It took a total of 285 games to decide the NFL’s 102nd champion. And the Los Angeles Rams are now atop the 2020 edition of the NFL Power Rankings.
It’s the 2022 edition of the NFL Power Rankings. In 2021, every team played 17 regular-season contests came down to the final game when it came to determining the entire 14-team playoff field. 9And the first round of the postseason featured far too may lopsided contests.
But starting with the divisional round, it was a different story and it was filled with nail-biters and plenty of last-second heroics. And when it was all said and done, the Los Angeles Rams captured Super Bowl LVI with a 23-20 win over the upstart Cincinnati Bengals.
NFL Power Rankings after Rams win Super Bowl 56
It’s been a horrible stretch for this once-proud franchise as the team finished dead last in the NFC East in 2021. Dating back to 2017, big blue owns a distressing 22-59 record and has now missed the playoffs five consecutive years.
Joe Judge was given the pink slip after two seasons and the franchise’s newest head coach is former Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. He and new general manager Joe Schoen have some pieces to work with.
For the third consecutive year, the Panthers won only five games. And since reaching the playoffs in 2017, Carolina owns a disappointing 22-41 combined record these past four seasons. In 2021, Matt Rhule’s club got off to a surprising 3-0 start but would win just twice in its final 14 outings.
Only the Giants (30) gave up the football more than the Panthers (29) as quarterbacks Sam Darnold, D.J. Walker and Cam Newton combined for 21 interceptions.
College legend Urban Meyer was the team’s newest head coach. But he would not last the season due the season due to numerous issues. The Jaguars showed life at times and rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence had his moments.
Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell took over for Meyer down the stretch and the team pounded the Colts in Week 18. But the new man in charge is former Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl champion Doug Pederson.
Another year and another last-place finish for the Men from the Motor City. But Dan Campbell’s club showed a lot of life more often than not in 2021. The team is still devoid of talent in many aspects but there was a lot of fight in the club.
The first season in Detroit for quarterback Jared Goff saw those turnover issues that plagued him with the Rams. Aaron Glenn’s defensive unit did give up 50 offensive touchdowns as the pass rush produced just 30 sacks.
NFL Power Rankings: 28-25
Once again, the Green and White finished dead last in the AFC East for the second straight year. The Jets own the league’s longest current playoff drought and haven’t been to the postseason since 2010. There were some signs of promise under head coach Robert Saleh.
Half the team’s four wins came vs. the playoff-bound Titans and Bengals. Rookie quarterback Zach Wilson had his early issues and finished with more interceptions (11) than TD passes (9).
The promotion of defensive coordinator Lovie Smith this month certainly raised some eyebrows. That’s because despite a 4-13 record, David Culley had the Texans playing respectable football during the second half of the 2021 season.
Rookie quarterback Davis Mills didn’t make people forget about Deshaun Watson (whose future remains uncertain) but he showed plenty of moxie. But Houston’s deplorable defense was a bottom-three unit once again.
In 2018, Matt Nagy’s first season in the Windy City resulted in the 12-4 record and an NFC North title. But these last three seasons the Bears have been mediocre at best as the team (despite a playoff appearance in 2020).
Rookie quarterback Justin Fields showed some flashes and running back David Montgomery impressed when available. But the defense was inconsistent at best again. And Nagy was fired after four seasons with the club.
In 2012, the Seattle Seahawks used a third-round pick on quarterback Russell Wilson. Over the course of nine consecutive seasons, the franchise posted a winning record mark each year and reached the playoffs eight times.
There were consecutive Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and ’14, the former resulting in a title. But in 2021, Pete Carroll’s team was the only team in the NFC West to miss the playoffs one year after winning the division in 2020.
NFL Power Rankings: 24-22
The team finished with double-digit losses for the second consecutive season. And in Arthur Smith’s first season as head coach, the Falcons’ point differential was a dismal minus-146.
Quarterback Matt Ryan had nearly as many turnovers (16) as touchdown passes (20). Rookie tight end Kyle Pitts led the team in catches and receiving yards but scored just one touchdown. The brightest spot was Cordarrelle Paterson, who led the team with 11 total TDs.
The franchise won the NFC East in 2020 what a dismal 7-9 record. That wasn’t going to get the job done this past year, although it’s worth noting that Ron Rivera’s team once again won seven games.
