Playoff berths and divisional races are heating up in the NFL, as Week 16 had plenty of fireworks, starting with Thursday Night Football. A few defensive showdowns, a few high-scoring affairs, and a few blowouts all factor into the changes in ClutchPoints’ Week 17 NFL Power Rankings.
Check out ClutchPoints’ Week 17 NFL Power Rankings to see where your team lands.
1. New England Patriots (+2)
The New England Patriots moved up two spots into the top spot in ClutchPoints' Week 17 NFL Power Rankings, after they clawed their way back on Sunday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens. Facing a second-half deficit, Drake Maye led two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, helping New England earn their 12th win of the year.
As the Patriots are one of only two AFC teams with a locked-in playoff spot, they can now turn their sights to clinching the AFC East divisional title and earning the lone bye in the AFC. Head coach Mike Vrabel seems to have his team hitting on all cylinders as the weather turns cold, bringing back the old Patriots way.
2. Seattle Seahawks (+4)
An impressive, 23-point comeback in the second half to force overtime pushed the Seattle Seahawks to their 12th win of the year, elevating them into the top spot for an NFC team in the Week 17 NFL Power Rankings. While it wasn’t a strong showing from any one player from the SEA offense, Sam Darnold (270 yards) overcame two interceptions to lead the comeback.
The most ridiculous two-point conversion ever results in the Seahawks tying it up vs the Rams.
Rules analyst Terry McAulay was all over it for Prime Video. 🏈🎙️ #NFL #TNF pic.twitter.com/BI8HEGwt1c
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 19, 2025
A wacky, two-point conversion epitomizes everything that had to go right for Seattle in their win, as they now sit a full game ahead in the races for the NFC West and the overall top seed in the NFC playoff bracket.
3. Chicago Bears (+2)
The Chicago Bears were finally able to exorcise some NFC North demons in Week 16, as their overtime, comeback win over the Green Bay Packers puts them squarely in the lead to win the division. Having split the season series, the Bears are a game up in the loss column over the Packers, and it took some late-game heroics to do so.
Caleb Williams orchestrated three scoring drives in the fourth quarter, as 13 of Chicago’s 16 points in regulation came in that quarter alone. Persevering through the defensive stalwart both teams put together in the first three quarters, a 46-yard touchdown pass from Williams to DJ Moore gave Chicago their 11th win on the season, pushing them to 6-1 at home.
4. Los Angeles Rams (-3)
While the weather was an early-week topic heading into their Thursday Night Football matchup, the Rams' offensive firepower came on strong. However, they were on the wrong side of a divisional shootout with the Seahawks, losing both their Week 16 matchup and their lead in the NFC West.
Matthew Stafford’s case for league MVP continues to grow stronger as the weeks go on, as he threw for 457 yards and three touchdowns. Plus, Stafford’s connection with Puka Nacua (12 catches, 225 yards, three touchdowns) was on full display, and yet the defense couldn’t slow down the second-half comeback for Seattle, as the Rams are on the outside of the divisional race looking in.
5. Denver Broncos (-3)
It was an uphill battle for the Denver Broncos in their Week 16 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, as they suffered their first home loss of the 2025 NFL season. Bo Nix threw for 352 yards in the loss, finding Courtland Sutton for his only touchdown of the day.
But two turnovers from Nix, an interception and a fumble, took two potential scoring drives away from the Broncos, as their 14-point loss makes their hold on both the AFC West and the AFC playoff picture a bit tighter than last week.
6. San Francisco 49ers (+1)
A huge performance from Brock Purdy, one that featured setting a career mark with five passing touchdowns, helped lead the San Francisco 49ers to an important win on Monday Night Football. Their 48-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts came on the heels of locking up a playoff berth, something that happened before their Week 16 game.
Purdy found Jauan Jennings, George Kittle, Demarcus Robinson, and Christian McCaffrey (twice) for passing touchdowns, while McCaffrey 146 total yards on 27 touches in the win. San Francisco was able to jump the Rams in the NFC West standings, making for quite the fun stretch of games coming up for that division.
