NFL Power Rankings: Week 16

NFL Power Rankings: The playoffs are just about set, five teams jockey for the first pick in next year’s draft.

This week’s NFL power rankings breakdown of contenders and pretenders has pretty much been figured out. We now have nine teams that have secured their spots in the playoffs while there are now 18 teams that have been eliminated from postseason play.

The Jets and Steelers are still trying to get in, but essentially all that’s left to figure out is the seeding. The Broncos could get the two seed, the wildcard, or miss the playoffs entirely. The Chiefs can host a playoff game if everything goes right and the Patriots haven’t locked up the top seed in the AFC yet.

In the NFC, the North will be decided by the Week 17 winner of Green Bay and Minnesota. The Cardinals can still get the top seed too with a win and a Carolina loss.

As for the bottom of the league, the Titans and Browns will be drafting one and two. Depending on how Week 17 shakes out, the Cowboys, 49ers and Chargers should round out the top five. After that, things get murky with three teams at 5-10 and six teams at 6-9. As for the Lions, they should be drafting just outside of the top ten. They can end up anywhere between 9 and 18, depending on how games shake out next week.

That about does it for the big movers and shakers in this week’s NFL power rankings, so without further ado:

Next: The Sure Things