There were opportunities to make some hay down the stretch but the team played its worst football late in the year. The defense was a major disappointment. In early February, the Washington Redskins/turned Football Team took the name Commanders.
Head coach Mike Zimmer was let go by the organization after eight seasons. For the first time under his tenure, the Vikings posted back-to-back losing campaigns. And while quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota offense had few problems scoring points, the defense had another subpar year.
Via numerous sources, former Rams’ assistant Kevin O’Connell and Ed Donatell are the club’s new head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively.
NFL Power Rankings: 21-19
Make it six straight seasons that the Denver Broncos have not been back to the playoffs. And it’s now been five consecutive years that the club has finished with a losing record. Rookie running back Davonte Williams had a solid debut campaign but inconsistent play at quarterback doomed this team again.
Denver finished last in the AFC West for the second straight year and head coach Vic Fangio was let go after a combined 19-30 record in three seasons.
John Harbaugh’s club lost their share of running backs before the season began. Still, the Ravens owned an 8-3 record after 11 games and appeared headed toward the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
But injuries and other issues caught up with this club. Baltimore allowed the most passing yards in the NFL. It added up to a season-ending six-game losing streak, a berth in the AFC North basement and the club’s first losing campaign since 2015.
Off their 2020 showing in which the team reached the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and won a playoff game for the first time since 1994, expectations were high in the city of Cleveland.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was not healthy most of the season and it cost the team. And a bolstered defensive unit didn’t show up on a week-to-week basis. It added up to another losing season for a team that’s finished above .500 three times since 1999.
NFL Power Rankings: 18-16
It’s been a tumultuous month or so for a team that is that opened 1-7, finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs. Brian Flores was fired after three seasons with the club, quite the surprise considering the club is coming off back-to-back winning campaigns.
Meanwhile, the new head coach for a franchise that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2016 is former 49ers’ defensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. What does the future hold for Tua Tagovailoa?
The Saints got off to a solid story is solid start with the rout of the Packers in Week 1. And after seven games, Sean Payton’s team owned a 5-2 record. After a respectable start, strong-armed Jameis Winston would miss the majority of the season and the team would start four different quarterbacks.
The team just missed out on the playoffs. Payton opted for retirement and the club promoted defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to take over.
Frank Reich’s team lost their first three games. But the Colts eventually settled down and owned a 9-6 record with two weeks to play. Quarterback Carson Wentz (whose future with the team could be in doubt, via ESPN’s Chris Mortensen) did cut back on the mistakes but was far from perfect.
Jonathan Taylor led the NFL in rushing and linebacker Darius Leonard had another huge year. But the inconsistency wound up costing them by season’s end.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JANUARY 16: T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers recovers a fumble and runs the ball for a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 16, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
NFL Power Rankings: 15-13
The Bolts won their last four games in 2020 and came into ’21 with high expectations. But it was an up-and-down year for the team once again. The defense was poor vs. the run and made life easier for opposing quarterbacks as well.
The Chargers were a so-so 5-4 at home but 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert did pick up where he left off. Relentless Joey Bosa was another bright spot for first-time NFL head coach Brandon Staley.
In 2020, the Steelers won their first 11 games and then collapsed down the stretch. This past year, the team got off to a 1-3 start and battled to stay above .500 all year. But Mike Tomlin’s team earned a wild card berth with a 9-7-1 record.
It proved to be quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s final season after 18 years with the franchise. The bright spots for the team were rookie running back Najee Harris and 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt.
Despite the fact that the team reached the playoffs for the first time since 2015, the Cardinals once again faded after a strong start. Kliff Kingsbury’s club was the last undefeated team in the league this season at 7-0.
But Arizona would drop seven of its final 11noutings, including the playoff loss to the Rams. Quarterback Kyle Murray came up big early but the offense slumped late. The defense also had its issues after getting out of the gates fast.
NFL Power Rankings: 12-10
First-time NFL head coach Nick Sirianni and his team off to a rough start despite a rousing opening day win at Atlanta. The Eagles owned a 3-6 mark after nine games but began to gel and wound up prevailing in six of their next seven outings to claim a playoff berth.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts had his issues as a passer but he helped Philadelphia lead the league in rushing. And the Eagles’ defense rebounded from a disappointing showing in 2020.
