NFL Power Rankings Week 14: The Guard Has Changed
The NFL is experiencing a significant power shift as traditional contenders like the Chiefs and Eagles face struggles, while new teams rise to prominence.
A seismic shift is underway in the NFL. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles—who squared off in two of the past three Super Bowls—are in serious trouble. The Chiefs' season teeters on life support while the Eagles grip on the NFC East slips away.
Five teams in this week's top 10 didn't make the playoffs last year. The upstarts have arrived.
32. Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowl odds: +1100
They toyed with the Giants as they rode their 10th straight win into the bye week. Now they'll clinch their first AFC East title since 2019 in two weeks against the Bills.
31. Buffalo Bills
Super Bowl odds: +1000
They almost literally didn't break a sweat in a 26-0 win over the Vikings. They intercepted four passes from undrafted rookie QB Max Brosmer.
30. Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl odds: +1000
They've won nine straight games despite trailing at some point in each one. Their past four wins came by a combined 10 points. Why do they make everything so hard?
29. Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl odds: +450
What a disappointing way to end their six-game winning streak: two uncharacteristic interceptions by Matthew Stafford and a complete meltdown on both sides of the ball in the second half in Carolina.
28. Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl odds: +1400
A Thanksgiving Day win in Detroit reestablished the Packers as a threat. Four touchdown passes from Jordan Love was a reminder of what this offense can do.
27. Detroit Lions
Super Bowl odds: +7000
Their win in Philadelphia proved they've arrived as a contender. The 281 rushing yards they put up on the Eagles' defense should scare everyone. They've won eight of nine heading into a stretch where they face the Packers twice in the next three weeks.
26. Houston Texans
Super Bowl odds: +700
They've been outscored 48-15 in six quarters since taking a 21-0 lead over the Cowboys. They look and sound dysfunctional and know they're starting to run out of time.
25. Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl odds: +1000
A week ago, they had a big lead on the Chiefs and looked like they might be the best team in the AFC. Now they head to Jacksonville hoping to regain the top spot in the AFC South.
24. San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl odds: +3500
Don't ask how Kyle Shanahan is getting it done with this team. He just is. They're riding a three-game winning streak into their bye week.
23. Buffalo Bills
Super Bowl odds: +1200
Josh Allen may not look like an MVP anymore, but RB James Cook sure does. If their defense can play like they did against the Steelers, maybe they've got something there.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars
Super Bowl odds: +4500
An easy win over the lowly Titans was their third straight. They've won four of five, giving them plenty of momentum heading into a division showdown against the Colts.
21. Detroit Lions
Super Bowl odds: +1200
The Lions are in "a little bit of a hole" now, as Dan Campbell said, and not just because he's too much of a fourth-down gambler for his own good. The ankle injury to WR Amon-Ra St. Brown looms really large.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl odds: +5000
They barely held on to beat the Cardinals to snap their three-game losing streak. But does this battered team have enough left to hold onto their NFC South lead?
19. Los Angeles Chargers
Super Bowl odds: +5000
Justin Herbert has a broken left hand, which could cost him a game or two. That's the most important thing to come out of their win over the Raiders and may determine their playoff fate.
18. Las Vegas Raiders
Super Bowl odds: +15000
They've still got a lot of work to do, but wins over both of last season's Super Bowl teams in a five-day span is a serious accomplishment. Now it's on to Detroit.
17. Tennessee Titans
Super Bowl odds: +5000
They still have offensive issues, but that top-ranked defense has powered them to four straight wins and five of six to keep them right on the heels of the Colts and Jaguars in the AFC South.
16. Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl odds: +30000
Beating the Rams was by far their most impressive win of the season. Picking off Matt Stafford twice isn't easy. Scoring at will on the Rams' defense might be even harder.
15. Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl odds: +950
My instinct is to tell you they're not dead yet, but after their Thanksgiving loss in Dallas, they sure are close. They're only 6-6 but trending in the wrong direction, losing three of four.
14. Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl odds: +15000
They are fading fast, just like their aging quarterback. Aaron Rodgers, with a cast on his left wrist, a bandage on his nose, and no 250-yard games on his résumé this season, looks very, very done.
13. Chicago Bears
Super Bowl odds: +1200
Their head-fake toward contention now looks fraudulent. Their close calls against the Browns and Jets should've been a clue. Scoring only 14 points against the Bengals proved it.
12. Cincinnati Bengals
Super Bowl odds: +50000
The return of Joe Burrow gave them new life, but it didn't change their reality. They are 4-8 and have to win all their remaining games, starting this weekend in Buffalo. And they'll need help.
11. New Orleans Saints
Super Bowl odds: +100000
They looked good, building an early 16-0 lead on the Saints. Then they looked terrible nearly throwing it all away. They've won three straight and four of five, but no one is impressed.
10. New York Giants
Super Bowl odds: +100000
Taking the powerful Broncos to the wire in overtime with their backup quarterback was impressive. And they were a two-point conversion away from winning it, too.
9. Arizona Cardinals
Super Bowl odds: +100000
More gaudy numbers from QB Jacoby Brissett (304 passing yards). He even got WR Marvin Harrison Jr. back. But it didn't matter. After four straight losses, nothing matters in Arizona anymore.
8. New York Giants
Eliminated from playoff contention
Interim coach Mike Kafka is now 0-3, so it's probably safe to say his candidacy for the permanent job is over. And now the Giants have a bye week to ponder their seven-game slide.
7. Atlanta Falcons
Super Bowl odds: +100000
If Raheem Morris isn't the next NFL head coach fired, it'll be a shock. It would certainly be well-deserved after an awful loss to the Jets, blowing a chance to stay in the race in a wide-open division.
6. Minnesota Vikings
Super Bowl odds: +100000
They didn't have much of a chance with J.J. McCarthy, so they certainly weren't going to have one with Max Brosner. Their bigger issue now is, who's the QB for next year?
5. Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl odds: +100000
They had absolutely no answers for Falcons RB Bijan Robinson, but stayed close enough to pull out a last-second win anyway. Don't ask how. Just enjoy it, unless you were rooting for a higher draft pick.
4. Cleveland Browns
Super Bowl odds: +100000
Shedeur Sanders' second start was fine. But the result wasn't. He was 16 of 25 for 149 yards and a touchdown, but the Browns were pounded by the 49ers.
3. New Orleans Saints
Eliminated from playoff contention
Tyler Shough engineered a pretty impressive comeback against the Dolphins and was a two-point pass away from tying the game. Little by little, he's starting to look like a keeper, even if few others in New Orleans are.
2. Arizona Cardinals
Eliminated from playoff contention
A complete dud against the Jaguars and a bad game from QB Cam Ward. Good thing they can get him some help in April, when they almost certainly will have the top pick in the draft. Again.
1. Seattle Seahawks
Eliminated from playoff contention
Pete Carroll's stubborn decision to stick with Geno Smith is certainly something. Nothing good, but at least he's killing the season his way.