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2022 NFL power rankings: Final regular season edition

By Russell S. Baxter

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 08: Nyheim Hines #20 of the Buffalo Bills returns the opening kickoff for a touchdown during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 08: Nyheim Hines #20 of the Buffalo Bills returns the opening kickoff for a touchdown during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) /
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J.J. Watt of the Arizona Cardinals looks on after the game against the San Francisco 49ers. NFL Power Rankings (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
J.J. Watt of the Arizona Cardinals looks on after the game against the San Francisco 49ers. NFL Power Rankings (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

A total of 271 games are in the books and 14 teams are headed to the playoffs. Here are the final regular season NFL Power Rankings for 2022.

It was a week unlike any other for the National Football League. From the near-tragic events in Cincinnati on Monday night to altering the playoff format in the AFC. Most importantly, the league’s focus was on Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin on Saturday and Sunday.

There are 14 teams headed to the playoffs, including seven clubs that weren’t there a year ago. It all adds up to the final regular season edition of the 2022 NFL Power Rankings.

NFL Power Rankings: Final regular season edition

32. team. 57. . 3-14. Previous: . Chicago Bears

A long year got even longer at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon as the Bears dropped their 10th straight game and finished without a divisional victory. Against the visiting Vikings, Matt Eberflus’ club had big problems on the defensive side of the ball again, allowing 482 total yards on the afternoon.

Chicago’s disappointing pass rush failed to pick up a sack. Nathan Peterman was the Bears’ starting quarterback but eventually gave way to Tim Boyle.

Previous: . Arizona Cardinals. 31. team. 32. . 4-13

The Cardinals took a six-game losing to San Francisco and David Blough was the team’s starting quarterback for the second straight week. Arizona got on the board first via an A.J. Brown 77-yard TD grab and trailed by just one point in the second quarter.

However, the 49ers scored the final 24 points of the game. Defensive end J.J. Watt had two sacks and called it a career. On Monday, head coach Kliff Kingsbury was let go and GM Steve Keim stepped down.

team. 46. . 4-12-1. Previous: . Indianapolis Colts. 30

It wasn’t that long ago that interim head coach Jeff Saturday and the team defeated the Raiders at Las Vegas in his debut. The Colts looked to get their current sideline leader a second win when they hosted the Texans but it wasn’t meant to be despite a strong second half by the club.

Down by 10 in the third quarter, the Colts scored the next 17 points to take a seven-point lead. Houston rallied for the win and handed the Colts a seventh straight loss.

3-13-1. Previous: . Houston Texans. 29. team. 10.

It was worth noting that both of the team’s wins entering Sunday’s game at Indianapolis were vs. divisional foes on the road. That trend continued as the team owned a 17-7 lead at halftime.

The Colts rallied to take a 31-24 lead but with 50 seconds remaining, Davis Mills not only threw a 28-yard TD pass to tight end Jordan Akins but found him for the two-point conversion. Despite the victory, head coach Lovie Smith was fired on Sunday evening.

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