2019 NFL power rankings, Week 16: Cowboys won, 49ers stunned

Recap: A victory over the opportunistic Steelers at Heinz Field would put Sean McDermott’s Bills in the playoffs for the second time in three years. It would also give the franchise double-digit wins for the first time since 1999. Buffalo’s offense would strike first in the contest thanks to good field position via a short Pittsburgh punt as Josh Allen ran one yard for a touchdown. The second-year signal-caller also orchestrated a six-play, 70 yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to give Buffalo the lead. And by evening’s end, the Bills forced five Pittsburgh turnovers – including four interceptions of Steelers’ quarterback Devlin Hodges, the final two thefts in the end zone.

Next Week: McDermott’s club has a Saturday afternoon date at Foxborough as the Bills look to snap their latest losing streak against the rival Patriots. Back in Week 4 at Orchard Park, Allen (3) and Matt Barkley (1) combined to throw four interceptions in a frustrating 16-10 loss. Buffalo owns a 5-34 record in this series dating back to 2000.

Playoff Hopes: As previously mentioned, the Bills are playoff bound for the second time under their current head coach. They are also still just one game behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East entering next Saturday’s showdown in Foxborough. This is a gritty and tough team that will make things very interesting this postseason.

Recap: Thanks to a 10-3 victory back in Week 1 at Soldier Field, the first-place Packers were in position to sweep the rival Bears for the third time in four years and also inch closer to a playoff berth. And similar to the club’s early-season home win over the Vikings, Matt LaFleur’s club built a lead and then held on for the victory. Green Bay’s offense managed only 292 total yards as Aaron Jones ran for two scores and Aaron Rodgers threw for 203 yards and one score. The difference would prove to be the fact that the Pack played turnover-free football while the team came up with three takeaways – including two critical interceptions of Bears’ quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

Next Week: It was back in Week 2 at Lambeau Field that the Packers wound up holding on for a 21-16 win over the Purple Gang. Now these longtime divisional rivals clash on a Monday night in the Twin Cities as Green Bay looks to sweep this series for the first time since 2014. However, the Pack has dropped three straight at Minnesota.

Playoff Hopes: It’s a team that has won 11 games and will be back in the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 years. And the Packers are a perfect 4-0 within the tough NFC North this season. But LaFleur’s club seems more like a team hanging on these days rather than a team headed upwards. Still, a division title is within their grasp.

Next: Nos. 6 and 5