POWER RANKINGS: NFL WEEK 17
BY ADAM GREENE I don’t remember the NFL being this settled with two games to go, but this year, as odd as it’s been, has allowed us to get a firm handle on the good teams from about Week 8 on. We do have a new No. 1 this week, but our old top team didn’t fall far. The Top 9 are all the same squads, with just a few changing a position. After that, it gets more interesting as teams that are technically alive for a postseason appearance don’t seem particularly interested in going. At the bottom, well, those franchises might as well be written in stone. Still, there’s plenty of opportunities to screw it all up, meaning their draft position, in the final two weeks of the season. Let’s rank some teams! SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (11-4) I’m not sure when Brock Purdy’s glass slipper is going to break, but I feel as if it’ll be in the playoffs and he’ll end up losing a toe. Last week: No. 2 CINCINNATI BENGALS (11-4) The Bengals have the chance to sweep both the other top AFC contenders Monday night when they host the Buffalo Bills. Of course, the Bills can say the same thing. Their combined 23 wins at this point in MNF game is tied for the top mark all time with the 1997 Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers contest. Last week: No. 3 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (12-3) The scariest thing about the Chiefs right now is that no one is talking about them. They could be back in the AFC driver’s aeat if the Bengals knock off the Bills Monday night. That is if they don’t lose at home to the Denver Broncos. Yes, I typed that out without spitting a beverage all over my computer screen. A true Herculean task. Last week: No. 4 BUFFALO BILLS (12-3) The Bills can pretty much cement home field with a win at Cincinnati Monday night, which (as I mentioned earlier) would give them victories over both their current top AFC rivals in the same regular season. More importantly, it could earn them a week off in mid January before the AFC Divisional Round. Last week: No. 5 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (13-2) The Eagles are being awful fishy about Jalen Hurts’ injury status and how serious it is. What they couldn’t hide is how bad Lane Johnson got hurt. He’s out the rest of the year. For a team that looked as if it could make it to a Super Bowl in a crazy year where the conference’s best team and last year’s champion Los Angeles Rams nosedived due to injuries, they could face an inglorious ending, especially if they have to face the Dallas Cowboys at full strength in the NFC Divisional Round. Last week: No. 1 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (12-3) The 2020 wide receiver class might be the best all time, but what Justin Jefferson is doing is even more historic. In his three seasons (with two games to go) he has 4,772 receiving yards. That’s unreal and nearly 1,400 more than his next closest competitor, CeeDee Lamb (with 3,244, also pretty outstanding). Jefferson’s number is a new NFL record, surpassing another former phenomenal Viking and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Randy Moss (4,163). Last week: No. 6 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (9-6) For whatever reason, everything with the Chargers looks more difficult than it should, but Brandon Staley has guided the team back to the playoffs. And, more importantly, Justin Herbert is about to make his postseason debut. Here’s another fun tidbit, the only player to have as good a two year run scoring touchdowns as Austin Ekeler from 2021-2022 was Todd Gurley from 2017-2018. Last week: No. 7 DALLAS COWBOYS (11-4) Who saw this wrinkle coming? There’s a chance that Terrell Owens, the 49 year old Pro Football Hall of Famer, could rejoin the team for its playoff run. Why the hell not? And with the receivers all wearing teen numbers now, his 81 should be an easy get. Last week: No. 8 BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-5) Lamar Jackson has still not practiced this week and probably won’t play Sunday, which is something I predicted would happen in the preseason and will continue to predict as long as this team employs Greg Roman as its offensive coordinator. Last week: No. 9 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (7-8) Regardless of what happens this Sunday (and the Jags are favored over the Houston Texans), Jacksonville will play for a chance to go to the postseason and an AFC South title in Week 18 when they face the Tennessee Titans. Who predicted saw that happening in the preseason? Last week: No. 14 GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-8) Maybe the problem with all these Packers playoff faceplants is they didn’t come in as a Wild Card? Aaron Rodgers’ lone Super Bowl was won all on the road. Can he do it again? I know he can’t, but we have to hype up his eventual loss to the San Francisco 49ers some way. Old Aaron might not get the chance as he’s been held out of practice so far this week with some bum ribs. Last week: No. 15 NEW YORK GIANTS (8-6-1) All the Giants need to do to officially punch their ticket to the dance is win one game over the next two weeks. Sunday, they host the Indianapolis Colts, coached by Jeff Saturday, so let me go ahead and congratulate Brian Daboll and the whole gang. Last week: No. 10 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (7-7-1) Just in case you thought the Commanders might hold onto that final Wild Card spot in the NFC, they’re going back with Carson Wentz at quarterback. This is a team that needs to go all in on acquiring Derek Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo next season. Last week: No. 11 MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-7) Miami is barely holding onto the No. 7 seed in the AFC and just found out