FacebookLinkedInTwitterBY ADAM GREENE

Will this week be as weird as the last one? It’s too early to tell, but we could be without a couple of head coaches at the very least as teams head down the stretch to the playoffs or to the draft.

We have a new top dog this week as the Top 15 continues to shuffle around. Our basement remains the same, though we do have a new bottom rung thanks to two of the worst teams in the league playing each other.

1. GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-3)

The Packers take over No. 1 slot of the Power Rankings and sit atop the NFC playoff standings. All that remains in their way are the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, so let me just go ahead and congratulate them on securing the No. 1 seed right now. Last week: No. 2

2. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10-4)

All it took was nearly a full season, but the Chiefs return to the top of the AFC where they spent pretty much all of the last two seasons. Last week: No. 3

3. LOS ANGELES RAMS (10-4)

Thanks to the NFL shuffling their game to Tuesday, the Rams were able to put most of their team on the field, which was plenty enough to end the Seattle Seahawks’ season and maybe Russell Wilson’s tenure there for good. Last week: No. 7

4. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (10-4)

The Bucs had a chance to punch their ticket to the playoffs last week, but fell to the New Orleans Saints for the fourth time in five games. They’ll likely have a much easier time securing their late January reservations when they travel to the Carolina Panthers Sunday. Last week: No. 1

5. DALLAS COWBOYS (10-4)

For the second time in three weeks, the Cowboys will get to face off against the Washington Football Team and this time they don’t even have to bring their benches with them. Last week: No. 8

6. ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-4)

The Cardinals are making the postseason, but where they land in the bracket remains to be seen. Their embarrassing loss to the Detroit Lions has them on the ropes. The Indianapolis Colts could deal a knockout blow to their NFC West title hopes on Christmas day. Last week: No. 4

7. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-5)

A loss to the Indianapolis Colts knocked the Pats from the top spot in the AFC. Now they have a rematch with a Bills team they embarrassed just a couple of weeks ago. If they do it again, this could be a dangerous team in the playoffs. But, more importantly, a dangerous team to our national psyche because no one, not a single one of us on Planet Earth, wants a Patriots vs Bucs Super Bowl outside of Bill Simmons. Last week: No. 5

8. TENNESSEE TITANS (9-5)

The Titans would have claimed the top spot in the AFC if not for their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to my math, regardless of what happens Thursday night and with the Indianapolis Colts Saturday, they should still control the AFC South, but a loss could make them have to hold it down to the wire. Last week: No. 6

9. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-6)

The Colts have battled their way back into the AFC bracket and currently hold the fifth seed. They have to stay perfect to keep it. A loss Saturday to the Cardinals could knock them completely out of the seeding again. Considering there’s a league-wide COVID-19 surge at present, maybe Carson Wentz should keep the NFL Films cameras out of his house. And get vaccinated. How about both? Last week: No. 11

10. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8-6)

The NFC is so top heavy that the 49ers have all but locked up a playoff spot without a realistic shot at a division title. They’re two games back of both the Rams and Cardinals with just three to go. But they just might be the team no one wants to host in the postseason. Last week: No. 12

11. BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-6)

Lamar Jackson remains day to day, but that’s not the problem right now with the way Tyler Huntley is playing. The AFC is so tight that Baltimore is outside the bracket and has what might be the toughest three game schedule left in the league — at the Cincinnati Bengals, home against the Rams and then the season finale home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last week: No. 9

12. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8-6)

The Chargers put up a valiant effort and nearly knocked off the Chiefs. The Justin Herbert vs. Patrick Mahomes QB duel will be one to look forward to twice (or more) every year for the next 15 years or so. Last week: No. 10

13. BUFFALO BILLS (8-6)

You get another shot at the Pats this week, Buffalo, and you don’t have the weather conditions at your own home field as an excuse. Don’t blow it this time. Last week: No. 14

14. CINCINNATI BENGALS (8-6)

Cincinnati, in spite of everything, finds themselves in possession of a home playoff game at present. All they have to do to keep it is not soil the sheets in two of their last three games. Last week: No. 19

15. MIAMI DOLPHINS (7-7)

In their six consecutive victories to get into the playoff hunt, the Dolphins have played just one team, the Ravens, that didn’t have a losing record. Monday’s game against the New Orleans Saints will be the second. Last week: No. 15

16. CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-7)

The Browns were a Las Vegas Raiders missed field goal away from owning a home playoff spot. Now, they’ll have to win out and get some help to even make it into the playoffs. Last week: No. 13

17. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-7)

Since starting the year 1-3, the Vikings have alternated between two game win streaks and two game losing streaks. They just won their second in a row, 17-9 over the Chicago Bears and host the Rams this week. If there was ever a time to break the trend, this is it. Last week: No. 16

18. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7-6-1)

With a little help, the Steelers can jump right back into the playoff bracket this week. Of course, the first thing they need to do to make that happen is to beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead. Last week: No. 17

19. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (7-7)

If the Eagles are going to make a last second run at the postseason (and maybe even an NFC East title), they might have to do it without head coach Nick Siriani this weekend. He’s currently caught up in the NFL’s Covid reserve list. Last week: No. 20

20. DENVER BRONCOS (7-7)

The Broncos have done everything they can to screw up their draft capital in any potential offseason QB trade. With Teddy Bridgewater out this week and Drew Lock getting the start, they might finally go ahead and throw in the towel. Last week: No. 18

21. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (7-7)

For whatever reason, the Raiders have decided to hang around in spite of every excuse to fold their hands. I don’t know if that says something positive about their resiliency or something negative about their opponents. Last week: No. 23

22 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (7-7)

If the Saints could match up with the Bucs as well in the playoffs as they do in the regular season, we would have been spared watching Tom Brady win a seventh ring a year ago. Last week: No. 26

23. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (6-8)

Back before the trade deadline, the WFT were rumored to be in the mix for Deshaun Watson. Maybe this offseason they need to reopen that line of dialogue. There’s a decent team here, but I think Taylor Heinicke has run his course as a starter and there is no one I’m excited about in the upcoming NFL Draft. Week 14: No. 21

24. ATLANTA FALCONS (6-8)

Back in the preseason I picked the Falcons to make the playoffs as the NFC’s seventh seed. In spite of their best losing efforts, Atlanta still has that possibility on the table. Last week: No. 22

25. CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-9)

Sam Darnold has been cleared to play and practice, but it’s still Cam Newton’s show for now. While he’s shown glimpses of what he once was, I’m not sure the marriage between him and the Panthers will continue past this season. I hope I’m wrong. Last week: No. 24

26. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (5-9)

As of Tuesday night, it’s official. The Seahawks will suffer their first losing season since 2011 and first since Russell Wilson took over as quarterback. It’s ironic that this could be his last year with the team. After floating a desire to be traded before the season, it looks more and more like Russ will be cooking for another franchise in 2022. And maybe Pete Carroll will be on the golf links instead of the sidelines too. Last week: No. 25

27. CHICAGO BEARS (4-10)

The Bears offense is such a mess, it would be a crime at this point to saddle Justin Fields with this coaching crew one second longer. Chicago has never once fired a head coach in the season and probably won’t do it now, but they need to hand Matt Nagy his pink slip while the final whistle of Week 18 is still echoing in the stadium. Last week: No. 27

28. NEW YORK GIANTS (4-10)

Daniel Jones had a promising start to the year, but injuries have finally cost him the season. The Giants are shutting down their first round quarterback. If Joe Judge does return, and that would be a huge mistake, then the focus this offseason must be on building an NFL level offensive line and getting Jones more weapons in the passing game. Another running back, with Saquon Barkley’s injury problems, wouldn’t hurt. Last week: No. 28

29. DETROIT LIONS (2-11-1)

Well, they did it. The Lions managed to mess up their draft positioning by winning another game, this time one they had no business even being in on paper. Dan Campbell is the first Lions coach in a decade to lead his team to victory over a 10 win opponent. They’re celebrating and they should, but you hate to see them lose a shot at a guy like Aiden Hutchinson for what will ultimately turn out to be a meaningless victory. Just look at what the Bosa brothers and Myles Garrett have done for their respective teams. I’d sacrifice a game to the Cards to land a guy like that. Last week: No. 30

30. HOUSTON TEXANS (3-11)

Luckily for the Lions, they didn’t drop any further than No. 2 since the Houston Texans have made a habit of winning at the worst possible time. They don’t have to worry too much about draft capital. Once Deshaun Watson’s legal issues are resolved, they should be awash in first round picks. Still, you’d think they’d want at least one of them to be high. Luckily, the NFL schedule should keep them from dropping any further as they have the Chargers, 49ers and Titans to finish out the season 0-3. Last week: No. 32

31. NEW YORK JETS (3-11)

The Jets, currently holding the No. 4 overall pick, aren’t as lucky. They have the Jacksonville Jaguars this week to possibly (and probably) pick up their fourth win that could knock them all the way down sixth. If there was ever a game for head coach Robert Saleh to miss on the Covid reserve list, this one is it. It should get no worse than that, with the Buccaneers and Bills delivering knock out blows to end the season. Last week: No. 30

32. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-12)

It took the Jaguars until the penultimate week of the season last year to secure the No. 1 overall pick. As of right now, the Jags can just continue being the Jags and wrap it up with games to spare. Interim head coach Darrell Bevell blew his shot at picking up his first win last week, falling to the Texans. Now he’ll break out all the stops to screw up Jacksonville’s draft position against the Jets, a move that will ultimately be worth nothing as he takes over as a tight ends coach in Detroit next year while costing the Jags a shot at Hutchinson or Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. Last week: No. 31

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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