NFL power rankings, Week 17: Cowboys roll again

In the NFC portion of our Week 16 NFL power rankings, the Dallas Cowboys continue to shine after a 56-14 win on Sunday night.

16. Detroit Lions

No team plays harder on a week-to-week basis than the Lions, but with Tim Boyle at the helm in Atlanta, they just didn’t have enough juice.

15. New York Giants

New York is an utter mess. It’s time to completely clean house and start over, beginning with general manager Dave Gettleman.

14. Carolina Panthers

Carolina needs to figure out who is going to be the quarterback in 2022. Right now, it’s hard to imagine that guy is on the roster if they plan on winning.

13. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle might be saying goodbye to head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson after this season. Who replaces them should it happen?

12. Chicago Bears

If that’s the final win for Matt Nagy as head coach of the Bears, it was an exciting one at least.

11. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are somehow in the mix for the NFC’s final playoff spot, despite being absolutely terrible almost every week.

10. Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota needs to beat the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, or its playoff hopes are practically finished off. Good luck.

9. Washington Football Team

Washington fought hard to get out of a 2-6 hole, but losing 56-14 to the Cowboys finished off its hopes in an emphatic way.

8. New Orleans Saints

The Saints simply need to get guys off the COVID list and then go beat the Panthers and Falcons over the final two weeks.

7. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia is 8-7 after handling the Football Team and Giants over the past six days. Now, Washington, but this time on the road.

6. San Francisco 49ers

If Jimmy Garoppolo can’t go on Sunday (and his injuries sound rough), it could be time to see what Trey Lance can do.

5. Arizona Cardinals

Arizona is completely falling apart and might start the playoffs at home after being the last undefeated team in the league. Not ideal.

4. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are absolutely good enough to win Super Bowl LVI come February. The defense is terrifying and the offense is loaded with playmakers.

3. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams beat the Vikings, but enough with Matthew Stafford looking lost most weeks. He needs to be better. Much better.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Even without most of their offensive stars, the Buccaneers predictably had no problem beating the Panthers.

1. Green Bay Packers

The defense is a bit concerning, but the Packers have been the NFC’s best team this year.