Analysis
12/28/21
9 min read
Domo’s Week 16 Power Rankings: Eagles and Dolphins Rising In Playoff Discussion
1) Packers (12-3) Previous: 1
Last week: W24-22CLE
This week: v. 7-8 Vikings.
Good news: Aaron Rodgers continues to play at a not-of-this-world level. Sixteen TD passes and zero interceptions in the last five games. A plus-29 TDs-to-INTs differential for the season.
Bad news: Packers defense has given up 28.8 points per game over the last five games.
2) Chiefs (11-4) Previous: 2
Last week: W36-10PIT
This week: at 9-6 Bengals
Good news: Chiefs, who probably are going to be the AFC’s No. 1 seed, have forced 20 turnovers in their last seven games.
Bad news: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs’ leading rusher, injured his collarbone against the Steelers.
3) Cowboys (11-4) Previous: 3
Last week: W56-14WAS
This week: v. 10-5 Cardinals
Good news: Cowboys defense has 14 takeaways and 13 sacks in their four-game win streak.
Bad news: Their Week 6 win on the road against the Patriots was their last “quality’’ win.
4) Bucs (11-4) Previous: 4
Last week: W32-6@CAR
This week: at 4-11 Jets
Good news: Even without Leonard Fournette, who is out until at least the playoffs with a hamstring injury, the Bucs rushed for 159 yards against the Panthers.
Bad news: Shaq Barrett, who has a team-high 10 sacks, has a sprained MCL and ACL and will miss the last two regular-season games. The playoffs still are a question mark.
5) Rams (11-4) Previous: 5
Last week: W30-23@MIN
This week: at 8-7 Ravens
Good news: Offensive Player of the Year candidate Cooper Kupp has had 90 or more receiving yards in 14 of 15 games this season. He needs 231 yards to break Calvin Johnson’s single-season record of 1,964.
Bad news: Matt Stafford is capable of self-destructing at any moment. He has thrown multiple-interceptions in three of the Rams’ last seven games.
6) Colts (9-6) Previous: 7
Last week: W22-16@ARI
This week: v. 8-7 Raiders
Good news: Colts defense has given up more than 17 points just once in its last five games.
Bad news: Both of their losses to Tennessee came in the first half of the season, before the offense got rolling.
7) Bills (9-6) Previous: 9
Last week: W33-21@NE
This week: at 7-8 Falcons
Good news: Bills have the tiebreaker advantage in the division. If they beat the Falcons and Jets, they’ll win back-to-back division titles for the first time since 1990-91.
Bad news: Run defense is leaking. Bills have given up 164.7 rushing yards per game in their last four games.
8) Cardinals (10-5) Previous: 6
Last week: L16-22IND
This week: at 11-4 Cowboys
Good news: The Cardinals have clinched their first playoff berth since 2015.
Bad news: They did it while on their back. After a 10-2 start, the Cardinals now have lost three in a row and have scored just 51 points in those three losses.
9) Patriots (9-6) Previous: 8
Last week: L21-33BUF
This week: v. 2-13 Jaguars
Good news: It’s Jaguar Week!
Bad news: Mac Jones has thrown four interceptions and has a 51.9 completion percentage in the Pats’ losses to Colts and Bills.
10) Titans (10-5) Previous: 11
Last week: W20-17SF
This week: v. 8-7 Dolphins
Good news: Losing Derrick Henry wasn’t the end of the world after all. Titans are 4-3 without him, including wins over the Rams and Niners, and have held on to first place in the AFC South.
Bad news: Titans haven’t scored more than 20 points in any of their last five games.
11) Bengals (9-6) Previous: 12
Last week: W41-21BAL
This week: v. 11-4 Chiefs
Good news: In their two wins over the Ravens, the Bengals outscored them 82-38, and Joe Burrow threw for 941 yards and seven touchdowns.
Bad news: Don’t look now, but here come the Chiefs.
12) 49ers (8-7) Previous: 10
Last week: L17-20@TEN
This week: v. 4-11 Texans
Good news: With Houston and Atlanta left on their schedule, Niners still are well-positioned to get a wildcard spot.
Bad news: QB Jimmy Garoppolo injured the thumb on his throwing hand. The Niners’ playoff hopes will be in the hands of rookie Trey Lance, who will be making just his second NFL start Sunday if Garoppolo can’t play.
13) Eagles (8-7) Previous: 16
Last week: W34-10NYG
This week: at 7-8 WAS
Good news: Eagles have won five of their last six games and could clinch a wildcard spot this weekend.
Bad news: Their top two backs, Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard, both left Sunday’s game with injuries. Sanders has a broken hand, Howard has a stinger.
14) Vikings (7-8) Previous: 15
Last week: L23-30LAR
This week: at 12-3 Packers
Good news: Kirk Cousins has thrown 30 or more TD passes in three of the last four seasons.
Bad news: With a road trip to Green Bay up next, FiveThirtyEight gives them a 13% chance of making the playoffs.
15) Dolphins (8-7) Previous: 23
Last week: W20-3@NO
This week: at 10-5 Titans
Good news: If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Dolphins, who have won seven in a row after losing seven in a row, would be the third and final AFC wildcard team.
Bad news: Their last two games are against 10-5 Titans (on the road) and the 9-6 Patriots.
