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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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 25: Head coach Jack Del Rio of the Oakland Raiders walks onto the field prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Raiders 19-10. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 25: Head coach Jack Del Rio of the Oakland Raiders walks onto the field prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Raiders 19-10. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

NFL Power Rankings, Nos. 19-13: The Eliminated Teams, Part 2

Onto the middle of the pack of our NFL power rankings. If you’re on this list, you were close to making the postseason.

But close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and bad breath, right?

28. The Raiders were a major disappointment this season, and it was tough to watch both quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Amari Cooper regress. Head coach Jack Del Rio changed out his coordinators on both sides of the ball, but the same problems persist, especially defensively. With rumblings his players quit on him late in the season, it’s not a shock to see Del Rio fired. But hinting current ESPN analyst Jon Gruden would be the target <em>before</em> the firing was pretty dirty. Sadly, the Raiders are now trending back in the wrong direction.. L, 30-10 at Chargers. Previous: . Oakland Raiders. 19. team

team. 50. It would be nice to see the Lions add a running game to their offense, as quarterback Matthew Stafford was asked to do too much through the air. Pass-rushers would help a lot too, as the balance in power within the NFC North appears to be up for grabs. Now, they’ll have to think about their coaching situation too.. W, 35-11 vs. Packers. Previous: . Detroit Lions. 17

16. team. 123. The Cowboys went from one of the NFL’s elite in 2016 down to merely an OK team this season. Quarterback Dak Prescott is still exciting, but it’s pretty clear he needs running back Ezekiel Elliott to take the pressure off him under center. Is wide receiver Dez Bryant starting to decline?. W, 6-0 at Eagles. Previous: . Dallas Cowboys

15. team. 36. The Seahawks are out of the playoffs for the first time since 2011, and we could be witnessing the downfall of one of the more dominant franchises of the last decade. Seattle is dangerously heading towards a <a href=. L, 26-24 vs. Cardinals. Previous: . Seattle Seahawks

Previous: . Baltimore Ravens. 14. team. 26. So much for the Ravens’ tough defense being enough to propel them into the postseason. Baltimore couldn’t get it done against a bad Bengals team, and they drop in NFL power rankings as a result. Fortunately, that defense still looks pretty good. But with an aging quarterback in Joe Flacco and some lackluster receivers, general manager Ozzie Newsome should focus on that side of the ball heavily in 2018.. L, 31-27 vs. Bengals

Previous: . Los Angeles Chargers. 13. team. 13. One can look back to the <a href=. W, 30-10 vs. Raiders

Now onto the playoff teams.