NFL Power Rankings, Week 16: Surging Bills looking DANGEROUS; Steelers plummet into bottom half

We've reached a point in this NFL campaign where we safely can ask: How many great teams are there this season?

The 49ers and Ravens, the top two teams in my current pecking order, certainly qualify by 2023 standards. The next five on my list -- Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Detroit -- all have enjoyed moments of greatness mixed with patches of inconsistency, but I'll push them through.

Things get a little dicey after that. But in the Year of the Backup QB, if there's a team outside the top seven that has the clear potential to join that top tier, it's certainly the Bills. Impressive back-to-back wins over the Chiefs and Cowboys have reminded everyone of what Buffalo's best football looks like, even if the 8-6 record naturally drags the team down. That said, the Bills' six losses were by a combined 26 points. Their eight wins were by 151 points.

The Bills now find themselves in the unusual situation of being higher in this week's Power Rankings (eighth) than they sit in the AFC playoff standings (ninth). That's a reflection of how well they're playing right now.

There's a chance they could miss the playoffs. But if the Bills do get in, they might be the most dangerous wild-card team since the 2020 Buccaneers, who won three road playoff games en route to a Super Bowl title.

NOTE: Up/down arrows reflect movement from the Week 15 Power Rankings.