Neil Reynolds' Week 18 Power Rankings

There is not a better team in football right now. The 49ers have won 10 games in a row and haven’t missed a beat with rookie seventh-rounder Brock Purdy at quarterback. The offense has averaged 26.5 points per game this season, is loaded with stars and backed up by the NFL’s top defense.

The Bills are going to look to ride a Damar Hamlin-inspired wave of emotion all the way to Super Bowl glory and they will be cheered on as the second-favourite team of many neutrals. But emotion will only get you so far. You need players. Luckily, the Bills have one of the best in quarterback Josh Allen.

The Chiefs are eyeing a fifth consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance in the fifth year of Patrick Mahomes being the team’s full-time starter. Kansas City are on a bye this weekend and will wait to see they unleash their devastating attack on in the Divisional Round of these AFC playoffs.

Few teams will feel as good about themselves as the Cincinnati Bengals heading into the playoffs. They have won eight games in a row, quarterback Joe Burrow is oozing confidence and self-belief; and the defense has proven to be very good against the pass. That will come in handy in this playoff series.

Jalen Hurts returned to action and stopped the Eagles’ losing streak at two games. But he was far from his best as Philadelphia clinched the one seed in the NFC. This team has the talent to go all the way – they just need to get healthier and re-capture the form they showed before Hurts went down.

Which Minnesota Vikings team will we see in the playoffs? The one that delivered 13 often-dramatic victories during the regular season? Or the one that got beaten convincingly by Philadelphia, Dallas and Green Bay? This team has enough talent to be dangerous against any post-season foe.

The back injury suffered by wide receiver Mike Williams in Week 18 should be closely monitored because the Chargers are a different team when the passing game weapons for Justin Herbert are at full strength. I cannot wait to see what the cannon-armed youngster does on a big playoff stage.

There have been times when Dak Prescott has looked extremely prolific this season. But that has not been the case in the last month. Dak has thrown an interception in seven straight games and he jointly leads the league with 15 picks, even though he missed five games with his thumb injury. Concerning.

The Jaguars are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and – on current form – few can argue it has not been well-earned. Jacksonville won five in a row and seven of their last nine to end the regular season. And it has not all been Trevor Lawrence. The defense is playing very well right now.

The Lions won eight of their last 10 games. They just ran out of time otherwise they would have been a very dangerous team to face in the playoffs. It is incredible to me that Jared Goff went the final nine games (324 passes) of the year without an interception. This team is one to watch heading into 2023.

The Big Blue are heading into the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and whatever happens next, this season has to be deemed a success and a huge step in the right direction. Saquon Barkley is back to his best, Daniel Jones is showing signs of growth at quarterback and the defense is on the rise.

The Steelers are another one of those teams that simply ran out of time. But having won six of their final seven games, they have to feel good about where they’re heading in 2023. The Kenny Pickett-George Pickens partnership is exciting and the defense always seems to play at a high level.

The entire season rests on whether Lamar Jackson can return for the Wild Card round of the playoffs this weekend. The star quarterback has missed five straight games with a knee injury. If he is back, Baltimore need to find a way to be a better passing team. They are too reliant on Lamar magic.

Sunday’s loss to Detroit summed up Green Bay’s season. They were competitive but just couldn’t score enough points. What comes next? Watching Aaron Rodgers walk off the field arm in arm with Randall Cobb certainly made me think that number 12 is calling time on his Hall of Fame career.

Sunday’s loss to Atlanta – during which Tampa Bay pulled a lot of key starters, including Tom Brady – means the GOAT has a losing season for the first time in his career. But I prefer to remember what Brady (430+ passing yards) and Mike Evans (200+ receiving yards) did to Carolina the previous week.

The Dolphins ended their five-game losing streak to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, but I cannot see them hanging around long. They only have a chance up in Buffalo if Tua Tagovailoa returns from his concussion. And that is by no means guaranteed. Miami could be one and done.

Seattle are hardly marching into the postseason with a swagger, but they did at least end their poor run of form with wins over the Jets and Rams. Much like the Giants, whatever happens next for Seattle cannot take away from a very successful season. Few expected the playoffs in a transition year.

How New England respond after the debacle in the desert remains to be seen. That was just one crazy play. The sub-par form of quarterback Mac Jones has gone on a little longer.

The equation is simple for the Commanders and for Ron Rivera if he wants to keep his job as the team’s coach beyond 2023. They have to find a true franchise quarterback. Rivera has rolled through a variety of options in his tenure in Washington and has yet to land on a true difference-maker.

It was not pretty on Sunday as the Panthers squeezed out a 10-7 win over the New Orleans Saints, but it was another example of how hard this team has played for Steve Wilks. I hope the interim head coach gets a shot at the full-time job. Whoever leads the Panthers also needs to find a franchise QB.

The Titans lost seven games in a row to end the regular season, but I have to applaud the way they almost sneaked into the playoffs in Jacksonville on Saturday night. With 23 players on injured reserve and down to their third QB, the Titans played hard for head coach Mike Vrabel. That was impressive.

Deshaun Watson was not nearly good enough at quarterback when he made his first few starts for the Browns from December onwards. This is something to monitor over the summer and into the first half of the 2023 season. Cleveland has an historic amount of guaranteed money tied up in their QB.

When the Jets get Breece Hall back at running back Alijah Vera-Tucker returns on the line, some nice pieces will be in place with Garrett Wilson a young star at receiver. The defense is stout and will remain very good. But who will be the quarterback for 2023 and beyond? That is the massive question.

I think Dennis Allen would have heard the bad news by now if he was about to be relieved of his duties as the Saints’ head coach. In a league of haves and have-nots at the quarterback position, New Orleans remain in the second group and that leaves them in limbo when it comes to their future chances.

The Falcons have the second-most cap room in the NFL for this offseason, but can they tempt big-name players to Atlanta? I’m not sure if Desmond Ridder is the answer at quarterback but there are building blocks in receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Tyler Allgeier.

It’s official. The 2023 Los Angeles Rams mounted the weakest Super Bowl title defence in NFL history, winning just five games. And now there are so many questions. Will head coach Sean McVay walk away? What is the health status of quarterback Matthew Stafford? Will Aaron Donald retire?

Priority number one must be to find a high-end quarterback who can connect with the likes of Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller. Goal number two might be harder to achieve and that is to re-sign want-away running back Josh Jacobs, who is now a free agent. The D also needs upgrading.

A disappointing tail-spin at the end of the 2021 campaign turned into a totally lost 2022 season that cost head coach Kliff Kingsbury his job. Whoever comes on board will need to be patient because Kyler Murray may not be up to full speed until mid-season or beyond as he comes off a torn ACL.

The Broncos need strong leadership, someone who understands quarterback play and how to field a successful offense. Sean Payton ticks all those boxes, but will he really believe he can fix Russell Wilson? There are some wise football minds in the NFL who feel Wilson is in permanent decline.

The Texans fought hard for head coach Lovie Smith in the final month of the season, culminating in a dramatic late victory over Indianapolis that cost Houston the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Lovie’s reward? To get fired and become Houston’s second one-and-done coach in as many seasons.

The Bears lost their final 10 games of the season. And yet things don’t feel that gloomy because they control the 2023 NFL Draft and have the opportunity to sell that top pick for more assets that can be placed around exciting, young quarterback Justin Fields. Or do they keep the picks and trade Fields?

The Colts went on a terrible late-season slide as they lost their final seven games. But their horrible form could serve them well in the long run. They pick fourth overall in the Draft and can find a long-term quarterback answer after bouncing through Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan and Nick Foles.