NFL Power Rankings: Week 17

1. Arizona Cardinals: Even after losing Tyrann Mathieu for the season, the Arizona Cardinals managed to demolish Rodgers and Packers, recording 9 total sacks. Meanwhile, quarterback Carson Palmer is still making a strong case for the MVP Award.

2. Carolina Panthers: After showing signs of weakness for the past several weeks, Carolina finally lost their first game of the season this past week. Against cornerback Josh Norman,  receiver Julio Jones caught 7 of his 8 targets for 91 yards, meaning the Panthers star cornerback may be starting to show signs of weakness.

3. New England Patriots: The Patriots may have lost to the Jets in overtime this past week, but it is important to mention the large numbers of injuries that this team has sustained, losing players like Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman, Sebastian Vollmer, Devin McCourty, Jordan Richards, and Rob Ninkovich. Almost all of these players will be back for the first round of the playoffs, so the Patriots should still be the most feared team in the AFC.

4. Kansas City Chiefs: Kansas City's 19-13 win over the Browns may not have been pretty, but the Chiefs have still won 9 straight games, and are likely the hottest team in football. With star defensive players Tamba Hali and Justin Houston both listed as day-to-day, this team will just need to rest their guys in Week 17 now that they've clinched a playoff spot.

5. Denver Broncos: It seems like the Denver Broncos are going to stick with the young Brock Osweiler rather than start veteran Peyton Manning come playoff time. The 2015 Denver Broncos are a more talented version of the 2006 Bears team: an inconsistent offense combined with a dominant defense.

6. New York Jets: Cornerback Darrelle Revis is officially back from the concussion he sustained in November, where he now has an interception in back to back games. Last week, the Jets managed to beat the Patriots to leapfrog the Steelers for a spot in the playoffs, and if quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to play well, New York could make a run in the postseason.

Top 5 CBs Cmp % when targeted:  Darrelle Revis: 44.2  Patrick Peterson: 46.8  Delvin Breaux: 48.8  Robert Alford: 49.3  Richard Sherman: 50

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) December 29, 2015

7. Pittsburgh Steelers: Entering Week 16, many viewed Pittsburgh as one of the hottest teams in all of football thanks to their well-balanced offense; however, a devastating loss to the Ravens now has Pittsburgh on the outside looking in. The Steelers could make a serious run in the playoffs, but they obviously need to make the postseason first.

8. Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks are already a lock for the postseason, but a loss to the Rams at home is not a good look for one of the "hottest" teams just two weeks before the playoffs. For the first time in five weeks, Wilson's passer rating dipped below 100 in a game, so maybe the Seahawks offense peaked too soon.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: AJ McCarron's statline against the first-ranked Broncos pass defense was fairly impressive considering it was just his second time starting in the NFL. The Bengals simply need Andy Dalton to be ready to play for the first week of the postseason if they have any shot at winning the AFC Championship.

10. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings have scored 38 points or more in back to back weeks, and they lost by just three points to the Cardinals in Week 14. Adrian Peterson is leading the league in rushing as of Week 17, and Bridgewater's passer rating has crept above 90 for the year. Minnesota now has the opportunity to beat the struggling Packers to win the NFC North for the first time since 2009. 

NFL Power Rankings: Week 16

1. Carolina Panthers: Running back Jonathan Stewart may have been missing last week, but Cam Newton and the Panthers offense still managed to score 38 points in a win over the Giants. In two of the past three games, the Panthers defense has allowed 35 points or more, where even though Carolina's perfect season is alive and well, there are certain signs of the locomotive slowing down as the playoffs approach.

2. New England Patriots: One by one, Patriots stars are returning from the injuries they sustained earlier in the year, including Rob Gronkowski, Dont'a Hightower, and Jamie Collins. As seen with last week's game when both Chung and McCourty were sidelined, the most important thing for this Pats team is to remain the top seed while staying healthy. The addition of Steven Jackson will certainly help New England's nonexistent run game this season.

3. Arizona Cardinals: The loss of free safety Tyrann Mathieu to a torn ACL will be an incredibly costly injury to one of the best secondaries in football, but with Bruce Arians as the head coach, the Cardinals are still very much in contention. At the age of 35, Carson Palmer is having the best statistical season of his career (4,277 yards, 32 touchdowns, 106.7 passer rating), and he has a shot at amending his horrible playoff record (0-2 with a 66.5 passer rating in the postseason).

