NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand Heading into Week 15?

If you were hoping for a big Sunday in Week 14, well, you definitely got that. And because of the exciting action on the field, we're going to see some massive movement in these power rankings.

Key matchups between rivals like Oakland and San Francisco, or Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, led to the biggest shake-ups of the year. Blowout wins, shutouts, surprise losses—Week 14 offered it all. And all that leads to big questions about which teams are really worthy of being at the top of the list.

We know the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs are moving down while the Oakland Raiders and the Carolina Panthers are moving up, but who is taking the top spot this week?

32. Tennessee Titans (2-11)

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Last Week: 32

This Week: 32

Change: 0

Another loss, this one an absolute drubbing by the New York Giants, keeps the Tennessee Titans down at No. 32 overall. And for those that complained last week about Tennessee being ranked behind Oakland...well, flip ahead a few pages.

At 2-11, the Titans are in the hunt not for a playoff spot but for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. And entering Week 15, they would have the No. 2 overall pick and a shot at a major upgrade at quarterback or on defense.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-11)

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Last Week: 31

This Week: 31

Change: 0

Owners of the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL draft heading into Week 15, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost again in Week 14. That's 11 on the year: three straight losses and an amazing 0-6 when playing at home. Yeah, it's been a long year.

The Buccaneers are looking forward to the bitter end of the year, but at least in this offseason, head coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jason Licht can offer fans (and management) the hope of a rebuild and an early draft pick. 

30. New York Jets (2-11)

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Last Week: 29

This Week: 30

Change: -1

The New York Jets did look better in Week 14, but that only led to a little more heartbreak when they lost to the Minnesota Vikings in overtime. But the conversation on Twitter and in our office among Jets fans wasn't about the loss: It was about which player they can get in the draft with another loss.

It's already the offseason for Jets fans, but there were enough bright spots against Minnesota to be worth watching over the next three games. Can Geno Smith resurrect his franchise quarterback status? That's what I'll be watching.

Another loss, though, means another move down the rankings. 

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11)

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Last Week: 28

This Week: 29

Change: -1

One week after beating the New York Giants in a thrilling comeback, the Jacksonville Jaguars crashed back down to reality against the Houston Texans. As a team, the Jaguars continue to lose in all the ways you would expect a young team to lose, but at this point in the year, you'd also like to see momentum building toward 2015.

The Jaguars have a young roster, but it's a bit of a boom-or-bust situation if many of those youngsters don't pan out. Blake Bortles, his young receivers and an offensive line dominated by first- and second-year players are all integral to the future of this team, and to date, there has been more bad than good from this group.

I'm still a believer in head coach Gus Bradley, but the losses are piling up, and the direction of the team has to be questioned at least a little right now.

28. Washington (3-10)

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Last Week: 27

This Week: 28

Change: -1

If I could put a "down" arrow and a ranking on a picture of a dumpster on fire, it would be a more appropriate representation of this team.

Jay Gruden's football team is not a good one. Daniel Snyder can buy, draft, trade and sign every player that comes available, but in Washington, we're constantly reminded that a collection of talent that doesn't fit together doesn't make a good team. 

Now, the team must answer whether or not Robert Griffin III is its future, and Gruden definitely isn't acting like he is. The mess continues in D.C., with ownership continuing to get in the way of the football people. 

The fallout from this one isn't going to be pretty, or quiet, and it is exactly why Washington falls again this week.

27. Oakland Raiders (2-11)

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Last Week: 30

This Week: 27

Change: +3

The Oakland Raiders have two wins this year, but each win has been against a hated rival (the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers). It may not be a successful season for Oakland, but fans will be happy to see wins and development from Derek Carr, Khalil Mack and Sio Moore as the foundation of this season.

Week 14 was a good one for the Raiders, as they sealed their biggest win (11 points) since the 2012 season (which was against Kansas City, oddly enough) and puts the end of the season on a track to build momentum for the next year.

And the win over San Francisco? It moved the Raiders from the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft all the way to No. 5.

26. Chicago Bears (5-8)

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Last Week: 24

This Week: 26

Change: -2

Oh, Chicago.

The Bears are now 5-8, which means a non-winning season for the second year in a row. After a bright start to the Marc Trestman era in 2013, you have to think that a failure to produce points on offense will put his job in jeopardy sooner rather than later.

