NFL Power Rankings, Week 13: Patriots crack top five; Eagles, Bills, Steelers and Bucs all tumble

The Rams are big-game hunting now, and they're bringing home a lot of trophy wins. Sunday night's blowout of Tampa Bay marked Los Angeles' sixth straight victory -- with five coming by 14-plus points. Making it more impressive, this was the Rams' fifth win of the season allowing 10 points or fewer. Matthew Stafford entered the game as the MVP favorite and only improved his chances of taking home the hardware, completing 25 of 35 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns. That's now 27 straight touchdown passes without an interception, which is just an incredible run. With L.A. now playing complementary, three-phase football -- did you see Sean McVay's smile when Harrison Mevis hit a 52-yard field goal? -- this team looks awfully tough.

After throwing four interceptions one week prior, Sam Darnold wasn't shy about slinging it against the Titans. The results were mostly good, and Darnold finished with a fairly clean stat line, although a closer look showed a few errant passes that could have hurt Seattle much more. Nonetheless, the Seahawks were mostly dominant for three quarters. And after a 167-yard game against Tennessee, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is officially on Calvin Johnson watch. JSN is on pace to become the NFL's first 2,000-yard receiver, and Seattle's very competitive schedule down the stretch probably means he'll at least have a shot of toppling Johnson's single-season record of 1,964 receiving yards. The Seahawks' three losses have come by an average of three points, all against winning teams, and their eight wins have come by an average of 14.5 points. This is still a dangerous squad.

Even with the Chiefs winning Sunday, the Broncos still control their own fate when it comes to the division, and a first-round bye even remains a solid possibility. We'll see if Denver can spur the run game into activity with J.K. Dobbins done for the year. That might be my biggest concern for this team, along with the chronic penalties -- seven or more flags in eight of their 11 games so far. But with Patrick Surtain II due back shortly and Alex Singleton perhaps not far behind him, the defense should regain some of its strength. I think Riley Moss has played better than some fans want to give him credit for, but there's no doubt Denver's title chances are much better with Surtain shutting down half the field.

A dream season has just turned a bit dark. Since the 7-1 start, Indianapolis has cooled off considerably -- albeit against some tougher competition -- and the division lead is shrinking rapidly. The Jaguars are a game back, while the Texans are two back -- and the Colts have two games against each of them down the stretch, starting with a big one against the stifling Texans defense (with Houston coming off a mini-bye) at Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday. That has to be a little frightening for a Colts offense that has hit the proverbial wall lately, outside of some Jonathan Taylor heroics. Even the league's leading rusher couldn't bail Indy out Sunday, facing stacked boxes now that Daniel Jones' play has flatlined. The Colts got a first down with about three minutes left in the third quarter, and then went the rest of the game -- OT included -- without moving the sticks. This offense suddenly has some worries it must address.

That's now a shocking nine straight wins, but Sunday's 26-20 result didn't feel like a celebratory victory. New England barely escaped Cincinnati, with Drake Maye looking lost early and the Patriots not converting on two big red-zone possessions to keep the game achingly close. They ultimately finished the job, but two big concerns coming out of the win were injuries to rookie OLs Will Campbell and Jared Wilson. Mike Vrabel has already said Campbell is going to miss some time, while Wilson's status is more unclear. This is not ideal, as Maye has already taken way too many hits this season. The defense (Khyiris Tonga) and special teams (Brenden Schooler) also suffered injuries, and don't forget that Milton Williams remains on IR for at least three more games. If the Bengals were a tough out, so too will be the plucky Giants this coming Monday night. The bye falls after that game, and the Pats will definitely need it, even as high as they've flown this season.

The NFC East still probably lands in Philadelphia's hands, but serious questions about the offense are beginning to limit the ceiling on this team. After three drives, it felt like the Eagles' passing problems were fixed. By game's end, it was clear they very much were not. Whatever rhythm they found early on started dissipating quickly. Ultimately, two late fumbles and a ton of penalties (14 for the game) proved really costly. And what does blowing a 21-point lead say about how the Eagles are looking heading into the home stretch? They already blew a two-TD lead against the Broncos earlier in the season. The defense can't bail Philly out every week.

