It may have taken longer than expected, but a team finally clinched a playoff spot! The Green Bay Packers, the NFC's No. 1 seed and repeating NFC North champions, punched their ticket to the postseason last Sunday and the stage is set for more teams to join them this coming weekend. Down below are our latest power rankings before we enter Week 16 of this NFL season.
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The Packers Regain The Top Spot In Week 16 NFL Power Rankings
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1. Green Bay Packers (11-3)
Although they've relatively flown under the radar, the Green Bay Packers have emerged as the best team in the league. In Week 15, Aaron Rodgers tied Brett Favre for most passing touchdowns in franchise history and helped his team seal up a NFC North division title.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)
For the third time in the last four seasons, the Chiefs are once again the AFC's No. 1 seed. Interestingly, the Chiefs are fueled by a stingy defense while their usually high-octane offense has sputtered at times. At this rate, if the current AFC West leader remains at No. 1, they'll be the favorite to make a Super Bowl appearance for the third consecutive season.
3. New England Patriots (9-5)
While all NFL fans outside of New England are happy about the team's seven-game winning stream coming to an end last Saturday, the Patriots' second-half performance was noteworthy. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones is as good as advertised, and the Patriots are still a threat in the AFC's playoff picture.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-4)
The Buccaneers' stunning 9-0 home loss against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night capped off a hectic Week 15, but there's little need for them to panic. Despite losing star receiver Chris Godwin to a torn ACL, the Buccaneers will likely find a way to readjust and be fine come playoff time.
5. Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
Even with the looming cloud of the franchise's recent postseason failures, the Cowboys are deservedly happy right now. They'll clinch the NFC East with one more win and are currently the second seed in the NFC, riding an ongoing three-game win streak.
6. Los Angeles Rams (10-4)
The Rams are a living example of how fast things can change in the NFL. After going winless in November, they are back to playing winning football and could take the lead in the NFC West if they defeat the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday night.
7. Arizona Cardinals (10-4)
Over the course of a long season, every team—no matter how good—endures a tough stretch, as the injury-plagued Cardinals are quickly discovering. Arizona is undeniably a talented team, but now it's a matter of whether they can right the ship with just three weeks remaining in the season—especially with a division title and higher playoff seeding on the line.
8. Indianapolis Colts (8-6)
Led by MVP contender running back Jonathan Taylor, the Colts are beginning to look dangerous, as evidenced by their 27-17 win against the Patriots. Although they're in the driver's seat to lock up a Wild Card berth, the Colts face a difficult end to the season, with games against Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders in Weeks 16 and 17.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
While the Chargers lost a heart-breaker to the Chiefs on Thursday night, they can at least take solace in the fact that their playoff positioning didn't change at all. The AFC West competitor still holds one of their conference's three wild-card spots along with tiebreaker advantages over other teams in that race.
10. Tennessee Titans (9-5)
At this point of the season, the Titans are looking at a half-full glass. On the positive side, they're still in position to win the AFC South title. On the down side, though, they're likely to be the third or fourth seed, which likely creates a matchup against the Colts, Chargers or Bills, three teams whose records belie their respective goodness.