Crowe - NFL Week #17 Power Rankings: Can Pats Squish the Fish?

Crowe - NFL Week #17 Power Rankings: Can Pats Squish the Fish?

When all is said and done, we may just end up labeling the 2022 New England Patriots season as “Groundhog Day.”

Just like in the Bill Murray movie classic, it seems that Patriots Nation keeps waking up every Monday morning with this unreal scenario that their team is still alive in the AFC Playoffs. This unnatural feeling keeps coming back for the past month even though New England has lost four of its last five games, rendering it with a 7-8 record heading into a week 17 home game with Miami.

First, we had back-to-back primetime defeats to the Vikings and Bills that left the Patriots with a .500 record and on the outside, looking into a possible playoff run. Thrown in an anemic offensive performance against Buffalo and it was a foregone conclusion that playoff aspirations were gone. Yet, with one Monday night victory in Arizona, helped by the torn ACL suffered by Cardinals’ quarterback Kyler Murray just three plays into the game, New England was right back in the AFC’s top seven. The alarm clock went off and all hope was alive once again.

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Fast forward six days and a trip to Las Vegas, where we find the Patriots on the brink of prosperity and a comeback victory over the Raiders. But as quick as you can say lateral damage, the Pats had coughed up a seven-point lead and instead provided one of the most dramatic endings in NFL history, hand-delivering a win to old friend Josh McDaniels and Las Vegas. Smash that clock. Bye-bye playoffs.

But wait, there’s more. With a ray of sunshine provided in the form of a rally from 22-0 down to the Bengals last Sunday, Rhamondre Stevenson’s fumble in the final minute cemented a 22-18 loss, seemingly putting an end to meaningful football in January. Fear not, however. With week 17 losses by the Jets, Dolphins, and Titans, the Patriots were still alive. Not only that, New England actually controls its playoff destiny. With wins over Miami and Buffalo to close out the regular season, the Patriots would clinch a postseason berth as a wild-card team.

"We've got nothing to lose so just go out there and let it rip,” said quarterback Mac Jones at his Wednesday press conference, according to the team’s website.

So, if the Pats want to change things from “Groundhog Day” to “Mission Impossible,” they’ll have to change their end-of-game tactics for the better and come out on top the next two weeks. That task got harder on Friday when the team ruled out cornerbacks Marcus Jones (concussion) and Jack Jones (knee) as well as wide receiver DeVante Parker (concussion) and tight end Jonnu Smith (concussion). If they can’t be successful, their season will turn into another movie classic, “Die Hard.”

 

Week 17 Power Rankings

 

10. Miami Dolphins (8-7, Last week ranked 8th)

So much for the Tua Tagovailoa for MVP talk. In the past month against the 49ers, Chargers, Bills, and Packers, Tua has thrown five interceptions in the four losses after going five straight games with just one pick, all wins. Now, heading into a week 17 rematch in Foxboro against the Patriots, Tagovailoa is back in concussion protocol leaving the Dolphins to start Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback.

 

9. Baltimore Ravens (10-5, Last week ranked 10th)

Raise your hand if you’ve heard this one before. Quarterback Lamar Jackson will again be out with a knee injury, his fourth game missed since injuring that knee in the December 7th game against Denver. Tyler Huntley gets his fourth straight start as the Ravens try to go 4-1 without Jackson. Coming to town in week 17 is the Steelers, who almost upset them three weeks ago in Pittsburgh. A loss here for Baltimore combined with a Bengals win over the Bills would leave the Ravens in wild-card mode and the Bengals as AFC North champs.

 

8. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6, Last week ranked 9th)

The wait for the Chargers to step up and be THAT team that lives up to its playoff potential is over. Los Angeles clinched a spot in the AFC playoffs Monday night with a rather easy 20-3 win in Indianapolis marking the first time the Bolts will play postseason football since 2018. Sunday brings a battle of LA against the defending Super Bowl champion Rams.

