2022 NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Vikings make history in comeback win

The Minnesota Vikings nearly suffered a tough loss but instead made history with a comeback win and climb up our 2022 NFL Power Rankings at Week 16

Just when it looked as though the Indianapolis Colts were going to get a huge win, they wound up having an epic collapse. Their 33-0 lead wasn’t enough as the Minnesota Vikings had the largest comeback win in NFL history — and Matt Ryan has since had to endure all the same jokes he heard when his Atlanta Falcons lost a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl.

Other exciting games from the weekend included an upset win by the Jacksonville Jaguars over the Dallas Cowboys in overtime, and the New England Patriots literally throwing a game away with no time on the clock.

Here, we look at how all of that shakes things up with our Week 16 edition of the 2022 NFL Power Rankings.

2022 NFL Power Rankings Week 16

32. Houston Texans

For the second week in a row, the Houston Texans made it tough on one of the better teams in the league. Last week, it was the Dallas Cowboys who needed a last-minute touchdown drive in order to get a win. This weekend, it was the Kansas City Chiefs who needed overtime to knock off the Texans.

While there are no moral victories in the NFL, it has to be encouraging for this team to be performing well. Finally.

They’re still just 1-12-1 and are nearly guaranteed the No. 1 overall pick, but if they can find a few players between now and the offseason, that’s a huge plus.

31. Chicago Bears

Justin Fields is finally showing just how dangerous he can be as an NFL quarterback. Sure, the Chicago Bears are just 3-11 but he’s been making plays and on Sunday, he was the reason they were able to make it close against the best team in the NFL.

Chicago lost 25-20 to the Philadelphia Eagles but that game was supposed to be a blowout. Fields kept that from happening as he had 152 yards passing with two touchdowns and 95 yards rushing. His 39-yard run originally looked to be a touchdown but he stepped out and David Montgomery ran it in afterward.

This offseason, the front office needs to do all it can to surround him with talent because he can’t do it on his own.

30. Arizona Cardinals

This season has completely gotten away from the Arizona Cardinals, who just fell to 4-10 on the season with a loss to the Denver Broncos. The ACL tear for Kyler Murray was a tough blow but they weren’t doing anything with him anyway. And in this one, they were down to Trace McSorley when Colt McCoy suffered a concussion.

This campaign has to feel like a major setback for this organization after seeing improvement in each of the past three seasons under Kliff Kingsbury. The head coach led them to five wins as a rookie, then they improved to 8-8 in year two, and 11-6 last season. Now at 4-9, there are concerns about where they go from here.

29. Denver Broncos

All they needed to do in order to win was not play Russell Wilson. Well, that or play another team that’s not playing well this season.

In Week 15, the Denver Broncos started Brett Rypien and he was able to overcome seven sacks — three from J.J. Watt — and lead his team to a 24-15 win against the Cardinals.

Rypien wasn’t outstanding but he was a solid game manager. He was also able to lean on a ground game that had 168 yards, with 130 coming from Latavius Murray. Defensively, the Broncos had three picks, which helped them improve to 4-10. Still a far cry from what was expected of them when the season began.

28. Los Angeles Rams

Plays on Monday Night Football vs. Green Bay Packers

Baker Mayfield had an incredible debut against the Las Vegas Raiders last Thursday night and now he’s back on prime time for the Los Angeles Rams. This time, he’s going against the Green Bay Packers and will be playing on the frozen tundra.

Neither team has been good this season with the Packers’ record of 5-8 being superior to the 4-9 Rams. No one expected this when the schedule came out as a game that was supposed to have a big impact on the playoffs might now be skipped by those wanting a little more sleep.

27. Indianapolis Colts

There can’t be any Indianapolis Colts fans that want to see this Jeff Saturday tenure continue. The hire was terrible to begin with and despite a lucky win over the Raiders, there’s been nothing positive to take away from this five-game stretch.

And as bad as their 54-19 loss to Dallas was in their last outing, they were embarrassed more this Saturday as they were on the wrong side of the largest comeback in NFL history. A 33-0 lead at the half over Minnesota wasn’t enough as the Vikings stormed back and won 39-36 in overtime.

