Week 14 NFL Power Rankings: 49ers and Cowboys surge, Browns and Steelers slipping
Welcome back to this Week 14 edition of NFL Power Rankings! This week’s rankings feature the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers for the wrong reasons, and the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys for all of the right reasons after their Week 13 action.
Injuries are finally starting to catch up to the Browns, who are already playing without their QB1, RB1, RT1, LT1, and now potentially without their WR1 as Amari Cooper is now in the concussion protocol. The Steelers have revealed who they really are in recent weeks, and now may be playing out the rest of their season with backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky at the helm.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, the Cowboys and 49ers are playing elite football with just five weeks to go. The cream of the crop continues to rise to the top and separate themselves as contenders.
With just five weeks to go until we reach the postseason, here are the Week 14 NFL Power Rankings. Who is up and who is down as these 32 teams enter crunch time down the stretch?
Carolina Panthers (1-11)
I wonder which coach owner David Tepper will hire just to fire next!
New England Patriots (2-10)
Is the Bill Belichick era coming to a close in New England?
Washington Commanders (4-9)
Ron Rivera will be looking for another job in the coming weeks.
New York Giants (4-8)
New York Jets (4-8)
The Browns will see Tim Boyle in Week 17. This is a winnable game.
Chicago Bears (4-8)
The Bears will look to play spoilers down the stretch as they did against the Vikings a week ago. The Browns must not fall into that trap.
Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
The Cardinals aren’t exactly playing good football, but they are playing more competitive football since the return of Kyler Murray.
Tennessee Titans (4-8)
New Orleans Saints (5-7)
The Saints went from NFC South favorites to duds in a matter of weeks.
Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)
Can the Raiders continue to stack wins down the stretch?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7)
Winning the lowly NFC South is still very much in the picture for the Buccaneers. Somehow.
Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)
What do the Bengals have to look forward to?
Minnesota Vikings (6-6)
The Vikings are trending in the wrong direction.
Los Angeles Chargers (5-7)
Every Chargers game feels like a Marvel movie if Justin Herbert was a superhero who had to beat his own teammates to save the day.
Atlanta Falcons (6-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5)
The Steelers were already trending in the wrong direction, and now they might be doing it with Mitch Trubisky at the helm the rest of the way out.
Indianapolis Colts (7-5)
Cleveland Browns (7-5)
There is still a pathway to the playoffs with Joe Flacco under center, but the Browns will be limping into the postseason if they get there. Their roster has been decimated by injuries.
Denver Broncos (6-6)
Despite their winning streak coming to an end, the Broncos will be a tough team to beat each of the last five weeks of the season.
Seattle Seahawks (6-6)
While the Seahawks were close to taking down the surging Cowboys, they now find themselves in a desperate position.
Los Angeles Rams (6-6)
Winning three-in-a-row, do not count out the Los Angeles Rams after they take down the Browns.
Green Bay Packers (6-6)
Don’t look now, but Jordan Love and the Packers are playing themselves into backdoor playoff contention after beating the Lions and Chiefs in back-to-back weeks.
Buffalo Bills (6-6)
Is it too little, too late in Buffalo?
Houston Texans (7-5)
DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud have the Texans in the driver’s seat toward a playoff spot in the first year of what many thought would be a rebuilding year.
Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3)
Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)
Detroit Lions (9-3)
The fans in Detroit deserve this.
Miami Dolphins (9-3)
Still waiting for the Dolphins to beat a competitor, but they won’t play one for awhile.
Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
Philadelphia’s defense may come back to cost these competitors in the long run.
Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
There is not a quarterback playing better football than Dak Prescott right now.
Baltimore Ravens (9-3)
The only AFC North team with a healthy quarterback, the Ravens have all but wrapped up the division.
San Francisco 49ers (9-3)
The 49ers have bullied their way back to the top despite the losing streak the loss to the Browns started in Week 5.
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