NFL Week 13 gave us a few surprises and some that caused shakeups in our power rankings. We should have known from the Cowboys surprising win over the Saints on Thursday night that we could have a few upsets brewing this week.
The Bears were surprised by the Giants in overtime. Carolina lost on the road at Tampa Bay. After getting blown out in the first half, the Chargers rallied against the Steelers to pull out a victory on Sunday Night Football. Dallas still had the most impressive moment of the week thanks to their defense holding the prolific Saints offense to 10 points.
Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett noted it was the team's resiliency that allowed them to win.
"One of the big keys to this game was handling the success of this game and keep playing," Garrett explained to 247 Sports. "Handling the adversity of this game and keep playing. It was gonna be a 60-minute game. We got out in front of this thing. We did a good job of stopping them defensively. We did a good job possessing the football offensively, we got ahead, but we knew they were gonna keep coming. And we had to keep coming, and we made some critical stops at the end of the ball game, everybody had a piece of it."
The Chiefs Surprised Us in a Good Way
Kansas City continues to be one of the best teams in the league, but the conversation this week centered around the actions of Kareem Hunt. Too often we see teams justify a player's actions if they have talent on the football field. Hours after a video surfaced that showed Hunt being violent with a woman, the team abruptly cut Hunt.
A strong argument could be made for the team not needing to see the video to take the necessary actions. That said, the Chiefs decision to cut Hunt so quickly showed they valued the culture of their team much more than the talent they were losing at running back. Hunt has been one of the most talented running backs in the league over his brief career, and the Chiefs made the right decision even if it may cost them on the field.
Spencer Ware spoke about the impact of the situation on the team.
"We had work today,'' Ware explained to ESPN. "We had business to take care of. So we try to stay distraction-free over here. There's no try. You've just got to do it. We played hard. We had our mistakes. ... We won't let anything that happens on the outside dictate or control what we have inside. That's my brother. It's a tough situation. But the men in this circle, the men in the locker room ... we've got one goal, and that's to win a Super Bowl.''
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No. 1 Los Angeles Rams
No. 2 New Orleans Saints
The Rams have bounced back with three straight wins since losing to the Saints a month ago. Los Angeles put up a modest 30 points against the Lions in Week 13, but it got the job done. The win sealed the NFC West for the Rams and a postseason birth.
Jared Goff threw for just 207 yards, but it was good enough to win comfortably over the Lions. Todd Gurley had a typical day with 132 yards and two touchdowns.
"We're in a position right now that we feel good about," Rams head coach Sean McVay told ESPN. "If we take care of our business, all the rest of that stuff takes care of itself."
Los Angeles may have secured a playoff spot, but the Rams are still competing with teams like the Saints for home field advantage throughout the postseason. The Rams were able to gain a game on the Saints since they lost to the Cowboys.
The Rams have a difficult upcoming Sunday Night Football matchup against the Bears. We have the Rams ranked above the Saints based on how they have looked as of late and having one less loss than New Orleans.
The Saints Finally Lost After Winning 10 Straight Games
In one of the most shocking games of the NFL season, the Saints were upset by the Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. It was not the Cowboys winning that was so shocking, but it was the way the Dallas defense was able to shut down a typically dynamic Saints offense.
Drew Brees threw for just 127 yards and the running game also struggled. Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram combined for just 63 rushing yards.
"I felt like we didn't really find a rhythm for pretty much the whole game," Brees explained to ESPN. "I guess we may have had one decent drive. ... So credit to them....No. This was the next game, it was a big game. It was the most important game of the season because it was a big game. We just came out and didn't play with the tempo and rhythm, I think, that we're used to."
The Saints had won 10 straight games but were bound for an off week at some point. Dallas is trending up and are the new favorites to win the NFC East. New Orleans has a chance to get back on track next week as they face the Bucs on the road. After their loss to the Cowboys, Saints head coach Sean Payton noted there would be a lot to learn from watching film of the disappointing performance.
"[The Cowboys] played a heck of a game, deserved to win the game. ... It starts with us as coaches, the plan going in," Payton told ESPN. "There will be a lot we watch on tape, and regret certain plays. But before we get into any of that, you really gotta tip your hat to the way they played."
No. 3 New England Patriots
No. 4 Kansas City Chiefs
The Patriots notched an impressive win over the Vikings in Week 13. Tom Brady threw for 311 yards against a difficult Vikings defense. After the game, Brady was peppered with questions about finally rushing for more than 1,000 yards over his career.
