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If the Cowboys and Eagles didn’t want to be near the top of the Pickswise Power Rankings they could have just asked instead of looking bad in front of everyone to force the moves. They were our #1 and #2 teams after Week 11, but a month is a long time in the NFL and they are both outside the top 3 spots looking in again now.
The 49ers juggernaut maintained a tight hold on the #1 spot, but was the Panthers’ second win of the season enough to lift them out of the basement? You’ll just have to read on (or just scroll down if you prefer) to find out.
You can check out our NFL Week 16 predictions and look at the NFL odds any time you like, but now let’s get to this week’s rankings.
Pickswise NFL Power Rankings for Week 16
1 (-) San Francisco 49ers
In the same way that there are no longer any prizes for predicting that the 49ers are our #1 team, the potential rewards for backing them to win the Super Bowl are getting less enticing by the week too. The NFC West champions are +22o odds (from +260) favorites to lift the Lombardi Trophy at FanDuel and just +200 on DraftKings. With the Cowboys and Eagles both losing, they are looking very good to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs.
2 (up 1) Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens were able to cruise to a 23-7 win over the Jaguars on Sunday night despite Lamar Jackson passing for just 171 yards and a 4-game winning streak has them on track for the #1 seed in the AFC. They have the 49ers and Dolphins in their next two games, though, so there is potential for more twists and turns. The Ravens are also second in the Super Bowl betting now at +550 odds. Losing RB Keaton Mitchell to injury is a blow, however.
3 (up 1) Buffalo Bills
We had the Bills a lot higher than most rankings at #4 last week but their impressive 31-10 win over the Cowboys deserves another raise. At 8-6, they’re still not in the playoff positions but they are right in the mix now and a team no one will want to play. FanDuel cut their odds from +1800 to +1400 for the Super Bowl this week, while DraftKings has them at +1200.
4 (down 2) Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys undid all the good work of last week’s win over the Eagles by flopping in Buffalo. They had won their previous five games, but that’s not the first time they have failed to show up this season (Cardinals, 49ers) and they can’t afford one of those days in the playoffs.
5 (up 3) Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins bounced back well after throwing away their previous game against the Titans. They stomped the Jets 30-0 despite missing Tyreek Hill and are fourth in the Super Bowl betting at +850 odds.
6 (down 1) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are 0-3 in December after allowing the Seahawks to steal one on Monday night and their Super Bowl odds have gone out again to +900 when they were +500 just two weeks ago. They already have what they want most for Christmas, though, with a run-in against the Giants, Cardinals and Giants again.
7 (down 1) Kansas City Chiefs
In their last 5 games, the Chiefs now have 3 losses and 2 wins in which they didn’t look all that great. Are you worried about them? I’m a little worried about them. Still, if Rashee Rice gets a chance to teach Kadarius Toney how to catch a ball this week they could be in business. Isiah Pacheco may be back too, although, Clyde Edwards-Helaire has done a solid job in his absence.
8 (up 1) Los Angeles Rams
After winning 4 of their last 5 games, the Rams are finally up into the NFC wild-card positions at 7-7 and they’re a team the division winners will want to avoid in the playoffs (especially the NFC South division winners, but they will want to avoid everyone!). The Rams are only 13th in the Super Bowl odds at 80-1 but they now have more of their stars available for the home stretch than many of their rivals.
9 (up 3) Detroit Lions
The Lions roared back into business with a dismissive win over what had looked a dangerous Broncos team and they’re now level with the Cowboys and Eagles at 10-4. They still have to play the Cowboys in Week 17, too.
10 (-) Cleveland Browns
You may remember that last week we pointed out that Joe Flacco had +3000 odds to be named Comeback Player of the Year at DraftKings Sportsbook. Well make that +1500 just one week later! The Browns’ injuries have reached epic proportions and Joel Bitonio’s back injury on Sunday left Wyatt Teller as the only starter on their offensive line still standing. The Browns looked out of it for most of the game against the Bears but they don’t lack fight.
11 (down 4) Denver Broncos
The Broncos were schooled by the Lions last week but they couldn’t ask for anything better than playing the Patriots, Chargers and Raiders in their last 3 games with a chance to boost their AFC record tiebreaker too.
12 (up 2) Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks fooled everyone by starting Drew Lock on Monday night and it paid off with their late rally to stun the Eagles. It wasn’t a great performance by any means but their remaining schedule is not the worst and they kept their wild-card hopes alive.
13 (down 2) Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals lose a couple of spots in the shuffle despite winning their third straight game as that reflects the likely loss of their #1 offensive weapon Ja’Marr Chase with a separated shoulder. They staged a great late rally to beat the Nick Mullens-led Vikings in overtime and Jake Browning faces another backup QB this week with Mason Rudolph set to start for the Steelers.
