NFL Power Rankings: Commanders leapfrog Eagles ahead of Championship Sunday; Chiefs still No. 1

Reaching seven straight conference-title games and hosting six of them puts you in a different echelon. Collecting eight straight playoff wins isn't too shabby, either. The Chiefs are stacking more trophies on their mantle, and this week, they'll again play for the one named after the franchise's founder while vying for their fifth Super Bowl appearance in six postseasons. Kansas City was hardly dominant in its Divisional Round win over Houston on Saturday, becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era to beat its opponent in the playoffs while being outgained by 100-plus yards and not forcing a turnover. (Before the game, teams in such circumstances were 0-46.) The Texans' kicking issues helped. Some controversial calls seemed to side with the Chiefs. In a way, it was a summation of the past few Chiefs teams: They are all about the bottom line, which is the final point tally on the scoreboard. They're beyond caring about how they do it, and that's what makes them so lethal at this time of year. Now they have a chance to vanquish the Bills, the one team that beat their starters this season, and they get the chance to do it in their home stadium. 

Much like the current version of the Chiefs being "different" from previous iterations, the Bills are enjoying a new dawn. Gone are the days when Josh Allen recklessly slung them to victory. The new version of the QB is still a one-of-one force, capable of pile-driving his way to success on the ground, and his rare arm talent hasn't suddenly withered away. But on Sunday, we saw a more composed Allen, who has suddenly become a ball-security artist this season. When Allen was stuffed at the goal line in the fourth quarter, there was a brief "No, Josh!" moment, as it appeared for half a second like he thought about pitching the ball back to James Cook. Maybe the old Allen would have been more likely to try that stunt. This version seemingly understood the potential consequences and held firm, preserving a chance for Tyler Bass to kick the field goal that ultimately gave Buffalo the winning point margin. The Bills certainly were conservative in their approach against the Ravens, but it was effective enough. Will that work in the rematch against the Chiefs in Kansas City? We can't wait to find out. 

My guess going into Saturday night was that Washington would fight bravely and come up just short of beating the Lions, but it was clear early in the game that the Commanders were the looser, freer bunch. All season long, Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels have set a tone for this team, possessing a championship-caliber equanimity that is capable of covering up any perceived holes. By no means is this a perfect roster, but then again, the 2001 Patriots, 2011 Giants, 2020 Buccaneers and other squads overcame similar limitations to win it all, thanks to their fearless approaches, low-pulse quarterbacks and even-keeled coaching. Who's to say this group can't beat the Eagles, get to the big game and pull off a similar triumph? These Commanders have become the NFL's new darlings, with Daniels as the leading man, and it should stun no one at this point if he becomes the first rookie QB to start in a Super Bowl. A new generation of Washington football has arrived, and it's hard to see this team dropping from the ranks of contenders anytime soon, even if the Commanders can't get to the top of the mountain this season.

Jalen Hurts' left knee will be the story of the week after he was bent backward in the win over the Rams. The quarterback stayed in the game, but his mobility was significantly compromised. That was evident both on the safety he took and in terms of the Eagles' play-calling, with Nick Sirianni and Kellen Moore appearing hesitant to deploy the "Tush Push" when they approached the end zone. Instead, Hurts gamely hit A.J. Brown for a massive first down on fourth-and-4 (when it appeared the play clock hit zero briefly), and Saquon Barkley's late TD gave the Eagles just enough cushion to survive. Surviving also required sweating out two missed extra-point attempts by Jake Elliott, who also hit two clutch fourth-quarter field goals (with two great holds from Braden Mann). The biggest plays on defense came from the singular Jalen Carter, who absolutely wrecked the Rams' offensive plans Sunday. He had a big first-half sack and forced a massive fourth-quarter fumble of Kyren Williams. Carter called game on his final two snaps, sacking Matthew Stafford, then getting pressure on the fourth-down incompletion to end it. Want to shut down Jayden Daniels? Carter is going to have to lead a dominant showing up front, even if Hurts' knee obviously looms largest.

Even while giving the Commanders their due flowers, we must acknowledge this was nothing short of a shocking loss for a franchise that has come to believe it can handle just about any challenge. It wasn't stunning that the Lions' defense struggled, all things considered, but there just wasn't a realistic path to victory while allowing 45 points. Sure, the Lions topped that mark three times in the regular season, but they did it in games against the Jaguars, Titans and Cowboys, who finished the season with a combined 14 victories -- the same number this Washington team has now, after capturing No. 14 on Saturday at Ford Field. It's not fair to lay all the blame on Jared Goff, but his four turnovers were clearly killers. The pick-six (and the apparent missed hit to his helmet on the runback) seemed to rattle Goff. Ben Johnson and the Lions' offense also didn't have their best games. Detroit certainly won't fade into obscurity after this, but there's no question the Lions will feel like their golden season was spoiled in the end -- and now they have to move forward without Johnson (who is heading to Chicago to be the Bears' head coach) scripting the attack. Will the also-in-demand Aaron Glenn follow Johnson out the door?

Lamar Jackson's postgame frustration was obvious to anyone watching, as he bemoaned the mistakes made and opportunities missed by him and his team in Sunday's loss to Buffalo. Jackson committed two turnovers, the second of which -- a fumble near midfield -- was the most crushing. The QB had his team in a position to possibly force overtime, but Mark Andrews' dropped two-pointer was a death knell. Andrews' fumble midway through the fourth quarter was also pretty darned consequential. The Ravens moved the ball fairly consistently against a bending Bills defense, but the empty possessions, field-goal drives and missed two-point tries (there was another at the end of the third quarter) no doubt came back to bite them. It's not the same old story for Baltimore, but it also isn't entirely novel. The irony is that the Ravens had been far more beset by penalties all season long; I assumed that, if they lost Sunday, it would be flags that did them in. Instead, giveaways were the biggest bugaboo, as they lost the turnover battle for only the third time in 19 games.

When the Rams took down Jalen Hurts for a safety, one of their seven sacks on the day (with 16 over two postseason contests), it appeared that the tide might be shifting in their direction. L.A.'s offense was hardly perfect, but it was beginning to wear down the Eagles, who were down a starting cornerback on defense and clearly limited offensively. The Rams had the momentum, getting the ball back and facing a one-point deficit with the final 15 minutes left to steal one on the road. Instead, they fumbled on two straight possessions, leading to six Eagles points while more than seven minutes were erased from the clock. Even down two scores (thanks to yet another long Saquon Barkley TD run), the Rams fought back and gave themselves a chance, but the final drive ended after a sack and a pressure leading to a fourth-down incompletion. Just like that, the Rams' miracle run was over. This team deserves major kudos for rallying from a 1-4 record to nearly playing for a spot in the Super Bowl, but there were just too many missed chances on Sunday.

If you want to blame officiating for this loss, it's your prerogative. After all, the Texans outgained the Chiefs by 124 yards (and 99 on the ground) and didn't turn the ball over. Then again, for proper context, we should point out that the Texans missed three kicks (one blocked) and committed eight penalties (some of which were indisputable), while QB C.J. Stroud was sacked eight times. That certainly wasn't a winning formula on the road against a team that hasn't lost in the Divisional Round with Patrick Mahomes at QB. Stroud was already shorthanded at receiver coming in, and he appeared to aggravate his left knee early in the game. He played his tail off under heavy fire, putting a bow on a bit of a frustrating second NFL season, but taking three red-zone sacks was another huge hindrance. The Texans weren't the Super Bowl contenders some wanted to make them this season, but they weren't too terribly far off, either. The future remains quite bright, even if there are some obvious shortcomings that must be addressed.