The season final “Week 8” of the 2021 NFL regular season power rankings. This is the last time we'll be ranking all 32 teams this season, as next week's power rankings, will focus on just the playoff teams, so where does your team find itself as we enter week 18 the final week of the 2021 season well let's see the final regular season power rankings.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars.
Come on Jacksonville you can do it, just lose to the Colts in week 18, and you lock up the first overall pick for the second straight year. Nothing to be overly disappointed about. Losing 50 to 10 to the New England Patriots isn't even one of the top five most embarrassing moments for the jags this season. I mean, at least they didn't get shut out.
31. Detroit Lions.
Without Jared Goff, the lions were humiliated by the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. If there's a positive to take away it's the breakout year of rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown who recorded a career-high 111 receiving yards. Detroit has a top two pick locked up, essentially guaranteeing them either Kayvon Thibodeau or Aidan Hutchinson, so small victories Lions fans.
30. New York Giants.
Joe Judge's post game rant was somewhat weird. He said something about x Giants players saying they wish they were on the 2021 squad : “until we got more players here, who will be free agents next year, all right who are in my office every day begging to come back, I know that. okay, I know that players that we coached last year that still call me twice a week talking about you know how much they wish they were still here, and they're getting paid more somewhere else”. Why do we find that hard to believe! Because the 2021 Giants are absolutely terrible. They just finished making a bad Chicago team, look like they're the 85 Bears.
29. New York Jets.
It's hard to applaud the Jets for nearly defeating the defending champions. What on earth was that QB sneak on 4th and 2 to put the game away, and what kind of defense allows a 33-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds remaining. well, that's the New York Jets for you, at least the loss helps them move up in the draft order.
28. Carolina Panthers.
Sure they dropped a sixth straight game on Sunday tonight, at least Carolina showed some fight against a desperate New Orleans Saints team. Sam Darnold didn't have his worst of the season on Sunday, so I guess that counts as progress, right bear with us folks. We're just trying to be positive amid another lost season in Carolina.
27. Washington Football Team.
Washington nearly handed the Philadelphia Eagles a loss that would have derailed their playoff hopes, but it wasn't meant to be. Taylor Heinecke's last interception in the red zone doomed Washington, who are officially eliminated from playoff contention. Winning the NFC east again was always going to be a tough ask, but you still can't help but be disappointed with what we've seen from Ron Rivera's club this season. We expected so much more.
26. Houston Texans.
The scrappy Texans gave the San Francisco 49ers a scare at Levi's stadium, but some costly miscues ultimately led to their undoing. The effort was admirable, nonetheless. Rookie Davis Mills has performed fairly well and probably deserves another year to prove himself, considering how weak this year's QB draft class is, it may be in the Texans best interest to give him a shot.
25. Denver Broncos.
Sunday's loss to the LA Chargers clinched a fifth straight losing season for the Broncos. This franchise is mired in mediocrity,, and it's a shame considering the Pro Bowl level talent on both sides of the ball. A coaching change appears to be in order, but the real question is : who in the world will Denver start at QB in 2022! The Teddy Bridgewater, Drew Lock combo, just couldn't cut it this year.
24. Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a sloppy loss to the Buffalo Bills. Kyle Pitts at least put a cherry on top of what has been a fantastic rookie year by hitting the 1,000 yard receiving mark. We've said for a while that Atlanta should move on from Matt Ryan in 2022, but then you think about the potential of this offense when they get Calvin Ridley back. Should the Falcon seriously consider keeping Maddie ice around for one more year!
23. Minnesota Vikings.
Without Kirk Cousins, the Vikings were predictably embarrassed by the Green Bay Packers. The result is a second straight losing, non-playoff season, the first time that's happened under head coach Mike Zimmer. You've got to think that ownership is leaning towards some major changes this off season. Could Week 18 be the last time we see Zimmer and cousins with the Vikings?
22. Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks dominated the Lions and what may have been the final home game for Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll. Nice to end it on a high note, regardless of the opponent. Seattle will get a chance to play spoiler when they visit the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. A win would ruin the card's chances of claiming the first NFC west division title in six years.
21. Cleveland Browns.
There's absolutely no questioning Baker Mayfield's heart or his dedication to the city of Cleveland, none whatsoever that being said it just doesn't seem like he's the right guy to lead this team to success. The turnovers have become mind-numbing even Peyton Manning was having a hard time watching it on Monday Night, just look at that reaction after Baker's interception.
20. Chicago Bears.
yes, it was the Giants, but a sad team like the Bears will take any win that they can get, and their 2022 first rounder belongs to those very same Giants, so that made Sundays when even sweeter. How about Robert Quinn though! We all thought that he was done, but then he goes out and breaks Richard Dent's record for the most sacks by a Bear in a single season. Quinn has been a major bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Bears.
19. Baltimore Ravens.
Not much more we can say. Most teams aren't built to win without their superstar quarterback, let alone their top running backs and to all pro defensive backs. The Ravens hung in there against the Packers in week 15 and against the Los Angeles Rams in week 17. Without Lamar Jackson, it is a testament to John Harbaugh's incredible coaching and his team's depth. Still barring a miracle, the Ravens look poised to miss the playoffs for the first time in the Lamar Jackson Era.
18. Miami Dolphins.
The resilient Dolphins ran out of momentum and suffered an embarrassing road loss to the Tennessee Titans. That seven game winning streak was all for naught as the lost old friend Ryan Tannehill eliminated Miami from playoff contention. For the second straight year, two attacks of Ayala flopped in a week 17 must win game. Gotta wonder if owner Stephen Ross considers drastic changes, or if he'll look to run it back with Brian Flores and company after a fifth straight non-playoff season.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers.
well, what do you know, turns out that 2021 won't be the first losing season of the Mike Tomlin Era after all. Unfortunately their big Monday Night win over the Browns could be all for naught. The Steelers need a miracle, in the form of a Jag's win over the Colts, to have a chance at making the postseason. I expect the churches in Pittsburgh to be jam-packed Sunday morning.
Related : Chiefs vs Steelers Predictions
16. New Orleans Saints.
The Saints barely held off the slumping Panthers to keep their playoff hopes alive. New Orleans requires a win over Atlanta and a 49ers loss to the Rams, to get into the postseason. Whatever happens, it is absolutely remarkable that this team has at least eight wins after using four different starting quarterbacks this season, take about Sean Payton.
15. Indianapolis Colts.
What a letdown of a loss for the Colts at home, no less. A victory would have made the Week 18 game against Jacksonville totally stress-free, but now they got a win to lock down a wild card spot. Beating Jacksonville should be easy, but the amount of late meltdowns by this team has us convinced that they won't go far in the playoffs, if they even get there.
14. Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders stunned the red-hot Colts on the road to keep their playoff hopes alive. Amid all the drama and off-season issues surrounding this team, Vegas now finds themselves one win away from a playoff berth, Sunday Night Football Raiders vs Chargers for all the marbles. What a story it would have been if the Raiders could qualify after all they've been through.
Related : 2022 NFL Playoffs : Bengals vs. Raiders Predictions
13. Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chargers made fairly easy work of the Broncos to at least clinch their first winning season in three years, but Justin Herbert and company want more, obviously Sunday's game against Raiders is simple. Win : the Charges are in and 2021 can be considered a success for the franchise. Lose : and they'll be one of the biggest disappointments of the year. No pressure Bolts.
12. Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles exceeded all pre-season expectations and now find themselves going back in the postseason. Give Nick Sirianni some coach of the year votes. Philly narrowly left DC with a close win over Washington. The only question now is, who they'll play on Super Wild Card weekend that remains to be seen, but know this, they'll be a tough out for whomever they face.