4. Seattle Seahawks: In one of the strangest turn of events, the Seattle Seahawks are 5-0 ever since Marshawn Lynch sustained an injury against the Cardinals. Quarterback Russell Wilson has caught fire over the last several weeks, especially when throwing the ball to receiver Doug Baldwin. Seattle has a chance to regain their pride within the NFC West with a win over the Cardinals in Week 17.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers: When quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is healthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a legitimate threat to dethrone the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. Receiver Antonio Brown is basically unstoppable, especially with his eye-popping stat line against the top ranked Broncos secondary last week (16 receptions, 189 yards, 2 scores). Many would have expected the MCL injury to Le'Veon Bell would have derailed the Steelers offense, but back up running back DeAngelo Williams has done a great job temporarily replacing the young star.

.@AntonioBrown84 is the 1st player in @NFL history to have 2 games with 15+ catches in a single season. pic.twitter.com/k8ghoOTuLb

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 21, 2015

6. Kansas City Chiefs: The Kansas City Chiefs have won their last 8 games and are likely the hottest team in all of football. With wins against the Steelers and Broncos, the success of Kansas City's football team has not been hindered by the loss of running back Jamaal Charles for the season. Defensively, safety Eric Berry earned Pro Bowl honors for the first time since being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, with two of KC's linebackers making the Pro Bowl as well (Tamba Hall and Justin Houston). The Chiefs could pull off the impossible and make the playoffs after a 1-5 start.

7. Green Bay Packers: After losing four of five games during the middle of the year, the Packers have started to return to their winning ways with a three game win streak. The loss of receiver Jordy Nelson at the start of the year had a larger impact on this team than many people expected, as it shows the lack of depth at the receiver position. With teams focusing most of their efforts on Randall Cobb, and Eddie Lacy struggling to return to last year's form, the Packers offense is just not the same as it once was.

8. Denver Broncos: Brock Osweiler is 3-2 in games when starting this season, but by losing the past two games, the Broncos are currently on track for the third seed in the postseason. Over the past two years, the Broncos are 7-0 when running back CJ Anderson rushes for 85 yards or more, so establishing the run against teams like Cincy will be key for this offense moving forward.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: While AJ McCarron may have been able to win the first start of his career, the entire success of the Bengals hinges upon Andy Dalton's health come playoff time. Cincinnati has a tough game against the Denver Broncos next week, where a win would put Cincy on track for a first round bye in the postseason. Yet with Dalton missing from the lineup, this sort of outcome is unlikely.

10. New York Jets: Now that cornerback Darrelle Revis has returned from the concussion he sustained back in November, the Jets have a legitimate shot at earning a spot in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Jets do not control their own destiny, as they must win their next two games and hope for at least one loss by the Chiefs, Steelers, or Broncos. This week, the Jets are home against the injury-plagued Patriots, so it would be unwise to count out New York just yet.

The @Patriots are seeking their 6th 13-win season since 2003 (most in NFL). Franchise had none from 1960-2002. Patriots at Jets - 1 ET

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 27, 2015

Drew Brees will start vs Jags despite being questionable with torn plantar fascia. https://t.co/DNVRztDzBd pic.twitter.com/CNmh6ZwKQB

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 27, 2015

Panthers: trying to join 2007 Patriots as only teams to start a season 15-0 in regular season

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 27, 2015

2015 NFC Playoff Seeding Predictions

1. Green Bay Packers (13-3): The Packers are basically a lock for winning the NFC North for the fifth straight year due to a lack of competition within their division. Green Bay suffered no major losses in the offseason and managed to re-sign receiver Randall Cobb to create a solid receiving corp for Aaron Rodgers. And even though the Packers must play all four NFC West teams this year, the game against the mighty Seahawks will be in Lambeau.

2. Seattle Seahawks (12-4): After appearing in the past two Super Bowls, the Seahawks are poised for a return to the Big Game in 2016. Quite possible the weakest part of Seattle's depth chart was its receiving corp, but by trading for All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham, dual threat quarterback Russell Wilson will lead one of the most productive offenses in the league. The Legion of Boom lost cornerback Byron Maxwell to free agency, but the core of this legendary secondary remains intact. The Seahawks are bound to earn a first round bye for the third year in a row.