What’s even worse is the refs botched two plays that took defensive touchdowns away from the Vikings, so it shouldn’t have even been an overtime loss, but rather a defeat in regulation.

26. Atlanta Falcons

Desmond Ridder got his first start of the season as the Atlanta Falcons decided to put him in over Marcus Mariota. The result wasn’t much different as they still lost, falling to 5-9 thanks to a 21-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Ridder was just 13-of-26 for 97 yards and had 38 yards rushing. 70 of those 97 yards went to Drake London, who caught seven passes. Outside of London, the Falcons also had a good outing from Tyler Allgeier who had 139 yards and a touchdown.

Despite those two rookies stepping up, the defense struggled to make stops Atlanta fell to 1-6 away from home. They’re technically still in the NFC South race but they’re not a threat to do much of anything at this point.

25. New Orleans Saints

For a minute, the New Orleans Saints looked as though they were going to threaten Tampa Bay in the NFC South but a two-game losing streak — their fourth such streak this season — halted those plans. One of their latest losses was to Tampa Bay, meaning they weren’t going to catch them, especially since that was their second loss to the Bucs.

This Sunday though, they stopped the bleeding and made it a clean sweep against the Falcons, beating them 21-18. They’re now 5-9 and tied with the Dirty Birds and Panthers for second place in the South.

It’s true they’re still technically alive but the focus now has to be on the offseason and what changes they need to make.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers

Kenny Pickett was out this week as he’s dealing with a concussion and that meant Mitch Trubisky was back under center for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they took on the Carolina Panthers. He did enough to help them get the win, throwing for just 179 yards and running a touchdown.

The ground game was the difference though with Najee Harris ripping off 86 yards and a touchdown and Jaylen Warren adding 38 and a score. In all, they had 156 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Defensively, they did enough to frustrate Sam Darnold and hold off the comeback. Darnold was sacked four times and Carolina had just 21 yards on 10 rushes.

23. Carolina Panthers

Two wins in a row had the Carolina Panthers back in the race for the NFC South title but those hopes took a huge hit this weekend. At home against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they lost 24-16 and couldn’t take advantage of Kenny Pickett being out for the road team.

The main issue for Carolina was their inability to run the ball as they had just 21 yards on 16 attempts. Their defense also had a hard time against the run, giving up 156 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Carolina is now 5-9 and while that’s still good for second place in the South, they really lost any chance at making an improbable run.

22. Cleveland Browns

He’s not where he needs to be just yet, but Deshaun Watson has been showing more comfort as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback. On Saturday night, he made his debut as the starter in FirstEnergy Stadium and led the Browns to a 13-3 win.

While the win was nice, Cleveland still has some questions to answer. The defense was better in Week 15 but they were against a backup in Tyler Huntley, so they still didn’t prove their issues are fixed.

Speaking of issues, Cade York has become a problem. He was 2-of-4 on the night but his two misses were very ugly. It didn’t hurt them this weekend but that could be costly should he continue to be so inconsistent.

21. Green Bay Packers

Plays on Monday Night Football vs. Los Angeles Rams

When the schedule makers put the Green Bay Packers at home against the Los Angeles Rams in December, they expected this to be a big game. When ESPN landed it for Monday Night Football, they likely thought it would have huge implications on the playoff seeding in the NFC.

What they didn’t expect was a battle of losing teams as the 5-8 Packers have been awful, but not as bad as the 4-9 Rams.

They also have an advantage with the weather and the fact that Baker Mayfield is still learning his new team — even if he had a sensational debut against the Raiders.

And that’s where we are. This supposed must-watch game has become a battle of Aaron Rodgers and the struggling Packers against Baker Mayfield and a bunch of players who he still doesn’t know very well.

20. Las Vegas Raiders

Even with several exciting endings, the Las Vegas Raiders had the most unbelievable finish to their game in Week 15.

