Week 14 NFL Power Rankings: Vikings Re-Enter the Top 5
We saw ties, last-minute wins, blowouts, and everything in between during the Week 13 slate of the NFL season. With all the action now in the rearview mirror, we break it down in the Week 14 NFL power rankings.
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1. Philadelphia Eagles, 11-1
- Last Week: 35-10 win vs. TEN
- Trending: +1
- This Week: 12/11 @ NYG
It seems the Philadelphia Eagles were paying attention to the doubters regarding their defense because they played one of the complete games that they’ve had all season. They shut down Derrick Henry, and the high-flying offense continues to be one of the best in the NFL.
2. Cincinnati Bengals, 8-4
- Last Week: 27-24 win vs. KC
- Trending: +3
- This Week: 12/11 vs. CLE
Joe Burrow beat the Kansas City Chiefs once again, and even more impressive, they pulled it off without starting running back Joe Mixon. However, Ja’Marr Chase came back this week and immediately was back to his old tricks of making ridiculous catches to help the Bengals offense click.
3. Dallas Cowboys, 9-3
- Last Week: 54-19 win vs. IND
- Trending: +1
- This Week: 12/11 vs. HOU
Dallas is turning into a juggernaut on the offensive side of the ball, and when you pair that with a defense with stars like Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs that are big playmakers, Dallas is going to be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.
4. Kansas City Chiefs, 9-3
- Last Week: 24-27 loss @ CIN
- Trending: -3
- This Week: 12/11 @ DEN
When’s the last time the Chiefs scored 0 points in the fourth quarter of a close game? It actually was somewhat recently, in their Week 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. However, a loss in November or December has not happened recently, but the Chiefs 26-game winning streak in those two months is now over.
5. Minnesota Vikings, 10-2
- Last Week: 27-22 win vs. NYJ
- Trending: +1
- This Week: 12/11 @ DET
The Vikings played an incredible first half of football on Sunday, and then the second half largely was a disaster. Luckily, the Vikings know how to win close games, and they are now 9-0 in one possession games during the 2022 season.
6. San Francisco 49ers, 8-4
- Last Week: 33-17 win vs. MIA
- Trending: +2
- This Week: 12/11 vs. TB
The 49ers may have won this week, but the biggest concern remains their starting QB. Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a broken foot early in the game, and the injury is going to require season-ending surgery. The question now is, can Kyle Shanahan build an offense for seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy?
7. Buffalo Bills, 9-3
- Last Week: 24-10 win @ NE
- Trending: —
- This Week: 12/11 vs. NYJ
For the second consecutive week, the Buffalo Bills played and won a Thursday game. Their defense overwhelmed Mac Jones for much of the night, and Josh Allen seems to be back to his old self.
8. Miami Dolphins, 8-4
- Last Week: 17-33 loss @ SF
- Trending: -5
- This Week: 12/11 @ LAC
Things got started with a bang as Tua Tagovailoa hit Trent Sherfield for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. Unfortunately, the Dolphins mustered very little offense after that point. Making matters worse, Tua would leave the game with an ankle injury as well.
9. Washington Commanders, 7-5-1
- Last Week: 20-20 tie @ NYG
- Trending: +1
- This Week: Bye
Taylor Heinicke once again came through in the clutch for Washington, but they couldn’t muster any points come overtime. The o-line struggled to protect their QB all afternoon, and it led to a pair of fumbles by Heinicke during the afternoon. This must get cleaned up for Washington to compete in January.
10. Baltimore Ravens, 8-4
- Last Week: 10-9 win vs. DEN
- Trending: +1
- This Week: 12/11 @ PIT
In what seems to be the theme of Week 13, Tyler Huntley had to come in and finish the game for the Baltimore Ravens after Lamar Jackson left with a knee injury. Luckily, he was able to put together a strong TD drive at the end of the game to ensure the Ravens came away with a win. The timetable for Jackson’s injury remains unknown, so that will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.
11. Tennessee Titans, 7-5
- Last Week: 10-35 loss @ PHI
- Trending: -2
- This Week: 12/11 vs. JAX
For the second straight week, Derrick Henry has been shut down for virtually no production. The Titans RB rushed 11 times for just 30 yards, and Ryan Tannehill was unable to carry the offense on his own. Tennessee needs to come out against Jacksonville and make a statement.
12. New York Jets, 7-5
- Last Week: 22-27 loss @ MIN
- Trending: —
- This Week: 12/11 @ BUF
Mike White made his second consecutive start for the Jets, and he very nearly led a comeback victory for New York against the Vikings. However, a very inefficient day in the red zone (one touchdown in six drives) ended up being the difference in the game.
13. New York Giants, 7-4-1
- Last Week: 20-20 tie vs. WSH
- Trending: +2
- This Week: 12/11 vs. PHI
In the end, a tie is not the result a lot of Giants fans were probably hoping for, but it’s not a terrible way to end up against one of the hottest teams in all of football.
14. Seattle Seahawks, 7-5
- Last Week: 27-23 @ LAR
- Trending: +2
- This Week: 12/11 vs. CAR
It ended up being a little too close for comfort, especially considering the Rams started John Wolford at QB, but the Seahawks got back on track with a win over the Rams. They need to get more from their defense moving forward if they want to win the NFC West.
