NFL: Patriots Top Final Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots (14-5, +5): The Patriots lost early games to the Jacksonville Jaguars (31-20) and Detroit Lions (26-10) and later slipped up against the Tennessee Titans (34-10) and Miami Dolphins (34-33). And yet, here were are in the first week of February, and once again, New England is sitting on top. They prepare for big games and are able to control their opponents better than any team we've ever witnessed. That's exactly what happened in Super Bowl 53 as the Patriots pushed past the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3. New England was able to frustrate Sean McVay's team all night long, while Tom Brady finished with 262 passing yards. The Super Bowl MVP, Julian Edelman, totaled 141 yards on 10 receptions. New England finished 14-5 with a +111 point differential, and are world champions once again!

2. Los Angeles Rams (15-4, +0): The Rams had one of the best offenses all year long with Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, and Brandin Cooks, under Mcvay's control, but it all came to an end against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. New England made the Rams uncomfortable on offense, and while the defense pressured Brady a lot, it wasn't enough to propel them to a world title. Goff struggled mightily in the first half, as the team had only two (!) first downs, but he got it going a little in the second half to finish with 229 yards on 50.0 percent passing, and a very costly interception. Obviously the loss will sting for a while, but Los Angeles has arguably the most talented roster in the NFL and should be considered favorites to win the division next year. The Rams were 15-4 and +143 when it was all said and done.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (13-5, +1): The Chiefs had a remarkable year, and even though they couldn't get to the Super Bowl, it's clear this team is going to be relevant for a long time. That is as long as Patrick Mahomes is there. The second-year signal caller was named NFL MVP (and Offensive Player of the Year), according to CBS Sports, after going for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, on 66.0 percent passing. Kansas City finished the season with the second best point differential at +144, which included a 31-13 beatdown of the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional Round. After that, though, the Chiefs ran into the machine that is the New England Patriots, and weren't able to come away with a win. The 37-31 overtime loss kept the Chiefs out of the Super Bowl and forces them to finish third.

4. New Orleans Saints (14-4, -2): The Saints had a great season, but it ended with a controversial loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC title game. Even with the missed call late in the fourth quarter, New Orleans had a lot of chances to win the game, and couldn't finish the job after getting up 13-0 in the first half. With that said, the Saints were tied for the best regular season record at 13-3 and finished with the best point differential at +151, while going 7-1 on the road. In the Divisional Round, New Orleans ousted the defending champions Philadelphia Eagles, 20-14, behind 301 yards and two touchdowns on 73.6 percent passing from Drew Brees. But the running game couldn't get going in the NFC title, as Mark Ingram led the way with just 31 yards, which means the Saints will settle for the fourth spot.

5. Dallas Cowboys (11-7, +2): The Cowboys made great strides in the third year of the Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott backfield, and now in those three years, Dallas is a pretty impressive 33-18 (including three playoff games). Now this spot was pretty hard to pick because teams like the Los Angeles Chargers and Chicago Bears had better regular season records, and the Indianapolis Colts finished the season on a hot streak, but the Cowboys had a 10-6 record, were 7-1 at home, 5-1 in the division, and only allowed 324 points, which was good for the fifth best defense in the league. Because of all that, and the fact that the Cowboys won a playoff game and then competed in the next, they get the final spot. In the Divisional Round, the Rams eliminated Dallas, 30-22, as Prescott compiled a game-high 266 yards.

Playoff Teams:

6. Los Angeles Chargers (13-5)

7. Indianapolis Colts (11-7)

8. Philadelphia Eagles (10-8)

9. Chicago Bears (12-5)

10. Houston Texans (11-6)

11. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)

12. Baltimore Ravens (10-7)

Next Up:

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6-1)

14. Tennessee Titans (9-7)

15. Cleveland Browns (7-8-1)

16. Minnesota Vikings (8-7-1)

17. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

18. Carolina Panthers (7-9)

19. Miami Dolphins (7-9)

20. Washington Redskins (7-9)

21. Denver Broncos (6-10)

22. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)

23. Buffalo Bills (6-10)

24. Detroit Lions (6-10)

25. Green Bay Packers (6-9-1)

26. New York Giants (5-11)

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)

28. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

29. New York Jets (4-12)

30. San Francisco 49ers (4-12)

31. Oakland Raiders (4-12)

32. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)

Postseason Records:

T-1. Blake Stoll (8-3)

T-1. Raven Martin (8-3)

T-3. Caleb Henderson (7-4)

T-3. Charles Post (7-4)

T-3. Chinedum Wejinya (7-4)

6. Greg Schwochow (6-5)

T-7. Max Heningburg (5-6)

T-7. Tyler Taylor (5-6)

Photo Credit: New York Post.