NFL POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 14
Week 14 (2023) NFL Power Rankings
A week of upsets and disappointments
It’s been far enough into the season already that if you’ve been following me, you have figured out how I do my methodology for ranking teams. I try to keep teams with the same record at the same tier and teams that have beaten each other at the top. I’m not always perfect but I get it right most of the time.
Sometimes, I feel that teams that have played better recently deserve a bump even if they’ve lost to a team with the same record so sometimes I put them ahead of the other team. Today, I tried hard to consider head-to-head matchups but there are just some teams that have just performed so poorly lately.
Before I start, I just want to mention that I was 1–1 in my picks from last week’s games, I incorrectly picked the Arizona-Pittsburgh game. I correctly picked the winner of the Dallas-Philadelphia game. I didn’t want to select the Monday Night Football games only because I thought I was seeing things when I saw two scheduled at the same time. I was not hallucinating and in both games, I would’ve lost anyway since they were both upsets. Now let’s get to the power rankings.
Elite (1–10)
1. San Francisco 49ers (10–3): The 49ers are on a five-game winning streak and are in control of the #1 seed in the NFC right now. It will be a battle at the top but they could see themselves staying there when all is said and done. Deebo Samuel had another monster game. The defense is playing well and they took care of the Seahawks, a division rival, in Week 14.
2. Dallas Cowboys (10–3): I wanted so badly for the narrative that Dallas can’t beat teams with winning records to be true. They’ve now beaten the Eagles and the .500 Seahawks in consecutive weeks. They look like they’re for real and despite a few hiccups in their schedule, they should be considered one of the best teams in the league. They might still lose the division race to Philly in the end, as there’s a real possibility of that but they didn’t look like a second-place team in the recent 33–13 beating against them.
3. Baltimore Ravens (10–3): The Ravens won in overtime against the Rams 37–31 in a matchup that was a pivotal and important one to place them at the top of the AFC in seeding. Lamar Jackson was his usual dual-threat self leading the rushing attack with 70 yards but he also threw for over 300 yards in the win.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (10–3): The Eagles went into Arlington and got smacked in the mouth, losing three fumbles in Dallas territory. Jalen Hurts did not have a good game and now the Eagles have lost two games in a row to quality opponents. I’m not worried though. They have four winnable games down the stretch, including two against surging division rivals, the New York Giants.
5. Miami Dolphins (9–4): They lost to the Titans at home by one point on Monday Night Football. I feel like this team isn’t ready to take that next step yet. Every time they look dominant and powerful, they give us games like this. Despite their defense forcing three turnovers against the Titans in the 28–27 loss, they were outgained 403–366 and those turnovers didn’t seem to impact the outcome. Raheem Mostert had two rushing touchdowns and just under 100 yards.
6. Detroit Lions (9–4): The Lions had three turnovers in an embarrassing road loss to the Bears in Chicago. In the 28–13 loss to the Bears, their offense only managed 267 yards. Jared Goff threw two interceptions in the game and was held under 200 yards passing. Their running game carried a large portion of their offense in the loss.
7. Cleveland Browns (8–5): Joe Flacco has won a game in the NFL at the age of 40. I’m not going to say I’m flabbergasted but I’m also just a bit surprised. I thought he was done. He is the Browns’ starting quarterback for the remainder of the regular season and he earned it. He threw for 311 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception in the 31–27 win over the Jaguars.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (8–5): The Chiefs have lost two games in a row. One at home, one on the road. Their offense isn’t quite as imposing as last year. In the 20–17 at home to the Buffalo Bills, they relied heavily on Mahomes, who threw 41 times, had an interception, and still threw for under 300 yards. They lost two turnovers total and that made a huge difference in the game.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (8–5): They are down here since they lost to the Browns directly. Trevor Lawrence, surprisingly, didn’t miss any time but probably could’ve benefitted from taking the week off after a second straight loss. They aren’t in huge trouble since their division rivals behind them both lost this week but they will need better play going forward.
