There is no change at the top of these Power Rankings but things could be very different this time next week because the Philadelphia Eagles host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13. It’s a massive game in the NFC – a conference that also features the red-hot Dallas Cowboys. Baltimore, Kansas City, Miami and Jacksonville are locked in a four-way tie for the best mark in the AFC at 8-3. This race to the Super Bowl is going to be something else.
The Eagles are tough to slay. The Buffalo Bills held Jalen Hurts to just four completions in the first half last Sunday and should have won that game. But Hurts and his teammates always seem to find a way and that’s why they have an NFL-best 10-1 record.
The 49ers are humming as winners of three in a row. Brock Purdy took a back seat to Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel on offense in the Week 12 thrashing of Seattle. And the defense was in elite mood with six sacks and zero offensive touchdowns allowed.
The Ravens did what was required of them in LA last week and now head into a handy late-season bye with the AFC’s best record. There is enough Lamar Jackson-led firepower on offense, but Mike Macdonald’s defense could be the Super Bowl driving force.
The Kansas City Chiefs found themselves in a 14-0 hole in Las Vegas last week but duly dug their way out of it and Rashee Rice flashed some suggestions that he could be the long-term answer at receiver. Consistency now needs to come on that side of the ball.
The Cowboys have a pretty special look about them at the moment. Dak Prescott is playing the best football of his career, there are weapons contributing across the offense and the defense makes the kind of splash plays that can change and win games.
The firepower was there to see on Black Friday as the Dolphins topped 30 points for the sixth time this season during their comfortable win against the Jets. But Miami also played down to the level of their opposition and some of their mistakes won’t fly in the playoffs..
Trevor Lawrence reminded us of his credentials in seeing off the up-and-coming C.J. Stroud last Sunday. And it was impressive to see so many others step up and make plays, led by defensive end Josh Allen, who should be talked about as one of the league's best.
Worrying turnovers have crept into Jared Goff’s game and he has looked very shaky in the last couple of weeks. The Lions are likely to remain on course to make the playoffs but their recent showings suggest they are still a work in progress.
The Texans couldn’t find a way past the Jaguars last Sunday as Matt Ammendola’s 58-yard field goal hit the crossbar. But I came away from that game believing that Houston are very relevant in today’s NFL and could be for quite some time with C.J. Stroud at QB.
Josh Allen was the best player on the field for large portions of last week’s overtime loss to Philadelphia. The Bills would have been deserved winners if Allen had connected with Gabe Davis in the extra period. I still believe they are alive but Kansas City on the road is up next.
The Colts have won five in a row and I love how hard they play for head coach Shane Steichen. Michael Pittman is a solid option at receiver for Gardner Minshew – it’s just a shame Jonathan Taylor is gone for a few weeks at running back as he was heating up.
The Broncos have produced a stunning turnaround, winning five in a row to go from 1-5 to 6-5. Their defense is coming up with timely takeaways and Russell Wilson is not being asked to do too much on offense. What he is doing, he is doing very well indeed.
The Steelers have fired their offensive coordinator, wide receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens don’t seem that keen on playing hard for them and Pittsburgh managed just one offensive touchdown last week. And yet they are 7-4 and eyeing the AFC playoffs.
That was a humbling loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving Day. The line could not hold up and it seems – more often than not – that Geno Smith cannot replicate the magic of his 2022 campaign. Seattle are a playoff team, but not a contender.
The Browns were always going to be up against it when Deshaun Watson went down for the year at quarterback. He was far from great but it’s a drop-off to Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker. And now Myles Garrett has a worrying shoulder injury..
The Vikings have been disappointing in dropping back-to-back losses to Denver and Chicago. And, of course, they were by a single score. Josh Dobbs was bad in throwing four interceptions against the Bears but, at 6-6, Minnesota remain alive heading into their bye.
The Packers are currently the eight seed in the NFC after stringing together consecutive wins during which Jordan Love threw five touchdown passes and no interceptions. He is playing some of his best football of the year and this team is not out of the race just yet.
The Bengals played Pittsburgh a lot tougher than I expected on Sunday, but they are just not going to generate enough points with Jake Browning under center instead of Joe Burrow. It was a good two-year run, but the remainder of 2023 is unlucky to generate much buzz.
Don’t let the big leap fool you. There is a whole lot of mediocrity by the time you get to this portion of the power rankings and any victory can spark a rise. I still have very little trust in Desmond Ridder at quarterback but I believe in Bijan. Feed him the rock!
Speaking of mediocre teams, let me introduce you to the New Orleans Saints. They are slumping on offense once again and it has been that way for most of this season. Costly red zone interceptions hurt them against the Falcons and they are off top spot in the NFC South.
After losing three in a row to fall to 4-7, the Chargers have a chance to get back to winning ways as they take on the New England Patriots in Week 13. If they cannot find a way past that struggling team, head coach Brandon Staley might as well pack his bags.
There are a few decent players to build towards a brighter future in LA with running back Kyren Williams joining wide receiver Puka Nacua in that department. Williams rushed for 143 yards against Arizona in Week 12 as the Rams registered a season-high 228 on the ground.
The Raiders are getting offensive production out of Aidan O’Connell, Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams, but they’re just not that talented on defense. And now Maxx Crosby is playing through a knee injury that requires surgery and could end his season at any minute.
If you want the positives, the Bucs are a really good team to watch on NFL Redzone because Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans are going to catch your eye with plays at some point on an NFL Sunday. But they clearly cannot maintain success as Tampa have lost six of their last seven.
The Titans are another team that flashes at times, particularly at home, but cannot put it all together week in and week out. There is enough about rookie quarterback Will Levis to have me intrigued by the remainder of their season.
It was far from a classic on Monday Night Football as the Bears were reduced to just four field goals but still beat the Vikings. Justin Fields positioned them for the winning kick but he is not playing well enough to quiet the ‘Caleb Williams at the top of the NFL Draft’ talk.
There is a chance Tommy DeVito heads back to the bench soon as Tyrod Taylor is activated off injured reserve, but maybe not. The Giants have won their last two games to offer some respite from the misery of this 2023 campaign. And DeVito is the local boy made good, at least for now.
The first bit of good news to come out of Jets’ HQ landed this week as Aaron Rodgers had his 21-day practice window opened. It doesn’t guarantee a comeback in 2023 – some might ask if that would be fruitless – but it will help him get ready for 2024.
I enjoyed watching Sam Howell on Thanksgiving Day and the most-sacked and most-hit quarterback in the NFL certainly made some plays and showed great spirit. But the wheels came off for the Commanders in Dallas and their lack of talent in front of Howell is glaring.
The Cardinals have brief Kyler-Murray led moments when they catch your attention, but they are in real trouble at 2-10. Allowing the Rams to score 37 points and gain 457 yards in Week 12 was a sign that this team is just playing out the slate.
We didn’t know if it would be Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe at quarterback last weekend. It didn’t matter. Both were terrible and offer no hope for the future. It looks and feels like Bill Belichick’s final days in New England are going to be dark indeed.
Bryce Young can throw the football but he’s going to need to ride out some turmoil behind an awful offensive line and with owner David Tepper calling time on Frank Reich’s period in charge. The future looks bleak with no first-round pick in 2024, so Young has to pan out.