NFL Power Rankings: Week 17

Dec 27, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive back Shareece Wright (35) celebrates with strong safety Will Hill (33) after breaking up a pass intended for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Markus Wheaton (11) (not pictured) during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore Ravens defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

In a final look at NFL Power Rankings, it’s important to note that, this year, winning your division didn’t nearly mean as much.

With the playoff fields in both conferences just about ready to lock and load, the hope that a new team will become our favorite playoff underdog is an idea that will soon be old before we know it.

That in mind, it’s important to know where your team stands heading into the final week of action, especially if your team is one of the lucky twelve that find themselves headed, or potentially headed, to a clash of NFL clans unlike any other.

The main difference with this playoff field compared to those in recent memory, especially on the side of the NFC, is that it’s anybody’s game and nobody really takes the cake on a clean slate.

Flaws within even the best of both conferences are big enough to where any team, regardless of seeding, could spoil the party and make a crash.

And even then, on the AFC side at least, it feels as though the wild card teams are more dangerous than those that won their respective divisions.

The Kansas City Chiefs are locked for a playoff berth, but much is to be determined between the Jets and the Steelers for the last spot, as New York really made a statement with their overtime win over New England on Sunday.

Pittsburgh didn’t really help themselves by losing to the Baltimore Ravens, but you can’t win them all, right?

In any case, here’s my NFL power rankings as we head into Week 17 and await the playoff season:

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