Chiefs and Lions are both rising ahead of Sunday’s championship game
This week NFL Power rankings is full of Surprises since few teams have lost divisional rounds and are out of Super bowl contention.
On Championship Sunday, the top two teams from the previous two months will face the Chiefs, the defending champions, and the adorable Lions, who have more than shown themselves thus far. It’s the No. 1 seeds vs. the No. 3 seeds. It wasn’t meant to be for Buffalo, despite what some may have thought about it being the Bills’ moment.
It’s interesting to note that the two teams with quarterbacks who have never played in a Super Bowl are the favorites in their respective conference titles. Does that imply that Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes will have an advantage come Sunday? Or will the best players from the 49ers and Ravens emerge victorious in their home stadiums?
There will undoubtedly be a thrilling Super Bowl battle in any case. At this stage in the season, that’s about as good a guarantee as you can get. We will learn who is traveling to Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII in less than a week.
The season’s last three games are sure to be classics, even if we’re almost done. Why end right now?
Rank 1 Baltimore Ravens (14-4)
The tension was tremendous at halftime. The game was laughable by the middle of the fourth quarter. That is Lamar Jackson’s strength, along with an offense that can switch to a bully-ball configuration when necessary. The blitz-heavy strategy of the Texans initially appeared to be a problem for the Ravens, but offensive coordinator Todd Monken made some great adjustments during the game, particularly in the third quarter. In the second half, he really relied on the two-TE sets to wear down the exhausted Houston defense. And congratulations to Mike Macdonald’s defense for limiting the Texans’ attacking unit to only three points in the first half, despite three midfield crosses by Houston.
After spending the last ten years being trained by the Harbaughs (Jim at Michigan, John in Baltimore), Macdonald is rapidly becoming a household figure. All three of them might be NFL head coaches in the upcoming season, particularly if the Ravens win the Super Bowl. And they appear to be difficult to defeat at the moment.
Rank 2 San Fransisco 49ers (13-5)
At Levi’s Stadium on Saturday night, there were many strained nerves, particularly after Green Bay regained the lead in the third quarter and before Dre Greenlaw’s “Get down!” choice ultimately resulted in him getting down. The 49ers managed to secure a playoff victory, which was significant for both the second-year quarterback and his coach, despite the Packers scoring a great deal of points and Brock Purdy not looking well for roughly fifty-five of the sixty minutes played. The FOX broadcast seems to be obsessed with Kyle Shanahan’s record (0-30) in games where he has a seven-point or larger deficit in the fourth quarter. Make it 1–30, then.
The Packers were heavily involved in it, as they missed several chances to take advantage of them. However, the Niners were playing with a gut-check after losing Deebo Samuel to injury in the first half and struggling to contain the Packers’ attack until the fourth quarter. Did their glitter fade a bit in the exhausting victory? Maybe, but that can all be fixed by taking care of Detroit’s business. It would be a plus for Shanahan’s coaching resume if he could win a second Super Bowl in five years with two different quarterbacks.
Rank 3 Detroit Lions (14-5)
The Super Bowl is just one victory away for the Lions. This is their one and only previous appearance here, thirty-two years ago, when Detroit faced a buzzsaw of a Washington team that would go on to win the Lombardi Trophy. I’m not sure, but maybe the same thing happens on Sunday against a formidable 49ers team. The Lions are no longer a “Cinderella story”. They have evolved from the adorable little squad that could. They are a tough-minded, offensively potent team that is clutch and went 6-3 away from home this year. Jared Goff responded to his detractors. Despite several setbacks, the Detroit defense has managed to make crucial stops when needed.
Is it possible for this squad to sneak up on a Niners team that found it difficult to defeat Green Bay at home? Indeed. From a player who has been through hell and back in Detroit, like Frank Ragnow, try to refute it. Ragnow’s first four NFL seasons ended with a 17-46-2 record for the Lions, despite the center enduring a long list of injuries. Despite suffering from a health condition again on Sunday, Ragnow managed to play every snap against the Bucs, forcing himself onto the field repeatedly while facing two struggling guards, Graham Glasgow and Kayode Awosika. Despite this, Ragnow managed to hold 350-pound Vita Vea to just one tackle and only gave up one pressure during the whole game.
Rank 4 Kansas City Chiefs (13-6)
After carrying this club for extended periods of time this season, you really have to give Kansas City’s defense some credit for rising to the occasion once again. With important players out of the lineup by the conclusion of the game, the Chiefs forced two crucial stops in the fourth quarter and prevented the Bills from coming any closer than a 44-yard field goal attempt, which we all know didn’t end well. The game appeared to be an up-and-down decathlon between the two teams early on, with the Chiefs’ defense doing a better job of stopping Buffalo, who ran almost twice as many plays (41 to 21) as Kansas City in the first half.
