JB’s Week 13 (un)-Biased NFL Power Rankings

1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 11-0 | last week (1)

The last time we had these rankings, I talked about how the Steelers have continued to have success, although they have a bottom barrel defensive line. That is going to be a problem in January, especially with the recent loss of Bud Dupree. Ben Roethlisberger and this Steelers offense may have to win a shootout or two, and the scary thing is, they are certainly capable of it.

2 | Kansas City Chiefs | 10-1 | last week (2)

Kansas City did not suffer the same fate that they did the first time against Las Vegas, but they sure made it interesting. The Raiders seem to have found a decent gameplan to beat the Chiefs: get them in a shootout. In two games against Kansas City, Vegas has scored 71 points and almost came away with two victories. Kansas City is a bottom third defense in terms of yards per play and points per game allowed and ranks DEAD LAST in opponent red zone scoring.

3 | New Orleans Saints | 9-2 | last week (12)

This team was able to weather the storm of not having one of the best receivers in the league, now they are doing it without one of the best quarterbacks. The Saints are a team on the rise and I will be the first one to admit that I counted them out. I still think they are a fraud, but I have to give them the respect that their wins deserve. They still might win-out and shut me up for good.

4 | Green Bay Packers | 8-3 | last week (5)

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are in a very nice spot to challenge for a bye. The only reason they might be stopped from getting it is if New Orleans wins out, and as we mentioned earlier, that is definitely within the realm of possibilities. Home-field advantage doesn"t mean much this year, considering there are no fans in the stands, so the one seed gains consolation only in the bye that they receive. Much like Kansas City, this team has a weak defense when it comes to a few main categories. They are 17th in the league in yards per play given up and 21st in total touchdowns given up.

5 | Buffalo Bills | 8-3 | last week (7)

Buffalo looks like a team that can hang with anybody. The offense can score at will, especially through the air. They will need a better ground game come playoff time, though, and they will need to improve the defense. Their 5.8 yards given up per play ranks them just 19th in the league. That is not Super Bowl caliber and might see them bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

6 | Seattle Seahawks | 8-3 | last week (6)

Russell Wilson is doing everything he can to get his team into the number one seed, but can his defense keep up? Seattle is currently in the bottom ten in every major category, however, those numbers are a bit misleading. The Seahawks have recently added Jamal Adams back from injury and Carlos Dunlap via trade. The two have seemed to ignite Seattle"s pass-rush and are giving their secondary a chance. That couldn"t be said earlier in the year.

7 | Baltimore Ravens | 6-5 | last week (3)

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have had some tough luck this year. Their five losses are to the Steelers (twice), the Chiefs, the Titans, and the Patriots. The New England loss is probably the only bad one in there, yet this team still has not shot at their division crown. A very soft end of the season schedule has Baltimore fans hoping for a late-season push, and this team is certainly capable of doing just that. It was less than a month ago that they looked like a top-five team in the league.

8 | Los Angeles Rams | 7-4 | last week (10)

This offense can be pushed around. It"s that simple. The good thing for the Rams, though, is that when they don"t get pushed around, they usually win the football game. The Rams are running out of time to find their true offensive identity. The defense is certainly holding it down in the meantime, putting up top-five numbers in almost every category.

9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7-5 | last week (4)

The chemistry issues for this team pale in comparison to the communication issues that the Bucs" are having. We are talking pre AND post-snap, on offense, AND defense. Something has to be fixed, and it is still possible. Teams with a lack of talent are going to be the ones that do not stand a chance to improve, this is not one of those teams.

10 | Tennessee Titans | 8-3 | last week (9)

The Titans are another team that is capable of hanging with anyone but has a limited ceiling. The offense, surprisingly, is not holding Tennesee back, it is the defense. The passing defense is especially bad, as the Titans are second to last in the NFL with 2.1 passing touchdowns given up per game.

11 | Indianapolis Colts | 7-4 | last week (11)

Philip Rivers and the Colts are a fascinating team because they have a good defense, a good coach, and they do not beat themselves. The question mark at quarterback will loom for the rest of the year, however, will Philip Rivers come through once and for all?

12 | Cleveland Browns | 8-3 | last week (14)

You can"t blame the Browns for beating the teams in front of them, but in all fairness, they lack signature wins. Beating the Colts is probably their claim to fame at this point, and while that is nothing to scoff at, I will be more impressed if they take down a Titans team this week that is just starting to get rolling on offense.

13 | Miami Dolphins | 7-4 | last week (17)

Miami has the defense and passing game to make some noise in the playoffs, but are going to be heading there with a rookie starting at quarterback. That has not worked out well for recent young passers in their first career playoff games ( like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson). It will be interesting to see how Tua Tagovailoa handles the pressure.

14 | Arizona Cardinals | 6-5 | last week (8)

The Cardinals are building something special out in Arizona. The issue is, the offense is lightyears ahead of the defense. If you look at the numbers, you would initially think that this should be a good defense. They are top ten in red-zone and third-down percentage, and they are top ten in points given up, but a closer look tells a different story. The Cardinals have been penalized 7.7 times per game. for a little context, New England is first in the league with just 3.8 penalties per game.

15 | San Francisco 49ers | 5-6 | last week (13)

This team has been destroyed by injuries and Covid, but still plays hard and with heart each week. Having heart will only get you so far, however, and they know that. The 49ers are probably not ready to compete with Nick Mullens under center, no matter how good of a scheme job Kyle Shanahan can pull off. They can"t play the Rams every week, unfortunately for them.