16) Saints (7-8) Previous: 17
Last week: L3-20MIA
This week: v. 5-10 Panthers
Good news: COVID has given Saints fans something to help them finally forget that non-pass interference call in the 2018 NFC Championship Game.
Bad news: The Saints’ playoff chances have shrunk to 36%. Sill in the hunt, but don’t control their own destiny any longer.
17) Ravens (8-7) Previous: 14
Last week: L21-41@CIN
This week: v. 11-4 Rams
Good news: Even after losing their fourth game in a row, the Ravens still are in the playoff hunt.
Bad news: QB Lamar Jackson missed his second straight game with an ankle injury.
18) Raiders (8-7) Previous: 20
Last week: W17-13DEN
This week: at 9-6 Colts
Good news: Raiders have resuscitated their playoff hopes with back-to-back wins over the Browns and Broncos.
Bad news: They’ve got one of the league’s hottest teams – the 9-6 Colts – up next. On the road.
19) Chargers (8-7) Previous: 13
Last week: L29-41@HOU
This week: v. 7-8 Broncos
Good news: Chargers still are in the thick of the playoff hunt despite Sunday’s loss.
Bad news: COVID or no COVID, they lost to the Texans!
20) Broncos (7-8) Previous: 18
Last week: L13-17@LVR
This week: at 8-7 Chargers
Good news: Looking ahead, the Broncos have 11 picks in the April draft, including five in the first three rounds.
Bad news: Broncos have held their last five opponents to 15.4 points per game. And have two wins to show for it.
21) Steelers (7-7-1) Previous: 19
Last week: L10-36@KC
This week: v. 7-8 Browns
Good news: Najee Harris has rushed for 90-plus yards in two of the last three games.
Bad news: Steelers are 2-4-1 since a four-game win streak in late October-early November.
22) Browns (7-8) Previous: 22
Last week: L22-24@GB
This week: at 7-7-1 Steelers
Good news: Nick Chubb had his first 100-yard game in more than a month in the loss to the Packers.
Bad news: Baker Mayfield picked a really, really bad time to have a career-high four-interception clunker of a performance.
23) Falcons (7-8) Previous: 25
Last week: W20-16DET
This week: at 9-6 Bills
Good news: Falcons still have a chance to make the playoffs. OK, so it’s a 2% chance. But the fact that they’re still playing games that count is a step in the right direction.
Bad news: Just one of the Falcons’ seven wins has been against a team that currently has a winning record (8-7 Dolphins).
24) Washington (6-9) Previous: 21
Last week: L14-56
This week: v. 8-7 Eagles
Good news: While their own playoff hopes are pretty much history, the team without a name can deliver a major blow to the Eagles’ postseason chances with a win on Sunday.
Bad news: What’s worse than a 42-point butt-kicking to the Cowboys? How about a 42-point butt-kicking and a national prime-time TV audience watching two of your defensive linemen fighting on the sidelines? Another proud moment for The Franchise That Snyder Wrecked.
25) Seahawks (5-10) Previous: 24
Last week: L24-25CHI
This week: v. 2-12-1 Lions
Good news: They managed to sweep the 49ers.
Bad news: They’re 3-10 against everybody else.
26) Bears (5-10) Previous: 27
Last week: W25-24@SEA
This week: v. 4-11NYG
Good news: Nick Foles was brought out of mothballs and led the Bears to just their second win in the last 10 games. And then turned in an All-Pro performance at the post-game news conference.
Bad news: Bears gave up 170 rushing yards, their third most this season.
27) Lions (2-12-1) Previous: 26
Last week: L16-20@ATL
This week: at 5-10 Seahawks
Good news: Late-season wins over Arizona and Minnesota give Dan Campbell’s team something to hang its hat on going into the offseason.
Bad news: The Lions have qualified for the playoffs just three times since 2000.
28) Panthers (5-10) Previous: 28
Last week: L6-32TB
This week: at 7-8 Saints
Good news: The season is almost over.
Bad news: Panthers QBs have the worst touchdowns-to-interceptions differential (minus-7) in the league.
29) Texans (4-11) Previous: 31
Last week: W41-29LAC
This week: at 8-7 49ers
Good news: Davis Mills outplayed 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert, completing 21 of 27 passes for 254 yards and throwing 2 TDs in the Texans’ win over the Chargers.
Bad news: Their back-to-back wins over the Chargers and Jags have dropped them to third in the 2022 draft order. Does David Culley not know how tanking works?
30) Giants (4-11) Previous: 29
Last week: L10-34@PHI
This week: at 5-10 Bears
Good news: Giants plan to bring back head coach Joe Judge and quarterback Daniel Jones for 2022.
Bad news: Their injury-ravaged offense has scored just 69 points in the last six games.
31) Jets (4-11) Previous: 30
Last week: W26-21JAX
This week: v. 11-4 Bucs
Good news: Jets rushed for 273 yards against the Jags, their most in a game since Week 4 of the 2018 season.
Bad news: Jets, who will be facing Tom Brady Sunday, have the highest opponent passer rating in the NFL (104.8)
32) Jaguars (2-13) Previous: 32
Last week: L21-26@NYJ
This week: at 9-6 Patriots
Good news: The free agency signing period is just 2 ½ months away and the draft is fourth months away.
Bad news: Trevor Lawrence’s trying rookie season continues. He has thrown just one touchdown pass in the last eight games.
