The Patriots built a 21-point lead over the Bills with a chance to sew up the AFC East, but Josh Allen Josh Allened. The Lions had an early lead against the Rams, but Sean McVay's club locked in and made themselves comfortable at home. The Packers, well they lost a lot more than just a crucial late-season interconference contest.

In the wake of some truly impactful developments, Eric Edholm assesses the league hierarchy with his Week 16 NFL Power Rankings. Can the Packers stop their tumble?

4. New England Patriots (11-3): There was a small tumble for the Patriots from the top spot this week after a loss to the Buffalo Bills, but they are still one of the best teams in the NFL and in a prime playoff position. Expect a strong finish against an easy schedule.

The Arizona Cardinals are having one of their worst seasons in recent history, and it is happening when the NFC West might be having its best year. The Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers all have at least 10 wins. All are on track to make the playoffs and all have a real shot at the top seed in the conference.

The Week 16 power rankings are picking MVPs for each team after a weekend that saw Josh Allen (of course) and Trevor Lawrence (what?) shine.

It's Week 13 of the NFL regular season and we still have a ton of teams in the mix to make the playoffs with just six games left. The playoff picture in the AFC and NFC is wide open with 10-12 teams in each conference in the mix to make the playoffs.

The MVP race will likely come down to Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford. Plus, Patrick Mahomes is having a great season but it might not be good enough.

Top Team in NFC Rams Move Up 1 Spot to No. 2

Following a 34-26 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, the Denver Broncos are now ranked third in Nate Davis' latest NFL power rankings for USA TODAY Sports. That's up two spots from their No. 5 ranking last week. Here is Davis' commentary on the Broncos going into Week 16:

6. New England Patriots (2): The loss to Buffalo with a division crown on the line was a reminder that this is a young and inexperienced team, and one that's only beaten a single opponent this season that currently has a winning record … though it was the Bills.

Darnold and the Seahawks’ rematch Thursday night with the Rams carries significant NFC West title implications. The Seahawks (11-3) and Rams (11-3) are tied atop the division an