NFL Power Rankings (Week 13)
Tough to put any other team at the top spot besides the Packers. They just continue to win games and do so in a variety of ways. AJ Dillon seems to be a big difference maker for this team as the weather gets colder. The Cardinals are certainly near the top. It’ll be interesting to see how good this team truly is as they get healthier. Their grasp on the NFC West title seems fairly tight as the all flash, no substance Rams continue to disappoint. The Buccaneers are getting hot, but they desperately need to fix the backend of their defense. The Bills and Chiefs are the two top teams in the AFC, despite the hiccups they’ve both experienced throughout the season.
I still don’t know what to make of the Ravens, as they have looked really bad in recent weeks. Lamar needs to adjust with defenses continuing to send the house after him. The Cowboys have now lost 3 of 4 and don’t look like they’re ready for a Super Bowl just yet. This could change as they get healthier, but I’ve thought all year that they were overperforming. Their high rish, high reward defensive style scares me. The Patriots may deserve to be higher than this, but I still am a doubter that they’re truly Super Bowl contenders. If they win this Monday Night, that may change though.
The Bengals are officially back in contention of making a run. As of now, they certainly look like a team that belongs in the playoffs. Despite the loss, the Colts certainly have turned their season around and could get into the playoffs, especially with the decimated offense of the Titans ruining their shot at a top seed. The Chargers continue to baffle me with their up and down season. The 49ers are back, and may make a legitimate push at a Wild Card spot in the NFC. A solid win on Thanksgiving from the Raiders keeps their hopes alive.
The Browns stink. They’re up there with one of the most disappointing teams of this season. The Saints will have a great opportunity this Thursday to erase what’s been a tough stretch for them. Injuries are tough to deal with. It’ll be interesting to see how they look with Taysom Hill leading the offensive attack. The Football Team is making a serious push here of late. They look like the team many expected them to be entering the season. The Vikings offensive talent should be able to weather the storm without Dalvin Cook. The Eagles blew a great opportunity this past week to make a serious run at the division, and now are stuck trying to grab hold of a Wild Card spot. The Steelers round out this tier. They’re in the hunt just due to their record, not due to their play. They do not look good.
The Broncos keep hanging around somehow. I can’t understand how, but since getting rid of Von Miller, they’ve actually looked better. The Falcons still have a shot based off of their record, but it’s tough to have any confidence in them as a team. The Dolphins are certainly trying their best to erase the first half of their season as they’ve looked much improved of late. A solid win from the Giants this week gives their fans reason to keep cheering, but they need to do something different on offense to utilize the talent they have. The Seahawks, Panthers, and Bears are all terrible teams.
The bottom 4 teams in the league have remained the same essentially all season long. The Jets picked up a nice win, but it was against the Texans, so take that for what it’s worth. The Jaguars may steal another win this year, but no more than that. They’re a lock for a top 3 pick. And the Lions can’t do it. They just can’t.
