We made it. We’re finally at the top of the mountain. The regular season is over, which means this delightful column we’ll be going away for a while. I devoted about 60,000 words to these Power Rankings over the last four months, so my cramped fingers could certainly use the break. If the season were 20 weeks instead of 17, I’d probably have carpel tunnel syndrome by now.
But before we close the book on 2016, let’s go back to the beginning. Here are the top 10 teams from my Week 1 Power Rankings, presented with commentary.
1. Arizona Cardinals - I immediately regretted this decision.
2. Seattle Seahawks - Not as good as I thought but still better than the rest of the trash heap NFC West.
3. Carolina Panthers - LOL!
4. New England Patriots - I knew I should have had the Pats higher.
5. Green Bay Packers - Pretty much where I thought they’d be, but boy did they take a roundabout way of getting there.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers - To quote Dennis Green, the Steelers were who we thought they were.
7. Cincinnati Bengals - They were sunk even before A.J. Green went out with a hamstring injury. Did not see that coming.
8. Denver Broncos - I thought I was being conservative ranking the Broncos at No. 8. I guess I was giving their offense too much credit.
9. Kansas City Chiefs - Was not prepared for the Tyreek Hill takeover.
10. Minnesota Vikings - Would things have been any different if Adrian Peterson were healthy this year? I doubt it.
Alright, back to the present. Here are my final Power Rankings of the 2016 season:
1. New England Patriots
Record: 14-2
Last Week: 1
The praise for Tom Brady is well-deserved but what about the year Julian Edelman just had? He set career-highs in targets (158) and yards (1,106) while playing all 16 games for only the second time in his eight-year career. The Patriots have already made good use of Michael Floyd. He found the end zone Sunday while delivering a key block on Julian Edelman’s 77-yard touchdown.
Fantasy Tidbit: LeGarrette Blount’s 299 carries this year were the most by a New England back since Corey Dillon logged 345 rushing attempts in 2004.
2. Dallas Cowboys
Record: 13-3
Last Week: 2
Where will Tony Romo land next season? Evan Silva made the case for Houston the other day but what about Denver? The cold weather is less than ideal but he’d have two great receivers (Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas) and a top-notch defense to help him win games. As a stopgap for eventual starter Paxton Lynch, the Broncos could do a lot worse.
Fantasy Tidbit: Dak Prescott tied for the league-lead among quarterbacks with six rushing touchdowns this season.
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3. Kansas City Chiefs
Record: 12-4
Last Week: 3
Since starting 1-5 in 2015, the Chiefs have gone 22-4 while outscoring their opponents by a gigantic 667-439 margin. The Chiefs are division champs for the first time since 2010 and it’s unlikely they would have accomplished that feat without the help of Tyreek Hill. The fifth-round rookie found pay-dirt 12 times during the regular season with six receiving touchdowns, three rushing scores and three return touchdowns.
Fantasy Tidbit: Charcandrick West set a season-high with 58 receiving yards in Sunday’s win over the Chargers.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
Record: 11-5
Last Week: 4
The Patriots are still heavy favorites to win the AFC, but as far as dark horses go, you won’t find a better one than Pittsburgh. Granted, it’s not like the Steelers have been sneaking up on anyone. They’ve won seven straight and boast arguably the league’s best running back (Le’Veon Bell) and wide receiver (Antonio Brown). The Steelers lost to Miami earlier this year but should have the upper hand this time playing at home after resting their starters in Week 17.
Fantasy Tidbit: DeAngelo Williams has averaged 26.5 touches in four games without Le’Veon Bell this season. In the five games they’ve overlapped, Williams has averaged just two touches.
5. Atlanta Falcons
Record: 11-5
Last Week: 5
2016 was Matt Ryan’s masterpiece. He balled out to the tune of 38 touchdowns, 4,944 passing yards and a league-leading 117.1 quarterback rating. He’ll face stiff competition from Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers but should have a leg up in the MVP race. OC Kyle Shanahan has risen to the top of every team’s coaching wish list. The 37-year-old has interviews lined up around the league and is on the cusp of earning his first head-coaching job.
