It was a pretty crazy Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season, and there were plenty of high-scoring affairs that made it an interesting week. From the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks combining for 76 points on Thursday Night Football, to the Philadelphia Eagles being handed a slice of humble pie at home, our Week 14 NFL Power Rankings has a bunch of changes.
There were plenty of games impacted by weather on Sunday, as rain and wind affected the Arizona Cardinals-Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchups, among others. Big-time performances from most members of the 49ers offense, as well as individual performances from DK Metcalf, Tyreek Hill, and Mike Evans, helped pace the fireworks from Week 13.
Previous NFL Power Rankings: Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2| Week 1
1. San Francisco 49ers (+2)
A first-quarter goose egg turned into a three-quarter shellacking for the San Francisco 49ers, who put up 14 points in each of the final three quarters. A 314-yard, 4-TD outing from Brock Purdy was an outstanding showing from the San Francisco quarterback, who was making his first trip back to the place where he tore his UCL in the NFC Championship Game.
Brandon Aiyuk (five receptions, 46 yards, 1 receiving TD), Christian McCaffrey (133 yards, 1 rushing TD), and Deebo Samuel (138 total yards and two TDs) paced the way for the 49ers, who are tied with the Cowboys and Lions with nine wins, and led them to the top of the NFL Week 14 power rankings.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (-1)
Nothing about this game for the Philadelphia Eagles looked like their typical performance, especially the fact that they lost by 23 points. A concussion scare for Jalen Hurts is the bigger headline here for the Eagles, but his eventual return hopefully quells any long-term concerns.
A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith combined for over 200 receiving yards on 17 receptions, and Smith hauled in Hurts’ lone passing TD. With a Week 14 matchup against the Cowboys having huge implications, it will be interesting to see how the Eagles respond after being punched in the mouth.
3. Baltimore Ravens (-1)
Having a late bye week certainly makes things tough for NFL teams, but the Baltimore Ravens desperately needed a break, so it came at a good point in their season. With Lamar Jackson and company staking this team out to nine wins so far, it looks as though everyone will be playing catch-up to Baltimore in the race for the AFC North title.
4. Miami Dolphins (+2)
It was a bit of an ugly start to their Week 13 win, but the Miami Dolphins quickly pulled away and blew out the Washington Commanders to get out to a three-game lead in the AFC East.
Tua Tagovailoa connected with Tyreek Hill for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and rookie Devon Achane made his full-game return, finding the end zone two times himself. It wasn't a close game really for Miami, who now have nine wins on the year.
5. Detroit Lions (-1)
A 21-point lead early on in the first quarter almost came crumbling down for the Detroit Lions, but they were able to hold on late to earn their ninth win of the year.
A road win over the New Orleans Saints helps keep Detroit in a comfortable lead in the NFC North divisional race, as first-quarter scores from David Montgomery, Sam LaPorta, and Amon-Ra St. Brown helped them earn the win.
6. Dallas Cowboys (+2)
Coming out on the winning end of the best Thursday Night Football game of the year, the Cowboys now have nine wins on the year and a bonafide MVP candidate in Dak Prescott.
Putting up double-digit points in the first, second, and fourth quarters helped them earn a win, and another Prescott masterclass (three TDs), when he connected with Brandin Cooks, Jake Ferguson, and CeeDee Lamb, was a big reason why.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (-2)
It was an uphill battle all night for the Kansas City Chiefs, as they struggled to get their offense going against the Packers. Dropping a tough Sunday Night Football matchup in cold Lambeau Field sets this team back a bit, and it knocks them down a rung or two in the playoff hunt as well.
Patrick Mahomes didn't have a typical showing, and neither did Travis Kelce, and their standing in our NFL Power Rankings tumbles after their road loss.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (-1)
An optimistic MNF game turned into a battle of the backups after Trevor Lawrence was lost to a second-half ankle injury. An overtime game that resulted in a loss for the Jacksonville Jaguars kept them from moving up in the AFC playoff seeding, and all eyes will be on the health of Lawrence moving forward.
9. Houston Texans (+2)
Even though explosive rookie Tank Dell was knocked out with an injury, one feared to be season-ending, the Houston Texans held on over the Denver Broncos. A last-second interception in the red zone by Jimmie Ward saved the game for the Texans, who remain tied with the Colts in second place in the AFC South.
