Sportsnaut
NFL Week 14 kicked off with a banger, as the Detroit Lions outlasted the Dallas Cowboys in one of the best Thursday Night Football games of the season. That set the tone for many of the games on the NFL schedule this week, including some head-to-head matchups between playoff contenders.
Let’s dive into our NFL Week 15 Power Rankings, evaluating all 32 teams after Week 14. We’ll provide updates after Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football.
The Seattle Seahawks were tied 6-6 with the Falcons at halftime. Then, trade acquisition Rashid Shaheed took the kickoff back 100 yards for a house call, and that seemed to light a spark for the Seahawks. Seattle outscored Atlanta 31-3 the rest of the way, demonstrating why this could be the best team in the NFL as long as Sam Darnold avoids multi-interception games. With the unfortunate state the Colts are in, Seattle should have minimal trouble making it four consecutive wins and an 11-3 mark after Week 15.
Are the New England Patriots the best team in the NFL? Probably not, given their issues running the football consistently and some of the issues with the pass defense. It also doesn’t help that the left side of the offensive line is injured, and the run defense is taking a step back with Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga sidelined. What matters is that Drake Maye should be the NFL MVP front-runner right now and the 11-2 Patriots have a clear path to the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.
When the Green Bay Packers absolutely needed it, Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs and the defense made the big plays. Sunday put Green Bay (9-3-1) atop the NFC North and now gives the club a realistic shot at the No. 1 seed and a potential first-round bye in the playoffs. It was crucial for the Packers to pass this test against Chicago and if they can go on the road and beat the Broncos in Week 15, it might be time to talk about Green Bay as the team to beat in a wide-open NFL.
It feels safe to say the Los Angeles Rams had something to prove in Arizona coming off last week’s loss to the Panthers. The Cardinals put up some garbage points late, which says a lot given the final score. This offense is absolutely electric and, if the secondary can just do an adequate job in coverage, Matthew Stafford and Co. can beat absolutely anyone on any given week.
Ignore the final score because this game was far more one-sided than a seven-point victory. What Sean Payton has to feel great about coming out of Sunday’s win is that the Denver Broncos were finally able to run the football, with RJ Harvey delivering a career-best performance. Is it a sign of things to...