7. Buffalo Bills (-3)
It was far more of a struggle than it should have been, but the Buffalo Bills did earn a win in Week 16 over the Cleveland Browns, 23-20. Relying on the legs of James Cook to lead the offense, Buffalo gashed the Cleveland run defense to the tune of 5.7 yards per carry and 164 rushing yards.
Josh Allen was extremely quiet, completing 12 passes for 130 yards in the win. The Buffalo defense sacked Shedeur Sanders twice and sacked him twice in the win, as Buffalo remains in the hunt for a spot in the AFC playoffs.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (+2)
Ending the 11-game winning streak for the Broncos was clutch for the Jacksonville Jaguars, especially with their 34-20 win coming on the road. A four-touchdown performance from Trevor Lawrence (one rushing) helped lead a strong offensive performance for the Jaguars, finding Travis Etienne, Parker Washington, and Brenton Strange for touchdowns.
Washington put up a career performance in the win, catching six passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, as he filled the role of Lawrence’s favorite target in Week 16.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (+2)
The Philadelphia Eagles kicked off the two-game slate on Saturday with a comfortable win over the Washington Commanders, 29-18. Jalen Hurts threw touchdowns to DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, A.J. Brown caught nine passes for 95 yards, and Saquon Barkley ran for 132 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Saquon Barkley wants another NFC East title: pic.twitter.com/mmlKq0PaOf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 21, 2025
10. Houston Texans (-1)
While the Houston Texans did win their Week 16 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, only squeaking by by two points should be signaling some alarm bells. Not being able to establish much of a running game with Woody Marks out made the offensive approach a bit wonky, as C.J. Stroud’s connection with Nico Collins (4-of-9 completed targets) was very inconsistent.
Stroud found Dalton Schultz for his lone passing touchdown of the game, Ka’imi Fairbairn knocked three field goals through, and the Houston defense racked up a pick-six and three sacks in the win.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (+4)
A fantastic showing from the two-headed attack at running back propelled the Steelers into a really strong win on the road over the Lions. Jaylen Warren turned 14 carries into 143 yards and two touchdowns, and Kenneth Gainwell racked up 128 total yards, including 78 receiving yards on five receptions.
KENNETH GAINWELL ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! 😳
One of the best plays of the season 🔥
(via @steelers)pic.twitter.com/GZpmYw04Yc
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 21, 2025
Gainwell provided the highlight of the day for the Steelers, as he fought through a pass interference call to catch a long pass from Aaron Rodgers while on his back, helping the Steelers remain atop the tough AFC North race, moving up four spots in the Week 17 NFL Power Rankings.
12. Los Angeles Chargers (no change)
An easy road for the Los Angeles Chargers helps them remain as the top AFC wild card team, beating the Dallas Cowboys, 34-17. Omarion Hampton ran for 85 yards and a touchdown in the win, Justin Herbert threw for 300 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns (one rushing), and both Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey hauled in a touchdown in the win.
The Chargers currently sit at 11-4 in the fifth spot in the AFC playoff picture, and with matchups against the Texans and Broncos upcoming, they will be tested down the stretch as they look to lock up a playoff berth.
13. Green Bay Packers (-5)
With Josh Jacobs already banged up coming into their Saturday night matchup, Green Bay lost quarterback Jordan Love to a concussion in the second quarter, forcing the offense to shift to Malik Willis. While their defense kept their offense in the entire game, Willis and the offense weren’t able to string enough second-half scoring together to earn the win, falling five spots in the Week 17 NFL Power Rankings.
A failed onside kick recovery from Romeo Doubs gave the Bears the ball back in regulation, allowing them to march down the field for the game-tying score. In regulation, Green Bay possessed the ball first, but a failed fourth-down conversion in CHI territory sealed their fate, giving the Bears the ball back with great field position.
14. Carolina Panthers (+3)
It certainly is enjoyable watching Bryce Young look incredibly comfortable in the Carolina Panthers’ offense, and he put together another strong performance in their Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Young threw touchdowns to Tetairoa McMillan and Ja’Tavion Sanders, including a pirouette late in the game for his second score, as the Panthers now hold a one-game lead in the NFC South division with two games left, including a rematch with the Buccaneers in Week 18.