10. Indianapolis Colts (+2)
While it took overtime, the Indianapolis Colts earned a key divisional win, this time over the Tennessee Titans. Gardner Minshew connected with Michael Pittman Jr. to end the game.
Two blocked punts, one of which was returned for a touchdown, helped change the tide of this game for the Colts, who got 312 passing yards and two touchdowns from Minshew in the win.
11. Cleveland Browns (-1)
Joe Flacco making a start for the Cleveland Browns likely wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card this year, but here we are. While Flacco didn’t look too bad in his first action since suiting up for five games with the Jets last season, his efforts were not enough.
Amari Cooper left Sunday’s loss early with a concussion, which left the offense without its best pass catcher. The Browns showed some positives in the loss, but they still are fighting for the playoffs.
12. Green Bay Packers (+5)
What an upset win for the Green Bay Packers, as they held off Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for a key win. Getting back to .500 after going 40 days without a win is huge, and it speaks to the growth of Jordan Love this year.
A masterclass performance from Love helped get the Packers their sixth win of the year, and he became only the second QB this year (with Russell Wilson) to throw for three touchdowns against this defense. Fully entrenched in the playoff race, watch out for this team, which is our biggest climber in our NFL Power Rankings this week.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (-4)
Two weather delays made Pittsburgh’s Week 13 affair with the Cardinals last much longer than expected, but dropping a home contest by two touchdowns to a 10-loss team certainly doesn’t instill any confidence.
Kenny Pickett was knocked out with an injury, but Mitchell Trubisky wasn’t able to do enough to right the ship in their fifth loss of the year.
14. Denver Broncos (-1)
A three-interception performance from Russell Wilson made the comeback efforts of the Broncos quite tough, but Wilson was never able to get on the same page as his group of receivers.
While he did connect with Courtland Sutton for a long score, this Denver offense was playing from behind all game against the Texans, and their offensive game plan likely took a hit because of it.
15. Buffalo Bills (no change)
A bye week is some much-needed time off for the Buffalo Bills, as they will be entering the rest of the season in win-out mode. A .500 record puts them in the race in the AFC playoff race, but there is a lot of work they need to do to try and get into better positioning.
The Josh Allen-Stefon Diggs connection needs to be counted on a lot more coming out of the bye. With the offense struggling, going back to their bread and butter is key.
16. Minnesota Vikings (no change)
As one of six teams with a Week 13 bye week, the Minnesota Vikings are stuck on a two-game losing streak. With road matchups against the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears up next, Minnesota will have two chances to solidify themselves in the NFC playoff race.
Questions arose about Joshua Dobbs and remaining the starter moving forward, but with Justin Jefferson likely making his return in Week 14, expect Dobbs to remain in there, boosting their chances at the playoffs and at moving up in our NFL Power Rankings.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (+5)
What a start from Jake Browning, as his impressive showing helped lead the Cincinnati Bengals to a road upset win over the Jaguars. Needing overtime to do it, Browning relied heavily on Ja'Marr Chase in the win, and a two-TD performance from Joe Mixon helped seal the deal in a crucial win for the Bengals that helped them keep pace in the AFC playoff race.
18. Seattle Seahawks (-4)
Two consecutive primetime Thursday night affairs and two consecutive primetime losses for the Seahawks, who did everything they could but still came up short against the Cowboys.
A 35-point outing, with three of those scores coming from DK Metcalf, was all for naught, as the defense was gashed to the tune of 41 points. Geno Smith (334 yards, 3 TDs) and Zach Charbonnet (20 touches, 99 yards, 1 rushing TD) helped Metcalf on offense, but the Seahawks have now fallen to 6-6 on the year.
19. Los Angeles Rams (no change)
A three-touchdown performance from Matthew Stafford, who was shockingly the youngest starting quarterback in their matchup with Cleveland, helped pave the way for the Rams to get to .500 with their third consecutive win.
A 70-yard connection with rookie Puka Nacua was the first TD scored for the Rams on the day, and that helped set the high-scoring tone for the Rams at home against a defense that looked like a shell of itself.
20. Atlanta Falcons (-2)
A nasty, nasty affair between the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets saw Atlanta hold on for a 13-8 win. Desmond Ridder looked pretty bad (121 yards, 1 passing TD) in the win and Bijan Robinson was quite inefficient with his 21 touches (89 scoreless yards).
