NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand Heading into Week 13?

Matt Miller@nfldraftscoutX.com LogoNFL Draft Lead WriterNovember 24, 2014

NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand Heading into Week 13?

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    Steven Senne/Associated Press

    Week 12 of the 2014 NFL season came and went—and left in its wake teams already eliminated from playoff contention and injuries that will shake up the rest of the season. Which team stands atop the NFL power rankings after three-quarters of the season is complete?

    The New England Patriots look unbeatable, the Green Bay Packers are steamrolling teams, and the Seattle Seahawks look to be back to form following a strong home win over the Arizona Cardinals. Which is the best team in the league? Which is the worst?

    Read on to see the latest rankings.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10)

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    The Jacksonville Jaguars are bad.

    Outside of that one sentence, there's not much more to say. The quarterback is young and making young mistakes. That's to be expected. The wide receivers make rookie mistakes, and that's to be expected. And the offensive line is very young, and they show the lack of maturity and technique of a young group that needs time to jell together.

    The Gus Bradley regime has been given a long leash by management, but it must start showing improvement heading into the end of the year and build momentum toward a crucial 2015 season.

31. Tennessee Titans (2-9)

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    You can't fault the Tennessee Titans for losing to a superior team in the Philadelphia Eagles, and that's why they don't move down in this week's rankings. 

    There are positives and negatives that you can take away from this team, as would be expected given its 2-9 record. The performance of the skill players on offense has to be better, starting with the receivers, most notably Justin Hunter. They are learning a new system and adapting to another new quarterback, but it's time to figure this out and make plays. The run game and Bishop Sankey have potential, but they need to show development over the next four weeks.

    Head coach Ken Whisenhunt has to be questioning where his team is heading.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-9)

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    The Lovie Smith revenge game didn't quite go as planned for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A loss to the Chicago Bears in which quarterback Josh McCown looked terrible and the famous Cover 2 defense was beat up isn't exactly how Lovie drew this one up. 

    The Buccaneers, simply, are not very good. They do have a collection of talent, but they're not a good team yet. That'll take time as Smith must find his quarterback (doesn't this sound familiar?) and stock the defense to run his schemes (see: Bears, Chicago, 2008-2012). If he can do that, they'll contend in a bad division. But right now? It doesn't look good in Tampa.

    But hey—they're one loss closer to Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston!

29. New York Jets (2-9)

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    The New York Jets are embarrassingly bad. In fact, they may deserve to be dead last on this list, but the play of Tampa Bay, Tennessee and Jacksonville has been lower over the course of the season. But come on, New York, what the heck?

    Playing a road game in Detroit against the Buffalo Bills—who had two days to practice while the Jets had a normal week—the Jets were completely shut down and run out of the building. You had all week, coaches and players, and this is what you do? It's a shame.

    It's time to start thinking about new management to lead this team and new coaches to build up the players. 

28. Oakland Raiders (1-10)

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    The Oakland Raiders got their first win of the season in Week 12, taking down the hated Kansas City Chiefs at home on Thursday Night Football

    The Raiders move up thanks to the win, but this is a team that just two weeks ago I was praising for being more talented than its record. That showed up again against Kansas City when the Oakland defense answered, and the offense was good enough to put points on the board late in the game to seal the win.

    Now can they do it again?  

27. Washington (3-8)

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    Despite the 3-8 record, head coach Jay Gruden appears to have the support of ownership—something few coaches have had over the superstar players in the Daniel Snyder era. But Gruden is speaking honestly and bluntly about the struggles of the team—and notably quarterback Robert Griffin III

    Another loss, and more bad play by the passing attack, has everyone on notice in Washington. Is it time for Colt McCoy? Maybehe is 2-0 as a starter this year, after all. But McCoy can't play left tackle and stop Aldon Smith and Justin Smith from wrecking the offense. The problems here are more than quarterback-related.

    But even with all these issues, the Week 12 game was still winnable and close. That's why there is a small movement up the board this week.

26. Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

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    The loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 12 moves the Minnesota Vikings to 4-7, but even in defeat, there were positives to take away from a close game against an elite division opponent.

    The Minnesota defense played very well in containing Aaron Rodgers and the explosive Green Bay wide receivers, but it couldn't stop Eddie Lacy late in the game when the Vikings needed the ball. And offensively, the same issues showed up as the offensive line struggled, the wide receivers didn't fight for balls and rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was inaccurate to start the game before settling into a nice rhythm late.

    The Vikings have a smart head coach and good talent, so expect improvements, but when facing a top-tier team, they simply cannot compete right now.

25. Carolina Panthers (3-7-1)

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    The bye week in Carolina means no movement, and thanks to losses by the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their playoff hopes are still amazingly alive despite a 3-7-1 record.

    The next five games are all winnable for the Panthers—at Minnesota, at New Orleans, home against Tampa Bay, home against Cleveland and then on the road to close out the year in Atlanta. If Carolina can win out, a return to the playoffs is a possibility.

24. New York Giants (3-8)

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    The New York Giants have lost six straight games, and it's time to talk about the job security of general manager Jerry Reese, head coach Tom Coughlin and even quarterback Eli Manning.

    How long does a Super Bowl ring last? Since the Giants won it all after the 2011 season, Coughlin and Co. have gone 9-7, 7-9 and now 3-8. The NFL is a results-oriented business, and the Giants aren't getting results. And now they're guaranteed less than a winning season. Ownership may be patient, but how long can it allow regression to take place?

    The Giants have made smart draft picks and free-agency moves, but they are still a team lacking the overall talent to win tough games. That showed up against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12 and is the underlying theme to their eight losses so far in 2014.

    And yet they're a competitive team. Coughlin's teams fight hard, but the lack of talent and key mistakes (penalties, interceptions, routes ran too short) cost them in the end. They're more talented than teams with three wins, but the record is all that matters.

23. Atlanta Falcons (4-7)

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    Seats are getting hot in Atlanta. Hell, they may be on fire this week after another embarrassing loss for the Falcons.

    Head coach Mike Smith continues to bungle timeouts and clock management, and an offense loaded with skill-position talent can't put teams away thanks to a defense that is lacking starting NFL talent. Owner Arthur Blank may be a patient man, but results have to be delivered. And over the last two seasons, no team has been as disappointing as the Falcons.

    It's never fun to call for a man and his staff to lose their jobs, but accountability is needed in Atlanta.

22. Chicago Bears (5-6)

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    The Chicago Bears needed a win in Week 12, and they got one, but the folks calling for Marc Trestman's job aren't going to be quieted by barely beating the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

    The Bears got the win, but the offense was once again anemic outside of running back Matt Forte and right guard Kyle Long. The Bears won by taking advantage of a bad opposing quarterback in Josh McCown and an offensive line that made Bears defensive tackle Stephen Paea look like an All-Pro. 

    Celebrate your win, Chicago, but this win doesn't answer the questions surrounding the team. That helps in the power rankings, but don't be fooled by a close win over one of the worst teams in the game.

21. St. Louis Rams (4-7)

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    Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the St. Louis Rams badly need a quarterback. That was the difference in the Week 12 loss to the San Diego Chargers. In a three-point game with the ball in the red zone as the game was winding down, Shaun Hill threw an inexcusable interception that lost the game for Jeff Fisher and Co. A serviceable quarterback wins that game.

    The Rams are a tough, tough team—especially on defense—and they're getting big moments from Kenny Britt and Tre Mason on offense. With a young, aggressive offensive line, a good quarterback could put this team in the playoffs. 

    The Rams may not be a winning team or a playoff team, but they are a team that no one wants to face.

20. New Orleans Saints (4-7)

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    The New Orleans Saints dropped another game in their Monday night loss to the Baltimore Ravens at home, and that puts them behind the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South lead.

    It's a confusing season in the South, and it seems that no one wants to win the division. At 4-7, the Saints have the same record as the Falcons, but head-to-head games change the standings. The good news is that the Saints have five games left, and every one of them is winnable. If they can handle the Falcons in Week 16 (in New Orleans), the division may be theirs.