Don't look now, but the Packers have allowed 20 or fewer points in eight games this season. On Sunday, they harassed J.J. McCarthy for four quarters, to the tune of five sacks and 10 QB hits. Micah Parsons isn't receiving national buzz these days, but he had two of those sacks (after logging 1.5 in Week 11 vs. the Giants) and was dominant against the Vikings' Christian Darrisaw. At the moment, this defense appears to be Green Bay's key to making some noise in January, assuming this team makes the playoffs, while the offense works through its inefficiencies. Jordan Love wasn't bad while playing through a left shoulder issue, but with Josh Jacobs sidelined, the Packers had to lean on Emanuel Wilson, who generated more than twice as many scrimmage yards (125) as any other Green Bay player in what was his best career game to date. Some tough road games remain, starting with Thursday's contest in Detroit, and the passing attack could really stand to discover ways to generate chunk plays again, having fallen to 22nd in explosive play rate through the air over the past five weeks after leading the NFL in that category through Week 7, per Next Gen Stats.

The Lions needed a twisting 59-yard field goal from Jake Bates and a 69-yard OT touchdown from Jahmyr Gibbs to survive against the Giants, and it felt more like relief than jubilation at game's end. Everything has seemingly become more difficult for Detroit, even things we used to take for granted, like Jared Goff's pass protection and Amon-Ra St. Brown's ability to catch everything thrown his way. Now that those are no longer givens, it becomes tougher to beat even routine opponents when the defense can't prevent big plays. This has been a gauntlet of a schedule, so the Lions are allowed a tough game here and there, and they remain strong contenders for both the playoffs and a third straight division title. Still, it's hard not to be a little antsy about their chances with so many more tough games remaining and some issues seemingly not going away.

Brock Purdy's three first-half interceptions were the last thing the 49ers needed, and you almost wondered if there might be a switch if that nonsense kept up. But Purdy looked locked in after halftime, and Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle played big roles, just like old times. San Francisco's defense also turned in a hellacious effort against a Carolina offense that had gained some steam one week prior. Robert Saleh's group has been through the ringer with season-ending injuries, and the Niners were undressed in the big loss to the Rams. But after a three-takeaway performance in Week 11 and a smothering showing Monday, the defense has regained some pride.

With Buffalo at 7-4, the playoffs still feel like a strong possibility, but the way the Bills have played recently, by and large, does not resemble a team that looks poised to avenge the postseason failures of the recent past. They started 4-0 but have lost four of seven since. They've dropped three of the past four on the road, with some important roadies remaining. With every painful loss this season -- and last Thursday's 23-19 defeat in Houston was certainly no exception -- it feels more and more like the Bills really missed their chance to break through last season. The energy and mojo around that team was different. When the 2024 Bills showed some early weakness, they adjusted and grew. So far, this version of the Bills has not. There's still time, and Josh Allen is the ultimate equalizer, but the offense has come up short in each loss -- and it's hard to say right now that it won't happen again.

Sunday wasn't a work of art, but the Bears battled some adversity against the Steelers, took control of the game and finished it off. That's all you can really ask. The defense keeps forcing takeaways, minus two top DBs and without five linebackers by game's end. Caleb Williams had some funky misses but also some clutch throws. The run game didn't cook, but the Bears kept on schedule and produced a touchdown in all four quarters. It was pretty good complementary football, even if we were robbed of Aaron Rodgers facing his old foes in Chicago. I'm still not ready to vault the Bears to the NFL's upper reaches, but they've shown enough late-game clutchness in their DNA to earn proper respect. 

This was a season-preserving win, no doubt, and Kansas City slayed the one-possession-game dragon by beating Indianapolis. The Chiefs might have won 12 one-score games a season ago, but prior to Sunday, they'd lost five straight in the 2025 campaign. And it required an 11-point comeback in the final nine minutes, with Patrick Mahomes coming up big in money spots and Kareem Hunt atoning for his fumble with a productive effort otherwise. If Kansas City can get Isiah Pacheco back, that's great, but Hunt really seems to have reclaimed the captain's chair for now. The Chiefs' defense had a few early shaky moments, unable to get home rushing four, but Steve Spagnuolo dialed up the blitzes and smothered the Colts after halftime. Is K.C. back? For now, yeah.

I don't want to sound the alarm, but Lamar Jackson hasn't looked quite like himself since returning from injury in Week 9, especially over his past three games, when he's averaged 174 pass yards while completing a mere 57 percent of his throws and failing to make a big impact with his running. Some of those struggles can be attributed to pass-protection breakdowns and dropped passes, and a sluggish run game in Sunday's win over the Jets exacerbated things. It also just seems like Jackson's health -- he's missed practice time with ankle and knee injuries -- is a limiting factor, in spite of what he says. Thankfully, Baltimore's defense has been mostly excellent over the past six games after stinking it up in the first five weeks of the season. Is that enough to compensate for the offensive issues? I'm not sure yet.