Off the franchise’s first losing campaign since 2000, the Patriots rallied around a revamped offense and an improved defense to return to the playoffs for the 12th time in 13 seasons. But Bill Belichick’s team struggled down the stretch, especially on especially on the latter side of the football.
The Pats were humbled in the playoffs by the rival Bills. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones showed his mettle in his first season and offers lots of promise.
Mike McCarthy’s team led the NFL with 530 points. Linebacker Micah Parsons was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. And cornerback Trevon Diggs wound up with a league-best 11 interceptions.
But the Dallas offense faded late in the year, quarterback Dak Prescott struggled down the stretch and it would all result in an early playoff exit for the NFC East champions. Dallas led the league with 34 takeaways and that masked some of the defense’s issues.
NFL Power Rankings: 9-7
The Silver and Black wound up making the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But it wasn’t without controversy. There was the midseason resignation of head coach Jon Gruden as well as off-the-field issues for a few players.
Owners of a 6-7 record, interim head coach Rich Bisaccia and resourceful quarterback Derek Carr led the club to four straight wins to close the season. But it was a short stay in the playoffs via a loss to the Bengals at Cincinnati.
Kudos to 2021 NFL Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel. The Titans more than overcame their share of injuries and the biggest was the loss of two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry for most of the season.
The secondary had its issues once again despite an improved pass rush. And a team that committed just 12 turnovers in 2020 more than doubled that total this year (25). Ryan Tannehill threw three picks in the playoff loss to the Bengals.
For the third consecutive year, Matt LaFleur’s club won 13 games in the NFC North title. And for the third straight season, the Green Bay Packers failed to get to the Super Bowl. This time, it was a lackluster offense and horrid special teams that cost the club in the home playoff setback to the 49ers.
Aaron Rodgers won NFL MVP honors for the second straight season and fourth time in his career. Wide receiver Davante Adams had another huge year.
NFL Power Rankings: 6-4
Off a 6-10 mark and a last place finish in the NFC West, the 49ers won their first two games but owned a 3-5 record at the midway point of this season. But Kyle Shanahan’s club slowly but surely gained momentum.
They wrapped up a playoff berth in Week 18 and followed that up with road upsets of the Cowboys and Packers before falling in the NFC title game. A healthy Nick Bosa made a big difference, as did versatile All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
The Bills have now reached the playoffs four of these last five years. But the Bills still haven’t gotten back to the Super Bowl since 1993. Josh Allen continued his meteoric rise. Buffalo gave up an NFL-low 289 points and was ranked first in the league in fewest yards allowed.
But this unit didn’t always play up to that loft billing – witness the 42-36 overtime loss in the playoffs to the Chiefs in which Shawn McDermott’s club gave up 552 total yards.
A year after finishing an NFL-best 14-2 and reaching the Super Bowl for the second straight year, Andy Reid’s team four of its first seven games and couldn’t protect the football. Eventually things turned around and a struggling defense found its niche.
But quarterback Patrick Mahomes had his issues with turnovers throughout the season. And Reid’s club tied a championship-round record by blowing an 18-point lead in an overtime loss to the Bengals.
NFL Power Rankings: Top 3
The Buccaneers looked to become the first team since the 2003 and ‘04 New England Patriots to repeat as Super Bowl champions. And when it was all said done, Bruce Arians’ club wound up time for the best record in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.
And also like the NFC North champions, the team was eliminated in the divisional playoffs at home. Tom Brady led the NFL in passing yards and TD passes in what appears to be his final NFL season.
From 2011-15, the Bengals were in the playoffs each of those years but failed to win a postseason game. The next five seasons, the club furnished a combined 25-53-2 mark. This year, the club captured the AFC North and after winning road playoff game(s) for the first time in their history, quarterback Joe Burrow helped guide the team to the Super Bowl.
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for this improving club.
Sean McVay had his team back in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years and this time around, the Rams got the job done via a 23-20 come-from-behind win over scrappy Cincinnati.
Not surprisingly, wideout Cooper Kupp won game MVP honors off a year in which he led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and TD grabs. The trade for quarterback Matthew Stafford paid off. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald had another big year and postseason.