The NFL Power Rankings Podcast with Colleen Wolfe and Dan Hanzus begins with the 49ers taking the #1 spot in the Power Rankings. Dan is confident he's got the 2 Super Bowl teams in the Top 8. Colleen believes San Fran is playing like the best team in the league right now. The Cowboys stay at 6 but Dan thinks the Top 5 are just a touch better. The Vikings feel like they should be higher, but this is just shaping out to be a crazy year for Minnesota. The Jaguars have made their first appearance in the Top 10 after being ranked #29 in Week 12. Colleen takes us inside the Steelers' very special victory over the Raiders on Christmas Eve. Dan chronicles the fall of the Titans, who were the #6 team in Week 12. We wrap up with the Broncos in the last spot and the team now looking for a new head coach.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with I Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to the
NFL Power Rankings podcast, presented by Energizer. I am Dan Hansas,
and I'm joined as I always am, by the great
(00:27):
Colleen Wolf from the other side of America. What's up, Connie? Hello, Dan,
we have both coasts covered. I love that about us.
Right now, I'm holding it down to NFL Films. Just
reminded of all the Emmy's that I've never personally won,
but the company has, so that's great for them. That's
funny about the Emmy thing, because I feel like everyone
in my orbit has multiple Emmy's and I've never we
(00:49):
The Around the NFL podcast was won a Best of
Apple Podcast two thousand thirteen. We want a Stitcher in fourteen.
But we're sitting on like a cold streak in the
awards game, and I've never touched anything close to an awards,
So don't feel bad. Um, it's something to work towards.
Don't feel bad about the Eagles not being number one
of the Power Rankings either this week. I mean, and
(01:10):
I know you could come after me if you want
on this and we're gonna get into it, but it
is indeed the forty Niners who have taken the top
perch for the first time the season. In fact, So
let's check out the quad. Oh No, Niners up one
to number one, Eagles down one to number two, Bills, Bengals, Chiefs,
(01:32):
and Cowboys all hold at three through six, respectively, Vikings
up one to seven, and those Chargers who clinched a
playoff spot up one to number eight. It's a nice quad.
It's a good beef quad. I think we have both
Super Bowl teams in that quad. Or I'm doing this wrong, Connie,
But let's start with the Niners. Are you cool with
(01:55):
me moving them to this spot? Does at least make
sense to you on some logical level. I don't like it,
but I'm a fair person, and I need to look
at this like I am not an Eagles fan, and
like my heart wasn't broken, that Jalen Hurts is hurt,
and that all of these injuries are plaguing in the team,
and we'll get to the Eagles in a second. I
have to look at this like the Niners are crushing
(02:17):
it and they're clearly the best team in football right now,
Like they have eight straight wins. They're in play for
the second team. They dominated on both sides of the
ball against Washington, and what they're doing with brock Purty
is kind of insane. He was efficient, he was poised,
and he was playing with an oblique injury and without
the help of a run game. So they have the
(02:38):
best defense in the NFL. They effectively benched poor Taylor Heineke.
Nick Bosa is an absolute nightmare for every single offense.
He's having a career year. I don't love this for
the Eagles, but they lost to the Cowboys and they
didn't play their best ball. They had too many turnovers.
And right now this Niners team is intense and they're
(02:58):
winning these games with complete wins, and they look like
their team that can't be stopped. Before you join me,
Connie on the power rankings, the great Matt Money Smith
and I used to do this, and Money used to
his viewpoint on the power rankings was it came down to,
you know, who has the best path in the playoffs,
who is set up in the best possible way to
win the Super Bowl, And from that perspective, the Niners
(03:20):
being one would be wrong because it still should be
the Eagles in that case, because even after getting beat
by Dallas, they still need just one win in the
last two weeks to take that number one seed. I
have forty Niners at number one though, because I do
look at it differently. I just see where things are
right now, and it's not all Brock party. But three
weeks ago, all we talked about was, wow, woe is me?
From the forty Niners perspective, how come we had this
(03:41):
great team in the quarterback situation ruined us and through
their own organizational ability to draft, identify talent, bring him
into the building, get him coached up, and now he's
running this offense with great efficiency. Then you add everything else.
They didn't even skip a beat without Jimmy Garoppolo. And yes,
Nick Bosa is gonna win Defensive Player of the Year.
He leads an awesome unit to Miko Ryan's is gonna
(04:02):
get a head coach job. But right now he's finishing out.
The Miners look like and I wrote this in the
Power Rankings County they are fully formed death machine, destroying
everything in their way, and I don't know who stops him,
including the Eagles. Eagles, better get home Field, Better get
home field. Well, that's the thing, because the Niners just
won't be denied right now no matter who their quarterback is.
So that's the thing that I think is so scary
(04:24):
about them because they have this momentum right now at
the exact right time. And the Eagles, of course, I'm
always going to argue to the death that they are
the best team in the world every single year, but
right now, with the way that the injuries are falling
for them, this is a team that maybe should get
bumped down a spot because they aren't crushing teams like
they almost lost to the Bears like that, what that
(04:45):
was a little too close for comfort. And then they
go in with Gardner Minshew, who he played a good game.
He passed a lot of yards, he moved the ball around,
but the turnovers just crushed them. Yeah, I think that's
the other part of this, that Minshew is a good backup.
But yes, he did make mistakes in that game against Dallas.
He did, like you said, move the ball as well.
But if Hurts is gonna miss a no their week,
and that's possible, Minshew is gonna probably be able to
(05:07):
hold it down. But the Lane Johnson injury, you know,
He's one of the best right tackles in football, and
you take him out of the mix. He has suffered
an abdominal injury. He's gonna miss the rest of the
regular season and maybe more than that. So I think
this is the first time I really do feel like
the Eagles are being tested right now through injuries. I
think they're gonna be okay. They were an easy team
to keep it number two, but it just felt at
this time it was the Niners time at number one.
(05:29):
Let's talk about the Cowboys Countie who beat your Eagles.
They didn't move which I could see some Dallas fans
getting annoyed. Oh, we beat the number one team, but
we didn't move up to power rank as well. You
beat the number one team with their MVP candidate quarterback
out of the game, so you gotta factor that in. Also,
you look at the teams ahead of him. I just
think the big five in the league Kansas City, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Philly,
(05:50):
and San Francisco just a touch above where the Cowboys are.
But that's not to say that the Cowboys don't deserve
love and credit and should not be taken seriously. As
we spend closer to January Football in the playoffs, because
I think they showed in this game again that they
have the offense and the defensive playmakers to win games
against big teams. And that's still what the Eagles are
even without Hurts. Okay, the Eagles didn't have their best
(06:12):
player on the team, the MVP candidate Jalen Hurts, and
yet they still were able to lead for the majority
of the game. They still had the ball at the
end when they had a chance to win it, Like,
if Jalen Hurts plays that game, they absolutely win. But
I think that the way and I thought about the Cowboys,
I'm just saying, I'm just saying, but the Cowboys, like
what's going on with their pass rush, what's going on
(06:34):
with their run game. The Eagles liability on defense is
their run defense and Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, they
still weren't able to average a great clip in that game.
And then the pass rush. I remember Jalen Hurts them
taking him down like four times when they played in October,
and they didn't bring him down once in this game.
And I think they only have about one sack in
(06:55):
the last two weeks, So that's kind of disappeared, and
that's something they're absolutely going to need if they're going
to make a long run in this postseason. Yeah, I
hear you on that. And and Parsons, it's actually one
second three weeks now. It's interesting yet Philly shut them
out last week and not just you know what, I
kind of think, Connie, there's some ebbs and flows to
the season. Parsons, who leads. Obviously that defense is too
(07:16):
good for that to continue. I mean, they could have
six sacks next week, that's just the way. Or Thursday.
They have a Thursday night game against the Titans, who, man,
they really do set up to have a big day.
I expect that their Dallas defense to get right in
terms of their pass rush. And I think the Dak
Prescott side of this, he's playing very well. I know
he's been a little loose with the football times. He
(07:36):
threw the pick six to start this game. And you're right,
the Eagles were up ten nothing in this game. I
believe they were up seven to seventeen as well. But
it also shows that Dallas has an offense that could
dig itself out of a hole. In the average, nearly
nearly ten yards an attempt against Philadelphia, and you saw
Ceedee Lamb really as a true number one receiver should
step up in that moment. Ten for one, twenty and
(07:56):
two scores on eleven targets. So if I'm a Cowboys fan,
I'm feeling confident. I'm feeling like I can make some
noise in this postseason. But just get to this finish
line strong, don't limp into the playoffs. And I thought
that's why that was such an important win for them.
