NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Packers, Dolphins, Steelers Among Standings Movers And Shakers


The NFL power rankings for Week 17 arrive as many teams competed in games over the holiday weekend. That included a full slate on Christmas Eve and then a doubleheader on Christmas Day itself as teams continued to jockey for playoff position or simply play for the pride of getting a win. The New England Patriots continued their winning ways with an easy victory over the New York Jets this past Saturday, while the Kansas City Chiefs were also in action, playing on Christmas night. Here’s the latest look at who the movers and shakers are in the standings for the top 10 power rankings.

According to the Sporting News in their report about this weekend’s NFL action, the top two seeds in the AFC heading into the final week of regular season games are the Patriots and Oakland Raiders. Oakland was able to defeat the Indianapolis Colts this past weekend, while the Patriots routed the Jets 41-3 at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. The Chiefs were in action Sunday night taking on the Denver Broncos and defeated them 33-10. As of this report, Kansas City had at least clinched a playoff spot due to the Baltimore Ravens losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier in the day. However, their victory Sunday night also helped Miami clinch a playoff spot and move into this week’s top 10 teams.

Brady and the Patriots kept the top spot with a convincing 41-3 win over the Jets. [Image by Billie Weiss/Getty Images]

The latest power rankings for the NFL Week 17 edition weren’t affected a whole lot by the latest wins and losses. The exceptions included Green Bay moving up a spot and the Miami Dolphins sliding into the No. 10 spot in the NFC, while Detroit has fallen out due to still needing a win to ensure they make the playoffs.

NFL Week 17 Power Rankings:

  1. New England Patriots 13-2 (No. 1)
  2. Dallas Cowboys 12-2 (No. 2)
  3. Kansas City Chiefs 11-4 (No. 3)
  4. Oakland Raiders 12-3 (No. 4)
  5. Seattle Seahawks 9-5-1 (No. 5)
  6. Pittsburgh Steelers 10-5 (No. 8)
  7. New York Giants 10-5 (No. 6)
  8. Atlanta Falcons 10-5 (No. 9)
  9. Green Bay Packers 9-6 (No. 10)
  10. Miami Dolphins 10-5 (N/A)

Other winners this past weekend included the Green Bay Packers defeating the Minnesota Vikings 38-25 at Lambeau Field. That kept Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at the No. 6 seed for the NFC as they’ll have a huge battle with the Detroit Lions on New Year’s Day to determine the NFC North division winners according to Detroit Free Press. The New York Giants were holding the fifth seed, while Seattle was the fourth seed. Even though both teams lost in their games this past weekend they kept their spots in the rankings.

The Detroit Lions, who are the No. 3 seed in the NFC, also still have a Week 16 game remaining against the top overall seed, the Dallas Cowboys. The two teams will meet up during Monday Night Football to complete the latest week’s action. Even if the Cowboys lose that game, they’re still likely to hold onto that No. 2 spot as seen above. A win could help the Lions move back into the rankings, but more importantly, it could help them clinch a playoff spot in the NFC.

Matthew Stafford and the Lions can clinch a playoff spot if they can defeat Dallas Monday night. [Image by Al Bello/Getty Images]

Basically, five of the six teams in both the AFC and NFC have now been determined already for the postseason. The Miami Dolphins, who captured a win over the Buffalo Bills this past weekend, were holding the No. 6 spot in the AFC and clinched a playoff berth with the Denver loss on Sunday night.

In the AFC, the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders are still fighting to determine the No. 1 overall seed for the NFL postseason. That team gets home field advantage throughout the playoffs. For Week 17, the Patriots take on the Miami Dolphins, while Oakland will play the Denver Broncos. A win by the Pats gives them the home field advantage, while a Patriots loss and Raiders win could give it to Oakland.

Stay tuned as the NFL playoffs are right around the corner and teams are starting to find their strides to make a push towards the Super Bowl in 2017!

[Featured Image by Joe Robbins/Getty Images]

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