The Bears may not make a change this offseason—we're talking about maybe the stingiest ownership in sports—but Trestman has to be put on notice. Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker cannot be brought back. Changes need to be made on offense. And general manager Phil Emery must hit a home run in terms of his offseason team building.

Another 8-8 season won't be accepted in 2015.

25. New York Giants (4-9)

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Last Week: 26

This Week: 25

Change: +1

If only the New York Giants could play the Tennessee Titans every week...

It took a very bad Titans team to fix what was ailing the Giants in every aspect of the game, but it may also give false hope to fans holding out hope of a hot end to the season. The playoffs are out of the question here, meaning the next three weeks are about evaluating for 2015 and looking at the long-term plan for general manager Jerry Reese, head coach Tom Coughlin and his staff—and even quarterback Eli Manning.

Winning out would mean beating Washington, St. Louis and Philadelphia—which isn't very likely—and even that only gets them to 7-9 for the second straight year. Is that good enough to save jobs? I don't think it is.

24. New Orleans Saints (5-8)

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Last Week: 20

This Week: 24

Change: -4

The New Orleans Saints are still a playoff contender heading into Week 15, but this is a team that has lost four of their last five games. To add insult to injury, they've lost four games at home and trailed the Carolina Panthers by an unreal 38 points during the game Sunday. It's easy to see why the Saints are moving down.

The postseason may boost this team's ranking eventually, but right now, this is a bad offense being held together with Band-Aids and a defense that's lacking the personnel to run a scheme that high-priced defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was supposed to fix.

As bad as this season has been, the Saints can still win out and appease many fans by clinching an NFC South title.

23. Carolina Panthers (4-8-1)

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Last Week: 25

This Week: 23

Change: +2

A Week 14 win over the New Orleans Saints means the Carolina Panthers are still—somehow—in the playoff race in a comically bad NFC South. Would a playoff berth be enough to save Ron Rivera's job as head coach, though?

The win over New Orleans was a complete takedown of a division rival, and that's good news for Rivera, but this is still a four-win team. And with a remaining schedule of Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Atlanta, the Panthers could make some noise. Or they could lose all three and limp into the offseason.

This is a tough team to put your thumb on at this time, but the big win over New Orleans merits a nice jump in the rankings.

22. Atlanta Falcons (5-8)

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Last Week: 22

This Week: 22

Change: 0

The Atlanta Falcons may still be in first place in the NFC South—and they did nearly come back to beat the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football—but I still wouldn't pick them to beat any of the teams ranked ahead of them right now on a neutral field.

That may change in another week, as I do love the Falcons' passing game and cornerback Desmond Trufant, but the offensive line and front seven on defense (especially the lack of a pass rush) are still big concerns. With three games left, there is plenty of time and plenty of room for Atlanta to move up.

21. Minnesota Vikings (6-7)

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Last Week: 23

This Week: 21

Change: +2

A win over the New York Jets is not a great thing, so I won't act like the Minnesota Vikings beat the 1985 Chicago Bears here. But the win is a good one for a young team with so many missing parts on both sides of the ball. And that's the type of momentum head coach Mike Zimmer wants and needs as the year ends. If you hadn't noticed, the Vikings still have a chance at a winning season here.

The big takeaways from Week 14 will be the strong play of rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, his connections with Charlie Johnson and Jarius Wright and the way Ben Tate helped the run game. The defense wasn't great, but it did enough to create points off turnovers that were ultimately huge for the final score.

Three games left—Detroit, Miami and Chicago—and a chance at a 9-7 record.

20. St. Louis Rams (6-7)

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Last Week: 21

This Week: 20

Change: +1

The St. Louis Rams are one of the hottest teams in football, but they're still a 6-7 team with Shaun Hill at quarterback. That's why they only see a one-spot move up the rankings this week. They're in position to impress and earn a bigger move up over the next three weeks, though.

The most impressive thing about this team is its fight late in the year. You can sense the team not rolling over and giving up, and its two straight shutouts prove that. Both Oakland and Washington are bad teams, but a 76-0 win total the past two weeks is impressive no matter whom you're playing.