If you got beat by Jalen Hurts is backup, there's
a lot of confidence issues I would think going forward. Well, yeah,
but it was a close game still, And I think
(08:19):
too that we've all sort of been robbed at this point,
the fact that we haven't had a Cowboys Eagles game
with both Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts at quarterback. Earlier
in the season, Dak Prescott was hurt. Now we had
Jalen Hurts hurt. I want to see these two teams
at full strength in the playoffs. Yeah, it might happen.
And right behind the Cowboys is the Vikings. I haven't
(08:39):
at seven up one spot, and again this is exactly
where where I think they should be. I think they're
very much behind those six teams ahead of them, and
I think they are kind of righting it. I have
the Chargers at eight, for instance, the Jags at nine,
the Ravens at ten. That feels right. I feel good
about where I have the Vikings, even if twelve and
(08:59):
three suggests they should be way higher. It was yet
another close game against the Giants. They get a sixty
one hard field goal at the gun to win the game,
and Kandie I just think, like what, there's bozos like
me that are out there saying, oh, regressions gotta take hold.
They gotta start losing some of these games. But you know,
Somelmo's New Year's Day. So maybe this is just a
different type of year in a in an absurd NFL
(09:20):
season in general, and this is who the Vikings are,
and this could continue to February. Maybe it's time to
look at it from that perspective. It's like one of
those things where at the beginning of the year, even
like the first month and a half, you're saying this
about teams who you kind of think or frauds, like
we did with the Giants, for instance, and then the
Giants showed us who they are their true selves. They
kind of like fell back down to Earth. But with
(09:41):
the Vikings, They've continued to win like this every single week,
and honestly, now I'm kind of thinking this team is
really resilient and nobody obviously believes in them unless you're
a Vikings fan at this point, which kind of makes
them scary in a way. I don't think anyone can
look at this team though and be afraid of them
in the playoffs once they're playing really stiff competition. I
(10:03):
am starting to rely ate a little bit to the
Vikings though, a little bit, because I've realized that my
life motto is just in time, and that is literally
every single game that I watched with them, Like I
didn't even have to watch Greg Joseph kick even though
it was sixty one yards. I already knew what was
going to happen. It was done. It was a rap.
They were going to win this game, and they just
(10:23):
keep doing it. Like I can't believe that they have
gotten twelve wins this way, all of the one score games.
But you do have to think about the fact that
they beat the Bills and then they came back down
thirty three points beat the Colts, Like it doesn't even
matter how far they are down or how close it is,
like they just keep coming out on the right side.
So I guess that does say something about this team.
(10:46):
What's Twitter think about this? I mean Twitter? There was
some some dude on Twitter that got after me for
having the Cowboys ahead of the Vikings, like, oh, you
must hate the vice. Like no, I actually watched the
forty two three Cowboys win over the Vikings in Minneapolis
a few weeks ago. For some reason, that sticks in
my brain a little bit. Connie, just in time that
angle my You know, you and I are friends. We
go back many years now, and uh, I think one
(11:08):
of the reasons we're friends as we see certain things
in life similar viewpoint. But one thing we definitely are
different on is like airport etiquette and your need to
to just push things to the very limit when it
when it comes to boarding an airplane, and I need
I want to be at that gate, and I want
to be as soon as the first boarding starts, even
if I'm in like group Z, I want to be there.
(11:29):
Connie's like ordering a steak meal and when they start
boarding and then you just sneak in right at the end.
And that's a difference between you and I. I can't
believe you're that guy like I can't deal with the
people who are waiting right at the front and they're
like they are group Z. If I have ten minutes
to spare, I'm getting a drink, maybe I'm looking at magnets.
I'm gonna go to the bathroom one more time. I'm
(11:50):
gonna get everything in order, and then I'm gonna get
on the plane. At that last second, I had you.
I had you. I wish I could look at life
that way. I'm always afraid here's quad to take us
(12:13):
through a cutting. Okay, So we got the Jags up top.
I mean they are so hot right now now in
the top ten. Up got the Ravens, they really are.
Ravens up two spots at ten. The Lions, our Lions
down four spots after that heartbreaking loss. This week they're
at eleven. Packers up five. Big win this week. You
(12:35):
got two Dolphins down three and now two us out
of the mix as well. Giants down one at fourteen.
Your Jets, I'm sorry, down one at fifteen. Rough Thursday
night football. And then the Commanders down one at sixteen.
So do you want to start with those Jags. Let's
start with some power moves presented by Energizer, because the
Jags are a big mover up two more spots to
(12:59):
get into the top ten. Let's look at their season
ranked trajectory and these charts since week twelve they went
they were number twenty nine Colleen in the NFL Power Rankings.
In week twelve, they jump from twenty nine to twenty three,
down to four, up to seventeen, up to eleven, up
to nine, and that's where they sit now, a top
ten team for the first time. Really, I've been doing
(13:21):
the Power rankings for four years. They've never cracked the
top ten before. And they seem set up. Obviously it's
gonna come down. It's a bit of a weird situation
going on in the ANFC South right now, because no
matter what happens with the Jags or the Titans in
weeks seventeen, it's Week eighteen that decides that division. Now,
those teams could potentially still be in the wild card mix.
So it's not like this game doesn't matter. The records
(13:41):
could matter, but in terms of winning the division, everything
is two weeks from now, and yet what makes me
think that the Jaguars won't be playing January playoff football
based on the way they are. They're by far better
team than Tennessee at this point and their ability to
show and I understand Zach Wilson, who now isn't even
a member of the jets um depth chart, was holding
that team hostage on both sides of the ball, in
(14:02):
my opinion. But the Jaguars getting done on the road
to to put themselves on the driver's seed. I'm just
really impressed by him right now. This is a note
for producer Drew going forward too, because I think the
first week our first show of Power Rankings, you had
said that you think that the Jags could be a
sneaky team that could make the playoffs. So we gotta
pay that off. We gotta go back and get that
(14:23):
clip I think started the week. They started as a
ten seed. This week before Thursday Night Football, now they
are the four seed in the a f C. This
team is unstoppable. Three straight wins. Trevor Lawrence, he looks great.
I can't honestly believe that was the first road, prime
time win for the Jags in the regular season in
(14:45):
twenty two years. That is saying something Doug Peterson. He's
done such a good job with this team, and Trevor
Lawrence is really reaping the benefits. He's peaking at the
absolute best possible time. They're the best team in the
division without a doubt right now. Lawrence looks really good
too on the ground as well. He was rushing, he
was running. The quarterback sneak was the only touchdown of
the game. I don't have to tell you this, damn
(15:06):
because you watched it, but that defense forcing so many
turnovers I think eight in their last three games. They
look really good. And I'm just happy for this fan
base because for so long they have been down in
like like the Texans kind of category. They've been down
to the bottom of the power rankings with not a
lot of hope, especially coming off of last year. So
now this this is a nice Christmas present for them. Absolutely,
(15:29):
And look at their last three wins. They got Tennessee.
They put up thirty six points in Tennessee. Then the
Cowboys and other very good defense put up forty points.
Then the Jets, one of the best defenses in the
a f C. The score doesn't reflect it in the
nineteen points, but they moved the ball really at will
against the Jets of times. So that's a three game
stretch where Doug Peterson in that offense is really showing
(15:50):
that they could take it out on anyone and their ability.
They didn't attack the Jets with deep passes, but they
kind of ripped them up underneath and then move in
Travis a t n did the work on the ground.
