Final 2021 NFL Power Rankings: Colts falter; 49ers and Raiders are in
Texans and Lions avoid bottom two of final NFL Power Rankings
50. . . Previous: 31st. Detroit Lions. 30. team
30. Detroit Lions
Improbably, the Lions not only rose up the power rankings but beat the Green Bay Packers after Aaron Rodgers started. Sure, Green Bay removed their starters late, but Dan Campbell’s troops continued to fight to the end. However, their win ensures that they will be picking 2nd overall behind Jacksonville.
The main question for this team will be what they do with that pick. If Aidan Hutchinson were to slip to them, it would be a no-brainer. Nonetheless, Brad Holmes will have to figure out his next move after drafting Penei Sewell last season. But what about the quarterback position?
Is Campbell ok with Jared Goff as his quarterback, or will he opt to move in a different direction? Only time will tell if the Motor City shifts into a new gear.
Houston Texans. 29. team. 10. . . Previous: 29th
29. Houston Texans
They gave the Titans a run for their money after being down 21-0, but David Culley’s crew took it down to the wire, with a rookie 3rd round pick starting at quarterback. Though Houston is headed for an offseason full of questions, they have the draft to look forward to. That said, this team did not quit when the tough got going.
Danny Amendola’s two touchdown catches ensured that this would be anything but a runaway, and defensively, Christian Kirksey and Terrence Brooks made Tennessee struggle. However, the player that deserves the most props is Davis Mills, who passed for over 300 yards against a team that is now the top seed in the conference.
Frankly, the fact that Houston was able to prevent Tennesee from making this game a runaway shows that Culley deserves more than a season to potentially remove the stench entirely from the past regime.