2022 NFL Power Rankings: Bengals start to heat up, Chiefs knocked down a peg

The Kansas City Chiefs lost the No. 1 spot in our 2022 NFL Power Rankings and the Cincinnati Bengals started to climb as they’re gaining momentum

Unfortunate injuries and the defeat of one of the top teams led the headlines on Sunday as we approach Week 14 of the season.

Jimmy Garoppolo and Lamar Jackson each suffered injuries although Jackson escaped anything serious. Garoppolo wasn’t as lucky as he was lost for the season with a broken foot.

As for our 2022 NFL Power Rankings, those were altered as the No. 1 team, the Kansas City Chiefs, was knocked off by the Cincinnati Bengals. With all that being said, let’s dive in and see how the teams stack up.

2022 NFL Power Rankings Week 14

32. Houston Texans

It’s hard to watch the Houston Texans play and not wonder how the NFL hasn’t opened an investigation into them for tanking. This team isn’t trying to win. That was clear when they hired Lovie Smith as head coach after he orchestrated one of the worst defenses in franchise history as the defensive coordinator. It’s even more obvious when you see the complete lack of talent on the roster.

They played the Browns on Sunday as Deshaun Watson made his Cleveland debut. He looked nothing like the Watson we remember from Houston — rust from a 700-day absence will do that — but this one was still never close. They were awful on offense and special teams. Even their defense was bad as they gave up 174 yards on the ground.

Simply put, this team is not good.

31. Denver Broncos

Every time it feels as though the Denver Broncos couldn’t look worse, they go and surprise us. In Week 13, they were in Baltimore taking on the Ravens and Lamar Jackson was injured during the game. Without Jackson, Baltimore was able to manage just 10 points, with the lone touchdown coming from Tyler Huntley.

The backup quarterback ran it in with 28 seconds left as he gave Baltimore the win, 10-9. So week after week, the Broncos’ defense gives it their all, and this time they surrendered just 10 points. And that was too much for this offense to handle.

Russell Wilson has been a major problem and it doesn’t seem to be getting better. What’s worse is they have two games left against the Chiefs in their final five. Those could get ugly.

30. Los Angeles Rams

It was another frustrating outing for the Los Angeles Rams who will officially finish the year with a losing record. They won it all last season but are now 3-9 after being handed a 27-23 loss by the Seattle Seahawks.

If there was any good news, it would be the performance of Cam Akers. He’s been struggling to get rolling but had 60 yards and two touchdowns on the game as he did all he could to keep his team in the game. He even gave them a lead in the fourth quarter with his second run but Geno Smith hit DK Metcalf to secure the victory.

29. Chicago Bears

It has to be frustrating to be a Chicago Bears fan right now. This team continues to struggle and what’s worse is how they simply cannot get past Aaron Rodgers.

He’s had no issues rubbing it in their faces that he “owns” them and once again, he handed Chicago a loss. And as fate would have it, this one eliminated them from the playoffs.

To be fair, they were never going to make it. But still, having Rodgers be the one to put the final nail in their coffin is adding insult to injury — especially when everyone else in the NFC South has been able to beat the this season.

Chicago even blew a 16-3 lead and wasted a solid effort on the ground as they went for 155 yards with two touchdowns.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

There was a scare in the second quarter for the Jacksonville Jaguars as Trevor Lawrence suffered a knee injury and had to leave the game. He returned but it didn’t matter as the Lions made it look easy with a 40-14 victory.

Lawrence wasn’t making any excuses after the game, saying their performance was embarrassing.

"“It was an ugly day for us, for sure,” Lawrence said via ESPN. “It’s just embarrassing for us for what we put out there.”"

At 4-8, the real issue has been their play on the road. This loss dropped them to 1-5 away from Jacksonville while they’ve been 3-3 at home. They’re still a young team and have made some positive strides but this game had to hurt.

