NFL Power Rankings: Week 15 Edition

Now that Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season is in the books, it’s time for everyone’s favorite meaningful exercise: NFL Power Rankings! What differentiates these rankings from the others is that they’re the only truly accurate ones in the entire universe. And so let’s take a look at how all 32 teams stack up ahead of Week 15.

BLG’S WEEK 15 NFL POWER RANKINGS

1 - Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 1) - The scariest team in the NFL. After two straight blowout wins over playoff-caliber teams, the Eagles rank first in point differential and DVOA. Led by Jalen Hurts, the favorite to win NFL MVP, Philly’s offense dropped 48 on a division rival while playing in an away game to advance to 12-1. On the other side of the ball, the Birds have proven quite capable of getting to the quarterback as they now lead the NFL in sacks. This team is a juggernaut. Good luck preventing them from winning the Super Bowl. The Eagles are just two straight wins away from clinching the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture.

2 - Buffalo Bills (LW: 2) - Though they did not cover the spread, Buffalo won their second straight division game to hold on to the top spot in the AFC playoff picture with four weeks remaining in the regular season. They’ll need to finish strong to make sure they don’t get overtaken.

3 - Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 3) - Patrick Mahomes threw three interceptions as KC won but failed to cover the spread. Russell Wilson having one of his best games of the season against the Chiefs could be a red flag for their defense.

4 - San Francisco 49ers (LW: 4) - If Brock Purdy’s debut was any indication, the 49ers are not going to really miss Jimmy Garoppolo. Purdy went 16/21 for 185 yards (8.8 average), 2 TD, 0 INT, and a 134.0 passer rating in his debut. The 49ers’ defense also continues to be ridiculously good, allowing just 10.7 points per game dating back to October 30.

5 - Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 6) - Cincy has won five straight as they remain in the hunt to overtake the AFC North lead. Joe Burrow deservedly gets a lot of credit but the Bengals’ run game isn’t to be slept on. The Bengals are the third-ranked team by rushing DVOA, only behind Philly and Baltimore.

6 - Dallas Cowboys (LW: 5) - The Cowboys are so incredibly fortunate that Houston is dumb as hell and opted not to sneak the ball at the 1-yard line. Had they done that, Dallas goes down by 10 and loses to the worst team in the NFL despite entering the game as 17.5-point home favorites. An absolute moral loss. Certainly not a performance that shouts ‘This team belongs in the top five.’

7 - Baltimore Ravens (LW: 9) - Despite being +3 in the turnover battle, they only beat Pittsburgh by two points. They’ll take the win in Lamar Jackson’s absence but their division lead is tenuous.

8 - Detroit Lions (LW: 17) - Big jump for the Lions! It’s not undeserved. Detroit ranks 11th in DVOA and 12th in point differential. They’re 5-1 in their last six games as they surge down the stretch. If they end up making the playoffs, they’ll be a red hot team that could do some damage. Don’t sleep on Dan Campbell’s squad.

9 - Minnesota Vikings (LW: 7) - The Vikings are the worst 10-3 team EVER. How do you win seven more games than you lose and have a negative point differential?! Prime candidate to be one-and-done in the playoffs.

10 - Miami Dolphins (LW: 8) - Two straight bad games by Tuanigamanuolepola Tagovailoa. They really need him to bounce back in a road matchup against Buffalo. Not an easy ask.

11 - Washington Commanders (LW: 12) - Nice bye week for the Commanders. They got help in their pursuit of a wild card spot with New York and Seattle losing. Washington now has a chance to cement themselves over the G-Men coming off rest and three straight weeks to prepare for the same opponent.

12 - Tennessee Titans (LW: 10) - The Titans are very banged up. They’ll likely still win the AFC South ... but there’s a clear ceiling on this team. And the loss to Jacksonville leaves the door open for Doug Pederson to steal the division lead.

13 - New York Jets (LW: 11) - There is no doubting Mike White’s toughness but there is doubting his skill.

14 - New England Patriots (LW: 16) - The Pats are 4-3 against teams with losing records and 2-4 against teams with winning records. The two wins against winning teams came against Zach Wilson. One could say the Pats are mid.

15 - Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 19) - Beating Miami was big for the Bolts. Their chances of making the playoffs increased from 17.3% to 45.0%, according to Football Outsiders’ odds. There would be some value in getting Justin Herbert some postseason experience.

16 - Cleveland Browns (LW: 13) - Deshaun Watson has struggled since returning. What a shame. There’s a good chance that the Browns could be officially eliminated from playoff contention this weekend.

17 - Seattle Seahawks (LW: 14) - Seattle is looking shaky. They’re 1-3 in their last four games with losses to Tampa (neutral field), Las Vegas (home game), and Carolina (home game). Their only win was a too-close-for-comfort victory over John Wolford. Yikes.

18 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 15) - Their offense is a real slog. Not impossible that the Bucs drop out of the NFC South lead. Can you imagine if Tom Brady unretired only to not even make the playoffs in a terrible division?

19 - New York Giants (LW: 18) - The G-Men are now 1-4-1 in their last six games with the sole win being a one-score home victory over the NFL’s worst team. Injuries and a lack of talent are catching up to them after they overachieved earlier in the year. The Giants must find a way to beat Washington to stave off collapsing out of the playoff picture. Not so sure they have it in them to do that.

20 - Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 26) - Despite being 5-8, the Jags have the 13th best point differential in the NFL. They are also 18th in DVOA. So, probably a bit better than their record suggests. Still have a chance to win the AFC South. Beating Dallas this week would be pretty big.

21 - Carolina Panthers (LW: 28) - Steve Wilks is making a case for the Panthers to remove his interim tag. The Panthers have been much more competitive lately. They might be able to steal the NFC South away from the Bucs.

22 - Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 20) - Hopefully Kenny Pickett is able to recover from his concussion because watching Mitchell Trubisky is truly pointless and painful.

23 - New Orleans Saints (LW: 21) - The Saints return from their bye to host an Atlanta team they narrowly defeated back in Week 1.

24 - Atlanta Falcons (LW: 22) - Desmond Ridder is making his first NFL start as the Falcons remain alive in a terrible division.

25 - Green Bay Packers (LW: 23) - The Packers return from their bye to host LAR. A win keeps their very slim playoff hopes on life support.

26 - Los Angeles Rams (LW: 27) - Never been the biggest Baker Mayfield believer but one must credit him for the upset he pulled off on Thursday night. Turning point for his career?

27 - Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 24) - If you made a list of the most pathetic losses from the 2022 season, the Raiders would appear multiple times. They lost to Jeff Saturday in his first game and Baker Mayfield making a start on unprecedented short notice. Someone needs to answer for these humiliating defeats.

28 - Arizona Cardinals (LW: 25) - Kyler Murray is out for the season with a torn ACL. The rest of this year was a lost cause anyway. But will the injury also impact his 2023 outlook?

29 - Denver Broncos (LW: 29) - Well, at least Russell Wilson has looked a bit better over the past two weeks? And the Broncos were able to score four touchdowns after entering last week with only 14? Is this meaningful progress?

30 - Indianapolis Colts (LW: 30) - They return from their bye to host Minny.

31 - Chicago Bears (LW: 31) - They return from their bye to host the best team in the NFL. Breaking their six-game losing streak will prove challenging.

32 - Houston Texans (LW: 32) - The loss was valuable to them from a tanking perspective. But, from an Eagles perspective, screw you jerks for not sneaking it from the 1-yard line to beat Dallas.