1 – San Francisco 49ers (2)
With a dominant 42-19 win against the Eagles last Sunday, the 49ers are once again the easy pick for the top spot in our NFL Power Rankings. When this team is healthy and playing well, I don’t think any other team in the league compares to them. You could argue that their offensive and defensive units are the best in the NFL, so the dominance makes sense. In Week 14, they’ll have another matchup with Seattle at home before finishing the year with the Cardinals, Ravens, Commanders and Rams. If they manage to win out, the NFC will most likely be going through San Francisco, and that will be a VERY tough place for any team to win.
2 – Baltimore Ravens (3)
There’s nothing new to report from the Ravens as they come off a bye, but they’ve moved up one spot from last week’s edition. With seemingly half of the AFC teams losing their starting quarterbacks, this conference is starting to really open up below Baltimore and Miami. The top spot is very important, but even if the Ravens had to go into Miami to get a win right now, I think they could do it. As long as Lamar stays healthy, this team has a legitimate shot at a trip to the Super Bowl.
3 – Philadelphia Eagles (1)
The Birds got exposed on Sunday, but it’s not a loss they can’t come back from. The secondary would clearly need to be better if they were to get a rematch with the 49ers, but besides that, this team can definitely still play with San Francisco. Despite the loss, they’re still the top seed in the NFC, and with a win against the Cowboys in Week 14, they’ll be in a great position to win out and hang on to their spot. Jalen Hurts may not be as effective while he plays through injury, but he’s still managed to get the Eagles this far. Philly isn’t the best team in the NFC right now, but they’re still very good.
4 – Dallas Cowboys (4)
Despite a tough night on defence, the Cowboys managed to get another win last Thursday against a desperate Seattle Seahawks team. Dak Prescott and the offence have been hitting all cylinders for some time now, and the train kept rolling in their last outing. If Dallas gets the home win against Philly next week, they’ll be at the top of the NFC East with a legit shot at a deep playoff run. The Cowboys are much better at home than they are on the road, and if they cannot take the East from Philly, a trip to the Super Bowl seems a lot more unrealistic. For now, though, they should be considered one of the league’s best teams.
5 – Miami Dolphins (6)
Another week, another dominant win against a bad team for Miami. They look great doing it, but at this point, we need to wait for their last three games against Dallas, Baltimore and Buffalo. In the upcoming Week 14, they’ll likely be involved in another blowout, as Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans are coming to town. You can’t control who you play, and a 9-3 record is certainly something to be proud of, but it’s impossible to know how much of a contender this team is right now. Also, Tyreek Hill should seriously be in the conversation for MVP.
6 – Detroit Lions (7)
Detroit’s offence can go toe to toe with anyone in the league, but their defence may be an issue as competition ramps up. On Sunday, they did escape New Orleans with a win, but it probably didn’t go how they would have hoped after ending the first quarter up 21-0. Closing out games against better teams will be tough if the defence can’t step up when needed. On the positive side, though, Jared Goff looked a lot better than he did in the previous two weeks, and the team is comfortably at the top of the NFC North with a 9-3 record. Detroit is very good; they just might not be good enough to go the distance yet.
7 – Kansas City Chiefs (5)
Kansas City has lost three of their last five games heading into Week 14. The offence still hasn’t looked like the one we’re used to seeing, even when receivers dropping passes isn’t the issue. They’ll most likely figure some things out before the playoffs, but I don’t think teams are fearing these Chiefs as much as they were in previous years. The young defence has been great, but Jordan Love showed on Sunday that a solid offensive night can still get the job done against them. This team can’t be ruled out as a Super Bowl contender, but things need to be cleaned up quickly in KC.
8 – Houston Texans (9)
With wins in four of their last five games, the Houston Texans head into Week 14 just one game back of Jacksonville for the lead in the AFC South. They’ve had a lot of close games, and Sunday’s against Denver was no different, as it came down to Denver’s last drive in the dying seconds of the game. Learning how to win close contests is a great thing for C.J. Stroud and this young Texans team, and although their contending window may not be open just yet, they’re certainly trending in the right direction. Houston is currently in the middle of the AFC playoff race, and I think most fans are hoping they’ll be one of the teams moving on at the end of the season.
9 – Green Bay Packers (n/a)
After starting the season 3-6, many people were ready to write off Jordan Love and the Packers this season. They’re winners of three straight against the Lions, Chargers, and Chiefs and possess the final wild-card spot in the NFC. Putting a 6-6 team here may be a bit of a stretch, but when you look at the other options, I’m not sure that any look better than the Pack right now. If Love can continue playing at a high level and Aaron Jones can come back healthy at some point, I don’t think any team in the NFC will be too excited to play Green Bay. The team hasn’t lost in December in over three years, so that’ll be something to watch as we get through the month.
10 – Jacksonville Jaguars (8)
Finally, we’ve got the Jags. Even with a loss on Monday, they would probably be higher on this list if it wasn’t for Trevor Lawrence getting hurt. C.J. Beathard has been a capable backup in the NFL for some time now, but he won’t be able to do what Lawrence can. With Indy and Houston just a game back in the division, the race for the AFC South is getting serious, and Jacksonville’s loss may prove to be massive. However, if Lawrence can return at 100% after most likely missing Week 14, this team should be just fine.
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