NFL Power Rankings: Week 14

My current NFL Power Rankings for Week 14 of the 2021 NFL Season.

I’m going to use these rankings as the order for my 2022 NFL Mock Draft during the 2021 season. Follow @walterfootball.

I’ve gone from WORST to FIRST, so if you don’t see reverse numbering (via Javascript), don’t worry; the Jets and Texans aren’t my top teams.

Updated: Dec. 7

Houston Texans (2-10) – Previously: 31.
The Texans never had a chance against the Colts when they committed two turnovers in their first five plays from scrimmage, and then they really never had a chance when Tyrod Taylor injured his hand and couldn’t grip the football as a result. Davis Mills was so bad that I almost accidentally called him Davis Mill in my recaps page. Honestly, he’s been so bad that he doesn’t deserve the final “S” in his last name.

Detroit Lions (1-10-1) – Previously: 32.
There was a graphic being circulated about Detroit’s possible playoff path:

And here I thought my Lions under five wins bet was safe! Unfortunately for Detroit, the Jets and Raiders couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) – Previously: 29.
This may sound odd because the Rams won by 30, but James Robinson gave this game away with some blunders, including an early lost fumble that set up a quick Los Angeles touchdown. Robinson was banged up and shouldn’t have played. Despite this, Urban Meyer ran Robinson into the ground in the final minutes despite the game being a blowout. Meyer, once again, displayed a ridiculous high level of incompetence.

New York Jets (3-9) – Previously: 30.
The Jets shouldn’t be too upset about losing to Gardner Minshew, as they’ll have a better draft pick because of it. Unfortunately for the Jets, Zach Wilson once again struggled, and to make matters worse, the Seahawks happened to win, meaning Seatte’s draft pick will be worse.

Carolina Panthers (5-7) – Previously: 28.
Cam Newton was so washed against the Dolphins that the Panthers are talking about bringing back Sam Darnold from injury. Eww. How about Phillip Walker, who is 7-0 in his professional football career!?

New York Giants (4-8) – Previously: 27.
I thought the Giants had a better chance with Mike Glennon under center than Daniel Jones because the former is so much better against the blitz. I don’t think I was wrong. Jones undoubtedly would have imploded with numerous turnovers. Glennon committed only one give-away, and he never really had a chance once Kenny Golladay suffered an injury in the first half. Golladay began the game well, so the Giants really missed him when he was out/limited the rest of the way.

Atlanta Falcons (5-7) – Previously: 26.
I’m glad I didn’t move the Falcons on the overrated list because I’d have to take them off of it in the wake of their loss to the Buccaneers. That said, they should have covered the spread, as Russell Gage dropped the back-door cover in the end zone late in regulation. Still, the Falcons losing was the best thing possible for casual bettors because they would have been duped into believing the Falcons were any good because of their previous near-.500 record.

Chicago Bears (4-8) – Previously: 25.
Andy Dalton gave the Arizona game away with four turnovers. He was dreadful and gave the injury-ravaged Bears no chance to win. Speaking of Dalton, why is he playing over Nick Foles in the wake of Justin Fields’ injury? I would’ve figured that Foles was the better quarterback by a long shot.

New Orleans Saints (5-7) – Previously: 21.
The Saints played a close game against the Cowboys despite what the final score says. They had some lucky bounces go against them, and Tony Pollard’s long touchdown broke open the game when it was 13-10.

Denver Broncos (6-6) – Previously: 20.
The Broncos have been dominant in the past two weeks, shutting down Justin Herbert- and Patrick Mahomes-led offenses. Javonte Williams was a beast in Kansas City. It’s a shame that Teddy Bridgewater ruined it with some sketchy passes. He was lucky not to be picked four times by the Chiefs.

Seattle Seahawks (4-8) – Previously: 24.
I called the Seahaks the “worst-coached team in the NFL” last week, which is saying something because Urban Meyer is a coach at this level. The Seahawks beat the 49ers, but were guilty of a delay of game following a timeout they called to avoid a delay of game. They also ran the ball on a second-and-43 play. They defeated the 49ers, but San Francisco averaged 1.7 more yards per play.

Miami Dolphins (6-7) – Previously: 23.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Dolphins are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Philadelphia Eagles (6-7) – Previously: 17.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Eagles are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Washington Redskins (6-6) – Previously: 22.
The Redskins improved to 6-6, but they were lucky to beat the Raiders. Vegas outgained Washington and averaged 0.6 more yards per play, but failed to convert twice inside the Washington 25-yard line. Plus, rookie safety Trevon Moehrig dropped what have been the game-clinching interception late in the game. The Redskins are close to joining the overrated list.

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5-1) – Previously: 18.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Steelers are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Las Vegas Raiders (6-6) – Previously: 16.
It’s interesting that the Raiders stepped up big as huge underdogs at Dallas, but made numerous mistakes at home versus the Bengals and Redskins, blowing both potential victories in the process. The Raiders outgained the Redskins, 310-298, and averaged 0.6 more yards per play. They lost because of their ineptitude in the red zone and a dropped interception.

