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Essentials Inside The Story

  • With one week left before the playoffs, the league feels settled, but the power rankings suggest chaos is still brewing
  • Surging contenders, collapsing favorites, and dangerous dark horses are all colliding at the worst possible time
  • As Week 18 looms, one final shake-up could completely rewrite how the postseason is about to look

There’s one more week left in the NFL regular season. One more week separates us from the start of the playoffs. That means there’s just one more week where all 32 NFL fanbases will have something to cheer about.

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With just one more week left, we have a pretty good idea where each team stands, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be more movement in the power rankings next week. Here’s where things stand after the penultimate week of the regular season.

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32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-14)

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Last Week: 32

Week 17 Result: 34-10 loss to NYG

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PFF Rankings: Offense 29th, Defense 32nd

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Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs KC

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The Las Vegas Raiders are doing everything possible to lose as many games as they can to secure the No. 1 pick, and it’s worked. They are easily the worst team in football right now.

31. New York Jets (3-13)

Last Week: 31

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Week 17 Result: 42-10 loss to NE

PFF Rankings: Offense 31st, Defense 24th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm at BUF

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The New York Jets looked like absolute trash on Sunday, but they’re lucky the Raiders are as bad as they are. They avoid being dead last for at least one more week.

30. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)

Last Week: 28

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Week 17 Result: 37-14 loss to CIN

PFF Rankings: Offense 22nd, Defense 31st

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm at LAR

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Arizona has lost 12 of its last 13 since starting 2-0. That’s all you really need to know about them. Jonathan Gannon needs to go.

29. Washington Commanders (4-12)

Last Week: 27

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Week 17 Result: 30-23 loss to DAL

PFF Rankings: Offense 18th, Defense 29th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm at PHI

The Washington Commanders kept it pretty close with Dallas on Christmas Day, but this team is still no good. They have holes all over their roster, and it’s amazing to think they went to the NFC Championship game last year.

28. New York Giants (3-13)

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Last Week: 29

Week 17 Result: 34-10 win over LV

PFF Rankings: Offense 26th, Defense 25th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs DAL

The New York Giants picked up their third win of the season, but lost out on the No. 1 pick in the process. I still think this team is much better than their record and should be one of, if not the top destination for head coaching prospects.

27. Cleveland Browns (4-12)

Last Week: 30

Week 17 Result: 13-6 win over PIT

PFF Rankings: Offense 32nd, Defense 2nd

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at CIN

I know the Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I still don’t think they’re very good. Their offense is atrocious, but that defense is pretty scary.

26. Tennessee Titans (3-13)

Last Week: 26

Week 17 Result: 34-26 loss to NO

PFF Rankings: Offense 30th, Defense 17th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at JAX

The Tennessee Titans seem to have a bright future. Cam Ward can really sling it, and he made some INCREDIBLE throws this week. Still, they fell short of the win, so I can’t move them up.

25. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)

Last Week: 24

Week 17 Result: 20-13 loss to DEN

PFF Rankings: Offense 19th, Defense 7th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm at LV

I know Tennessee just beat Kansas City, but the Chiefs are the more talented team; they just literally don’t have a quarterback at the moment. They’re trying to get the best draft pick possible and make a run at the postseason next year. This year is a wash.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)

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Last Week: 20

Week 17 Result: 20-17 loss to MIA

PFF Rankings: Offense 23rd, Defense 18th

Week 18 Matchup: Saturday, 4:30 pm vs CAR

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers do not deserve to be in the playoffs. They’ve lost seven of their last eight, but with a win next week, they can get still get in. If that happens, they may be the worst playoff team in a decade. I mean, they lost to Quinn Ewers

23. Miami Dolphins (7-9)

Last Week: 25

Week 17 Result: 20-17 win over TB

PFF Rankings: Offense 21st, Defense 22nd

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm at NE

The Miami Dolphins beat the Buccaneers with Quinn Ewers at quarterback. No hate to Ewers, he played well, but that just goes to show how bad Tampa is. Still, Miami jumps a couple of spots.

22. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)

Last Week: 23

Week 17 Result: 37-14 win over ARI

PFF Rankings: Offense 15th, Defense 30th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs CLE

The Cincinnati Bengals have looked more like the team we’re used to seeing these past two weeks than they have all season. I know Miami and Arizona aren’t great teams, but this offense is firing on all cylinders right now. They need to get some new pieces on defense, because this offense still has some juice.

21. Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1)

Last Week: 19

Week 17 Result: 30-23 win over WAS

PFF Rankings: Offense 8th, Defense 28th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at NYG

The Dallas Cowboys beat the Commanders, but it should’ve been by more than seven points. They’re a much better team than Washington, and with one of the teams below them having a better day, they fall one spot.

20. New Orleans Saints (6-10)

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Last Week: 21

Week 17 Result: 34-26 win over TEN

PFF Rankings: Offense 27th, Defense 15th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at ATL

The New Orleans Saints are one of the hottest teams in football. Tyler Shough is the real deal, and Brandon Staley has this defense playing like a top-10 unit in the league. They’re a good offseason away from being a playoff team next year.

19. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

Last Week: 22

Week 17 Result: 27-24 win over LAR

PFF Rankings: Offense 13th, Defense 19th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday 1 pm vs NO

What a win for the Atlanta Falcons. They had no business winning this game, but they did. I don’t know what happened to the Rams, but they are falling apart at the worst time. Bijan Robinson is just a beast, and the Rams had no answer for him all night.

18. Indianapolis Colts (8-8)

Last Week: 16

Week 17 Result: 23-17 loss to JAX

PFF Rankings: Offense 9th, Defense 26th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at HOU

The Indianapolis Colts can still give teams a run for their money, but they just don’t have enough juice at quarterback with Philip Rivers to finish the job. They gave Jacksonville a scare, but couldn’t hold on.

17. Carolina Panthers (8-8)

Last Week: 15

Week 17 Result: 27-10 loss to SEA

PFF Rankings: Offense 20th, Defense 21st

Week 18 Matchup: Saturday, 4:30 pm at TB

The Carolina Panthers were embarrassed by the Seattle Seahawks this week, but they can still win the NFC South with a win over Tampa next week. They seem to be the better team, but they’re nowhere near as good as any of the other playoff teams.

16. Detroit Lions (8-8)

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Last Week: 14

Week 17 Result: 23-10 loss to MIN

PFF Rankings: Offense 5th, Defense 4th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 at CHI

I don’t know what’s gone wrong in Detroit. I know they’ve been injured, but they should be much better than 8-8. I guess their coordinators, Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson, really were that important.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

Last Week: 13

Week 17 Result: 13-6 loss to CLE

PFF Rankings: Offense 25th, Defense 12th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 8:20 pm vs BAL

I wanted to drop the Pittsburgh Steelers further than this, because that was an absolutely pitiful performance against Cleveland, but they just beat Detroit, and I don’t think they’re worse than anyone below the Lions. The Steelers are very hit or miss, and they better hope they hit next week with a playoff berth on the line.

13. Minnesota Vikings (8-8)

Last Week: 17

Week 17 Result: 23-10 win over DET

PFF Rankings: Offense 28th, Defense 16th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs GB

Minnesota looked like one of the worst teams in the league a month ago, but they’ve rallied off four straight wins and are ending the season very strong. Unfortunately, they’re already eliminated from the playoffs, because this Week 18 game against Green Bay would be really fun if it were for that final playoff spot in the NFC.

13. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

Last Week: 18

Week 17 Result: 41-24 win over GB

PFF Rankings: Offense 16th, Defense 14th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 8:20 pm at PIT

The Baltimore Ravens looked down and out after their loss to the Steelers a few weeks back, but they’ve battled, and now they have a chance to get into the postseason with a Week 18 win over their arch-rivals. I think they’re the better team most days, but Pittsburgh’s ceiling is higher on their day. It should be a very entertaining game.

12. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1)

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Last Week: 12

Week 17 Result: 41-24 loss to BAL

PFF Rankings: Offense T-6th, Defense 11th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at MIN

The Green Bay Packers need to get Jordan Love back, but more importantly, they need their defense to step up. They played well against Chicago a week ago, but outside of that, they’ve struggled quite a bit in recent weeks. If they want to make a run in the postseason, they need to get going like they were early in the year.

