Saints replace Rams at No. 1, Steelers tumble from Top 10
Here are the NFL power rankings, post-Week 14 edition: 1. New Orleans Saints: Collectively, they’re back on track for home-field advantage. But from individual vantage point, Drew Brees’ MVP candidacy taking on water.
2. Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff reverted to dreadful rookie form. Todd Gurley was treated as afterthought. It was as if, for one ugly night, Jeff Fisher was back.
3. Kansas City Chiefs: We’re tired of those touting how hard it will be for visitors to win at Arrowhead in January. KC has lost six straight home playoff games.
4. Los Angeles Chargers: Do they ever fire on all cylinders? Just as Joey Bosa and special teams approach peak form, offense nearly unravels against DOA Bengals.
5. New England Patriots: Hindsight provides clarity, yet hard to figure why Gronk defending on last play (Devin McCourty wasn’t) with Miami 69 yards from end zone.
6. Chicago Bears: Is there a starting 11 in league superior to Chicago’s defense? Only one that leaps to mind is Matt Nagy’s nearly 3,300-pound Santa’s Sleigh package.
7. Houston Texans: Just as we were starting to believe hype, maybe J.J. Watt and Co. were, too. Window to overtake Pats for first-round bye now virtually shut.
8. Dallas Cowboys: Top-five defense continues to do its part. But Dak, Zeke and Coop can’t afford to sleepwalk until fourth quarter once postseason arrives.
9. Seattle Seahawks: Rebooted defense looked solid Monday night, though this team will have trouble going on road and winning in wild-card round.
10. Baltimore Ravens: For 59 minutes, Lamar Jackson played his best game as starting quarterback. He lapsed into rookie form at end, but encouraging performance.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers: To some degree it’s probably pure coincidence, but it’s worth noting this team began eroding right as Le’Veon Bell said peace out on 2018.
12. Indianapolis Colts: Among tools we might have forgotten were in Andrew Luck’s copious arsenal is a killer hard count. Jadeveon Clowney evidently forgot, too.
13. Miami Dolphins: Only five QBs have passer rating better than Ryan Tannehill’s 105.7. With Vikes, Jags, Bills left, two wins could mean playoff ticket.
14. Tennessee Titans: Epic performance by Derrick Henry on Thursday, but also concerning one-third of this year’s rush production came in one game. Feed the man.
15. Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins will be subject for (some) deserved criticism for their implosion, but there’s plenty of blame to go around in Minnesota.
16. Denver Broncos: Emmanuel Sanders’ Achilles injury in practice couldn’t have come at worse time... while also casting doubt about Demaryius Thomas trade.
17. Cleveland Browns: He gets overshadowed by Baker Mayfield, but rookie RB Nick Chubb has been aces... and could top 1,000 yards in basically half a season.
18. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, who says he’s “playing the best football of my career,” has room to grow – like not throwing heaters to WRs near end zone.
19. Philadelphia Eagles: Super Bowl hangover is real. Philly about to become fourth defending champ in past seven years to miss playoffs in subsequent campaign.
20. Green Bay Packers: Let’s not assume troops have been successfully rallied yet. Unlike last week, Pack survived team struggling more than they’ve been. Shrug.
21. Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones has taken plenty of (undeserved) grief for struggling to score. But he moves chains, his 66 firstdown catches topping league.
22. New York Giants: Saquon Barkley needs 460 yards from scrimmage over final three weeks to break Eric Dickerson’s rookie record (2,212), established in 1983.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gave Saints all they could handle for more than three quarters. Too little, too late, but Bucs playing like division’s second-best squad.
24. Detroit Lions: As his production dries up, Matthew Stafford will have to wait a season to become first with 40,000 passing yards and no playoff wins.
25. Washington Redskins: What’s left to say about team that’s demise was largely of its own making – from front office decisions to apparent locker room friction.
26. Cincinnati Bengals: Defense no longer trending toward being worst statistically in NFL history. But this may be Marvin Lewis’ worst post-Carson Palmer club.
27. San Francisco 49ers: Still unfathomable that, after George Kittle’s 210-yard first half, Kyle Shanahan couldn’t get his TE 5 more yards and that receiving record. Boo.
28. New York Jets: You can’t miss him on social media even if you’ve missed his games. But best believe Jamal Adams has reached all-pro caliber in second year.
29. Oakland Raiders: Probably no surprise Reggie McKenzie was cast out – after all, he wanted to build a nucleus around guys like Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper.
30. Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen should listen to advice Michael Vick offered Lamar Jackson – propensity to bolt pocket will eventually/certainly prove costly.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars: Insert palms-up emoji. Just when it looked like pride had returned in Week 13 shutout of Indy, apparently none was packed for Nashville.
32. Arizona Cardinals: Is Larry Fitzgerald best receiver to play whole career with one team? Numbers say yes. Debate says Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Megatron among those also in conversation.