Power Rankings (Week 13)

(Change from last week shown in parentheses)

1. Chiefs (+1): It seemed like they were in complete control of their game this week, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that just looking at the final score. It almost seems like they’re holding back a bit of late. Their last 3 games, all wins mind you, were all won by 4 or fewer points. This team knows they’ll be playing late into the postseason. When you’re as talented as they are, they’re able to almost toy with teams and not show everything they’re capable of and still win. This is the best team in football, once again.
2. Steelers (-1): It wasn’t all that impressive. They were only able to beat the decimated Ravens by 5. But a division win is a division win, especially one with all of the craziness that surrounded this game. This team is undefeated as we enter December — put some respect on that. I would have kept them as the top team, but the Bud Dupree injury is a big one.
3. Saints (-): Not much can be read into when looking at this past game with the Broncos QB situation, but the Saints did what they were supposed to do. This is the team to beat in the NFC. Their defense is elite. Taysom Hill is getting valuable experience as a regular QB, which can only help when Drew Brees comes back and he goes back to being involved sparingly throughout the game. And the fact that they’ve now won both games without Brees keeps them atop the standings in the NFC, which is crucial in a year with only one team getting a bye.
4. Packers (+1): Aaron Rodgers is awesome. Everyone knows how bad the Bears offense is, so the defensive domination Sunday night (minus late in the 4th quarter) doesn’t impress me. What did impress me was the Bears so-called great defense getting shredded by this Packers offense. To be fair, Akiem Hicks wasn’t playing, which is significant, but still, Aaron Rodgers is playing at an MVP level, which is not good for the rest of the NFC playoff teams.
5. Bills (-1): It wasn’t Josh Allen this week that put on a show offensively for this Bills team. It was their ground game. Averaging nearly 6 yards per rush is a great way to win a game. This team has shown the potential to win some playoff games this year. But it still feels like if there is a boneheaded play to be made, Josh Allen is going to make it at some point. In the playoffs, you can’t always recover from a single mistake like you can in the regular season.
6. Seahawks (+2): Letting Tom Brady go until the 6th round of his draft turned out to be likely the biggest miss by NFL front offices everywhere. That being said, we’ve all seen the combine footage of Tom Brady from back then, so it’s at least understandable. What I don’t think I’ll ever understand is how DK Metcalf was the 9th WR drafted in his class. This dude is unreal. And this team is back to looking elite. The NFC looked a little sluggish at the top for a while. It doesn’t look that way anymore.
7. Titans (+2): Watch out NFL. The calendar is now showing December, which means it’s Derrick Henry time. 27 carries, 178 yards, 3 TDs. And most of it was done in the first half. This team is back to where they were at the end of last season, and that’s playoff-ready. It could be a playoff preview when they face off against the Browns this week. For those who like watching ground and pound, gritty football games, that’s a must -watch.
8. Colts (-2): The Colts were without DeForest Buckner this week and boy was he missed. The most amount of points they gave up on the season entering this week was 31. They allowed 35 points this week — in the first half. Wow. Their 4 losses on the season have come to: the Jaguars, the Browns, the Ravens, and the Titans. What do all 4 of those teams have in common? They love to run the football. That has to be a bit of a concern.
9. Rams (-2): The Rams entered their matchup against the 49ers on a 2-game winning streak for the second time this season. The 49ers ended that streak both times. Their defense is going to keep them in every game. Aaron Donald alone is that good, but Jalen Ramsey and the other pieces make them elite. But Jared Goff is not playing playoff football. He’s now thrown 6 picks in the last 4 games. You can’t do that if you want to win games in December and into the playoffs.
10. Buccaneers (+1): 7 interceptions in the last 4 weeks. The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. I don’t know what is going on with this team. I don’t know if Brady is to blame or Bruce Arians or what. But I’ve never seen any QB, let alone the G.O.A.T., make some of the poor decisions that he has been making consistently this past month. The talent is still there for this team to make a run. But they need to figure this out during their bye this week for a strong push these last 4 games.
11. Raiders (-1): The whole world saw how impressive the Raiders, and specifically Derek Carr, played last Sunday night when they took the Chiefs down to the wire. They should hope not as many saw their game this week. Wow. Talk about just not showing up. These are the losses that could cost a playoff berth to a very deserving team in a crowded AFC Wild Card race.
12. Browns (+2): It wasn’t a dominating win, but it was an important win nonetheless. Averaging over 6 yards per rush like they did is going to results in wins more often than not. But allowing over 5.5 yards per rush is certainly not a winning formula. The running game will be front and center this week for them against the Titans.
13. Cardinals (-): I don’t know if it was classic Bill Belichick gameplanning to eliminate the other team’s strength or simply Kyler Murray being banged up, but it looks like when he doesn’t produce on the ground, this team is going to struggle. Also, is Zane Gonzalez ever going to make a big kick? This team was on top of the world after the Hail Murray two weeks ago, but after back to back losses, it’s not looking so great anymore. Without that miraculous catch, this team would be on a 4-game losing streak. It’s officially time to worry about them missing the playoffs.
14. Ravens (-2): Speaking about worrying about a team missing the playoffs, the Ravens have some work to do. With the copious amount of Covid-related inactives this week, I’m not going to speak on their game. But there’s enough bad play all season long to wonder what is going on with this team. That being said, 4 of their final 5 games are against teams with 4 or fewer wins. But they’re officially out of wiggle room.
15. Dolphins (-): What a fun team to root for. Whether it’s the young buck Tua or the old geizer Fitzmagic, it doesn’t matter. This is a team that is far ahead of schedule for where they expected to be behind a great defense and a good enough offense. A win over the Jets isn’t a statement by any means. But they’re now at 7–4 entering December. Kudos to this team.