They're just a really good balance offense and everything with
Lawrence is there. You see it now. You see the
guy that everyone talked about in the ramp up to
the draft is the generational talent. I think he could
(16:12):
have not only you know, a division win, they could
be a tough out in the playoffs. Keep an eye
on them. We'll talk about the Jets. Now. Let's talk
about the Jets, because in a way, when Thursday Night happened,
the Jets were it looked like it was all over,
and perhaps it is all over. Who knows, but Zack Wilson,
that experiment felt like it ended with a miserable performance
by Wilson, but then a bunch of good stuff happened
(16:33):
for the Jets. The rest of the week played out
with every team they kind of needed to lose, lost,
and then Mike White on Monday gets cleared by doctor,
so he's back in the lineup now. So you have
Mike White on the road in Seattle, with the Jets
having a path to the playoffs. They win this week
against Seattle, next week in Miami, and the New England
Patriots lose once the Jets are in the playoffs. So
(16:54):
there's a real path there. And you know what, Conny,
I feel good about their chances in Seattle. The Seahawks
are going the other way and the Jets match up
well against them. I think we're gonna see the Jets win,
setting up a huge Week eighteen against Miami. I love
this for you, like I know that this is not
how you were feeling on Thursday night after this game,
which by the way, looked absolutely miserable in a weekend
(17:14):
filled with weather games, that Jets Jags game might have
looked the worst of all, Like seeing the rain come
pouring down. You know that it was cold, it was messy.
Then you have Chris Draveller coming in out of nowhere
and watching him play was kind of wild to just
the way that he was running around. He is built
a little bit like a wrestler. I kind of think
(17:36):
like he just has like a very different body type
for a quarterback. But I worried about your offensive line.
But at a local go go bar type built. Yes,
he works at the Jersey Shore. Maybe he's like a
bouncer at the Ocean Drive and he's there for a
no shower happy hour getting it done. Like this is
a guy that I kind of love. I love, first
(17:59):
of all, I always love a backup quarterback. But if
you can bring a quarterback off the practice squad and
have him come in and make a game more exciting
than it was previously, signed me up for that a
zillion times over. I mean, I'm into it. I see
that you love Mike White. I was gonna say, if
Jets fans have any hope this year, you'll never see
Straveler again outside maybe some type of package play. This
(18:21):
is Mike White's team. Now, Mike White gets to two
weeks the audition for the job next year, so he
has an opportunity here. I hope he stays healthy and
the Jets find a way. Now, the Dolphins the team,
I said that they were setting up for a potential
Week eight team if things break a certain way. It
could be Jets Dolphins playing in Week A team for
that last playoff spot. Who will be the quarterback of
the Dolphins? Now, very a bad situation there, Connie, we
(18:43):
learned of on Monday. Yeah, so I guess they're going
to have to ride now with Teddy Bridgewater. For the Dolphins,
we knew that this stretch of their schedule was going
to be the most difficult and this has not been
a December to Remember sales event at all. Four straight
losses get paid for that collapse to go No, but
I wish I did a tough collapse to go into
the playoffs though, for sure, And they might potentially miss
(19:06):
the playoffs at this point with the way that they're
playing and now not having to either. But those three
interceptions in the fourth quarter were absolutely brutal on their
three last possessions, Like it was just tough to watch.
And we knew it was going to be an issue
when they went out and played the Niners and when
they had the Chargers and then they went up to
the Bills and then the Packers on Christmas and all
(19:26):
of those games were exactly what we thought like a
really difficult time for them. Yeah, and there was I
think there was some optimism coming out of the Buffalo
loss because even though they got being on the field
goal at the end, they really went up there and
played well and you were there, Connie. It was a
game that was disappointing, but also like, Okay, they're not
going to fold like an accordion here in December. But
that's what happened against the Packers. They had that game
(19:49):
in hand. The question, of course, now before you kind
of bury two in the in the fourth quarter, like
where is he at mentally like in terms of his
health in that moment, because we don't know exactly and
the Dolphins don't know troubling Lee when the injury happened
that put him into the protocol. So I would be
very surprised if we see him at Gillette Stadium this weekend.
(20:10):
Given the history here and then it is very it's
a very real possibility he gets shut down, which has
big ramifications for the Dolphins. Obviously, Teddy Bridgewater is a
very good backup quarterback, but you know he hasn't been
playing much of the season. It's it's asking a lot
for him to step in and have that chemistry that
too I had built with those receivers. So the Dolphins
are a team influx right now, to say the least,
(20:31):
and I hope to uh is okay, all right, let's
take a break and we'll hit the rest of the
thirty two Power Rankings. Baby doll, all right, welcome back
(20:52):
to the Power Rankings podcast. Here's Quad three. The Steelers.
They won't go away. In fact, there are five spots
two number seventeen. The Patriots state at a t the
patre It's what a weird year. The Panthers also up
five spots after just an insanely impressive dominating effort. We'll
(21:13):
get to that um on the ground. Uh. In weeks sixteen,
the Bucks up three spots to twenty. They kind of
just live in that twenty area, which is obviously disappointing.
The Raiders. We could finally kind of stop talking about them,
even if they are still technically in the hunt for
a playoffs spot down five, Seahawks down one to two.
(21:34):
They're fading away. The Saints hanging in there in the
NFC South, up two to twenty three, and the Titans
down five more spots to twenty four. Let's start with
the Pittsburgh Steelers here. Connie Um a team that back
in the end of let's say early November, this felt
like a team that could have easily created and win
four or five games and if they're deep in and rebuild.
(21:57):
But instead, again Mike Tomlin and the T J. Watt
return and Kenny Pickett making plays, this is a team
in the hours pointing up on them, even if it
doesn't end with the playoffs this year, you know, it
didn't feel like this game was going to go to
the Steelers at all, and it felt like it had
to go to them. Like being in Pittsburgh for this game,
first of all, I've never been outside for such a
(22:18):
cold game in my entire life. That was the most
freezing I've ever been and snow was coming down sideways.
It was we all had so many layers on. We
started the show and m j D said that he
was going to quit. I mean, everyone was just like
being very very brutally honest. But it was Christmas Eve,
and as soon as I landed, the very very honest
(22:41):
Christmas sounds like a good Lifetime movie. I got more
on that coming your way later in the show, maybe,
But when I landed in Pittsburgh, it was one o'clock
in the morning, and there were so many Franco Harris
jerseys everywhere. Everyone was wearing them. And you know that
they have the Frank o' harris statue in the airport
and it was there in front of the Christmas tree,
(23:04):
and like people were leaving notes for the family, and
it just felt like the whole city the whole time,
like this game had to go to the Steelers, and
when it wasn't going that way, just it didn't feel right.
So when Pickett completed that touchdown pass two Pickens, that's
when everything kind of felt like it started going the
way that it should. And it's a shame for Raiders
(23:25):
fans like Derek Carr those three interceptions he threw. It
was ugly for them. And you know, the Steelers for
the majority of this game, they were moving the ball,
but they just didn't have anything to show for it.
They just weren't getting the points. And so I just
thought that it was really fitting on Christmas Eve in Pittsburgh,
the night that they were there celebrating the fiftieth anniversary
(23:47):
of the Immaculate Reception and celebrating Frank o' harris and
his life, and he should have been there for that
he should have been there to see his number retired,
but he wasn't. And we talked to Naji Harris after
the game, who had a really close relationship with frank o' harris,
and he said that they all dedicated the game to
frank O Harris's family. They were going to give his
wife the game ball. They all walked in wearing thirty two.
(24:09):
So it was a really cool, emotional night. And after
Pickens had scored that touchdown, all of a sudden, the
whole stadium just erupted in Franco Chance the most freezing
night ever. I had even more chills and it was
just like a perfect ending. That's nice and it's um
you know. Not only was it an emotional win for
(24:31):
the organization in the city, it was also huge for
them in the standings and it keeps them in the mix.
And now their season will be essentially on the line
against the Ravens on Sunday Night football on New Year's Day,
so that will be interesting to see if they make
this even more interesting. The Ravens already going to the playoffs,
but the Steelers have a chance to put themselves on
the doorstep with yet another win. They've won four out
of five games. Let's move to the Carolina Panthers, and
(24:53):
I think Connie. With the Panthers, it's like every time
I want to write them off, they have a big,
big week that makes me say, Okay, we can't do that, Connie.
They had a hundred yards rushing by their second drive,
two forty on the ground by halftime, and they finished
with a franchise record three twenty rushing yards in the
win over the Lions. Our Lions, the team of around
(25:15):
the NFL, and it's like, it's it's hard to imagine.
