NFL Pickwatch - Week 17 NFL Power Rankings

Did you know 25% of NFL teams are in the midst of a losing streak of 3-or-more games heading into Week 17? Of those eight teams, four still have a shot at making the playoffs: Dolphins, Jets, Titans, and Seahawks. Of those four, only one boasts the same starting quarterback they placed behind center Week 1, Geno Smith of Seattle. Tua is back in concussion protocol, Zach Wilson may be looking for a new team next year and Ryan Tannehill is on the shelf with an injury.

Speaking of franchise quarterbacks, Russell Wilson's underwhelming debut season in Denver was part of the reason why Nathaniel Hackett lost his job this past week. Meanwhile, in Sin City, the Derek Carr era appears over as the Raiders not only benched the QB, but took it upon himself to impose a self-inflicted exile away from the team the next two weeks as Jarrett Stidham has earned a two week audition. With a point differential of just -2, Las Vegas and Carr will definitely look back at this season as one of the great what-ifs in franchise history.

Note: these Week 17 power rankings are based on performance versus expected performance (opponent average) and are statistically based rankings versus subjective NFL power rankings you can find in every corner of the internet these days.

Also: Read Week 16 NFL Power Rankings

Week 17 NFL Power Rankings	Team	Analysis
1	Philadelphia Eagles	Blew two 10-point leads with their back-up quarterback in against an NFC playoff team. Eagles will be just fine if Jalen hurt returns from injury.
2	San Francisco 49ers	An 8-game winning streak, division title and Mr. Irrelevant QB3 making George Kittle relevant again in the passing game.
3	Kansas City Chiefs	A Week 17 win over the Broncos and Bills loss to the Bengals and Andy Reid's squad is back in the AFC's No. 1 seed slot.
4	Buffalo Bills	Winners of six straight, Buffalo has outscored opponents by 157 points this season. They share the same exact home/away record as the Chiefs at 6-1 & 6-2.
5	Cincinnati Bengals	Winners of seven straight games, Joe Burrow has turned this franchise around in the blink of an eye and in a much better position than the team they lost to in Super Bowl 56.
6	Dallas Cowboys	Dak Prescott's turnover issues may cost them come playoff time, but for now the defense continues to bail him out on a weekly basis.
7	Detroit Lions	Probably a little high in the Week 17 Power Rankings for some after a woefully painful performance in Carolina last week when Detroit's defense allowed 7.4 yard per rush on 43 carries.
8	Jacksonville Jaguars	Whether or not Trevor Lawrence leads the Jags to their first playoff appearance in years will come down to a win-and-your-in Week 18 matchup against the Titans.
9	Pittsburgh Steelers	Despite the defense's best efforts, the Steelers have been outscored by 55 points this year, but may have found a game manager in Kenny Pickett.
10	Los Angeles Chargers	Justin Herbert and the Chargers have gotten hot at the right time and don't look now, but 5'9" Austin Ekeler leads the NFL in touchdown scores this season with 16.
11	Miami Dolphins	Tua Tagovailoa has suffered three concussions just this season. Teddy Bridgewater is the likely starter the next two weeks as the Dolphins promising start has been tarnished by the violent part of the game.
12	Las Vegas Raiders	Derek Carr - out Jarrett Stidham - in Tom Brady - 2023?
13	Washington Commanders	Carson Wentz has two games to prove to Ron Rivera and the Commanders front office that he still possesses the skill set required to be a starting quarterback in the NFL or provide pundits right that his best days are behind him.
14	New York Jets	Losers of four straight, Zach Wilson has headed back to the bench and may be unemployed here shortly as Mike White has earned a crack at sneaking the Jets into the postseason.
15	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	The worst season of Tom Brady's illustrious career may still be enough to get the veteran quarterback's team into the playoffs.
16	Carolina Panthers	The pesky Panthers have performed well under interim head coach Steve Wilks, but the offense isn't blessed with the opportunity to embarrass the Lions on a weekly basis.
17	Minnesota Vikings	Kirk Cousins should forget the gold chain and sleep with a rabbit's foot, horseshoe and four-leaf clover at night.
18	Cleveland Browns	There's always next year.
19	New Orleans Saints	Bad product that is guaranteed a losing record despite winning two games in a row.
20	Baltimore Ravens	If anything, Lamar Jackson proved his value to the Ravens offense during his absence.
21	New England Patriots	Have we reached the end of the Bill Belichick era in New England or does Robert Kraft allow The Hoodie to return and make a run at Bob Shula's all-time win record?
22	Green Bay Packers	Winners of three straight, the Packers don't intimidate opponents anymore, but Aaron Rodgers playing loose and relaxed could earn them a postseason ticket.
23	New York Giants	Yup, still leaning heavily on that 5-1 start to the season as to why they'll likely make the playoffs and be one and done.
24	Seattle Seahawks	A late-season three-game losing streak is not what Pete Carroll's crew needed, but Geno Smith could still eke into the playoffs when most critics believed this was a rebuilding year.
25	Los Angeles Rams	Will Sean McVay exit stage-right for a broadcasting career and who will be the Rams starting QB in 2023? Lotta questions less than one year removed from a Super Bowl title. Life does, indeed, come at your fast.
26	Arizona Cardinals	Trace McSorley was not, it turns out, the answer. Colt McCoy continues to earn that journeyman money.
27	Atlanta Falcons	Desmond Ridder 2023 audition rolls along.
28	Houston Texans	Looking towards the Bryce Young era.
29	Indianapolis Colts	33-0.
30	Tennessee Titans	Always got the sense the Titans won with smoke and mirrors and with the miles starting to show on Derrick Henry, it's getting ugly.
31	Denver Broncos	With Nathaniel Hackett gone, could Sean Payton return to the NFL and let Russ Wilson cook in 2023?
32	Chicago Bears	Losers of eight straight, the Bears hasn't beaten an NFC North foe and only one team in the NFC all season: the 11-4 San Francisco 49ers back in Week 1.