Niner Noise
FanSided

NFL power rankings to kick off the Wild Card round of the playoffs

By Peter Panacy

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 31: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs upfield for a 96 yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter during the game against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field on December 31, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 31: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs upfield for a 96 yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter during the game against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field on December 31, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 31: Mike Mitchell #23 of the Pittsburgh Steelers and David Njoku #85 of the Cleveland Browns react to a incomplete pass intended for Corey Coleman #19 in the fourth quarter during the game at Heinz Field on December 31, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 31: Mike Mitchell #23 of the Pittsburgh Steelers and David Njoku #85 of the Cleveland Browns react to a incomplete pass intended for Corey Coleman #19 in the fourth quarter during the game at Heinz Field on December 31, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

NFL Power Rankings, Nos. 32 – 20: The Eliminated Teams, Part 1

On this list? Well, get your act together this offseason and turn things around. You’ll be climbing up NFL power rankings in no time.

Unless you’re the Cleveland Browns.

Keeping it short and sweet, here are spot Nos. 32 through 20 — the teams no longer in the dance.

32. team. 53. Consider 2017 a wasted season for the Browns. Not only did they ruin quarterback DeShone Kizer’s chances of getting some confidence moving forward, they <a href=. L, 28-24 at Steelers. Previous: . Cleveland Browns

W, 22-13 vs. Texans. Previous: . Indianapolis Colts. 31. team. 46. Head coach Chuck Pagano is on his way out after this season, and that’s been coming for a while. The Colts’ situation isn’t entirely his fault, but a total change of structure is probably a good thing. Is Andrew Luck coming back anytime soon?

The Giants are going to need a massive rethinking this offseason, including what to do about their coaching staff and front office. New general manager Dave Gettleman has his work cut out for him. Quarterback Eli Manning is about ready to sing his swan song too, making his position a top priority in the NFL Draft. Hey, I hear UCLA’s Josh Rosen is interested.. W, 18-10 vs. Redskins. Previous: . New York Giants. 30. team. 31

Houston Texans. 29. team. 10. If injuries weren’t such a huge problem for the Texans, 2017 might have been an interesting year. At least Houston can count on quarterback Deshaun Watson, defensive end J.J. Watt and linebacker Whitney Mercilus coming back next year.. L, 22-13 at Colts. Previous:

57. The time came for the Bears to say goodbye to head coach John Fox, and promoting defensive coordinator Vic Fangio might be a good move. His defense has been pretty good this year. Adding some weapons for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky would be nice.. L, 23-10 at Vikings. Previous: . Chicago Bears. 28. team

team. 48. If the Buccaneers only had a pass rush. Improve that, and they’ll improve in our NFL power rankings. Oh, and quarterback Jameis Winston needs to be better and healthy next year.. W, 31-24 vs. Saints. Previous: . Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 27

45. The Broncos fell from top 10 in NFL power rankings earlier this season all the way  down to the bottom. That’s not good, and a lot of it has to do with poor quarterbacking. Let’s hope general manager John Elway can find a youthful version of himself this offseason.. L, 27-24 vs. Chiefs. Previous: . Denver Broncos. 26. team

Previous: . Miami Dolphins. 25. team. 59. Please, no more Jay Cutler.. L, 22-16 vs. Bills

L, 35-11 at Lions. Previous: . Green Bay Packers. 24. team. 49. This team lives and dies with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. As long as he’s healthy, the Packers remain a playoff contender. But 2017 showed what can happen when things go wrong.

L, 26-6 at Patriots. Previous: . New York Jets. 23. team. 30. The Jets showed some fight this season after everyone in the NFL thought they’d finish with one or two wins at best. Quarterback Josh McCown is aging and will be a free agent, but at least head coach Todd Bowles likely kept his job safe for another year.

W, 26-24 at Seahawks. Previous: . Arizona Cardinals. 23. team. 32. Quarterback Carson Palmer? Old. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald? Old, but contributing. The offensive line? Bad. Head coach Bruce Arians? On his way out. It’s looking like the Cardinals are in need of a total overhaul.

21. team. 56. The Bengals have an identity and culture crisis, and they’ve been wallowing in the lower tier of our NFL power rankings for the better part of two years. Replacing head coach Marvin Lewis should help, but let’s see if they can make their offensive line better. In turn, that should open up the running game and give quarterback Andy Dalton a breather.. W, 31-27 at Ravens. Previous: . Cincinnati Bengals

Previous: . San Francisco 49ers. 20. team. 42. Remember when the 49ers were 0-9 and competing for the top pick in the NFL Draft? Well, those days are long gone now, and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has helped usher in a new era of confidence. Better yet, the Niners still have a top-10 pick and will be laden with the league’s most cap space in 2018. This team is trending in the right direction, and we’re not just being homers.. W, 34-13 at Rams