The race for the playoffs is heating up, and the cream is starting to rise to the top. In fact, Week 13 will feature a battle between our top two ranked teams. Outside of the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, how does the rest of the NFL stack up? Here are our NFL Week 13 Power Rankings.
1. Baltimore Ravens (9-2, Last Week: 1)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Los Angeles, 45-6
Lamar Jackson is a Madden cheat code. What else is there to say about him this season? The Ravens are just so fun to watch on both sides of the ball. The dominant Monday night win over the Rams sets up a battle between number one and number two as the Ravens visit the 49ers next week. Why did the NFL leave this game in the 1:00 pm window?
2. San Francisco 49ers (10-1, Last Week: 2)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Green Bay, 37-8
The 49ers proved Sunday night that they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. It was simply just a dominating performance on both sides of the ball. Their offense was outstanding with George Kittle returning in epic fashion, and their defense swarmed Aaron Rodgers all night. The Packers just could not move the ball at all on the 49ers. This was the first of an epic three-game stretch for the 49ers, with their next two games on the road against the Ravens and the Saints.
3. New Orleans Saints (9-2, Last Week: 3)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Carolina, 34-31
It was a wild finish and a very entertaining game in New Orleans, but the Saints held off the Panthers’ comeback attempt. They are now in a position to wrap up the NFC South on Thanksgiving night if they can exact revenge on the Falcons from the 26-9 whooping Atlanta handed them in Week 10. Let’s take a moment to appreciate what Michael Thomas has done this season. He has 104 catches for 1,245 yards and six touchdowns. The Saints still have five games left to play. He is on pace for 151 catches. The current record in that category is 143 catches set in 2002 by Marvin Harrison.
4. Seattle Seahawks (9-2, Last Week: 5)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Philadelphia, 17-9
The offense wasn’t the greatest for Seattle in Week 12, but they caused plenty of havoc on defense in Philadelphia despite not having Jadeveon Clowney. Russell Wilson made more NFL history by becoming the first quarterback to ever have a winning record in each of his first eight seasons.
5. New England Patriots (10-1, Last Week: 4)
Week 12 Result: Defeated Dallas, 13-9
It wasn’t pretty, again, but the New England Patriots just keep finding ways to win, just like the Seahawks. The offense struggled again, but that defense has been ridiculous, completely shutting down the top offense in the NFL in the Cowboys, holding them to just nine points. But there are certainly some concerns going forward about the offense. Their defense needs to stay on their toes next week when they visit Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans.
6. Minnesota Vikings (8-3, Last Week: 7)
Week 12 Result: Idle
The bye week came late but also at a good time for the Vikings. They got an extra week to prepare for a key five-game stretch that starts with a huge potential playoff preview next Monday against the Seahawks. They also watched the Packers get trounced by the 49ers, pulling Minnesota into a tie with Green Bay in the NFC North. Can Kirk Cousins keep his roll going?
7. Green Bay Packers (8-3, Last Week: 6)
Week 12 Result: Lost to San Francisco, 37-8
This wasn’t what we expected when this game was flexed into primetime. The Packers were completely flat against the 49ers. Aaron Rodgers had a forgettable night, and the defense was shredded by George Kittle. Now the Packers are tied with the Vikings in the NFC North. Fortunately, the Packers have the Giants, Redskins, and Bears over the next three weeks, before a potential NFC North decider against the Vikings in Week 16.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4, Last Week: 9)
Week 12 Result: Bye
The Chiefs got to sit back and watch their closest competition in the AFC West get blasted by the Jets. They couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend their week off, and now they can really take charge with a win over the Raiders next week.