NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Updated Standings After Thursday Night Football

December 18, 2015   ·   Andrew Gould   ·   Jump to comments


Needing a victory to stave off elimination, the St. Louis Rams kept their small playoff chances alive with a 31-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both 6-8 squads technically remain in the hunt, but their slim playoff hopes could be shattered as soon as Sunday.  
The Rams and Buccaneers are each one misstep away from joining prominent teams in elimination. Due to brutal starts and a barrage of injuries, two squads won't replicate last year's postseason appearance. Another preseason playoff hopeful is now playing out the season with nothing at stake other than pride and draft positioning.
After assembling the league's power rankings heading into the NFL's weekend matchups, let's look at what went wrong for those terminated squads.
 
Detroit Lions
Maybe the Detroit Lions are afraid of spoiling a suffering fanbase. After breaking an 11-season playoff drought in 2011, they promptly went 4-12 the following year. They returned to the playoffs w...

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