The Falcons defense, not known for being a stout unit, sacked the duo of Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian four times, held Breece Hall to less than two yards per carry, and forced three turnovers, including a late Siemian fumble. While they did win, it was a gross win, which knocked them down a spot in our NFL Power Rankings.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+2)
The Buccaneers are still in the playoff hunt in the NFC, but it was quite the disappointing performance from the offense in their close win over the Panthers.
Baker Mayfield (14/29, 202 yards) struggled mightily in the rain, but Mike Evans (7/162/1) and Rachaad White (23 touches, 106 yards, 1 rushing TD) helped carry the load in the win, getting Tampa Bay to 5-7 on the season.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (-2)
With three divisional matchups upcoming after their Week 13 bye, the Raiders and their 5-7 record are still in the AFC playoff hunt — for now. While the odds are stacked against them, interim head coach Antonio Pierce has helped lead this team to a 2-2 record.
Rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell has looked far better than a fourth-round selection, and while both Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams have had their fair share of struggles, both veterans have been the stalwarts on this offense.
23. New Orleans Saints (-2)
Loud boos registered on everyone’s TV when Derek Carr replaced Taysom Hill in Sunday’s loss to the Lions, and that tells you all you need to know about why the Saints lost.
Carr was unfortunately knocked out with a plethora of injuries (concussion, shoulder, and back injuries), which led to Jameis Winston entering the contest. But the Saints weren’t able to complete the comeback, and their postseason hopes keep dwindling.
24. Los Angeles Chargers (no change)
The spread in the Chargers-Patriots contest was LAC -4.5, and the Chargers covered this amount, but they only scored six points. A 6-0 win over the hapless Patriots showed that both of these teams utterly stink, and two second-quarter field goals were the only things that stood in the way of a scoreless outing for both teams.
25. Chicago Bears (no change)
A Week 13 bye week comes on the heels of a two-point win over the Vikings, which hurts the Bears’ chances of earning the top overall selection, at least with their own draft pick. But there has been some growth seen amongst the Bears over the past four weeks. All their games have been one-possession wins or losses, but they are still stuck near the bottom in our NFL Power Rankings.
26. Tennessee Titans (no change)
A tough overtime loss to the Colts was a very disappointing way to end Week 13 for the Titans, a loss that looks even cloudier based on the health of Derrick Henry. Having taken a shot to the head, Henry is now in concussion protocol and Tennessee struggled in both the second half and overtime to put points on the board.
27. New York Giants (no change)
A bye week for the New York Giants comes on the heels of a win over the Patriots, their second in a row. A Monday night matchup against the Packers is up next for the Giants in Week 14, which will likely be their final primetime matchup of the season.
28. Arizona Cardinals (+2)
It was a weird win for the Cardinals, as the weather forced two delays. But a resurgent rushing attack from James Conner (105 yards, 2 TDs) led the way for the Cardinals, who held Pittsburgh to only 10 points and forced a turnover.
29. New York Jets (-1)
Eight lousy points was all the New York Jets were able to muster at home against the Falcons, and two of those points came via a safety. Tim Boyle was eventually replaced by Trevor Siemian, but even the former Broncos quarterback wasn’t able to stem the bleeding in this low-scoring affair.
30. Washington Commanders (-1)
The defense, as has been the case for most of the season, was the reason that the Commanders lost in Week 13, this time at the hands of the Dolphins. Brian Robinson was knocked out with a hamstring injury that ended his day early, and the offense failed to do much in their 30-point home loss.
31. New England Patriots (no change)
Zero points, only 13 completions, and five sacks dominated the storylines for the New England Patriots, which feels par for the course with how much the Patriots have struggled this season. Putting themselves in prime position for one of the top QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft, it’s fair to wonder if they even deserve a chance to ruin another first-round signal caller.
32. Carolina Panthers (no change)
It feels weird to say that a three-point loss for the Panthers was one of their best games of the year, but that just speaks to how bad the rest of their 2023 season has been so far.
Keeping things close with the Buccaneers made it interesting for the Panthers, but a late-game interception from Bryce Young right before the two-minute warning buried any thoughts of winning, helping keep the Panthers at the bottom of our NFL Power Rankings.
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