Fantasy Tidbit: Devonta Freeman has topped 1,000 yards rushing in two straight seasons. The last Falcon to do that was Michael Turner between 2010-11.
6. Green Bay Packers
Record: 10-6
Last Week: 8
For the last six weeks, every game has been a must-win for the Packers. They’re 6-0 in that span with wins over the Bears, Eagles, Lions, Seahawks, Texans and Vikings. During that same span, Aaron Rodgers (who should be a lot more concerned about his burned-down house) has thrown 15 touchdowns with no interceptions. Translation: nobody wants to play the Packers right now.
Fantasy Tidbit: Rodgers’ 40 touchdown passes this year were his most since 2011. That was the year he won his first MVP award.
7. Seattle Seahawks
Record: 10-5-1
Last Week: 7
Remember when Thomas Rawls was going to be the next big thing? Over his last three games he’s averaged a monumentally disappointing 1.51 yards per carry with one touchdown. At least Russell Wilson is back to doing Russell Wilson things. Since his five-interception game against the Packers in Week 14, Wilson has thrown for eight touchdowns with only one pick. This week the Seahawks host a Lions team that has lost three straight.
Fantasy Tidbit: Doug Baldwin’s 1,128 receiving yards this season were the most by a Seattle receiver since Bobby Engram led the team with 1,147 yards in 2007.
8. New York Giants
Record: 11-5
Last Week: 9
The Giants didn’t have to play their starters in a meaningless game against the Redskins on Sunday, but they did anyway and came away with the victory. And then they partied with Justin Bieber and Johnny Manziel. The Giants’ first trip to the postseason in five years could be short-lived. They draw a tough assignment against the Packers in the Wild Card round.
Fantasy Tidbit: Paul Perkins set a career-high with 102 rushing yards on 21 carries Sunday versus Washington.
9. Miami Dolphins
Record: 10-6
Last Week: 10
Jarvis Landry finished with fewer catches than last season (94 compared to 110) but caught a higher percentage of his targets (71.8 versus 66.7 in 2015) while averaging a career-high 12.1 yards per reception. He’s been a stud over his last five games, averaging 80.6 yards with two touchdowns during that span. The Dolphins will need another big outing from Landry Sunday as they seek their first playoff victory in 16 years.
Fantasy Tidbit: Jay Ajayi averaged 210 rushing yards in two games against Buffalo this year and 65.5 yards in his other 13 appearances.
10. Detroit Lions
Record: 9-7
Last Week: 11
Talk about limping into the playoffs. The Lions have fallen apart over their last three games, losing all three by a combined score of 90-51. Matthew Stafford hasn’t looked the same since his finger injury but at least the running game is finally clicking. Zach Zenner has averaged 101 yards from scrimmage with three touchdowns over his last two outings.
Fantasy Tidbit: Anquan Boldin’s eight touchdowns this year were his most since 2008.
11. Oakland Raiders
Record: 12-4
Last Week: 6
The Raiders had a chance, a small one but still a chance, to land the top seed in the AFC last weekend. In the end, they dropped all the way to fifth. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing, as the Raiders couldn’t have gotten a more favorable draw than Saturday’s Wild Card game against the Texans. But with rookie Connor Cook leading the offense, the Raiders could very well be one-and-done in their first postseason appearance since 2002.
Fantasy Tidbit: Latavius Murray’s six touches against the Broncos in Week 17 were a season-low.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record: 9-7
Last Week: 15
The biggest criticism of Jameis Winston in college (besides his reckless off-field behavior) was that he turned the ball over too frequently. That problem has followed him to the pros as Winston threw the second-most interceptions in the NFL this season. Six of Winston’s career-high 18 interceptions came over his final three games. Winston’s late-season collapse may have cost the Bucs a playoff spot, but at least they finished with a winning record for the first time since 2010.