In one of the Chiefs’ best games of the year, the offense didn’t slow down much, but Mecole Hardman’s fumble through the end zone denied the defense any breathing room. Ultimately, Josh Allen was forced to exercise patience by Kansas City, and Buffalo was unable to land its haymakers. The deep shots may have made the difference in the game. According to Next Gen Stats, Patrick Mahomes was 3-for-3 on passes of more than 20 air yards. Allen had a 0 for 4 record. This season, the Bills have made roughly three gains of 20 yards or more per game on average; but, the Chiefs prevented them from making any more than 15 on any offensive play on Sunday. This defense is a critical component that should not be disregarded before Sunday’s matchup in Baltimore.
Rank 5 Buffalo Bills (12-7)
Readers were displeased with me for somewhat betting against the Bills during their late-season surge, believe me. Buffalo was placed third in a number of other excellent power rankings, and trust me, I understood that ranking. However, I observed a group that had an inherent capacity to create unnecessary difficulties for themselves, even to the point of terrible pain. All praise is deserved for reversing the season’s trend after it fell to 6-6. The Bills had the opportunity to host two playoff games and get to the AFC Championship Game. What more are you looking for? The team is now facing some important questions this offseason.
It’s unclear what the future holds for Micah Hyde, Von Miller, Gabe Davis, Stefon Diggs, and Jordan Poyer. Nearly every member of the defensive line is eligible for free agency. Tre’Davious White is recovering from two injuries that ended his season. If there were a shift among the receivers, would Josh Allen be able to establish rapport with a new group of teammates? So many inquiries. Because of this, the Bills’ most recent defeat to the Chiefs—in what was supposedly their year—will hurt throughout the offseason.
Rank 6 Green Bay Packers (10-9)
Even though the Packers were playing on the road, they had a seven-point lead going into the fourth quarter, and it seemed like a game they might have won. That was basically the difference—two mishandled passes, some careless tackles, and a field goal that was missed. Talent-wise, I didn’t see much of a difference between the 49ers and Packers, and I believe that’s a huge plus for Green Bay going into what has suddenly become an extremely intriguing offseason. That being said, since you can never be certain of when you will get another chance, the loss will still be painful.
Nevertheless, the Packers will continue bolstering the offensive line and defense this winter. Jordan Love and that extraordinarily gifted bunch of young pass catchers have developed significantly this season. Though it’s difficult to deny that this may be the beginning of something truly unique in Titletown, it’s a very competitive division.
Rank 7 Houston Texans (11-8)
Similar to their opening game of the year, the Texans held their own against the Ravens in Baltimore for the first half of the game before losing steam in the second half. At M&T Bank Stadium this season, Houston’s offense has scored four field goals in eight quarters. In light of all that transpired during those games, however, the Texans enjoyed a tremendous season. Houston is back to football. They had won a total of 11 games in the three seasons before this one. With the postseason included, they have already surpassed that win total, demonstrating that the team has a solid foundation around which the community can unite. Without a doubt, one of the league’s most promising young players is C.J. Stroud. Will Anderson Jr. resembles his counterpart on defense.
Texans supporters would have liked DeMeco Ryans even if he had finished 6-11 in his first season. Nevertheless, the head coach excelled in his first season despite dealing with a severely weak squad due to injuries. It wouldn’t be remarkable if the majority of people completely ignored the Jaguars and saw the Texans as the overwhelming favorites in the AFC South in 2024 because things are looking so bright.
Rank 8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-9)
Before Sunday, I didn’t think the Buccaneers were doing enough. It is only fitting to bring this up in light of the fact that last week’s Power Rankings had them ranked ninth, one spot behind the Cowboys—who had just dropped their first-round playoff match. But because, well, they almost won on Sunday, the Bucs persuaded me that they were good enough. I felt the Lions would be in trouble when the score was tied at 17 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Bucs had gained momentum and were hurling the kitchen sink at them. Before Baker Mayfield’s game-winning interception, Tampa Bay’s defense was unable to cover Detroit’s receivers or provide edge pressure, and the offense was only able to score once more.
This season, Mayfield had a key role in leading the squad from a 4-7 record to the division title. Even with the impressive second-year returns from TE Cade Otton and RB Rachaad White—the latter of whom is sure to be on every fantasy football analyst’s “breakout candidate” list come next season—this offense still lacks potency. However, Tampa may re-compete for the NFC South championship if Mayfield returns.
Mayfield talked to media about possibly of returning next year. https://x.com/NFLSTROUD/status/1749224780530667962?s=20
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