It was another exciting week in the NFL, as we have now made it through Week 14. Plenty of fireworks, both expected and unexpected, occurred during this slate of games, resulting in quite a few changes to our Week 15 NFL Power Rankings.
With teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens picking up wins to continue to hold serve near the top of their respective conferences, teams like the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs fell short, convoluting their paths to the playoffs. While the 49ers still top our NFL Power Rankings, there were some big changes made elsewhere in the top 10, so let's take a closer look at the rankings as we head into Week 15.
Previous NFL Power Rankings: Week 14 | 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 (no change)
Another matchup with the Seattle Seahawks gave the Niners another divisional win, staking them to an undefeated 4-0 NFC West record. Brock Purdy threw for over 350 yards, Christian McCaffrey racked up 153 total yards, and both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel went for 100+ receiving yards, with Samuel finding the end zone twice, giving him six scores over his past three games.
It looks like it's going to be tough for another NFC team to knock the 49ers out of the top spot of our NFL Power Rankings, and with games against the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Rams left, they have the easiest path to the top seed in the NFC.
2. Baltimore Ravens (+1)
It may have taken an overtime punt return touchdown for the Ravens to earn their 10th win on the year, but a win is a win, and Baltimore's record now sits at 10-3 on the year. A strong performance from Lamar Jackson (316 passing yards, 3 TDs) helped get the Ravens a win in the rain, and an 11-point fourth quarter, which included a late touchdown from Zay Flowers, played a big role in this hard-fought victory.
3. Dallas Cowboys (+3)
The postseason implications with this Week 14 win for the Dallas Cowboys are huge, especially since it moved them into first place in the NFC East. While Dak Prescott didn't have a huge performance, the Cowboys offense did more than their fair share of damage, and the defense slowed down the Philadelphia Eagles high-powered offensive attack. With a five-game winning streak in hand, the NFC now has another team in the fray for the top playoff seed.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (-2)
It was never all that close in the Week 14 Sunday Night Football matchup between the Eagles and Cowboys, as Philadelphia struggled to get out of the gate early. Jalen Hurts was never able to get on the same page as either DeVonta Smith or A.J. Brown, and the passing attack was not able to carry this team as much as it had in previous weeks.
Philly’s Week 14 loss puts them at 10-3 on the year, and while they are still a major factor in the #1 seed race in the NFC, they now have some company in the 49ers and Cowboys.
5. Miami Dolphins (-1)
Quite the disappointing performance from the Miami Dolphins, having allowed the Titans to mount a late-game comeback. With Tyreek Hill suffering an ankle injury that briefly knocked him out of the game, all eyes will be on how Miami responds in Week 15, when they have a divisional matchup against the Jets.
6. Detroit Lions (-1)
Ever since their Thanksgiving Day loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Lions have been in a funk, and a shocking loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 14 ensured that funk would linger over the team for another few days.
A disappointing performance from Jared Goff helped hand the Lions their second loss in the last three weeks, and things don’t get any easier with a Week 15 matchup against the Denver Broncos up next.
7. Cleveland Browns (+4)
It looks as though the Cleveland Browns may have their quarterback situation figured out for the rest of the season, as Joe Flacco has looked better than expected. With 311 yards and three touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Browns were able to keep themselves near the top of the AFC Wild Card race heading into Week 15.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (-1)
In a game that both the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs needed to win, it was the Chiefs that came out on the losing end. While a key decision by the refs can be seen as the reason why Kansas City lost, the offense was stagnant for much of the game, as Patrick Mahomes posted just a 27.3 QB Rating in the air, and the rushing attack sorely missed Isiah Pacheco, who was out with a shoulder injury.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (-1)
A 20-point second half helped get the Jaguars back into their Week 14 matchup with the Browns, but they still ended up falling short. While it was surprising to see Trevor Lawrence back in the lineup after an ankle injury ended his Week 13 outing against the Cincinnati Bengals early, his three interceptions ultimately destroyed any shot Jacksonville had of pulling off a comeback in this one.
10. Denver Broncos (+4)
A solid showing from the Broncos helped them earn a key divisional win and allowed them to gain a game on the Chiefs, who lost to the Bills as we already noted. Javonte Williams turned 20 touches into 91 yards and a rushing touchdown, and Courtland Sutton made the most of his four targets, including this miraculous touchdown grab.
