The quest for the 56th Lombardi Trophy begins next week. Here are the final NFL Power Rankings for the biggest season in NFL history.
For the first time since 1993, there was an 18-week season in the National Football League. For the first time ever, every one of the 32 clubs played 17 regular-season contests. And the 14-team playoff field wasn’t completely set until the Chargers and Raiders were finally finished Sunday night at Las Vegas.
Three teams that finished last in the respective divisions a year ago are headed to the playoffs. And there were three overtime games on Sunday. All of that personifies what has been a wild 2021.
Since reaching the playoffs as a wild card in 2016 within an 11-5 record, the Giants have dropped at least 10 games each of these last five seasons. The team took a five-game losing streak into their rematch with the Washington Football Team and came up flat.
Big Blue managed only 177 yards of total offense. Quarterback Jake Fromm was sacked three times and picked off twice, one for a score. And New York defenders surrendered 226 yards rushing.
The Panthers looked to avoid a second loss to the Buccaneers in three weeks. Matt Rhule’s team jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and was more than competitive throughout the game. Early in the fourth quarter, Sam Darnold connected with Robby Anderson for a 19-year score to narrow the gap to 24-17.
But the Bucs came up with 17 unanswered points in the final seven-plus minutes. And make it seven straight losses for the Panthers.
Regardless of who the quarterback or head coach has been in the last decade or so, the Jaguars have given the Indianapolis Colts fits. And on Sunday, they provided a knockout punch to their AFC South rivals playoff hopes.
Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sharp, hitting on 23 of his 32 throws for 223 yards and a pair of scores. And a Jacksonville team that totaled only seven takeaways in their first 16 games turned over Carson Wentz twice.
It’s another last-place finish for the club. But Dan Campbell’s squad did go out on a winning note against the rival Packers. Jared Goff threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions came up with three takeaways, picking off Jordan Love twice.
Aaron Glenn’s defensive unit came up with four sacks, three of those at the expense of Aaron Rodgers. This club proved to be pretty feisty throughout the year and will have the second pick in April’s draft.
It’s been another long year for a franchise that currently owns the longest postseason draft postseason drought in the league. However, the Green and White had been playing better as of late and headed to Buffalo looking to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Bills.
Robert Saleh’s club finished with an embarrassing 53 total yards (46 offensive plays) by game’s end but managed to hang with the soon-to-be AFC East champions for three quarters.
The Texans had been playing better football down the stretch. And David Culley’s club had already knocked off the Titans earlier this year. Houston spotted Tennessee a 21-0 lead at halftime before making their move.
Rookie quarterback Davis Mills finished with 301 yards through the air and three scores – two of those TD tosses to veteran Danny Amendola. But Lovie Smith’s struggling defensive unit allowed 405 total yards by afternoon’s end.
Matt Nagy’s club looked to close the season with a third consecutive win when they traveled to Minnesota. Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton got the start and jettisoned the Bears to a 14-0 second-quarter lead.
But Chicago would be outscored a combined 31-3 the rest of the game and the 11-year pro would be sacked seven times. Dalton also threw one TD pass and two interceptions – one taken back for a score – capping a disappointing year.
Pete Carroll’s team is in the midst of its first losing season since 2011. But that didn’t stop the Seahawks from going to the desert and surviving a wild shootout against the playoff-bound Cardinals.
Former first-round pick Rashaad Penny ran 23 times for a gaudy 190 yards. Russell Wilson overcame a pair of turnovers by throwing for 238 yards and three scores – two of those to Tyler Lockett. The Seahawks were the only NFC West team to miss the playoffs.
The Falcons knocked off the Saints earlier this year at the Superdome and looked to sweep this series for the first time since 2016. But Arthur Smith’s team ran for only 62 yards and Atlanta turned over the ball three times.
Dean Pees’ defensive unit allowed Alvin Kamara and company to run for 195 yards. It was the fourth straight losing season for the franchise. The team scored 313 points and allowed 459 points – a miserable minus-146 differential.
It wasn’t all that long ago that Ron Rivera’s club was 6-6 and would be closing the season with five straight games vs. their NFC East rivals. But the first four would result in losses and Washington would not be defending its division title.
But they ended a four-game skid by completing a sweep of the rival Giants. Antonio Gibson ran 21 times for 146 yards and one score. And Bobby McCain totaled two interceptions, returning one 30 yards for a TD.
