NFL
Power Rankings NFL Week 13 | Cardinals, Packers, Buccaneers
Nothing has changed in the top three of this week's Power Rankings, but the New England Patriots are now fourth after seven consecutive wins.
The top three teams from last week hold serve in Week 13, but the New England Patriots are hot on thier heels after their seventh straight win.
1) Arizona Cardinals (10-2, 1 last week)
They are the least talked about best team in the league. Keep sleeping on them, they won’t mind, they’ll just continue to roll along.
2) Green Bay Packers (9-3, 2 last week)
If the Pack were looking strong before their bye week, imagine them with a weeks rest. The batteries are recharged, and Rodgers and Co. will be ready for a late season roll.
3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3, 3 last week)
It was unfair to expect perfection from the defending champs. But Bruce Arians and Tom Brady are right where they want to be. Home field would be a big bonus for the Bucs, but they’ve shown they don’t need it.
4) New England Patriots (9-4, 6 last week)
Seven straight for the Patriots, and they look like a team that can’t be stopped. Bad weather didn’t slow them down in Buffalo. They ran for over 220 yards, and got a big division win on the road and now lead the AFC
5) Kansas City Chiefs (8-4, 5 last week)
KC manhandled the Denver Broncos on the defensive side of the ball Sunday night. Who would have thought it would be the defense carrying the Chiefs at this stage of the season?
6) Tennessee Titans (8-4, 8 last week)
The Titans needed a bye more than anyone in the league. They lost two in a row going into their week off, and every week that passes they are a week closer to getting King Henry back.
7) Baltimore Ravens (8-4, 4 last week)
The Ravens got a taste of their own medicine getting handed a narrow loss to the Steelers. Props to Jim Harbaugh for making the call to go for two to win the game against a division opponent on the road. It didn’t pay off, but his team has played a lot of close games or overtime games, and I think he was in self preservation mode making that decision.
8) Buffalo Bills (7-5 , 10 last week)
The Bills continue to slip. The one time favorites in the AFC have lost four of their last seven, and have not only lost their grasp of the division, but have a group of teams breathing down their neck for the Wild Card spots.
9) Los Angeles Rams (8-4, 9 last week)
The Rams finally put a three game losing skid to rest. It was against the Jags, so let’s not go nuts, but Stafford and company needed a game like that. They’ll be put to the test next week against the Cardinals.
10 Dallas Cowboys (8-4, 11 last week)
Who knows what to expect from the Cowboys. I want to believe in them, but every time I start to they do something to make me lose my faith. They beat the Saints on Thursday, which really isn’t saying a whole lot.
11) Indianapolis Colts (7-6, 14 last week)
This is a scary team. I would not want to play them now, or in the playoffs. They are a tough, physical team, and Johnathan Taylor is making a case as the best running back in the league not named Derrick Henry.
12) Los Angeles Chargers (7-5, 13 last week)
The Broncos and Raiders look like they are falling behind in the AFC West, but the Chargers are hanging tight. They waxed the Bengals on Sunday, and that could be important when it comes to a Wild Card tie breaker once the regular season is done.
13 Cincinatti Bengals (7-5, 7 last week)
Of all the contenders in the AFC, the Bengals took the biggest beating. It’s a big drop, I know but the eye test just doesn’t check out with me when it comes to the Bengals.
14) Miami Dolphins (6-7,15 last week)
That’s five straight for the Dolphins. What an amazing turnaround in Miami. Before we go crazy, it must be said, other than the Ravens, they have played four of the worst teams in the league over that span. The schedule has been a cupcake over the last month, but credit to the Fins they’re winning games they need to be winning.
15) Washington Football Team (6-6, 19 last week)
How much fun is it watching Taylor Heinicke? You can’t help but root for this guy. He was on the verge of leaving football forever before Washington gave him a shot. How does he repay them? By winning four straight and injecting a boost of belief in the nations capital.
16) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5-1, 20 last week)
This last week was a make or break week for the Steelers. They don’t look incredible, but Big Ben looks like he’s turning back the hands of time. They got a big win over the Ravens to remain in the thick of the playoffs hunt.