10. Cincinnati Bengals (7–6): The Bengals took care of the Colts 34–14 in one of the matchups of the backups. Jake Browning, from Folsom High School, just outside of my hometown, has looked like a great stash for the Bengals and could find himself in a starting role somewhere next year. He was 18–24 for 275 yards, 2 touchdowns with only a single interception. The defense forced two turnovers and outgained the Colts 385–272.
Mid-Tier (11–20)
11. Denver Broncos (7–6): It’s hard to believe that this same Broncos team that started 1–5 is now only one game back of the division-leading Kansas City Chiefs. They annihilated a team that lost Justin Herbert to injury in a 24–7 win against the Chargers. The Chargers had no shot against their division rivals in this game. Denver’s offense was dominant. They forced six sacks and also got two turnovers.
12. Buffalo Bills (7–6): Buffalo got what I’d like to call a season-turning win with the 20–17 win over the Chiefs. James Cook is the person to mention in this win. He had 141 of the team’s 327 offensive yards as he rushed for 58 and caught an additional 83 with a touchdown. The defense forced two turnovers and they beat the Chiefs, enough said.
13. Minnesota Vikings (7–6): I am really struggling putting this team this high. They beat the Raiders in an unwatchable game. It was one of the lowest-scoring games in a generation. They still have a major issue at quarterback and this team is definitely in trouble. Nick Mullens is not the solution at quarterback. They did enough with him on the field but it was their defense that helped them win. They forced the Raiders into three turnovers in the 3–0 win.
14. Indianapolis Colts (7–6): Nine penalties, two turnovers, outgained on offense. I can’t really see any positives in their loss to the Bengals. Zach Moss, who had previously played well in Jonathan Taylor’s absence had a very mediocre game. Gardner Minshew II followed suit throwing for under 250 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
15. Houston Texans (7–6): A couple of storylines in this game. CJ Stroud was entered into the concussion protocol and the Jets murdered the Texans 30–6 in this game. They were outgained 347–135 by the Jets. They could not handle the Jets’ elite defense and deserved every bit of this loss.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (7–6): Two straight losses to teams with records eight games or more below .500. This is the low point of their season, especially if they find a way to bounce back considering that they’d still be in the playoff race if the playoffs started today. They need to find their bearings after a Thursday Night Football loss to the Patriots. Mitch Trubisky seemed to be responsible for most of their offense. Pressley Harvin II did score a return touchdown.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6–7): The only team with a sub-.500 record to be leading their division, they definitely benefit from a weak division. They did beat their division rival, Atlanta Falcons, this week. They won 29–25. In the win, Baker threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns. They were actually outgained 434–290. Their defense sacked Ridder three times and got a turnover.
18. New Orleans Saints (6–7): The Saints won 28–6 against the cellar-dwelling Carolina Panthers. Their defense forced two fumbles. They also got four sacks. Carolina did outgain them 303–207 but their defense helped them win this game. Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara did enough on offense.
19. Green Bay Packers (6–7): The Packers lost on Monday Night on the road to the New York Giants 24–22. The loss was a huge blow to their postseason hopes but they are in a group in the NFC at one game under. They still have a realistic shot of making the playoffs despite this recent setback. Jordan Love wasn’t terrible but the defense couldn’t stop the Giants’ run game.
20. Los Angeles Rams (6–7): In the overtime loss to the Ravens, the offense looked potent. They didn’t have any turnovers and they definitely had a chance to win the game. Matthew Stafford had a shade under 300 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Cooper Kupp had over 100 yards and a touchdown. Puka Nacua continues to dazzle the league. Kyren Williams played well too. Sometimes, these are the breaks.
The Caboose (21–32)
21. Atlanta Falcons (6–7): Desmond Ridder had nearly 350 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Buccaneers. Drake London had 172 receiving yards. Atlanta had every opportunity to win but just didn’t. They led 25–22 with 3:23 left. This offense looked very good this week but the defense couldn’t stop the Buccaneers when it mattered most.
22. Seattle Seahawks (6–7): I don’t know if I should penalize the Seahawks this hard considering that their four losses in the streak have been to the Cowboys, 49ers (twice), and Rams (by one point) but here we are. Drew Lock got the start in this game and threw for 267 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The 49ers just proved way too much in a 28–16 loss. Seattle was outgained 527–324.
