1 – Philadelphia Eagles (1)
The Birds remain on top of our NFL Power Rankings after a terrific win against Buffalo. Josh Allen and the Bills came into Philly with all they had, but it was MVP frontrunner Jalen Hurts and the home team celebrating the win at the end of overtime. DeVonta Smith was Hurts’ favorite target for the second straight game, which only proves how good of a 1-2 punch Philly has at WR. In Week 13, the Eagles will host the 49ers in a battle between possibly the two best teams in the NFL, but until this team loses, they’ll remain firmly at the top of our Rankings.
2 – San Francisco 49ers (3)
Thursday night saw the San Francisco 49ers wrap Thanksgiving up with a dominant performance against the rival Seahawks. When this team is healthy, I think they’re the best team in the NFL. In Week 13, they’ll have a great chance to prove it against the Eagles in Philadelphia. The seeding implications are massive in Sunday’s game, and with a win, their chances at the top seed in the NFC go up considerably. However, if they can’t exact some revenge for what happened at that same stadium in the playoffs last year, they’ll likely have to go back again to get to the Super Bowl.
3 – Baltimore Ravens (2)
The Ravens didn’t exactly explode offensively against a mediocre Chargers defence last week, but their own stellar defensive unit did enough for the win. The fact that both sides of the ball are good enough to win games for this team is probably what’s most exciting about Baltimore, anyways. This version of the Ravens is the best one Lamar has ever been on, and with other heavyweights in the AFC going through some struggles, 2023 might be the season for Baltimore to emerge. Getting the conference’s top seed will be huge, and they’re currently half a game up on Miami, Kansas City and Jacksonville.
4 – Dallas Cowboys (6)
Regardless of who they have played, the Dallas Cowboys are firing on all cylinders right now. Dak Prescott has been phenomenal, DaRon Bland broke a record for defensive touchdowns, and the team has averaged over 40 points a game in the last three weeks. However, the cynics are still doubting this team. Thankfully, Dallas’ schedule gets a lot more difficult after Week 13 against Seattle. If the team can fare well in a four-week gauntlet against the Eagles, Bills, Dolphins and Lions, we’ll know that they’re a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
5 – Kansas City Chiefs (5)
After a loss last week, the Chiefs found themselves down 14-0 in the first half against Vegas. Then, they woke up and outscored the Raiders for the rest of the game 31-3. Things haven’t been as smooth in Kansas City this year, but Andy Reid has still led this team to the top of the AFC West with a record of 8-3. If you give Mahomes and the Chiefs anything at this time of year, they’re going to make you pay for it. I wouldn’t be worried about them right now, but it would be tough to put them any higher than fifth based on what we’ve seen this season.
6 – Miami Dolphins (7)
Miami dominated the Jets, but that really doesn’t mean much these days. The Dolphins are the Cowboys of the AFC, and until they meet the real Cowboys in Week 16, they probably won’t be in jeopardy of losing a game. However, you can’t control who you play in the NFL and this offence is still one of the best units in the league. We’ve seen them falter against top competition in their three losses this year, but Miami isn’t a team you’d want to see in the postseason.
7 – Detroit Lions (4)
Ten days ago, the Lions were able to escape disaster with a fourth quarter comeback against the Bears. In Week 12, they could not replicate those efforts against Green Bay. Detroit certainly has one of the better offences in the NFL, but they’ll need to clean up the turnovers ASAP. In the past two weeks, Jared Goff has thrown three interceptions and lost three fumbles. The defence isn’t good enough to win games by itself, and if the offence continues to turn the ball over against better teams, they’ll be in big trouble. Although I don’t think these trends will continue, it’s something to look for in their Week 13 bout with the Saints.
8 – Jacksonville Jaguars (8)
Jacksonville was very close to losing their grip on the AFC South lead on Sunday, but instead, they’re two games clear of Houston and Indianapolis heading into Week 13. Trevor Lawrence hasn’t been quite as good as some people thought he would be this year, but the Jags are still in a great spot at 8-3 with a pretty favorable schedule down the stretch. They may not be a team that’s going to roll through the AFC in January, but they’ll definitely get their postseason opportunity. Depending on how they play down the stretch, the AFC playoffs might even go through Jacksonville, too.
9 – Houston Texans (9)
If it weren’t for Matt Ammendola missing two long kicks on Sunday, these Texans would certainly have found themselves above Jacksonville on our Power Rankings. C.J. Stroud was terrific once again in the game, and even though they may not be a real threat in the AFC just yet, the future in Houston looks extremely bright. However, it would not surprise me at all to see this talented young team hanging on to the sixth or seventh spot in the conference at the end of the season.
10 – Denver Broncos (n/a)
Is the Russell Wilson trade finally paying off for Denver? After five straight wins for the Broncos, it’s starting to look that way. Of course, the trade was supposed to turn them back into a Super Bowl contender, but after last season’s showing, the excitement still has to be there for fans. Russ hasn’t been putting up mind-blowing stats, but his consistency and ball security is getting the job done offensively, while the defence has found new life after a disastrous start. In Week 13, Denver will get another awesome opportunity to prove themselves against another 6-5 team as they take on the Texans.
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