Analysis

12/22/21

9 min read

Domo's Week 15 Power Rankings: Packers Jump to No. 1 as Tampa Bay Slides

Domo's Week 15 Power Rankings: Packers Jump to No. 1 as Tampa Bay Slides

1) Packers (11-3)     Previous: 2

Last week: W31-30@BAL

This week: v. 7-7 Browns

Good news: Aaron Rodgers is in MVP mode. He’s thrown 13 touchdown passes and no interceptions in the last four games.

Bad news: Packers’ special teams problems continued against the Ravens. The unit committed three penalties in the one-point win.

2) Chiefs (10-4)     Previous: 5

Last week: W34-28@LAC

This week: v. 7-6-1 Steelers

Good news: Chiefs have an NFL-best seven-game win streak and have allowed 17 or fewer points in six of those games.

Bad news: COVID is running rampant in KC’s locker room and there’s no telling right now who Andy Reid is going to have available for the game.

3) Cowboys (10-4)     Previous: 6

Last week: W21-6@NYG

This week: v. 7-7 Washington

Good news: With three more interceptions Sunday, Cowboys now have a league-high 23.

Bad news: Cowboys’ red-zone production has been abysmal lately. They’ve converted just three of 11 trips inside the 20 into touchdowns in the last two games.

4) Bucs (10-4)     Previous: 1

Last week: L0-9NO

This week: at 5-9 Panthers

Good news: Bucs need just one more win in their last three games to clinch their first division title since ’07.

Bad news: Bucs lost three key offensive weapons – WRs Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (knee) and RB Leonard Fournette (hamstring) – in the loss to the Saints. Godwin (torn ACL), the Bucs’ leading receiver (98 catches, 1,103 yards), is out for the year.

5) Rams (10-4)     Previous: 7

Last week: W20-10SEA

This week: at 7-7 Vikings

Good news: Matthew Stafford’s plus-25 touchdowns-to-interceptions differential equals his career-high. And he still has three more games to build on it.

Bad news: Three tough games left against the Vikings, Ravens and 49ers. Only the Niners, in Week 18, are at home.

6) Cardinals (10-4)     Previous: 3

Last week: L12-30@DET

This week: v. 8-6 Colts

Good news: With the Colts and Cowboys up next, they’ll have a chance to get their act together before the playoffs.

Bad news: Nobody needs to get his act together right now more than Kyler Murray, who has had a sub-75.0 passer rating in three of his last four starts.

7) Colts (8-6)     Previous: 10

Last week: W 27-17NE

This week: at 10-4 Cardinals

Good news: Jonathan Taylor is a legitimate MVP candidate. He’s put up seven 100-yard rushing performances in the last nine games and has 17 rushing TDs,

Bad news: It remains to be seen whether Carson Wentz can carry the Colts on his back if a defense shuts down Taylor. He has a 60.2 completion percentage in the Colts’ last four games and has averaged just 6.4 yards per attempt.

8) Patriots (9-5)     Previous: 4

Last week: L17-27@IND

This week: v. 8-6 Bills

Good news: Already have beaten the Bills once, rushing for a season-high 222 yards against them.

Bad news: Punter Jake Bailey has had three punts blocked this season, including one in the loss to the Colts which resulted in a touchdown.

9) Bills (8-6)     Previous: 9

Last week: W31-14CAR

This week: at 9-5 Patriots

Good news: The defense has given up just 11 touchdown passes, the fewest in the league

Bad news: Bills have struggled against the run lately. They’ve given up 170 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry in their last three games.

10) 49ers (8-6)    Previous: 11

Last week: W31-13ATL

This week: at 9-5 Titans

Good news: Versatile WR Deebo Samuel has a team-high seven rushing touchdowns to go with 1,088 receiving yards and five receiving TDs.

Bad news: Niners defense has just six interceptions.

11) Titans (9-5)     Previous: 8

Last week: L13-19@PIT

This week: v. 8-6 49ers

Good news: Titans defense held Steelers to 168 total yards and 12 first downs.

Bad news: Offense isn’t the same or even close to the same without Derrick Henry. Titans have lost three of their last four and have scored just 59 points in those four games.

12) Bengals (8-6)     Previous: 14

Last week: W15-10@DEN

This week: v. 8-6 Ravens

Good news: Joe Burrow threw for 416 yards and three TDs in the Bengals’ Week 7 win over the Ravens.

Bad news: RB Joe Mixon has averaged just 3.1 yards per carry in the Bengals’ last three games.

13) Chargers  (8-6)     Previous: 12

Last week: L28-34KC

This week: at 3-11 Texans

Good news: Justin Herbert has thrown two or more TD passes in 10 of the last 12 games.

Bad news: Chargers have the worst third-down defense in the league (49.7%). They’re giving up 8.4 yards per pass attempt and 4.5 yards per rush attempt on third down.

14) Ravens (8-6)     Previous: 13

Last week: L30-31GB

This week: at 8-6 Bengals

Good news: They’ve lost three in a row, but those three losses have been by a total of four points. That said, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Bad news: Ravens defense has given up a league-high 61 completions of 20 yards or more, including a league-high 14 twenty-plus-yard touchdown passes.

15) Vikings (7-7)     Previous: 16

Last week: W17-9@CHI

This week: v. 10-4 Rams

Good news: Vikings’ seven losses have been by a total of 28 points.

