No Section

Mark Craig's Week 16 NFL power rankings: Oh, how the Steelers have fallen

What is going on in Pittsburgh? Plus, where are the Vikings after their loss to the Bears?

By Mark Craig

December 22, 2020 at 6:51PM

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was under pressure Monday against the Bengals. (Bryan Woolston, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

1. Chiefs (13-1)

Patrick Mahomes was fairly human – 254 yards passing, four sacks – and Kansas City still beat the Saints.

2. Bills (11-3)

Stefon Diggs has two more games to add to what's already a franchise-record 111 catches.

3. Packers (11-3)

Sorry, Jordan Love. A-Rodg just became the first guy in NFL history to throw 40 TD passes three times.

4. Saints (10-4)

Drew Brees returned and proved he's human, starting out 0-for-6 with an interception and four straight three-and-outs. And yet the Saints still almost beat the Chiefs.

5. Ravens (9-5)

When you really need to keep winning, it's always nice to have Lamar Jackson on your side and the Jaguars on the other.

6. Browns (10-4)

Browns win again. Ho-hum.

7. Buccaneers (9-5)

Stop us if you've heard this before. Tom Brady was getting crushed by the Falcons but scored 30-plus points in the second half and won.

8. Colts (10-4)

Playing behind the best line in football, Philip Rivers is on pace to be sacked only 16 times — his fewest since 2005, when he was sacked three times in two games as Drew Brees' backup.

9. Seahawks (10-4)

What makes the league's worst pass defense feel better about itself? Playing Dwayne Haskins.

10. Titans (10-4)

Man or machine? Derrick Henry has averaged 5.2 yards on 707 carries in his last 32 games, including playoffs.

11. Steelers (11-3)

Not sure what's going on here, but someone get ready to Google, "Has an NFL team ever started 11-0 and not won its division?"

12. Dolphins (9-5)

Brian Flores, a Bill Belichick defensive disciple, KO's Bill's playoff chances while holding him to 12 points.

13. Cardinals (8-6)

Even if the Vikings beat the Saints Friday, Arizona can KO the Vikings' playoff chances on Sunday by beating a 49ers team that's lost six of its last seven games.

14. Rams (9-5)

Let's get this straight. You played the 0-13 Jets and started the game with three three-and-outs, an interception and a blocked punt?

15. Bears (7-7)

Mitchell Trubisky is 5-2 against the Vikings. Of course, it helps Mitch that David Montgomery is 3-0 against the Vikings.

16. Washington (6-8)

The WFT leads the NFC Least by a game and has the easiest remaining schedule with Carolina (4-10) and the Eagles (4-9-1).

17. Patriots (6-8)

Belichick will miss the playoffs. See, Cleveland was right about this bum.

18. Raiders (7-7)

Vegas was plus-5 in turnover differential while going 4-1 from Weeks 5-10 and minus-7 while going 1-4 from Weeks 11-15.

19. Vikings (6-8)

You can't beat Chicago if you don't get Dan Bailey some help.

20. Chargers (5-9)

Will Justin Herbert's rookie-record seven 300-yard games trump Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson's effort to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year?

21. Giants (5-9)

The Giants are at Baltimore this week. Bye-bye, Giants.

22. Cowboys (5-9)

What's left of the Cowboys roster has won two straight and finishes with the Eagles and Giants.

23. Broncos (5-9)

Are the Bills for real? Ask Denver's defense.

24. Eagles (4-9-1)

Philly has now given up 59 sacks in 14 games. They gave up 38 in 19 games when they won the Super Bowl three years ago.

25. Lions (5-9)

Here's how Tennessee's first three drives went against Detroit's lack-of-defense: 21 plays, 220 yards, 12 first downs, three TDs.

26. 49ers (5-9)

Raheem Mostert had 67 yards and a 5.2-yard average per carry at halftime. Then, because he's a 49er, he got hurt after one more carry for 1 yard.

27. Bengals (3-10-1)

It certainly appears the Bengals were fed up with being Pittsburgh's patsies twice a year since 2013.

28. Falcons (4-10)

Poor Atlanta. Here's how their season ends: Tom Brady last week, Patrick Mahomes this week and Tom Brady the following week.

29. Panthers (4-10)

Carolina couldn't overcome the 14-point swing that started with Teddy B's fumble at the goal line against the Packers.

30. Texans (4-10)

For the record, Houston is now 0-2 when losing gut-wrenching red-zone fumbles to the Colts this season.

31. Jets (1-13)

J-E-T-S! NO! NO! NOOOO! Come draft day, by-then-former Jets coach Adam Gase will toast the Jaguars' No. 1 overall pick.

32. Jaguars (1-13)

And you thought that season-opening win against the Colts would come back to haunt Jacksonville's 2021 draft.

about the writer

Mark Craig

Sports reporter

Mark Craig has covered the NFL nearly every year since Brett Favre was a rookie back in 1991. A sports writer since 1987, he is covering his 30th NFL season out of 37 years with the Canton (Ohio) Repository (1987-99) and the Star Tribune (1999-present).