Tabeek's NFL Power Rankings: Bills jump into No. 2 spot while Steelers, Saints and Falcons fall

The Falcons drop down to No. 23 with showdowns vs. the Bucs and Chiefs looming

Dec 15, 2020 at 03:17 PM
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Matthew Tabeek

Digital Managing Editor

1215_PR-Wk15

You hear it all of the time: That's why they play the games.

Well, the 2020 regular season is coming to a close and, at the same time, the postseason picture is coming into focus. Four teams have either clinched their divisions or playoff berths:

  • Kansas City Chiefs (clinched division)
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (playoff berth)
  • Green Bay Packers (clinched division)
  • New Orleans Saints (playoff berth)

And six teams, including the Atlanta Falcons, have been officially eliminated from playoff contention:

  • Houston Texans
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • New York Jets

One team that has yet to clinch playoff berth but continues to climb up these rankings are the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are on the heels of the Chiefs this week and, I think, will have a lot to say about which teams come out of the AFC in the end. While the Bills are on the way up, the Steelers and the Saints take a tumble this week, but not too far. I think both teams will be ready to go and tough outs come playoff time.

So, without further ado, it's time for the Week 15 edition of my Wildly Important NFL Power Rankings. These rankings will appear here on AtlantaFalcons.com every Tuesday morning. Enjoy!

(12-1)
1
Chiefs_table
Kansas City Chiefs
It was a little rough sailing early on in South Florida but Mahomes righted the ship.
(10-3)
2
2
Bills_table
Buffalo Bills
They stood up to the Steelers, punched them in the mouths and put the AFC on notice.
(11-2)
3
1
Steelers_table
Pittsburgh Steelers
OK, they’ve dropped a couple of games but trust me, no one is panicking in the Steel Town.
(10-3)
4
1
Packers_table
Green Bay Packers
Watch out for the Packers if they can stay healthy over the next month or so. NFC’s best? Yup.
(10-3)
5
2
Saints_table
New Orleans Saints
They’re not so scary, especially without Brees. Will he be 100 percent when he comes back?
(9-4)
6
Browns_table
Cleveland Browns
They had no answer for Lamar Jackson on Monday night. Still, they are fun to watch on offense.
(9-4)
7
Rams_table
Los Angeles Rams
I really like this team if the run game is humming and the defense is playing well. See what I said there?
(9-4)
8
Colts_table
Indianapolis Colts
They could surprise a team or two down the stretch. Looked sharp in pounding the Raiders.
(8-5)
9
Bucs_table
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lots and lots of talent that just hasn’t put it all together yet. Falcons hope it stays that way over the next few weeks.
(9-4)
10
Titans_table
Tennessee Titans
These guys are all business. They show up, whoop ya and move on.
(9-4)
11
Seahawks_table
Seattle Seahawks
They beat up on the hapless Jets, but I have some concerns about them (and that pass rush).
(8-5)
12
Dolphins_table
Miami Dolphins
They looked solid early on against the Chiefs, forcing turnovers. Just need to put it all together now.
(8-5)
13
Ravens_table
Baltimore Ravens
If Lamar Jackson can get into a rhythm and turn it into backyard football, he’s tough to contain.
(7-6)
14
2
Cardinals_Table
Arizona Cardinals
They beat up on the Giants and now the Eagles – and Jalen Hurts – are up. Should be fun to watch.
(6-7)
15
Vikings_table
Minnesota Vikings
Critical next game for them against the Bears if they want to stay in this race.
(6-7)
16
3
Washington_table
Washington Football Team
I kept thinking the Giants would eventually win the East. Chase Young and Co. have me feeling differently.
(6-7)
17
3
Patriots_table
New England Patriots
Their offense is hard to watch and I’ve got to believe they’re thinking about finding a new QB.
(7-6)
18
1
Raiders_table
Las Vegas Raiders
There are contenders and pretenders and the Raiders have been exposed.
(6-7)
19
5
Bears_table
Chicago Bears
They beat the Texans. I can’t get excited about that win or this team right now.
(5-8)
20
2
Giants_table
New York Giants
Time to dust themselves because Baker Mayfield is coming to the Big Apple.
(5-8)
21
1
49ers_table
San Francisco 49ers
I circled the 49ers-Cowboys game at the beginning of the season as ‘Must watch!’ Now … meh.
(5-8)
22
1
Lions_table
Detroit Lions
They showed some fight against the Packers, which was good to see. Still, they lost. Not great, Bob.
(4-9)
23
2
Falcons_Table
Atlanta Falcons
They had a chance to seal the deal and didn’t get it done. We’ve heard that too many times around these parts.
(5-8)
24
1
Broncos_table
Denver Broncos
If you’re a Broncos fan you have to be encouraged by what you’re seeing in Drew Lock.
(4-9)
25
2
Chargers_table
Los Angeles Chargers
It wasn’t pretty but they found a way to win. Too many other times it’s gone the other way for them.
(4-9)
26
Panthers_table
Carolina Panthers
I like that Matt Rhule wants his team to learn what it takes to win in December. Smart.
(4-8-1)
27
1
Eagles_table
Philadelphia Eagles
How do you not get excited over Jalen Hurts right now if you’re an Eagles fan?
(4-9)
28
6
Texans_table
Houston Texans
Little bit of an injury scare there with Watson going down. This season can’t end soon enough for H-Town.
(4-9)
29
Cowboys_table
Dallas Cowboys
Nice homecoming for Andy Dalton. That’s about all you can say at this point.
(2-10-1)
30
Bengals_table
Cincinnati Bengals
Can they kick the Steelers while they’re down? That might be fun to watch in Cincy this weekend.
(1-12)
31
Jaguars_table
Jacksonville Jaguars
They can make life much harder for the Ravens if they can upset them this weekend.
(0-13)
32
Jets_table
New York Jets
Jets fans are thinking one thing right now: Don’t screw up the draft order.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan #2 against the New Orleans Saints on December 6, 2020.

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