15. New England Patriots, 6-6
- Last Week: 10-24 loss vs. BUF
- Trending: -2
- This Week: 12/12 @ ARI
The New England Patriots remain one of the clunkiest offenses in the NFL, and their defense seems to be unable to stop some of the best offenses. They need to figure things out quickly, otherwise we could see them outside the playoff picture at the end of the regular season.
16. Cleveland Browns, 5-7
- Last Week: 27-14 win @ HOU
- Trending: +4
- This Week: 12/11 @ CIN
Deshaun Watson made his first start for the Browns this week, and while he didn’t play especially good football, Cleveland’s defense managed to carry the way.
17. Detroit Lions, 5-7
- Last Week: 40-14 win vs. JAX
- Trending: +2
- This Week: 12/11 vs. MIN
The Lions needed to win this game in order to stay alive in the NFC North, and they did exactly that. Jameson Williams didn’t step on the field, but the offense proved effective once again. Perhaps he’ll find his way onto the field against the Vikings this upcoming weekend.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers, 5-7
- Last Week: 19-16 win @ ATL
- Trending: +5
- This Week: 12/11 vs. BAL
Kenny Pickett has begun stringing together some strong performances in recent weeks, and while the numbers won’t wow anybody, it seems like he’s starting to figure out the NFL game. We’ll see how confident he is when the Steelers host the Ravens this week.
19. Los Angeles Chargers, 6-6
- Last Week: 20-27 loss @ LV
- Trending: -5
- This Week: 12/11 vs. MIA
There’s no real way around, Brandon Staley had a few very reckless coaching decisions, and the Chargers offense left far too many opportunities on the board. Additionally, they allowed Josh Jacobs to run wild for 144 yards at a clip of 5.5 yards per carry.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 6-6
- Last Week: 17-16 win vs. NO
- Trending: +1
- This Week: 12/11 @ SF
The Buccaneers had absolutely no business winning this game for about 55 minutes. Then, Tom Brady did what Tom Brady does.
21. Atlanta Falcons, 5-8
- Last Week: 16-19 loss vs. PIT
- Trending: -4
- This Week: Bye
The Falcons playoff hopes have quickly dwindled this week after a loss to the rookie QB-led Pittsburgh Steelers, and then the Bucs finding a way to win against the hapless Saints.
22. Arizona Cardinals, 4-8
- Last Week: Bye
- Trending: —
- This Week: 12/12 vs. NE
The Cardinals went into their bye week losers of four of their last five games. Hopefully they fixed some things with the extra practice time because an angry Bill Belichick awaits them this week.
23. Las Vegas Raiders, 5-7
- Last Week: 27-20 win vs. LAC
- Trending: +2
- This Week: 12/8 @ LAR
The Raiders have quietly gone on a bit of a run during recent weeks, winning three consecutive games after a dreadful 2-7 start. If they hope to make the playoffs, they’ll need to keep winning.
24. Green Bay Packers, 5-8
- Last Week: 28-19 win @ CHI
- Trending: —
- This Week: Bye
Aaron Rodgers continues to own the Chicago Bears as the Packers won their eighth consecutive game against their division rivals. Rookie wide receiver Christian Watson had another multi-TD day as well and now has eight scores in Green Bay’s last four games.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars, 4-8
- Last Week: 14-40 loss @ DET
- Trending: -7
- This Week: 12/11 @ TEN
The Jaguars beatdown was bad enough, but they almost lost Trevor Lawrence along the way after what looked like a scary leg injury. Somehow, though, Lawrence was able to finish out the game. Now, Jacksonville hopes to get back on track against the stumbling Titans.
26. Carolina Panthers, 4-8
- Last Week: Bye
- Trending: +1
- This Week: 12/11 @ SEA
Somehow, the Panthers are still in the race for the NFC South, but they need to go on a serious run post-bye for them to make it a reality.
27. Indianapolis Colts, 4-8-1
- Last Week: 19-54 loss @ DAL
- Trending: -1
- This Week: Bye
The Colts hung around for a while, but the Cowboys offense simply became too much for them to handle down the stretch.
28. New Orleans Saints
- Last Week: 16-17 loss @ TB
- Trending: -1
- This Week: Bye
The Saints are elite at stealing defeat from the jaws of victory.
29. Los Angeles Rams, 3-9
- Last Week: 23-27 loss vs. SEA
- Trending: —
- This Week: 12/8 vs. LV
The Rams will be without Matthew Stafford for the rest of the season, so things probably won’t get much better from where they were on Sunday. John Wolford did not play an impressive game, but LA got enough contribution in the running game to keep things close.
30. Chicago Bears, 3-10
- Last Week: 19-28 loss vs. GB
- Trending: +1
- This Week: Bye
Justin Fields and the Bears played a strong first half against the Green Bay Packers, but the green and gold came storming back in the second half. A couple Fields interceptions didn’t help matters much, either.
31. Denver Broncos, 3-9
- Last Week: 9-10 loss @ BAL
- Trending: -1
- This Week: 12/11 vs. KC
Things continue to go downhill in Denver, and the Broncos have scored just three touchdowns since Halloween.
32. Houston Texans, 1-10-1
- Last Week: 14-27 loss vs. CLE
- Trending: —
- This Week: 12/11 @ DAL
The Texans played host to their former QB Deshaun Watson this week, and they continue well on pace to pick No. 1 overall in this year’s draft where they likely will look for their QB of the future.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
