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
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.
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.
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.
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.
A miserable season in the Mile High would end on a positive note as the Broncos rallied to beat the playoff-bound Chargers. Running back Latavius Murray totaled 15 carries for 103 yards and one score while quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns (1 interception).
Denver came up with two Chargers’ turnovers and held the less-than-motivated Bolts to 59 yards rushing. The Broncos ran for 205 yards in the three-point win.
Sean McVay’s club had already set a dubious record for the most setbacks by a Super Bowl champion a year after winning a Lombardi Trophy. The Rams were in Seattle looking to end the season on a positive note.
Running back Cam Akers continued his recent resurgence and finished with 104 yards rushing on 21 carries. Quarterback Baker Mayfield was sacked five times and picked off once. The club’s forgettable season ended with an overtime loss.
Mike Vrabel’s team could still win the AFC South for a third straight year if the Titans could knock off the Jaguars. Tennessee jumped out to a 10-0 second-quarter lead and running back Derrick Henry finished the evening with 109 yards rushing.
Quarterback Josh Dobbs was under steady pressure and committed two costly turnovers. The Titans lost their final seven games after a 7-3 start and offensive coordinator Todd Downing was fired on Monday.
Veteran Joe Flacco was the Jets’ starting quarterback in Week 1 and got the nod in the season finale at Miami. He would finish the game with only 149 yards through the air and 36 of those yards came on one play. Robert Saleh’s club also ran for only 38 yards on 20 carries.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins had a lot of success on the ground via 162 yards rushing and that would be the difference. The Jets lost their last six games after a promising 7-4 start.
To say that the Silver and Black has had its issues with the Chiefs since Andy Reid took over in Kansas City in 2013. Saturday afternoon in Sin City was no different as the disappointing Las Vegas’ defense gave up 24 points and 243 total yards in the first half.
Raiders’ quarterback Jarrett Stidham threw for 219 yards and one TD but was sacked six times and committed two turnovers. The Raiders are 3-17 in their last 20 meetings with the Chiefs since ’13.
The Browns hoped to put a crimp in the Steelers’ playoff chances by winning at Pittsburgh. A victory would give the club a sweep in this rivalry for the first time since 1988. Kevin Stefanski’s team got on the scoreboard first via a TD pass from Deshaun Watson to David Njoku.
The former threw for 230 yards and a pair of scores, was sacked seven times and intercepted twice. On Monday morning, defensive coordinator Joe Woods was relieved of his duties.
Arthur Smith’s club was hoping to end 2022 on a good note as they hosted the NFC South champion Buccaneers. The Falcons had dropped five straight in this series and trailed 17-10 at intermission.
Rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder did lose one fumble, but he also threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns. A balanced Atlanta offense rolled up 382 total yards, including 174 yards rushing. The Falcons outscored the Bucs, 20-0, in the second half.
In the midst of their first losing campaign since 2016, the Saints hosted the improved Panthers and looked to end their disappointing season on a high note.
Dennis Allen’s team took the opening drive and marched 75 yards on eight plays and Andy Dalton found rookie Chris Olave for a 25-yard score less than five minutes into the game. The Saints, however, were done scoring for the game. New Orleans limited the Panthers to 203 yards in a losing effort.
The Commanders are the only team in the NFC East not going to the playoffs. Ron Rivera’s club managed to avoid a losing season by stifling the visiting Cowboys.
Rookie quarterback Sam Howell got the nod and not only threw for 169 yards and one TD (1 interception) but ran for another score. Cornerback Kendall Fuller returned a Dak Prescott interception 29 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Washington blanked the Cowboys in the second half.
The Panthers have played good football under interim head coach Steve Wilks and could sweep the rival Saints for the first time since 2017. The teams combined for 17 points and Carolina’s only TD came on an offensive fumble recovery by guard Michael Jordan after teammate Sam Darnold put the ball on the ground.
Carolina managed a mere 203 total yards, but Eddy Pineiro would wind up connecting on a 42-yard field goal on the game’s final play.
With a victory at Buffalo on Sunday, the Patriots would be headed back to the playoffs. Once again, Bill Belichick’s team was done in by the big-play Bills. New England allowed a pair of kickoff returns for scores and two of Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen’s three TD passes covered 42 and 49 yards, respectively.
Mac Jones threw for 243 yards and his three scores kept the Pats in the game. However, he was also victimized for three second-half interceptions.
Matt LaFleur’s club hosted the rival Lions with an opportunity to secure a playoff berth with a victory. Green Bay brought a four-game winning streak into this divisional clash but struggled throughout the evening moving the ball against Detroit’s defense.
The Packers finished with 291 total yards and reached the end zone just once. Aaron Rodgers threw for 205 yards and one score, but both he and running back Aaron Jones committed a key turnover.
The Dolphins were hoping to end a horrific five-game losing streak and if Mike McDaniel’s club could get some help from the rivals Bills, the team would clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2016. It was an ugly afternoon in South Florida, but Miami’s defense and ground game eventually paved the way for a victory.
The Dolphins ran for 162 yards while not only limiting the Jets 38 yards rushing but 187 total yards by game’s end.
The Buccaneers are NFC South champions for the second straight year. The club looked to sweep the rival Falcons for the third consecutive season.
Tom Brady started the game but would give way to Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask. Todd Bowles’ club managed 222 total yards and were shut out in the second half. The Bucs finished with nine losses, more than twice as many as they did in 2021 (4) when they were tied for the best record in the league.