They had five seventy total yard which tied to team record,
and Sam Donald is leading this offense well, but it
is that running game that was just blowing open huge
holes in Cuba. Hubbard and donte Foreman are are getting
the job done. This is a fun team to watch.
I can't believe that they had three hundred more rushing
(25:35):
yards total than they did the week before when they
only know that's what I means. I had written them
off after the Steelers basically beat them at their own
game the previous week, and Detroit was coming on a
on a high plane as well as anybody to see
the way that turned out. It was really eye opening. Yeah,
it's just like, don't overthink it, just run the ball.
When they can run the ball, they win these games.
(25:56):
And Sam Donald, he did look really nice in that
second half to his chemistry. You can see it building
with Dj Moore. They have a really nice rapport. I mean,
next they have the Bucks, to who they already beat
earlier this year and rushed a hundred and seventy three
yards on. Then they have the Saints and they rushed
a hundred and forty five yards on them earlier this year.
They could win both win the division, and then eventually
(26:19):
hire Steve Wilkes. I feel like that is the path. Yeah,
I think Wilkes is definitely putting himself in position to
keep that job right now. Is the interim coach. I
wonder what Matt Rule thinks with the team playing at
this level right now after he was let go earlier
this season, And yeah, I think, you know, you could
look at other paths. I know, the Atlanta's out of
the mix now they're eliminated. The Saints are still hanging on,
(26:39):
but really, when it comes down to it, this game
against the Bucks will decide the division. Whoever wins that game.
I think you're gonna see carry that division and then
be an underdog most likely and whatever matchup they have.
How about let's move. Let's want to get a little depressing.
You know it's post Christmas. Now, let's get you know,
the post Christmas blues. Let's talk the Tennessee Titans. You
(27:02):
want to see the Titans chart. You want to see
the art of sadness on the Titans. Yeah, you're getting it.
They were the number six team in our league in
week twelve, and here we go twelve to seventeen, they
went from six to nine, held at nine, so still
in the top ten. Is recently his Week four team
Connie down to fifteen and Week fifteen down to nineteen
(27:23):
last week and now this week they are at twenty four.
From six to twenty four and six weeks and uh,
you're not gonna believe this. It's not a coincidence, kind
of haven't won in those six weeks, and every week
feels like it gets a little bit lower, But it
doesn't get much lower than losing to the one win
Texans when you needed the game. Yeah, and it's terrible
timing for the Jags to be on a three game
(27:45):
winning streak, two in the division. But I'm just wondering
how things have created so far, so fast for this
Titans team, because now with Ryan Tannehill hurt, Malik Willis
going forward, I don't know, he never got the passing
game going finished with fewer than one hundred passing yards.
I don't know what to think about willis. Not that
he's been put in a great position either, but Derrick Henry,
(28:07):
these fumbles are now a concerning trend at this point,
like he was stuffed multiple times to add or behind
the line of scrimmage. And also you look at his
numbers and if you didn't watch this game, you would think, Okay,
Derrick Henry, he had a nice day, because he always
has a nice day against the Texans. But he finished
with a hundred and twenty six rushing yards outside of
(28:28):
that forty eight yard touchdown run. Though the Texans held
him to three and a half yards per carry, So
this was not a normal afternoon for Derrick Henry against
the team that he constantly dominates. Yeah, it's a good
call to about the ball security because it feels like
he's putting it on the ground every game now and
this is when they've kind of needed him to be perfect.
Things are not perfect the Titans. I don't think they
(28:49):
make the playoffs. But even if they do, and they
could still recover if they beat the Jaguars next week,
they have so much work to do to kind of
figure out who they had. They took their best swing
the last couple of years. They really need to kind
of revamp what they're doing with that team. And Mike
Vrable obvious lee you know his they lost a general
manager or they made him go away. Uh, Mike Rabel
(29:10):
is a big man in charge there and they're gonna
have to make some big moves. Let's check Quad four.
Now we mentioned the Texans, Let's give him some love, County,
Let's give him some starting with twenty five. Let's say
Rams up to Baker and another big game. Uh. So
there are twenty five Browns down six, they are eliminated
from contention. Uh, twenty six Houston Texans up five to seven,
(29:33):
Falcons down two, Toy Bears, Cards and Colts all hold
their spots to one. And the Broncos, who just fired
Nathaniel Hackett after a humiliating Christmas loss to the Rams
where they got the fifty Burger dropped on they hit
the bottom of the Power ranks for the first time.
Let's start with Houston. Let's start with the good news. Yes,
(29:54):
let's give him some love. They've been number thirty two
in the Power rankings for I think about a month
and a half, and to move out. It's not just
finally beating a team, which they did in the Titans
this week, but they've been playing teams tight for several
weeks now and now they have something to show for it.
I just love that in this last quadrant we can
come up with something that's positive, because it always feels
(30:15):
like this is the Debbie Downer block. And I just
love that the Texans finally broke through because they played
both the Chiefs and the Cowboys really tough, and now
they have something to show for it, ending that nine
game losing streak. That's got to be just like a
nice bump for the locker room in general, especially this
time of year. You finally don't have to leave the
(30:35):
stadium with a loss or get on a plane after
a loss. I mean, I just think I don't know
what this does for love e Smith going forward. But
the defense, they forced three turnovers they've been playing frisk
ear and frisk gear, and I like that about them.
I think that this isn't a team that by any
means is about to turn the whole thing around. But
at least it gives you a little bit, a little
(30:58):
speckle of optimism right now in December, a specle of optimism.
I like like that, Connie. Also, you know, if you're
a Houston fan that is looking at the big picture,
all right, that was nice, nice win. Let's hold right
there at to twelve and one. They currently hold the
number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. If they
don't win another game in Chicago's right behind them at
(31:19):
three and twelve. So I'll leave it at that. You
keep playing competitive football, But let's get that first pick.
And the Broncos a team that you know, speaking of
looking ahead to the draft, they can't even do that
because the blockbuster trade that brought Russell Wilson here cost
them multiple first round picks, including two thousand, twenty three.
So the Seahawks currently would pick third in the draft
based on worthy stand And let's look at the season
(31:41):
rank trajectory for the Broncos since Week one. I had
them at the top ten. I had everybody in the
a f C West in the top ten, just like
everybody else who thinks they know it all. I said, oh,
it was one of division adiot number eight. By week five,
they were sixteen. By week nine they were twenty six.
And finally now they have parked themselves at the bottom
of the rights. They have ownership, a new ownership that
filed fired Nathaniel Hackett on Monday. They have a ton
(32:04):
of money, so they could potentially lure a big name
head coach Sean Payton as an example, in the off
season and still take care of Hackett because they owe
him that money despite firing him. But there's so much
to figure out here, kind of including like what do
you do with Russell Wilson if this is just who
he is now? Right? I think this whole Broncos season
has been one of the biggest surprises, at least coming
in from all of the chatter and all of the
(32:26):
storylines in training camp. I was in Denver in Inglewood
there and it was so optimistic and this was before
Tim Patrick went down their wide receiver, and then from
there just seemed like everything really started to spiral from
the clock management issues that Nathaniel Hackett was having and
everything else. So I would put that up there as
one of the biggest surprises, right next to me being
(32:47):
attacked by a dog on Christmas Day, because that was
pretty damn surprising. So I think that the Broncos, you know,
they just it's been a tough season. I don't want
to talk about Broncos anymore. I want to talk about dogs.
Are you okay by the lead? Right? I'm all right.
I'm a little ammatized by it. But I guess you know,
Christmas you gotta deal with a lot of different things,
(33:09):
and being around family is sometimes stressful, and especially if
a family dog turns on you and get your arm
and locks on it. So it's just been an eventful
time of year. And I may or may not be
on painkillers right now. Well I think if you are
heavily medicated, I can't really tell. I wonder, and I
know your last day is wolf? What Aunt Doreene? You
(33:32):
know she she's always on a nice cocktail. You are
wearing a hat that has like a ferocious howling wolf
it appears, so is that kind of like you know,
sticking your thumb up at the canine that came after you. Well,
it says lone Wolf, so it's sort of that. And
you know, just my last name. It's a good day
to be in sweats, mostly because I can't have anything
(33:54):
tight around my arm, Colley, and I hate to hear that.
