It's let's-see-how-stupid-Pete-was day for my Power Rankings.
That's what I call the final batch of rankings for any season, since I usually go back and look at my opening rankings to compare them to the final ones to see just how off I was way back in September.
As usual, I messed up a bunch — although some of that was injury related.
Of my opening top 10 teams, four failed to finish there. The Philadelphia Eagles opened in the No. 2 spot, but finish at No. 11. The Cincinnati Bengals were at No. 4 to open the season, with the New York Jets at No. 7. Losing Joe Burrow and Aaron Rodgers ended their hopes of finishing there as they both tumbled down the rankings.
The final team in my original top 10 that finished outside of it is the Jacksonville Jaguars. I actually had them going to the Super Bowl. Oops. They finished 9-8 and lost five of six down the stretch to miss out on the playoffs and end up No. 15 in my final rankings.
Their collapse should lead to changes, but just how severe remains to be seen. They flopped in a big way.
As for teams that are now in the top 10 who weren't close to open the season, I give you the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. I had the Lions at No. 15 to open the season, but it's even worse for the Rams. The Rams were No. 31 to open the season. Big props to coach Sean McVay for getting them to the playoffs with a young roster. They will be a real threat in the postseason.
The Houston Texans, who won the AFC South, opened at No. 30, one stop ahead of the Rams. They are now No. 12, which shows how hitting on a coach (DeMeco Ryans) and quarterback (C.J. Stroud) can change a franchise.
As bad as my Jacksonville Super Bowl pick was and is, I did pick the 49ers to win it all. They are the top seed in the NFC and favored to get to the Super Bowl. I also thought the Browns and Packers would be playoff teams. So there is some good from the initial list.
But, as usual, there was plenty of bad.
Go ahead and laugh. But it's a reminder that anybody who thinks they have this league figured out before the season needs to realize they simply do not.
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | They head to the postseason as the team to beat. Lamar Jackson has to prove he can get it done in the playoffs. | -- | 13-4-0 |
| 2 |  | They get a bye as the NFC's best team and clearly have the look of a Super Bowl team. They will be tough to beat at home. | -- | 12-5-0 |
| 3 |  | As the second seed, they enter the playoffs with a ton of pressure on Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott. Being good in the regular season doesn't matter when it comes to the Cowboys. | -- | 12-5-0 |
| 4 |  | They ripped off five straight victories to win the AFC East. They are a real threat to any team and to win it all. | -- | 11-6-0 |
| 5 |  | They head to the playoffs at Houston as one of the wild-card teams who can make a run. Joe Flacco has been good in the postseason in his career, which matters. | -- | 11-6-0 |
| 6 |  | Losing Sam LaPorta for any time will impact the offense. The return of Matt Stafford to Detroit this week will be great theater. | 1 | 12-5-0 |
| 7 |  | They open the playoffs at home against the Dolphins, but it looks like they might have to play on the road at some point in the playoffs, which Patrick Mahomes has never done. | 1 | 11-6-0 |
| 8 |  | They went from a potential top seed to the No. 6 seed in two weeks. They now face a tough road playoff game in Kansas City with a banged up team. | 2 | 11-6-0 |
| 9 |  | As the sixth seed, they are a real threat in the NFC. Matt Stafford vs. his former team will be interesting to start the postseason. | 1 | 10-7-0 |
| 10 |  | Jordan Love taking this team to the playoffs ends any talk of him not being the long-term guy. The way he's playing, they will be a tough out. | 4 | 9-8-0 |
| 11 |  | They limp into the playoffs having lost five of six to close the season. They look nothing like last year's Super Bowl team. | 2 | 11-6-0 |
| 12 |  | Winning the AFC South caps off a great first season for coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Who saw it coming? | -- | 10-7-0 |
| 13 |  | This season might be Mike Tomlin's best yet. Getting this team to the playoffs is really an impressive feat. | -- | 10-7-0 |
| 14 |  | They won the division, but it wasn't always pretty. They need to be at their best to win in the playoffs. | 1 | 9-8-0 |
| 15 |  | They flopped in a big way down the stretch to blow their playoff chances. Changes have to be coming. | 4 | 9-8-0 |
| 16 |  | They won their last two games, which will likely save Dennis Allen's job. But they have some age starting to become an issue on the roster. | -- | 9-8-0 |
| 17 |  | Their season was lost when Joe Burrow went down, but they competed even after that. They will be a contender again next season. | -- | 9-8-0 |
| 18 |  | Shane Steichen did a nice job with this team to keep them in the playoff race. They have to be excited to see Anthony Richardson back next season. | -- | 9-8-0 |
| 19 |  | It's time for them to commit to Antonio Pierce as the head coach. He's done enough to earn the job. | 5 | 8-9-0 |
| 20 |  | They blew their playoff chances by losing to the Steelers last week. Their defense just wasn't as good this season. | 1 | 9-8-0 |
| 21 |  | Early prediction: This will be a playoff team next season, no matter if it's Justin Fields at quarterback or a rookie. I think it should be Fields. | 1 | 7-10-0 |
| 22 |  | They found out what it looks like without Kirk Cousins. They have to try and bring him back. | 1 | 7-10-0 |
| 23 |  | Arthur Smith is out as coach, so where do they turn next? Do they make a play for a big-name coach like Bill Belichick? | 1 | 7-10-0 |
| 24 |  | The move to Jarrett Stidham didn't work, but what do they do at quarterback next year? Sean Payton has some decisions to make. | 1 | 8-9-0 |
| 25 |  | I like where this team is heading. Jonathan Gannon had them playing hard all season long. | -- | 4-13-0 |
| 26 |  | Losing Aaron Rodgers changed their season in a big way. But it looks like the regime will be back next season when Rodgers is back on the field. | -- | 7-10-0 |
| 27 |  | The Mike Vrabel watch is on. Will he be back? Does he want to be back or go somewhere else? New England maybe? | -- | 6-11-0 |
| 28 |  | They showed some fight down the stretch, which is a good sign. Who plays quarterback next year? Do they draft one? | -- | 6-11-0 |
| 29 |  | What happens with Bill Belichick? This is a pivotal moment for this franchise. | -- | 4-13-0 |
| 30 |  | Who will be the next coach? It's a job a lot of people will want because of Justin Herbert. | -- | 5-12-0 |
| 31 |  | Ron Rivera is out as coach, which was expected. New owner Josh Harris needs to hit a home run with his first hire. | -- | 4-13-0 |
| 32 |  | They were shut out in two straight games, which is proof of how bad the offense was this year. The Bryce Young trade was a disaster. | -- | 2-15-0 |
