And just like that, a weird, wacky and wild week of football has the NFL playoff picture looking considerably different than a week ago.
Several big-time upsets this past week have opened up plenty more possibilities for the playoffs. Five of the six wild card spots are wide-open, and four teams in each conference have a realistic shot at winning the top seed and first-round bye.
As we await another week of hectic football, let’s dive into the Week 14 edition of the 2023 NFL power rankings.
32. Carolina Panthers (32)
Another week, another loss for the Panthers. Ho hum.
A change at head coach did nothing to boost the Panthers’ sluggish offense. Bryce Young had another lackluster outing against a mediocre Tampa Bay defense, and the result was a 21-18 road loss to the Bucs.
With Arizona beating Pittsburgh this week, the Panthers are a practical guarantee to finish as the NFC’s worst team…meaning a top-two pick for the Chicago Bears!
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31. New England Patriots (31)
Congrats to the Patriots on making history during their latest loss — a 6-0 yawn-fester at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers!
The Pats became the first team since 1938 to lose three straight contests when holding an opponent to 10 points or less in each of those games. At least Bill Belichick still has it on the defensive side?
One more positive note…at least the Pats one step closer to guaranteeing a top-three pick.
30. Washington Commanders (29)
The Commanders should have just said “uncle” after Tyreek Hill’s 78-yard touchdown to open the scoring. You just knew it would be another ugly day at the office for Ron Rivera’s squad, who was crushed 45-15 at home to the prolific Miami Dolphins.
Four straight losses now for the Commanders, who’ve surrendered 29-plus points in each contest during the losing skid…and 45 points in consecutive outings.
29. New York Jets (28)
Well, the Jets at least kept it close against Atlanta. Too bad, as usual, they didn’t have an offense to complement another rock-solid effort by the defense.
Seeing how well Joe Flacco played in Cleveland on Sunday, it makes you wonder why the Jets chose Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian as backups to Zach Wilson? What a world.
Throw in the update from Ian Rapoport that Aaron Rodgers is unlikely to return this year, and you have a completely somber mood in Gotham. This season can’t end soon enough for the Jets.
28. Tennessee Titans (26)
Strong outings from Will Levis, Derrick Henry and DeAndre Hopkins went to complete waste — thanks to the defense’s inability to stop Gardner Minshew II and the Colts’ vaunted passing game.
Tennessee dropped a heartbreaker in OT, with Minshew finding Michael Pittman Jr. for the game-winning score. If you’re a Titans fan, be encouraged by their miserable schedule to close out the year. Team Tank all the way!
27. Arizona Cardinals (30)
The Cardinals haven’t had much to celebrate this season, but Sunday’s upset of the Steelers in Pittsburgh is certainly something to bask in.
Vintage James Conner showed up, and the Kyler Murray-Trey McBride connection once again powered the Arizona offense. The result was a near-flawless 24-10 win over the playoff-hopeful Steelers, moving the Cardinals to 3-and-10.
Arizona now heads into a bye week before they get the chance to play spoiler at home against San Francisco in Week 15.
26. Chicago Bears (25)
Coming off an upset over Minnesota in Week 12, the Bears were on hibernation for Week 13.
Their remaining schedule features four games against playoff contenders slash hopefuls, so Matt Eberflus’ club has a golden opportunity to shake up the NFC postseason picture here.
25. New York Giants (23)
Like the Bears, the Giants also enjoyed a W last week and got extra time to embrace it by getting a late-season bye in Week 13.
At 4-and-8, the playoffs are well out of reach.
24. Las Vegas Raiders (22)
The bye week came at a good time for a frustrated Raiders team that comes into Week 14 on a two-game losing skid.
That said, the Raiders still have a lot to play for. Can Antonio Pierce get that interim tag removed?
Will rookie Aidan O’Connell do enough to secure the starting job for next year? Can the Raiders play spoiler against wild card contenders in the Vikings, Colts and Vikings? Stay tuned.
23. New Orleans Saints (20)
Well, this season’s OVER! Derek Carr could literally go down as a top-five all-time worst NFL free agent signing. Dennis Allen should have been fired when the season was still salvageable, and this ageing defense oughta be torn down and rebuilt from scratch.
Just unbelievable that a team with this much talent can’t even win a garbage division.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27)
The Bucs’ home win over the Panthers certainly wasn’t pretty, but who cares? The W keeps them alive in the wide-open NFC South — just one game behind division-leading Atlanta for the crown.