16 | Chicago Bears | 5-6 | last week (15)

It is going to be hard for the Bears to compete for a wild-card spot in the NFC, considering the limitations of their offense. The entire offense needs an overhaul, and will probably get one in the off-season. One has to tip the cap to Allen Robinson, though, as he has continued to ball-out and demand the opponent"s best defender each week.

17 | Las Vegas Raiders | 6-5 | last week (16)

Last Sunday"s blowout loss to the Falcons might have been one of the more embarrassing losses of the season, for any team. Las Vegas failed to adjust their gameplan after an injury to Josh Jacobs and lacked passion on defense all day. Losing by more than 35 points to a team that is destined for the top-ten of the draft is very disappointing, especially considering they had just come so close to beating the Chiefs yet again.

18 | Minnesota Vikings | 5-6 | last week (20)

This team is on a mini-roll and looking to get back into the mix for a wild-card spot. As the NFC West continues to cannibalize itself, they have a good chance of catching the third-place team in that division. The Rams and Cardinals play each other twice still, so if either team can with both games, Minnesota has a good chance of passing them if they can continue to stack up wins.

19 | Los Angeles Chargers | 3-8 | last week (21)

The Chargers are going to be looking for a new coach in the off-season and should have suitors beating down their doors to have a shot at grooming the young Justin Herbert. The amount of last-second losses and blown leads are something only Atlanta and Detroit fans can understand.

20 | New England Patriots | 5-6 | last week (18)

Mediocrity has this team in a very bad spot, especially considering the prospects in this upcoming NFL draft. New England is not currently projected to make the playoffs or to be in range for one of the top-flight quarterbacks in the draft. For a team that needs a passer but is notorious for trading down, not up, that is a huge problem.

21 | Atlanta Falcons | 4-7 | last week (25)

Winners of three out of their last four, Atlanta is finally finding ways to turn its talent into victories. It is far too late for a playoff push, however, and Matt Ryan is probably auditioning for his job. Much like Matthew Stafford, he needs to prove to the only franchise that he has ever known that he is the man to lead them into the future.

22 | Denver Broncos | 4-7 | last week (24)

Drew Lock is seemingly auditioning in front of John Elway, but what are the Broncos" plans to replace him? They are in a similar spot to New England, as they are likely out of the running for one of the first-round quarterbacks. Does this make them one of the top suitors for Sam Darnold?

23 | Carolina Panthers | 4-8 | last week (19)

The Panthers have undergone more changes than practically every team in the past few years. Big props to Matt Rhule for having this team ready to compete and win games, even without Christian McCaffrey. They might be one of the most exciting young teams in the league, but not one of the best just yet.

24 | Detroit Lions | 4-7 | last week (22)

As mentioned, Detroit may be in the market for a new quarterback in the off-season. This makes these last games of the season that much more important. If Stafford plays well, he could have the Lions thinking he is their guy, if he falters, they may want to move on. In the end, considering the Lions are going to have a new GM and head coach, Stafford may be on the outs no matter what.

25 | Houston Texans | 4-7 | last week (28)

This team has certainly played much better under Romeo Crennel, but this is most likely fool"s gold. Reports that the Texans are considering keeping Crennel around are pretty stunning. With the recent trend of young, offensive-minded coaches, this one would be a shocker. What makes it even more mind-boggling that these reports are coming out is the fact that they do not currently have a GM. That GM would theoretically like to pick their own head coach.

26 | New York Giants | 4-7 | last week (31)

Two wins in a row have this terrible team in first place in the NFC L(East). The NFL should feel ashamed when one of these teams hosts a playoff game while a much more deserving NFC team watches from home.

27 | Washington Football Team | 4-7 | last week (29)

Washington has built a fairly fierce defensive front and an overall good defense. The offense, though, has major issues. Kyle Allen has been better than Dwayne Haskins, but not by much.

28 | Philadelphia Eagles | 3-7-1 | last week (22)

This is a pretty embarrassing situation. Despite being horribly injured all year, this team still has as hot at the division but cannot get out of their own way.

29 | Dallas Cowboys | 3-8 | last week (27)

Shockingly still alive in one of the worst divisions of all time, the Cowboys might actually have the leg up with the best quarterback in the division. That is pretty sad to say, considering Dallas is going with a backup.

30 | Cincinnati Bengals | 2-8-1 | last week (26)

If the Bengals can spend the off-season upgrading the defense, as well as it upgraded the offense last off-season, 2021 will be a great year in Cincinnati. Joe Burrow is going to attack this rehab well and be back within the first month of 2021. The question is, how well will he be protected this time around?

31 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1-10 | last week (30)

The Jaguars have predictably fallen back to earth after a week one win against the Colts. They have also fallen back into the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. Jake Luton made a very good impression in his first start but is already riding the pine. If Jacksonville ends up in the top-five, expect them to be drafting a quarterback.

32 | New York Jets | 0-11 | last week (32)

Same blurb the last 12 weeks, and I"m not changing it until they win a game. The Adam Gase experiment has been an epic failure, and Joe Douglas is probably going down with him.

Thanks for reading the week 13 NFL power rankings, Follow me on Twitter @JbellSportsTalk for more of my content, and follow @OT_Heroics!

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