Atlanta Falcons: NFC Power Rankings, Week 15

Losing to the worst team in football at their place is not a good sign for the San Francisco 49ers. They may have one of the NFL’s weakest rosters, but I didn’t think that the Browns would hand the Niners a loss on Sunday, especially after San Francisco’s great come from behind overtime when in Chicago in Week 13.

I respect that this team plays hard despite obvious flaws on its roster, but this team is hard to root for given the inharmonious nature of the 49ers front office. San Francisco should end up in the Top 10 and probably the Top 5 depending on how bad the worst part of the AFC is at the end of the year.

After winning their first game without Tony Romo under center this season, the Dallas Cowboys lost convincingly to the Green Bay Packers. Entering the season, that game was almost certainly bound for a primetime airing, but with the putrid play of the Cowboys this season it largely went unnoticed.

Dallas may have the most unlikable roster in the NFL, but if this team has taught us anything this season, it is how important it is to have a healthy franchise quarterback. Dallas should in theory rebound to respectability in 2016, but will need to make the most of their high draft picks in this year’s draft. No doubt the Cowboys will pick in the Top 10.

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After winning three straight games after their awful first half of 2015, the Detroit Lions have dropped their last two games: a heartbreaker at home to division rival Green Bay and an absolute head scratcher to the toothless offense of the St. Louis Rams.

Detroit may have played respectable football in the second half of the season, but their slow start combined with their last two losses gives them only four wins on the year and a guaranteed sub-.500 record in 2015. This team could however play their way out of a Top 10 pick should they finish the season with six wins or so.

The St. Louis Rams snapped their five-game losing streak by beating the Detroit Lions by a touchdown. Their win over the Lions still gives head coach Jeff Fisher another week to possibly finish at .500 again.

The Rams have great pieces on defense and a star running back in Todd Gurley, but have to do something to get out from the worst quarterback play in the NFL. I get that Nick Foles isn’t a world beater, but I didn’t think the Rams offense would look worse with him under center than the always injured Sam Bradford in 2015.

Next: Tier III: NFC Playoff Pretenders