Fantasy Tidbit: Mike Evans tied his own team record by snatching 12 touchdowns in 2016.
13. Washington Redskins
Record: 8-7-1
Last Week: 12
Sunday would have been a painful way for Kirk Cousins to go out, but there’s no way he’s leaving Washington. The Redskins would be crazy to let Cousins walk after throwing for 25 touchdowns and a team-record 4,917 passing yards in 2016. While Cousins is fully expected to re-sign, Pierre Garcon could be headed elsewhere. He quietly led the Redskins in catches (79), receiving yards (1,041) and targets this season.
Fantasy Tidbit: DeSean Jackson (also an impending free agent) has gone for 1,000 yards receiving in three of his last four seasons.
14. Denver Broncos
Record: 9-7
Last Week: 16
The Broncos hung 24 on the Raiders in Week 17. That’s more points than they had scored in their previous three games combined. The Broncos’ biggest problem this year was their lack of a running game. Only five teams averaged fewer rushing yards per game than Denver (92.8), but there’s an easy fix. C.J. Anderson scored five touchdowns in seven games before getting hurt this year and should be back as the Broncos’ bell cow in 2017.
Fantasy Tidbit: Demaryius Thomas’ 1,083 receiving yards this year were his fewest since 2011.
15. Houston Texans
Record: 9-7
Last Week: 14
The Texans host Oakland Saturday at 4:35 PM ET. Sounds like a good time to watch anything other than football. Brock Osweiler actually had one of his better games against the Raiders in Week 11 (26-of-39 passing for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception) but trusting him in a playoff game would be like trusting a golden retriever to do your taxes. At least the Texans are getting Lamar Miller back from a two-week ankle injury.
Fantasy Tidbit: DeAndre Hopkins nabbed seven catches for a season-high 123 yards in Sunday’s loss to Tennessee. It was Hopkins’ first 100-yard game since Week 2.
16. Baltimore Ravens
Record: 8-8
Last Week: 13
Linebacker Zachary Orr put it best when he said the Ravens are “an average football team right now.” With Steve Smith Sr. retiring and Kamar Aiken headed for free agency, the Ravens are going to be painfully thin at receiver next year. That means more work could be put on Breshad Perriman’s plate in 2017. That doesn’t exactly scream “playoffs,” does it?
Fantasy Tidbit: This year marked Mike Wallace’s first 1,000-yard season since 2011.
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17. Tennessee Titans
Record: 9-7
Last Week: 18
Rishard Matthews’ first year in Tennessee got off to a bit of a slow start but he still managed to set new career-highs in catches (65), yards (945) and touchdowns (nine). Rookie Derrick Henry went his first seven games without a touchdown but scored five times over his last nine appearances. This year marked Tennessee’s first winning season since 2011. Next order of business: ending the team’s nine-year playoff drought.
Fantasy Tidbit: DeMarco Murray’s 1,287 yards this season were the most by a Titan since Chris Johnson rushed for 1,364 yards in 2010.
18. Arizona Cardinals
Record: 7-8-1
Last Week: 20
David Johnson is truly a freak of nature. The fact that this play didn’t rip his knee to shreds is a miracle. Johnson’s injury-shortened Week 17 was the first time all season he failed to reach 100 yards from scrimmage. If you’re thinking about taking someone else with the No. 1 pick in next year’s fantasy draft, think again. Nobody’s floor is higher than Johnson’s. He might have the highest ceiling too.
Fantasy Tidbit: Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL with 107 receptions in 2016. His touchdown in Sunday’s finale against Los Angeles was his first since Week 5.
19. Indianapolis Colts
Record: 8-8
Last Week: 19
Frank Gore topped 1,000 yards rushing for the ninth time in his career in 2016 but watched his goal-line role evaporate late in the year. Gore managed only one touchdown over his last seven games while professional vulture Robert Turbin had six during the same span. Meanwhile T.Y. Hilton became the first Colt to lead the league in receiving yards (1,448) since Reggie Wayne in 2007 (1,510).
