NFL Power Rankings Week 17
I’m sure you and I are in the same boat right now. Too much to do, not enough time to do it.
Tis the season.
As such, I’ll keep this week’s NFL power rankings and info short and sweet for you.
I also want to share this public service announcement: for the next two weeks (Dec. 24 and Dec. 31) all Doc’s handicappers will be releasing their football plays on Wednesdays. That is to account for Christmas and New Year’s Day both falling on a Thursday. This is the first time that Christmas has fallen on a Thursday since 2014.
Doc’s Sports offers NFL expert picks for every game on our NFL predictions page.
Here is Doc’s Sports NFL Power Rankings:
1. Los Angeles Rams (12-3) – I know that the NFC West has been the best division in football this year. But you know what hasn’t been talked about enough regarding these teams: they have gotten to crossover with the AFC South and the NFC South, two of the worst divisions in football.
2. Seattle Seahawks (12-3) – Seattle is 12-1 SU and 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games on the road. They will have to avoid a letdown this week, traveling to Carolina for a 10 a.m. PST kickoff after last week’s thrilling OT win over the Rams.
3. Buffalo Bills (11-4) – In a bit of a scheduling quirk, the Bills have only played three of their last 10 games at home. They have played back-to-back road games three times during that stretch and are 3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS in those last three home games. This week and next are the final games played in this stadium and will be emotional for the Bills and their fans. Will it be a distraction?
4. Denver Broncos (12-3) – The Christmas game against the Chiefs is obviously anticlimactic now that the Chiefs are eliminated from the playoffs and on their third string quarterback. How are the Broncos going to handle it, though? Are they going to use this as a chance to humiliate a rival? Or will they just kind of bumble their way to another close win as a big favorite, like they have so many other times this year?
5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-4) – This is a revenge game for the Chargers. They got embarrassed 32-12 in Houston last January in the Wild Card Round. Los Angeles has won seven of its last eight games outright and they have won four in a row at home.
6. Houston Texans (10-5) – The Texans have reeled off seven straight wins and they have won their last three on the road. They still have the league’s No. 1 defense but it is kind of odd that they have allowed 20+ points in back-to-back games to the Cardinals and Raiders.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4) – Here they come. Liam Coen has injected a lot of swagger into this team. And if they hadn’t melted down against the Texans they would be on an eight-game overall winning streak and a seven-game ATS win streak. Instead, they will settle for 6-0 on both accounts.
8. Green Bay Packers (9-5-1) – it could be Clayton Tune time in Madison. I don’t think Jordan Love (concussion) is going to play this week. Malik Willis was limited with a shoulder injury early this week in practice. That leaves Tune as the only 100 percent healthy quarterback on the roster at the moment.
9. New England Patriots (12-3) – I know the play didn’t work, but I didn’t mind the fake punt last week against the Ravens. I do think that it injected some life into the Patriots and after allowing a touchdown on the drive following the botched attempt the Patriots really took over that game.
10. San Francisco 49ers (11-4) – The 49ers have averaged 34.4 points per game during their five-game winning streak. San Francisco is now 6-2 against the total in their last eight games and the offense has gotten better and better each week since Brock Purdy’s return.
11. Chicago Bears (11-4) – Rome Odunze likely won’t play in either of Chicago’s final two regular season games. Luther Burden didn’t practice on Tuesday and may miss this Saturday’s game at San Francisco as well. Chicago’s wild comeback and overtime win glosses over the fact that the Bears, with a hobbled passing attack, were held to just six points in the first 57 minutes of last Saturday’s game.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) – The Eagles haven’t lost to the Bills since 2011, winning three straight in the series. The Eagles may have decided on an identity. They’ve run the ball 81 times the last two weeks and are facing a Bills rush defense that has been suspect.
13. Detroit Lions (8-7) – The refs really have got to be kidding me with those two offensive pass interference plays. Yes, Amon-Ra gave a two-handed shove. I get it. But let them play, man! Also, the officiating on that pick play (the other OPI) is incredibly inconsistent from game to game and crew to crew.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) – The Steelers are 53-13-1 SU in their last 67 games against the Browns. That said, they are just 1-5 in their last six games in Cleveland and just 2-6 ATS in their last eight adventures in The Dawg Pound.
15. Indianapolis Colts (8-7) – The Colts are a horrendous 3-18 ATS in their last 21 games against the Jaguars. The have lost six of the last eight meetings outright and are just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games against Jacksonville.
