NFL Power Rankings: 49ers surge past Cowboys, Rams heading into Super Wild Card Weekend

They've already advanced.Previous rank: No. 6The Bills' defense threw a party in the season finale against the Jets, a 27-10 win that doubled as a celebration of Buffalo's second consecutive AFC East championship. Mike McCarthy’s team had no problem beating up on a pair of compromised divisions foes down the stretch, but the big question remains in Big D: Can the Cowboys play like bullies against superior competition?Previous rank: No. 8The Patriots entered Sunday with a chance to take the AFC East with a win over the Dolphins and some help from the Jets, but it wasn’t their day. Jones struggled against quality competition in the final weeks of the season and is now tasked with navigating a stout Bills defense that shut him down when these two teams met in Week 16.Previous rank: No. 9The table was set -- the Cardinals just couldn’t take a seat. If Hurts’ ankle allows him to be a playmaker, the Eagles and their dominant run game can put a scare into any NFC contender … but it’s also possible Philly will be exposed as a team out of its depth come Sunday.Previous rank: No. 18The rest of the AFC had a chance to put away the Zombie Steelers … but they all failed. "We just didn't get it done, coaching or playing." This is the kind of loss that can produce ripple effects for an organization.Previous rank: No. 17The Dolphins closed their season with eight wins in nine weeks -- but it wasn’t enough to keep Brian Flores employed. Who would that be?Previous rank: No. 24It was all too little, too late, but it was nice to see the return of the explosive Seahawks offense in the season's final weeks. A positive end to an otherwise disappointing season may increase the chances the quarterback and coach stay together.Previous rank: No. 20The Browns staved off the indignity of double-digit losses with a victory over the JV Bengals, but there’s no escaping the stench of failure that defined Cleveland’s season. Change comes fast in the NFL.Previous rank: No. 21The 2021 season felt like a potential make-or-break year for head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman … and that’s exactly how it played out. The incoming regime needs to pour resources into that side of the ball.Previous rank: No. 19And so it was that perhaps the most frustrating season in franchise history ended with one final indignity: An overtime loss at home that allowed the hated Steelers to sneak in the back door of the playoffs. The Football Gods had their way with this team.Previous rank: No. 25A 28-24 loss to the Chiefs served as fitting synopsis of the 2021 season and, in general, Vic Fangio’s three-year tenure with the team, which ended Sunday when Denver announced it was moving on from its head coach. The work continues.Previous rank: No. 28A season of growing pains ended on a down note for the Jets, who managed just 53 yards of offense (an all-time franchise low) in a 27-10 loss to the Bills. With the postseason drought at a league-worst 11 years, it’s long past due for the Jets to make a return to pro football relevance.Previous rank: No. 30The Panthers still believe Matt Rhule can be the answer on the sideline, but nothing will change if this team can’t eliminate its gross deficiencies on offense. This is one of those messes where anxiety comes from not being sure where to even start.Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter.The Bengals beat the Chiefs and the Raiders topped the Colts this past Sunday, yet both winners sit below the teams they respectively vanquished in Dan Hanzus' Week 18 NFL Power Rankings. Check out Dan Hanzus' updated look at the league hierarchy, 1-32.With 15 weeks of the 2021 regular season in the books, only one NFL team has clinched a playoff spot -- and the Power Rankings are as fluid as ever. Check out Dan Hanzus' updated look at the league hierarchy, 1-32.With just four weeks remaining in the 2021 regular season, Dan Hanzus executes a grand reshuffling of the NFL Power Rankings.