NFL Power Rankings: Who’s Surging, Who’s Fading?
Teams are coming down the home stretch. If anything is apparent in the NFL, it is that the path to the Super Bowl is wide open, especially in the AFC. Teams are already starting to get eliminated from the playoffs. The Saints, Giants, Cardinals, Raiders. and Titans are done with five games left in the season.
Let's look at my power rankings after 13 weeks:
1. Los Angeles Rams (9–3)
The Rams have been viewed as the best team in the NFL for most of the season. Matthew Stafford is playing the best football of his career, but he has been bad two out of the last three weeks, narrowing the gap between the Rams and the Seahawks.
2. Seattle Seahawks (9–3)
Just like Stafford, Sam Darnold has been showing signs of why the Vikings (and other teams) gave up on him. The Seattle defense is menacing and the Seahawks have a solid 1-2 punch at running back with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8–4)
The defending champion Eagles have lost two in a row and questions are beginning to pop up. Team chemistry is this team's Achilles heel.
4. New England Patriots (10–2)
Beneficiaries of the weakest schedule in the NFL, the Patriots have been taking care of business. They can only play the team that lines up opposite them. The real test will be in the playoffs, but it is beginning to look like they will have a first-round bye.
5. Green Bay Packers (8–3–1)
It is hard to decide what to make of this Packers team. The addition of Micah Parsons has helped the defense overcome the lack of weapons on offense.
6. Denver Broncos (10-2)
Much like the Patriots, all the Broncos do is win. It is usually not pretty, just like Sunday night's overtime win against Washington.
7. San Francisco 49ers (9–4)
The 49ers may be getting healthy at just the right time. They could be moving up this list real soon, if Christian McCaffrey doesn't get run into the ground.
8. Buffalo Bills (8–4)
Buffalo is a flawed team and the Patriots exposed that in Week 5, but the Bills still have Josh Allen and James Cook. That alone makes them dangerous.
9. Dallas Cowboys (6–5–1)
The Cowboys offense keeps them in any game. If your offense can't score 27 points consistently, you won't be able to keep up with Dallas.
10. Detroit Lions (7–5)
Head coach Dan Campbell said it himself, "We've dug ourselves a little bit of a hole." Can they climb out in time for the playoffs? I'm skeptical because of Jared Goff.
11. Indianapolis Colts (8–4)
The Colts are in the process of digging themselves a huge hole after a great start. The fade continues.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7–5)
Much like the 49ers, Tampa may be getting healthy at the right time. Unfortunately, the one player who has held the team together all year is now banged up. Baker Mayfield's left arm may fall off any time now, but you know he would still play with only one arm.
13. Houston Texans (7–5)
Houston may be the most dangerous team in the NFL right now. No team is going to want to face this defense in the playoffs.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (8–4)
Liam Coen deserves a lot of credit for getting this franchise turned around in one year. They were 4-13 last year under Doug Pederson.
15. Kansas City Chiefs
You never want to count out Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, but they are stumbling in the ring trying to climb the ropes, and the referee's count is up to 8.
16. Chicago Bears (9–3)
The Bears keep getting called a "paper tiger," but more victories like the one they had on the road in Philadelphia will change that. Right now, they are the #1 seed in the NFC.
17. Carolina Panthers (7–6)
Carolina looked horrible against the 49ers two weeks ago, and they looked awesome against the Rams. Your guess is as good as mine as to how good the Panthers are. But I still see Bryce Young at quarterback.
18. Baltimore Ravens (6–6)
Lamar Jackson hasn't looked the same since coming back from his hamstring injury. The Ravens defense took a big step back last week against Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers (6–6)
Speaking of boxing metaphors, at the end of the Buffalo-Pittsburgh game, Aaron Rodgers looked like he had just gone three rounds with Mike Tyson.
20. Los Angeles Chargers (8–4)
The Chargers have been ravished with injuries and now Justin Herbert has a fractured left hand.
21. Miami Dolphins (5–7)
The Dolphins are riding a bit of a high right now. Too bad their horrid start to the season will be too much to overcome.
22. Arizona Cardinals (3–9)
Jacoby Brissett is living a quarterback's dream out in Arizona right now – chucking the ball on every down. It hasn't been good enough to win games, though.
23. Atlanta Falcons (4–8)
The Falcons are the biggest underachieving team in the NFL this season.
24. Cincinnati Bengals (4–8)
Burrow is back, but it is too late to salvage the season.
25. New York Jets (3–9)
The Jets are playing better after starting the season 0-7, and since benching Justin Fields.
26. Washington Commanders (3–9)
The Commanders, surprisingly, may be getting Jayden Daniels back this season. Why bother?
27. Minnesota Vikings (4–8)
Max Brosmer's performance against Seattle may have been the worst quarterback performance I've seen since Nathan Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half of a game for Buffalo in 2017.
28. New York Giants (2–10)
The Giants just have to learn how to finish teams off. If games ended after three quarters, they may be top ten on this list.
29. New Orleans Saints (2–10)
The Saints have been searching for a quarterback ever since Derek Carr retired.
30. Cleveland Browns (3–9)
The Cleveland Browns have been looking for a quarterback ever since Bernie Kosar retired.
31. Las Vegas Raiders (2–10)
The Raiders have been searching for a quarterback ever since, well, Derek Carr left.
32. Tennessee Titans (1–11)
The Titans have been searching for a quarterback ever since trading Steve McNair. RIP.