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.
12. Miami Dolphins
No matter how it looks, the Miami Dolphins have quietly put together a nice little streak over the past month or so. Ever since the team decided to part ways with general manager Chris Grier, even sending away Jaelan Phillips at the trade deadline, they've at least caught a little bit of fire. It might not be the most impressive three-game winning streak, but the Dolphins are now just two weeks and two wins against the Jets and Steelers away from being at 7-7.
11. Cincinnati Bengals
The return of Joe Burrow had a huge ripple effect on the entire Cincinnati Bengals roster. You don't typically see teams go into Baltimore, especially this late in the season, and have the home crowd heading for the exits before the fourth quarter is over. That's precisely what Burrow did. The defense responded incredibly well to Burrow's return, and the Bengals now have a shot to be one of the NFL's top villains down the home stretch.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers
If it weren't for the fact that they've won six games up to this point, I'd have the Steelers a lot lower on this list. I just don't believe in this team and I haven't all season. Mike Tomlin has to find a way to rally his troops in a big way, because they are ice cold with a 2-5 record since starting the year 4-1. Aaron Rodgers is dealing with an injury, the team just cut Darius Slay, admitting defeat on a big-name offseason acquisition. Is Adam Thielen really going to come to this team's rescue?
9. Baltimore Ravens
Just when I thought you could realistically start buying stock in the Baltimore Ravens again, they prove that perhaps their struggles this season are not merely something that can be shaken off. The Ravens are dealing with more than just a banged-up Lamar Jackson. John Harbaugh is getting absolutely blasted by the fan base after Derrick Henry was second on the team in snaps at the running back position in an ugly, ugly loss to the Bengals. And now, Jackson is limited in practice again.
8. Kansas City Chiefs
By the end of the night on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs could be below .500 in the month of December. That is a wild thought to think based on what this team has done over the past eight years. They've been the NFL's best team for the majority of that time, but it looks like that window is closing. How quickly can they open up another one? Can it even happen this year? With so many offensive line injuries/issues right now, they're going to have to dig deep just to beat the Texans.
7. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have really started to lose their grip on the AFC South. The Texans are making a comeback, the Jaguars have hung around, and it doesn't really appear as though this team is the same dynamic outfit we saw earlier in the season. The blown 20-9 lead on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs might have been a deflating and defining moment for the Colts this season. We'll see if they can hang on in these next five games.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars
You can try to sort out the AFC South right now, but if you asked 10 different people to rank each of the teams in that division, you might get 10 different answers. Actually, I don't know if that's even possible. The point is, it's hard to sort this division out right now. The Jaguars have been on a rollercoaster ride this season, with some impressive wins and some head-scratching losses. Can they start to create some distance with a win against the Colts followed by a matchup against the Jets?
5. Houston Texans
If you asked me to pick the team right now that I'm buying stock of in the AFC South, it would be the Houston Texans. I'm not sure the Texans are going to go and blow anybody out on a given week, but I'm more confident in their defense than any other team in that division right now. And that looms large for the remainder of this season. The biggest question marks facing Houston right now are whether or not CJ Stroud can stay healthy, and if that running game -- one of the league's worst -- can figure things out.
4. Los Angeles Chargers
This is part of the reason why the AFC is so confusing at this point. The Los Angeles Chargers come in as the fourth-ranked team on our list here, yet I don't think this team is all that great of a threat in the AFC playoff race. Especially after Justin Herbert just had surgery on his non-throwing hand, and his status going forward is up in the air, the Chargers are going to need injury luck to be on their side down the stretch. This train could soon go off the rails.
3. Buffalo Bills
This isn't the best Buffalo Bills team we've seen since Josh Allen was drafted in 2018, but it's also not the worst. The Bills can't seem to figure out their offensive skill positions outside of running back, and that could be the thorn in their side as the season goes along. They've got a tough couple of games coming up with the Bengals this weekend, followed by the Patriots coming off of a bye. You just can't count this team out with Allen at quarterback, though. They could be dangerous from any seed in the AFC playoffs.
2. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos have picked things up considerably on the offensive side of the ball over their last two games, but I'm still not convinced we've seen this team play its "best" football for a multi-game stretch. Not that you have to blow teams out in order to gain credibility, but the Broncos are due for a blowout win at some point. They've shown they can win in any situation late in close games. They have an elite defense and great coaching, but will that running game be able to get going at the right time here?
1. New England Patriots
Say the Patriots have had an easy schedule all you want. You have to play who's in front of you, and the Patriots have mostly beaten whoever's in front of them. They have some of the best balance of any team in the league with their efficient offense, defense, and special teams, and we saw all three phases dominate the New York Giants in front of a national audience on Monday night. The Pats have to be feeling great at 11 wins heading into the bye.