Mike Zimmer’s team was eliminated from the playoffs a week ago but could still sweep the rival Bears for the first time since 2017. But the Vikings had to rally from a 14-0 second-quarter deficit. Kirk Cousins overcame three sacks by throwing for 250 yards and three scores.
Minnesota’s defense allowed Andy Dalton to throw for 325 yards and one score. But they also picked him off twice, with Patrick Peterson taking one back 66 yards for a touchdown.
The Broncos made one big mistake and it proved costly in the team’s 13th straight loss to Kansas City. The Denver running game rolled up 191 yards vs. the AFC West champions.
Quarterback Drew Lock ran for two scores and running back Melvin Gordon rushed for 110 yards and one TD. But his fumble in the fourth quarter was taken back 86 yards for a touchdown. And on Sunday, head coach Vic Fangio was fired after three seasons with the club.
The Ravens still had playoff hopes as they hosted the scrappy Steelers. John Harbaugh’s team owned a 10-6 lead in the third quarter and running back Latavius Murray was having his way with the Pittsburgh defense. He finished with 150 yards and one score on the ground.
But quarterback Tyler Huntley committed three turnovers, the biggest an end zone interception, and was sacked three times. Baltimore lost their last six games after an 8-3 start.
It was a disappointing year for a franchise that made strides last season. But Kevin Stefanski’s team would go out on a high note as they completed a season sweep of the AFC North champion Bengals. With Baker Mayfield out, Case Keenum got the nod.
D’Ernest Johnson ran for 123 yards and a score on 25 carries as Cleveland rushed for 205 yards. The Browns’ defense came up with four sacks of Brandon Allen – two of those by Jadeveon Clowney.
For the second straight year, the Dolphins would finish with a winning record. However, it would once again not result in a trip to the playoffs. Brian Flores’ team got a big effort from running back Duke Johnson, who totaled 25 carries for 117 yards and one score.
Miami’s defense allowed 379 total yards but the opportunistic ‘Fins came up with three takeaways – including a 37-yard interception return for a TD by Xavien Howard in the first quarter.
A win over the rival Falcons coupled with a 49ers’ loss to the Rams would put Sean Payton’s team in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. It’s been a rough year for the club and Sunday’s win epitomized a season in which the club started four different quarterbacks.
Taysom Hill threw for one score but would eventually exit the game. Trevor Siemian finished with 71 yards through the air and two TDs. And Alvin Kamara ran 30 times for 146 yards.
Off last week’s home loss to the Raiders, Frank Reich’s squad could still reach the playoffs if they could knock off the struggling Jaguars at Jacksonville. And the Colts’ woes in this series continued as they dropped their seventh straight road game, including a contest in London, dating back to 2015.
Reich’s team was limited to 233 total yards and Jonathan Taylor ran for only 77 yards. Carson Wentz was sacked six times and committed a pair of turnovers.
Mike Tomlin’s club needed to knock off the Ravens, get the Colts to lose at Jacksonville and hope the Chargers and Raiders clash at Las Vegas didn’t finish in a tie. Pittsburgh’s offense sputtered but T.J. Watt and company kept the Ravens within arm’s length.
Ben Roethlisberger finished with 244 passing yards and a score (1 interception) and Chris Boswell’s hit a 36-yard kick in overtime. And after a wild Sunday night, the Steelers are headed to Kansas City.
It has been an up-and-down year for first-time NFL head coach rain Brandon Staley and the erratic Chargers. But a victory on Sunday at Las Vegas would not only complete a season sweep of the Raiders but send the Bolts to the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
Justin Herbert threw for 383 yards and one score. But the Chargers’ defense gave up 174 yards on the ground. The game would reach overtime and Staley’s team was beaten on the final play.
The undermanned Eagles hosted the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night with a postseason berth already secured. Head coach Nick Siriani’s team had its share of missing players and Garner Minshew got the start in this prime time affair.
The newly-crowned NFC East champions had their way with the Eagles’ defense and Dallas owned a 30-17 edge at intermission. The Birds are in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years and will travel to Tampa Bay.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 09: Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers runs with the ball against Tyler Hall #33 of the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
A victory over the rival Rams at Los Angeles and the 49ers would reach the playoffs for the second time in three years. And Kyle Shanahan’s squad would make it six consecutive wins in this series after overcoming a 17-0 deficit.
Jimmy Garoppolo served up two more interceptions but also threw for 316 yards and one score. Elijah Mitchell had 85 of the team’s 135 rushing yards. The overtime win means the 49ers will clash with the Cowboys this Saturday.
