2019 NFL power rankings, Week 17: Bengals are No. 32 but pick No. 1

Recap: It’s been a rough stretch for Jon Gruden’s team, which has dropped four consecutive games since that 6-4 start. The Raiders headed to Los Angeles looking to sweep the rival Chargers for the first time since 2016. Quarterback Derek Carr overcame being sacked three times and ejoyed a solid afternoon, hitting on 26 of his 30 pass attempts for 291 yards, 56 of those yards on a scoring connection to rookie wideout Hunter Renfrow. The much-maligned Oakland defense limited the Bolts to only 19 yards rushing and 284 total yards by game’s end. And it’s worth noting that the club also did not surrender a touchdown pass to Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers.

Next Week: The Silver and Black head to the Mile High City in position to sweep to rival Broncos for the first time since 2010. In Week 1 on a Monday night at Oakland, Gruden’s club came up with a 24-16 win. The Raiders have lost three straight at Denver dating back to 2016 and these clubs have split their two-game set four straight years.

Playoff Hopes: The Raiders needed four things to happen in Week 16 for them to remain mathematically alive for a wild card berth. And lo and behold, all the cards fell right for Gruden and company. The one big positive for the team this season was their improvement when facing their division rivals. Can they really reach the playoffs?

Recap: Off a rough Monday night loss at New Orleans, Frank Reich’s club returned home and faced an NFC South opponent for the third consecutive week in the reeling Carolina Panthers. And the Indianapolis’ offense and special teams had their way all afternoon as the Colts ran for 218 yards – 95 yards and one score by Marlon Mack – while Nyheim Hines totaled 195 yards on three punt returns and scored twice from 84 and 71 yards, respectively. The defense harassed Panthers’ rookie quarterback Will Grier into three interceptions and sacked him five times. And Reich’s team snapped a four-game losing streak and can now salvage a .500 season with a victory at Jacksonville.

Next Week: The Colts head south to the Sunshine State in position to sweep the rival Jacksonville Jaguars for the first time since 2014. In Week 11 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Reich’s club rolled to an impressive 33-13 win. However, Indianapolis has dropped four straight road games in this rivalry – including a 30-27 setback in London in 2016.

Draft Talk: Last Monday night’s loss at the Superdome knocked the Colts out of the playoffs. But this is a franchise that has been building well and general manager Chris Ballard has done an exception job in the draft. The team has an extra second-round pick in April and a few other additional choices in Day 3. The work continues for this club.

Next: Nos. 18 and 17