16. Baltimore Ravens (7-8) – The Ravens are 15-3 SU in their last 18 games against NFC opponents and 26-6 in their last 32 interconference games.
17. Carolina Panthers (8-7) – You know how every NFL season just about half of the teams that made the playoffs one year don’t make it the next? Carolina is going to be an easy fade to go back to the postseason in 2026.
18. Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1) – There is no way that Dallas should be laying a touchdown in Washington on Christmas Day. The Cowboys are 0-3 SU and ATS in their last three games and have lost their last two games outright despite being favored. These guys are still a joke.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) – I really thought that the Bucs would’ve tried to force feed Emeka Egbuka the ball last week. He has been a playmaker for them all season long. And knowing that Egbuka was basically head-to-head with Tet McMillan for the rookie of the year award, the Bucs really should’ve tried to feature their guy. All around fail.
20. Kansas City Chiefs (6-9) – How did the Chiefs land on Chris Oladokun as their ‘developmental’ quarterback? He spent three years at South Florida, two years at Samford, and then finished his college career at South Dakota State. He’s been hanging around with this team for the past four years and prior to last week had never thrown a pass in an NFL game. I seriously don’t even remember this guy from preseason games.
21. Miami Dolphins (6-8) – Atrocious play from the Dolphins defense kind of overshadowed Quinn Ewers’ up-and-down start. Mark me down as thinking that Ewers won’t ever be a competent NFL starting quarterback.
22. Minnesota Vikings (7-8) – Strap in for the Max Brosmer Experience, Part II. The Vikings are 21-6 SU in their last 27 home games against the Lions and are getting a Detroit team that is still stunned from back-to-back losses.
23. Cincinnati Bengals (5-10) – There is a 50 percent chance of rain on Sunday and the temperatures should be in the high 40’s when the Bengals host Arizona.
24. Atlanta Falcons (6-9) – The Falcons started the 2022 season with six straight ATS wins. That is the only time yet this decade that Atlanta has covered the spread in three straight games (or more).
25. New Orleans Saints (5-10) – The Saints have covered four straight and five of their last six. Forget Tyler Shough: New Orleans’ defense has really been leading the charge for this group over the past two months. The Saints are 1-10 against the total in their last 11 games.
26. Washington Commanders (4-11) – You would have to think that this week’s game – at home, on Christmas, in a nationally televised game, facing their hated rivals, playing with revenge for a 44-22 beating earlier this year – would be Washington’s Super Bowl. I am expecting a max effort from them.
27. Tennessee Titans (3-12) – Let’s not go to ga-ga over the Titans after they blew out the Chiefs. I still say that if Gardner Minshew didn’t blow out his knee then Kansas City would’ve won that game. The Titans are 9-23 ATS in their last 32 games.
28. Arizona Cardinals (3-12) – That is now seven straight losses and Arizona is 1-6 ATS in those games. It’s kind of inexcusable to blow a 10-point lead at home to the loser Falcons, but Arizona has been giving away games all season.
29. Cleveland Browns (3-12) – This Browns defense really looks like it has quit. They are still No. 2 in total defense and No. 1 in passing defense. However, they’ve allowed an average of 27.8 points per game over their last four and have surrendered 23 or more points in eight of their last 10 games. That’s not exactly the stuff of Top 5 defenses.
30. New York Jets (3-12) – The Jets have lost three straight games both SU and ATS. They’ve dumped those games by a combined 111-36 and lost by an average of 25 points per game. Prior to this current slide, New York had only lost by 14 or more points twice this year. It looks like Brady Cook will get the nod under center again this week.
31. New York Giants (2-13) – Are the Giants dumb enough to try to win this game against the Raiders? The loser of this one is nearly locked into the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft.
32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-13) – I don’t even have to ask: I know that the Raiders are dumb enough to try to win this game. Pete Carroll will pound his chest and talk about trying to win every time you step across the lines and all that old-school head coach nonsense. But the reality is that the Raiders franchise would be better off losing this one and getting the No. 1 pick.
Robert Ferringo has posted seven of 10 winning football seasons, including last year thanks to an astounding +10,660 football run last season. Robert banked nearly +40,000 in profit between 2010-2019 for a 10-year average profit of nearly +4,000. He has earned 11 of 16 overall winning years and 69 of 114 winning months while also going 23-9 with his football futures rated 5.0+ and earning 16 of 19 winning Super Bowls. He is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and he is set for another amazing football season.
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