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NFL Power Rankings Week 14: Predicting Post-Monday Night Football Standings
December 2, 2019
A wild Week 13 has changed the way we view the top of the NFL landscape. The New England Patriots got lambasted by the Houston Texans, the Baltimore Ravens knocked off the San Francisco 49ers, and the Buffalo Bills asserted their dominance over the Dallas Cowboys.
Things can be further shaken up on Monday night, as the Seattle Seahawks have a chance to join the four teams at 10-2 with a win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Seattle is favored by 2.5 points, according to Caesars, and if the Seahawks win, they'll not only take over the top of the NFC West but be in position to claim one of the conference's first-round byes. Here, we'll look at the power rankings—with Seattle the presumed winner on Monday night—dig into some of the league's more intriguing teams and examine the current conference standings.
Projected Power Rankings, Post-MNF
1. Baltimore Ravens
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. New England Patriots
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Buffalo Bills
8. Minnesota Vikings
9. Houston Texans
10. Kansas City Chiefs
10. Los Angeles Rams
12. Tennessee Titans
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
14. Dallas Cowboys
15. Chicago Bears
16. Oakland Raiders
17. Indianapolis Colts
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Cleveland Browns
21. Philadelphia Eagles
22. Denver Broncos
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
24. New York Jets
25. Los Angeles Chargers
26. Arizona Cardinals
27. Detroit Lions
28. Miami Dolphins
29. Atlanta Falcons
30. Washington Redskins
31. Cincinnati Bengals
32. New York Giants
1. Baltimore Ravens
There is no team playing better football right now than the Ravens, and this is a trend that could continue into the postseason. After some early disappointing outings, the defense is now playing at a high level—it's surrendered no more than 20 points in any of its last five outings—and Lamar Jackson is nearly unstoppable.
San Francisco did perhaps the best job anyone has done this season of containing Jackson, and he still rushed for more than 100 yards and produced a victory.
Jackson is proving to be a matchup-proof quarterback and the best dual-threat the NFL has ever seen. He's 63 yards away from breaking the league's single-season rushing record for quarterbacks (1,039). He also happens to lead the league with 25 touchdown passes.
The Ravens haven't lost since Week 4, and that blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns is looking very much like one of the biggest aberrations of the 2019 season.
2. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints haven't been as dominant as the Ravens in recent weeks—and they have an embarrassing blowout loss to a division rival on their resume as well. However, it's hard to argue with their record, especially considering some of the injuries they've had to endure.
New Orleans survived a five-game stretch without starting quarterback Drew Brees and has been without running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Jared Cook for stretches. Yet the Saints are still tied for the best mark in the league.
Perseverance will go a long way in the postseason. The Saints are a battle-tested team that isn't going to fold at the first sign of adversity. With plenty of offensive firepower and the league's 10th-ranked defense (232.5 yards per game allowed), New Orleans also has the sort of balance that tends to translate well in the playoffs.
The Saints will face their biggest test yet in Week 14. The 49ers are coming to town and can reclaim the No. 1 seed with a victory Sunday.
31. Cincinnati Bengals
After going winless for 12 straight weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals earned their first victory Sunday. This moves them out of the power-rankings basement ahead of the New York Giants.
Yes, the Giants have one more victory than Cincinnati, but the Bengals have been playing better football as of late. Cincinnati has lost six games this season by a touchdown or less and could potentially still finish with a better record than New York—especially if quarterback Andy Dalton remains in the starting lineup.
"When he plays great, we play great," defensive lineman Carlos Dunlap said of Dalton, via the team's official website.
The Giants haven't won a game since Week 4, and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones is struggling with consistency—he has seven touchdowns and five turnovers in his last three games. On a positive note, New York could play its way into the first overall pick in the 2020 draft and a shot at a playmaking prospect like Ohio State edge-rusher Chase Young.
Partnering Young with Jones and Saquon Barkley would give the Giants a formidable young core to build around.
AFC, NFC Standings, Pre-MNF
AFC
1. Baltimore Ravens 10-2
2. New England Patriots 10-2
3. Houston Texans 8-4
4. Kansas City Chiefs 8-4
5. Buffalo Bills 9-3
6. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-5
7. Tennessee Titans 7-5
8. Oakland Raiders 6-6
9. Indianapolis Colts 6-6
10. Cleveland Browns 5-7
11. Jacksonville Jaguars 4-8
12. Denver Broncos 4-8
13. Los Angeles Chargers 4-8
14. New York Jets 4-8
15. Miami Dolphins 3-9
16. Cincinnati Bengals 1-11
NFC
1. San Francisco 49ers 10-2
2. New Orleans Saints 10-2
3. Green Bay Packers 9-3
4. Dallas Cowboys 6-6
5. Seattle Seahawks 9-2
6. Minnesota Vikings 8-3
7. Los Angeles Rams 7-5
8. Chicago Bears 6-6
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-7
10. Philadelphia Eagles 5-7
11. Carolina Panthers 5-7
12. Detroit Lions 3-8-1
13. Arizona Cardinals 3-8-1
14. Atlanta Falcons 3-9
15. Washington Redskins 3-9
16. New York Giants 2-10