16. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
With a win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, the Miami Dolphins improve to 7-8 and stay alive in the AFC playoff race. It is very confusing to keep track of all of the various scenarios where Miami and some of these other 7-8 playoff teams can get it. Even with this win, the Dolphins do not have a very good chance at the postseason, and they have deeper issues than just trying to make the playoffs this year.
I mean, are we sure Tua Tagovailoa is a legitimate franchise QB in this league? He suffered yet another concussion earlier this year and has never stayed consistently healthy in the NFL. It's a legitimate concern, as the Dolphins also tend to implode when the weather gets a little bit colder. Miami has strung together some nice games here in recent weeks, but they may be a ways away from competing.
Miami also extended Tua Tagovailoa recently, so it's not like they can just start fresh at the QB position. The flawed Dolphins slowly rise in our latest NFL power rankings and would need to win out if they wanted any shot at making the playoffs here in 2024.
15. Houston Texans (9-6)
The Houston Texans just aren't a very good football team at all, and if the rest of the AFC South wasn't so awful, Houston would be right in the middle of a fierce divisional race. They wrapped up the AFC South about a week ago, and at this point, they are pretty much locked into the fourth seed in the AFC. This team is flawed, and the only way this team can win a playoff game in 2024 is if they take advantage of that home playoff game, which will likely come against the Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers.
The big storyline from the Texans Week 16 loss was the severe leg/knee injury that Tank Dell suffered on a touchdown reception from CJ Stroud. Dell likely being out for the long-term is yet another offensive weapon out of the lineup for Stroud. I will admit that I was 100% wrong about the Texans; I thought this team would win the Super Bowl, and I even thought that CJ Stroud would win the NFL MVP as well.
They continue their gradual fall in the latest NFL power rankings.