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There are only two weeks left in the regular season which means playoff spots are being locked up left and right. The Dallas Cowboys still have a bit of life in their own push towards the postseason, although they are going to need help this week.
This past week of NFL action was so wild that we saw the New York Jets beat the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Our ideas of who we thought these teams are has been massively adjusted over the course of the last few months.
Where does every NFL team stand at the season’s penultimate week? It’s time for our weekly power rankings along with the collection of Cowboys rankings across the internet.
You can view last week’s right here.
1 - Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 1)
Even when KC is on their off game they find a way to win with relative ease. They are fallible, but it requires a Herculean effort from their opponent.
2 - Green Bay Packers (LW: 2)
They are going to the Super Bowl. Best to accept it now.
3 - Buffalo Bills (LW: 3)
If there is a non-Cowboys team that I am personally rooting for this year this is unquestionably it. Congratulations to the AFC East Champions.
4 - Indianapolis Colts (LW: 5)
They are quietly lurking and very well balanced.
5 - Seattle Seahawks (LW: 6)
Putting together wins is obviously impressive, but we haven’t seen their full strength in a few months now.
6 - Baltimore Ravens (LW: 7)
It appears that they are peaking at the right time.
7 - Tennessee Titans (LW: 8)
This is a monster if you catch them on their day. They are going to be fun to watch in January.
8 - Cleveland Browns (LW: 9)
The same can be said for this bunch. Sunday’s win was just enough, but being their 10th of the year it was obviously notable.
9 - Los Angeles Rams (LW: 4)
What do you even say? Their floor is lower than anyone else’s. You simply don’t know which Rams you are going to get.
10 - New Orleans Saints (LW: 10)
Losing to the Chiefs is hardly anything to be embarrassed about, but this team is falling apart at the worst possible time.
11 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 11)
They entered Week 15 as the only team in the top five of both offensive and defensive DVOA. Still though, there is something not trustworthy about their overall composition.
12 - Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 12)
They are looking more and more like pretenders.
13 - Miami Dolphins (LW: 13)
They slayed the king. They are likely going to the playoffs. Party in the city where the heat is on.
14 - Arizona Cardinals (LW: 14)
Every team in the NFC East lost to them. Congratulations.
15 - Chicago Bears (LW: 21)
If you think the Cowboys are messing up their draft position for no reason, think about this group and feel happy.
16 - Washington Football Team (LW: 16)
They are still division favorites. Can the Cowboys get some help from Carolina?
17 - Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 20)
Anthony Lynn almost lost another game for Justin Herbert. Hopefully he doesn’t do it again.
18 - Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 17)
They are dragging to the finish line and potentially going to miss out on the playoffs. Yikes.
19 - Minnesota Vikings (LW: 15)
I’m guilty of thinking they were postseason bound. I was wrong. Le sigh.
20 - Carolina Panthers (LW: 18)
Matt Rhule’s methodology at the end of Saturday’s game in Green Bay should be applauded and copied by all NFL teams. The future is bright for Carolina.
21 - New England Patriots (LW: 19)
Welcome to mortality.
22 - Dallas Cowboys (LW: 26)
The season still has life!
23 - New York Giants (LW: 22)
They are a bad football team and missing some of their best people. That’s not a great combination.
24 - San Francisco 49ers (LW: 23)
Kyle Shanahan is a great coach, but he needs more in his cupboard.
25 - Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 24)
We’ll see you on Sunday. Jalen Hurts knows AT&T Stadium well.
26 - Denver Broncos (LW: 25)
What a blah team.
27 - Houston Texans (LW: 27)
They do not deserve Deshaun Watson.
28 - Atlanta Falcons (LW: 28)
Legitimately cannot imagine what it is like to support them and watch them continually blow leads.
29 - Detroit Lions (LW: 29)
There will be a lot of changes here in the offseason. But it’s hard to know which ones are going to yield legitimate results.
30 - Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 30)
Congratulations to the Bengals for beating the Steelers. They’re still a bad team, but they will have a very merry Christmas.
31 - New York Jets (LW: 32)
Congratulations on the win. Hopefully it was worth it.
32 - Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 31)
Trevor Lawrence time, bay bee.
NFL.com: 22 (LW: 24)
We are on the rise!
The Cowboys, almost impossibly, are not dead. A 41-33 win over the 49ers, paired with Washington’s Week 15 loss to the Seahawks, keeps Dallas in contention for the NFC East title entering Week 16. Who would have guessed that after Mike McCarthy’s team got its doors blown off by the Football Team on Thanksgiving? We saw a big performance from Tony Pollard against the Niners, who looked better in his starting debut than Ezekiel Elliott has all season. Would the Cowboys think about sticking with the hot hand for Sunday’s must-win matchup against the Eagles? At the very least, Pollard deserves a role in the game plan if Elliott were to return from a lingering calf injury.
ESPN: 26 (LW: 28)
A slight rise.
Most underrated star: TE Dalton Schultz
This is a difficult choice because of the Cowboys’ lack of success, but Schultz has overdelivered. He entered the season with 13 receptions in his first two years, and when Blake Jarwin went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 1, the Cowboys needed Schultz to come through. He has 53 receptions for 524 yards and four touchdowns. He has helped move the chains in an offense that has needed help. Jarwin will be the starter when he is healthy again in 2021, but Schultz has shown that he can be a solid contributor. — Todd Archer
USA Today: 26 (LW: 28)
Same story here.
Backup RB Tony Pollard provided nice spark (132 yards, 2 TDs) for team with still-flickering playoff aspirations.
Sporting News: 20 (LW: 26)
The top 20!
The Cowboys have won two in a row to breathe late life into their once lost season. Their offense has looked better with Andy Dalton spreading the ball around well and Tony Pollard providing a major spark. The defense is still a mess, but it’s doing less breaking and more bending of late.
Yahoo: 26 (LW: 29)
Not as great of a leap here.
After Tony Pollard had a very good game Sunday, you’ll hear a lot about the Cowboys maybe trading or cutting Ezekiel Elliott next offseason. It probably won’t happen because the Cowboys don’t want to admit a huge mistake on his contract, but the deal is looking like a bad investment, especially with Dallas’ other needs.
CBS Sports: 24 (LW: 28)
Two wins in a row has everybody believing just a little bit more.
Don’t look now, but they are still alive in the NFC East race. The offense has played so much better with Andy Dalton.
Sports Illustrated: 20 (LW: 27)
Another top 20 spot. Alright then.
Give Mike McCarthy credit. Andy Dalton, too. They rode out a really ugly stretch, and now could win the division (yes, it’s a historically bad division, but still).