NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Ravens take over the top spot, plus an MVP for every team
The Lions, Browns and Bucs are among the teams on the rise. Plus, we name an MVP for all 32 teams.
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The NFL’s MVP award is going to dominate much of the conversation in the final two weeks of the regular season, but the Power Rankings think we should be celebrating more than just one player. In that holiday spirit, this week we’re awarding an MVP for each team.
Some of the names are well-known — Lamar Jackson, both Josh Allens, Dak Prescott, etc. — but some might not be. So here they are along with our weekly rankings, and, hey, let’s keep that holiday spirit going in the comments section, what do you say?
1. Baltimore Ravens (12-3)
(Last week: 2)Monday: Beat San Francisco 49ers 33-19
MVP: Lamar Jackson
The Ravens’ sixth-year quarterback is playing the way he did when he won the 2019 MVP award. That season, Jackson passed for 3,127 yards, rushed for 1,206 yards and totaled 43 touchdowns. This year, he has 3,357 passing yards, 787 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. On Monday night, he led Baltimore to points on seven straight drives while leading the team in passing and rushing. He’s not only the MVP of the top team in these power rankings, but he may have captured the league award Monday night.
Up next: vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
2. San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
(Last week: 1)Monday: Lost to Baltimore Ravens 33-19
MVP: Christian McCaffrey
Even with Monday night’s four-interception game, Brock Purdy’s numbers are absurd (league-leading .37 EPA per attempt), but so were Jimmy Garoppolo’s in this offense. Garoppolo led the league in EPA per attempt (.27) from 2019 to 2022, according to TruMedia. McCaffrey, meanwhile, is the most irreplaceable part of the NFL’s most potent offense. He had 14 carries for 103 yards Monday against the Ravens. For the season, he leads the NFL in rushing (1,395 yards), yards from scrimmage (1,932) and touchdowns (21).
Up next: at Washington Commanders, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
3. Miami Dolphins (11-4)
(Last week: 4)Sunday: Beat Dallas Cowboys 22-20
MVP: Tyreek Hill
Yes, the Dolphins scored 30 points against the Jets without Hill in Week 15, and we know quarterback Tua Tagovailoa says he’s keeping receipts on everyone who says he’s a product of Hill’s addition to the team. Still, it’s impossible to ignore the way that Hill affects the geometry of the field and how much confidence he has given this offense even when he’s not on the field. His numbers aren’t bad either: an NFL-leading 1,641 yards plus 12 touchdowns, which ranks second in the league.
Up next: at Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
4. Buffalo Bills (9-6)
(Last week: 3)Saturday: Beat Los Angeles Chargers 24-22
MVP: Josh Allen
Sure, he leads the NFL in turnovers (18), but with plus-1,000 odds at BetMGM, Allen might be the most sensible bet in the field for league MVP. On Saturday, Allen became the first player in NFL history to post four straight seasons of 40-plus touchdowns. He had two rushing scores and one passing touchdown. If he leads Buffalo to the playoffs, no one wants to play this team.
Up next: vs. New England Patriots, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
