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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Cory Kinnan

Week 14 NFL Power Rankings: 49ers and Cowboys surge, Browns and Steelers slipping

Welcome back to this Week 14 edition of NFL Power Rankings! This week’s rankings feature the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers for the wrong reasons, and the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys for all of the right reasons after their Week 13 action.

Injuries are finally starting to catch up to the Browns, who are already playing without their QB1, RB1, RT1, LT1, and now potentially without their WR1 as Amari Cooper is now in the concussion protocol. The Steelers have revealed who they really are in recent weeks, and now may be playing out the rest of their season with backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky at the helm.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, the Cowboys and 49ers are playing elite football with just five weeks to go. The cream of the crop continues to rise to the top and separate themselves as contenders.

With just five weeks to go until we reach the postseason, here are the Week 14 NFL Power Rankings. Who is up and who is down as these 32 teams enter crunch time down the stretch?

32
Carolina Panthers (1-11)

Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

I wonder which coach owner David Tepper will hire just to fire next!

31
New England Patriots (2-10)

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Is the Bill Belichick era coming to a close in New England?

30
Washington Commanders (4-9)

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Ron Rivera will be looking for another job in the coming weeks.

29
New York Giants (4-8)

The Giants have some soul-searching to do this offseason.

28
New York Jets (4-8)

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Browns will see Tim Boyle in Week 17. This is a winnable game.

27
Chicago Bears (4-8)

Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The Bears will look to play spoilers down the stretch as they did against the Vikings a week ago. The Browns must not fall into that trap.

26
Arizona Cardinals (3-10)

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals aren’t exactly playing good football, but they are playing more competitive football since the return of Kyler Murray.

25
Tennessee Titans (4-8)

The Will Levis era might be a short one in Nashville.

24
New Orleans Saints (5-7)

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The Saints went from NFC South favorites to duds in a matter of weeks.

23
Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Can the Raiders continue to stack wins down the stretch?

22
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7)

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Winning the lowly NFC South is still very much in the picture for the Buccaneers. Somehow.

21
Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)

What do the Bengals have to look forward to?

20
Minnesota Vikings (6-6)

Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Vikings are trending in the wrong direction.

19
Los Angeles Chargers (5-7)

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Every Chargers game feels like a Marvel movie if Justin Herbert was a superhero who had to beat his own teammates to save the day.

18
Atlanta Falcons (6-6)

The Falcons aren’t good. But they might be good enough to win the South.

17
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5)

Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

The Steelers were already trending in the wrong direction, and now they might be doing it with Mitch Trubisky at the helm the rest of the way out.

16
Indianapolis Colts (7-5)

Shane Steichen must get serious consideration for NFL Coach of the Year.

15
Cleveland Browns (7-5)

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

There is still a pathway to the playoffs with Joe Flacco under center, but the Browns will be limping into the postseason if they get there. Their roster has been decimated by injuries.

14
Denver Broncos (6-6)

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Despite their winning streak coming to an end, the Broncos will be a tough team to beat each of the last five weeks of the season.

13
Seattle Seahawks (6-6)

Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

While the Seahawks were close to taking down the surging Cowboys, they now find themselves in a desperate position.

12
Los Angeles Rams (6-6)

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Winning three-in-a-row, do not count out the Los Angeles Rams after they take down the Browns.

11
Green Bay Packers (6-6)

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Don’t look now, but Jordan Love and the Packers are playing themselves into backdoor playoff contention after beating the Lions and Chiefs in back-to-back weeks.

10
Buffalo Bills (6-6)

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Is it too little, too late in Buffalo?

9
Houston Texans (7-5)

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud have the Texans in the driver’s seat toward a playoff spot in the first year of what many thought would be a rebuilding year.

8
Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3)

The AFC South looks locked down in Jacksonville, but is this team equipped to make a deep run in the playoffs?

7
Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)

The Chiefs will be in any game as long as Patrick Mahomes is on the field, but they lack any formidable offensive threat outside of tight end Travis Kelce. And it is costing them down the stretch.

6
Detroit Lions (9-3)

Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The fans in Detroit deserve this.

5
Miami Dolphins (9-3)

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Still waiting for the Dolphins to beat a competitor, but they won’t play one for awhile.

4
Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia’s defense may come back to cost these competitors in the long run.

3
Dallas Cowboys (9-3)

Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

There is not a quarterback playing better football than Dak Prescott right now.

2
Baltimore Ravens (9-3)

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The only AFC North team with a healthy quarterback, the Ravens have all but wrapped up the division.

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