Glass half full: The Jaguars have won three of four since their Week 8 bye -- including two overtime victories on the road -- and the Colts' lead in the AFC South has shrunk dramatically. If the Jags can take care of business against the 1-10 Titans this week, it will set up an epic showdown with Indy for divisional supremacy in Week 14 at Jacksonville -- where the Colts haven't won in more than a decade, strangely. However, there's a glass-half-empty view, too. Beating the Raiders (now 2-9) and Cardinals (3-8) in OT only earns you so many flowers, and the shocking loss to the Texans in Week 10 still looms large. Sunday was hardly a thing of beauty, with Trevor Lawrence throwing three picks, although he rallied multiple times to lead important scoring drives. There's a pluckiness to this group that can't be denied, even as the Jaguars resemble flawed contenders.

Huge road challenges await at Indianapolis and Kansas City, but last Thursday's home win over Buffalo was the signature victory Houston needed, and the way it happened only added to the accomplishment. The Texans started the season at 0-5 in one-score games, but over the last three weeks, they've prevailed by seven points, three points and four points, thanks to some excellent relief work from Davis Mills. The bar has now been raised for C.J. Stroud. When the starting quarterback was knocked out of the lineup, the Texans were on life support. Now they have close to a 50 percent chance to make the playoffs, per Next Gen Stats. Beating the Bills was the first big step. If they can topple the suddenly wobbly Colts on Sunday, they'll have some real momentum. Houston doesn't quite need to hit an inside straight down the stretch, but every win is crucial. And no one wants to face this defense in January. 

It's hard to say whether the Steelers would have won Sunday's game in Chicago with Aaron Rodgers under center. On the one hand, Mason Rudolph was picked on his first throw, lost a critical fumble in the second half and couldn't tie or win the game with the ball in his hands. On the other hand, Rudolph wasn't terrible, either, leading a few quality drives, and Rodgers' play had dipped before he suffered the left wrist injury. It felt like Rodgers was close to playing against the Bears, which could mean the 41-year-old will face the Bills this Sunday in what could be a critical game for both teams' playoffs chances. A loss in that one would be Pittsburgh's fifth in seven games. All three units showed room for improvement at Chicago, so the Steelers will have to tighten up the entire operation quickly, no matter who is at QB.

The Chargers had won three straight prior to the Jacksonville debacle, so why does it feel like this team has some real problems that might not be straightened out in time? The OL injuries have been the deepest cuts, spawning an offense with too many turnovers and too few explosive plays. Justin Herbert isn't all to blame, but he certainly could be sharper. Defensively, this remains a good unit, but the run-stopping struggles can't be ignored. It hasn't been an issue every game, but teams committed to running against the Bolts' lighter fronts have typically enjoyed success. Exiting the bye week, all possibilities still exist: The Chargers could blitz the field and earn the top overall seed in the AFC. They also could flame out and completely miss the postseason.

The playoffs remain a remote possibility, but my oh my, what a satisfying rivalry win that had to be for a Dallas team that did everything it possibly could to lose the game early on. The Cowboys strapped in after the Eagles' third drive and played some of their best defense of the season, shutting out Philadelphia from that point on. Quinnen Williams was beat up pretty badly and still had an astounding eight pressures, per NGS. The defense and special teams both swarmed. And the offense really got cooking against one of the best defenses in football, even while leaving plenty of yards and points on the field. Things have really brightened up since the Week 10 bye, even if the postseason still feels a bit out of reach. Credit Brian Schottenheimer for having his team ready to fight the Eagles for four quarters, with Thanksgiving not far behind.

Monday's loss wasn't a season-ender, but it certainly was a disappointment -- especially considering how well the defense played, in spite of losing three contributors during the course of the game. Jaycee Horn was enjoying one of the best outings of his career, with two massive first-half picks, before exiting with a concussion. That unit started bending late, but the offense turned three Brock Purdy INTs into an end-zone pick, a three-and-out and a field goal. Bryce Young struggled to get anything downfield until the TD to Tetairoa McMillan, and the Panthers couldn't convert the ensuing two-point attempt. Young's second pick of the game, midway through the fourth quarter, was pretty much the final nail in the coffin. It was a disappointing step backward for an offense coming off one of its best games of the season. At minus-53, Carolina's point differential isn't much better than those of the Browns (-58) and Commanders (-60), a pair of 3-8 teams.