Tied at 24, the Patriots had one final play and Jakobi Meyers tried to lateral the ball, and cost his team the game. Meyers tossed the ball all the way across the field but threw it right to Chandler Jones, who took it to the house for the win.

Jones, a former Patriot, helped Josh McDaniels secure his second win over Bill Belichick. And at 6-8, they’re still somehow alive in the AFC.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Once again, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dropped a game, making it two in a row and three of their past four. On the season, they’re now 6-8 which is the worst record we’ve ever seen from a team led by Tom Brady.

Even with that being the case, they remain in first place in the dreadful NFC South. Carolina lost to fall to 5-9 and the New Orleans Saints improved to 5-9 by beating the Atlanta Falcons, who fell to 5-9. Sadly, all three of those teams are still alive in the awful South and the division might be decided in the final two weeks of the year when Tampa Bay plays the Panthers in Week 17 and the Falcons in Week 18.

There are rumors Brady will retire after this season but that still might not happen until a playoff run — and it could be a run on a team with a losing record. That would be another first for him at least.

18. New England Patriots

There’s no way Bill Belichick is a happy man right now.

The New England Patriots’ head coach is used to winning but things haven’t been easy since Tom Brady bolted for Tampa Bay. They have continued to find ways to win and had a shot at improving to 8-6 this season had they been able to hold on against the Raiders.

New England had a 24-17 lead with just over two minutes to go but allowed a touchdown on a nine-play, 81-yard drive to tie it up. Then while trying to make something happen, Jakobi Meyers lateraled the ball to the other side of the field and Chandler Jones wound up catching the ball and ran it back for six.

Now at 7-7, they’re still in line to make the playoffs but this was a frustrating loss for them.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars

Don’t look now, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are in the mix for the AFC South title. They knocked off the Tennessee Titans last week and now beat the Dallas Cowboys in a thrilling overtime win. Not only did they fight back from 17 down in that win but they also found a way to steal the game when Rayshawn Jenkins picked off Dak Prescott in overtime and ran it back for a touchdown.

Tennessee also lost this weekend, as the Chargers sent them to 7-7. That means the 6-8 Jaguars are on their heels and the two teams play in Week 18. Before that meeting, the Jags face the struggling New York Jets and the one-win Houston Texans. They could wind up on top of their division when Week 18 concludes.

16. Tennessee Titans

Not long ago, the Tennessee Titans were 7-3 and not only in control of the AFC South, but they also had one eye on the No. 1 seed in the AFC — which would have been the second year in a row they landed that spot.

That feels like a dream now as they’ve dropped four games in a row to fall to 7-7. And with the Jaguars at 6-8 and playing well, that lead doesn’t feel safe at all.

They do still control their own destiny and have a possible win on the schedule next week with a home game against Houston. But the key will be how they close things out with Dallas and Jacksonville in Weeks 17 and 18.

15. New York Jets

There was a time when I questioned Dan Campbell and now it’s time to admit those questions were wrong. He’s suddenly got things rolling for the Detroit Lions who have three wins in a row and are now good on six of their past seven games.

They’ve completely turned things around from a 1-6 start and are now in the playoff hunt with a record of 7-7. Even those who liked what Campbell was building have to be surprised at how quickly things turned around this season.

Making them even scarier, in the long run, is the high draft pick they get from the Rams this offseason thanks to the Matthew Stafford trade. This team could be tough for a while.

14. Seattle Seahawks

For the majority of the 2022 season, Pete Carroll looked like a genius for sticking with Geno Smith. They were 6-3 and had control of the NFC West. However, they’ve since fallen off as their loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15 dropped them to 7-7.

It was also their fourth loss in the past five games. Adding insult to injury, the 49ers even clinched the NFC West with the win. They still have a shot at a Wild Card spot but will need some help in order for that to happen.

They still look brilliant for moving on from Russell Wilson, but they’re not ready to contend with the top teams in the conference.

13. Washington Commanders

A three-game winning streak ended for the Washington Commanders in Week 13 when they tied with the New York Giants. They then had an extra week to think about that due to a Week 14 bye, and then had an immediate chance for redemption as they played the Giants again in Week 15.

