doesn’t deserve all the blame, like he was getting early in the season. Cousins had played well since Week 5, but not on Monday, when he was without injured running back Dalvin Cook. The Vikings are in the playoffs, but will have to go on the road. If Cook isn’t available in the postseason, Cousins will have to take his game to another level, because what he showed Monday night wasn’t nearly good enough.