15. Indianapolis Colts (-1)
Philip Rivers came out of the gates hot for the Colts, firing touchdowns on the first two drives of the game for the offense. But two field goals and a touchdown from that point quieted down the offense, as the Indy defense was no match for the San Francisco passing attack.
Jonathan Taylor was bottled up for most of the game, only rushing for 46 yards but finding the end zone to salvage his night. Alec Pierce caught both of Rivers' touchdowns, but a late, pick-six pretty much shut the door on any comeback efforts the Colts were thinking about. With the loss, the Colts drop to eighth in the AFC playoff picture, two games behind the Texans and on life support for the playoffs.
16. Detroit Lions (-3)
The Detroit Lions had to have their Week 16 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers to keep their playoff hopes strong, but a wacky final drive that resulted in a game-ending offensive pass interference call went against Detroit at home. Their 29-24 loss to the Steelers puts the Lions one-and-a-half games behind the Packers for the final NFC Wild Card spot, putting their playoff hopes on life support.
A bad game on the ground for Jahmyr Gibbs was salvaged with a receiving touchdown, but in a game forecast to have strong showings from both Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, both receivers saw plenty of volume but did not do a ton with it.
17. Baltimore Ravens (-1)
The playoff chances for the Ravens took a massive hit after their Sunday Night Football loss to the Patriots, and they may have lost Lamar Jackson in the process. Having been forced out of their SNF loss with a back injury, Tyler Huntley was forced into action, and he actually looked pretty comfortable.
However, abandoning Derrick Henry down the stretch was the one thing Todd Monken couldn’t do, as the offense bogged down in the second half, allowing New England to get back into it. Baltimore didn’t control their playoff destiny anymore with the loss, and that point might be moot anyway if Jackson is forced to miss substantial time.
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (no change)
In a game that they had to have, the Buccaneers fumbled away their chance at solidifying their spot atop the NFC South in a loss to the Panthers. Baker Mayfield only threw for 145 yards in the loss, connecting with Mike Evans for his long touchdown.
The Buccaneers' offense struggled all game, as Bucky Irving was held in check and the passing game was uneven all day, a big reason why they lost.
19. Miami Dolphins (no change)
A blowout at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals was a fitting way for Quinn Ewers to make his first start in the NFL, as the Miami offense leaned on the running game in the loss. Ewers threw for 260 scoreless yards and two interceptions in a very average showing.
De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright both found the end zone on the ground, but the MIA defense was gashed by the upstart Cincinnati offense, dropping the Dolphins to 6-9.
20. Dallas Cowboys (no change)
Having already been eliminated from playoff contention before starting their Week 16 game, the Cowboys struggled in their loss to the Chargers. Dak Prescott threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns, including a deep connection to George Pickens, but the Dallas offense as a whole struggled, with Javonte Williams (43 yards) and CeeDee Lamb (51) struggling to get anything going.
21. Atlanta Falcons (no change)
Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons earned a nice win on the road over the Arizona Cardinals, 26-19, in Week 16. Cousins found Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson for scores in the win, as Robinson (168 total yards) was the offensive leader, racking up 23 touches.
Bijan Robinson eclipses 2,000 yards from scimmage on this run 🔥
ATLvsAZ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/y3WOIpwGHk
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025
22. New Orleans Saints (+1)
It was another impressive showing from rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, as the New Orleans Saints let him air it out 49 times in their win over the New York Jets. Shough threw for 308 yards and a touchdown to Chris Olave, his second consecutive game without a turnover and his first-career game with 300 passing yards.
Olave caught 10 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns in NO’s fifth win of the year, as the running game was missing in action with both Alvin Kamara and rookie Devin Neal out with injuries.
23. Minnesota Vikings (-1)
Injuries to both J.J. McCarthy and Jordan Mason made things tough for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16, but a strong performance from Aaron Jones, who returned from his own first-quarter injury, helped the Vikings win their seventh game of the year, 16-13.
McCarthy left Sunday’s win early with a hand injury, while Mason left because of an ankle injury, and Jones left briefly after reinjuring his shoulder, putting backup QB Max Brosmer back into the spotlight. The rookie QB stepped in and held his own, completing seven passes and not turning the ball over, as the Vikings’ defense held up its end of the bargain.
