NFL Week 15 Power Rankings: Is it time for a new king?

1. Baltimore Ravens (11-2; Won 24-17 vs BUF) (-)

Baltimore held off a late Bills rally to secure a crucial win in the AFC Playoff race and virtually lock down the top playoff seed. Lamar Jackson threw for three touchdowns on 25 attempts, though he was held in check on the ground for the most part.

2. San Francisco 49ers (11-2; Won 48-46 vs NO) (-)

San Francisco outlasted the Saints on the road, winning a thriller on a last-second field goal. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns on 35 attempts. 157 of those yards and one touchdown went the Emmanuel Sanders, as the receiver has continued his impressive season since arriving in a mid-season trade.

3. New Orleans Saints (10-3; Lost 48-46 vs SF) (-)

New Orleans had a chance to take control over the No. 1 seed in the NFC this week, but came up just short at home against the 49ers. The defense could not contain veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders and a five touchdown performance from Drew Brees turned out to be in vain.

4. Kansas City Chiefs (9-4; Won 23-16 vs NE) (+2)

Kansas City fended off a late Patriots rally after their offense shut down in the second half. The 17 points they scored in the second quarter proved to be enough despite only six points in the other quarters combined. The win essentially locks up the AFC West for the Chiefs and gives them a real chance at earning a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs.

5. Seattle Seahawks (10-3; Lost 28-12 vs LAR) (-1)

The Seahawks offense was a disaster on Sunday night, as they failed to crack a Rams defense that has many problems of its own. The potential long-term loss of running back Rashaad Penny will not make things easier going forward, either. The NFC West is still in play, but a loss this week put control back in the hands of the 49ers.

6. Green Bay Packers (10-3; Won 20-15 vs WAS) (+1)

Aaron Jones’ 134 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries carried the Packers of a day where Aaron Rodgers was not at his best. Jones led the team in receiving as well, with 58 yards on six receptions, and the defense did their part in the winning effort as well.

7. New England Patriots (10-3; Lost 23-16 vs KC) (-2)

8. Minnesota Vikings (9-4; Won 20-7 vs DET) (+1)

The Vikings defense had no trouble dealing with the Lions banged up offense, and made up for a lackluster performance from the offense. Neither Kirk Cousins nor Dalvin Cook were at their best, but Minnesota still avoided a disaster loss in the NFC Playoff race.

9. Tennessee Titans (8-5; Won 42-21 vs OAK) (+2)

Ryan Tannehill is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The former first-round pick threw for 391 yards and three touchdowns on 27 attempts, leading the Titans to a blow-out victory over the Raiders that will be crucial in the playoff race. They have a chance to take control of the AFC South race next week when they take on the Houston Texans.

10. Buffalo Bills (9-4; Lost 24-17 vs BAL) (-)

The Bills defense did a great job containing probable NFL MVP Lamar Jackson but the offense had trouble cracking the Ravens defense until it was too late. Josh Allen only managed 146 passing yards of 39 attempts, though a big day from rookie running back Devin Singletary—17 attempts for 89 yards—kept the Bills alive.

11. Los Angeles Rams (8-5; Won 28-12 vs SEA) (+1)

The defending NFC Champions kept their dwindling playoff hopes alive with a huge upset victory over the Seahawks on “Sunday Night Football.” Los Angeles finds themselves only a game out of the playoffs but have a tough schedule ahead.

12. Houston Texans (8-5; Lost 38-24 vs DEN) (-4)

The Texans defense was run riot by the Broncos offense, and the offense could not make up the difference. Deshaun Watson threw two interceptions and only managed 292 yards on 50 pass attempts. Carlos Hyde had a big day on the ground, with 73 yards on 14 carries.

13. Chicago Bears (7-6; Won 31-24 vs DAL) (+3)

It has been really easy to criticize the Bears this year. The defense has regressed, and quarterback Mitch Trubisky has had some awful games. Quietly, though, they have climbed their way back above the .500 mark, and 2019 is turning out to be a respectable year for the Monsters of the Midway. The Thursday night win over the Cowboys is one of the best of the season, and Trubisky looked better than ever.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5; Won 23-17 vs ARI) (+1)

Devlin Hodges just can not stop winning. The UDFA rookie put together another victory, with 152 yards and a touchdown pass on 19 attempts, keeping the Steelers in their current playoff slot with many teams biting at their feet.

15. Dallas Cowboys (6-7; Lost 31-24 vs CHI) (-2)

Dallas dropped another game in what is proving to be a pitiful NFC East race. The Cowboys defense had no answer for the Bears offense and was run over by the Mitch Trubisky-led unit. The offense also did not play as well as the box score would indicate.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7; Won 38-35 vs IND) (+5)

Tampa Bay got to play spoiler this week, knocking off a Colts team that’s in the thick of the AFC playoff race. Jameis Winston had a patented performance, throwing four touchdowns and three interceptions in an eventual winning effort.