27. Carolina Panthers

Even with a record of 4-8, the Carolina Panthers are still alive in a very underwhelming NFC South. The one thing that stands out with them is the record in the division. Right now, they’re 3-1 with a win over all three teams but a loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

They have one more game remaining against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one against the New Orleans Saints but those come in Weeks 17 and 18. In order for those to have any meaning, they have to do well in the three non-divisional games they have remaining. Right now, they’re 1-7 outside the South, so that might be asking a lot.

26. Arizona Cardinals

There’s not a nice way to say it — the Arizona Cardinals have just been bad this season. They were flirting with being decent up until five games ago as they dropped four of their past five. The only win came against the Los Angeles Rams, who are also bad — and were without Matthew Stafford.

The remaining schedule isn’t tough but they’ll likely struggle with the New England Patriots in Week 14, Tampa Bay in Week 16, and the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18. The main storyline around Arizona will be whether or not Kliff Kingsbury makes it to that final game. At this point, it feels like a matter of time until their owner decides to make a move and replace him as well as GM Steve Keim.

25. New Orleans Saints

Plays on Monday Night Football vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With a record of 4-8, the New Orleans Saints have had their share of losses this season. One loss they don’t have to claim is the terrible decision by Drew Brees and his publicity team to allow him to participate in possibly the worst ad campaign of all time.

Brees did a spot for PointsBet where the leaked video suggested Brees was struck by lightning. It all turned out to be a prank and people were not laughing.

As for his former team, they have a shot to gain some ground on the Tampa Bay Bucs on Monday Night. Tampa Bay is just 5-6 but remains the best team in the South. They lost to Tampa early in the season, so winning here is a must.

24. Indianapolis Colts

A third loss in a row dropped the Indianapolis Colts to 4-8-1. They continue to be a team that fights hard but they’re led by a coach that’s in over his head. So even when they find ways to make it close — as they continued to do against Dallas — they wind up falling short. Well, in Week 13, they were close for 45 minutes then got run out of the building in the final 15.

They were supposed to be the team that could challenge the Titans in the AFC South but instead, they’ve continued to get in their own way.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers

All of a sudden, the Pittsburgh Steelers are turning things around. It wasn’t that long ago they were 2-6 and it seemed all but certain Mike Tomlin would suffer the first losing season of his career. Then, they suddenly pulled off a win in three of their past four games and are currently on a two-game winning streak.

This weekend, they took a 19-6 lead against the Atlanta Falcons in the third quarter then had to hold them off as they fought back. Atlanta made it 19-16 but the Steelers took 4:45 off the clock and the Falcons had to get desperate. Marcus Mariota tried to go deep and Minkah Fitzpatrick took it away, sealing the win.

Now at 5-7, they face the Ravens next week while Lamar Jackson is dealing with a knee injury. It’s no longer crazy to think they can at least finish with some respectability.

22. Cleveland Browns

Following an 11-game suspension, the Cleveland Browns finally got to see what they had in Deshaun Watson. And right now, what they have is a quarterback who looked as though he hadn’t played in 700 days.

Watson was clearly rusty but the rest of the team decided to show up. Cleveland had a punt return for a touchdown from Donovan Peoples-Jones, a fumble returned for a score by Denzel Ward, and a pick-six courtesy of Tony Fields. That was enough to beat the Texans, although the Texans really kind of beat themselves.

Cleveland’s now on a two-game winning streak but they face a Cincinnati team that’s hungry for a win over them in Week 14. They’ll need to be better on offense to win that one because the Bengals won’t beat themselves as badly as the Texans did.

21. Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers might not be very good this season but Aaron Rodgers does still own the Chicago Bears.

Despite falling behind 16-3 in the second quarter, Green Bay fought back and scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to win 28-19. Mason Crosby put them up 20-19 with a 32-yard field goal and Rodgers hit Christian Watson for a 46-yard touchdown as he continued his hot streak.