On another note, congrats to Mike Evans on extending his record: 10 straight seasons of 1,000-plus yards to begin his career. Someone’s gonna get PAID nicely in the new year.
21. Los Angeles Chargers (23)
The Chargers’ 6-0 victory in New England may go down as the ugliest win in franchise history – no exaggeration.
The struggling offense can’t be feeling that much better after putting up six points…but at least the punchless defense pitched a shutout! Even if it was against a helpless New England bunch, it’s worth celebrating if you’re the Bolts. About darn time they bailed out Justin Herbert in a game.
20. Seattle Seahawks (14)
It’s officially panic time in Seattle. Pete Carroll’s Seahawks have now lost three in a row and four of five — dropping from NFC West hopeful to suddenly on the outside looking in.
Geno Smith diced up a stingy Cowboys’ D…and the ‘Hawks still lost. Guess that happens when you don’t have a defense. It’s beyond comprehension as to how a unit with this much talent can be so unbelievably bad…
With the 49ers and Eagles next on the schedule, the Seahawks need to snap out of this funk ASAP.
19. Cincinnati Bengals (21)
What an unbelievable and gutsy win for Jake Browning and the Bengals in Duval County. Even before Trevor Lawrence left Monday’s contest, Browning was putting on a clinic and had his team in position to pull off the upset.
The Bengals finished the job in OT. It was Browning who looked like Joe Burrow, completing 32 passes for 354 yards and a TD. At 6-and-6, these Bengals aren’t done yet — especially if Browning continues to play like that.
18. Buffalo Bills (15)
The Bills’ bye week couldn’t have come at a better time: After a heartbreaking OT loss in overtime and before a Week 14 showdown in KC with their postseason hopes on the line.
Josh Allen has won two of his three regular season games in Arrowhead…so don’t count them out here. But this feels like a game that will make or break the roller-coaster of a season in Orchard Park. Stay tuned to see how Sean McDermott’s group responds!
17. Minnesota Vikings (16)
Not a fun bye week AT ALL for Kevin O’Connell’s group. The Packers and Rams both won, placing them in a four-way tie with Minny and Seattle for the NFC’s final two playoff spots.
Minnesota’s final three games are: vs. Detroit, vs. Green Bay and at Detroit. It’s go-time for the Vikings with Justin Jefferson set to finally return after missing the last seven games.
16. Denver Broncos (10)
Gah. What a devastating loss in Houston for a surging Broncos team that was oh-so-close to winning its sixth in a row. Unfortunately, Russell Wilson and the offense waited too little too late to find their groove on offense.
The one silver lining? The Browns and Steelers also lost — so Denver remains just one game behind each of the three AFC wild card holders. This team isn’t done just yet.
15. Los Angeles Rams (19)
Don’t look now, but Sean McVay’s Rams have now won three in a row and are tied for the NFC’s No. 6 and No. 7 seeds.
A road game in Baltimore this Sunday is no easy contest, but the Rams then get Washington, New Orleans, the Giants and then the 49ers — who may be resting guys anyway if they have the NFC’s top seed locked up. So there’s a real promising path to a 10-and-7 finish that should be enough for a playoff berth.
And believe us, nobody will want to face an underdog Rams’ squad that’s just two years removed from a Super Bowl championship.
14. Atlanta Falcons (17)
The Falcons are lucky that the Jets are the Jets, otherwise they would have likely lost on Sunday with that ugly offensive output.
Not that they have to apologize for winning in unimpressive fashion. The Falcons’ win and the Saints’ home loss to Detroit leaves Arthur Smith’s group in the driver’s seat for the NFC South.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (11)
What a letdown that was. Woof.
The Steelers had a chance to widen their lead for a wild card spot against a two-win Arizona team at home…but nothing went right in their humiliating 24-10 home loss to Kyler Murray and company.
Even more worrisome: Kenny Pickett is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on an ankle sprain. Good thing they have it easy with the helpless Patriots visiting Acrisure Stadium on a short week on Thursday.
12. Cleveland Browns (9)
Joe Flacco put together an inspiring effort in his first game with the Browns, but Cleveland was just outmatched by a red-hot Rams team on the road. The loss dropped them to 7-and-5 with five games to go — starting with Sunday’s must-win home tilt against the Jaguars.
All the Browns need is slightly-above-average play the rest of the way to get into the postseason — whether it’s Flacco or Dorian Thompson-Robinson behind center.