Fantasy Tidbit: Sunday against Jacksonville was Andrew Luck’s first 300-yard game since Week 7.
20. Minnesota Vikings
Record: 8-8
Last Week: 23
Sam Bradford set an NFL record for completion percentage this year (71.6) while also finishing with the league’s sixth-highest quarterback rating (99.3). That makes him the favorite to start Week 1, even if Teddy Bridgewater is healthy. While Bradford’s future in Minnesota looks bright, Adrian Peterson’s is a bit cloudier. There’s no way the Vikings are going to pay him $17.75 million (that’s his cap number for next season) but would AP be willing to take a pay cut? Soon we’ll find out.
Fantasy Tidbit: Stefon Diggs’ touchdown against the Bears in Week 17 ended a six-game scoreless drought.
21. New Orleans Saints
Record: 7-9
Last Week: 17
My infatuation with Michael Thomas is well-documented, but get a load of this. Thomas set a Saints rookie record with 1,137 receiving yards this season while nearly setting the NFL record for most catches by a rookie. In other words, he’s an absolute monster. While Thomas was busy taking over the world, Mark Ingram found time to put in his first 1,000-yard rushing season. If the Saints ever decide to play defense, they could really be onto something.
Fantasy Tidbit: 2016 marked Drew Brees’ fifth career 5,000-yard passing season.
22. Philadelphia Eagles
Record: 7-9
Last Week: 22
Zach Ertz was on one Sunday against the Cowboys. He shredded Dallas for 139 yards and two touchdowns while leading the Eagles to their second straight win. Ertz was a menace over his final five games, averaging 88.6 yards with three touchdowns during that span. Ertz hasn’t reached Rob Gronkowski level yet but he’s getting there. After giving him a six-year extension last offseason, the Eagles must feel that his best years are still ahead of him.
Fantasy Tidbit: Darren Sproles, who recently announced that next year will be his last in the NFL, averaged 57.7 yards from scrimmage in 2016.
23. Cincinnati Bengals
Record: 6-9-1
Last Week: 24
Rex Burkhead (I can’t tell you how many times that’s autocorrected to “Bulkhead” on my phone this week) UNLEASHED against the Ravens. He crushed them for 144 yards (119 rushing, 25 receiving) and two touchdowns as the Bengals closed out the year with a win in Week 17. That’s the good news. The bad news is that A.J. Green is FURIOUS that he wasn’t able to play the final two games. That cost Green what would have been his sixth straight 1,000-yard season.
Fantasy Tidbit: Sunday was the first missed game of Jeremy Hill’s career.
24. Buffalo Bills
Record: 7-9
Last Week: 21
The Bills got creamed in Sunday’s season finale, but that’s the least of their worries. GM Doug Whaley claimed in his season-ending press conference that he had no involvement in Rex Ryan’s firing. That’s either a blatant lie or Whaley is just a figurehead with no power. The chain of command in Buffalo should be a huge red flag for prospective head coaches including Anthony Lynn, who is currently the favorite to take over the full-time head coaching gig.
Fantasy Tidbit: LeSean McCoy and Mike Gillislee combined for 23 touchdowns (21 rushing, two receiving) this season.
25. Carolina Panthers
Record: 6-10
Last Week: 25
Cam Newton finished with the league’s eighth-highest quarterback rating in 2015 (99.4). This year he finished 28th in that category. Newton’s 52.9 completion percentage this season was a career-low, as was his 6.88 yards per passing attempt. Newton wasn’t the only reason Carolina tanked this year—Luke Kuechly’s injury and letting Josh Norman sign with the Redskins didn’t help matters. But if the Panthers want to turn this thing around, it will have to start with Cam.
Fantasy Tidbit: Greg Olsen is the first tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in three straight seasons.