3. Carolina Panthers (10-6): Cam Newton suffered career lows in almost every single major statistical category last season after losing receiver Steve Smith. The receiving corp has some great young talent lead by second year player Kelvin Benjamin, along with rookie Devin Funchess. Meanwhile, Carolina's defense is still very solid, especially with the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly being one of the league's best players. The race for the NFC South title last year was more or less a pillow fight, but expect the Panthers to see a lot more difficult competition next season as they look for a third straight division title.

Panthers expect Kelvin Benjamin to be full go in training camp. The 2nd year WR was limited in participation in OTA's

— Best Nfl Matchups (@best_nfl) July 23, 2015

4. Dallas Cowboys (10-6): The loss of DeMarco Murray to the division rival Eagles could be detrimental to the Cowboys next season, especially with such a massive hole now at the running back position. Murray's incredible season with the help of the NFL's best offensive line took plenty of pressure off of quarterback Tony Romo and the rest of Dallas' offense. Moreover, a successful running game gave the defense more time to rest off the field, so it will be interesting to see if the Cowboys can continue to remain relatively solid on defense without Murray.

5. Arizona Cardinals (11-5): Hopefully, Arizona's defense will still be able to find success as last year's defensive coordinator leaves for the head coaching job in New York. Bruce Arians is one of the best head coaches in football, and if quarterback Carson Palmer is able to stay healthy, the Cardinals will have yet another chance to dethrone the Seahawks from atop the NFC West.

6. New York Giants (9-7): Second year wide receiver Odell Beckham appears to be one of the most talented young players in recent memory, and with Victor Cruz returning from a season-ending injury, as well as the addition of running back Shane Vereen, New York's passing game has the potential to be lethal in 2015. New York's pass rush lacks the same talent seen by the two Championship winning teams of the past, so it will be interesting to see if Eli Manning can succeed with more pressure on the offensive side of the ball.

Patrick Peterson Contract Leads to Twitter Feud with Richard Sherman

Last night, Patrick Peterson announced via Twitter that he had signed a new deal with the Arizona Cardinals worth $70 million over the course of five years, with $48 million guaranteed. This new deal makes Peterson the highest paid cornerback in NFL history, two million dollars more than Joe Haden and four million dollars more than Sherman. Patrick Peterson has played in all 16 games in each of his first three seasons, where he has played in three Pro-Bowls, and has also been named to two All-Pro teams. 

Happy to announce my 5 year extension with @AZCardinals! $70M and $48M Guaranteed!! #AZCardinals #P2Nation #YearOfTheCardinal
— Patrick Peterson (@RealPeterson21) July 30, 2014

The fact that Peterson has passed Sherman in terms of salary seemingly irritated Seattle's cornerback, as he replied by retweeting the message seen below. This is not the first time that these two cornerbacks have been involved in a Twitter-feud, where Peterson instigated a verbal fight after arguing against Sherman's new contract back in May.

Richard Sherman and Patrick Peterson combined to allow 8 touchdown passes in 2013. Peterson gave up seven of those.
— Cody Swartz (@cbswartz5) July 30, 2014

After seeing Sherman's retweet, Patrick Peterson continued the feud into today with a response of his own, calling Sherman out for being jealous now that he was making less money than Peterson. It was clear that Peterson would respond based on the history of these two players, and football fans knew that Sherman was bound to respond based on his reputation around the league.

Yu mad bro!!!! LMAO😂😂😂😂😭
— Patrick Peterson (@RealPeterson21) July 30, 2014

The final tweet of this feud came from Sherman with the end-all-be-all argument that Sherman possesses a Super Bowl ring, unlike Peterson of the Cardinals. Sherman posted a picture of his ring, and from then on out, Twitter was relatively silent involving these two stars.

Can't ever be too mad lmao... pic.twitter.com/ZHA28B9Tji
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) July 30, 2014

Later today, Peterson tried to downplay the comments made on Twitter, saying he was happy for Sherman following the recent deal with the Seahawks. Whether or not Peterson is worth the money is for you to decide.

2012 NFL Predictions (NFC West)

1. San Francisco 49ers (13-3): The 49ers may not have spent bug bucks on a lone offensive weapon this past off season, but instead stocked up on three new additions for the same price. Randy Moss and Mario Manningham are meant to give quarterback Alex Smith more weapons besides Ted Ginn and Michael Crabtree. The running game recently acquired ex-Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, a back-up to Frank Gore. The defense has the best front seven in the NFL, led by stars such as Justin Smith and Patrick Willis. It was impossible to run over this defense last season, but the pass defense isn't any easier from an offensive standpoint. Alex Smith will need to be the Smith who showed up to play in the NFC Championship Game, and not the one we have seen for the past six years.

