2019 NFL power rankings, Week 14: Bengals prevail, Colts collapse

Recap: The Falcons were playing their fourth consecutive game vs. a division opponent and hosted the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving night in position to sweep the series for the first time since 2016. Dan Quinn’s club would miss the playoffs for a second straight year if they failed to knock off their longtime rival and the team simply made too many mistakes throughout the evening. Quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked nine times, served up two interceptions and lost one of his two fumbles. Atlanta made it interesting late in the game via a couple of successful onside kick conversions. But it added up to a second straight home loss and another losing season.

Next Week: The Falcons are once again at home and look to complete a sweep of the Carolina Panthers. In Week 11 at Carolina, Ryan threw for 311 yards and one score and the Atlanta defense racked up five sacks and four interceptions of Panthers’ quarterback Ryan Allen in a 29-3 victory – their fourth straight win in this series.

Draft Talk: General manager Thomas Dimitroff and the organization stressed upgrading the offensive line this past offseason and it’s safe to say the reviews have been mixed after 12 games. Is it an area that the Falcons will look at once again in 2020? The defense has been a big disappointment as well. Are big changes on the horizon in Atlanta?

Recap: Winners of three consecutive games in which the team scored exactly 34 points in each triumph, the Jets made their way to the Queen City to take on the 0-11 Cincinnati Bengals. Jets’ quarterback Sam Darnold had played solid football as of late but Adam Gase’s club had their issues on Sunday. New York totaled only 271 total yards and two field goal against the bottom-ranked defense in the NFL. Darnold threw for 239 yards but was sacked four times and the Jets’ ground attack was limited to 62 yards on 17 carries. Gase’s club was also ticketed 10 times for 106 yards in penalties. And Gregg Williams’ pass rush managed only one sack of Andy Dalton.

Next Week: The Dolphins head north to East Rutherford looking to sweep the rival New York Jets for the third time in four seasons. In Week 9 at Hard Rock Stadium, the Green and White became the first victim of the season for Miami courtesy of a 26-18 setback. The Jets have lost four straight and are 1-6 vs. the Dolphins dating back to ’16.

Playoff hopes: After turning things around on offense in their previous three games and coming out with wins in each instances, Gase’s squad failed to score a touchdown against a team that had not won a game before Sunday. At 4-8, the Jets just have too many teams to climb over, even if they manage to win the rest of their games.

Next: Nos. 26 and 25