2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 14
Teams Ranked 12th to 1st
| Rank | Team | nERD | Rec | Playoff Odds | Off. NEP Rank | Def. NEP Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Minnesota Vikings | 2.12 | 6-5-1 | 61.8% | 23 | 4 | -2 |
| 11 | Houston Texans | 3.36 | 9-3 | 99.0% | 14 | 9 | +1 |
| 10 | Seattle Seahawks | 3.63 | 7-5 | 89.5% | 7 | 15 | +1 |
| 9 | Denver Broncos | 4.52 | 6-6 | 24.5% | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| 8 | Baltimore Ravens | 5.96 | 7-5 | 63.2% | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6.46 | 10-2 | 100.0% | 1 | 27 | -3 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6.56 | 7-4-1 | 86.3% | 6 | 12 | 0 |
| 5 | Chicago Bears | 6.63 | 8-4 | 95.9% | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | New England Patriots | 7.57 | 9-3 | 99.8% | 4 | 14 | +3 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Chargers | 8.09 | 9-3 | 96.0% | 5 | 10 | 0 |
| 2 | New Orleans Saints | 10.28 | 10-2 | 100.0% | 2 | 17 | -1 |
| 1 | Los Angeles Rams | 10.29 | 11-1 | 100.0% | 3 | 13 | +1 |
They haven’t always looked the part this year (check those blowout losses to Jacksonville, Detroit and Tennessee), but the Patriots are now favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Some of this is the fact that New England is all but assured to win its division, while there is a chance the other elite teams in the conference could play on the road wild card weekend, but is also owes to the fact the Patriots are still a great team in their own right.
They do have those three puzzling defeats but are also one of four teams with at least six double-digit wins.
Nevertheless, Tom Brady and the passing game rank sixth in net yards per dropback (7.2), and despite the absence of a strong pass rush, New England is tied for eighth on the defensive side of this. The Patriots' defense has combined the third-lowest completion rate allowed (61.7%) with the seventh-fewest yards per completion (11.1), more or less offsetting the league’s second-worst sack rate.
It looks like we’re headed for another January where New England will be one of the teams to beat.