Minnesota Vikings (5-7) – Previously: 15.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Vikings are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

San Francisco 49ers (6-6) – Previously: 14.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the 49ers are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Indianapolis Colts (7-6) – Previously: 13.
The Colts are like that bully in grade school who beats up on the younger kids, but when someone’s big brother comes around, they crap their pants and run away. Indianapolis clobbered yet another “younger kid,” a.k.a. the Texans, after crapping their pants against the Buccaneers the prior week.

Tennessee Titans (8-4) – Previously: 12.
I’ve had the Titans on the overrated list, but after losing to the Texans and getting blown out by the Patriots without all their weapons, they’re no longer in that category. The Titans might even be underrated now; they played much better than the 36-13 result says. Tennessee had drives end at the New England 27, 32, 37 and 1, all without a single point.

Cincinnati Bengals (7-5) – Previously: 10.
I almost put the Bengals on the underrated list for losing to the Chargers in what figured to be a very difficult game for them as a result of the offensive line injuries, but I’m not sure of Joe Burrow’s condition regarding his injured pinky. Is Burrow going to be 100 percent? Or will he struggle like Russell Wilson did for a few weeks?

Cleveland Browns (6-6) – Previously: 19.
I had the Browns on the underrated list two weeks ago, but with Jack Conklin getting hurt again, and Baker Mayfield looking like he’ll never be healthy, Cleveland is off of it. Speaking of Mayfield, why did he attempt 37 passes compared to just 15 combined runs by Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt when he was constantly limping around? The game plan made such little sense that Hunt’s father went off on a huge rant on Facebook, and justifiably so.

Baltimore Ravens (8-4) – Previously: 8.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Ravens are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

San Angeles Chargers (7-5) – Previously: 11.
Thank goodness the Chargers didn’t blow their win (and more importantly, cover) after going up 24-0. For a while, it looked like it was going to happen, but injuries to Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon saved the day. Had the Chargers not covered, that would have been the worst bad beat I’ve ever suffered. Instead, the Chargers hung on for the win. I’d say they got some lucky breaks, they also lost some fumbles along the way.

Los Angeles Rams (8-4) – Previously: 9.
The Rams prevailed by 30, but made some mistakes in the first half against the Jaguars that kept the game close for a while. They were completely dominant in the second half, however. Much like the guy on a cold streak who needs to hook up with the ugly chick with missing teeth at the bar to regain his confidence, the Rams may suddenly have their swagger again after defeating the lowly Jaguars.

New England Patriots (9-4) – Previously: 7.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Steelers are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Dallas Cowboys (8-4) – Previously: 6.
The Cowboys didn’t play their best against the Saints, but they were getting their players back for the first time and didn’t have many of their coaches. They could run the table to finish the regular season.

Buffalo Bills (7-5) – Previously: 4.
The Bills shot themselves in the foot too many times Monday night. Had Stefon Diggs not dropped a touchdown pass, they would have prevailed. I’m not going to hold that game over them because of the extreme conditions.

Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) – Previously: 3.
The Chiefs beat the Broncos, but were outgained, 404-267, and averaged 0.7 fewer yards per play than Denver. The Chiefs once again looked disjointed offensively, but I’ll chalk that up to the fierce, swirling winds at Arrowhead.

Arizona Cardinals (10-2) – Previously: 5.
I’d like to say Kyler Murray is completely healthy, but he had to throw the ball just 15 times at Chicago. The Cardinals won because their defense scored 24 points off Chicago turnovers. We’ll find out next week if Murray is truly 100 percent when Arizona battles the Rams in huge rematch.

Green Bay Packers (9-3) – Previously: 2.
It’s difficult to put lots of emphasis on the Packers’ win over the Rams because of Matthew Stafford’s injury. Stafford wasn’t healthy at all, so the Rams couldn’t be competitive. Still, Aaron Rodgers put on quite the show, given that his toe suffered a minor illness. Rodgers and the Packers will only be better after the bye once David Bakhtiari returns from injury.

By the way, we have a t-shirt to support Aaron Rodgers in our merch store! This is your chance to support Rodgers, who has been attacked unfairly by the scumbag media!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3) – Previously: 1.
The Buccaneers have gotten everyone back from injury/suspension except for Antonio Brown. It’s unclear why Brown has been suspended, but he’ll return for the playoffs, meaning Tampa Bay will be extra potent during another playoff run.

MVP Race:

1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
2. Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers
3. Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals
4. Josh Allen, QB, Bills

5. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens

Scrubs of the Week:

1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
2. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
3. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
4. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
5. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
6. Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers
7. Aaron Jones, RB, Packers
8. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs
9. Josh Allen, QB, Bills
10. Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders
11. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
12. Cam Newton, QB, Panthers
13. James Robinson, RB, Jaguars