2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 14
We had very little movement this week in our Power Rankings. It was the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills who found themselves taking the biggest leap forward in our rankings, while the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles were two teams who found themselves taking a step back.
Here are our Week 14 NFL Power Rankings:
Teams Ranked 32nd to 23rd
| Rank | Team | nERD | Rec | Playoff Odds | Off. NEP Rank | Def. NEP Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Miami Dolphins | -13.15 | 3-9 | 0.00% | 25 | 32 | 0 |
| 31 | Cincinnati Bengals | -9.95 | 1-11 | 0.00% | 27 | 28 | 0 |
| 30 | Washington Redskins | -9.66 | 3-9 | 0.00% | 30 | 26 | 0 |
| 29 | New York Jets | -8.87 | 4-8 | 0.00% | 32 | 17 | -1 |
| 28 | New York Giants | -8.82 | 2-10 | 0.00% | 29 | 25 | 1 |
| 27 | Arizona Cardinals | -6.81 | 3-8-1 | 0.00% | 10 | 31 | -3 |
| 26 | Jacksonville Jaguars | -6.47 | 4-8 | 0.00% | 26 | 23 | 0 |
| 25 | Detroit Lions | -5.66 | 3-8-1 | 0.00% | 17 | 29 | 2 |
| 24 | Oakland Raiders | -5.32 | 6-6 | 6.60% | 12 | 30 | 1 |
| 23 | Carolina Panthers | -5.29 | 5-7 | 0.00% | 23 | 21 | 0 |
The trend remains the same for the Arizona Cardinals after Week 13, as they continue to improve on offense but remain a liability on defense this season.
To start the season, the Cards’ offense ranked 21st overall in Net Expected Points (NEP), while their defense ranked 15th. As the season has progressed, those two numbers have changed drastically for both the offense and the defense. Heading into Week 14, the Cards’ offense now ranks 10th in NEP, while their defense ranks 31st.
While the primary focus for this Cards’ team should be improving their defense this offseason, they should look for some help protecting their franchise quarterback Kyler Murray as well. Per Football Outsiders, the Card’s offense line ranks 23rd in run blocking and 26th in pass protection, leaving Murray and company vulnerable for injury.
The Carolina Panthers season looked like it had been heading in the right direction after starting the season 4-2. Since then, the Panthers have gone on to lose five of their last six contests. Because of this, the Panthers announced on Tuesday that they are parting ways with head coach Ron Rivera.
Christian McCaffrey has been lights out for this Panthers’ offense all season, but outside of that, they have struggled to move the ball. Panthers’ quarterback Kyle Allen has thrown 10 interceptions in his last six games and has taken 29 sacks along the way.
The Panthers’ defense has also struggled this season. They’re currently allowing 26.7 points per game, which ranks as the 26th most across the league. Per our schedule-adjusted metrics, their defense currently ranks 21st.
Teams Ranked 22nd to 13th
| Rank | Team | nERD | Rec | Playoff Odds | Off. NEP Rank | Def. NEP Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Chicago Bears | -3.13 | 6-6 | 0.70% | 31 | 4 | 0 |
| 21 | Atlanta Falcons | -2.75 | 3-9 | 0.00% | 9 | 27 | 0 |
| 20 | Denver Broncos | -1.63 | 4-8 | 0.10% | 24 | 7 | -1 |
| 19 | Cleveland Browns | -1.51 | 5-7 | 3.40% | 15 | 20 | -1 |
| 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | -1.44 | 4-8 | 0.00% | 13 | 24 | 2 |
| 17 | Philadelphia Eagles | -0.50 | 5-7 | 25.80% | 16 | 19 | -6 |
| 16 | Indianapolis Colts | 0.37 | 6-6 | 6.90% | 18 | 15 | -1 |
| 15 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0.56 | 5-7 | 0.10% | 21 | 8 | 2 |
| 14 | Buffalo Bills | 1.31 | 9-3 | 95.10% | 14 | 13 | 2 |
| 13 | Tennessee Titans | 1.74 | 7-5 | 34.50% | 19 | 6 | -1 |
The Philadelphia Eagles find themselves taking the biggest step back in our rankings this week, after losing to the Miami Dolphins last week by a score of 37-31. They now sit at a 5-7 record with a 25.80% chance of making playoffs. With only four weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, their best shot at making the playoffs will be by winning the NFC East division. They sit just one game back from the 6-6 Dallas Cowboys, who currently lead the division.
