The week 16 NFL Power Rankings are in and I am pretty excited to have a knowledgeable football analyst with me to help with the rankings. We have taken the average of the two analysts votes. Each analyst has ranked the teams as they choose 1-32 and we have added comments for each team. I am Sam Brief, of Sam’s Sports Brief, a 14 year old who created Sam’s Sports Brief to give you a refreshing new perspective on the wild world of sports. I hope someday become a sports broadcaster or a sports writer and am following my dreams, providing readers with a wealth of information and keen perspective.
Joining me today is JB Knox of 1313 Sports, who keeps readers informed with the latest news in the sports world, and provides us with opinionated analysis and has a very polished site. I highly recommend checking his site out to brush up on your sports knowledge through the eyes of JB Knox.
So without further ado, here are the NFL Week 16 Power Rankings. Comments and debates are highly recommended and encouraged on these websites!!! Hope You Enjoy!!!
It was that kind of day for the Packers, who lost their first game in 364 days last Sunday. I guess perfection sure has its blemishes.
RANK TEAM RECORD TREND COMMENTS
1
Packers–
So, they finally had a hiccup. Being a Pats’ fan from New England, I can honestly tell you that it was the best thing that could’ve happened to them. Now they can regroup and worry about home-field & the playoffs. (Knox)
2
Saints–
The surging Saints are currently living under the radar. With Tim Tebow and the Packers getting all of the attention, the Saints are continuing their 6-game winning streak, and Drew Brees is continuing his pursuit of Dan Marino’s passing yardage record. (Brief)
3
Patriots
4
49ers
5
Ravens
6
Steelers
7
Texans–
Get-well cards have been plentiful for defensive coordinator Wade Phillips as the Texans hope he returns to the sidelines soon. Yates’ inconsistencies are allowing defenses to stack the box, creating third-and-longs and rushing the pocket. (Knox)
8
Falcons–
The Falcons embarrassed the Jaguars Thursday Night, winning 41-14 a week after the Jaguars beat the Buccaneers 41-14. So, if the Falcons played the Buccaneers, would the score be 81-7? One more win puts the Falcons in the playoffs for a second straight season. (Brief)
9
Lions–
Suh is back and Megatron looks unstoppable, as always. If they can control their tempers and win one of their last two games, then they’re in the playoffs. Stafford continues to baffle me with his ability to throw TDs off his back foot. (Knox)
10
Chargers
11
Cowboys
12
Broncos
13
Bengals–
The Bengals still are alive due to the electrifying talents of A.J. Green, but the late game loss to the Texans has to be haunting their rearview mirrors right now. The red hot Arizona Cardinals visit this week. Can they stay in the hunt? (Knox)
14
Seahawks
15
Jets
16
Cardinals
17
Giants
18
Eagles
19
Raiders
20
Titans
21
Chiefs
22
Bears
23
Dolphins
24
Redskins
25
Panthers–
The Panthers went into Houston and laid a whooping on the top ranked defensive unit. If they ever come up with some defensive talent next off-season, look out because there is no stopping Cam. (Knox)
26
Bills
27
Browns
28
Jaguars–
The offensively-limited Jaguars got demolished on Thursday Night in Atlanta. The issue with the team’s offense is that Blaine Gabbert tries too hard (and fails) not to make mistakes. (Brief)
29
Vikings
30
Buccaneers
31
Rams–
If the Colts win on Thursday, do the Rams tank their season and trade Sam Bradford for some picks to go along with the possibility of getting Andrew Luck? If not, I would seriously think about moving Steven Jackson for a boatload of help. He doesn’t deserve to be on teams this bad. (Knox)
32
Colts–
Colts fans rejoice: the Colts have won a game! Yes. You. Can. (Brief)On Sunday, the Colts tasted victory for the first time in 350 days. "Do you believe in miracles?"
As far as individual rankings go, there is a lot of diversity this week. Sam and JB flip-flopped the Patriots and 49ers, as Sam ranks 49ers 3rd and Patriots 4th, while JB does just the opposite. Sam valued the teams making late playoff pushes, ranking the Seahawks and Cardinals 14th and 15th, while ranking the Chargers 10th and the Eagles 16th. JB was less radical, ranking the Seahawks and Cardinals 17th and 18th, and the Chargers and Eagles 14th and 19th. Sam was tough on the New York teams, ranking the Giants and Jets at 17th and 18th, while JB ranks them at 16 and 13. JB solidified the AFC middle-class teams more than Sam, as he ranked the Bengals, Jets, Chargers, and Raiders all in spots 12-15. Sam has them all over the place, as they fall anywhere from spots 10-20. Both Sam and JB were very harsh on teams with major losing streaks, as they both put the Rams (5 games), Bills (6 games), Rams (6 games), and Buccaneers (8 games) at an average ranking of 29.As you can see, most of the movement this week came in the middle of the pack (spots 10-24). The playoff spots are really wide-open right now, as there are 15 teams whose playoff fate has yet to be decided. Any team from the Falcons to the Chiefs can make it. Any team from the Lions to the Titans can make it. Every single team in the AFC West can win the division, and, at week 16, that is remarkable. There has never been a more bizarre end of the regular season in the NFL. There are teams on the rise (Cardinals, Seahawks), and there are teams on the fall (Bills, Buccaneers), but every team will be prying to close the season strong.By Sam BriefSam’s Sports Brief@SamsSportsBriefBy JB Knox1313 Sports@TheKnoxScoreThe Sports Blog Movement