14 (down 1) Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence has already defied gloomy injury expectations several times this season but the concussion he suffered late in the team’s loss to the Ravens, their third straight defeat, is a major concern. The Colts and Texans are both alongside them now at 8-6 but their 4-1 divisional record is keeping them in the #4 playoff seed for now.
15 (up 1) Houston Texans
And here are the Texans! They pulled one out of the fire against the Titans when they looked to be struggling for most of the game and getting a win with backup QB Case Keenum was impressive, especially if CJ Stroud is able to return for a crucial AFC showdown against the Browns this week.
16 (up 2) Indianapolis Colts
We continue our tour of the AFC South with the Indianapolis Colts, who ran all over the Steelers with their third and fourth-choice running backs. Jonathan Taylor may be back to help out when they visit the Falcons this week.
17 (up 5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs made a positive impression with their road win over the Packers at Lambeau Field and their third straight win gets them to 7-7, which is enough to be in contention for the AFC South title as well as a wild card. It also gets them a 5-place jump here.
18 (up 1) Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings scored 21 more points in defeat this week than they did when winning 3-0 in Week 14. They looked on track to beat the Bengals for most of that game, but apparently everyone in the NFC wants to have a 7-7 record so there they are.
19 (down 4) Green Bay Packers
Well, maybe not everyone wants to be 7-7 as the Packers fell to 6-8 with their home loss to the Buccaneers. In their last 4 games they have beaten the Lions and Chiefs and lost to the Giants and Bucs, so let’s file them under ‘not the easiest team in the league to rank’.
20 (up 5) New Orleans Saints
There are signs of life in New Orleans again as the Saints added another straightforward win over the Giants to their previous success against the Panthers. Those are not the biggest wins in the world, but their defense is getting hot and their final three games against the Rams, Bucs and Falcons should all be interesting now.
21 (up 3) Chicago Bears
A 9th loss of the season at Cleveland has just about ended the Bears’ playoff hopes, but they looked on course for a valuable road win for three quarters of that game. Montez Sweat has quickly become a force on their defense and the will not be an easy opponent for anyone in the remainder of the season.
22 (down 5) Tennessee Titans
The Titans lose most of the 6 places they gained last week after failing to close out the win against Houston, which officially eliminated them from playoff contention.
23 (down 3) Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals put in a better effort than many teams manage in their 45-29 loss to the 49ers but at 3-11 and currently on track for the 3rd pick in the draft, there’s no incentive for them to ruin things by winning any of their final 3 games.
24 (down 3) Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have stopped winning games they should have lost and are now losing the games they should lose. A third loss in a row has dropped them to fourth place in the AFC North. You have to like them starting a quarterback called Rudolph on December 23, though. Presumably he’d have been too busy if the game was the next night.
25 (up 4) Las Vegas Raiders
You remember that file labelled ‘not the easiest team in the league to rank’? Well the Raiders have to be in there too having won 63-21 against the Chargers 4 days after losing 3-0 to the Vikings.
26 (-) New York Giants
The Giants’ bubble burst in spectacular fashion with a lame loss to the Saints and their season is almost over now, unless they are going to shake things up in the standings by upsetting the Eagles or Rams.
27 (-) Atlanta Falcons
It’s hard to have any sympathy with the Falcons for losing to the Panthers when they persisted in starting Desmond Ridder at QB for so long. Well guess what? They’re benching him this week, AGAIN.
28 (down 5) Los Angeles Chargers
Maybe the Chargers’ owners read these rankings, because last week we said: “The surgery the team needs most is a headcoachectomy” and they decided to go with that by firing head coach Brandon Staley, even though it took an embarrassing 63-21 loss to the Raiders to push them into it.
29 (up 2) Washington Commanders
The Commanders lost for a 5th straight game but they looked a better team in the 4th quarter when Jacoby Brissett came in for Sam Howell and Terry McLaurin made some great plays. They are still 3-point underdogs for this week’s clash with the Jets, though.
30 (down 2) New York Jets
What’s worse than having Zach Wilson as your QB? The answer is apparently not having Zach Wilson as your QB. Trevor Siemian yet again proved that he “ain’t it” in the 30-0 shutout loss to the Dolphins. They’re eliminated now, so there really is no point for Aaron Rodgers to try to play in their remaining 3 games.
31 (down 1) New England Patriots
The Patriots put in a respectable enough performance in defeat against the Chiefs that they’re not going to return to the bottom (they have been there once) even though the Panthers won against the Falcons. They are incredibly 1-7 at home this season now, and regardless of the draft implications, you’d have to think Bill Belichick will still want to beat the Jets in their (and possibly his) final game at Gillette Stadium in Week 18.
32 (-) Carolina Panthers
The Panthers won their second game! That was worrying news for the Bears, who have their first-round pick, but with the Cardinals and Patriots both on 3 wins, the golden ticket is still currently heading to Chicago.