It’s not often a team gets to play the same opponent two weeks in a row but the Commanders had that opportunity. They could have really made some headway in the NFC playoff race but instead, they followed up the tie with a loss to the Giants on Sunday Night Football.

Now at 7-6-1, they’re still the No. 7 seed and would be in the playoffs should the season end today but they’re not feeling as good as they were before the two games against New York.

12. Detroit Lions

There was a time when I questioned Dan Campbell and now it’s time to admit those questions were wrong. He’s suddenly got things rolling for the Detroit Lions who have three wins in a row and are now good on six of their past seven games.

They’ve completely turned things around from a 1-6 start and are now in the playoff hunt with a record of 7-7. Even those who liked what Campbell was building have to be surprised at how quickly things turned around this season.

Making them even scarier, in the long run, is the high draft pick they get from the Rams this offseason thanks to the Matthew Stafford trade. This team could be tough for a while.

11. New York Giants

One win can change a lot.

The New York Giants hadn’t pulled off a victory since Nov. 13 when they beat the Houston Texans 24-16. At that time, they were 7-2 but then went 0-3-1 in the next four games.

That one tie was against the Washington Commanders and came in Week 13. Washington then had a week off to prepare for the rematch while the Giants went and got throttled by the Eagles.

A loss on Sunday Night Football would have been devastating but they were able to pull it off thanks primarily to Kayvon Thibodeaux playing the game of his life on defense and Saquon Barkley making some clutch runs on offense. They’re now in great shape to make it to the postseason and made it harder on their rivals.

10. Baltimore Ravens

Without Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens were unable to do much of anything in Week 15. Tyler Huntley was just 17-of-30 for 138 yards with a pick as they lost to the Cleveland Browns 13-3 on Saturday night.

Mark Andrews seemed to suffer more than any other player on the roster, managing just three receptions for 31 yards — on seven targets.

They’re now 9-5 and still in the playoff race but they need to get their star quarterback on the field again. This offense isn’t the same without him and his recent absence might do more for his contract negotiation than anything he’s done on the field.

9. Miami Dolphins

Back in Week 3, the Miami Dolphins defeated the Buffalo Bills at home 21-19. On Saturday night, they had their rematch and a win would have put them back in the thick of the AFC East race — while giving them the tie-breaker over the Bills.

After falling behind 21-13, they scored 16 unanswered points to take a 29-21 lead. But that’s when Josh Allen went to work and led the comeback — which culminated in a 25-yard field goal from Tyler Bass as time expired.

Now at 8-6, the Dolphins go from AFC East contenders to hoping they don’t fall behind in the playoff race. They’re also trying to figure out how to stop the bleeding as this was their third loss in a row. And while all losses have been against good teams, that’s who you need to beat to make it to the postseason and actually make a run once in it.

8. Los Angeles Chargers

Dicker the Kicker is the hero of the day for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Cameron Dicker had a game-winning kick for the Eagles earlier this season when Jake Elliott was hurt and now with the Chargers, he has two more including a 43-yarder this weekend with four seconds on the clock.

It wasn’t a pretty game for the Chargers but they put themselves in line to make the playoffs since they have no more teams with a winning record on their schedule.

7. Dallas Cowboys

Fresh off a narrow win over the Houston Texans, the Dallas Cowboys were out to prove they’re still an elite team against the Jacksonville Jaguars. And for roughly three-quarters, that was the case.

They had taken a 27-10 lead but then, things fell apart. Kelvin Joseph was burnt for a long touchdown and then Dak Prescott threw what’s become his customary weekly ugly interception. Joseph has beaten again within minutes and suddenly, it was a 27-24 game.

Jacksonville eventually took the lead but Dallas had a shot to ice it once they went back up 34-31 and Jayron Kearse forced a fumble on Trevor Lawrence. But Prescott couldn’t deliver and they had to punt it back, naturally leading to a tie game.

Once in overtime, Prescott was picked off again although this time his pass did hit the wideout’s hands first, but Noah Brown gifted Rayshawn Jenkins a game-winning interception.