11. Buffalo Bills (11-5)

Last Week: 6

Week 17 Result: 13-12 loss to PHI

PFF Rankings: Offense T-6th, Defense 20th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs NYJ

This was supposed to be Buffalo’s year. With Kansas City out of the picture, Josh Allen and Co. should’ve been the 1-seed and run through the AFC. Instead, they’re struggling because they failed to give Allen receivers, and now Allen’s hurt and his mobility is limited. If he’s not 100 percent for the postseason, they could be first-round exits.

10. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)

Last Week: 10

Week 17 Result: 20-16 loss to HOU

PFF Rankings: Offense 25th, Defense 9th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm at DEN

The Los Angeles Chargers are an off-brand Houston Texans. They have a very good defense and an offense that struggles at times. If they had both of their tackles healthy, I’d feel much better about them heading into the postseason.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)

Last Week: 11

Week 17 Result: 13-12 win over BUF

PFF Rankings: Offense 11th, Defense 8th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs WAS

The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Bills, but it wasn’t convincing. Their offense struggled, and while their defense played well, that was more attributed to Josh Allen’s injury. Still, beating Buffalo is never easy, so I have to give credit where it’s due.

8. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)

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Last Week: 5

Week 17 Result: 27-24 loss to ATL

PFF Rankings: Offense 1st, Defense 1st

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs ARI

The Rams have fallen apart at the seams. After a red-hot start to the year, the Rams have dropped two games in a row and three of their last five. They looked like the best team in the NFC for 15 weeks, but now they don’t even look like one of the three best teams in the NFC.

7. Chicago Bears (11-5)

Last Week: 7

Week 17 Result: 42-38 loss to SF

PFF Rankings: Offense 10th, Defense 22nd

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs DET

The Chicago Bears may have lost on Sunday Night Football, but they don’t deserve to be punished too hard. They traded blows with one of the hottest offenses in the league on the road and had a chance to win it in the closing seconds. I think they could’ve managed the clock a bit better late, but first-year head coach Ben Johnson will learn from that.

6. Houston Texans (11-5)

Last Week: 9

Week 17 Result: 20-16 win over LAC

PFF Rankings: Offense 17th, Defense 3rd

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs IND

The Houston Texans keep on rolling. Their defense is still playing amazingly, and their offense is doing just enough to get wins. I wouldn’t want to see Houston if I’m an AFC playoff team.

5. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)

Last Week: 8

Week 17 Result: 42-38 win over CHI

PFF Rankings: Offense 2nd, Defense 27th

Week 18 Matchup: Saturday, 8:00 pm vs SEA

The San Francisco 49ers picked up a huge win over the Bears on SNF. They needed it to stay alive for the 1-seed in the NFC, and now all they need to do is beat Seattle in Week 18 to earn a bye. They need to figure some things out defensively, but this offense is as good as anyone in the NFL. I wanted to put them higher, but I just couldn’t because of their defensive struggles.

4. Denver Broncos (13-3)

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Last Week: 3

Week 17 Result: 20-13 win over KC

PFF Rankings: Offense 12th, Defense 6th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs LAC

The Denver Broncos picked up their 13th win of the season on Sunday, but after seeing how Kansas City got their b–ts whooped by Tennessee the week prior, a seven-point win feels a bit like a loss. They’re still one of the five best teams in the league, but I need to see more still.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4)

Last Week: 2

Week 17 Result: 23-17 win over IND

PFF Rankings: Offense 14th, Defense 10th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs TEN

The Jacksonville Jaguars drop a spot this week despite picking up a win. They struggled to get going out of the gates, but did enough in the end to win. Still, the team that jumped them played much better football this week.

2. New England Patriots (13-3)

Last Week: 4

Week 17 Result: 42-10 win over NYJ

PFF Rankings: Offense 3rd, Defense 13th

Week 18 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs MIA

Drake Maye is sooooo good at football. He was already one of the favorites for the MVP, but his odds have narrowed after a near-flawless game this weekend. I know the Jets are no good, but it was still an incredibly impressive performance.

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

Last Week: 1

Week 17 Result: 27-10 win over CAR

PFF Rankings: Offense 4th, Defense 5th

Week 18 Matchup: Saturday, 8:00 pm at SF

The Seahawks maintain the top spot in our power rankings, but I was very close to giving it to New England. Seattle didn’t look all that great for much of this game, but pulled away in the end and took home a 17-point victory. These top-five teams could be ranked in pretty much any order, and I wouldn’t argue with you. That’s how close the top of this league is.

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