Even with the win, the Packers are now just 5-8 and have no hope of catching the 10-2 Vikings. Instead, they likely just stayed mathematically alive for a Wild Card spot for just a little longer. That might remain the case for another week as they’re scheduled to host the struggling Rams in Week 14 but then have to face Miami, Minnesota, and Detroit to close out their season. And they’ve already lost once to both Minnesota and Detroit.

20. Atlanta Falcons

For a minute there, the Atlanta Falcons were fooling us all. They entered this season with a roster that left a lot to be desired but then they started playing well. They were sitting at 4-4 and looked as though they could remain in the hunt for the NFC South title. Of course, every team in that division is pretty bad which helped, but they were at least a decent team.

Now, they’re looking like the club we thought they were. Atlanta has dropped four of their last five with the lone win during that stretch coming against the lowly Chicago Bears. They lost to the Steelers in this one 19-16 as they simply can’t put many points on the board — which is never the way to win in this league.

19. Las Vegas Raiders

Make it three in a row for the Las Vegas Raiders.

They were considered dead in the water but reeled off wins over Denver and Seattle before hosting the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13 and adding another. Davante Adams was the biggest star in the game, going for 177 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions, showing off his insane route-running skills along the way.

The loss dropped the Chargers to 6-6 as they were able to frustrate a division rival. Now at 5-7 themselves, the Raiders face the Rams next week and could continue their hot streak.

18. Detroit Lions

Don’t look now, but the Detroit Lions could be for real.

They hung with the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving and while they lost 28-25, it was an impressive outing. That came one week after they took out the New York Giants, who have been a solid team this season.

Now in Week 13, they went against the Jacksonville Jaguars and made it look easy. Detroit dropped 40 points while holding the Jags to just 14. That means they’re now 4-1 over the past five games as they completely turned things around following a 16 start.

The big test comes next week against Minnesota. They lost to them 28-24 in Week 3 but now at home, they could make a statement against the division leaders.

17. Tampa Bay Bucs

Plays on Monday Night Football vs. New Orleans Saints

A loss to the Cleveland Browns was beyond frustrating for Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who enter Week 13 with a record of just 5-6. That’s a far cry from what was expected of them this season.

Brady has always had a great offense but this season, things just aren’t working. They’re struggling to put up points and couldn’t even get a field goal in overtime against a struggling Cleveland defense.

Their only saving grace is the atrociously bad NFC South they play in. Even with the losing record, they’re in first place and can extend that even more with a win over New Orleans.

16. Los Angeles Chargers

Hype up the Los Angeles Chargers. Get disappointed as they hover around .500.

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

Los Angeles again dropped a close game and they’ve now lost three of their last four. Their latest loss to the Raiders dropped them to 6-6 as they’ve gone from a team that was supposed to contend with the Chiefs to one that’s struggling to tread water.

Head coach Brandon Staley has been on the hot seat for a while and this loss has definitely turned up the heat.

15. New England Patriots

The New England Patriots had a shot to gain ground on the Buffalo Bills this week as the two faced off on Thursday Night Football. New England was 6-5 but still in last place in the AFC East but had two games remaining against the Bills to help them make a move.

That’s not going to happen now as they’ve fallen too far behind in one of the toughest divisions in the entire NFL. The Pats never even stood a chance in this one, and the 24-10 win for the Bills could have been much worse.

Of course, they still have a shot at the Wild Card spot but they’re going to need a lot to go right for them in order for that to happen. Instead, they’re more likely to start looking forward to the next season.

14. Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are in first place in the AFC South but we all saw on Sunday how far they are from being a contending team. They were embarrassed by a score of 35-10 against the Philadelphia Eagles as A.J. Brown went off. The former Titan had 119 yards and two touchdowns as he made his former team pay for electing to trade him rather than sign him to an extension this offseason.

It was the second time this year Tennessee was blown out by a contender as the Bills knocked them off 41-7 in Week 2. Looking over their schedule, the most impressive win was against Washington, but that was when they still had Carson Wentz playing.