11. Minnesota Vikings (+5)
There is very little to talk about for the Minnesota Vikings, especially since a fourth quarter field goal was the lone score that this game saw. A 3-0 barn burner went the way of the Vikings, who welcomed back Justin Jefferson, but quickly lost him again, this time to a chest/rib injury.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (+5)
Jake Browning has done a solid job stepping in for the injured Joe Burrow, and his performance on Sunday was another good one. 275 passing yards and three total touchdowns on the day was exactly what this offense needed from Browning, as he delivered scoring strikes to Chase Brown and Tanner Hudson while also hitting paydirt on the ground for his third score.
While this win helped the Bengals stay afloat in the AFC Wild Card race, things look quite bleak on offense for a team that cannot rely on its defense to carry them to the postseason. If Browning keeps playing like this, though, anything is possible for Cincinnati.
13. Buffalo Bills (+2)
What. A. Win.
The Bills had to have their Week 14 matchup against the Chiefs to give themselves a fighting chance for the playoffs, and a gritty performance earned them their seventh win of the year. James Cook racked up over 140 total yards and found the end zone through the air, and Josh Allen put up over 260 total yards of offense in the win. This team is fighting for their postseason lives at this point, and their climb up our NFL Power Rankings was helped tremendously by this win.
14. Indianapolis Colts (-4)
A scoreless second half doomed any chances that the Indianapolis Colts had of making a comeback against the Bengals, as they missed a golden opportunity to climb into a tie for the AFC South lead with the Jags losing to the Browns.
Gardner Minshew threw a costly interception in Cincinnati territory and Zach Moss was mostly held in check, contributing to Indy's sixth loss on the year.
15. Houston Texans (-6)
Allowing the lowly New York Jets offense to drop 30 points on their defense is quite disappointing, but that is not the biggest headline for the Houston Texans from their Week 14 loss – it’s the health of C.J. Stroud.
Having left Sunday’s game early with a concussion, it remains to be seen when Stroud will be back, which is a crushing blow for a team that also lost Nico Collins to a calf injury in this same game and lost rookie wideout Tank Dell for the rest of the season in Week 13.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)
A disastrous Thursday Night Football showing kicked off Week 14 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who surprisingly picked up a loss to the New England Patriots at home. With Mitch Trubisky in at quarterback after Kenny Pickett’s ankle injury, the Steelers were not able to make up any ground in the AFC playoff race, and now their path to the postseason is even tougher than it already was.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+4)
The current leaders in the NFC South division are your Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and their 6-7 record is a pretty good showing of where they currently are at. It was a rough day for the offense, as Baker Mayfield (144 yards) and Mike Evans (one reception on six targets) were never on the same page.
While their divisional win was huge, it’s not like Tampa Bay has looked to be the best team in their own divisional – but frankly, every team has looked quite rough.
18. Green Bay Packers (-4)
Having played down to the level of their opponent on Monday, all playoff momentum that the Green Bay Packers had gained in wins over the Lions and Chiefs quickly disappeared. Their loss to the Giants was quite the avoidable one, as too many turnovers and costly defensive lapses, especially on the final drive of the game from the Giants, played huge parts in why they weren't able to separate themselves in the NFC Wild Card race.
19. New Orleans Saints (+4)
An easy win over the hapless Carolina Panthers was what the Saints needed as they do their best to stay in the playoff hunt. Tied record-wise with both the Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South crown, New Orleans didn’t do a ton to showcase that they deserve to find their way into the playoffs in this one.
Derek Carr struggled again (119 passing yards), but Alvin Kamara (56 rushing yards and a touchdown) and a blocked punt return for a score helped lead the Saints to the win. Despite that, their status in our NFL Power Rankings remains uneasy for the time being.
20. Los Angeles Rams (-1)
On the bad side of luck yet again, the Los Angeles Rams were unable to mount any sort of offense in overtime, eventually losing to the Ravens on a walk-off punt return touchdown.
While a three-score day from Matthew Stafford and a 8/115/1 performance from Cooper Kupp all were wasted, the Rams put up a better fight than many likely expected. But, Los Angeles now finds themselves stuck in the group of 6-7 teams in the NFC, and they need to find a way to separate themselves from that group if they want to make it into the playoffs.
21. Seattle Seahawks (-3)
It was an uphill battle for the Seahawks once Geno Smith was ruled out during pregame warmups, even though Drew Lock didn’t look all that bad against the 49ers. But it was still another frustrating loss for the Seahawks, who have gone from a Wild Card threat to a team that is struggling to keep its head afloat in the playoff hunt.