Please get well soon. Come back to California where it's safe,
That's what I'll say, coming back all right, I'll be
there shortly. Thank and everybody for listening and watching. The
Power Rankings podcast will be back again next week as
we take a look at the final week of the
regular season. Here we go all the way down to
Yelbick Road, Connie. Until then, remember what you gotta do
(34:16):
either call. NFL Power Rankings is a production of the
NFL in partnership with I Heart Radio. For more podcasts
from my Heart Radio, visit the i Heart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with I Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to the
NFL Power Rankings podcast, presented by Energizer. I am Dan Hansas,
and I'm joined as I always am, by the great
(00:27):
Colleen Wolf from the other side of America. What's up, Connie? Hello, Dan,
we have both coasts covered. I love that about us.
Right now, I'm holding it down to NFL Films. Just
reminded of all the Emmy's that I've never personally won,
but the company has, so that's great for them. That's
funny about the Emmy thing, because I feel like everyone
in my orbit has multiple Emmy's and I've never we
(00:49):
The Around the NFL podcast was won a Best of
Apple Podcast two thousand thirteen. We want a Stitcher in fourteen.
But we're sitting on like a cold streak in the
awards game, and I've never touched anything close to an awards,
So don't feel bad. Um, it's something to work towards.
Don't feel bad about the Eagles not being number one
of the Power Rankings either this week. I mean, and
(01:10):
I know you could come after me if you want
on this and we're gonna get into it, but it
is indeed the forty Niners who have taken the top
perch for the first time the season. In fact, So
let's check out the quad. Oh No, Niners up one
to number one, Eagles down one to number two, Bills, Bengals, Chiefs,
(01:32):
and Cowboys all hold at three through six, respectively, Vikings
up one to seven, and those Chargers who clinched a
playoff spot up one to number eight. It's a nice quad.
It's a good beef quad. I think we have both
Super Bowl teams in that quad. Or I'm doing this wrong, Connie,
But let's start with the Niners. Are you cool with
(01:55):
me moving them to this spot? Does at least make
sense to you on some logical level. I don't like it,
but I'm a fair person, and I need to look
at this like I am not an Eagles fan, and
like my heart wasn't broken, that Jalen Hurts is hurt,
and that all of these injuries are plaguing in the team,
and we'll get to the Eagles in a second. I
have to look at this like the Niners are crushing
(02:17):
it and they're clearly the best team in football right now,
Like they have eight straight wins. They're in play for
the second team. They dominated on both sides of the
ball against Washington, and what they're doing with brock Purty
is kind of insane. He was efficient, he was poised,
and he was playing with an oblique injury and without
the help of a run game. So they have the
(02:38):
best defense in the NFL. They effectively benched poor Taylor Heineke.
Nick Bosa is an absolute nightmare for every single offense.
He's having a career year. I don't love this for
the Eagles, but they lost to the Cowboys and they
didn't play their best ball. They had too many turnovers.
And right now this Niners team is intense and they're
(02:58):
winning these games with complete wins, and they look like
their team that can't be stopped. Before you join me,
Connie on the power rankings, the great Matt Money Smith
and I used to do this, and Money used to
his viewpoint on the power rankings was it came down to,
you know, who has the best path in the playoffs,
who is set up in the best possible way to
win the Super Bowl, And from that perspective, the Niners
(03:20):
being one would be wrong because it still should be
the Eagles in that case, because even after getting beat
by Dallas, they still need just one win in the
last two weeks to take that number one seed. I
have forty Niners at number one though, because I do
look at it differently. I just see where things are
right now, and it's not all Brock party. But three
weeks ago, all we talked about was, wow, woe is me?
From the forty Niners perspective, how come we had this
(03:41):
great team in the quarterback situation ruined us and through
their own organizational ability to draft, identify talent, bring him
into the building, get him coached up, and now he's
running this offense with great efficiency. Then you add everything else.
They didn't even skip a beat without Jimmy Garoppolo. And yes,
Nick Bosa is gonna win Defensive Player of the Year.
He leads an awesome unit to Miko Ryan's is gonna
(04:02):
get a head coach job. But right now he's finishing out.
The Miners look like and I wrote this in the
Power Rankings County they are fully formed death machine, destroying
everything in their way, and I don't know who stops him,
including the Eagles. Eagles, better get home Field, Better get
home field. Well, that's the thing, because the Niners just
won't be denied right now no matter who their quarterback is.
So that's the thing that I think is so scary
(04:24):
about them because they have this momentum right now at
the exact right time. And the Eagles, of course, I'm
always going to argue to the death that they are
the best team in the world every single year, but
right now, with the way that the injuries are falling
for them, this is a team that maybe should get
bumped down a spot because they aren't crushing teams like
they almost lost to the Bears like that, what that
(04:45):
was a little too close for comfort. And then they
go in with Gardner Minshew, who he played a good game.
He passed a lot of yards, he moved the ball around,
but the turnovers just crushed them. Yeah, I think that's
the other part of this, that Minshew is a good backup.
But yes, he did make mistakes in that game against Dallas.
He did, like you said, move the ball as well.
But if Hurts is gonna miss a no their week,
and that's possible, Minshew is gonna probably be able to
(05:07):
hold it down. But the Lane Johnson injury, you know,
He's one of the best right tackles in football, and
you take him out of the mix. He has suffered
an abdominal injury. He's gonna miss the rest of the
regular season and maybe more than that. So I think
this is the first time I really do feel like
the Eagles are being tested right now through injuries. I
think they're gonna be okay. They were an easy team
to keep it number two, but it just felt at
this time it was the Niners time at number one.
(05:29):
Let's talk about the Cowboys Countie who beat your Eagles.
They didn't move which I could see some Dallas fans
getting annoyed. Oh, we beat the number one team, but
we didn't move up to power rank as well. You
beat the number one team with their MVP candidate quarterback
out of the game, so you gotta factor that in. Also,
you look at the teams ahead of him. I just
think the big five in the league Kansas City, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Philly,
(05:50):
and San Francisco just a touch above where the Cowboys are.
But that's not to say that the Cowboys don't deserve
love and credit and should not be taken seriously. As
we spend closer to January Football in the playoffs, because
I think they showed in this game again that they
have the offense and the defensive playmakers to win games
against big teams. And that's still what the Eagles are
even without Hurts. Okay, the Eagles didn't have their best
(06:12):
player on the team, the MVP candidate Jalen Hurts, and
yet they still were able to lead for the majority
of the game. They still had the ball at the
end when they had a chance to win it, Like,
if Jalen Hurts plays that game, they absolutely win. But
I think that the way and I thought about the Cowboys,
I'm just saying, I'm just saying, but the Cowboys, like
what's going on with their pass rush, what's going on
(06:34):
with their run game. The Eagles liability on defense is
their run defense and Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, they
still weren't able to average a great clip in that game.
And then the pass rush. I remember Jalen Hurts them
taking him down like four times when they played in October,
and they didn't bring him down once in this game.
And I think they only have about one sack in
(06:55):
the last two weeks, So that's kind of disappeared, and
that's something they're absolutely going to need if they're going
to make a long run in this postseason. Yeah, I
hear you on that. And and Parsons, it's actually one
second three weeks now. It's interesting yet Philly shut them
out last week and not just you know what, I
kind of think, Connie, there's some ebbs and flows to
the season. Parsons, who leads. Obviously that defense is too
(07:16):
good for that to continue. I mean, they could have
six sacks next week, that's just the way. Or Thursday.
They have a Thursday night game against the Titans, who, man,
they really do set up to have a big day.
I expect that their Dallas defense to get right in
terms of their pass rush. And I think the Dak
Prescott side of this, he's playing very well. I know
he's been a little loose with the football times. He
(07:36):
threw the pick six to start this game. And you're right,
the Eagles were up ten nothing in this game. I
believe they were up seven to seventeen as well. But
it also shows that Dallas has an offense that could
dig itself out of a hole. In the average, nearly
nearly ten yards an attempt against Philadelphia, and you saw
Ceedee Lamb really as a true number one receiver should
step up in that moment. Ten for one, twenty and
(07:56):
two scores on eleven targets. So if I'm a Cowboys fan,
I'm feeling confident. I'm feeling like I can make some
noise in this postseason. But just get to this finish
line strong, don't limp into the playoffs. And I thought
that's why that was such an important win for them.
