It's hard to believe that we're already at this point in the season, but it's time to look ahead to Week 14. This will be the final week for teams to have a bye week, and it just so happens that the top team in the AFC right now will get the chance to sit back, grab some popcorn, and watch everyone try to catch up to them.
The Patriots are off in Week 14, but their spot at the top of the conference is secure since they were the first team in the NFL to reach 11 wins. Mike Vrabel is all but cementing his status as NFL Coach of the Year, and as expected, as the Patriots' breakout was, the rest of the AFC has been very confusing.
The best teams in the NFL a season ago are fighting for their playoff lives at this point. We have a lot to dive into in this week's AFC team rankings, our latest NFL Power Rankings ahead of Week 14. We'll rank each team based on their overall body of work, but with a little bit more emphasis on what they've done lately (the last 4-6 weeks).
NFL Power Rankings, Week 14: Patriots on top of the AFC, Chiefs falling fast
16. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans inspired a bit of confidence a couple of weeks ago against the Seattle Seahawks, but came crashing back to reality this past weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans look like pretty much a guaranteed win for whoever they're playing at this point, no matter how hard they try. It's onto the offseason for them at this stage.
15. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders appear to be taking one step closer to Pete Carroll being one-and-done as the team's head coach after the conclusion of the season. Carroll was hired to come and be a quick fix for this team, getting the culture right and bringing his high energy to the sideline. Unfortunately, the Raiders look worse this year than they did under Antonio Pierce. And they spent a lot more money on the quarterback, who has also not been good at all.
14. Cleveland Browns
The first week of the Shedeur Sanders experience brought some life to the Cleveland Browns, but they were another team that came crashing back to reality this past weekend. The biggest thing to watch for this team over the final five weeks of the season is obviously Myles Garrett's pursuit of the NFL's sack record. Unless there's an unexpected breakthrough from Sanders, it looks like this team will once again be in the QB market.
13. New York Jets
You have to tip your cap to Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who obviously isn't overly concerned about NFL Draft positioning at this point. The Jets got a rather impressive win over the Atlanta Falcons this past weekend as both teams had their backup quarterbacks running their respective offenses. The Jets played well as a team, and the emergence of trade acquisition AD Mitchell has given a jolt to this team's future building plans.