At 10-4, the Cowboys will still make the playoffs and this game won’t matter much. It just delays them clinching a spot and expedites the Eagles claiming the No. 1 seed. All of which was likely happening anyway.

6. San Francisco 49ers

Brock Purdy is irrelevant no longer.

The final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has been forced into action with both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppoli out for the season and he’s risen to the occasion. This week, he was on the field on Thursday Night Football as the San Francisco 49ers were aiming to secure the NFC West title.

That’s exactly what happened as they defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21-13. Purdy finished with 217 yards and two touchdowns — both to George Kittle — and had no interceptions. Christian McCaffrey added 108 yards and a touchdown on the ground as well.

Of course, the real reason San Francsico won is their stifling defense. They held the Seahawks to just 13 points and will be a problem for whoever they face in the postseason due to their defensive dominance.

5. Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the field around 4:25 pm EST, but the Bengals didn’t start playing then. Instead, they were sleepwalking for the first half as the Bucs went up 17-0. Cincinnati did wake up just before the half, getting a field goal before the break.

Then when the third quarter kicked off, they looked like themselves again. They wound up scoring 34 unanswered points with Joe Burrow tossing four touchdowns to four different receivers. The defense also picked off Tom Brady twice and allowed just one garbage-time touchdown late in the game as they improved to 10-4.

With the Ravens’ loss to Cleveland, the Bengals are now in full control of the AFC North.

4. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings clinched the NFC North on Saturday with a win over the Colts — and they did it in impressive fashion. A loss to the Detroit Lions the week before had them wanting to start out better in Week 15 but that wasn’t the case.

Indianapolis jumped out to a 33-0 lead at the half and was up 36-7 in the third quarter. Then, Kirk Cousins got to work as he helped lead them back and force overtime. It wasn’t easy since the refs robbed them of two touchdowns but the Vikings never gave up. And then in overtime, Greg Joseph knocked in a kick to secure the division title.

It was the largest comeback in NFL history, making it a game that will be remembered for years to come.

3. Kansas City Chiefs

No one would believe it if we predicted Patrick Mahomes would have 336 yards passing and two touchdowns while the Kansas City Chiefs rushing attack had 189 yards and two touchdowns but they would still need overtime to beat the Houston Texans. Anyone predicting this would have sounded crazy but that’s exactly how things went down on Sunday.

Houston somehow hung with the Chiefs all day even though Kansas City doubled their yardage on the ground and nearly tripled it through the air. They even needed a turnover in overtime to set up the game-winning touchdown from Jerrick McKinnon.

With all that being said, the wins all count the same, and sometimes you have to win ugly. And an OT victory over a one-win team is surely an ugly one.

2. Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills avenged an early-season loss to the Miami Dolphins as they withstood a comeback attempt to improve to 10-3 on the season. Miami was down 21-13 but then went up 29-21 thanks in large part to a 13-point third quarter.

Buffalo continued to fight as Dawson Knox scored on a five-yard touchdown and Josh Allen leaped into the end zone for the two-point conversion. Then, their defense held up and got them the ball one last time.

By then, the snow was falling hard but the Bills moved the ball 86 yards in 15 plays. Devin Singletary even gave up an easy touchdown, allowing Buffalo to kill the clock. After some teamwork to clear the field of snow for Tyler Bass, the Bills kicker drilled a 25-yarder to clinch a playoff berth.

Buffalo can clinch the division next week with another win, which seems likely as they head to Chicago.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles were one of many top-tier teams to be unexpectedly challenged this weekend, but they were able to overcome this and secure their 13th win. On the road against the Chicago Bears, they started out slow and had a narrow 10-6 lead at the half.

Jalen Hurts was struggling with the pass and even had two picks in the first two quarters. However, he turned things around in the second half, finishing with 315 yards while adding three touchdowns on the ground.

A.J. Brown continued to be a stud with 181 yards receiving and DeVonta Smith added 126. The Bears still made it close but the 25-20 win means the Eagles can clinch the NFC East and the No. 1 seed in the conference with a win next week in Dallas.