NFL Power Rankings: Week 13

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Well, shit – we’re a bunch of football writers, so I guess we have to get in on the ‘NFL Power Rankings’ action. So, here we are. Your boy “Big Natural” is a major advocate of the Bill Parcells school of thinking in that ‘you are what your record says you are.’

With that in mind, my power rankings are going to be based on the body of work. I don’t care what you were supposed to do before the season started. Nor do I care what you could do in a potential matchup. I’m placing an emphasis on what teams have actually done.

NFL POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 13

1. New England Patriots – Stop me if you’ve heard this before…but the Patriots should be the favorite to win the Super Bowl. After early losses to Kansas City and Carolina, they’re now riding a monstrous wave of momentum. I don’t see anyone in the AFC that can stop them.

2. Minnesota Vikings – It’s to stop talking about whether the Vikings are legit or not, and start talking about this team in the Super Bowl. That defense could be the best in the league, and Case Keenum is playing nearly flawless football right now. With the statement win over Atlanta, and the Eagles loss to Seattle, the Vikings could ensure that the road to the Super Bowl goes through Minnesota.

3. Philadelphia Eagles – Oh my. Carson Wentz got his first taste of primetime playoff-esque football and did not go as anticipated. Still, this is one of if not the most complete team in the NFL. They’re still very much in the hunt. They’ve just been knocked off the mountaintop.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steelers benefit largely from a weak AFC this season, but they still have all the tools to go on a tear. They’re the biggest threat to New England.

5. Los Angeles Rams – The Rams have now clinched their first winning season since 2003. That’s astonishing. No one saw this coming, but Jared Goff has the offense rolling and that defense showed explosiveness against Arizona. This team is going to be a tough out.

6. New Orleans Saints – If you ask me, the Saints are the real dark horse Super Bowl contender. They’ve got a show built for the road, and can hang with anyone in the league. Alvin Kamara should be Rookie of the Year at this point.

7. Seattle Seahawks – A big win in December against a team that was previously #1 on this list has the Seahawks climbing. This is typically when they play their best football, so watch out for ’em down the stretch. They’re now only a game behind the Rams.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jags continue to dominate on defense. Granted, the 3-9 Indianapolis Colts provided little opposition. I still think if you’re looking at the eye test, they’re the best team in the AFC South, and could surprise in the playoffs.

9. Carolina Panthers – Still don’t see the consistency you like out of a team to think of them as serious championship contenders, but you can’t knock the Panthers for playing the games they play. They’re 8-4 and very much in the hunt.

10. Tennessee Titans – This Titans team just keeps finding ways to win games. They’re playing far under their talent level, which means if this team gets hot, it could be a tough out in January. But, based on what we’ve seen, I can’t rank them ahead of the Jags.

11. Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons offense was tested against the best defense in the NFC and failed. That said, they’re still hanging around the wild card race with a chance to play their way back into the playoffs.

12. Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens are getting hot at the right time. Considering how few contenders there are in the AFC, they could make some noise come January.

13. Los Angeles Chargers – I know the Chiefs own the tiebreaker, but how can you look at these two teams and not see that the Chargers are immensely better right now? That is one underrated defense with one of the best cornerback pairings in the league.

14. Dallas Cowboys – A dominant win over a bitter rival has the Cowboys hanging around at 6-6. But, there’s so much quality competition in the NFC this year, that it’s hard to imagine they’ll be able to make it in unless they go on a real run here.

15. Kansas City Chiefs – Once considered my Super Bowl favorites, the train is completely off the rails in Kansas City. I mean, they have totally fallen apart. 1-6 in their last seven, and they just lost to the Jets. The AFC West is now wide open with the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders all sitting there at 6-6. Right now, I wouldn’t trust this team to beat anybody.

16. Buffalo Bills
17. Oakland Raiders
18. Detroit Lions
19. Cincinnati Bengals
20. Green Bay Packers
21. Washington Redskins
22. New York Jets
23. Miami Dolphins
24. Arizona Cardinals
25. Houston Texans
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Indianapolis Colts
28. San Francisco 49ers
29. Chicago Bears
30. Denver Broncos
31. New York Giants
32. Cleveland Browns

WEEK 13 PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS

AFC

1. New England Patriots
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
4. Los Angeles Chargers
5. Tennessee Titans
6. Baltimore Ravens

NFC

1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Los Angeles Rams
4. New Orleans Saints
5. Seattle Seahawks
6. Carolina Panthers

Week 12 Super Bowl Prediction: New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings

Catch y’all next week.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley