It wasn’t a pretty win, but the Jets’ 16-10 victory over the Steelers in Week 16 was enough to propel Gang Green up two spots in the latest edition of the USA Today NFL power rankings.
New York rises from No. 23 to No. 21 following its sixth win of the season. The Jets got off to a 10-0 start against Pittsburgh, but sputtered offensively for the remainder of the afternoon. If it weren’t for the leg of Sam Ficken and arguably the best play of safety Marcus Maye’s career on the Steelers’ final offensive possession of the game, things easily could’ve gone the other way.
Gang Green will have a chance to finish on a high note and rise one last time in the rankings in Week 17 against the Bills. Currently No. 9 in the rankings, Buffalo will play its starters against New York despite being locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. It remains to be seen how long Sean McDermott will roll with his starters, but it could play a major role in the Jets’ ability to end the season 7-9.
As for the rest of the AFC East, the Patriots jump up two spots from No. 9 to No. 7 following their nail-biting win over the Bills. The Dolphins stood pat at No. 29.
The Baltimore Ravens remained atop the rankings, while the San Francisco 49ers rose from No. 4 to No. 2 as the NFC’s premier team. The Saints dropped one spot from No. 2 to No. 3, the Kansas City Chiefs jumped up a spot from No. 5 to No. 4 and the Green Bay Packers entered the top five after being ranked sixth a week ago.