23. Chicago Bears (5–8): Two wins in a row now? And both against division rivals? This team has played way better in the last month plus than they had to start the season. It feels so bad to think it’s too late for them though. With them getting the first overall pick because of the trade with Carolina in the last draft, they will likely replace Justin Fields. I don’t think it’s the right move as he has proven to be a good quarterback. He just needs more weapons around him. In this game, he threw for 223 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a touchdown with 58 rushing yards to boot.
24. New York Giants (5–8): Another sub-.500 team with a winning streak. This one is a three-game winning streak when I had pretty much counted them out at 2–8. I’m also wondering if this is too little, too late. Saquon Barkley led the rushing attack with 86 yards and two touchdowns. Tommy DeVito did enough in the 24–22 win over the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.
25. Tennesee Titans (5–8): Speaking of Monday Night Football, in the other game this week, the Titans willed themselves to a win over the Miami Dolphins 28–27. It was the first win for them in seven tries on the road this season. Derrick Henry had two rushing touchdowns. Will Levis threw for 327 yards and a touchdown with an interception. They overcame three turnovers to escape against one of the best teams in the NFL and also outgained them.
26. New York Jets (5–8): Is Zach Wilson finally arriving? He had arguably his best game as a professional against the Titans in the 30–6 win. Is he worth an investment going forward or are the Jets right in wanting him to be benched longer? Well, he got another chance and showed out. He had 27–36, 301 yards, and two touchdowns. Garrett Wilson had over 100 yards receiving and the defense did more than enough in the win.
27. Los Angeles Chargers (5–8): The Chargers looked pretty lifeless with Easton Stick at the helm of their offense. They lost 24–7 to the Broncos and never really had a chance. They lost two turnovers and got their quarterbacks sacked a collective six times. The Chargers lost Justin Herbert to a broken finger for the season in the loss and this team needs to look to the future at this point.
28. Las Vegas Raiders (5–8): The Raiders got shut out in one of the lowest-scoring games in NFL history. They didn’t help themselves with three turnovers and four sacks allowed. Aidan O’Connell had an unspectacular 171 yards and an interception. This team just looks sad right now.
29. Washington Commanders (4–9): The Commanders were one of the last teams to get a bye this year. They didn’t have an opportunity to move up or down because of this. With the rise of their rival, the Giants, it appears that the Commanders are going to stay in the cellar of the NFC East.
30. Arizona Cardinals (3–10): One of the teams that should be thankful for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year. They had a bye this week but they are coming off of a win in Week 13 against them. I’ll mention the other team soon. This is likely the team that is staying in the cellar of the NFC West but not without trying. They do look better recently, especially with Kyler Murray back under center.
31. New England Patriots (3–10): I previously mentioned it with Arizona. The Patriots are coming off a win against the Steelers this week on Thursday Night Football. Ezekiel Elliott took over the running game with the absence of Rhamondre Stevenson and showed a bit of a dual threat he hasn’t really flashed in the past. He had 140 yards from scrimmage with a receiving touchdown. Bailey Zappe threw for three touchdowns and an interception as they zoomed to a 21–10 lead at halftime. They nearly gave the game away but held on 21–18.
32. Carolina Panthers (1–12): Six losses in a row. Twelve of thirteen in a lost season. They absolutely deserve this spot. They won’t even have a first-round pick to try to improve the team with because of the trade with Chicago which is looking more and more lopsided by the day. They outgained the Saints in the 28–6 loss but couldn’t get out of their own way, whether it was giving up sacks or giving away the ball.
The Sturg’s Week 15 Picks: TNF: Raiders over Chargers, Saturday: Bengals over Vikings, Colts over Steelers, Broncos over Lions, Sunday Night: Ravens over Jaguars, Monday Night: Eagles over Seahawks.
Come join us every week on Medium at the Press Box for more power rankings from me, the Sturg.
Source: NFL Standings
Compare My Rankings: NFL.com, ESPN.com, Sporting News