    But for now, it's another move down the rankings in a season that started with Super Bowl hopes.

19. Houston Texans (5-6)

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    The excitement over Ryan Mallett was fun while it lasted, but after taking the starting job in Week 11, he's shown to be too inaccurate in a short time. Now that Mallett has been lost for the year with a torn pectoral muscle, it's too tough to tell whether he's the long-term option. Now the team must turn to Ryan Fitzpatrick—the player they benched for Mallett—or rookie Tom Savage. Those aren't good options.

    The defense and run game are solid enough to keep things interesting, and the skill players are very good here, but the quarterback play has to be better. Bill O'Brien knows this as a head coach with great quarterback experience. And maybe Mallett is good enough to get the Texans by in 2015 while they wait for a young quarterback in the draft, but the team's success in 2014 will be limited by the position.

18. Buffalo Bills (6-5)

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    The Buffalo Bills had a load of excuses in case they played poorly in their "home" game in Detroit this week. The distraction of a massive snowstorm, days of lost practices and prep time, last-minute travel and acclimation to a new practice facility and stadium—all before facing a division rival that sat at home comfortably all week.

    But the Bills needed no excuses. They came out swinging and embarrassed the Jets. At least very few people saw it. 

    The Bills were impressive, and maybe most importantly, they were aggressive in going right at the Jets. There was no hesitation here, and it resulted in a massive win in an unwinnable situation.

17. Miami Dolphins (6-5)

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    For two quarters, it looked like the Miami Dolphins might pull off an upset of the Denver Broncos. And then Peyton Manning took over the game, putting up 22 unanswered points in the second half to secure the win for Denver.

    My high school coach used to say, "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," and if you subscribe to that logic, you aren't feeling very good about Week 12 in Miami. But if you believe in moral victories and progress, you have to be happy about a strong first half from the Dolphins. The lack of adjustments in the second half, though, should concern both optimist and cynic.

    The loss—their fifth of the year—may be the final straw in the playoff race. The two remaining games against the Jets may be winnable, but seeing the Patriots and Ravens on the schedule could be the nail in the coffin.

16. San Diego Chargers (7-4)

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    The playoffs were on the line in Week 12, and the San Diego Chargers answered the call by defeating the St. Louis Rams in a nail-biter that came down to the wire. Moving to 7-4 means staying alive in the wild-card race for another week, especially important in a week that saw the Kansas City Chiefs lose. 

    The Chargers have ridden the roller coaster this season and are at times unstoppable and other times completely inept. The reality of this team might be somewhere in the middle. The Chargers have talent on both sides of the ball, are capable of explosive plays and have the defensive muscle to be intimidating there. But consistency has been an issue, and that was on display again in Week 12.

    It's a win, but the Chargers haven't been winning over critics during the past few weeks.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4)

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    The Week 12 bye helps the Pittsburgh Steelers, but wins by division and playoff rivals in Cincinnati and Cleveland don't. 

    The Steelers have four weeks left to make an impact and move ahead in the division. And both are possible, but it won't be easy. The remaining schedule has Atlanta, Kansas City and two games against Cincinnati that will likely decide the division. The playoffs? Possible, but every team they play the next four weeks is also fighting for the postseason. There are no gimmes here. No rollovers. 

    Winning out won't be easy, but it is possible. 

14. Cleveland Browns (7-4)

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    I can't believe it. You can't believe it. No one can really wrap his or her head around the Cleveland Browns being 7-4. They are. No typos. I double-checked.

    With the return of Josh Gordon and the continued ascent of rookie running backs Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell, the Browns have the balance and explosiveness on offense to make plays. That helps back up a defense that's been very good this year at every level. It's the type of recipe needed to win games late.

    If Brian Hoyer can remain efficient and prevent turnovers, the Browns can be a threat in the AFC North. Gordon, the two young backs, a very good offensive line and a tough, opportunistic defense will do the rest.

13. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)

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    The Kansas City Chiefs have to move down this week. It's pretty simple. 

    Losing to the previously 0-10 Oakland Raiders means moving down. Losing on the road in the division means moving down. Losing in a game in which your passing game and quarterback were exposed means moving down. It really wasn't a good week to be a Chief.

    The Chiefs drop to 7-4 and the ability to control their own playoff destiny is gone. They'll now fight for a wild-card berth barring a complete drop by the Denver Broncos—and that doesn't look very likely right now. 

12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-3-1)

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    The Cincinnati Bengals were impressive in taking care of the Houston Texans in Week 12, but this game was close enough to raise concerns in Cincinnati. The offense was solid, and the pass protection for Andy Dalton against a very good front seven on defense has to be applauded. The Cincinnati defense did a good job limiting yards, but this is a performance that won't cut it in the AFC North.

    It was an overall efficient day for quarterback Andy Dalton and running back Jeremy Hill, but the defense sealed the deal after the Bengals led the entire game when it picked off Ryan Mallett late in the game. If you're looking for a dominant performance to convince you the Bengals can make a run, this wasn't it. But this was a win in an ugly game against a good running team and a good defense. And that counts for something.

    The Bengals have a tough schedule to close out the year after a Week 13 game in Tampa Bay—two against Pittsburgh, one against Denver and one against Cleveland. Getting even one win will be tough here if the Bengals play as they did in Week 12. 

11. San Francisco 49ers (7-4)

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    The San Francisco 49ers get another ugly win in Week 12. If you were looking for a dominant performance against a bad Washington team to convince you the 49ers are a legit Super Bowl contender, you didn't get it this week. What you got instead was a gritty performance dominated by the defense with the offense producing just enough to win. And that's been the recipe all year long for Jim Harbaugh's team.

    The loss of so many key players on defense would devastate most teams, but the 49ers are thriving with chaos on defense. Coordinator Vic Fangio and assistant Jim Tomsula deserve a mountain of credit for their work with the young players here, and the quick acclimation of Aldon Smith post-suspension has been huge as well.

    The big question will always be about the offense, and in Week 12, it didn't answer any big questions. This is a talented team, to be sure, but the critics still have a loud voice heading into the final five weeks.

10. Baltimore Ravens (7-4)

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    The Baltimore Ravens won a close one on Monday Night Football and moved to 7-4 overall. That's good enough to keep them alive in the AFC North race—and the wild-card race—but they still have two losses to the Cincinnati Bengals and one loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and are 1-0 against the Browns so far this year. So the division is within reach, but they need help.

    The win against New Orleans keeps them in the top 10 for now, but the Ravens are in danger of a move down thanks to their division opponents.

9. Seattle Seahawks (7-4)

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    The big national narrative this week will be whether or not the Seattle Seahawks are once again an elite team after beating the nine-win Arizona Cardinals at home. And they might be, but a home win against Arizona doesn't establish that alone. Not in a 19-3 game.

    What this Week 12 win does is help Seattle in the playoff race, but it is still two wins behind those Cardinals and faces the San Francisco 49ers twice. Much is yet to be learned about this team in the next five weeks.

    The Seahawks have a very good (maybe great) quarterback, a strong run game and a defense that's capable of being dominant. But consistency has been an issue. They're still one of the NFL's top teams, but there's no guarantee this is even a playoff team in the NFC.

8. Detroit Lions (7-4)

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    The Detroit Lions ran headfirst into a top-tier NFL team in Week 12 and lost. And if you're keeping track at home, that's two straight losses and two straight games without a touchdown. 

    An offense with Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Eric Ebron and Matthew Stafford goes two full games without a touchdown? It's happening. Johnson may be Megatron, but he hasn't been the same since coming back from injury. He's still physically dominant, but his explosion and agility are lacking. Drops have also hurt this offense, and all three top-tier talents are responsible there.