19. Buffalo Bills (7-6)

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Last Week: 16

This Week: 19

Change: -3

Playing the Denver Broncos is bad for most teams' resumes, and the Buffalo Bills learned this in Week 14. That, plus wins by the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers, results in a move down this week. But I was impressed with the Bills in their loss. This is a team that's a good quarterback away from being a real threat in the AFC playoff race.

The Bills made history Sunday when they ended Peyton Manning's streak of consecutive games with a touchdown at 51. They also showed a ton of fight in coming back against Denver in a game that was competitive for the entire fourth quarter after the Broncos dominated early. That late-game surge showed fight from Buffalo, and that's what you want at the end of a hard season.

18. Cleveland Browns (7-6)

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Last Week: 17

This Week: 18

Change: -1

I'm going to get straight to the point: It's time to start Johnny Manziel. Now. Week 15. Do it.

In their last 29 offensive drives with Brian Hoyer at quarterback, the Browns have one touchdown. Uno. Six points. In 29 drives. That's not going to get it done, folks. And it's why the Browns have fallen from 7-4 to 7-6. 

Manziel may not be better. He may be worse. But the fact that no one knows if he can provide that spark or not is exactly why he should be playing. We know what Hoyer offers, and it's not good enough.

17. San Francisco 49ers (7-6)

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Last Week: 13

This Week: 17

Change: -4

The San Francisco 49ers are not a good football team right now, and we didn't need to see them lose by 11 points to the Oakland Raiders—the team with one win heading into the week—to know that. But it does kind of drive home the point. 

Offensively, the 49ers are disjointed and are still looking for an identity that isn't coming. When Colin Kaepernick's first pass of the day was intercepted, you really knew what kind of afternoon it was going to be. And it was. Kaepernick was off (again), and the run game was nonexistent (again). 

49ers fans have loved Jim Harbaugh since his hiring, but you get the feeling many would be OK if he were coaching on the other side of the Bay in 2015.

16. Houston Texans (7-6)

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Last Week: 19

This Week: 16

Change: +3

The Houston Texans have now won seven games. They have a very realistic shot, with three games left, to finish the year with a winning record. That's after winning two games last year. And they're doing all of this with a rookie head coach in Bill O'Brien who isn't getting enough national attention for the job he's doing.

The Texans have a recipe that works for them—run it with Arian Foster, attack with a defense led by J.J. Watt, and hold on with efficient quarterback play and limited turnovers. And it works. O'Brien is doing something so few NFL coaches are willing to do—adapt his schemes and ideologies to his personnel instead of forcing a square peg into a round hole.

O'Brien won't win any Coach of the Year awards, but he should be in the conversation.

15. Miami Dolphins (7-6)

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Last Week: 15

This Week: 15

Change: 0

Week 14 saw the Miami Dolphins lose to the Baltimore Ravens—which all but kills their playoff hopes. But this wasn't a game many expected them to win, and losing to the higher-ranked Ravens isn't reason enough to move them down with so many other teams (San Francisco, Cleveland, Buffalo) also losing. 

The Dolphins stand pat, and if you're looking ahead to 2015, this is a group that has shown tremendous potential now that it's getting comfortable in Bill Lazor's offense. The play of the entire team has progressed well, and with a winning season possible with three games left, you have to consider this year a win for the Dolphins, regardless of how they finish.

14. Kansas City Chiefs (7-6)

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Last Week: 14

This Week: 14

Change: 0

The Kansas City Chiefs will not move down in this week's rankings despite their loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Losing a three-point game to the No. 6 team in the league, per Week 14's rankings, isn't worthy of a move down.

Now, I understand some fans in Kansas City actually want a move down. They want to share in their misery over the team's confusing and frustrating finish. The offense, with only a field goal needed to force overtime, was impotent. The passing game regressed to a checkdown fest, with quarterback Alex Smith once again struggling to do anything down the field.

Your frustrations are noted, Kansas City, but this team is still good enough to be ranked here.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (8-4-1)

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Last Week: 10

This Week: 13

Change: -3

The Cincinnati Bengals are the No. 1 seed in the AFC North as of the end of Week 14, but a power rankings article isn't completely about rankings. This is more about who the best team is right now, and the Bengals are too up-and-down to be considered better than the Pittsburgh Steelers (especially after a 21-point loss to Pittsburgh) or even better than Baltimore despite their two wins over the Ravens this season.