Pete Carroll’s club needed to complete a sweep of the Rams and get some help to reach the playoffs. Both teams struggled to reach the end zone. Rookie running back Kenneth Walker rushed for 114 yards and quarterback Geno Smith threw for 213 yards and one TD with two interceptions.
The Seahawks came away with an overtime victory. The Lions surprised the Packers on Sunday night at Lambeau Field and Carroll’s club is surprisingly playoff bound.
The Steelers headed into Sunday needing a win over the Browns and losses by the Patriots and Dolphins to reach the playoffs. Mike Tomlin’s team spotted their guests a 7-0 lead before scoring the next 20 points. A resurgent ground game rolled up 148 yards, led by Najee Harris (84 yards).
Kenny Pickett completed less than half of his throws but got better as the afternoon unfolded. The Steelers sacked Deshaun Watson seven times and picked him off twice.
John Harbaugh’s playoff-bound Ravens looked to sweep the Bengals. Anthony Brown was the team’s third different starting quarterback this season and he had his issues early on. The Baltimore defense actually limited to 257 total yards.
Harbaugh’s club did itself no favors with four turnovers, including a Brown fumble recovered in the end zone for a Bengals’ touchdown. The team meet once again this weekend in Cincinnati on Wild Card Weekend.
The Lions’ defense stifled Aaron Rodgers in the team’s first meeting back in Week 9 at Ford Field. Detroit could end the Packers’ season with a prime time win at Lambeau Field. The much-maligned Detroit defense kept Green Bay out of the end zone until late in the third quarter.
Rookie end Aidan Hutchinson had both sacks of Rodgers and the Lions forced the Packers into a pair of turnovers. Jamaal Williams ran for 72 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Brian Daboll trotted out Davis Webb and rested many of his starters as the playoff-bound Giants looked to surprise the Eagles at Philadelphia. New York’s defense bent but didn’t break most of the game as the Birds managed one touchdown and five field goals.
Down 19-0 in the third quarter, the Giants made the Eagles sweat a little when Kenny Golladay caught a 25-yard TD pass with 1:38 to play. It was a pretty solid effort from this well-coached club.
The playoff-bound Bolts took a four-game winning streak into the Mile High City looking to complete a sweep of the disappointing Broncos. Third-year quarterback Justin Herbert connected on 25-of-37 throws for 273 yards and two scores before giving way to backup Chase Daniel, who threw for one score.
Veteran wideout Keenan Allen caught a touchdown pass from each signal-caller. The Chargers’ defense gave up a whopping 205 yards rushing
The talented Cowboys looked to head into the playoffs with some momentum as they closed the regular season at Washington. Mike McCarthy’s team managed only six points and a disappointing 182 yards of total offense on 66 plays.
Dallas was a dismal 4-of-18 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth-down conversion attempts. Dak Prescott hit on only 14-of-37 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown but had a second-quarter interception returned for a TD.
Kevin O’Connell’s club looked to rebound from an ugly loss at Lambeau Field by completing a season sweep of the rival Bears. The Vikings rolled up 482 total yards against Chicago’s inept defense and did it despite two turnovers. Kirk Cousins hit on 17-of-20 throws for 225 yards and a first-quarter scoring toss to wide receiver Adam Thielen.
Despite an impressive 13-4 record, the Vikings gave up more points (424) than they scored (427) this season.
A win over the Titans would not only complete a season sweep of the reigning division champions but give Doug Pederson’s club the AFC South title. Jacksonville’s offense managed only 222 total yards but Pederson’s defense made life miserable for Josh Dobbs.
He was sacked four times, picked off once and his lost fumble was returned for 37 yards for the game-winning TD. The Jaguars won their final five games and their first division crown since 2017.
Sean McDermott’s club dealt with a lot of emotions over seven days. The team looked to secure the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff with a victory over the rival Patriots. The Bills got off to an amazing start as Nyheim Hines returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.
Down 17-14 after two quarters, Hines took back the second-half kickoff 101 yards for a TD. Buffalo committed three turnovers but offset that via three interceptions of Mac Jones.
Andy Reid’s team could secure the top seed in the AFC playoffs with a Saturday afternoon victory at Las Vegas. It took five plays for Patrick Mahomes and company to take a 7-0 lead and the Chiefs owned a 24-3 advantage at intermission. He threw for 202 yards and one score and Reid’s club was on its way to securing the top seed in the AFC playoffs. It also marked the 10th consecutive game that the Chiefs scored at least 28 points vs. the Raiders.
The Eagles had dropped two straight games entering Sunday’s clash with the Giants. The Birds had a chance to secure the NFC East title and the top seed in the conference playoffs once again.
Nick Sirianni’s club wasn’t sharp and scored only one touchdown while settling for five Jake Elliott field goals. Jalen Hurts returned to the lineup, throwing for 229 yards (1 interception). The Eagles set a franchise record with their 14th regular-season win.
AFC North champions for the second straight year, the Bengals looked to avenge an earlier season loss to the playoff-bound Ravens. Zac Taylor’s team opened up a 17-0 second-quarter lead and took advantage of four Baltimore turnovers on the afternoon.
Joe Burrow threw for 215 yards and one score but also lost a fumble as the Bengals’ offense totaled only 257 yards. It was the club’s eight consecutive victory following a rough 4-4 start.
Kyle Shanahan’s squad was looking for a 10th consecutive win when they hosted the Cardinals. The 49ers limited Arizona to 255 total yards and forced four turnovers. Brock Purdy overcame four sacks and threw for 178 yards and three TDs, two to George Kittle.
The 49ers were a perfect 6-0 vs. their NFC West rivals this year and outscored the Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals by a combined 179-66 count. Next up is Seattle in the Wild Card Round.