Power Rankings: Who has most to gain in Wks 16, 17

Chris Simms and Tank Williams rank the players, coaches and teams who have the most to play for over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Video Transcript

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TANK WILLIAMS: All right, Chris. Two weeks until the end of the season, so we have a lot of teams that are jockeying for playoff position. We have a lot of dudes either playing or coaching themselves into new contracts or just trying to maintain their current contract. So we want to talk about the guys who have the most to gain these last two weeks of the season.

Now for me, number 3, it's the New England Patriots. Now it's crazy. I remember doing a segment with you earlier this year where we were talking about-- it was almost a foregone conclusion that the Patriots were going to win the Super Bowl. And now I really don't know the identity of this team.

I mean, they handled business against Cincinnati because everybody beats the Bengals. But it's going to be interesting to see what happens against those Buffalo Bills.

CHRIS SIMMS: Yeah.

TANK WILLIAMS: Number 2, Jason Garrett. I mean, I think we both know that he either wins the ship, or he's going down with the ship. It's that simple. Like, if you don't win a Super Bowl for Jerry Jones this year, he's going to get his walking papers.

And at number 1, I have to do three teams team, dog. It's Seattle. It's Baltimore. It's New Orleans. Because those are some of the three most intimidating places that I could think of to play a championship game. And all these teams have it right in front of them to secure that championship game, the number one seed in their division. So it's all about who's going to step up.

CHRIS SIMMS: I mean, I'm not going to cheat. I'm going to have three actual three, not five and crammed into three. All right. But very well-played by you. Very well-played.

All right, here's my number 3. Kirk Cousins-- I'm going with him at number 3. I mean, everybody's been on his case. Oh, $84 million guaranteed. He hasn't earned it. He hasn't done crap. Well, they've got to make sure they win at least one out of these last two so they get in the playoffs. And I think that will silence some of the haters. And of course, give him some credit.

Number 2, I'm going with the San Francisco 49ers. A little bit to what you said with your three-team answer as your number 1. Well, I look at the San Francisco 49ers. They got the Rams, and then they got to go to Seattle the last week of the season. If they win these two games, they got home field advantage.

TANK WILLIAMS: But does that home field advantage even matter? I mean, when you have Atlanta come in and beat you, and then you lose to Seattle.

CHRIS SIMMS: It matters to this. It matters to this. I think it's too hard to go to the Super Bowl in the NFC right now to where if they lose one of these last two games, then you've got to go to Dallas on the road. And then you're going to either have to go to New Orleans or Seattle, again, followed by that whoever is remaining there.

So those are just-- I think you can't win the Super Bowl or get to the Super Bowl with those--

TANK WILLIAMS: Yeah, good point.

CHRIS SIMMS: --games on the road back to back.

TANK WILLIAMS: I actually like that. Yeah.

CHRIS SIMMS: So OK, thanks. Thanks for giving me credit there. And then my number 1 is your number 2. It's Jason Garrett. I'm with you all the way. I mean, Jason Garrett-- yeah, it's a job. Even when his day does end with the Dallas Cowboys, how this ends right here might affect his next job, whenever that may be.

TANK WILLIAMS: Very true.

CHRIS SIMMS: But I'm with you. I think it's got to be-- I think he's to get at least to the NFC Championship Game. What do you think? You think he's got to get to the Super Bowl to save his job?

TANK WILLIAMS: I think he needs to go to the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl to keep his job. But if you want to spin it forward even more, like, say he gets fired for not winning the Super Bowl. What does he need to do in order to get another head coaching job versus just becoming the OC somewhere? Or has he proven that he can be an OC somewhere since that offense has struggled? Until Kellen Moore came.

CHRIS SIMMS: Yeah, no, I think those are all good questions. I mean, I never understand that. When a head coach who becomes a head coach because of this play calling duties doesn't call the plays anymore, I never get that.

So yeah, you're right. There's a lot of questions that remain about Jason Garrett. But I think these last few weeks will be crucial to him. Whether they get in the playoffs, and then if they can make a run in the playoffs, I think that'll do a lot for him professionally, whether it's his next job or just saving his butt with the Dallas Cowboys.

TANK WILLIAMS: Agreed.