Sportsnaut
As Sunday’s NFL Week 15 action draws to a close, we’re now in the final stretch of the regular season with playoff battles tightening. Unfortunately, we’ll have to remember this week for some devastating season-ending injuries and even short-term blows that impacted multiple teams.
Let’s dive into our NFL Week 16 power rankings, evaluating all 32 teams from Week 15. We’ll provide updates after Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football.
The good news for the Los Angeles Rams is that after trailing Detroit 24-14 late in the second quarter on Sunday, they answered back by outscoring the Lions 27-10 the rest of the way for a big win at home. This win improves Los Angeles to 11-3, holding the head-to-head tiebreaker right now over the Seahawks. Unfortunately for the Rams, it’s a short week and they’ll be without Davante Adams against Seattle.
Bo Nix looked like an MVP-caliber quarterback on Sunday, using his athleticism to extend plays and then make pinpoint throws all over the field. That’s really the main thing that’s kept Denver from being viewed as a top-tier Super Bowl contender in the AFC. If Nix can maintain anything close to that level of play, with this defense, the Broncos’ win streak could go all the way to the Super Bowl.
For the second consecutive week, Rashid Shaheed delivered the big play that seemed to propel the Seattle Seahawks to a win. In a victory over Indianapolis that was far too close for comfort, Shaheed finished second in receiving yards (74) and tacked on 131 kickoff return yards. Seattle now gets a chance to regain some control of its playoff positioning if it can beat the Rams on Thursday Night Football. However, a victory is far from a given considering how poorly Sam Darnold has played in big games.
The Houston Texans have now won six consecutive games and seven of their last eight, a stretch that includes victories over the 49ers, Jaguars, Bills, Colts, and Chiefs. Houston doesn’t just have the best defense in football, it now boasts an effective offense with a healthy C.J. Stroud delivering the downfield strikes and explosive plays we saw in 2023. That’s the resume of one of the five best NFL teams right now.
Related: NFL Defense Rankings 2025
What a comeback. The Buffalo Bills trailed 21-zip late in the second quarter and 24-7 at halftime, seemingly ready to give the AFC East to New England. Instead, Josh Allen showed why he’s the reigning NFL MVP, and Buffalo’s defense delivered a second-half performance that felt reminiscent of the comeback versus Cincinnati. At halftime, it seemed like Drake Maye would win MVP, and Buffalo would have to settle for a wild card spot. Now? Buffalo still has its shot at keeping the division crown.
After a dominant first...