11. Green Bay Packers (18)
The Jordan Love show took a while to get going, but it’s finally arriving before our eyes.
Thanksgiving Thursday domination in Detroit followed by an upset win over Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs? Yep, Love is finally developing into the franchise QB the Packers envisioned.
The 6-and-6 Vikings are the only team with a non-losing record that the Packers face the rest of the way. The Packers have a clear-cut path right to the postseason. It’s laid out right in front of them.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (7)
Awful week for the Jaguars all-around. Losing to the Joe Burrow-less Bengals at home is one thing…but Trevor Lawrence’s health is the main concern now.
Suddenly, the playoffs that felt like a guarantee a week ago are suddenly in serious jeopardy.
9. Houston Texans (13)
The Texans just barely held on for a nail biting victory over the also-playoff-hopeful Broncos to avoid a second straight loss.
Throw in the Browns’ and Steelers’ losses, and it was a great week for DeMeco Ryans’ group. The Texans have the Browns and Colts on their schedule — plus two against the Titans and a meeting with the Jets. Win four of those, and they’re probably in the postseason.
8. Indianapolis Colts (12)
This is unbelievable. Jonathan Taylor misses most of the year. Anthony Richardson is lost for the year after four games…and yet the Colts are 7-and-5 while occupying the AFC’s No. 7 seed? Yep, Shane Steichen is totally getting some Coach of the Year votes.
Indy also gets Pittsburgh and Houston — two other wild card contenders – in Weeks 15 and 18, respectively. If the Colts can win both of those, they’ll be in great position to lock down their first playoff berth since 2020.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (2)
Yes, the Chiefs got robbed by some awful officiating late in Sunday’s loss to the Packers…but they also shouldn’t have waited until the final quarter to figure things out — especially on defense.
It was an ugly day all-around for Mahomes and the Chiefs, who now face astronomical odds of winning the AFC’s top seed again. It’s back to the drawing board with Josh Allen’s desperate Bills coming to Arrowhead.
6. Detroit Lions (8)
The Lions almost blew a 21-0 lead over the Saints in the Superdome, but Dan Campbell’s unit made some big-time plays in the fourth quarter to seal a 33-28 win.
Maybe this isn’t the “same old Lions”…because the old Lions would have found a way to lose. Campbell’s guys showed plenty of mental toughness by shaking off the miscues to walk away with a W in a very tight environment.
5. Miami Dolphins (6)
As usual, the Dolphins came out firing and made easy work of a terrible team — in last week’s case, the Commanders — to snag a third straight win.
The Chiefs’ loss to Green Bay also has Miami in contention to win the conference’s top seed. The division is practically locked up, but there’s a way to go in winning the top seed.
4. Baltimore Ravens (4)
The AFC’s most balanced team didn’t have the WORST bye week. The Steelers, Browns and Chiefs all lost…but oh how much nicer would it have been if Miami somehow lost to Washington.
The Ravens still have games against the Jaguars and Dolphins — their two main challengers for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. It’s all in the hands of John Harbaugh’s group.
3. Dallas Cowboys (3)
Dallas didn’t play their best on Thursday against Seattle and still escaped with a 41-35 victory. For those keeping count at home, the Cowboys have now put up 40-plus points in four of their last six games.
A win over the Eagles on Sunday suddenly puts Dallas in position to win the NFC East…and potentially the conference’s No. 1 seed.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (1)
Well, that was ugly. REAL UGLY.
The Eagles were throttled left, right and center by the 49ers in the highly-anticipated NFC Championship Game rematch.
While Jalen Hurts and the offense struggled to find any rhythm, the usually-stingy defense slept all game long. No pass rush. No takeaways. Missed tackles 101. Everything about Sunday was downright humiliating.
Philly still controsl their own destiny for home field advantage in the postseason. With a visit to Dallas next on the schedule, there’s no time to dwell on the beatdown by the 49ers. Time to turn the page.
1. San Francisco 49ers (5)
So uh…maybe that’s what would have happened in last year’s NFC Championship Game if Brock Purdy didn’t injure his elbow?
We’ll never know for sure, but what a statement win by Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers. They made the Eagles look nothing like a reigning conference champion in Sunday’s 42-19 blowout win at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles may have the better record, but there’s no doubt that a healthy 49ers team is the club to beat this year. Good luck stopping them.
What changes would you make to our Week 14 power rankings?