If you got beat by Jalen Hurts is backup, there's
a lot of confidence issues I would think going forward. Well, yeah,
but it was a close game still, And I think
(08:19):
too that we've all sort of been robbed at this point,
the fact that we haven't had a Cowboys Eagles game
with both Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts at quarterback. Earlier
in the season, Dak Prescott was hurt. Now we had
Jalen Hurts hurt. I want to see these two teams
at full strength in the playoffs. Yeah, it might happen.
And right behind the Cowboys is the Vikings. I haven't
(08:39):
at seven up one spot, and again this is exactly
where where I think they should be. I think they're
very much behind those six teams ahead of them, and
I think they are kind of righting it. I have
the Chargers at eight, for instance, the Jags at nine,
the Ravens at ten. That feels right. I feel good
about where I have the Vikings, even if twelve and
(08:59):
three suggests they should be way higher. It was yet
another close game against the Giants. They get a sixty
one hard field goal at the gun to win the game,
and Kandie I just think, like what, there's bozos like
me that are out there saying, oh, regressions gotta take hold.
They gotta start losing some of these games. But you know,
Somelmo's New Year's Day. So maybe this is just a
different type of year in a in an absurd NFL
(09:20):
season in general, and this is who the Vikings are,
and this could continue to February. Maybe it's time to
look at it from that perspective. It's like one of
those things where at the beginning of the year, even
like the first month and a half, you're saying this
about teams who you kind of think or frauds, like
we did with the Giants, for instance, and then the
Giants showed us who they are their true selves. They
kind of like fell back down to Earth. But with
(09:41):
the Vikings, They've continued to win like this every single week,
and honestly, now I'm kind of thinking this team is
really resilient and nobody obviously believes in them unless you're
a Vikings fan at this point, which kind of makes
them scary in a way. I don't think anyone can
look at this team though and be afraid of them
in the playoffs once they're playing really stiff competition. I
(10:03):
am starting to rely ate a little bit to the
Vikings though, a little bit, because I've realized that my
life motto is just in time, and that is literally
every single game that I watched with them, Like I
didn't even have to watch Greg Joseph kick even though
it was sixty one yards. I already knew what was
going to happen. It was done. It was a rap.
They were going to win this game, and they just
(10:23):
keep doing it. Like I can't believe that they have
gotten twelve wins this way, all of the one score games.
But you do have to think about the fact that
they beat the Bills and then they came back down
thirty three points beat the Colts, Like it doesn't even
matter how far they are down or how close it is,
like they just keep coming out on the right side.
So I guess that does say something about this team.
(10:46):
What's Twitter think about this? I mean Twitter? There was
some some dude on Twitter that got after me for
having the Cowboys ahead of the Vikings, like, oh, you
must hate the vice. Like no, I actually watched the
forty two three Cowboys win over the Vikings in Minneapolis
a few weeks ago. For some reason, that sticks in
my brain a little bit. Connie, just in time that
angle my You know, you and I are friends. We
go back many years now, and uh, I think one
(11:08):
of the reasons we're friends as we see certain things
in life similar viewpoint. But one thing we definitely are
different on is like airport etiquette and your need to
to just push things to the very limit when it
when it comes to boarding an airplane, and I need
I want to be at that gate, and I want
to be as soon as the first boarding starts, even
if I'm in like group Z, I want to be there.
(11:29):
Connie's like ordering a steak meal and when they start
boarding and then you just sneak in right at the end.
And that's a difference between you and I. I can't
believe you're that guy like I can't deal with the
people who are waiting right at the front and they're
like they are group Z. If I have ten minutes
to spare, I'm getting a drink, maybe I'm looking at magnets.
I'm gonna go to the bathroom one more time. I'm
(11:50):
gonna get everything in order, and then I'm gonna get
on the plane. At that last second, I had you.
I had you. I wish I could look at life
that way. I'm always afraid here's quad to take us
(12:13):
through a cutting. Okay, So we got the Jags up top.
I mean they are so hot right now now in
the top ten. Up got the Ravens, they really are.
Ravens up two spots at ten. The Lions, our Lions
down four spots after that heartbreaking loss. This week they're
at eleven. Packers up five. Big win this week. You
(12:35):
got two Dolphins down three and now two us out
of the mix as well. Giants down one at fourteen.
Your Jets, I'm sorry, down one at fifteen. Rough Thursday
night football. And then the Commanders down one at sixteen.
So do you want to start with those Jags. Let's
start with some power moves presented by Energizer, because the
Jags are a big mover up two more spots to
(12:59):
get into the top ten. Let's look at their season
ranked trajectory and these charts since week twelve they went
they were number twenty nine Colleen in the NFL Power Rankings.
In week twelve, they jump from twenty nine to twenty three,
down to four, up to seventeen, up to eleven, up
to nine, and that's where they sit now, a top
ten team for the first time. Really, I've been doing
(13:21):
the Power rankings for four years. They've never cracked the
top ten before. And they seem set up. Obviously it's
gonna come down. It's a bit of a weird situation
going on in the ANFC South right now, because no
matter what happens with the Jags or the Titans in
weeks seventeen, it's Week eighteen that decides that division. Now,
those teams could potentially still be in the wild card mix.
So it's not like this game doesn't matter. The records
(13:41):
could matter, but in terms of winning the division, everything
is two weeks from now, and yet what makes me
think that the Jaguars won't be playing January playoff football
based on the way they are. They're by far better
team than Tennessee at this point and their ability to
show and I understand Zach Wilson, who now isn't even
a member of the jets um depth chart, was holding
that team hostage on both sides of the ball, in
(14:02):
my opinion. But the Jaguars getting done on the road
to to put themselves on the driver's seed. I'm just
really impressed by him right now. This is a note
for producer Drew going forward too, because I think the
first week our first show of Power Rankings, you had
said that you think that the Jags could be a
sneaky team that could make the playoffs. So we gotta
pay that off. We gotta go back and get that
(14:23):
clip I think started the week. They started as a
ten seed. This week before Thursday Night Football, now they
are the four seed in the a f C. This
team is unstoppable. Three straight wins. Trevor Lawrence, he looks great.
I can't honestly believe that was the first road, prime
time win for the Jags in the regular season in
(14:45):
twenty two years. That is saying something Doug Peterson. He's
done such a good job with this team, and Trevor
Lawrence is really reaping the benefits. He's peaking at the
absolute best possible time. They're the best team in the
division without a doubt right now. Lawrence looks really good
too on the ground as well. He was rushing, he
was running. The quarterback sneak was the only touchdown of
the game. I don't have to tell you this, damn
(15:06):
because you watched it, but that defense forcing so many
turnovers I think eight in their last three games. They
look really good. And I'm just happy for this fan
base because for so long they have been down in
like like the Texans kind of category. They've been down
to the bottom of the power rankings with not a
lot of hope, especially coming off of last year. So
now this this is a nice Christmas present for them. Absolutely,
(15:29):
And look at their last three wins. They got Tennessee.
They put up thirty six points in Tennessee. Then the
Cowboys and other very good defense put up forty points.
Then the Jets, one of the best defenses in the
a f C. The score doesn't reflect it in the
nineteen points, but they moved the ball really at will
against the Jets of times. So that's a three game
stretch where Doug Peterson in that offense is really showing
(15:50):
that they could take it out on anyone and their ability.
They didn't attack the Jets with deep passes, but they
kind of ripped them up underneath and then move in
Travis a t n did the work on the ground.
They're just a really good balance offense and everything with
Lawrence is there. You see it now. You see the
guy that everyone talked about in the ramp up to
the draft is the generational talent. I think he could
(16:12):
have not only you know, a division win, they could
be a tough out in the playoffs. Keep an eye
on them. We'll talk about the Jets. Now. Let's talk
about the Jets, because in a way, when Thursday Night happened,
the Jets were it looked like it was all over,
and perhaps it is all over. Who knows, but Zack Wilson,
that experiment felt like it ended with a miserable performance
by Wilson, but then a bunch of good stuff happened
(16:33):
for the Jets. The rest of the week played out
with every team they kind of needed to lose, lost,
and then Mike White on Monday gets cleared by doctor,
so he's back in the lineup now. So you have
Mike White on the road in Seattle, with the Jets
having a path to the playoffs. They win this week
against Seattle, next week in Miami, and the New England
Patriots lose once the Jets are in the playoffs. So
(16:54):
there's a real path there. And you know what, Conny,
I feel good about their chances in Seattle. The Seahawks
are going the other way and the Jets match up
well against them. I think we're gonna see the Jets win,
setting up a huge Week eighteen against Miami. I love
this for you, like I know that this is not
how you were feeling on Thursday night after this game,
which by the way, looked absolutely miserable in a weekend
(17:14):
filled with weather games, that Jets Jags game might have
looked the worst of all, Like seeing the rain come
pouring down. You know that it was cold, it was messy.
