Brock’s 2023 NFL Power Rankings – Week 14
1. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (9-3)
The 49ers caught the Eagles in a bad spot this week and took advantage of it. The Eagles were coming off 2 down to the wire wins in very high-profile games, and they were also most likely looking ahead to Dallas. It took 15 minutes, but the Niners jumped all over that, taking the Eagles to the woodshed, 42-19. That was a huge win for the Niners, and makes them the favorite to win the Super Bowl.
2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-2)
This week was a bad schedule spot for the Eagles. I think that played a factor in the outcome this week. Their game against Dallas this week was already more important than the game against the Niners, but that importance doubles now that the Eagles got run off their home field by San Francisco.
3. BALTIMORE RAVENS (9-3)
The Ravens were off this week. They should be prepped and ready to go when they host a Rams team who is coming off a blowout win on Sunday.
4. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8-4)
KC = Kause for Concern? That’s what we have now for a Chiefs team that has dropped 3 of their last 5, including two games to sub-.500 teams. The Chiefs would prefer to win these games, of course, but Patrick Mahomes will always make this team a threat to win the Super Bowl, and it’s not like Kansas City is in immediate danger of falling out of the playoff picture since their remaining schedule is pretty weak. Still though, they need to clean things up before the postseason because you don’t want to playing like this when the games become do-or-die.
5. MIAMI DOLPHINS (9-3)
The Dolphins offense put on another show for us on Sunday. They racked up 45 points on the road against the Commanders. Tyreek Hill had an especially nice day with 157 yards & 2 TD’s.
6. DALLAS COWBOYS (9-3)
The Cowboys found themselves on the winning end of a back & forth barn burner on Thursday Night Football. Dallas trailed by 8 in the 4th quarter, but eventually a Brandon Aubrey field goal, and a Dak Prescott TD pass to Jake Ferguson would put them up 38-35, and they would not relinquish the lead. So now the Cowboys will be coming off a win, and will have a few days extra rest, when they take the field against the Eagles this week in a game where a win would put them in a tie with Philly for the division lead.
7. DETROIT LIONS (9-3)
The Lions jumped out early with a big lead against the Saints. They didn’t protect it well, though. They let New Orleans claw back into the game, needing a defensive stop late in the 4th quarter to come away with a 5-point win.
8. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (8-4)
The Jags lost to the Bengals 34-31 in OT on Monday Night Football, but the game wasn’t all they lost. They also lost QB Trevor Lawrence to a high ankle sprain late in the 4th quarter. Luckily, the injury isn’t too severe, and there’s a possibility that Lawrence suits up this week against the Browns.
9. HOUSTON TEXANS (7-5)
CJ Stroud & the Texans secured a huge win over the Broncos on Sunday, a team with whom Houston is competing against for a wild card spot. I believe the Texans will find themselves in the postseason once again, which would be an incredible accomplishment for CJ Stroud in his rookie campaign.
10. DENVER BRONCOS (6-6)
All good things must come to an end, and that’s what happened with Denver’s 5-game win streak on Sunday. They had a chance to extend the streak in the final minute, but a Russell Wilson pass was picked off in the end zone to seal their fate. The loss isn’t much to be discouraged about. The Texans have also been playing great football, and the Broncos had a late chance to earn a road victory.
11. BUFFALO BILLS (6-6)
The Bills had a bye this past week. I hope they spent that time wisely, because they will be playing a crucial game against the Chiefs this week. A win would put them in, or keep them near, a wild card spot. A loss would drop them below .500 and make it that much more difficult to secure a spot in the postseason.
12. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7-5)
This team is wild. They can secure some improbable wins, but then they can drop a game to Arizona at home by 14 points. Any guess I could make about whether this teams plays in the postseason would be throwing darts at a dartboard while blindfolded. But for the record, I don’t think they get in.
13. CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-6)
After losing to the Steelers last week, Jake Browning really turned things around. His 354 yard, 2 TD performance aided the Bengals efforts in dispatching the Jaguars by a FG in OT.
14. GREEN BAY PACKERS (6-6)
I have no clue where this turnaround came from. Is this team dangerous? I can’t believe I’m asking that question after some of the bad losses this team has taken, but they are now back at .500 after winning 2 straight against the Lions & the Chiefs, who are among the NFL’s best this season.
15. LOS ANGELES RAMS (6-6)
Sunday was a big win for Los Angeles. It was a solid outing for the Rams, and just as important, it put them in a 4-way tie for the final 2 wild card spots.
16. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-6)
The Seahawks have now dropped 3 straight after losing to Dallas in a game in which they held an 8-point 4th quarter lead. That is a truly disheartening loss for this group. Not only does blowing a late lead hurt morale, but this loss dropped them down to .500. Things are not going to get easier anytime soon; next up they have the 49ers on the road, and then they will host the Eagles, in games against two of the NFL’s top teams.
17. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-5)
The Colts found themselves as beneficiaries of some “Minshew Magic”. The QB who, in his short career, has already become somewhat of a legend, threw for over 300 yards and 2 TD’s. After falling behind by 3 in overtime, the Colts needed a FG to tie, or a TD to win when they got the ball. On that drive, Minshew threw for 68 yards, including a 55-yard pass to Alec Pierce to set up Indy on the Titans 4-yard-line, and then a TD pass to Michael Pittman Jr allowed the Colts to leave Tennessee with a victory.
18. ATLANTA FALCONS (6-6)
The Falcons have now won 2 in a row after defeating the offensively-challenged Jets on Sunday. This was a crucial win for Atlanta, as it gave them a 2-game lead in the NFC South standings.
19. CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-5)
Joe Flacco took over as the Browns QB on Sunday, which was a weird sight considering the amount of time he spent in Baltimore, and what he meant to that Ravens team. I expect Browns fans won’t have much patience as far as he is concerned, and that patience is even thinner after Cleveland suffered a 17-point loss to the Rams. To be fair, it’s hard to blame Flacco for that. It’s tough to win games in the NFL when your team gives up 36 points.
20. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-6)
The Vikings had a bye this past week. They are 6-6 and currently hold a wild card spot via tiebreaker among 4 teams. That means this week’s game against the Raiders is very nearly a must-win.
21. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (5-7)
Well, the defense looked better, but the offense was nowhere to be found. The Chargers were only able to muster 2 field goals against the struggling Patriots, but that was enough thanks to the defense pitching a shutout.
22. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (5-7)
The Raiders had a bye this past week. They’re pretty far below the playoff picture, which means the most they can really do right now is play spoiler. They will have the opportunity to do just that against the Vikings this week.
23. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-7)
The Bucs got back in the win column this past week, but squeaking out a 3-point home win over the worst team in football isn’t exactly something that you write home about.
24. NEW YORK JETS (4-8)
Things have gone so bad in New York that Trevor Siemian had to take over at QB after Tim Boyle was benched. It was subsequently announced that the Jets would waive Boyle. The Jets began the season with Aaron Rodgers at QB, but now its Siemian under center. What a painful fall that must be.
25. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-7)
After falling in a big hole early, the Saints almost completed the comeback. Perhaps they would have if Derek Carr didn’t have to leave the game with a concussion. They had an opportunity to take the lead in the 4th quarter after Carr’s departure, but Jameis Winston couldn’t get the job done.
26. ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-10)
The Cardinals made some noise on Sunday by hitting the road and handing out a 24-10 beating to the Steelers. James Conner led the way in the stadium he used to play in, as both a pro and college player, with 105 yards and 2 TD’s. This is still a disaster of a season, but Sunday was a rare bright spot.
27. NEW YORK GIANTS (4-8)
The Giants had a bye this week, which hopefully they used to study up because they face the Packers this Sunday, and the Pack are on fire right now.
28. CHICAGO BEARS (4-8)
The Bears were off on Sunday. They will face the Lions this week. They nearly got the best of Detroit in their last meeting, so they will be eager to get the job done this time around.
29. TENNESSEE TITANS (4-8)
The stumbling Titans found a way to lose again on Sunday against the Colts. After tying the game with a DeAndre Hopkins TD with less than 6 minutes remaining, Nick Folk missed the extra point that would have given the Titans the lead. This loomed large, as the game would go to overtime, and the Titans would eventually fall to their division foes.
30. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-9)
This team shows promise some weeks, but now they have lost their past 2 games by a combined score of 90-25. Sam Howell has fallen off a cliff, and the team has gone with him.
31. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-10)
Last week I said, “How far can this Pats team fall?” after they lost a 2nd straight game where they only gave up 10 points. Well, it turns out that wasn’t the bottom, as this week they only gave up 6 points at home… and lost. This time around they were unable to find the scoreboard at all, as a Cameron Dicker field goal was all that was needed to get past this Pats team. (He added a 2nd one for good measure).
32. CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-11)
The Panthers failed to find a 2nd win this week, falling 21-18 on the road against Tampa Bay. Is it time for the NFL Draft yet?
