NFL News & Analysis

Chiefs on rise in PFF's Week 17 NFL Power Rankings

KANSAS CITY, MO: DECEMBER 25: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Denver Broncos December 25, 2016 at Arrowhead Stadium. (Photo By John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Week 16 of the NFL season has come and gone, and with it, a new week’s worth of grades are in the Pro Football Focus database.

PFF’s Power Rankings are based off of Senior Analyst Sam Monson’s ordering of all 32 NFL teams, offenses, and defenses. He uses PFF’s overall cumulative grades as a starting point, and makes necessary subjective adjustments to account for things that aren’t captured in the grading system, such as injuries.

View the latest edition entering the final week of the 2016 regular season here.

NFL Power Rankings

As we head into the final regular season game for all 32 NFL teams, Pro Football Focus' weekly NFL Power Rankings are fairly locked in at the top to this point. On the back of their rout of the Jets, the Patriots remain at No. 1 overall, owning the second-ranked offense and fifth-ranked defense (the only team with both units among the top 10).

The Kansas City Chiefs make one of the more significant moves of the week, rising from No. 6 to No. 4 after shutting down the Denver Broncos for the year. Much has been made about Alex Smith's ability—or inability—to lead an offense deep into the postseason, however. Smith is currently ranked 21st among NFL QBs this season in terms of overall grade, at 77.5, despite owning the sixth-best adjusted completion percentage (77.2) among passers. For the year, Smith has attempted just 44 deep targets (throws traveling 20-plus yards in the air), tied for second-fewest among starting QBs (Dak Prescott has attempted just 43)—keeping in mind that he did miss some time briefly due to injury.

As we enter the final week of the NFL regular season, be sure to check back for PFF’s updated NFL Power Rankings.

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