NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Eagles, Bills the new 1-2, plus team MVPs
The Eagles and Bills are our new 1-2 as the injury-plagued Lions slip. Plus we're picking an MVP for every team, and they're not all QBs.
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It looks like Josh Allen is going to run away with the NFL MVP award (which might be unfair to two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, who is playing so well that he also deserves consideration), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more players who deserve a little attention as the season comes to a close.
The Week 16 NFL Power Rankings will give it to them by recognizing a team MVP for all 32 clubs. We tried not to make it just a bunch of quarterbacks, but we acknowledge there ended up being a lot of quarterbacks.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2)
Last week: 2Sunday: Beat Pittsburgh Steelers 27-13
MVP: Running back Saquon Barkley
While wide receiver A.J. Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts squabble (seemingly squashed for now), Barkley just keeps carrying the Eagles. He was held to 65 yards by the Steelers on Sunday, but he still has a league-leading 1,688 this season. If he averages 140 yards in the final three games, he will break Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 set in 1984. Barkley’s offensive rushing expected points added per game (3.36) is the second best in the league since at least 2000, according to TruMedia.
Up next: at Washington Commanders, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
2. Buffalo Bills (11-3)
Last week: 5Sunday: Beat Detroit Lions 48-42
MVP: Quarterback Josh Allen
In the last two weeks, Allen has 704 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, plus 150 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Buffalo has scored 90 points in those games. Allen’s 36 combined touchdowns are second in the league behind Lamar Jackson’s and Joe Burrow’s 37. Against the Rams in Week 14, he had more fantasy points than any player in NFL history (51.88). Every Buffalo opponent worries he will have that type of game against them, which is why he will also be the league MVP.
Up next: vs. New England Patriots, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
3. Detroit Lions (12-2)
Last week: 1Sunday: Lost to Buffalo Bills 48-42
MVP: Quarterback Jared Goff
It’s time to stop talking about Goff as an underdog story, or least exclusively an underdog story. This year, he’s one of the league’s best quarterbacks. Period. Goff is second in EPA per dropback at .26, which is easily the best mark of his career. Maybe more impressively, he’s second in completion percentage (71.4) and third in yards per attempt (8.5). Those numbers shouldn’t go together. He passed for 494 yards and five touchdowns Sunday.
Up next: at Chicago Bears, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
4. Green Bay Packers (10-4)
Last week: 4Sunday: Beat Seattle Seahawks 30-13
MVP: Running back Josh Jacobs
Quarterback Jordan Love is having a good year, but he’s also tied for sixth in the league with 11 interceptions. The Packers wide receivers share the wealth so well that none stand out. Meanwhile, Jacobs is third in the league in rushing (1,147 yards along with 12 touchdowns) and is the tone-setter for this team. On Sunday, Green Bay opened with a 10-play touchdown drive. Jacobs had seven carries and two catches on the drive.
Up next: vs. New Orleans Saints, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
5. Minnesota Vikings (12-2)
Last week: 3Monday: Beat Chicago Bears 30-12
MVP: Wide receiver Justin Jefferson
Sorry, Sam Darnold, we’re going with the more proven commodity here. Jefferson is second in the league in receiving with 1,243 yards. He has topped 1,000 yards every season of his career and has a good chance to get past 1,500 for the third time in five seasons. This is why the Vikings gave him $110 million in guaranteed money in a four-year extension this summer.
Up next: at Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
6. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1)
Last week: 6Sunday: Beat Cleveland Browns 21-7
MVP: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes
From 2018 to 2022, Mahomes led the NFL in EPA per dropback (.25). This year, he’s 12th (.09) and his passer rating (91) is the lowest in his tenure as a starter. And, still, he’s dragging a team without many other high octane offensive weapons toward a Super Bowl three-peat. Mahomes left Sunday’s win with a mild high ankle sprain and did not return, but coach Andy Reid said afterward that Mahomes could have re-entered and should be considered “day to day.”
Up next: vs. Houston Texans, Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
Last week: 7Sunday: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 27-13
MVP: Outside linebacker T.J. Watt
Watt left Sunday’s game after turning his ankle. Pittsburgh had better hope it’s not serious. The Steelers are 1-11 (including the playoffs) without him in the lineup since he was drafted in 2017. Watt had two sacks before leaving Sunday, and he’s now tied for third in the league with 11 1/2. In his time in the league, no one has had more than his 108 sacks.
Up next: at Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET
Lamar Jackson is not only the Ravens’ most valuable player, but also in the running for his third NFL MVP award. (Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)
8. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
Last week: 8Sunday: Beat New York Giants 35-14
MVP: Quarterback Lamar Jackson
The one-time 2024 MVP front-runner is playing as well as he did in 2019, his first MVP season, and better than he did last year, his second MVP season. Jackson leads the league in EPA per dropback (.33) and passer rating (120.7). On top of that, he’s averaging 53 rushing yards per game, the most among quarterbacks. On Sunday, he threw five touchdown passes, had a 154.6 passer rating and rushed for 65 yards.
