20. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a broken team, and it used to be hard to go into Baltimore and win a game, but it now seems to be easy. Lamar Jackson has been awful for most of the season, and I am not sure the Ravens should want to get into the playoffs at this point. With the Bengals losing to the Bills, though, the Ravens do get a little bit of breathing room below them.
But now at 6-7, they trail the Pittsburgh Steelers, and this game was seen by many as the game for the AFC North crown. It now seems very likely that the Steelers end up winning the division and hosting a playoff game in 2025.
Baltimore needs a bit of a reset - this roster needs a refresh, and the team needs to get healthier. Heck, I would not be shocked if some Ravens’ fans were even tired of the John Harbaugh era, as it seems like he has overstayed his welcome at this point in time.
Baltimore is just 20th in our power rankings.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another broken team is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who got upset by the New Orleans Saints in Week 14. All of a sudden, the 7-6 Buccaneers have the same record as the Carolina Panthers, which almost feels hard to believe, but here we are.
We are now at a point where the Bucs might fall out of the NFL Playoff Picture entirely to make way for the Panthers. It doesn’t feel fair that one of these teams gets to host a playoff game, but here we are.
The Bucs are one of the most ‘good’ teams in the NFL, but they have taken a step back from the good this year. Baker Mayfield is a good QB, but he’s not consistently an elite one, and Todd Bowles is a pretty average head coach.
When you don’t have a great QB or head coach, the margins are pretty slim. Tampa continues to drop in our power rankings, but it’s important to note that injuries have also played a huge part in this as well.