NFL Power Rankings, Week 13: Biggest risers and fallers after Week 12

14. Atlanta Falcons (6-5)

Losing two in a row heading into the bye week, the Atlanta Falcons soft defense is being exposed, and their injuries are piling up.  The Falcons need to figure something out, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did win in Week 12, so they are staying alive in the NFC South.  I do believe that Atlanta comes away with the division, but like the next team in these latest power rankings, it does not feel like they are going to make much of a run in the postseason.

They did improve their QB situation this past offseason with Kirk Cousins, and they also took Michael Penix Jr in the 2024 NFL Draft, so for the long-term they may be in a good spot, but in the short-term, they will have to answer some questions coming out of the bye week and into Week 13 of the 2024 NFL Season.

13. Houston Texans (7-5)

The Houston Texans are just not a great team thus far, and they have never felt like a great team at any point this season.  If there was such thing as a bad 7-5 team, this is it.  Houston lost to the Tennessee Titans in Week 12 and now drop to 7-5 on the season.  Them having swept the Indianapolis Colts does just about guarantee that they will come away with the AFC South title for the second time in both years of the CJ Stroud era.

Houston is 3-3 away from home and could end up getting a very good team in the Wild Card round.  It does feel pretty likely that Houston is headed toward a fourth seed in the AFC, which could match them up with the Los Angeles Chargers or the Baltimore Ravens in the first round, which could be some bad news.

The Texans need to figure something out, and fast.