NFL Power Rankings 2014: Predicting Post-Week 14 Standings

Heading into Week 14 of the NFL season, a surprisingly vast amount of teams are still legitimate contenders for a coveted trip to the postseason. In the AFC, six teams are tied at 7-5 and fighting for that final wild-card spot. In the NFC, three teams sit at 8-4 behind the division leaders, but only two wild-card slots are available.

That said, we're sure in for a hectic week on the gridiron filled with plenty of matchups that boast severe playoff implications. Here's how the postseason picture looks prior to Week 14, via NFL:

Expect that graphic to undergo some alterations following the league's forthcoming action.

So, before we get to the power rankings, let's first address one burning question: Which playoff contenders are likely fall in Week 14? Here's a look at the full slate of games with corresponding final-score predictions, followed by the league's current hierarchy.

Matchup	Winner	Score
Dallas at Chicago	Cowboys	31-23
St. Louis at Washington	Rams	24-17
Houston at Jacksonville	Texans	27-13
NY Giants at Tennessee	Giants	27-26
Tampa Bay at Detroit	Lions	30-13
Carolina at New Orleans	Saints	30-23
Indianapolis at Cleveland	Colts	31-17
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati	Bengals	24-23
NY Jets at Minnesota	Vikings	16-13
Baltimore at Miami	Dolphins	24-21
Kansas City at Arizona	Chiefs	23-20
Buffalo at Denver	Broncos	30-23
San Francisco at Oakland	49ers	20-13
Seattle at Philadelphia	Seahawks	27-24
New England at San Diego	Patriots	31-27
Atlanta at Green Bay	Packers	38-20

32. Oakland Raiders (1-11)

After the Raiders notched their first win of the season, they followed it up with a 52-0 loss at the hands of the St. Louis Rams. Any kind of momentum this team established was quickly wiped out. Perhaps Oakland saw Amari Cooper's performance in the Iron Bowl and decided winning games wasn't best for the team.

31. Tennessee Titans (2-10)

Titans rookies Zach Mettenberger and Bishop Sankey need to show dramatic improvement before this team can be taken seriously. Tennessee appears to be a couple of drafts away from contending with the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South.

30. Carolina Panthers (3-8-1)

Cam Newton may be playing his worst football of the year right now. A bye week certainly didn't help him regain his form, and now he's tasked with keeping up with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in Week 14. A bad offensive line and a rookie No. 1 receiver don' help matters, either.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-10)

The Buccaneers almost pulled out a win against a sluggish Cincinnati Bengals team in Week 13. H/owever, they couldn't get out of their own way, and a mental error led to a penalty that took them out of range for a game-winning field goal. That loss was probably a good thing if this team is considering Marcus Mariota.

28. New York Jets (2-10)

Even when Geno Smith doesn't throw the ball often, he still finds ways to lose football games for the Jets. Smith looks like a deer in headlights in the backfield, and while he may get a couple more chances to prove himself before the season is over, New York may as well start looking elsewhere. After all, Bleacher Report tweeted a very bad sign for the team's quarterback:

Ouch.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10)

The Jaguars managed to rack up a win against a New York Giants team that couldn't hang on to the football. A win is a win, although Jacksonville won't see too many with such a young cast on the offensive side of the ball. A couple more years of experience is necessary for this team.

26. Washington Redskins (3-9)

It's not good when a team moves up in the power rankings following the benching of its starting quarterback, but that's exactly the case for Washington. Colt McCoy looks far more comfortable under center, and now the Redskins must figure out their next course of action with Robert Griffin III.

25. New York Giants (3-9)

The Giants continue to get great production from Rashad Jennings and Odell Beckham Jr. This team is officially out of playoff contention, so looking ahead to the draft in an effort to find the right pieces to complement those playmakers seems to be the next order of business in New York.

24. Chicago Bears (5-7)

Chicago plays its second consecutive Thursday game in Week 14. The Bears are set to take on a reeling Dallas Cowboys team this time around, but if Jay Cutler can't figure out a way to limit turnovers and move the offense more effectively, Chicago will be staring at yet another loss.

23. St. Louis Rams (5-7)

The Rams are a tricky team to figure out, but head coach Jeff Fisher certainly appears to have them headed in the right direction. Young playmakers are beginning to emerge for St. Louis, but this team won't contend with the NFL's elite until it gets its quarterback situation under control.

22. Minnesota Vikings (5-7)

As expected, head coach Mike Zimmer really got this team's defense turned around. Now, focus on the offense really needs to become Minnesota's priority. Teddy Bridgewater appears to have a steep learning curve ahead, and this team must do its best to set him up for success.

21. New Orleans Saints (5-7)

At 5-7, the Saints are still one of the league's most disappointing teams this season. They still have a great chance to earn a playoff spot, but that's only due to a terrible NFC South. A road victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers was a good start, but this team needs to start stringing wins together in a hurry.

20. Cleveland Browns (7-5)

The Browns are in the middle of a playoff race, yet they're making a potential change at the quarterback position. Brian Hoyer has been awful of late, and the team benched him in favor of rookie Johnny Manziel. That may not be a good idea for the team, as one source indicated, via Ed Werder of ESPN:

Although, a Week 14 matchup against Andrew Luck and the Colts isn't favorable for either quarterback.

