For the first time since Week 12, there was a full slate of 16 games. All 32 teams will be in action for the remaining three weeks as well. Of course, some clubs have much more to play for than others. The San Francisco 49ers won the NFC West, and the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are all postseason-bound.
A total of 22 teams remained in contention for the other 10 playoff spots. Some of these teams aren’t playing their best football these days while others are getting hot at the right time. These ups and downs made for several changes in the NFL Power Rankings from a week ago.
The Panthers’ latest losing streak had reached six games when they hosted the Falcons. To make matters worse, Carolina owned a 0-4 record vs. their divisional rivals and were a combined 0-9 within the conference. The weather was certainly a factor as Chris Tabor’s team totaled only 283 yards and failed to score a touchdown in the game.
After spotting the Falcons a 7-0 second-quarter lead the Panthers pitched a shutout. Meanwhile, 90 of those 283 total yards came in the final 7:35 courtesy of a 17-play drive that resulted in Eddy Pineiro’s winning field goal.
Bill Belichick’s team had more than a week to prepare for a visit from the defending Super Bowl champions. It was another lackluster showing by the Patriots offense, which gained only 206 total yards and was just 2-of-12 on third-down conversions. The Pats have been limited to 17 or fewer points in 11 of their 14 outings this season.
Belichick’s future in Foxborough continues to be a hot topic. The team has lost 11 games for the first time since his debut year in 2000. The Patriots have scored a total of 186 points in 14 contests, an unimaginable 13.3 per game.
The team had already lost one more game this season than it did a year ago when it reached the playoffs. On Thursday night in Las Vegas, the Brandon Staley Era came to an end. He along with general manager Tom Telesco were fired after the Chargers were listless in a loss that saw the team trail by 56 points in the fourth quarter.
As for the game itself, Las Vegas won the total yardage battle, 378-326. Most of that came in the first half as the Bolts were outgained, 283-89, and trailed 42-0. Staley’s coaching record (including a playoff loss) reads 24-25.
So much for last week’s shocking 30-6 rout of the Texans. The Jets were in South Florida looking to surprise the Dolphins. Zach Wilson came off the best game of his career but he and the team were overwhelmed by a shorthanded Dolphins’ squad. New York was down 24-0 at halftime and was outgained 197-4 in total yardage.
Trevor Siemian would replace Wilson and things would only get worse. The two quarterbacks were sacked six times and the duo combined for all four of the team’s turnovers. The Jets’ offense has scored 13 TDs in 14 games.
The struggling Commanders, off last week, were at SoFi Stadium to take on the Rams. Ron Rivera’s team owned the league’s bottom-ranked defense and those issues were on full display in this contest. Washington gave up 445 total yards, including 196 yards rushing. Washington trailed 20-0 in the third quarter before making a late run.
Quarterbacks Sam Howell (1) and Jacoby Brissett (2) combined for three TD passes and 226 yards through the air. With three games to play, the Commanders have given up 80 more points (423) than they did last season (343).
The Cardinals had an extra week to prepare for a 49ers’ team that dusted them, 35-16, in Week 4 at San Francisco. Jonathan Gannon’s team drove 75 yards on the game’s first possession to take a 7-0 lead. The Arizona ground game finished the day with 234 yards, led by James Conner’s 86 yards on 14 carries. He scored the game’s first TD.
Quarterback Kyler Murray was under siege for most of the game. He threw for 211 yards and a score, but he was sacked three times. He fumbled twice (zero lost) and his first of two interceptions was returned for a touchdown.
Four days after being shut out at home by the Vikings, the Silver and Black took out all of their frustrations in embarrassing the division-rival Chargers. Antonio Pierce’s club brought a lot of energy to this rematch and scored more points in this Thursday night blowout (63) than they did in their previous four games combined (46).
Quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw for 248 yards and four touchdowns, and wideout Jakobi Meyers had a TD toss as well. The Raiders totaled three sacks and forced four turnovers, returning two of those miscues for touchdowns.