The Raiders hosted the rival Chargers on Sunday night with both teams still alive for the postseason. In an ironic twist, a tie between the clubs would send each to the postseason, someplace the Raiders have not been since 2016.
A wild contest saw the team actually reach overtime at 29-all. Josh Jacobs totaled 132 yards on the ground and came up with a big run in overtime. Daniel Carlson’s 47-yard field goal at the OT gun sent the Chargers home.
The Patriots had already clinched a playoff berth but if things went right for them on Sunday, they could be AFC East champions for the 12th time in 13 years. But Bill Belichick’s squad was down 17-0 early in the second quarter.
New England made it interesting in the fourth quarter. Mac Jones threw for 261 yards and one score but turned over the ball twice and the Pats allowed 195 yards rushing. Belichick’s team heads to Buffalo on Saturday night.
The playoff-bound Cardinals could capture the NFC West by defeating the Seahawks while the Rams lost to the 49ers. But the late-season woes continues for a team that started 7-0 and wound up losing six of its final 10 games.
Arizona’s defense was rolled over by Seattle’s running game to the tune of 202 yards. Kyler Murray threw for 240 yards and one touchdown but was sacked five times. The Cardinals face the Rams on Monday night at Los Angeles.
A hobbled Joe Burrow took the week off as the AFC North champions headed to Cleveland looking to avenge a home loss to the Browns back in Week 9. Quarterback Brandon Allen got the start and wound up hitting on just over half of his passes (15-of-29), throwing for just 136 yards and one score while being sacked four times.
Now the team prepares for the Raiders, a team they beat earlier this year. The Bengals’ last playoff win came in 1990.
Sean McDermott’s team could win the AFC East for the second straight year with a victory over the visiting Jets. It wound up being a big afternoon for running back Devin Singletary, who ran for one score, caught a touchdown pass and finished with 112 yards from scrimmage.
The Bills owned just a 13-10 lead entering the fourth quarter but held the pesky Jets scoreless when it counted most. Buffalo hosts the Patriots on Saturday in the wild card round.
A win over the visiting 49ers or a Cardinals’ loss to the Seahawks would give the Rams their first NFC West title since 2018. A pair of Matthew Stafford-to-Tyler Higbee TD passes helped the team build a 17-0 lead. But the Los Angeles’ defense had its issues one again.
Stafford finished with three TD passes. But his second interception of the game came in overtime after the Niners’ kicked a field goal. The Rams will host the Cardinals on Monday night.
For the second time in three weeks, the Panthers collided with the Panthers and looked to complete the season sweep. The defending Super Bowl champions weren’t super sharp despite the final score. Tom Brady threw for 326 yards and three scores.
Rob Gronkowski caught seven passes for 137 yards and wide receiver Mike Evans scored twice. Bruce Arians’ team is the second seed and will host the wild card Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday afternoon.
The Cowboys could wrap up a complete sweep of the NFC East by winning at Philadelphia on Sunday night. Dak Prescott finished with 295 yards through the air and five scores and Mike McCarthy’s team finished with 475 total yards vs. the depleted Eagles.
Dallas wrapped a season in which they finished 6-0 vs. their divisional rivals (by a combined 240-107 score) and 6-5 vs. the rest of the NFL. They host the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday afternoon.
The reigning AFC West champions made their way to the Mile High City looking to make it 13 consecutive wins over the Broncos. The Chiefs struck first in what proved to be a back-and-forth affair as the Kansas City defense struggled for the third time in four games.
Down 21-20 and with Denver on the verge of scoring again, Nick Bolton scooped up a Melvin Gordon fumble and returned the miscue 86 yards for what proved to be the winning TD.
With a victory at Houston, Mike Vrabel’s AFC South champions would clinch the top seed in the AFC playoffs. The Titans had already dropped one game to the Texans this season but this time around got off to a 21-0 lead after two quarters.
Houston would make things interesting and narrowed the gap to 28-25 with less than five minutes to play. But it was quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s day. He finished with 287 yards through the air and four touchdowns.
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Head coach Matt LaFleur looked to get this top-seeded Packers some work instead of having his starters sit for three weeks. So Aaron Rodgers and company saw limited. He finished with 138 yards and two more touchdown passes.
Jordan Love eventually took over and while he connected for one scores, he was picked off twice in the seven-point loss. The Green Bay defense, which has had some recent issues, gave up 404 total yards in the loss.