17. Indianapolis Colts (6-7; Lost 38-35 vs TB) (-3)

Indianapolis blew a chance to keep pressure on the Titans and Texans in the AFC South, losing an extremely winnable game on the road in Florida. Despite generating a few turnovers, the defense could not hold up against the Bucs offense, and they may have slipped out of the playoff race.

18. Philadelphia Eagles (6-7; Won 23-17 vs NYG) (-1)

The worst divisional race ever continued to “Monday Night Football” this week. Philadelphia needed a late rally to force overtime against a lifeless Giants team that was forced to start Eli Manning at quarterback. They would end up winning in overtime, but this game instilled no confidence in the team.

19. Denver Broncos (5-8; Won 38-24 vs HOU) (+3)

Drew Lock was near perfect in his second NFL start. The rookie quarterback took the Texans defense to task and led the team to a huge upset victory. Lock threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns on 27 attempts. Denver’s season is essentially dead at this point, but Lock’s high level of play gives them a lot to be excited about in the future.

20. Cleveland Browns (6-7; Won 27-19 vs CIN) (-)

Baker Mayfield was bad once again, but Nick Chubb’s 106 yards on 15 carries helped the Browns avoid a disastrous upset against the Bengals in the battle for Ohio.

21. Oakland Raiders (6-7; Lost 42-21 vs TEN) (-3)

The Raiders suffered an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Titans that will most likely cost them their chance at the playoffs. The offense struggled without star rookie running Josh Jacobs in the lineup, and the defense could not deal with Ryan Tannehill.

22. Los Angeles Chargers (5-8; Won 45-10 vs JAX) (+1)

The Chargers must have felt pressure from the Cowboys this week in their campaign to be the hardest to predict team in the league. They blew up the Jaguars, and Philip Rivers looked like his old self in a 314-yard, three-touchdown performance.

23. Carolina Panthers (5-8; Lost 40-20 vs ATL) (-4)

Carolina’s spectacular collapse this season continued this week, and they are now officially out of the playoff race. They fell to the Falcons, and a recent string of losses could see them potentially fall all the way into last place in the NFC South.

24. Atlanta Falcons (4-9; Won 40-20 vs CAR) (+1)

The Falcons late-season renaissance continued this week as they dominated the Panthers. A defensive unit that was among the league's worst for much of the year stood tall against Kyle Allen and the Panthers offense, and 313 yards and a touchdown through the air from Matt Ryan led the team to their fourth win of the season.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9; Lost 45-10 vs LAC) (-1)

Gardner Minshew’s return to the starting role was not as bright as he would have hoped. The young quarterback only managed 162 yards on 37 attempts. The real culprit here was the defense, though, who failed to stop a washed out Philip Rivers from steamrolling them.

26. Detroit Lions (3-9-1; Lost 20-7 vs MIN) (+1)

Detroit did not get on the board until the fourth quarter The defense did a great job stuffing the Vikings impressive running attack but received virtually no help from the other side of the ball.

27. Arizona Cardinals (3-9-1; Lost 23-17 vs PIT) (+1)

The Cardinals actually got a good game from their defense this week, but the offense was the culprit in this week’s loss. Kyler Murray threw three interceptions and only managed 194 yards on 30 attempts. Kenyan Drake could not provide anything in the running game, either.

28. New York Jets (5-8; Won 22-21 vs MIA) (+2)

A controversial pass interference call late in the game set up the Jets to kick a last-second game-winning field goal and avoid an embarrassing season sweep by their divisional foes.

29. Washington (3-10; Lost 20-15 vs GB) (-3)

Washington’s defense managed to hold Aaron Rodgers in check but could not deal with Aaron Jones. The offense was inefficient as well, and Washington got a step closer to landing Chase Young in next year's draft.

30. Miami Dolphins (3-10; Lost 22-21 vs NYJ) (-1)

Miami was seconds away from knocking off the Jets, completing the season sweep and even getting out of last place in the division. The loss may be a blessing, though, as it keeps them within range of a top two draft pick.

31. New York Giants (2-11; Lost 23-17 vs PHI) (-)

Eli Manning nearly pulled off a huge upset in his return to the starting job this week. The veteran quarterback threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns, and his favorite target was rookie receiver Darius Slayton. Slayton totaled 154 yards and two scores on five receptions. New York came up just short in overtime, though.

32. Cincinnati Bengals (1-12; Lost 27-19 vs CLE) (-)

Joe Burrow led the LSU Tigers to an SEC title after an incredible performance against Georgia. Burrow will be one of the finalists — and likely the winner — of the Heisman award in a few weeks.