NFL Power Rankings for Week 15: High-stakes NFC playoff race starting to heat up

An 11-2 record doesn’t buy what it used to in the NFL.

So many teams remain in the hunt in both conferences that no playoff spots have been clinched entering Week 15 despite a couple of AFC division leaders with 11-2 records. The two teams with double-digit win totals in the NFC share the same division, which is making for a high-stakes NFC West race.

Consider that the Bears entered Week 14 as the No. 1 seed in the NFC, lost a heartbreaker and fell all the way to the No. 7 seed. And the Lions are nipping at their heels to bump out the Bears completely.  

There is some clarity forming at least: The Commanders, Jets, Browns and Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention, joining the Giants, Saints, Cardinals, Titans and Raiders as teams that are not headed to the playoffs.

Here are The Post’s NFL power rankings for Week 15:

Is the Patriots’ huge turnaround the product of the NFL’s weakest schedule? The product of uniting a very good head coach (Mike Vrabel) with a very good quarterback (Drake Maye)? Or a little of both? The first two games out of the bye – against the Bills and Ravens – should be telling. Maye is the most efficient quarterback in the league.