Then you have Chris Draveller coming in out of nowhere
and watching him play was kind of wild to just
the way that he was running around. He is built
a little bit like a wrestler. I kind of think
(17:36):
like he just has like a very different body type
for a quarterback. But I worried about your offensive line.
But at a local go go bar type built. Yes,
he works at the Jersey Shore. Maybe he's like a
bouncer at the Ocean Drive and he's there for a
no shower happy hour getting it done. Like this is
a guy that I kind of love. I love, first
(17:59):
of all, I always love a backup quarterback. But if
you can bring a quarterback off the practice squad and
have him come in and make a game more exciting
than it was previously, signed me up for that a
zillion times over. I mean, I'm into it. I see
that you love Mike White. I was gonna say, if
Jets fans have any hope this year, you'll never see
Straveler again outside maybe some type of package play. This
(18:21):
is Mike White's team. Now, Mike White gets to two
weeks the audition for the job next year, so he
has an opportunity here. I hope he stays healthy and
the Jets find a way. Now, the Dolphins the team,
I said that they were setting up for a potential
Week eight team if things break a certain way. It
could be Jets Dolphins playing in Week A team for
that last playoff spot. Who will be the quarterback of
the Dolphins? Now, very a bad situation there, Connie, we
(18:43):
learned of on Monday. Yeah, so I guess they're going
to have to ride now with Teddy Bridgewater. For the Dolphins,
we knew that this stretch of their schedule was going
to be the most difficult and this has not been
a December to Remember sales event at all. Four straight
losses get paid for that collapse to go No, but
I wish I did a tough collapse to go into
the playoffs though, for sure, And they might potentially miss
(19:06):
the playoffs at this point with the way that they're
playing and now not having to either. But those three
interceptions in the fourth quarter were absolutely brutal on their
three last possessions, Like it was just tough to watch.
And we knew it was going to be an issue
when they went out and played the Niners and when
they had the Chargers and then they went up to
the Bills and then the Packers on Christmas and all
(19:26):
of those games were exactly what we thought like a
really difficult time for them. Yeah, and there was I
think there was some optimism coming out of the Buffalo
loss because even though they got being on the field
goal at the end, they really went up there and
played well and you were there, Connie. It was a
game that was disappointing, but also like, Okay, they're not
going to fold like an accordion here in December. But
that's what happened against the Packers. They had that game
(19:49):
in hand. The question, of course, now before you kind
of bury two in the in the fourth quarter, like
where is he at mentally like in terms of his
health in that moment, because we don't know exactly and
the Dolphins don't know troubling Lee when the injury happened
that put him into the protocol. So I would be
very surprised if we see him at Gillette Stadium this weekend.
(20:10):
Given the history here and then it is very it's
a very real possibility he gets shut down, which has
big ramifications for the Dolphins. Obviously, Teddy Bridgewater is a
very good backup quarterback, but you know he hasn't been
playing much of the season. It's it's asking a lot
for him to step in and have that chemistry that
too I had built with those receivers. So the Dolphins
are a team influx right now, to say the least,
(20:31):
and I hope to uh is okay, all right, let's
take a break and we'll hit the rest of the
thirty two Power Rankings. Baby doll, all right, welcome back
(20:52):
to the Power Rankings podcast. Here's Quad three. The Steelers.
They won't go away. In fact, there are five spots
two number seventeen. The Patriots state at a t the
patre It's what a weird year. The Panthers also up
five spots after just an insanely impressive dominating effort. We'll
(21:13):
get to that um on the ground. Uh. In weeks sixteen,
the Bucks up three spots to twenty. They kind of
just live in that twenty area, which is obviously disappointing.
The Raiders. We could finally kind of stop talking about them,
even if they are still technically in the hunt for
a playoffs spot down five, Seahawks down one to two.
(21:34):
They're fading away. The Saints hanging in there in the
NFC South, up two to twenty three, and the Titans
down five more spots to twenty four. Let's start with
the Pittsburgh Steelers here. Connie Um a team that back
in the end of let's say early November, this felt
like a team that could have easily created and win
four or five games and if they're deep in and rebuild.
(21:57):
But instead, again Mike Tomlin and the T J. Watt
return and Kenny Pickett making plays, this is a team
in the hours pointing up on them, even if it
doesn't end with the playoffs this year, you know, it
didn't feel like this game was going to go to
the Steelers at all, and it felt like it had
to go to them. Like being in Pittsburgh for this game,
first of all, I've never been outside for such a
(22:18):
cold game in my entire life. That was the most
freezing I've ever been and snow was coming down sideways.
It was we all had so many layers on. We
started the show and m j D said that he
was going to quit. I mean, everyone was just like
being very very brutally honest. But it was Christmas Eve,
and as soon as I landed, the very very honest
(22:41):
Christmas sounds like a good Lifetime movie. I got more
on that coming your way later in the show, maybe,
But when I landed in Pittsburgh, it was one o'clock
in the morning, and there were so many Franco Harris
jerseys everywhere. Everyone was wearing them. And you know that
they have the Frank o' harris statue in the airport
and it was there in front of the Christmas tree,
(23:04):
and like people were leaving notes for the family, and
it just felt like the whole city the whole time,
like this game had to go to the Steelers, and
when it wasn't going that way, just it didn't feel right.
So when Pickett completed that touchdown pass two Pickens, that's
when everything kind of felt like it started going the
way that it should. And it's a shame for Raiders
(23:25):
fans like Derek Carr those three interceptions he threw. It
was ugly for them. And you know, the Steelers for
the majority of this game, they were moving the ball,
but they just didn't have anything to show for it.
They just weren't getting the points. And so I just
thought that it was really fitting on Christmas Eve in Pittsburgh,
the night that they were there celebrating the fiftieth anniversary
(23:47):
of the Immaculate Reception and celebrating Frank o' harris and
his life, and he should have been there for that
he should have been there to see his number retired,
but he wasn't. And we talked to Naji Harris after
the game, who had a really close relationship with frank o' harris,
and he said that they all dedicated the game to
frank O Harris's family. They were going to give his
wife the game ball. They all walked in wearing thirty two.
(24:09):
So it was a really cool, emotional night. And after
Pickens had scored that touchdown, all of a sudden, the
whole stadium just erupted in Franco Chance the most freezing
night ever. I had even more chills and it was
just like a perfect ending. That's nice and it's um
you know. Not only was it an emotional win for
(24:31):
the organization in the city, it was also huge for
them in the standings and it keeps them in the mix.
And now their season will be essentially on the line
against the Ravens on Sunday Night football on New Year's Day,
so that will be interesting to see if they make
this even more interesting. The Ravens already going to the playoffs,
but the Steelers have a chance to put themselves on
the doorstep with yet another win. They've won four out
of five games. Let's move to the Carolina Panthers, and
(24:53):
I think Connie. With the Panthers, it's like every time
I want to write them off, they have a big,
big week that makes me say, Okay, we can't do that, Connie.
They had a hundred yards rushing by their second drive,
two forty on the ground by halftime, and they finished
with a franchise record three twenty rushing yards in the
win over the Lions. Our Lions, the team of around
(25:15):
the NFL, and it's like, it's it's hard to imagine.
They had five seventy total yard which tied to team record,
and Sam Donald is leading this offense well, but it
is that running game that was just blowing open huge
holes in Cuba. Hubbard and donte Foreman are are getting
the job done. This is a fun team to watch.
I can't believe that they had three hundred more rushing
(25:35):
yards total than they did the week before when they
only know that's what I means. I had written them
off after the Steelers basically beat them at their own
game the previous week, and Detroit was coming on a
on a high plane as well as anybody to see
the way that turned out. It was really eye opening. Yeah,
it's just like, don't overthink it, just run the ball.
