NFL Power Rankings, Week 16: Bears celebrating, Patriots fading
Recap: Stunned on the final play of the game last week at Miami, Bill Belichick’s team was looking to rebound against a Pittsburgh Steelers’ team that they have had their way with in recent seasons. But the Patriots reached the end zone just once all afternoon and that was on a first-quarter 63-yard TD pass from Tom Brady to Chris Hogan. Once again, New England’s defense struggled to stop the run as the Steelers gashed Belichick’s defense for 158 yards on the ground on 25 attempts. Safety Duron Harmon picked off Ben Roethlisberger twice but the team really failed to take advantage of those miscues and finished with a 3-5 road record this season.
Next Week: The Patriots look to continue their incredible success against the Bills as these clubs meet for the second time this season. Back when a Monday night in Week 8 at Orchard Park, New England came away with an ugly 25-6 win. Dating back to 2000, the Patriots now own a stunning 32-5 record in this AFC East rivalry.
Playoff hopes: Make it two straight losses for Belichick’s team for the second time in 2018. And now the Patriots find themselves in a tricky spot when it comes to securing one of those top two seeds in the AFC. Still, perplexing New England can grab the AFC East with a win over the Bills or a Dolphins’ loss in Week 16.
Next: No. 6