24. Cincinnati Bengals (+2)
It was quite the offensive output for the Bengals in their Week 16 win over the Dolphins, as Joe Burrow enjoyed having Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown all healthy. While Higgins found the end zone early, Chase crossed the century mark (109 yards), and Brown scored three total touchdowns, two through the air.
While this is a lost season for the Bengals, this showing is just another example of what could have been if Burrow had not missed so much time with an injury earlier this year. All eyes will be on the future of Zac Taylor to see if he will be returning next year as their head coach or not.
25. Kansas City Chiefs (-1)
With Gardner Minshew stepping in for the injured Patrick Mahomes, the veteran journeyman was forced to leave Sunday’s game early with what is feared to be a torn ACL. Minshew was replaced by Chris Oladokun, who struggled to move the offense and lost a fumble, as the Kansas City Chiefs were upset by the lowly Tennessee Titans, 26-9, dropping even further in the Week 17 NFL Power Rankings.
26. Washington Commanders (-1)
Marcus Mariota suffered injuries to his hand and quad, forcing him to leave Washington’s Week 15 loss to Philadelphia early, thrusting Josh Johnson into the starting role. Johnson committed two turnovers in his limited work, throwing an interception and losing a fumble on his lone carry.
There was no love lost between these two teams, as there were plenty of skirmishes during the game. With the Eagles going for two late while up multiple possessions, it’s safe to say there will be fireworks when they face off again in two weeks.
27. Tennessee Titans (+4)
Week 16 was one of rookie Cam Ward’s best showings of his young career, as his two-touchdown performance helped the Titans spring a surprising upset over the Chiefs. Ward threw for 228 yards in the win, finding Chig Okonkwo and rookie Chimere Dike for touchdowns.
Tyjae Spears racked up 105 total yards on 18 touches (five receptions), and Tony Pollard crossed the century mark on the ground, running for 102 yards on 21 carries.
28. Cleveland Browns (+1)
A valiant effort from Sanders and the Cleveland offense came up short, as the Browns were not able to put up enough points in the second half to spring a shocking upset over the Bills.
Sanders was forced to shoulder most of the load after fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins was knocked out with a lower leg injury, and he did what he could, connecting with his favorite target, Harold Fannin Jr., for another touchdown. Fannin also found the end zone via a short carry lined up as a fullback, as Cleveland should be content with how they looked against a far-superior opponent.
29. New York Jets (-1)
Another start for rookie QB Brady Cook went poorly, as the Mizzou quarterback threw an interception, lost a fumble, and was sacked eight times by a strong Saints pass rush.
Two field goals from Nick Folk were the only thing that stood between the Jets and a shutout, as the first year under Aaron Glenn has been nothing short of a disaster.
30. Arizona Cardinals (no change)
A late-game interception from Jacoby Brissett killed off a potential game-tying drive for the Cardinals, as their offense got out to a hot start but failed to string much together after the first quarter.
Brissett finally came back down to Earth, only throwing for 203 yards and a single touchdown to Michael Wilson. Tight end Elijah Higgins was Brissett’s favorite target in the loss, catching seven passes (on eight targets) for 91 yards in the close loss.
31. New York Giants (-4)
Jaxson Dart was seeing ghosts all day in the Week 16 loss for the New York Giants, as Brian Flores’ defense harassed the Ole Miss rookie to the tune of an interception, five sacks, and only 33 passing yards.
The Giants' offense as a unit struggled to get anything going, as Wan’Dale Robinson was NYG’s leading pass catcher with 19 yards on three receptions.
32. Las Vegas Raiders (no change)
A two-point loss to the Texans is exactly what the Raiders team needed as they rack up yet another lost season. While an early pick-six thrown by Geno Smith put this game on a bad path, he quickly corrected that mistake, finding Brock Bowers to make up for it.
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty had quite a game against the tough Houston defense, as he had two long touchdowns and racked up 188 total yards in the loss. While this loss helps boost morale for the lowly Raiders, they still will be keeping the last spot in the Week 17 NFL Power Rankings warm for another week.
