NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Biggest Risers and Fallers After Big Weekend

Things seemed somewhat concrete at the top of the NFL power rankings a few weeks back, but that was before the top teams sputtered through these recent weeks.

The Kansas City Chiefs have lost two straight since starting off the season 9-0, while the Denver Broncos—who took the top spot from Kansas City in a Sunday Night Football win in Week 11—threw away the pole position after losing to the New England Patriots this weekend. Those are the same Patriots that fell to the Carolina Panthers a week ago.

But nowhere has there been more parity than the middle of the league. Very few teams in either conference are mathematically out of the playoff race with just five weeks left in the season.

Here's a look at how the rankings shaped up entering Week 13, and the teams that saw the biggest change. 

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

Biggest Risers

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals didn't just beat the Colts, they trounced them by way of a 40-11 defeat that, at times, wasn't as close as the score suggested. 

Playing against his former team, Arizona head coach Bruce Arians called for a game plan that carved up the Colts secondary. Carson Palmer finished 26-of-37 passing for 314 yards and two scores in perhaps his best game since joining the Cardinals.

The defense is quickly becoming the most talked about unit in the NFC, holding Indy to 80 yards rushing and less than 160 yards through the air.

Coming into Week 12 with three straight wins, people were talking about the Cardinals but doubt crept in as those victories came against Atlanta, Houston and Jacksonville. Consider that doubt gone with a demolishing of one of the NFL's best teams. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Three weeks ago, the only contest the Bucs were in was a fierce battle for biggest laughing stock in the league with Jacksonville. 

Now, they're one of the hottest teams in the league. No, that's not a punch line.

Greg Schiano and the Bucs have won three straight and secured—by far—their biggest of the year in a 24-21 victory over the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions. The ball-hawking Tampa Bay secondary forced four interceptions, even without Darrelle Revis for the second half. 

And it wasn't the typical Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson combination connecting for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was Mike Glennon to Tiquan Underwood for an 85-yard score to win the game early in the final period.

Bucs fans were licking their chops at a potential No. 1 overall pick in April, but that's quickly becoming a distant memory as the team looks focused on turning its season around.

Biggest Fallers

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs picked the wrong time to struggle for the first time this season.

Entering a highly-anticipated showdown with the Broncos, Kansas City looked ready to prove its worth on the big stage after failing to play any true Super Bowl contenders early on in the season. The Chiefs lost 27-17 and it wasn't nearly that close.

This week, the Chiefs faced the San Diego Chargers in a tough home test and got carved up for the first time all season. The Chiefs defense had not let up 20 points in a game until last week against Denver and it still kept Peyton Manning relatively under wraps, but this week the defense was torched for nearly 400 yards and three touchdowns by Philip Rivers in a 41-38 defeat.

This Kansas City team once boasted arguably the most dangerous defense in the league, with a potent pass rush and ball-hawking defensive backs, but the defense hasn't looked very good in recent weeks.

Up next is Denver, and it's hard to see the Chiefs turning things around this quickly against a hungry team.

Chicago Bears

The Bears have traded wins and losses each week since Week 5, and that trend continued with a lopsided loss to the St. Louis Rams in a 21-point defeat this weekend.

Josh McCown led his team back into the game with 352 yards and two touchdowns, but threw a costly pick and had no running game to speak of. Matt Forte's 77 yards were all but three of the team's total yards on the ground.

Chicago's defense continued its recent trend of getting run all over as Benny Cunningham and Zac Stacy combined for over 180 yards and two scores.

The Bears still look to be in position to compete for the NFC North, with Detroit losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they gave up a major opportunity to get a leg up in the standings and looked woeful in the process.