Another week, another shakeup in the NFL rankings. This past week of action produced our first official team in the playoffs, as well as our first official team out of the playoffs. The Panthers locked up the NFC South before they even stepped on the field thanks to the Falcons continued slide into oblivion. Meanwhile, the Browns were just being the Browns as they became the first team eliminated from playoff contention.
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As for the rest of the league, the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins tied as our biggest climbers by both rising five spots. Of course, that had a lot to do with the teams around them losing, and not just their own merits. In a reverse situation, the biggest tumble belongs to the Minnesota Vikings who fell five spots after getting blown out by the Seattle Seahawks. There were very few surprises this week, which meant most teams stayed right in the areas that we would expect them to based on last week’s rankings.
The Chiefs only climbed one spot this week, but that is largely due to the fact that it’s tough to move up once you’re in the top ten. Kansas City has been one of the hotter teams in the league in recent weeks, which has resulted in an epic turnaround from cellar dweller to top ten and playoff contention. With a pretty easy schedule remaining, the Chiefs should be a lock for both the playoffs and a top ten ranking at the end of the year.
| Team | Status | Lst Wk | Lst Result | Streak | W-L | ||
| 1. | Panthers | — | 1 | W 41-38 vs NO | W12 | Cam Newton has all but locked up the MVP. | 12-0 |
| 2. | Broncos | +1 | 3 | W 17-3 vs SD | W3 | Team is winning with Osweiler…but let’s not pretend he’s fixed that offense. | 10-2 |
| 3. | Cardinals | +1 | 4 | W 27-3 vs STL | W6 | The Cards are close to wrapping up the division, but have a tough road to do it on. | 10-2 |
| 4. | Bengals | +1 | 5 | W 37-3 vs CLE | W2 | Being in the same division as the Browns and Ravens just doesn’t seem fair. | 10-2 |
| 5. | Patriots | -3 | 2 | L 28-35 vs PHI | L2 | Two losses in a row won’t bother the Pats much. When this team gets healthy again, they’ll roll. | 10-2 |
| 6. | Packers | +1 | 7 | W 27-23 vs DET | W1 | Too close for comfort, but comeback win may build confidence. | 8-4 |
| 7. | Chiefs | +1 | 8 | W 34-20 vs OAK | W6 | Big win on the road against a division rival with playoff hopes. | 7-5 |
| 8. | Seahawks | +1 | 9 | W 38-7 vs MIN | W3 | That was a statement win. This team will be tough in the playoffs. | 7-5 |
| 9. | Jets | +1 | 10 | W 23-20 vs NYG | W2 | The Jets are the Kings of New York, and currently hold the final AFC Wild Card slot. | 7-5 |
| 10. | Steelers | +1 | 11 | W 45-10 vs IND | W1 | The Steelers keep pace in the AFC Wild Card hunt. | 7-5 |
| 11. | Vikings | -5 | 6 | L 7-38 vs SEA | L1 | That’s the kind of loss that can be tough to shake off. | 8-4 |
| 12. | Bills | +3 | 15 | W 30-21 vs HOU | W1 | The Bills finally rebound. | 6-6 |
| 13. | Texans | -1 | 12 | L 21-30 vs BUF | L1 | The Texans have two paths to the postseason…neither involve losing. | 6-6 |
| 14. | Buccanneers | +4 | 18 | W 23-19 vs ATL | W1 | There is a lot to like about this team for the future. | 6-6 |
| 15. | Giants | -1 | 14 | L 20-23 vs NYJ | L3 | When the Giants look back on this year, the missed opportunities will stand out. | 5-7 |
| 16. | Colts | -3 | 13 | L 10-45 vs PIT | L1 | The Colts not only miss an opportunity, they get embarrassed in the process. | 6-6 |
| 17. | Eagles | +5 | 22 | W 35-28 vs NE | W1 | A week after giving up on Chip Kelly, the Eagles beat what’s left of the Patriots. | 5-7 |
| 18. | Falcons | -2 | 16 | L 19-23 vs TB | L5 | They fired Mike Smith for this? | 6-6 |
| 19. | Raiders | -2 | 17 | L 34-20 vs KC | L1 | Raiders now looking for a miracle to salvage playoff hopes…instead get | 5-7 |
| 20. | Bears | -1 | 19 | L 20-26 vs SF | L1 | The Bears are going to be really good in a year or two. | 5-7 |
| 21. | Redskins | -1 | 20 | L 16-19 vs DAL | L1 | The NFC East was there for the taking. | 5-7 |
| 22. | Dolphins | +5 | 27 | W 15-13 vs BAL | W1 | I don’t care what the scoreboard says, everybody was a loser in this one. | 5-7 |
| 23. | Rams | -2 | 21 | L 3-27 vs ARI | L5 | Jeff Fisher finally admits he has no idea how to fix it. | 4-8 |
| 24. | Cowboys | +4 | 28 | W 19-16 vs PHI | W1 | Somehow the Cowboys are only one game out of the division lead. | 4-8 |
| 25. | Saints | -2 | 23 | L 38-41 vs CAR | L4 | When nothing you do seems to matter… | 4-8 |
| 26. | Lions | -2 | 24 | L 23-27 vs GB | L1 | With the season now basically over, Lions should look to future. | 4-8 |
| 27. | 49ers | +3 | 30 | W 26-20 vs CHI | W1 | Wow…they’re going to do it, aren’t they? They’re going to pass on a QB in the draft for Gabbert. | 4-8 |
| 28. | Jaguars | -3 | 25 | L 39-42 vs TEN | L2 | Another year where the Jags were supposed to get better, but didn’t. | 4-8 |
| 29. | Titans | +2 | 31 | W 42-39 vs JAX | W1 | The Titans apparently do not want the #1 overall pick. | 3-9 |
| 30. | Ravens | -4 | 26 | L 13-15 vs MIA | L1 | Just not what we expect from this organization. | 4-8 |
| 31. | Chargers | -2 | 29 | L 3-17 vs DEN | L1 | Proof that a QB can’t do it all by himself. | 3-9 |
| 32. | Browns | — | 32 | L 3-37 vs CIN | L7 | Oh my God, just frickin play Johnny already!!! | 2-10 |
Well, that’s going to do it for me Addicts. Be sure to check in next week to see where the Chiefs stack up with the rest of the league. We’re coming down to the end of the regular season, and there will be a number of teams getting eliminated from or earning their spot in the postseason.