16. 49ers (+2): I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the 49ers are alive and well in the playoff hunt going into December. They’ve now won 4 straight against the Rams. This last one, combined with the Cardinals loss, puts them a game back of them for the 7th spot in the NFC. Crazy.
17. Vikings (-1): What a finish to this one to keep their season alive. Kirk Cousins quiet, awesome play of late came through in a big way as the Vikings came back to beat the Panthers in miraculous fashion. They sit a game back from the final Wild Card spot in the NFC, which considering they started the season 1–5 is quite the feat.
18. Falcons (+3): This team’s play of late only makes the gut-wrenching losses they experienced this season all the more painful. 4–2 with Raheem Morris, the Falcons destroyed the Raiders this week to get them to 4–7 on the season. Remember their loss to the Cowboys in Week 2? How about to the Bears in Week 3? And then to the Lions in Week 7? All 3 of those games were simply given away. Had they gone the other way, this team would be 7–4. That’s gotta hurt Falcons fans.
19. Giants (+1): This may be a little high, but I like this Giants team. The Daniel Jones injury is significant, as it limits their offensive spark with his ability with his legs. But Colt McCoy should at least be able to run the offense. And this team is really about its defense anyway. A tough schedule down the stretch presents them with a challenge. But of all the teams in the NFC East, I think they pose at least some threat to upset someone in the playoffs.
20. Patriots (+2): What a great victory by this team to hang onto their slim playoff hopes. Sure, they were aided by a missed field goal by the Cardinals and a very bad penalty call that set them up for their game winning field goal, but a win is a win. Despite their many flaws, this team sits at 5–6, and will at least be playing meaningful football games in December. It’s a nice way to transition their fanbase from their total domination of the past two decades to where they’re trending.
21. Panthers (-4): What a crushing defeat. It’s not often that a team gets two defensive touchdowns — not just in a game, but on back to back plays. And it’s even more rare that that team loses. But that’s what happened in this one to officially end this team’s hopes of finishing the year above .500. Still, this team has been competitive in just about every game this year despite being without their best player, and one of the best players in the league, for the bulk of the season.
22. Chargers (+1): I know it was a longshot at the end of the game, but the coaching decisions by Anthony Lynn in this one may put him on the coaching hotseat. Down 10 with a minute left, they completed a hail mary just short of the end zone. The clock wound all the way down to 24 seconds due to a combination of having to get everyone all the way down the field along with seemingly being confused. Then they ran the ball up the middle. Why? No one knows. Would they have won the game had they thrown the ball? Probably not. But at least make the right play call. Very puzzling.
23. Texans (+4): Let me start by saying the Texans are not a good football team and will not be making the playoffs. Good, got that out of the way. However, this team has won 3 of their last 4 games and has a QB playing at an MVP level. Losing their best WR in Will Fuller for the season is unfortunate, as he was playing at an incredible level as well. It’ll be interesting to see where the MVP votes land if they play good football this last month and get to 7 or 8 wins.
24. Bears (-5): The Bears slide continued this week. This week not only did their offense looked inept, but their defense may have looked even worse. Akiem Hicks’ value to this team clearly showed with him being out. Fortunately for them, they get the Lions this week who make Mitchell Trubisky look like a Hall of Famer every time he plays them. A win this week would get them back to .500 and with no opponent having a winning record until Week 17, this team could hang around the playoff picture for a while.
25. Broncos (-1): No one will ever question the value of a QB again after what was shown in their game this week. Wow. I wonder how many people watched this game thinking they could do better than Kendall Hinton did. But hats off to Hinton for stepping up and giving it a go. Anyone who thought that (this writer included) is wrong.
26. Eagles (-1): Starting with the positive, this defense, specifically the defensive line, looked awesome this week against a very high-powered Seahawks offense. But that’s where the positive ends. Darius Slay proved once again that he is not an elite cornerback. He is very good against lesser wide receivers, but as soon as he’s matched up against one of the elite ones, he gets torched time and time again. And this offense is absolutely unwatchable. Carson Wentz missed on some throws, there’s no doubt about that. But this offensive line is atrocious and the wide receivers either can’t get open or drop balls when they do. It’s not looking good for this team.
27. Lions (-1): Congratulations to the Lions fanbase for the much overdue firing of Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn. Their season officially ended on Thanksgiving, and what a disappointing one it has been, but Lions fans can finally look to the future. Will they draft a QB and move on from Matthew Stafford? Only time will tell. It’ll be interesting to see how this team comes out and competes the rest of this season.
28. Football Team (+1): What a huge performance by this team. Not only are they now tied atop the NFC East with the Giants, but having swept the Cowboys on the season could ultimately play a huge role in determining the division winner. They ran the ball extremely well and played solid defense. That formula will win games.
29. Bengals (+1): I know Joe Burrow didn’t play, but 155 total yards is not inspiring. The defense held tough, especially in the red zone. But this team is already gearing up for the offseason.
30. Cowboys (-2): Somehow, sitting at 3–8 as we enter December, this team’s division title hopes are still alive and well as they have the easiest remaining schedule of the NFC East teams. But jeeze, what an embarrassment Thanksgiving was for them. Offense, defense, coaching, the whole nine. It was a brutal performance by this team in front of the entire country.
31. Jaguars (-): James Robinson gives this team one real positive to take into next year. This guy is legit. Mike Glennon played well also in this last game.
32. Jets (-): Only 5 more weeks Jets fans.