26. San Diego Chargers
Record: 5-11
Last Week: 26
Shutdown corner Casey Hayward led the NFL with seven interceptions this year. Meanwhile Philip Rivers led the league with 21 interceptions thrown. So it all evens out. Losing five in a row to end the season wasn’t ideal, but the Bolts have a lot to look forward to with Tyrell Williams and Hunter Henry both on their way to stardom. If Keenan Allen can stay healthy next year (big if), this offense could be one of the league’s best.
Fantasy Tidbit: Antonio Gates is tied with Tony Gonzalez for the most touchdowns by a tight end in NFL history with 111.
27. New York Jets
Record: 5-11
Last Week: 29
So where do we stand in East Rutherford? Well, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith are both free agents, leaving Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg as the Jets’ only quarterback options. Brandon Marshall could also be on his way out while Darrelle Revis is mulling a move to safety. There’s also a running back controversy brewing between Bilal Powell and Matt Forte. See what Todd Bowles has to deal with? This man needs a vacation.
Fantasy Tidbit: Quincy Enunwa led the team with 857 receiving yards this year despite seeing 22 fewer targets than Brandon Marshall.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
Record: 3-13
Last Week: 27
They don’t call him St. Doug for nothing. Using Doug Marrone’s magical healing powers, Blake Bortles finished the year with back-to-back 300-yard games. Marrone was also able to resurrect Allen Robinson, who exploded for 229 yards on 14 catches over his final two games. After a two-year detour, it looks like Marrone is ready to be a head coach again.
Fantasy Tidbit: Robinson finished seventh with 151 targets this year but was only 31st in the league with 73 catches.
29. Chicago Bears
Record: 3-13
Last Week: 28
The win/loss record looks bleak, but the Bears actually have a lot to be optimistic about. Jordan Howard finished with the league’s second-highest rushing total (1,313 yards) as a rookie while second-year wideout Cameron Meredith exploded for 888 receiving yards in only 14 games. That gives the Bears two offensive studs to build around. Next on the Bears’ to-do list: find a quarterback.
Fantasy Tidbit: Howard averaged 109.4 rushing yards with four touchdowns over his last five games.
30. Los Angeles Rams
Record: 4-12
Last Week: 31
The Rams ended the year on a seven-game losing streak. During that span, they were outscored by an unbelievable 221-85 margin including 122-51 at home. Jared Goff didn’t show an ounce of improvement throughout the season while Todd Gurley averaged the league’s second-lowest yards per carry (3.18). Whoever takes over as the Rams’ next head coach—Harold Goodwin, Anthony Lynn, Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia and Kyle Shanahan are among the many candidates—will have their work cut out for them.
Fantasy Tidbit: Tavon Austin averaged 8.8 yards per reception this year. That ranked 124th out of 154 qualified pass-catchers.
31. San Francisco 49ers
Record: 2-14
Last Week: 30
Why would anyone want to coach San Francisco? The job is cursed. The Niners just fired their third coach in three seasons, canning Chip Kelley after going 2-0 against the Rams and 0-14 versus everyone else. There’s also a strong possibility that Colin Kaepernick has played his final game in San Francisco. He went out with a whimper, throwing for just 215 yards with five sacks and two fumbles in a season-ending loss to Seattle.
Fantasy Tidbit: The Niners averaged a league-worst 181.9 passing yards per game in 2016.
32. Cleveland Browns
Record: 1-15
Last Week: 32
Robert Griffin III said he proved his doubters wrong with his performance in 2016. Yeah you really showed them, Robert. Where would the Browns have been without your 72.5 quarterback rating? On a less condescending note, Isaiah Crowell beasted down the stretch by averaging 6.55 yards per carry over his last four games.
Fantasy Tidbit: Gary Barnidge averaged 38.3 receiving yards per game this season. That’s down from 65.2 in 2015.
Biggest Rise: Buccaneers 3, Vikings
3
Biggest Fall: Raiders
5
