10. Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams have done a great job of proving me right this year. I don’t know how many times I have made NFL Power Rankings this season in which I have said that I just “can’t quit” the Los Angeles Rams.
And here they are with 10 wins and a great shot at making it to the postseason entering Week 18.
And not just making the postseason, but how about winning the NFC West?
I bring this up all the time as well, but it’s been really cool to see the Rams’ difference of strategy in team building when it comes to the team that won the Super Bowl, which was built with the “F*** them picks” mantra and this contender, which was built almost exclusively through tremendous evaluation through the NFL Draft.
The Rams are a fun team and with a Super Bow-winning coach and quarterback, I don’t know how you can count them out, even in a loaded NFC.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield was on fire in a must-win situation and you love to see that kind of response from a team with the playoffs on the line. The Buccaneers came out super flat in a loss last week and they knew that couldn’t happen again in Week 17.
And it didn’t.
This is a scary team with how dynamic they have been offensively at times this season. The issue is, you just have no idea what you’re going to get out of them on a week-to-week basis. The last two weeks have been perfect evidence of that.
But my goodness, this Bucs offense can absolutely load up the stat sheet even without Chris Godwin. With the receiver injuries this team had to deal with earlier in the season, they had to adapt and adjust on that side of the ball and players like Bucky Irving really stepped up.
As well as Baker Mayfield has played this season, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Bucs make some noise in the playoffs yet again this season. Mike Evans is healthy and playing as well as we’ve seen. Bucky Irving gives defenses absolute fits. And now this Tampa Bay defense might have an added wrinkle late in the year with the arrival of Shaquil Barrett to come bring some more heat off the edge.