2019 NFL power rankings, Week 13: Jets soar, Eagles grounded
10-1. Previous: . San Francisco 49ers. 2. team. 42.
Recap: Kyle Shanahan’s club was back in the prime time spotlight for the second time in three weeks and were also playing their third consecutive home game as they took on the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers. The Niners got an early touchdown thanks to lost fumble by Aaron Rodgers. And once quarterback Jimmy Graoppolo warmed up a little, the Packers’ defense wound up not putting up a lot of opposition. But the story of the evening was a relentless San Francisco pass rush that sacked Rodgers five times while Robert Saleh’s unit limited Green Bay to just 198 total yards. And to think that Shanahan’s team held the football for just 24:44 in the lopsided win.
Next Week: Obviously, a lot has changed the 49ers and Ravens met in Super Bowl XLVII seven years ago. This year, both teams are in the thick of the postseason picture in their respective conferences. The clubs last met in 2015 in San Francisco, when the home team came up with a 25-20 win. It’s the Niners’ first trip to Baltimore since 2011.
Playoff hopes: Shanahan’s club made quite the statement on Sunday night against one of the better teams in the league. The Niners have still only lost once this season and own an imposing 7-1 record within the conference. The next few weeks could be tricky. But this team is starting to play complimentary football and has a lot of moxie.
47. . 10-1. Previous: . New England Patriots. 1. team
Recap: The AFC East leaders got some good news on Tuesday when the team activated left tackle Isaiah Wynn from injured reserve. But it was still another sluggish offensive performance by the reigning Super Bowl champions as Bill Belichick’s attack was limited due to injuries. Veteran quarterback Tom Brady threw for 190 yards and one score but completed less than 50 percent of his passes (17-of-37). But once again, the stellar New England defense and special teams came up big as the Cowboys’ offense was limited to 321 total yards and three field goals. And on each of the Patriots’ 10 victories this season, the opposition has been held to 14 or fewer points. Simply amazing.
Next Week: The Patriots head south to Houston to take on a franchise that they have had enormous success against and also play in a building where they captured two of their Super Bowl titles. Including a 27-20 home win last season (Week 1), as well as two playoff meetings, the Pats own a 10-1 lifetime advantage vs. the Texans.
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Playoff hopes: Make it an NFL-record 17 consecutive seasons with double-digit victories for the Patriots, who maintained their two-game lead in the AFC East and closed in on an 11th straight division title and playoff appearance. It hasn’t been pretty as of late, but beauty is in the eye of the NFL’s defending Super Bowl champs.