Not only are they benefiting from a terrible division but also a soft schedule.

13. New York Jets

The legend of Mike White took a hit on Sunday as the New York Jets quarterback threw for 369 yards but had two picks and no touchdown passes. He did have a touchdown on the ground which pulled the Jets to within five with 6:45 to go but ultimately lost to the Vikings.

White had a shot to pull off the win as he got the offense down to the 19 but three incomplete passes in a row made it fourth-and-10 and White threw a pick that ended the game. Still at 7-5, New York is alive and well in the playoff run but they have to take on the bills next week which could be tough.

12. New York Giants

The New York Giants have been trending in the wrong direction over the past couple of weeks as they lost to the Detroit Lions followed by the Dallas Cowboys. They could have used a win this weekend against the Washington Commanders but instead wound up with a tie.

They had the lead until just under two minutes left as Jahan Dotson took a Taylor Heinicke pass 28 yards to the house to tie it up and force overtime. An uneventful extra period came down to a 58-yard kick from Graham Gano which was short.

Now at 7-4-1, New York will have to host the red-hot Eagles in Week 14 and then get a rematch with the Commanders in Week 15. They could have made a run in the east but now, they just have to hope not to fall to the bottom.

11. Washington Commanders

As if the NFC East wasn’t crowded enough, the New York Giants and Washington Commanders went ahead and tied in Week 13. The Commanders are now sitting at 7-5-1, which is the worst record in that division — which is now the best in the league since the Patriots lost on Thursday.

Washington started out 1-4 but turned things around when they put Taylor Heinicke in at quarterback. They had three wins in a row before this one and while a tie isn’t ideal, they still haven’t lost since Nov. 6 when the Vikings beat them 20-17.

It would be interesting to see what they could have been if they had never added Wentz but at least they’re in line to make a run at the playoffs still. They would have been in much better shape with a win here, but at least they didn’t lose. Right?

10. Seattle Seahawks

Easily the biggest surprise playoff contender this season has been the Seattle Seahawks. They jumped out to a 6-3 start but a couple of losses in a row threw some cold water on their campaign. They were in danger of making it three in a row as the Rams took a 23-20 lead in the fourth quarter during their Week 13 contest.

Seattle fought back, however, and Geno Smith capped off a 10-play, 75-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf.

https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1599555132655431680?s=20&t=dwlznZDCpe7Zlo23P3IHTg

They’re still one game behind the 49ers but with Brock Purdy under center for them the rest of the way, the door could be open.

9. Baltimore Ravens

There was a collective sigh of relief in The Charm City when the Baltimore Ravens said Lamar Jackson’s knee injury wasn’t serious. He was injured in Week 13 after throwing just four passes but the Ravens still got the win.

Baltimore’s defense held the Broncos to just nine points and despite trailing for most of the game, Tyler Huntley was able to run it in from two yards out during the final seconds. That was enough for a 10-9 victory.

Now, they just have to hope they get Jackson back soon as they face the Steelers and Browns over the next two weeks. They need to continue to put up the wins, especially over divisional rivals, if they want to secure a playoff spot.

8. Miami Dolphins

With Jimmy Garoppolo injured early in the game, it would seem as though the Miami Dolphins should have been able to win against the San Francisco 49ers — especially when Tyreek Hill put up 146 yards and a touchdown.

However, that wasn’t the case. Miami struggled with head coach Mike McDaniel’s old team. They managed just 33 yards on the ground and surrendered 210 yards and two touchdowns to Brock Purdy. The end result was a 33-17 score as they left San Francisco with a loss. What’s worse is they could have put more room between them and the Jets and Pats — who each lost — while keeping pace with the Bills — who won.

7. San Francisco 49ers

Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an ugly injury this weekend against the Dolphins and after the game, it was announced that he broke his foot and would miss the rest of the season. That means the San Francisco 49ers are down to their third quarterback with Jimmy G joining Trey Lance on the IR.