Up next: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET
9. Denver Broncos (9-5)
Last week: 10Sunday: Beat Indianapolis Colts 31-13
MVP: Quarterback Bo Nix
Denver’s rookie quarterback threw three interceptions Sunday, but he also threw three touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter. Since Week 11, Nix is 11th in EPA per dropback (.13) and has thrown twice as many touchdown passes as interceptions (10-5). The Broncos have won four straight in that stretch and essentially clinched a playoff spot on Sunday.
Up next: at Los Angeles Chargers, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
10. Washington Commanders (9-5)
Last week: 11Sunday: Beat New Orleans Saints 20-19
MVP: Quarterback Jayden Daniels
Denver’s Nix is giving Daniels some late-season competition for offensive rookie of the year, but no rookie has been anywhere near as electric as Daniels. He’s fifth in EPA per dropback (.16), 10th in passer rating (101.2) and second among quarterbacks in rushing (656). On Sunday, he led the Commanders in passing (226 yards, 118.5 passer rating) and rushing (66 yards on 11 carries).
Up next: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6)
Last week: 14Sunday: Beat Los Angeles Chargers 40-17
MVP: Wide receiver Mike Evans
Sure, Baker Mayfield is third in passing touchdowns (32), but Evans’ value is illustrated by the fact that Tampa Bay was 0-3 when he wasn’t in the lineup in Weeks 8-11 with a hamstring injury. He was in the game Sunday, and he had nine catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns. He now has 749 yards for the season, and he’ll have to average 83.7 over the final three games to avoid the first sub-1,000-yard receiving season of his 11-year career.
Up next: at Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
12. Los Angeles Rams (8-6)
Last week: 15Thursday: Beat San Francisco 49ers 12-6
MVP: Quarterback Matthew Stafford
The 36-year-old quarterback is 16th in the league in EPA per dropback (.08). He has 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions, which is fine but nothing special. Still, he’s the reason the Rams have won seven of nine and are in the playoff mix after a 1-4 start. Stafford is now 11-1 in December since moving to Los Angeles, and has thrown 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in those games. “This time of year, it doesn’t matter how you win them, you’ve got to win them,” he said on the Prime Video telecast Thursday night.
Up next: at New York Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
13. Houston Texans (9-5)
Last week: 13Sunday: Beat Miami Dolphins 20-12
MVP: Defensive end Danielle Hunter
Quarterback C.J. Stroud gets graded on a tougher curve this year because of how good he was last season. That’s what allows Hunter to earn this spot. The ninth-year defensive end had 1 1/2 sacks against Miami and is second in the league with 12 for the season. Since 2022, he’s second in the league with 39 sacks, and Houston probably is pretty happy with its decision to sign him to a two-year, $49 million free-agency deal this past offseason.
Up next: at Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
14. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)
Last week: 9Sunday: Lost to Green Bay Packers 30-13
MVP: Quarterback Geno Smith
Defensive lineman Leonard Williams is having a great year, but it’s Smith who makes this team go. Or not. Smith is ninth in the league in EPA per dropback (.28) with nine touchdowns and two interceptions when not under pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s 25th with five touchdowns and 11 interceptions when under pressure. The Seahawks’ biggest problem is they have given up 223 pressures, which is more than all but two teams.
Up next: vs. Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
15. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
Last week: 12Sunday: Lost to Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40-17
MVP: Quarterback Justin Herbert
Herbert topped 20,000 career passing yards Sunday, becoming the third-youngest quarterback to reach that milestone. That may not make him feel much better after the game the Chargers had, though. Herbert finished the contest with an 87.3 passer rating, and his EPA per dropback (.01) is now 21st in the league and the worst of his five-year career. He’s still the Chargers’ MVP, but this year could be a lot better.
Up next: vs. Denver Broncos, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
16. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8)
Last week: 19Sunday: Beat Tennessee Titans 37-27
MVP: Quarterback Joe Burrow
Burrow leads the NFL in passing yards (3,977) and passing touchdowns (36). On Sunday, he had his sixth straight game with at least 250 yards and three touchdowns. And, still, he was furious during a sideline conversation with head coach Zac Taylor late in the game. “I was frustrated in the day we had on offense,” Burrow said afterward. “It was just a frustrating day on offense.” Maybe setting a career-high in passing yards will help because he’s on pace to top the 4,611 he had in 2021.
Up next: vs. Cleveland Browns, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