I truly believe that a healthy, fully stocked Tampa team would be a Super Bowl contender, but the vicious rash of injuries the Buccaneers have endured this season has cut them down significantly. The latest, in Sunday's prime-time blowout at the hands of the Rams, was Baker Mayfield injuring his left (non-throwing) shoulder, darkening the cloud that has hovered over this squad since the Week 9 bye. That's now three straight losses, allowing 106 points in those, with the Panthers pushing the Bucs in the division race. That likely won't be decided until the teams face off in Weeks 16 and 18, and Tampa Bay does have some winnable games if Mayfield can play, but at this point, it's hard to see the light.

The Falcons might have to win out to even have a shot at the postseason, and expectations are rightfully muted these days, but Kirk Cousins overcame some rocky moments to claim a hard-fought victory while throwing to several backups. The defense also earned some merit points with a strong pass rush and two turnovers on downs, including a goal-line stop to end the first possession of the third quarter. Atlanta has gotten plenty out of its rookie pass rushers, even if the draft-day trade with L.A. that led to the acquisition of James Pearce Jr. looks a bit slanted in the other team's direction right now, with the Falcons' rough record lining the Rams up for a high pick next year. I'll be curious to see how Raheem Morris finishes this season, because I still believe there's a playoff-caliber foundation on this roster when everyone is at full strength.

Thanks to three wins in four games on the front side of the bye, the Dolphins have a chance to approach the .500 mark with victories in their next two against the Saints and Jets. They probably need to win out to have any shot at making the playoffs, and even that wouldn't guarantee a spot in the field, so let's be realistic about what this home stretch is really about. We're going to find out over the next six games whether Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel will be back together in Miami next year. This season has been a net disappointment, but a strong finish -- echoes of last year -- could help both of their chances of returning. Cleaning up the self-inflicted errors and leaning on a strong run game might be two of the bigger keys to making that happen.

The Vikings have cornered themselves into a tough situation with J.J. McCarthy, who hasn't grown as expected and is now dealing with his third worrisome injury -- he was placed in the concussion protocol after Sunday's loss to the Packers -- in two seasons. Kevin O'Connell's conservative play-calling has reflected the level of apparent trust he has in McCarthy: low. Justin Jefferson is averaging 35 fewer receiving yards per game than he did in the 2023 season, when Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs and Jaren Hall started more than half of Minnesota's games. It's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The more interesting question to ponder might be how the Vikings plan to handle the QB position in the offseason. McCarthy can't just be handed the starting job without some competition, right? Perhaps Max Brosmer -- slated to start if McCarthy can't go this week at Seattle -- will show he's that guy. He can't play much worse than McCarthy has so far.

Arizona has now lost six straight one-score affairs. Injured as this group might be, it's a tiresome script for a team that now has dropped eight of its last nine games overall. This isn't one of the worst handful of teams in the league, I don't think, but the Cardinals' record suddenly suggests otherwise. They took the lead midway through the fourth quarter against Jacksonville on Sunday but allowed the Jaguars to quickly regain the advantage. After forcing a turnover on downs, the Cards had a chance to win it in regulation, with Michael Wilson's 31-yard catch getting them down to the Jacksonville 11-yard line with around 29 seconds left -- but they allowed more than 15 seconds to tick off the clock before running another play, limiting them to one (failed) shot at the end zone and a game-tying kick. Then Jacksonville gave Arizona a break by kicking a field goal in OT, but the Cardinals couldn't close it out after crossing midfield. That's how you continually lose close games.

It's possible we've seen the last of Joe Flacco as starter after another rough showing, with Joe Burrow expected to return on Thursday night. It might take six straight wins to have any shot at the postseason, something this franchise hasn't participated in since the 2022 campaign. The defense has been horrendous in several of Cincinnati's losses this season, but it would be hard to place the blame on that unit for Week 12's 26-20 defeat to New England. Al Golden's group battled, pick-sixing Drake Maye and earning a pair of goal-line stops, giving the Bengals a chance to upset the Pats. Realistically, the remainder of the season should be used to evaluate the core pieces that should be back next season, although Burrow summoning some magic in the next three games against the Ravens (two contests) and Bills could temporarily change the focus.

It wasn't that long ago that the Commanders were a few plays away from being 4-2, which has made the active six-game losing streak feel like a continual torture device. The defense has taken the brunt of the blame over the course of the skid -- and most of the season, for that matter -- but the offense also must hold up its end of the bargain. Jayden Daniels' injuries (plus those at receiver) have obviously taken the teeth out of this unit, but there's plenty of blame to be issued elsewhere. The Commanders really have not played quality three-phase football for most of the year, and the remainder of the games should be focused on that. It's clear Washington overestimated how close it was to being a Super Bowl squad, and the shortages must be addressed this offseason.