19. Atlanta Falcons (5-7)

Atlanta may have produced its best showing of the season, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 29-18 in Week 13. The Falcons are still atop the NFC South, owning a tiebreaker over the Saints. However, that may not last long, as this team must visit Green Bay on Monday Night Football.

18. Houston Texans (6-6)

Ryan Fitzpatrick put up the surprise performance of the season against Tennessee, throwing six touchdown passes. A favorable matchup against the Jaguars is next on the slate, but this team will be hard-pressed to get into position to earn a playoff spot with games against the Colts and Baltimore Ravens on the horizon.

17. Kansas City Chiefs (7-5)

The Chiefs dropped their second straight game Sunday and now find themselves on the outside looking in on the current playoff picture. A tough test against the Cardinals lies ahead, and dropping yet another contest could all but end this team's season.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5)

Pittsburgh couldn't handle the Saints in Week 13 and are now 1.5 games behind the Bengals. Well, the Steelers will get a good chance to close the gap, as they travel to Cincinnati in Week 14. Still, if Pittsburgh expects to win, it will need far better play from its secondary.

15. Buffalo Bills (7-5)

The Bills took it to a struggling Browns team in Week 13. Buffalo still has a solid chance of earning a playoff berth this season, but it simply cannot continue to settle for field goals inside the red zone. That aspect of the game will be heavily tested Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

14. Miami Dolphins (7-5)

Miami didn't play well at all on Monday night against the Jets, but it did manage to come from behind to claim a victory and move into the AFC's No. 6 seed. Still, the Dolphins shouldn't get comfortable there. If they play in that same fashion in Week 14, they won't defeat the visiting Ravens.

13. Baltimore Ravens (7-5)

Baltimore's secondary was exposed against the San Diego Chargers in Week 13. The Ravens were burned early and often by Keenan Allen and Co., and that led to a devastating home loss. At 7-5, this team desperately needs a victory to remain in contention in the highly competitive AFC North.

12. San Francisco 49ers (7-5)

San Francisco continues to play unimpressive football, yet it is still in contention for a playoff spot. A favorable game against the Raiders is in store for this team in Week 14, but with the Seahawks, Chargers and Cardinals over the last three weeks, the 49ers need improved all-around play in a hurry. Head coach Jim Harbaugh is saying all the right things, via the team's official Twitter account:

But, we'll see if that finally translates to San Francisco's on-field product.

11. San Diego Chargers (8-4)

The Chargers put themselves in great position within the AFC with a victory over Baltimore. Still, this team won't have it easy down the final stretch, and its first test will be in Week 14 against the New England Patriots. San Diego must treat Week 14 like a playoff game.

10. Arizona Cardinals (9-3)

Arizona is sliding, and there may be no end in sight. Drew Stanton isn't accurate enough to run an effective offense, and he's not getting any kind of help out of the backfield. The defense collapsed against Atlanta and couldn't find a way to cover Julio Jones. If changes aren't made quickly, this team could lose out on the NFC West and, quite possibly, a playoff berth.

9. Dallas Cowboys (8-4)

Dallas' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13 was devastating. Not only did the Cowboys give up a tie for the division lead, but they aren't even in line for a playoff spot at the moment. This team needs better play from Tony Romo in December, or it could miss out on the postseason once again.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (8-3-1)

Cincinnati managed an ugly win against Tampa Bay in Week 13, but the offense wasn't impressive in the slightest. Andy Dalton cannot continue to throw interceptions, or this team will be one-and-done in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

7. Indianapolis Colts (8-4)

The Colts are in great position to gain a stranglehold on the AFC South. This offense is clicking right now and should be able to light up the Browns in Week 14. Even if Houston wins, that would give Indianapolis a two-game lead with three to play.

6. Detroit Lions (8-4)

A stout Detroit defense has a great matchup against a dreadful Tampa Bay offense in Week 14. The Lions should have no trouble maintaining their position in the NFC this week, but they must concentrate on keeping the offense's momentum going.

5. Seattle Seahawks (8-4)

The Seahawks are closing in on the NFC West-leading Cardinals, but a difficult matchup lies ahead in Philadelphia. Seattle has been playing very well of late, but its defense will be tested against an Eagles offense that has recently hit its stride.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (9-3)

LeSean McCoy appears to be back on track, and that's helping quarterback Mark Sanchez with his efficiency. That trend really needs to continue in Week 14 when the Seahawks come to town. With the Cowboys playing on Thursday, this team will know how much cushion it has atop the division entering Sunday's contest.

3. Denver Broncos (9-3)

The emergence of a running game may be the best thing that's happened to the Broncos in quite a while. C.J. Anderson is running with authority right now, and he'll be able to help take plenty of the burden off Peyton Manning when the weather begins to get colder.

2. New England Patriots (9-3)

The Patriots may have lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 13, but they are still the AFC's best team and No. 1 seed. Tom Brady and Co. have a tough road game against the Chargers coming up, but New England's offense should be able to take advantage of a depleted San Diego secondary.

1. Green Bay Packers (9-3)

Once again, Green Bay proved it's virtually unbeatable at home. Aaron Rodgers has been a machine at Lambeau Field this season, throwing 20 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. There's good news ahead for the Packers, as they're at home once again this week against the visiting Falcons. ESPN Stats & Info tweeted a very good omen for Green Bay:

If Arizona falters in Week 14, the Packers are in great shape to claim the NFC's No. 1 seed, gaining home-field advantage. That's not good for the rest of the conference.