Last Monday night, Mike Vrabel’s team rallied from 14 points down to beat the Dolphins. The Titans hosted the improved Texans looking to make consecutive wins for the first time this season. Thanks to a one-yard run from Will Levis and a 44-yard interception return from Elijah Molden, Tennessee owned a 13-0 second-quarter lead.
The Titans were limited to a field goal the rest of the afternoon. Levis was sacked seven times and Vrabel’s club gained 204 total yards, 80 yards in the second half and overtime. Tennessee dropped to 0-4 in divisional games.
It’s been a forgettable season for Brian Daboll’s team. However, the Giants took a three-game winning streak into the Crescent City. Quarterback Tommy DeVito had become the toast of the town. At the Superdome on Sunday, he was under constant fire by a New Orleans pass rusher who dumped him seven times by afternoon’s end.
Daboll’s squad settled for a pair of first-half field goals in the 22-point loss. In 14 games this year, the Giants have given up a distressing 76 sacks. That’s already tied for the third-most sacks allowed in a season in NFL annals.
Mike Tomlin’s team had some extra time to do some soul-searching after losing back-to-back games to teams with 10 losses. The reeling Steelers were at Indianapolis on Saturday and owned a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter, Tomlin’s team was pushed around for the remainder of the afternoon in a third consecutive humbling setback.
The desperate Steelers host the Bengals on Saturday and will turn to third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph. It has been nothing short of a disastrous showing for a club that continues to slide in the NFL Power Rankings.
The revitalized Bears were in Cleveland looking to surprise the Browns. Chicago owned a 17-7 lead midway through the third quarter, but their offense scored only one touchdown and was limited to 236 total yards. The defense limited Cleveland to 29 yards on the ground, and Montez Sweat had 2.5 of Chicago’s four sacks.
Chicago picked off Flacco three times, one returned for a score by Tremaine Edwards, but Flacco threw for 374 yards. Both Justin Fields' interceptions came at the end of a half, including a failed Hail Mary on the final play.
Pete Carroll’s club was hoping to end a four-game skid on Monday night at home against the reeling Eagles. It took some time but the team finally announced that Drew Lock would get the start in this crucial contest. The Seahawks gained only 90 total yards in the first half however they trailed by only seven points after two quarters of play.
Lock would throw for 208 yards. Seattle finished with only 297 yards of offense, but 92 of that came on the game-winning drive and concluded with Lock’s 29-yard TD pass to rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba with just 28 seconds to play.
The Falcons were coming off their first divisional loss of the season. The team had a chance to sweep the Panthers for the first time since 2019. It was a rainy afternoon in Charlotte and another dreary performance by the offense. Once again, the Falcons owned a late fourth-quarter lead only to let the opposition drive for the winning points.
Atlanta’s offense managed only 204 yards, and quarterback Desmond Ridder threw a critical interception with 7:35 to play. The Panthers owned the ball the rest of the game, marching 90 yards for the game-winning field goal.
With a chance to get back above the .500 mark, the Packers lost last Monday night on the road to the Giants. They were back home and took on the pesky Buccaneers. The defense had no answers for the Tampa passing game. It sacked Baker Mayfield five times and came up with a fumble recovery, but he threw for 381 yards and four scores.
Jordan Love carried the offensive load as the Packers ran for only 60 yards on 17 attempts. Love threw for 284 yards and two scores, but also lost a crucial fumble. Matt LaFleur’s club remains barely alive for a playoff spot.
The Saints managed a convincing win over the visiting Panthers last week. but their run defense continues to be a big problem. They hosted Saquon Barkley and the revitalized Giants. Dennis Allen’s club shut down New York’s ground game to the tune of 60 yards on 16 attempts and sacked Giants’ quarterback Tommy DeVito seven times.
Versatile Alvin Kamara was the team’s leading rusher (16 attempts for 66 yards) and pass-catcher (5 receptions for 44 yards). Derek Carr threw for 218 yards and three scores as the Saints kept pace with the Bucs in the NFC South.
The Vikings were in Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon. Nick Mullens was the team’s fourth different starting quarterback this season. Kevin O’Connell’s club had a few problems moving the ball against a Cincinnati defense that entered the game ranked 31st in the league. Mullens threw two interceptions that killed first-half scoring drives.
