NFL Power Rankings, Week 14: Biggest risers and fallers after Week 13

8. Baltimore Ravens

Any time I’ve been on assignment for the NFL Power Rankings this year, I have given the Baltimore Ravens the benefit of the doubt. There’s no shame in losing to some of the teams they’ve lost to like Kansas City and Philadelphia. But the Ravens have shown a little more than just a bit of weakness in the armor this season. This team has five losses. If they mess around enough with games upcoming against the Giants, Steelers, Texans, and Browns, they could end up with seven or more losses.

That seems so far-fetched given how good this team has been at its very best this season, but the fact of the matter is – the Ravens have lost five games. They are either going to use that as fuel, or they have completely eliminated their margin for error and are going to be in danger of suffering the consequences as the season rolls along.

I’m still very high on this Ravens team because of how we’ve seen them play at their best. But it’s frustrating to watch a team this good and this talented not step up in some of their biggest moments. Hopefully, this isn’t a sign of things to come for this year’s playoffs if you’re a Ravens fan.

7. Minnesota Vikings

Kevin O’Connell might be the NFL’s Coach of the Year. You have to tip your cap to O’Connell, who came to Minnesota a couple of years ago and had the Vikings seemingly overachieving with one-score win after one-score win. The Vikings were outrageously good in one-score games immediately upon O’Connell’s arrival, and that has not proven to be a fluke.

Although the Vikings were on the ropes a little bit against the Arizona Cardinals, they showed their mental toughness and resolve by coming back, marching down the field, and pulling off a huge win at home. The Vikings have now won five games in a row and at 10-2 are keeping pace with the Detroit Lions in the NFC North.

That alone is incredible and a testament to the job O’Connell is doing since the Vikings have done this with Sam Darnold at QB.

This Vikings roster is absolutely loaded at the offensive skill positions and the presence of guys like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, and Aaron Jones makes this team a truly dangerous threat in the NFC.