Who are the notable risers and fallers heading into Week 16?
Written by: Greg Lehr | @greglehr3
Power Rankings by: The Blitz Team | @Blitzalytics
With only two weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, most of us are busy dissecting all potential playoff scenarios with all possible Week 16-17 outcomes on the table. However, this time of the year also comes as a relief for those whose teams are only vying for their official draft order at this point. These fans have likely already turned their focus to NFL Draft. For the rest of those who don't fit into either of the first two categories, you're probably facing a frustrating reality. Maybe you’re a fan of a team like the LA Rams, for instance, who have kept their playoff hopes alive this late into the season only to watch a debacle on Sunday in Dallas. Now, even though a Wild Card spot is still technically a possibility, it would mean overcoming incredibly long odds to make the playoffs. Whichever category above that you find yourself relating to the most, our Week 16 NFL Power Rankings help paint a picture of where each team stands as we near the end of the 2019 regular season.
Week 16 Risers:
Dallas Cowboys (+3)
Current Ranking: 13
Last Week: 16
Well, it only took 15 weeks for it to happen, but the Cowboys finally beat a team with a winning record on Sunday (in convincing fashion no less), as Dallas dominated the Rams 44-21. The Cowboys have struggled mightily to put together complete games against quality opponents in 2019. In close losses to the Saints and Patriots this season, the defense excelled but the offense couldn't put enough points on the board. On the contrary, defense and special teams failed them in losses to the Bills and Bears in recent weeks. Dallas' decision of finally bringing in a new kicker to replace the inconsistent Brett Maher paid dividends immediately, as Kai Forbath went 3-3 on FG attempts, hitting once from 50 and twice from 42 on Sunday. In addition to the improved kicking game, the offense scored five touchdowns despite Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Randall Cobb combining for just three catches and 22 yards. That's because Zeke and Tony Pollard each had over 100 yards on the ground, combining for 248 total rushing yards and three scores. The defense, led by Sean Lee's first career game with a sack and an interception, held up their end of the bargain as well, holding the Rams to under 300 total yards. Can Dallas string these types of complete performances together? That remains to be seen.
Philadelphia Eagles (+3)
Current Ranking: 16
Last Week: 19
Thanks to a recent slide by the Cowboys and poor (okay, terrible) division, the Eagles have managed to stay in the race for the NFC East title despite an up-and-down season of their own. Injuries have decimated the offense in particular, with Greg Ward and JJ Arcega-Whiteside representing Carson Wentz' starting wideouts over the last two games. Thankfully, Zach Ertz has turned it on in the second half of the season, as Wentz' go-to target has picked up plenty of slack in the passing attack. In their last six games, Ertz is averaging almost eight catches and 77 yards per game, while scoring five touchdowns in that span. Philly is 3-3 in those games, but have won two in a row. Wentz has been outstanding in each fourth-quarter of these last two weeks to pull out crucial wins, albeit against the lowly Giants and Redskins. He will need to continue working his magic against in the pivotal divisional showdown against Dallas this week.
Week 16 Fallers:
San Francisco 49ers (-1)
Current Ranking: 3
Last Week: 2
Week 15 was a great reminder that the NFL is full of surprises. Look no further than San Francisco, where the Falcons stunned the 49ers with a last-second Julio Jones touchdown catch at the goal line. With no Richard Sherman in the lineup, Jones put up 134 yards and two touchdowns on 13 receptions. Atlanta scored 19 points in the final quarter to come away with a 29-22 upset on the road, a result that drops the 49ers down to the #5 seed in the NFC with just two weeks to go. It's been a daunting couple of weeks for the Niners, as they have played arguably the two best teams in the entire league in the two weeks leading up to Sunday's loss vs. Atlanta, one that will surely be seen as a trap game in retrospect. San Francisco suffered a hard-fought loss in Baltimore in Week 13, then prevailed a week later in what's been widely considered the game of the year in the NFL - a 48-46 win in New Orleans. Moving forward, the 49ers need to regroup quickly against the Rams and Seahawks in the final two weeks of the season, especially with a shot at home-field advantage still in play.
Cleveland Browns (-4)
Current Ranking: 21
Last Week: 17
Whew. This almost feels like kicking a man when he's already down. Baker Mayfield and Co. once again failed to get much of anything going through the air, despite facing the league's worst pass defense coming into the game. To make matters even worse, it’s been widely reported that several Browns' players, including Jarvis Landry, were yelling "come get me" towards the Cardinals' sideline during various parts of the game - a sign of the turmoil that has reached its breaking point in Cleveland. Freddie Kitchens' seat is undoubtedly on fire.
Full NFL Power Rankings: Week 16
Rankings by: The Blitz Team
Baltimore Ravens
New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs
Green Bay Packers
New England Patriots
Minnesota Vikings
Houston Texans
Buffalo Bills
Tennessee Titans
Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas Cowboys
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Los Angeles Rams
Philadelphia Eagles
Chicago Bears
Indianapolis Colts
Denver Broncos
Atlanta Falcons
Cleveland Browns
Los Angeles Chargers
Oakland Raiders
Jacksonville Jaguars
Arizona Cardinals
Carolina Panthers
New York Jets
New York Giants
Miami Dolphins
Washington Redskins
Detroit Lions
Cincinnati Bengals