O’Connell’s club owned a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter but was outscored 24-7 the rest of the way. That included a field goal with 3:11 remaining in overtime that sealed the Vikings’ fate. The Lions visit Minnesota this Sunday.
The revitalized Broncos were on the road for the third consecutive week as they took on the Lions at Ford Field on Saturday night. After a scoreless first quarter, Denver was down 21-0 at halftime and outgained 279-75 in total yards. It’s worth noting that Sean Payton’s team had held its previous eight opponents to 22 points or less.
It was an evening in which the Broncos gave up 448 yards and six offensive touchdowns, five through the air. Denver is still very much in the playoff race with three games to go, but it’s a pretty big uphill climb at 7-7.
Sean McVay’s team dropped a 37-31 heartbreaker last week in overtime at Baltimore. The Rams hoped to get back on track as they hosted the woeful Commanders. McVay’s club was a very mediocre 3-3 at SoFi Stadium this year.
The Rams’ balanced attack was too much for the worst defense in the league running back. Kyren Williams totaled 152 yards and one score on the ground, but he also lost a pair of fumbles. Matthew Stafford threw for 258 yards and two TDs. Cooper Kupp finished with eight grabs for 111 yards and one score. The team still has playoff hopes.
Last week, the Buccaneers got another impressive late-game drive from Baker Mayfield to stun the Falcons. The team was at Lambeau Field looking for a third consecutive win and the six-year signal-caller was impressive. He was sacked five times and lost one fumble. However, he continually burned the Packers’ defense for big plays.
Mayfield hit on 22-of-28 throws for 381 yards and four touchdowns (to 4 different players) and was not picked off. Chris Godwin caught 10 passes for 155 yards. Rachaad White totaled 139 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
The Colts hosted the Steelers on Saturday afternoon and were looking to better their position for a playoff berth. Some early miscues, including a punt blocked, saw Shane Steichen’s team down 13-0 in the second quarter. It was all Indianapolis after that as Gardner Minshew and company responded with 30 unanswered points.
Minshew threw for 215 yards and three scores and the team played turnover-free football. The defense limited the Steelers to 216 total yards. These improved Colts have now doubled their victory total from a season ago.
It was easily the Texans’ ugliest performance of the season as they were shut out in the first half and outscored 30-6 the rest of the game in a loss to the Jets. Sunday’s overtime victory at Tennessee was far from a thing of beauty, but DeMeco Ryans’s team was without quarterback C.J. Stroud and scratched and clawed its way to a big win.
Case Keenum got the start, but the real offensive star was running back Devin Singletary. He didn’t reach the end zone but had exactly half (170) of Houston’s 340 total yards. The Texans’ defense sacked Will Levis seven times.
Doug Pederson’s club faced its third straight opponent AFC North foe as it hosted the Ravens on Sunday night. The Jacksonville defense was gashed for 251 yards rushing and quarterback Trevor Lawrence lost two more fumbles.
The Jaguars dropped their third consecutive game and find themselves in a three-way tie with the Colts and Texans for the best record in the AFC South (8-6). Jacksonville is a combined 3-1 vs. Indianapolis (2-0) and Houston (1-1) and owns a 4-1 divisional record. However, this slumping team suddenly appears headed in the wrong direction.
The Bengals hosted the Vikings on Saturday in a battle of 7-6 teams. Cincinnati’s porous defense was a problem throughout the afternoon. It gave up 424 total yards, including 143 on the ground, and allowed Nick Mullens to throw for 303 yards and two scores. The Bengals did come up with a key pair of first-half interceptions.
Zac Taylor’s offense could not be slowed in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati scored three touchdowns and Evan McPherson ended the thriller with a 29-yard field goal in overtime. The Bengals escaped the AFC North basement.
The Browns made one less mistake than the Jaguars last Sunday and it proved to be a difference in a four-point win. The team took on Justin Fields and the improving Bears. Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco overcame four sacks and three interceptions (1 returned for a touchdown) and helped Kevin Stefanski’s team rally for a key victory.
A win is a win and Cleveland did rally from a 17-7 deficit to get to nine victories. However, the team’s sloppy play (30 turnovers in 14 games) was reason enough to knock the Browns down a few spots in the NFL Power Rankings.