Who are the Bengals right now? That's what this article grades, and right now, they're struggling defensively. And that makes them a weak link in the AFC given the offensive firepower they would face in any playoff scenario. 

On a neutral field with one week to prepare, would the Bengals be favored over Pittsburgh or Baltimore? I don't think they would be.

12. San Diego Chargers (8-5)

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Last Week: 11

This Week: 12

Change: -1

Three straight wins for San Diego were followed by a tough home loss to the New England Patriots. And now, the Chargers are dangerously close to falling behind in the AFC playoff race.

With a strong defensive performance, outside of a few broken plays, the Chargers were impressive. But the offense couldn't consistently produce, and the line struggled to keep Philip Rivers protected against an athletic New England pass rush. And that's what you can expect in the AFC playoffs against teams like New England and Denver.

For another year, it seems like the Chargers are a good team but not quite good enough to compete in the AFC.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5)

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Last Week: 18

This Week: 11

Change: +7

Week 14 brings a huge jump up the board for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that's what happens when you beat the AFC North division-leading Cincinnati Bengals by 21 points.

The Steelers dominated the game offensively, using a mix of Le'Veon Bell and Ben Roethlisberger's passing game to take apart a Cincinnati defense that doesn't have the speed in its back seven to compete against athletes like Bell, Martavis Bryant and Antonio Brown.

With Bell making a case for the best running back in the NFL and the front seven jelling well on defense, the Steelers are one of the NFL's most dangerous teams heading into the final three games.

10. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)

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Last Week: 12

This Week: 10

Change: +2

A big win over the Miami Dolphins moves the Baltimore Ravens up. But oddly enough, this is a team currently in third place in the AFC North (behind the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers). The thing Baltimore has going for it, though, is the strong play of the defensive front seven, a very good run game and a potentially explosive passing game.

The Ravens enter a tough three-game stretch to end the year, but they also have a chance at legitimacy and playoff credibility. Jacksonville, Houston and Cleveland remain on the docket, and all three are winnable games. It's hard to imagine many losses here, which puts the Ravens at a potential 11-5 record and looking at another playoff berth.

Their record or standing may not reflect it, but over the last four weeks, the Ravens have played like a top-10 team.

9. Dallas Cowboys (9-4)

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Last Week: 9

This Week: 9

Change: 0

A win over the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football keeps the Dallas Cowboys in the top 10 for another week. And with a showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles coming—and with 10 days of rest in between games—they have a chance to move up even higher.

The chance at revenge for the home loss on Thanksgiving definitely looms large this week, but this is also about playoff seeding and respect within the division. Can a coach perennially on the hot seat (Jason Garrett) beat the darling Chip Kelly? It won't be easy, especially with how well the Philadelphia run defense is playing, but it's possible. 

The Cowboys—win or lose—are one of the league's most dangerous offenses, and as long as the defense is passable, they can win plenty of games.

8. Detroit Lions (9-4)

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Last Week: 7

This Week: 8

Change: -1

A big win by the Seattle Seahawks causes a shift in the top 10 this week. Coming off an easy win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Detroit Lions move down one spot due to Seattle's rise. 

That's not to take anything away from the Lions. They're playing very good football and have a balance between an explosive passing game and a hard-hitting defense that makes them a tough matchup. And if Matthew Stafford is on his game, they may be the toughest offense to defend outside of New England, Green Bay and Denver.

The Lions have nine wins and still have a shot at the NFC North title. Don't sleep on this team as many have been doing this season.

7. Arizona Cardinals (10-3)

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Last Week: 6

This Week: 7

Change: -1

The Arizona Cardinals fall into the same situation as the Detroit Lions: The win by the Seattle Seahawks over the Philadelphia Eagles causes a shift in the top 10, and teams that won games move down. 

This is to take nothing away from Bruce Arians' second straight 10-win season in Arizona. They're the No. 1 team in the NFC West standings for a reason, but if they were playing any team ranked higher than them this week, I wouldn't pick Arizona to win. 

After a 9-1 start, the season will come down to these final three games. At St. Louis, home against Seattle and at San Francisco. A loss—especially to Seattle—could mean the difference between home-field advantage and a wild-card game. 

6. Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)

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Last Week: 4

This Week: 6

Change: -2

A home loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14 has the Philadelphia Eagles moving down two spots in this week's rankings. And they don't have time to sulk as the Dallas Cowboys come to town Sunday night for a marquee matchup that could very well decide the NFC East.

The Eagles have a brilliant offensive scheme and an attacking defense—a pretty good one-two punch against most teams. But Seattle was able to outlast them and wait for mistakes. It was like watching two skilled heavyweight boxers, with Seattle finding the weakness and attacking late.

The Eagles are a dangerous team, but are they a Super Bowl team? I don't see that from them—not yet. But they're dang close. 

5. Indianapolis Colts (9-4)

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Last Week: 5

This Week: 5

Change: 0

When you start looking at how good each NFL team is, you realize that they exist in tiers or groups. There are the bottom-feeders in Oakland, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Jacksonville and the Jets. You have the middle-of-the-road teams like Houston, Cleveland, St. Louis and Miami. Then, there is a group of teams that are close to competing for a title—Philadelphia, Detroit and Arizona would be in that group this year. But the Colts are also in that group, at least for me.

The talent here is obvious and impressive, but the holes are just as noticeable. The rushing attack goes missing for entire games. The offensive line is horribly inconsistent. The secondary is banged up and beatable. Andrew Luck is fantastic, and his playmakers in the passing game plentiful, but that will only get them so far.

Expectations are a wonderful thing for fans, and in Indianapolis, an AFC Championship Game appearance should be a solid expectation. But this isn't a Super Bowl team. Not yet.

4. Denver Broncos (10-3)

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Last Week: 3

This Week: 4

Change:  -1

The Denver Broncos beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 14, moving their record to 10-3, but this was a weird week for the leaders of the AFC West.

Peyton Manning wasn't his normal efficient, productive self. In fact, the Bills snapped his 51-game passing-touchdown streak. The Broncos struggled to react to the Bills' pass rush, and Manning threw two interceptions while having to rely on his defense and the run game of C.J. Anderson to secure a win.

The Broncos move down this week and look like a team on a different level than Seattle, New England and Green Bay as the season heads toward its finale.

3. Seattle Seahawks (9-4)

Last Week: 8

This Week: 3

Change: +5

A decisive win over the Philadelphia Eagles—a team ranked No. 4 overall last week—moves the Seattle Seahawks way up in this week's rankings.

Just how good is this team? Is it the best in the NFC? Adam Lefkoe, Chris Simms and myself discuss in the video above.

2. New England Patriots (10-3)

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Last Week: 2

This Week: 2

Change:  0

As an NFL community, we have become so accustomed to the New England Patriots being great that it's just expected at this point. That puts a bit of a damper on things like 12 straight seasons with at least 10 wins, but that's what Bill Belichick accomplished when the Patriots went to San Diego and won a fistfight against the Chargers.

An AFC East title, a No. 1 seed in the playoffs and a run to the AFC Championship Game have become so normal in New England that it's almost unfair to the team when we don't acknowledge the consistently high level of play it produces year after year. But here it is with three weeks to go looking again like the AFC's best team with the rest of the league trying to figure out how to adapt to Belichick's greatness.

With a win over San Diego, the Patriots remain in the driver's seat in the AFC playoff race, and it's tough to imagine anyone knocking them off at this point.

1. Green Bay Packers (10-3)

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Last Week: 1

This Week: 1

Change: 0

On Monday Night Football, The Green Bay Packers learned how to win ugly. And that's important for the stretch run.

The first half was a dominant offensive performance from the Packers, and the defense did its part to bait Matt Ryan into interceptions and bad plays. But the second half was a different story: The Packers really struggled to adapt to Julio Jones or put enough defenders on him to make an impact on his jaw-dropping plays. And that's why the Falcons were able to come back.

If you're watching this game and see Jones dominating, you have to worry about what a Dez Bryant, Calvin Johnson or Demaryius Thomas could do to the Packers defense in the postseason. And yet, Green Bay won the game, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers showed again why he's the most logical MVP pick in the league.

Winning ugly, and Rodgers orchestrating another big night, is why I have faith in this team at No. 1 overall.