11. San Francisco 49ers
Trey Lance's first NFL win came at a pivotal time. The 49ers got past the Texans,, and they still control their destiny. The win over the Rams will clinch a playoff spot. Otherwise they need the Saints to lose or tie to Atlanta. If they're smart, they'll finish the job themselves rather than leave it to the Falcons to do their dirty work.
10. New England Patriots.
The Patriots manhandle the Jaguars and are headed back to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus. They'll have to defeat Miami and hope for a Buffalo Bills loss or tie to the helpless Jets, if they're to win the division even if they have to settle on a wild card spot, the Pats shouldn't complain. It's been a remarkable turnaround following a forgettable 2020 campaign.
9. Dallas Cowboys.
A frustrating and controversial loss to the Arizona Cardinals ruined Dallas's slim chances of claiming the top seed in the NFC. They'll likely be the number four seed and that means hosting either the Cardinals or Rams, which isn't exactly ideal. At the same time, Dallas was probably due for a letdown after beating up on some easy opponents. Better to get it out of the way now rather than in mid-January.
8. Arizona Cardinals.
The red bird snapped a three-game losing streak by outlasting the powerhouse Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Their playoff spot was already clinched heading into week 17 but Arizona at least regained some momentum while keeping their NFC west title hopes alive. It was a solid turnaround for Kyler Murray, who had 263 passing yards and two touchdowns along with 44 rushing yards on nine carries. This is the version of Murray that the Cardinals are hoping to have for the postseason.
7. Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo took care of business against Atlanta to hit double-digit wins for the third straight year. Now they just need a victory over the Jets to clinch a second straight division title. Since that heartbreaking loss to Tampa Bay in Week 14, the Bills have caught fire and are peaking at the perfect time. They finally look like the 2020 group that won 13 games in route to an AFC title game appearance.
6. Kansas City Chiefs.
A heartbreaking loss for KC means they'll most likely have to play on wild card weekend after all. The defense fell apart after a dominant two-month stretch, and now KC has to beat Denver just to hang on to the number two seed in the conference. You'd never like to see your team lose, but in the Chief's case perhaps a late season wake-up call will do this team some good.
5. Cincinnati Bengals.
That division clinching comeback win over the Kansas City Chiefs is easily the Bengals biggest victory in pretty much forever. If you had any questions whether or not these guys are legit contenders, I think they answered that on Sunday. And how about that Ja'Marr Chase. The dude is ridiculous, he didn't even need the additional 17th game to break Justin Jefferson's rookie receiving yards record. What more can we say! Bengals fans deserve this after a horrendous stretch for the franchise.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs came away with another heart-pounding win, this time against the Jets. It came at a cost. However Antonio Brown is no longer a Buc following a strange outburst that's on quit mid-game.
With no Brown or Chris Godwin, the rest of the season, Tampa's offense is suddenly a lot less scary. Then again, it's never wise to bet against Tom Brady.
3. Tennessee Titans.
In Tennessee put the dagger in Miami's playoff hopes when the Chiefs lost to Cincinnati and that means the Titans just need to beat the lowly Texans to lock up the conference's top seed. Imagine if Tennessee got the first round bye and a healthy Derrick Henry back. This franchise is so close to a Super Bowl appearance. They can taste it all right.
2. Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams survived a resilient Baltimore squad and held on for win number 12. They just need a victory or an Arizona loss to wrap up the NFC west. A victory would clinch the number two seed for the LA Rams as well. Meaning they'd set themselves up nicely for a home game in the divisional round, and how nice would it be if they could beat the rival 49ers and knock them out of post-season contention.
1. Green Bay Packers.
The Packers locked up the NFC's top seed and the lone first round bye. Aaron Rodgers probably locked up a second straight MVP award. Business as usual for the pack, who could have taken a mid-game nap over the punchless Vikings. If David Bakhtiari, Jaire Alexander and Za'Darius Smith return in time for the divisional round, these Packers are the team to beat in the NFL, and it ain't up for debate.