"It's just playing a lot of football," Brady explained to ESPN. "And obviously, I'm not a scrambler. But hopefully I can make a couple plays. Running for it, made a good third down on that one, and I just give a lot of credit to the offensive line. They blocked their tails off today against a good front. And I don't want to make too much of a 4- or 5-yard gain. That wasn't really a difference in the game."
New England faces the Dolphins this week before squaring off with the Steelers in a matchup that will likely have a major impact on the AFC playoff seeding. Heading into Week 14, the Patriots have a bye, but they are tied with a surging Texans team.
Any additional losses put the Patriots in danger of having to play in the Wild Card round.
Kareem Hunt's Saga Overshadows Chiefs Reaching Double-Digit Wins
While the conversation this week likely would have centered around the Chiefs reaching double-digit victories, things took a detour after a domestic violence video featuring Kareem Hunt surfaced. Kansas City quickly parted ways with the star running back after noting he was not forthcoming about the incident when the team asked him about it.
After the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid noted the team had made their decision and are moving on.
"We made the decision that we made,” Reid explained to Sports Illustrated. “We put out a statement to explain the situation. As we’ve done in the past, when things come up that’s where we go. We handle it within and we handle it with the person that it affects. We’ve done all of those things.”
Patrick Mahomes noted he had talked to Hunt but opted to keep the conversations private.
"I've talked to him, but I'll keep it between me and him," Mahomes said per Sports Illustrated. "I saw the stuff that happened. We don't do those things."
The running game did struggle without Hunt. Spencer Ware got the majority of touches but only averaged 3.4 yards per carry for a total of 47 yards. It will be interesting to see how the Chiefs are able to adjust to losing one of their most productive offensive players.
The Chiefs host the Ravens in Week 14 in a matchup featuring two potential playoff teams.
No. 5 Houston Texans
No. 6 Los Angeles Chargers
At some point, the Texans deserve credit for the kind of run they are on. It is easy to dismiss Houton because they play in a weaker AFC South, but winning nine straight games is difficult to accomplish in the NFL.
Houston took advantage of a weaker Browns team by jumping out to a 23-0 halftime lead, and the Texans never looked back. Lamar Miller looks like a different player than the running back we have seen in recent years. Miller rushed for 103 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry.
Texans head coach Bill O'Brien believes his team is just scratching the surface of their potential and can get even better as the season progresses.
“We just talked about that in the locker room," O'Brien said per the Texans website. "We talked about that a little bit on the sideline. I think there's a lot of things we can get better at. I know it was a good win. Give Cleveland credit. They were really hard to prepare for and they play hard. They've got a lot of talent on that side of the ball. I think Gregg's (Williams) doing a good job in the interim role there. But I think for our guys in the locker room, that's been the key and we have to continue that.”
Things could get even better for the Texans as Houston is likely to be favored in all four of their remaining games. Houston hosts the Colts this upcoming week then faces the Jets, Eagles and Jaguars to close out the season.
The Chargers Came From Behind to Shock the Steelers
The Chargers were left for dead heading into halftime trailing the Steelers 23-7 on Sunday Night Football. Los Angeles looked like a different team in the second half and came away victorious.
The Chargers received a bit of a boost with Justin Jackson playing a bigger role with Melvin Gordon sidelined. Jackson had 82 total yards and a touchdown on less than 10 touches. Former NFL player Jerricho Cotchery spoke to the New York Post about why Philip Rivers is such a great leader.
“He cares,” Cotchery explained to the New York Post. “He cares about winning. He cares about getting better. He cares about the team getting better. He cares about having his teammates get better. That’s one of his strong suits — he really cares about his teammates, and so when you got a leader that really cares about his teammates, 1) you’re looking at a true leader, but you’re looking at a guy that you’re willing to go to battle with. He’s a guy that definitely cares.”
Los Angeles host Cincinnati in Week 14 then will head to Kansas City in Week 15.
No. 7 Dallas Cowboys
No. 8 Seattle Seahawks
The NFC East has been noticeably absent this season in our power rankings since the Eagles have fallen off. The Cowboys win against the Saints changes that with what was one of the best wins by any NFL team this season. Dallas was widely criticized for trading a first round pick for wide receiver Amari Cooper, but it looks like it is the Cowboys who could have the last laugh.
The trade has transformed a stagnant offense as Cooper has given Dak Prescott a legit WR1. Over the last two games, Cooper has had 16 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
After rumors swirled around Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett's future earlier in the season, Dallas owner Jerry Jones made it a point to give his coach credit for a big victory.