22. Atlanta Falcons (-2)
A last-second heave from Desmond Ridder to Drake London came up three lousy yards short for the Falcons, as they dropped their Week 14 matchup with the Buccaneers. A 347-yard passing day from Desmond Ridder showed what he can look like on a good day, as he connected with Drake London (10 receptions, 172 yards) early and often.
Their loss doesn’t knock them out of the running for the NFC South divisional race, but it makes their path to making the playoffs a lot tougher moving forward, as they are locked into the 6-7 crowd at the bottom portion of our NFL Power Rankings.
23. Tennessee Titans (+4)
It was quite the Monday Night Miracle for the Tennessee Titans, as they staged an improbably fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Dolphins. A 327-yard performance from Will Levis, with 124 yards and a score going to Deandre Hopkins, was all this team needed to record its fifth win of the year, against all odds.
24. Chicago Bears (+1)
Apparently the Bears didn’t get the message that they aren’t as good as the Lions. Sunday’s matchup was the second meeting this season between the two teams, but this time it resulted in a Bears victory.
Justin Fields and D.J. Moore connected on a long score late in the third quarter to give Chicago the lead for good, and Moore found the end zone another time earlier in the game on a surprise rushing play. The Bears front sacked Jared Goff four times and forced him into two interceptions, including one on a long fourth down play that ended any chance of a comeback for the Lions.
25. New York Giants (+3)
Another strong performance from Tommy DeVito added to the growing legend that he is for the New York Giants, as he led a last-second, game-winning drive in their win over the Packers. While it wasn't pretty, two rushing touchdowns from Saquon Barkley and a calm final drive from DeVito was the difference for the Giants, who suddenly find themselves with five wins in a year most thought was lost after Daniel Jones went down with a season-ending injury.
26. New York Jets (+3)
Welcome back Zach Wilson, and welcome back a competent offensive attack for the Jets. Throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns, Wilson was able to re-establish his connection with Garrett Wilson (9/108 on 14 targets), and while Breece Hall was stymied on the ground, he did haul in eight passes for 86 yards and a score.
27. Las Vegas Raiders (-5)
202 total yards of offense is all that the Raiders managed to put up on Sunday, and yet they still only lost by a field goal. Granted, they failed to score any points themselves, but they certainly were in the game until the end.
Aidan O’Connell was the best quarterback in this Week 14 contest (171 passing yards, 1 INT), which says a lot about the game, but a Josh Jacobs injury was a big-time contributor to Las Vegas' eighth loss on the year.
28. Los Angeles Chargers (-4)
Losing Justin Herbert to a broken finger on his throwing hand could end their star quarterback’s season early, which could very well be the final blow to the Los Angeles Chargers miniscule playoff hopes. Their Week 14 loss to the Broncos was a struggle, especially once Herbert was forced out of the game. The early signs don't look all that great for a potential return this season from Herbert, which is unfortunate for the Chargers playoff chances, your fantasy football roster, and LA's standing in our NFL Power Rankings.
29. Arizona Cardinals (-1)
Sharing a bye week with the Commanders, the Arizona Cardinals have been a different team since welcoming back Kyler Murray from his torn ACL. While the first season under new head coach Jonathan Gannon was likely always going to be a work in progress, how Murray and the offense have looked since Murray's return should give this coaching staff some optimism as they look to close out the year.
30. Washington Commanders (no change)
One of two teams on their bye in Week 14, the Commanders have a lot of problems to fix on offense, especially with the connection between Sam Howell and Terry McLaurin. With enough weapons on offense to actually produce a formidable unit, there are some positives that this team can pull from this lost season.
31. New England Patriots (no change)
It wasn’t supposed to be a fun game to watch between two teams that struggle on offense, but the Patriots somehow managed to put 21 points on the board against a strong Steelers defense. With Bailey Zappe (3 touchdowns) and Ezekiel Elliott (140 total yards, 1 touchdown) leading the offense, it certainly wasn’t how Week 14 was expected to start.
32. Carolina Panthers (no change)
A field goal in both the second and third quarters was all the Panthers were able to muster against the Saints, earning their 12th loss in the process and keeping them in the basement of our NFL Power Rankings. 23 incompletions (to 13 completed passes) shows that Bryce Young was under duress but had another dreadful game, stunting his rookie season development even further.
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