We’re down to the final week of the 2017 season and, as expected, there wasn’t a ton of movement in this week’s Wildly Important NFL Power Rankings. The top four teams – Patriots, Vikings, Steelers and Rams – remain the same while the Saints jump the Jaguars and Eagles for the fifth sport following their big home win over the Falcons.
NFL POWER RANKINGS
The Falcons and Panthers – who will meet Sunday in a huge game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium – stay put in the eighth and ninth spots. The Seahawks, who could steal the sixth seed from the Falcons with a win and a Falcons loss, crack the top 10 this week. They unseat the Cowboys, who dropped from the 10 spot all the way down to No. 15.
Here’s how things shake out heading into Week 17:
| Rank | Team | Comment | Last Week | |
| 1 |
 | Patriots(12-3) | The Patriots currently hold the top seed in the AFC and look to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win over the Jets. | 1 |
| 2 |
 | Vikings(12-3) | The Eagles might have the best overall record in the NFL, but the Vikings look like the strongest team in the NFC. They’ll be a tough out at home. | 2 |
| 3 |
 | Steelers(12-3) | The Steelers still have an outside shot at earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That loss vs. the Patriots still smarts. | 3 |
| 4 |
 | Rams(11-4) | What a turnaround for the Rams, who clinched the NFC West. Their final game will likely affect seeding in the first round of the playoffs. | 4 |
| 5 |
 | Saints(11-4) | The Saints knocked off the Falcons at home and still have a chance at claiming the NFC South championship. | 7 |
| 6 |
 | Jaguars(10-5) | The Jags drop a spot after a surprising loss to the 49ers. Still, they’ve won 10 games and claimed the AFC South crown, which no one predicted. | 5 |
| 7 |
 | Eagles(13-2) | Sure, they have the best record in the NFL. Carson Wentz was a big reason why, too. He’s gone and they look like a not-so-great team. | 6 |
| 8 |
 | Panthers(11-4) | The Panthers are on quite a roll. They can still win the NFC South crown and possibly snatch the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. | 8 |
| 9 |
 | Falcons(9-6) | It’s real simple for the Falcons: Win and they’re in. And once you’re in, anything can happen. But first they must knock of the Panthers. | 9 |
| 10 |
 | Seahawks(9-6) | They went into Dallas and beat the Cowboys. Now they must beat the Cardinals and hope for a Falcons loss to get in to the postseason. | 11 |
| 11 |
 | Ravens(9-6) | They’ve won five of their last six games and currently hold the fifth seed in the AFC. The one loss was a one-point loss to the Steelers. | 14 |
| 12 |
 | Chiefs(9-6) | After dropping six of seven games, the Chiefs have turned things around and won three straight. They can make it four vs. the Broncos. | 12 |
| 13 |
 | Chargers(8-7) | They can still clinch a playoff berth, but they’ll need some help. A lot of AFC teams are praying the Chargers don’t make it in. | 13 |
| 14 |
 | Bills(8-7) | The Bills can get into the playoffs if they can beat the Dolphins and the Ravens lose … or a few other scenarios. Amazing they’re still alive. | 17 |
| 15 |
 | Cowboys(8-7) | They’ve been eliminated following the loss to Seattle (and some head-scratching play calls). They didn’t look like a playoff team anyway. | 10 |
| 16 |
 | Lions(8-7) | They needed a win over the Bengals and didn’t get it. So now they’re out. | 16 |
| 17 |
 | Titans(8-7) | They've lost three straight and are clinging to the sixth and final seed. If they win, they’re in. If they lose, they’ll need the Bills and Chargers to lose. | 18 |
| 18 |
 | Packers(7-8) | Their season ended in Week 15. They wrap up a forgettable season in Detroit. | 15 |
| 19 |
 | Redskins(7-8) | They’ve been inconsistent all year long, but looked good in a win over the Broncos. What will they do with Kirk Cousins? | 19 |
| 20 |
 | Cardinals(7-8) | The Cardinals are out of it, but they can still spoil things for the Seahawks. Will this be the final game for Bruce Arians? It sure sounds like it. | 20 |
| 21 |
 | Bengals(6-9) | Speaking of teams looking for a new head coach, the Bengals can still make things considerably more difficult for the rival Ravens. | 24 |
| 22 |
 | 49ers(5-10) | The 49ers are slowly turning into a feel-good story after starting the year 0-9 and winning five of their last six. They’re loving Jimmy G in the Bay Area right now. | 26 |
| 23 |
 | Raiders(6-9) | From a 12-win season last year to possibly double-digit losses in 2017. It’s been a rough year in Oakland. | 21 |
| 24 |
 | Dolphins(6-9) | They’re out of it but can play spoiler against AFC East rival Buffalo this weekend. | 23 |
| 25 |
 | Jets(5-10) | They dropped another close game, but fight every week. They can possibly keep the Patriots from clinching home-field advantage, too. | 22 |
| 26 |
 | Buccaneers(4-11) | They’ve played well the last two games, but lost both. No matter how you slice 2017, it’s been disappointing for the Bucs. | 29 |
| 27 |
 | *Bears *(5-10) | They’ve won two of their last three and have some part to build around, but there’s still a lot of question marks surrounding this team. | 27 |
| 28 |
 | Broncos(5-10) | It’s looking more and more like the Broncos will be looking for a quarterback in the offseason. Kirk Cousins would look good in orange, no? | 25 |
| 29 |
 | Texans(4-11) | They have some really nice pieces to build around, but most of them are hurt or have been hurt. If this team can stay healthy next season, look out. | 28 |
| 30 |
 | Colts(3-12) | Speaking of teams with plenty of questions, the Colts are loaded with them, beginning with their quarterback and head coach. | 30 |
| 31 |
 | Giants(2-13) | They’ve cleaned house by firing their head coach and GM, and it looks like Eli Manning could be on the way out, too. Big Blue will look very different in 2018. | 31 |
| 32 |
 | Browns(0-15) | They've got one more opportunity to earn that first win of the year, but ... it's probably not going to happen with the Steelers still playing for a shot at home-field advantage. | 32 |
