NFL Power Rankings: Initial Post-Sunday Breakdown Ahead of Week 14

Week 13 of the 2016 NFL season was strange, to say the least.

The streaking Miami Dolphins were stopped in their tracks by the Baltimore Ravens, who beat down the Fins 38-6. The Seattle Seahawks, who were coming off a horrid 14-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, looked like Super Bowl champions against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night, dismantling Carolina 40-7.

However, the victory did come at a cost:

The loss of Earl Thomas will be tough to overcome for the Seahawks. Sure, their defense is great, and as long as Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, K.J Wright and Michael Bennett are on the field, it might not matter that much.

But Thomas' impact goes beyond statistics. His leadership in the secondary is huge for Seattle, and to see him tweeting during the game in the locker room that he might hang up his cleats because of the injury...?

That's just downright disheartening.

But even with the loss of Thomas, the Seahawks are still one of the best teams in the NFL and don't slip in my power rankings this week. And with that, let's take a look at where the other 31 teams in the league stand after Sunday's slate of games.

Rising up the ranks

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are 8-4 and in first place in the NFC North. Just let that sink in.

Matthew Stafford has transformed into the leader the franchise envisioned him to be when they drafted him back in 2009 after going 0-16. While his passing yards and stats may not be as gaudy as some of the other elite signal-callers in the league, Stafford has been able to win games for his team this year when it has mattered most. 

With 21 touchdowns to just five interceptions while throwing for 3,224 yards, according to ESPN.com, Stafford has led the Lions to seven come-from-behind victories this season through 13 weeks. In fact, the team's 28-13 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday was the first time Detroit has won without coming from behind all season.

Rank	Team	Record
1	Dallas Cowboys	11-1
2	Seattle Seahawks	8-3-1
3	New England Patriots	10-2
4	Oakland Raiders	10-2
5	Kansas City Chiefs	9-3
6	Denver Broncos	8-4
7	Atlanta Falcons	7-5
8	Detroit Lions	8-4
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7-5
10	New York Giants	8-4
11	Baltimore Ravens	7-5
12	Pittsburgh Steelers	7-5
13	Miami Dolphins	7-5
14	Tennessee Titans	6-6
15	Houston Texans	6-6
16	Buffalo Bills	6-6
17	Indianapolis Colts	5-6
18	Washington Redskins	6-5-1
19	Minnesota Vikings	6-6
20	Green Bay Packers	6-6
21	Arizona Cardinals	5-6-1
22	Philadelphia Eagles	5-7
23	Los Angeles Rams	4-8
24	Cincinnati Bengals	4-7-1
25	New Orleans Saints	5-7
26	San Diego Chargers	5-7
27	New York Jets	3-8
28	Carolina Panthers	4-8
29	Chicago Bears	3-9
30	Jacksonville Jaguars	2-10
31	San Francisco 49ers	1-11
32	Cleveland Browns	0-12

It's a new era for a franchise that is not used to winning. But it's time for the league to wake up: the Lions are a legitimate threat in the NFL now. 

Falling fast

Carolina Panthers

Whoever the Carolina Panthers were a year ago when they went 15-1 are officially gone.

Don't expect a late-season charge for a playoff spot, and don't expect Cam Newton to put up MVP-caliber numbers either. The Panthers are done and dusted, and it was never more evident than the aforementioned 40-7 loss at the hands of the Seahawks on Sunday.

The game couldn't have started any worse for the Panthers. Newton was benched for the game's first possession due to a reported dress code violation, according to ESPN.com's David Newton, which meant that Derek Anderson started the game under center.

That move was strange as it was, but it got even more bizarre when the Panthers decided to pull off a play-action bootleg to Mike Tolbert, who couldn't haul in the pass and tipped it into the hands of the Seahawks defense, who went on to take the lead and take over the game:

With the exception of a 55-yard bomb down the field to Ted Ginn Jr. for a touchdown, Newton and the Carolina offense was stagnant. There can be blame thrown around surrounding a makeshift offensive line, but for the most part, the line wasn't the problem. It was everything else.

The Panthers are going down a slippery slope and won't finish with a winning record this season. It's time to pull the plug.