17) San Francisco 49ers (6-6, 12 last week)
San Fran’s incredible turn around was one of the most surprising, but the loss against the Seahawks in Seattle hurts. Especially when you consider they had a chance to tie things up on the last drive. Now comes the real challenge, can they bounce back after a tough loss to stay in playoff positioning?
18) Denver Broncos (6-6, 17 last week)
Denver has a problem, and it isn’t on the defensive side of the ball. Strangely enough, the defense seems better since losing Vonn Miller, but Teddy Bridgewater and the offense need to rise to the defenses level of play if they want a chance at the postseason.
19) Cleveland Browns (6-6, 16 las week)
Bye week for the Browns, and that will be heaven sent for a team that is battered and bruised. Can Baker take the Browns back to the playoffs in the final stretch of the regular season?
20) Las Vegas Raiders (6-6, 18 last week)
The Raiders ship is sinking, and it looks like there’s no rescue in sight. Their great start to the season is the only thing that is keeping them some what in the mix for the postseason, but at the moment they look the least likely to make a move in the AFC.
21) Philadelphia Eagles (6-7, 22 last week)
How much of a pain in the butt must having Gardner Minshew backing you up if you’re a starter in the NFL? With a win under his belt and his larger than life persona, he’s the talk of the league after leading the Eagles to victory over the weekend. Jalen Hurts will be itching to get back under center before Philly falls in love with Minshew for good.
22) Minnesota Vikings (5-7, 21 last week)
They’ll mind much more losing to a no win team, than dropping a spot on the Power Rankings. But it was a poor showing from the same team that beat the Packers two weeks ago. And lets not even talk about the last play of the game.
23) Atlanta Falcons (5-7, 24 last week)
Atlanta is not a good team. But they are second echelon bad. While I can’t put them in the same category as the Jags and Lions, but they aren’t far behind.
24) Carolina Panthers (5-7, 23 last week)
Carolina are in the same boat as the Falcons. There was a mini wave of hope that swept through Panthers nation when Cam came back, but that wave crashed with a five completion performance against the Dolphins before the bye week.
25) Seattle Seahawks (4-8, 28 last week)
Russell Wilson and the Seahawks finally looked a little like Russell Wilson and the Seahawks against San Francisco on Sunday. If they can get hot, the rest of the Wild Card aspirants in the NFC will need to watch their backs.
26) New York Giants (4-8, 25 last week)
Getting their big three back on the offensive side of the ball seemed like a promising proposition, but not much has changed for the Giants over the last few weeks. Another subpar performance on the offensive side of the ball against the Dolphins will have Giants fans frustrated in the Meadowlands.
27) Chicago Bears (4-8, 26 last week)
The Bears lost to the Cardinals, which comes as no great surprise. Keep in mind that two of Chicagos wins have come against the Lions.
28) New Orleans Saints (5-7, 26 last week)
I’m tempted to put the Saints farther down the list. They have by far the longest active losing streak in the NFL. But when you factor the injury situation, and how good New Orleans looked to start the season, you can’t put them below and of the bottom four teams.
29) New York Jets (3-9, 29 last week)
The Jets lost to Gardner Minshew and the Eagles. The only good news for the Jets over the weekend was Zach Wilson stayed healthy, and did not play terribly. New York’s priority should be getting Wilson set for next year.
30) Houston Texans (2-10, 30 last week)
It has been a season to forget for the Texans who got stomped by the Colts. It wasn’t the first time they have been shut out in a blow out loss.
31) JAX (2-10, 31 last week)
The Jags will have to use the final few weeks as a learning lesson for the future. I don’t think many people around the league expected much else from this young Jacksonville side, but a few more wins in the next weeks could do the franchise well in the future.
32) DET (1-10-1, 32 last week)
The Lions finally got their first win of the season, and while there may be cause for celebration in Detroit, it won’t be enough to get them off the bottom of the Power Rankings.