Shedeur Sanders became the first Browns rookie QB to win his first start in forever, and it apparently was enough to earn him a second start in Week 13. Beyond that, who knows? But for now, it's a formula Kevin Stefanski wants to see a little more of. Stefanski kept the guardrails on for most of Sunday's game, but even in an uneven performance, Sanders' best magic seemed to happen out of structure. He might never be a perfect system QB, and his fit in Cleveland remains open to debate; still, his effort against the Raiders was a hair more fruitful than a typical Dillon Gabriel showing. Of course, having Myles Garrett and a defense capable of racking up 10 sacks can cover for some QB shortcomings. This team's best chance of winning down the stretch remains, undoubtedly, with the D.

With nothing to lose, the Giants tried to fight fire with fire in Detroit, emptying the playbook and unleashing all the cool trick plays involving Jameis Winston. I have no clue whether Mike Kafka will earn serious consideration to be the full-time head coach, but he sure does play a fun brand of ball. Unfortunately, that fun is undercut by a maddening sense of doom that follows the Giants getting up big in hostile territory. Sunday's OT defeat to the Lions marked the Giants' fifth loss this season in a road game they'd once led by double digits. It was a problem under Brian Daboll, and it remains so with Kafka running the show. Even if the past two setbacks have come with Winston, the Giants' third QB, it's hard not to think this is an organizational issue that needs fixing. Patching up a bad run defense might be a good place to start down the stretch and during the coming offseason.

Tyrod Taylor gave the Jets a little offensive lift, and John Metchie III, one of my personal faves, has been a more impactful addition so far than Adonai Mitchell, catching TDs in back-to-back games. Breece Hall had some big catches, but his fumble inside the Baltimore 5-yard line pretty much ended the loss to the Ravens. The Jets had their chances to pull off a stunner, until the tide turned and they had no concrete answers. I'm not quite sure how, but the defense (with help from special teams) has kept the Jets in recent games, even with Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner playing elsewhere now. If you squint, there are occasional glimpses of promise, and this squad might be able to steal a game or two down the stretch. It still all only means so much until New York gets the QB position right and actually rebuilds the offense from the ground up.

The box score says the Saints turned the ball over twice in their loss to the Falcons, but I count six empty possessions (including two missed field-goal tries and two turnovers on downs) that really held the offense down. If they're going to be relatively conservative with Tyler Shough early in games, then they must have a reliable kicker to be competitive. Blake Grupe had been better of late entering Sunday, but his two first-half misses really hurt -- hence Justin Tucker's workout with the team. (EDITOR'S UPDATE: The Saints are releasing Grupe and signing Cade York to their practice squad after trying York out as well on Monday, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported on Tuesday.) Throw in the injury to Alvin Kamara and a struggling O-line, and it's a tough offensive ecosystem right now for Kellen Moore while he evaluates whether Shough should be the favorite to start next season. 

It was another painful loss for the Titans, who are now 0-6 in Nashville, but Cam Ward keeps providing hope for the future. In fact, this was probably his best performance yet, especially considering it came against Seattle's stellar defense. The No. 1 overall pick continued to battle, even while trailing by 20 points late in the third quarter, finishing with 256 yards and a touchdown through the air, along with 37 more yards and an additional score on the ground. He did all that without any help from the run game, and with Tennessee's defense struggling to get stops during the first three quarters. With Ward, fellow rookie Chimere Dike (who might be the league's best punt returner, no joke) and a few other pieces, there is some real encouragement on offense for the next coach. Defensively, the Titans have plenty of work to do. All in all, though, this situation might not look so bad a year from now, if things go right.

Look, Raiders fans, I'm sorry. I truly wish I knew what to tell you here -- that it will be all right eventually -- but I just can't in good conscience do that. I hate lying, and right now, this Las Vegas operation is just non-functional on the whole. That Geno Smith finished Sunday with one of his better passing totals of the season is truly remarkable. If you tuned into the game briefly, it's a safe bet you saw Geno getting blasted, with the veteran quarterback taking a whopping 10 sacks on the day. Add in a bushel of penalties and some horrendous tackling on defense, and it was just a putrid Raiders effort against the Browns. Las Vegas might need to ctrl-alt-delete this thing again in the offseason.