“Well, he’s won a big game tonight," Jones said per Pro Football Talk. "I’ll just leave it at that. He won a big game tonight...What? I’m not [witholding praise]. Give him everything you should give him for having just beaten the top-rated team in the NFL. You’re the wordsmith. Give it to him. I’m serious. Give it to him, yes. Because we know how tough it is when it goes the other way. But give that to him, for sure.”
For all the praise the offense deserves for its turnaround, the Cowboys defense is why the team is winning games. The Dallas defense is one of the best units in the league as they displayed on Thursday by holding one of the top offenses in the league to just 10 points.
Dallas hosts the Eagles in Week 14 in a matchup where they are likely to be favored as they look to hold their lead on the Redskins in the NFC East.
The Seahawks beat the Cowboys earlier this season, but we'll give Dallas the slight edge in the rankings after their win over the Saints. The Cowboys' offense also looked much different earlier in the season without Cooper.
The Seahawks Are Starting to Find Their Footing
Seattly may not have started the season strong, but they are poised to finish it much differently. Pete Carroll's teams have a history of playing their best football just in time for the postseason push. The Seahawks defense was expected to take a step back this year after losing veteran leaders like Michael Bennett and Richard Sherman.
Instead, the younger Seahawks players have stepped up in their expanded roles. The Seahawks defeating the 49ers is not exactly an impressive win, but beating any NFL team 43-16 deserves a hat tip. Linebacker Bobby Wagner came up with a pick-six that put the game away for the Seahawks.
“You can’t talk about this game unless you talk about Bobby Wagner,” Carroll said per Seahawks.com. “He just had a phenomenal game. There’s not many more things the guy could do. He had (12) tackles, he took the ball away from them on a fumble, he had a sack, he had an interception for a touchdown, all-time ever longest play in the history of the franchise. Just did another marvelous job of taking care of all the leadership stuff that he does, too. He’s playing as good as you can play the game. He’s a phenomenal football player, really in the peak of his career, doing a great job, making all the plays. But he does so much more than that for us. He’s a great Seahawk, and we’re lucky to have him.”
The Seahawks have already been eliminated from contending for the NFC West title, so they will need to grab one of the two Wild Card spots to play in the postseason. Seattle hosts a big time playoff-caliber game in Week 14 against the Vikings. Both teams are fighting to make the playoffs in the NFC.
No. 9 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 10 Chicago Bears
It was not quite the way the Steelers wanted their week to end after multiple offsides penalties gave the Chargers a chipshot game-winning field goal opportunity. Perhaps even bigger than the loss to the Chargers was running back James Conner leaving the game with a leg injury.
According to ESPN, Conner sustained a right lower leg contusion against the Chargers. Pittsburgh is already without Le'Veon Bell, and it would be a big blow if Conner is forced to miss time.
"You never want to see a guy like that go down," Antonio Brown told ESPN. "But like we said, every guy in a helmet is upholding the standard, and anyone can be the reason we win."
Pittsburgh blew a sizable lead over the Chargers in the second half and have now lost two straight games. Leading up to the game, the focus was on Ben Roethlisberger's relationship with his star wide receiver after he criticized one of his routes in Week 12. Brown noted there was nothing going on behind the scenes.
“Ben is my guy, man,” Brown explained to Trib Live. “I love him. There’s a method to his madness. It’s only going to inspire the group, encourage the group to do better. I know the type of guys he is. I know it can be misconstrued and changed in regards to how you guys put it out there. But he means well. He’s here to inspire us all. He’s the only one in this locker room that has a championship under his belt. If you do the little things, it’s only going to encourage us to do something special.”
Pittsburgh has an opportunity to get back on track in Week 14 on the road against Oakland.
The Bears Were Stunned by the Giants
Chicago suffered a surprising loss to the Giants, but they still remain among our top 10 teams. All is not lost for the Bears as the team still sits atop the NFC North. The Bears were once again without quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
After the game, Bears head coach Matt Nagy provided an update on Trubisky's status as well as an evaluation on how Chase Daniel did in his absence.
“He’s feeling better,” Nagy explained to the Chicago Sun-Times. “His arrow is going up every day, he feels like, and you can see [that] when he’s throwing. So we’ll continue to keep our fingers crossed...We weren’t really in rhythm, [and] we weren’t getting first downs. Starting the game with a pick-six is not how you want to start it. But to his credit and the rest of the guys’ credit, they figured out a way to give us a chance at the end of the game as hard as it felt throughout the game. I appreciate how Chase has been this whole time. It’s who we are as a team, and I’ll never put a win or a loss on one guy.”
Things get even more difficult in Week 14 as the Bears host the Rams on Sunday Night Football.
NFL Power Rankings Week 14: Cowboys & Seahawks Make Jump