Colin Cowherd's latest NFL power rankings heading into Week 17 reveal significant shifts in the league hierarchy—and raise critical questions about several playoff contenders.

The ranking doesn't measure recent performance or win-loss records. Instead, Cowherd assesses teams holistically: strength of schedule, quality of wins, health status, and ceiling for the remainder of the season.

10. Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen's hurt. Did you see the offense once he went for an X-ray? They've been held under 200 passing yards in three of the last four games, they can't stop the run. I am not as high on Buffalo as everybody else is. I don't see this as a team that can win three playoff games. They have no passing attack downfield.

9. San Francisco 49ers

I think you can really beat this team on the backend. Christian McCaffrey, 27 touches [in Week 16 win over the Colts]. They're 0-4 the game after he has 27 touches.

8. Houston Texans

Opposing quarterbacks this year have a passer rating of 74. I do think, and they'd be ugly, but I think they can get to the conference championship. I like the coach, I like the quarterback. If Woody Marks is healthy, they can run the football.

7. Denver Broncos

The defense since the Week 12 bye has gotten worse. It's allowing 26 a game since the bye and it's not the offense. Teams that play Denver are 3-11 the following week. That tells you they're a really physical team.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars

They were 4-of-5 in the red zone, and teams had struggled all year against the Broncos in the red zone. Six-game winning streak, hard to run against them. I like their story. Their receiving core is the real deal. Listen, when you're bad for years and have top-10 draft picks, you got dudes. And Jacksonville at six, has dudes.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

I like Philadelphia. There's only two teams in the league, the Rams one, Philly's the other, that are top-5 in red zone offense and red zone defense. That's Philadelphia.

4. Chicago Bears

They played an easy schedule but they're 11-2 since Week 3. They do not give the ball away, and they take the ball away. That is really good going into the playoffs. Their quarterback, yeah he's young but he's dynamic. I think, situationally, I love their head coach. I don't care that they get outplayed in the second quarter, I care they win games.

3. New England Patriots

They've had one stinker in the last 10 weeks, and they dominated the Buffalo Bills in the first half of that game they lost. I like 'em. 7-0 on the road, they're doing it now without their left tackle and left guard. The weakest part of this team right now is their run game 'cause they're all beat up on the offensive line. Their receiving core is way, way underrated.

2. Los Angeles Rams

They lost to Seattle, I'll put 'em at two. Three straight games with 500-plus yards, outgaining opponents this year by almost 1,100 yards. Nobody can stop Puka Nacua, they're doing it without Davante Adams now. Two running backs, three tight ends I like, getting a pass rush.

1. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle turns the ball over too much, but they're very good against good teams. They couldn't beat the Rams twice, beat 'em once. It's not just Sam Darnold, I've said it, if you turn the sound down when you watch the Seahawks, they look like the best team in the league. They can turn the ball over and still blow teams out, they can get outplayed for three-and-a-half quarters and still beat excellent teams.