When they can run the ball, they win these games.
(25:56):
And Sam Donald, he did look really nice in that
second half to his chemistry. You can see it building
with Dj Moore. They have a really nice rapport. I mean,
next they have the Bucks, to who they already beat
earlier this year and rushed a hundred and seventy three
yards on. Then they have the Saints and they rushed
a hundred and forty five yards on them earlier this year.
They could win both win the division, and then eventually
(26:19):
hire Steve Wilkes. I feel like that is the path. Yeah,
I think Wilkes is definitely putting himself in position to
keep that job right now. Is the interim coach. I
wonder what Matt Rule thinks with the team playing at
this level right now after he was let go earlier
this season, And yeah, I think, you know, you could
look at other paths. I know, the Atlanta's out of
the mix now they're eliminated. The Saints are still hanging on,
(26:39):
but really, when it comes down to it, this game
against the Bucks will decide the division. Whoever wins that game.
I think you're gonna see carry that division and then
be an underdog most likely and whatever matchup they have.
How about let's move. Let's want to get a little depressing.
You know it's post Christmas. Now, let's get you know,
the post Christmas blues. Let's talk the Tennessee Titans. You
(27:02):
want to see the Titans chart. You want to see
the art of sadness on the Titans. Yeah, you're getting it.
They were the number six team in our league in
week twelve, and here we go twelve to seventeen, they
went from six to nine, held at nine, so still
in the top ten. Is recently his Week four team
Connie down to fifteen and Week fifteen down to nineteen
(27:23):
last week and now this week they are at twenty four.
From six to twenty four and six weeks and uh,
you're not gonna believe this. It's not a coincidence, kind
of haven't won in those six weeks, and every week
feels like it gets a little bit lower, But it
doesn't get much lower than losing to the one win
Texans when you needed the game. Yeah, and it's terrible
timing for the Jags to be on a three game
(27:45):
winning streak, two in the division. But I'm just wondering
how things have created so far, so fast for this
Titans team, because now with Ryan Tannehill hurt, Malik Willis
going forward, I don't know, he never got the passing
game going finished with fewer than one hundred passing yards.
I don't know what to think about willis. Not that
he's been put in a great position either, but Derrick Henry,
(28:07):
these fumbles are now a concerning trend at this point,
like he was stuffed multiple times to add or behind
the line of scrimmage. And also you look at his
numbers and if you didn't watch this game, you would think, Okay,
Derrick Henry, he had a nice day, because he always
has a nice day against the Texans. But he finished
with a hundred and twenty six rushing yards outside of
(28:28):
that forty eight yard touchdown run. Though the Texans held
him to three and a half yards per carry, So
this was not a normal afternoon for Derrick Henry against
the team that he constantly dominates. Yeah, it's a good
call to about the ball security because it feels like
he's putting it on the ground every game now and
this is when they've kind of needed him to be perfect.
Things are not perfect the Titans. I don't think they
(28:49):
make the playoffs. But even if they do, and they
could still recover if they beat the Jaguars next week,
they have so much work to do to kind of
figure out who they had. They took their best swing
the last couple of years. They really need to kind
of revamp what they're doing with that team. And Mike
Vrable obvious lee you know his they lost a general
manager or they made him go away. Uh, Mike Rabel
(29:10):
is a big man in charge there and they're gonna
have to make some big moves. Let's check Quad four.
Now we mentioned the Texans, Let's give him some love, County,
Let's give him some starting with twenty five. Let's say
Rams up to Baker and another big game. Uh. So
there are twenty five Browns down six, they are eliminated
from contention. Uh, twenty six Houston Texans up five to seven,
(29:33):
Falcons down two, Toy Bears, Cards and Colts all hold
their spots to one. And the Broncos, who just fired
Nathaniel Hackett after a humiliating Christmas loss to the Rams
where they got the fifty Burger dropped on they hit
the bottom of the Power ranks for the first time.
Let's start with Houston. Let's start with the good news. Yes,
(29:54):
let's give him some love. They've been number thirty two
in the Power rankings for I think about a month
and a half, and to move out. It's not just
finally beating a team, which they did in the Titans
this week, but they've been playing teams tight for several
weeks now and now they have something to show for it.
I just love that in this last quadrant we can
come up with something that's positive, because it always feels
(30:15):
like this is the Debbie Downer block. And I just
love that the Texans finally broke through because they played
both the Chiefs and the Cowboys really tough, and now
they have something to show for it, ending that nine
game losing streak. That's got to be just like a
nice bump for the locker room in general, especially this
time of year. You finally don't have to leave the
(30:35):
stadium with a loss or get on a plane after
a loss. I mean, I just think I don't know
what this does for love e Smith going forward. But
the defense, they forced three turnovers they've been playing frisk
ear and frisk gear, and I like that about them.
I think that this isn't a team that by any
means is about to turn the whole thing around. But
at least it gives you a little bit, a little
(30:58):
speckle of optimism right now in December, a specle of optimism.
I like like that, Connie. Also, you know, if you're
a Houston fan that is looking at the big picture,
all right, that was nice, nice win. Let's hold right
there at to twelve and one. They currently hold the
number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. If they
don't win another game in Chicago's right behind them at
(31:19):
three and twelve. So I'll leave it at that. You
keep playing competitive football, But let's get that first pick.
And the Broncos a team that you know, speaking of
looking ahead to the draft, they can't even do that
because the blockbuster trade that brought Russell Wilson here cost
them multiple first round picks, including two thousand, twenty three.
So the Seahawks currently would pick third in the draft
based on worthy stand And let's look at the season
(31:41):
rank trajectory for the Broncos since Week one. I had
them at the top ten. I had everybody in the
a f C West in the top ten, just like
everybody else who thinks they know it all. I said, oh,
it was one of division adiot number eight. By week five,
they were sixteen. By week nine they were twenty six.
And finally now they have parked themselves at the bottom
of the rights. They have ownership, a new ownership that
filed fired Nathaniel Hackett on Monday. They have a ton
(32:04):
of money, so they could potentially lure a big name
head coach Sean Payton as an example, in the off
season and still take care of Hackett because they owe
him that money despite firing him. But there's so much
to figure out here, kind of including like what do
you do with Russell Wilson if this is just who
he is now? Right? I think this whole Broncos season
has been one of the biggest surprises, at least coming
in from all of the chatter and all of the
(32:26):
storylines in training camp. I was in Denver in Inglewood
there and it was so optimistic and this was before
Tim Patrick went down their wide receiver, and then from
there just seemed like everything really started to spiral from
the clock management issues that Nathaniel Hackett was having and
everything else. So I would put that up there as
one of the biggest surprises, right next to me being
(32:47):
attacked by a dog on Christmas Day, because that was
pretty damn surprising. So I think that the Broncos, you know,
they just it's been a tough season. I don't want
to talk about Broncos anymore. I want to talk about dogs.
Are you okay by the lead? Right? I'm all right.
I'm a little ammatized by it. But I guess you know,
Christmas you gotta deal with a lot of different things,
(33:09):
and being around family is sometimes stressful, and especially if
a family dog turns on you and get your arm
and locks on it. So it's just been an eventful
time of year. And I may or may not be
on painkillers right now. Well I think if you are
heavily medicated, I can't really tell. I wonder, and I
know your last day is wolf? What Aunt Doreene? You
(33:32):
know she she's always on a nice cocktail. You are
wearing a hat that has like a ferocious howling wolf
it appears, so is that kind of like you know,
sticking your thumb up at the canine that came after you. Well,
it says lone Wolf, so it's sort of that. And
you know, just my last name. It's a good day
to be in sweats, mostly because I can't have anything
(33:54):
tight around my arm, Colley, and I hate to hear that.
Please get well soon. Come back to California where it's safe,
That's what I'll say, coming back all right, I'll be
there shortly. Thank and everybody for listening and watching. The
Power Rankings podcast will be back again next week as
we take a look at the final week of the
regular season. Here we go all the way down to
Yelbick Road, Connie. Until then, remember what you gotta do
(34:16):
either call. NFL Power Rankings is a production of the
NFL in partnership with I Heart Radio. For more podcasts
from my Heart Radio, visit the i Heart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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