Bad news: Kirk Cousins had a career-low 87 passing yards against a COVID-riddled Bears defense that was missing its entire starting secondary.

16) Eagles (7-7)      Previous: 21

Last week: W27-17WAS

This week: v.  4-10 Giants

Good news: Eagles’ ground game continues to be a juggernaut. They are averaging 214.1 rushing yards per game in their last seven games.

Bad news: They’re probably going to have to run the table to make the playoffs, including a Week 18 rematch with the 10-4 Cowboys.

17) Saints (7-7)     Previous: 22

Last week: W9-0@TB

This week: v. 7-7 Dolphins

Good news: None of the Saints’ three remaining opponents has a winning record.

Bad news: Two of the Saints’ last three games are at home (v. 7-7 Dolphins and 5-9 Panthers). But they’re 2-4 at the Caesar’s Superdome this season.

18) Broncos (7-7)     Previous: 15

Last week: L10-15CIN

This week: at 7-7 Raiders

Good news: The defense has held six of its last eight opponents to 17 points or less.

Bad news: The offense has scored more than 17 points in just three of the last eight games.

19) Steelers (7-6-1)     Previous: 23

Last week: W19-13TEN

This week: at 10-4 Chiefs

Good news: Roethlisberger has thrown just three interceptions in his last nine starts.

Bad news: Steelers had just 168 total yards and 12 first downs against the Titans.

20) Raiders (7-7)     Previous: 18

Last week: W16-14@CLE

This week: v. 7-7 Broncos

Good news: Kept their slim playoff hopes alive thanks to a walkoff field goal by Daniel Carlson.

Bad news: Managed to score just 16 points and one touchdown against a team that had everybody but the clock operator on the COVID list.

21) Washington (6-8)     Previous: 17

Last week: L17-27@PHI

This week: at 10-4 Cowboys

Good news: They should be getting most of their remaining COVID captives back this week, including quarterback Taylor Heinicke.

Bad news: They have to play the division-leading Cowboys on four days rest. Good luck with that.

22) Browns (7-7)     Previous: 19

Last week: L14-16LVR

This week: at 11-3 Packers

Good news: They’re just a game out of first in the NFC North and should be getting everyone back this week from the COVID list, including QB Baker Mayfield.

Bad news: They have to play Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on four days rest. At Lambeau.

23) Dolphins (7-7)     Previous: 20

Last week: W31-24NYJ

This week: at 7-7 Saints

Good news: Dolphins have won six in a row after a 1-7 start.

Bad news: Just one of those six wins came against a team that has lost fewer than nine games.

24) Seahawks (5-9)     Previous: 24

Last week: L10-20@LAR

This week: v. 4-10 Bears

Good news: The Seahawks’ 11 giveaways – six interceptions and five fumbles -- are the second fewest in the league.

Bad news: They are headed for their first losing season since 2011 and don’t even have a high first-round pick, or any first-round pick, to show for it. They traded theirs away to the Jets for safety Jamal Adams.

25) Falcons (6-8)     Previous: 25

Last week: L13-31@SF

This week: v. 2-11-1 Lions

Good news: I’m sure there is some, but I’m not exactly sure what it might be right now.

Bad news: Falcons have been outscored 129-56 in the fourth quarter.

26) Lions (2-11-1)     Previous: 29

Last week: W30-12ARI

This week: at 6-8 Falcons

Good news: Jared Goff has thrown nine touchdown passes and two interceptions in the last four games.

Bad news: Just when the Lions are starting to play really well, the season is almost over.

27) Bears (4-10)     Previous: 26

Last week: L9-17MIN

This week: at 5-9 Seahawks

Good news: Once the game slows down for him, Justin Fields has a chance to be a very good quarterback.

Bad news: Bears have 25 giveaways, including three more Monday night.

28) Panthers (5-9)     Previous: 27

Last week: L14-31BUF

This week: v. 10-4 Bucs

Good news: Matt Rhule should be able to get one of the draft’s top quarterbacks with the Panthers’ high first-round pick.

Bad news: It’s never a good thing to be going up against a pissed-off Tom Brady, regardless of how many of his best wide receivers are hurt.

29) Giants (4-10)     Previous: 28

Last week: L6-21DAL

This week: at 7-7 Eagles

Good news: They’re facing an Eagles team this week that they’ve already beaten once and that will be playing on four days rest.

Bad news: Saquon Barkley has averaged just 3.8 yards per carry in the five games since returning from an ankle injury.

30) Jets (3-11)     Previous: 30

Last week: L24-31@MIA

This week: v. 2-12 Jaguars

Good news: It’s Jaguar Week!

Bad news: Zach Wilson has thrown just six touchdown passes in 308 pass attempts.

31) Texans (3-11)     Previous: 32

Last week: W30-16JAX

This week: v. 8-6 Chargers

Good news: Their 30 points against the Jaguars was the most the Texans have scored since putting up 37 in Week 1 against, uh, also the Jaguars.

Bad news: The win over the Jags may cost the Texans the first pick in the draft.

32) Jaguars (2-12)     Previous: 31

Last week: L16-30HOU

This week: at 3-11 Jets

Good news: The loss to the Texans moved the Jags into the pole position in the 2022 draft.

Bad news: Trevor Lawrence has just one touchdown pass in the Jags’ last seven games.


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