The NFL season is now winding down. There’s only three weeks left in the regular season. Although this may be true, the NFC is still wide open. And there are only a few teams in this weeks’ power rankings that have a chance to make it to Super Bowl LII.
No doubt, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings are still on par to clinch the number one and two seeds. On the other hand, Week 15 and beyond could shake things up tremendously.
NFL Week 15 Power Rankings – Are the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl contenders?
NFC Super Bowl Contenders
One thing’s for sure. The Philadelphia Eagles won’t be the same team without their starting quarterback Carson Wentz. Wentz will be out for the season with a torn ACL. Enter Nick Foles in the mix. Arguably, Foles is the best backup in the NFL. He has plenty of experience and has played a game in the playoffs against the New Orleans Saints back in 2014.
Nevertheless, the Eagles are gonna struggle down the stretch. However, since they currently sit at 11-2, home field advantage is still more likely than not. Additionally, Minnesota is the most likely candidate to catch them. The Vikings have been consistent for most of the year. They have won eight straight until last weeks’ lost against the Carolina Panthers. Additionally, they have beat the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and Green Bay Packers in that winning streak.
The two other teams that can move into Super Bowl contention are the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams. Although the Rams beat the Saints in a close game just two weeks ago, the Saints look more dangerous if they can get the three seed. If Philadelphia does end up with the one seed, there’s a possibility that a team can come in and knock off the Eagles. The winner of the game with the third seed could gain back home field advantage.
If the Saints can clinch a three seed and win, they could be looking at their second NFC Championship Game at home. That being said, the Saints still have a lot of work to do in the ultra-competitive NFC South. The Saints could end up with the three seed or being left out of the playoffs altogether.
The Saints are gonna be forced to win at least two of three and maybe even a sweep to win the division.
AFC Super Bowl Contenders
On the other side, the AFC seems to have more consensus, at least near the top. Ultimately, the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers look to be the top two seeds there. The Jacksonville Jaguars have a slight chance to catch after the Patriots loss to the Miami Dolphins, but don’t bet on it.
If the Steelers can get that crucial home field advantage, then it’s possible they can overcome the Patriots. Also, the Los Angeles Chargers are on a roll as of late. By and large, the playoffs are about getting hot at the right time, and the Chargers are getting hot.
Other than that, the AFC looks more stable than the NFC. None of the other teams look to be worthy enough to challenge the Patriots or Steelers at this time.
NFL Power Rankings Week 17
And here are the complete rankings from top to bottom:
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- New England Patriots
- Minnesota Vikings
- Los Angeles Rams
- New Orleans Saints
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Seattle Seahawks
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Tennessee Titans
- Green Bay Packers
- Dallas Cowboys
- Buffalo Bills
- Detroit Lions
- Baltimore Ravens
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Miami Dolphins
- Arizona Cardinals
- Oakland Raiders
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Chicago Bears
- Washington Redskins
- San Francisco 49ers
- Denver Broncos
- Cincinnati Bengals
- New York Jets
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- New York Giants
- Cleveland Browns
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