 

7. Minnesota Vikings (12-3, Last week ranked 6th)

Talk about your lack of respect. The Vikings have already clinched the NFC North title and beat the Packers back in week one, 23-7, but still walk into Green Bay this Sunday as 3.5-point underdogs to the 7-8 Packers. The only way to earn that respect will be to eliminate the Packers from postseason contention with a victory. Another stellar performance by Justin Jefferson (184 yards, 2 TDs) like he did in the opener would go a long way in getting that “W.”

 

6. Dallas Cowboy (12-4, Last week ranked 7th) = move based on TNF

“A win’s a win.” That’s what Dak Prescott said after the Cowboys' 27-13 Thursday night victory in Tennessee, a game in which the Titans were missing 10 starters, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry. The victory keeps the pressure on Philadelphia to win at least one more game to clinch the NFC East.

 

5. Kansas City Chiefs (12-3, Last week ranked 4th)

Wins over the Broncos and Raiders, otherwise known as the bottom-feeders of the AFC West, are what’s left for the Chiefs as they try to lay claim to the top seed in the AFC and a first-round bye in the upcoming playoffs. In order to do that, they’ll need help from the Bengals to take out the Bills this Monday night since Buffalo owns the tiebreaker thanks to an early-season victory over Kansas City. If not, they could wind up as a second or third seed.

 

4. San Francisco 49ers (11-4, Last week ranked 5th)

Everything is looking Purdy good in San Francisco (pun intended). The 49ers have rolled off eight straight wins after a dominating 37-20 win over Washington in week 16. George Kittle continues to be red hot with Brock Purdy at quarterback, totaling 213 yards and 4 touchdowns in the past two weeks. Sunday finds the Niners in Las Vegas against the Derek Carr-less Raiders.

 

3. Cincinnati Bengals (11-4, Last week ranked 3rd)

So, do we think the Bengals just got bored in the second half against the Patriots or do we think the Pats really held the Bengals in check for the final 30 minutes last Saturday? Still, Cincinnati held on for the 22-18 victory, their seventh straight win. They’ll need a full 60 minutes of focused football in week 17 as they host Buffalo with the top seed in the AFC and the AFC North crown possibly on the line.

 

2. Buffalo Bills (12-3, Last week ranked 2nd)

Either with its detractors, all the Bills have done is win six games in a row to cement their role as AFC East champs once again for the third straight season. A victory Monday night in Cincinnati would clinch a first-round bye in the upcoming AFC playoffs as Buffalo already holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs.

 

1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-2, Last week ranked 1st)

We won’t punish the Eagles for losing Christmas Eve 40-34 to Dallas behind backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. Philly turned the ball over four times despite seemingly dominating Dallas for most of the game. After all, Minshew wasn’t all that bad, throwing for 355 yards, 2 touchdowns but did toss a pair of costly interceptions. Still, a loss is a loss and it bears watching as the Eagles move forward this week against the Saints still looking to clinch the NFC East championship. Starting quarterback Jalen Hurts is doubtful for that one with his sprained shoulder.

Last week:
10. Ravens
9. Chargers
8. Dolphins
7. Cowboys
6. Vikings
5. 49ers
4. Chiefs
3. Bengals
2. Bills
1. Eagles

Week 17 Games to Watch:
Dolphins at Patriots (Sunday 1 pm CBS) – The playoffs begin in week 17 for both teams.
Saints at Eagles (Sunday 1 pm FOX) – Somehow, the Saints are still alive but will need a miracle including a win in Philly.
Panthers at Buccaneers (Sunday 1 pm FOX) – Winner takes over the top spot in the NFC South.
Jets at Seahawks (Sunday 4:05 pm FOX) – The loser probably gets eliminated from postseason contention.
Vikings at Packers (Sunday 4:25 pm CBS) – Can Aaron Rodgers keep the Packers alive with a fourth straight victory?
Steelers at Ravens (Sunday 8:20 pm NBC) – Mike Tomlin’s chase to avoid his first losing season continues in B-More.
Bills at Bengals (Monday 8:15 pm ABC, ESPN) – Offensive fireworks should be on the menu Monday night in Cincy.