NFL Week Seventeen power rankings

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Previous ratings in parentheses.

FIRST TIER: BEST OF THE BEST
1 San Diego (3)
2 Indianapolis (2)
3 New Orleans (1)
SECOND TIER: OTHER SUPER BOWL CONTENDERS
4 Arizona (5)
5 Philadelphia (6)
THIRD TIER: PLAYOFF FILLER AND POTENTIAL PLAYOFF FILLER
6 Minnesota (4)
7 New England (8)
8 Cincinnati (7)
9 Green Bay (9)
10 Dallas (12)
11 Baltimore (13)
12 Pittsburgh (16)
13 NY Jets (19)
14 Denver (11)
15 Houston (17)
THIRD TIER: BARELY ABOVE-AVERAGE TO AVERAGE
16 Miami (15)
17 Atlanta (20)
18 NY Giants (10)
19 Tennessee (14)
20 Jacksonville (18)
21 San Francisco (21)
22 Carolina (22)
FOURTH TIER: VERY BAD, BUT NOT THE WORST
23 Chicago (23)
24 Seattle (24)
FIFTH TIER: TEAMS WITHOUT ANY REDEEMING VALUE WHATSOEVER
25 Washington (25)
26 Buffalo (26)
27 Tampa Bay (29)
28 Cleveland (30)
29 Oakland (27)
30 Kansas City (28)
31 Detroit (31)
32 St. Louis (32)

BIGGEST RISERS: NY Jets (6 spots), Pittsburgh (4 spots), Atlanta (3 spots)
BIGGEST FALLERS: NY Giants (8 spots), Tennessee (5 spots), Denver (3 spots)