NFL Power Rankings Week 14: Predicting Post-'Monday Night Football' Standings

We nearly had complete chaos at the top of the power rankings in Week 13, as the New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers all found themselves trailing late in the fourth quarter. 

But in the end, the Patriots were the only serious contenders to suffer an upset this week. 

As a result, the top of the power rankings look similar to past weeks, followed by a jumbled mess of the teams that seemingly can't decide if they're interested in competing for the playoffs this year.

With just four weeks remaining in the season, the playoff picture is as murky as ever, which should make for some fun games down the stretch.

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

4. New England Patriots

Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots are still one of the few elite teams in the league this season, but a home loss to the 5-7 Eagles necessitates a drop in the power rankings. 

The concern for the Patriots moving forward is how to replace Rob Gronkowski. 

"

(Guys, the Patriots will be fine down the road. Just need to note that Gronkowski and Edelman are so important for this squad's success)

— Rich Hill (@PP_Rich_Hill) December 7, 2015"

It certainly wasn't a coincidence that in the first full game since Gronk's injury, Tom Brady averaged a season-low 5.6 yards per pass attempt.

Entering Sunday's game, Brady's yards per attempt had dipped below seven just twice, and his 5.6 average was a full yard lower than his previous worst against the Jets in October. 

Fortunately for the Patriots, upcoming games against the Texans and Titans should be winnable even if Gronk needs a few more weeks to recover. 

7. Seattle Seahawks

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

It was easy to write off Seattle when it was 2-4, but looking back on the Seahawks' schedule tells a different story than it seemed to indicate at the time.

Seattle's five losses this season have come at the hands of teams with a combined 44-16 record.

And while it's certainly noteworthy that the Seahawks are winless against the elite contenders on their schedule (Panthers, Cardinals, Bengals), Seattle does seem to be getting back on track with victories over the Steelers and Vikings the past two weeks. 

Sitting at 7-5 and in the No. 6 spot in the current NFC playoff picture, Seattle appears to be locked into a playoff spot given its upcoming schedule.

The Seahawks will face the Ravens, Browns and Rams in their next three games before wrapping up the season against Arizona. 

8. Minnesota Vikings

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Despite their 8-4 record, it's becoming difficult to take the Vikings seriously as a contender, but Minnesota remains in the top 10 simply due to a lack of other viable options.

Against teams that currently boast winning records, the Vikings are just 1-3, with their lone victory coming against the Chiefs in October. 

There are certainly plenty of reasons for Vikings fans to be optimistic about the future, as much of their success has been due to young, emerging stars. However, it looks as though this team is a year away from posing a serious threat to the NFC contenders. 

22. San Francisco 49ers

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Maybe it's time to start reconsidering the bust label that was applied to Blaine Gabbert.

For the third time in his four starts, Gabbert posted a total quarterback rating above the league-average mark of 50, according to ESPN.com.

The transformation of the 49ers in the month since Gabbert took over for Colin Kaepernick has been remarkable. 

"

It's time to start paying attention to how well Blaine Gabbert is playing for @49ers . Much better option than anyone in 2016 QB class

— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) December 6, 2015"

While San Francisco is still just 2-2 with Gabbert as the starter, his losses came in closer-than-expected battles with the Seahawks and Cardinals.

It was originally assumed by many that Gabbert was simply keeping the seat warm for whomever the 49ers brought in for the 2016 season, but he may legitimately have a shot at winning the job over the final four weeks of the season.