The Eagles have already clinched a playoff spot as they battled the Seahawks on Monday night. Dallas’ 31-10 loss at Buffalo meant the Eagles could regain the outright lead in the NFC East with a victory. The Birds had dropped their last two games to the 49ers (42-19) and Cowboys (33-13). Jalen Hurts (Illness) was healthy enough to get the start.
Philadelphia opened up a 10-0 second-quarter lead but Seattle hung around. Hurts ran for two scores but threw a pair of fourth-quarter picks. The Eagles’ shaky secondary cost them again. So much for a new defensive play-caller.
The Bills hosted the Cowboys looking for consecutive victories since winning three straight games from Weeks 2-4. Running back James Cook continued his recent impressive play, running for 104 yards and catching an 18-yard TD pass from Josh Allen in the first half. Sean McDermott’s club owned a surprising 21-3 advantage at intermission.
Cook finished with 179 of Buffalo’s 266 yards on the ground. He, Allen and Latavius Murray all ran for touchdowns as the determined Bills owned the ball for 35:05. Buffalo is among the five teams in the AFC with an 8-6 record.
The reigning Super Bowl champions had dropped four of their previous six games before taking on the Patriots at Foxborough. The Chiefs got on the board first with a bit of trickery via Jerick McKinnon and Rashee Rice. Andy Reid’s team trailed 10-7 in the second but Kansas City scored the next 20 points to take control of the game.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 305 yards and two scores but also served up two more interceptions. The team owns a two-game lead over the Broncos in the AFC West and appears on its way to an eighth consecutive division title.
The struggling Lions’ defense was looking for a much better performance as they hosted the Broncos on Saturday night. Dan Campbell’s team did just that and for the first time in six games, held a team below 26 points. The club got a huge night from Jared Goff, who threw for 278 yards and five scores. The Lions played turnover-free football.
The team has won 10 games for the first time since finishing 11-5 in 2014. Campbell’s club travels to Minnesota this week and with a victory over the rival Vikings would secure the franchise’s first division title since 1993.
The Cowboys had already clinched a playoff berth when they took the field against the Bills in Orchard Park. Mike McCarthy’s team never knew what hit them. Dallas’ defense allowed touchdown drives of 75, 86 and 76 yards, respectively, in the first half. The Cowboys trailed 21-3 at intermission and it would get worse in the second half.
Dallas’ lone touchdown came with 2:48 to play. Dan Quinn’s defensive unit surrendered a whopping 266 on the ground. Dallas has now lost four games on the road and allowed 28-plus points in each one of those setbacks.
The Dolphins were in position to sweep the rival Jets for the third time in four seasons. Mike McDaniel’s battered club would be without Tyreek Hill and numerous other starters. The AFC East leaders toyed with their longtime division rivals. They jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and limited the Jets’ offense to four yards i two quarters.
Give McDaniel credit as the team has bounced back from all four of its losses this season to come away with a victory, prevailing in three of those games by 14-plus points. Miami is a 10-win team for the first time since 2020.
Off an exhilarating overtime win vs. the Rams, John Harbaugh’s team headed to Jacksonville for a prime-time affair with the Jaguars. Baltimore’s physicality was very evident in this encounter. The Ravens outscored Jacksonville, 13-0, in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, 204 of the team’s 251 rushing yards came in the second half.
The Ravens’ fourth straight victory means that they are the first AFC team to clinch a playoff berth. Harbaugh’s club is the frontrunner to grab the top seed in the conference. Ahead is a Christmas showdown with the 49ers.
The 49ers have been rolling through the NFC West for more than a year and that domination continued Sunday at Arizona. They clinched a second straight division title thanks to an offense that gained 406 yards on only 54 plays.
Christian McCaffrey caught a pair of TD passes from Brock Purdy. He also ran for 115 yards and another score. No doubt Kyle Shanahan had to be somewhat concerned with the play of a defense that came into the game with the NFL’s top-ranked run defense. Surprisingly, Steve Wilks’ unit surrendered a whopping 234 yards on the ground.