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

Recap: Matt Nagy’s team had a chance to get back to the .500 mark if they could complete a sweep of the Lions as the clubs collided on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field for the second consecutive year. The Bears would jump out to an early 7-0 lead but would soon find themselves down 10 points in the second quarter. But Mitch Trubisky, who did serve up one interception, threw for 338 yards and three scores and the Bears never allowed the Lions to each the end zone again. Nagy’s offensive unit finished the afternoon with 419 total yards but it was the defense that closed the deal as safety Eddie Jackson picked off Lions’ quarterback David Blough with under 40 seconds to play.

Next Week: The Bears host the Cowboys for the first time since 2014 as these division champions from 2018 (both now sporting 6-6 records) clash for the second time in four seasons. When the franchises last collided, the Bears fell at Arlington, 31-17, on a Sunday night three years ago. Chicago has dropped two straight games in the series.

Playoff hopes: Winners of three of their last four games, Nagy’s club has clawed its way back into the postseason discussion. Reaching the playoffs is still very much a longshot for these Bears but with a 3-1 record within the NFC North, Chicago may still have a say on who wins the division. But there’s no room for error for Nagy and company.

Recap: For the 42nd consecutive year dating back to 1978, the Cowboys hosted a game on Thanksgiving as they welcomed the 8-3 Buffalo Bills to Arlington. Much has been written about Dallas’s failure to beat a team with the winning record this season. And things did look promising after Jason Garrett’s team took the game’s opening drive and marched 75 yards on nine plays to take a 7-0 lead. But the visiting Bills would counter with 26 consecutive points. Dak Prescott threw for 355 yards and two scores but he also turned over the ball twice in the first half that hurt his team in a big way. He was also sacked four times in a rough outing for the offensive line.

Next Week: Both the Cowboys and Chicago Bears played on Thanksgiving and now Garrett’s struggling team heads to the Windy City for a Thursday night tilt. However, Dallas has prevailed in its last two meetings in this series, both in prime time, including a wild 41-28 Thursday night win in 2014 in the Cowboys’ last appearance at Soldier Field.

Playoff hopes: A 3-0 start has morphed into six losses in nine games. Dallas’ once-potent offense could not get out of its own way in the back-to-back losses to the Patriots and Bills. Garrett’s seat can’t get much hotter, although he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. And the Cowboys still own the top spot by themselves in the NFC East.

Next: Nos. 14 and 13