Week 17 NFL Powerless Rankings: It's almost over

Welcome to this week’s NFL Powerless Rankings. The end of the NFL season is near, and we know all the cellar dwellers at this point and who will be slotted one and two in April’s NFL Draft. So, let’s check out the worst of the worst from Week 17.

The Texans got to face Trey Lance in his second-career start and still didn’t come close to winning this game. Houston managed just seven points, falling 23-7 on the road giving Lance his first career victory. The Niners also kept their postseason hopes alive with the win, but still need help to get in. The Texans’ season has essentially been over for a couple of months now.

This was a bizarre game between the Jets and Buccaneers for many reasons. The Jets controlled this one until it mattered in the fourth quarter and were promptly shutout 11-0 in the last 15 minutes. Brady worked his magic again, throwing a TD pass in the waning seconds with Tampa Bay needing a score to win, and there wasn’t much New York could do about it once the Bucs locked in and decided to take care of business.

The Giants are so bad they’re beginning to drive long-time fans away due to the franchise’s ineptitude. The Giants suffered a 29-3 loss in Week 17 to the Bears. Chicago certainly isn’t great, but they looked like world-beaters against New York and ran away with this game from the coin toss. The Giants may need a whole new regime to turn this around any time soon.

The Lions usually fight hard and scored 29 points against the Seahawks this week, which would be enough to stay in the game most weeks, but Seattle dropped 51 on Detroit and had the Lions beat by halftime, leading 31-7. Russell Wilson scorched Detroit with four TD passes. The Seahawks haven’t had a great season, but it’s always a treat to get the Lions late in the year.

This nightmare can’t end soon enough for Jacksonville, after it took one on the chin against the Patriots in Week 17, 50-10. The Jaguars allowed 50 points to a team that isn’t exactly known for its high-powered offense. New England scored seven offensive TDs, three thrown by rookie Mac Jones. The only place to go from here should be up, but these are the Jaguars we’re talking about. A loss next week to the Colts or a Lions win over the Packers (who won’t have much to play for after clinching the No. 1 seed in the NFC last night), will lock up the top pick in the 2022 draft.