Week 1: 49ers @ Packers L
Week 2: Lions @ 49ers W
Week 3: 49ers @ Vikings W
Week 4: 49ers @ Jets W
Week 5: Bills @ 49ers W
Week 6: Giants @ 49ers L
Week 7: Seahawks @ 49ers W
Week 8: 49ers @ Cardinals W
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Rams @ 49ers W
Week 11: Bears @ 49ers W
Week 12: 49ers @ Saints L
Week 13: 49ers @ Rams W
Week 14: Dolphins @ 49ers W
Week 15: 49ers @ Patriots L
Week 16: 49ers @ Seahawks W
Week 17: Cardinals @ 49ers W



2. Seattle Seahawks (7-9): Even though the Seahawks took the chance in signing Matt Flynn, coach Pete Carroll announced that Russell Wilson will be the Week 1 starter against the Cardinals. This comes as a surprise, for Wilson is just a third-round rookie, and the organization appears to be basing too much of their decision off of the preseason games. The running game will fare well if Marshawn Lynch can stay healthy. Seattle did a complete 180 when it came to their defense, and by the end of 2011, their lineup was ruled one of the best in the league. However, I do not agree with Seattle's first round pick, selecting defensive end Bruce Irvin when many more talented players were still available. The Seahawks are extremely close to another playoff appearance, but the quarterback situation needs to be more stable.

Week 1: Seahawks @ Cardinals L
Week 2: Cowboys @ Seahawks L
Week 3: Packers @ Seahawks L
Week 4: Seahawks @ Rams W
Week 5: Seahawks @ Panthers L
Week 6: Patriots @ Seahawks L
Week 7: Seahawks @ 49ers L
Week 8: Seahawks @ lions L
Week 9: Vikings @ Seahawks W
Week 10: Jets @ Seahawks W
Week 11: BYE
Week 12: Seahawks @ Dolphins W
Week 13: Seahawks @ Bears L
Week 14: Cardinals @ Seahawks W
Week 15: Seahawks @ Bills W
Week 16: 49ers @ Seahawks L
Week 17: Rams @ Seahawks W


3. Arizona Cardinals (5-11): In last April's draft, the Arizona Cardinals spent their first round pick on wide receiver Michael Floyd. Though Floyd's selection was smart in taking away the triple team from Larry Fitzgerald, in no way will it ever be able to fix their problems at quarterback. Ever since Kolb moved to Arizona and suffered from yet another concussion, he has been playing scared, always making a bad decision so he will not have to take the hit. John Skelton on the other hand did not do well throughout the duration of the preseason, not playing to his full capability. The defense struggled at certain points in the season, and I doubt things will change in 2012. Arizona's offense will rely heavily on how their quarterback(s), and whether or not they can be clutch in close situations.

Week 1: Seahawks @ Cardinals W

Week 2: Cardinals @ Patriots L

Week 3: Eagles @ Cardinals L

Week 4: Dolphins @ Cardinals W

Week 5: Cardinals @ Rams L

Week 6: Bills @ Cardinals W

Week 7: Cardinals @ Vikings W

Week 8: 49ers @ Cardinals L

Week 9: Cardinals @ Packers L

Week 10: BYE

Week 11: Cardinals @ Falcons L

Week 12: Rams @ Cardinals W

Week 13: Cardinals @ Jets L

Week 14: Cardinals @ Seahawks L

Week 15: Lions @ Cardinals L

Week 16: Bears @ Cardinals L

Week 17: Cardinals @ 49ers L

4. St. Louis Rams (1-15): Sam Bradford has not quite lived up to his number overall pick, where as the other quarterback capable of number one (Matthew Stafford, Cam Newton), have gone above and beyond. The Rams attempted to add a weapon to this offense by acquiring Brandon Lloyd, but their decision was unsuccessful. The draft did not go well either, when they missed out on two of college football's best receiver prospects. Steven Jackson will not be able to put the offense on his back, and Bradford has yet to prove he can guide his team to success. The defense is nothing special, and it will take a while for this team to have a remote chance at the playoffs. St Louis fans; hopefully Robert Woods will be available by the time it is St Louis' time to pick in next year's draft. 