    The Lions have the firepower on offense and the stout defense needed to be dangerous, but without consistent play, they're still second fiddle to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3)

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    It's really impressive if you stop to think about just how good the Philadelphia Eagles are with a very unstable situation at the most important position in sports—quarterback.

    The Eagles continue to win in impressive ways, and in Week 12, they did that without strong play from quarterback Mark Sanchez. It was a day dominated by special teams, the run game and good defense against a bad Tennessee Titans team. But head coach Chip Kelly has a formula that works, and it led to 43 points and another win. 

    If you're thinking of putting Kelly as your Coach of the Year vote, you'd be a smart person.

6. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)

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    Traveling to New York to take on a desperate Giants team is a tough outing, and winning in gritty fashion was big for the Dallas Cowboys. That's why they move up this week.

    The play from Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray and especially the offensive line was brilliant in the victory. The defense was up and down, with rookie wideout Odell Beckham Jr. having quite the game against the secondary—but they held the lead in the fourth quarter when it mattered.

    Now the Cowboys are ready for a showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving. Winner takes the lead in the division and in the power rankings.

5. Indianapolis Colts (7-4)

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    It's not always pretty, but the Indianapolis Colts find ways to keep winning games. And with an AFC South opponent in front of them—even if it was the Jacksonville Jaguars—a win is always a plus this late in the year. 

    The Colts should walk away from this game with some concerns—they couldn't run the ball worth a darn, and the loss of Dwayne Allen threw them off early on. But once they got rolling it was all over, as the Colts' talent simply became too much for the Jaguars to handle for four quarters. The offensive line play without Gosder Cherilus was bad, and the Colts allowing five sacks (and six fumbles from the team) is something they must improve heading forward.

    It's a small move up this week, and the Week 11 loss to the Patriots is still fresh in my mind here, but the Colts deserve to move into the top five this week.

4. Arizona Cardinals (9-2)

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    The Arizona Cardinals learned in Week 12 that the Seattle Seahawks are still a talented team and that traveling to the Pacific Northwest for a game is still incredibly difficult. Are the Cardinals still the best team in the NFC? Matt Bowen, Adam Lefkoe and myself discuss in the video above.

3. Denver Broncos (8-3)

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    The Denver Broncos can walk away from Week 12 very happy with the offense, but surrendering so many points to the Miami Dolphins should give them reason for concern heading into the final stretch of the season.

    With Von Miller and Aqib Talib both banged up, the Broncos allowed Ryan Tannehill to have a nicely efficient day. But when push came to shove, the Peyton Manning-led offense made the difference with 22 straight points to pull ahead and take the lead. Yes, the defensive performance was alarming, but the offense was good enough to score in bunches against a very good Miami defense.

    The Broncos, regardless of the final score, get the win and move up one spot this week.

2. Green Bay Packers (8-3)

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    Same old Green Bay Packers, right?

    The offense was good enough to beat an underrated Minnesota Vikings defense, and when the run game was needed late to seal the win, Eddie Lacy and the offensive line delivered. 

    The Packers are becoming very similar to the New England Patriots in that they can adapt in-game to beat you once they find your weakness. The run game, Aaron Rodgers, the blazing speed at wide receiver: It's all too much for most defenses.

    The Packers are like the Patriots, but can they beat them? The marquee matchup of Week 13 puts the Patriots in Green Bay in a game that will decide the No. 1 ranking next week.

1. New England Patriots (9-2)

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    How do you beat the New England Patriots? Good question. Since Week 4 in Kansas City, no one has had the answer.

    The Patriots have rolled off seven straight wins and are clearly the NFL's best team. The biggest question surrounding New England is whether it'll lose in the next five weeks. If so, it may be in Green Bay next week, but even that game favors the Patriots on paper. 

    Bill Belichick has the perfect team right now because the Patriots are the most versatile roster in the NFL. With the coaching and personnel of this team, they're impossible to scheme for during the week.

    The No. 1 seed in the AFC—and the NFL's best home-field advantage—belong to New England for another week. And Week 13 brings us a matchup of the top two ranked teams in prime time.

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