RELATED: San Francisco 49ers should call Ryan Fitzpatrick

From here on out, it will be Brock Purdy but he did well in his first game. The final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy got the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant” but was far from that on Sunday. He threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns as the 49ers got the win over Miami, staying one game ahead of Seattle in the NFC West.

6. Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have no fear when it comes to playing the Kansas City Chiefs. They beat them in January to secure the AFC North and then knocked them out of the playoffs when they played in the AFC Championship Game. Now Joe Burrow made it three in a row against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs as they outscored the Chiefs 10-0 in the fourth quarter.

Kansas City missed a potential game-tying field goal with 3:19 left to play and the Bengals ran the clock down. A 14-yard dart to Tee Higgins on third-and-11 sealed the deal as they were able to run the clock out after that.

Now at 8-4, they’re tied with the Ravens in the AFC North but with Lamar Jackson ailing, they could make a run.

5. Kansas City Chiefs

Superman has Kryptonite. Patrick Mahomes has Joe Burrow.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been nearly unbeatable since Mahomes took over but they’re now 0-3 against the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow. In a rematch of the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs lost a late lead and Mahomes was visibly upset when Harrison Butker missed a potential tying kick. He surely wanted to go for the win, knowing what could happen if Burrow got a chance to kill the clock.

If there was any good news for the Chiefs, it would have to be knowing their division continues to be much weaker than expected. At one point, there were predictions the entire AFC West would make the playoffs but as of now, only Kansas City has a winning record.

4. Minnesota Vikings

Throughout this season, the Minnesota Vikings have been putting up plenty of wins but their defense has struggled to stop anyone. This weekend, they surrendered a lot of yards but made the plays when it mattered as they held on to beat the New York Jets.

Mike White threw for 369 yards but had two picks, including one by Camryn Bynum in the red zone as the Jets were looking to tie. The first pick was on the opening drive, so while the defense had some issues again, they started and ended on a high note.

At 10-2, they’re in control of the NFC South and can lock it up with a win over Detroit next week.

3. Dallas Cowboys

It might seem crazy to push the Dallas Cowboys into the third spot when they struggled with the Colts for three quarters, but thinking that is a bit short-sighted. While Indy does have a poor record, they won against the Kansas City Chiefs and lost to the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles by 17-16 in each of those games.

Dallas, on the other hand, struggled for 45 minutes then blew them out of the water. It wound up being a complete win too with offense and defense lighting things up in the second half.

So while they would have liked it to be an easier first half, they still handled a tough defense and improved to 9-3. They’re also starting to see CeeDee Lamb come into his own as a superstar and Michael Gallup is beginning to look like himself again.

They’re set to meet with Odell Beckham, Jr. on Monday but even if they don’t land him, this offense can hang with anyone.

2. Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills had lost two in a row which knocked them out of the No. 1 spot in our NFL Power Rankings but now, they’ve reeled off three-straight wins to remind everyone they’re still one of the best teams in the NFL. Of course, those who know not to overreact continued to praise them as Super Bowl contenders and understood Josh Allen was limited with an elbow injury.

He’s returning to form as he had two touchdowns and no picks in their Week 13 win over the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football. That keeps them in first place while also pushing the Pats too far back to make any run down the stretch.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

After the first 15 minutes, it looked as though the Titans would hang with the Philadelphia Eagles. For the following 45 minutes, it was clear that Philly was the far superior team.

Jalen Hurts continued his sensational season by throwing for 380 yards with three touchdowns and another on the ground. Two receivers went over 100 yards as A.J. Brown went off against his former team with 119 yards and two scores. He was joined by DeVonta Smith who had 102 yards and a touchdown.

The Eagles are now 9-1 and in control of the NFC East. They also have the inside track on the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They’ve had the biggest turnaround from what we saw a season ago and remain the team to beat.