The Eagles offense found a spark last week and scored over 30-points for the first time in four weeks. Albeit they were playing the Dolphins – whose defense currently ranks dead last, per our numbers – this offense looked much better having Alshon Jeffery back on the field. In his first game back since Week 9, Jeffery had 9 receptions, 137 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. If the Eagles make a run to finish the season and make playoffs, Jeffery will likely play a large role in that.
While it seems like the Buffalo Bills have been mentioned a lot in this article as of late, they’re certainly being talked about for all the right reasons. This team continues to win and improve in our rankings on a weekly basis, and they now have a 95% chance of making the 2019 playoffs.
Neither the Bills’ offense or defense is ranked within the top-10, per our numbers; however, both do rank within the top-15, and neither their offense or defense has been a liability this season. Playing a consistent game on both sides of the ball is a major reason as to why this team is 9-3.
The Bills’ passing defense is ranked in the top-10, per our numbers, largely due to their shutdown cornerback, Tre'Davious White. Through 12 Weeks, White had only allowed 415 receiving yards and zero touchdowns:
#Bills Star CB Tre’Davious White has been playing at an All-Pro level this season.
His Stats In 2019 through Week 12:
Targets: 66
Comp%: 56.1%
Yards: 415
TDs: 0
INTs: 4
Passer Rating: 49.7
RT if you think Tre’Davious White shouldn’t just be In the Pro-Bowl, but an All-Pro. pic.twitter.com/5F5VGQ17zK
— Cold Front Report (@ColdFrontReport) November 27, 2019
Teams Ranked 12th to 1st
| Rank | Team | nERD | Rec | Playoff Odds | Off. NEP Rank | Def. NEP Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1.83 | 7-5 | 63.20% | 28 | 3 | 1 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Rams | 2.28 | 7-5 | 16.60% | 20 | 5 | 3 |
| 10 | Houston Texans | 3.50 | 8-4 | 90.40% | 7 | 16 | 0 |
| 9 | New Orleans Saints | 3.91 | 10-2 | 100.00% | 8 | 12 | 0 |
| 8 | Green Bay Packers | 4.61 | 9-3 | 97.80% | 4 | 18 | -1 |
| 7 | Seattle Seahawks | 4.81 | 10-2 | 99.80% | 6 | 11 | 1 |
| 6 | Minnesota Vikings | 5.33 | 8-4 | 86.20% | 5 | 14 | -1 |
| 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6.38 | 8-4 | 99.70% | 3 | 10 | 1 |
| 4 | Dallas Cowboys | 6.93 | 6-6 | 74.30% | 2 | 22 | 0 |
| 3 | New England Patriots | 12.37 | 10-2 | 100.00% | 22 | 1 | -1 |
| 2 | San Francisco 49ers | 14.16 | 10-2 | 98.60% | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 1 | Baltimore Ravens | 15.42 | 10-2 | 100.00% | 1 | 9 | 0 |
After taking a beating in Week 12 to the Baltimore Ravens, the Los Angeles Rams got back on track last week against the Arizona Cardinals, beating them by a score of 34-7. The Rams showed signs of being a high-powered offense once again against the Cards’, similar to the way they performed all of last season.
Jared Goff arguably had his best game all season last week, where he threw for 424 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. He finished with a 120.7 passer rating, which has been his best all season. He also completed 74.4% of his passes, which was also a season-high for him.
Goff and Robert Woods were in sync all game, connecting on 13 receptions for 172 receiving yards. Todd Gurley also had one of his best performances to date, finishing the game with 19 carries, 95 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown.
After a convincing win against the Cards’, the Rams find themselves creeping back into the top-tier of our rankings this week.
Outside of that, there was very little movement in our top-tier rankings. We now have three teams who have a 100% chance of making the playoffs this season, with seven other teams having at least an 85% chance of making the playoffs. Only 12 teams make the NFL Playoffs each year.