Week 1: Rams @ Lions L

Week 2: Redskins @ Rams L

Week 3: Rams @ Bears L

Week 4: Seahawks @ Rams L

Week 5: Cardinals @ Rams W

Week 6: Rams @ Dolphins L

Week 7: Packers @ Rams L

Week 8: Patriots @ Rams L

Week 9: BYE

Week 10: Rams @ 49ers L

Week 11: Jets @ Rams L

Week 12: Rams @ Cardinals L

Week 13: 49ers @ Rams L

Week 14: Rams @ Bills L

Week 15: Vikings @ Rams L

Week 16: Rams @ Buccaneers L

Week 17: Rams @ Seahawks L

Preseason: Players to Watch (NFC West)

San Francisco 49ers: WR Randy Moss: If I had to list my top 5 players to watch this preseason, my number one would be wide receiver Randy Moss. Moss is one of the best receivers in NFL history, and called it quits after an atrocious 2010. This past offseason, coach John Harbough signed Moss to a one-year deal, adding more depth to a struggling passing game. Randy was not the only offensive weapon signed (Mario Manningham, Brandon Jacobs, A.J Jenkins, LaMichael James), but is clearly the most risky. Thirty-five is old for any football player, let alone one who relies so much on speed and agility. How will this one year hiatus affect Moss' 2012 campaign? Keep a close eye on this aging star.

Randy Moss (Paul Sakuma/AP Photo)

Arizona Cardinals: QB John Skelton: The main reason why John Skelton is not the Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback is due to his not so great statistics in 2011. What helps Skelton though is the fact that he was able to go 6-2 when named starter against the St. Louis Rams. If John Skelton were to start racking up fabulous statistics week in and week out, no doubt this organization would play the 24 year-old. The quarterback competition is still up in the air, so it will be an absolute necessity for him to play well in all 4 preseason games.

Seattle Seahawks: QB Matt Flynn: Matt Flynn has been a popular topic so far for The NFL Report, and we will finally see him start in his first NFL exhibition game as number one on the depth chart. Hopefully, the Seahawks will not have wasted $26 million over a three year span on this quarterback who has started just two NFL games. Seattle went 7-9 last season, and if Flynn were to play as he did against the Lions, the Seahawks are looking at a spot in the playoffs.

St. Louis Rams: CB Cortland Finnegan: Finnegan was the second biggest defender to be on the market this past off season, and the St. Louis Rams were the highest bidders. The St. Louis defense ranked 26th overall in points allowed per game, and they figured Finnegan will be able to repair their problems on the defensive side of the ball. He has gained respect throughout the league from opposing quarterbacks, and if he continues to play the way he's been playing, the Rams record might see one or two more wins in 2012. 

Training Camp Battles: Kolb vs Skelton

     Once again, the Arizona Cardinals face a tough decision on what quarterback they want to start; John Skelton or Kevin Kolb. Kolb played in 11 games last season before suffering a season ending concussion. In that span, the 27 year old threw for 1,955 yards with 9 TDs and 8 INTs, as well as leading Arizona to a 2-6 record. Sadly, Kolb is prone to serious injuries, having suffered two concussions and a toe injury within the past two years. When Kolb was sidelined in Week 7 due to turf toe, Skelton stepped up in the next game against St. Louis, leading them to an overtime victory. From there, Skelton went 2-1, defeating the highly talented Eagles, and the St. Louis Rams, both games on the road. The next time Skelton got the start was when Kolb suffered yet another concussion against San Francisco. The back-up ended up defeating the highly favored 49ers, 21-19. By the end of 2011, Arizona was 6-2 when Skelton was at the helm, and gave the Cardinals a shot at contention. Kolb may have better statistics, but Skelton had a much better record when starting. Interestingly enough, though, the offense when under Kolb scored more points than when under Skelton. Kolb has the nod to start in the Arizona's first pre-season game, but many Arizona players have supposedly said they prefer Skelton as the starter.

Bottom Line: Kolb should start the first few games, and the Cardinals can make a decision based on his style of play. If things do not go well, they should waste no time in starting Skelton.

Top 10 Helmet Designs: Arizona Cardinals

Honorable Mention: Arizona Cardinals: Helmets with white backgrounds are my cup of tea, and the Arizona Cardinals' helmet is no different. Not only do I love their logo (possible top 10 in the future? Maybe...), but the helmet by itself is great as well. Many people oppose of the Cardinals helmet, citing it as "boring." Sometimes, though, simplicity is the best policy, and the Cardinals won't be afraid to tell you that.