Well, well, well, would you look at that. With all of the talk about the playoffs, seeding and potential Super Bowl matchups, the underdogs around the league stood up and threw some haymakers over the holiday weekend.
The previously winless Bengals, Dolphins and Redskins all won in Week 13. A quarterback nicknamed "Duck" led the Steelers over the Browns while the Bills went into Big D and showed Zeke how to eat.
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It was definitely a wacky week of football that also had its fair share of heavyweight matchups, which were very telling, too. The 49ers went into Baltimore and put up a fight that was decided on the final seconds. The Seahawks defended their own turf against a loaded Vikings team. And the Texans outsmarted the Patriots, something you don't see every week.
In the end there wasn't a ton of movement in this week's power rankings. While we have a pretty good idea of who these teams are and where they'll finish, you can count on a few more surprises during the final four weeks of the season as teams battle for those last few playoff spots. Should be lots of fun.
So, without further ado, it's time for the Week 14 edition of my Wildly Important NFL Power Rankings. Enjoy.
| 1. Ravens (10-2) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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The Ravens have all but silenced the naysayers. For now, anyway. | 1 |
| 2. 49ers (10-2) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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I think we’d all like to see a 49ers-Ravens rematch on a neutral site in better weather conditions, especially Frisco. | 2 |
| 3. Seahawks (10-2) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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This team is supremely confident and doesn’t seem to ever get rattled, and that’s why they’re 10-2. | 4 |
| 4. Saints (10-2) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Their defense is leading the charge right now, and that’s actually why I think the Saints could very well win the NFC when it’s all said and done. | 5 |
| 5. Patriots (10-2) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Tom Brady and the offense look out of sync right now. Watch out if they find their groove in the next month. | 3 |
| 6. Packers (9-3) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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They throttled the Giants and are right where they want to be with three of their final four games very winnable. | 6 |
| 7. Bills (9-3) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Impressive showing in Big D. Next three games: Ravens, at Steelers and at Patriots. If they win all of those they’ll put the league on notice. | 8 |
| 8. Vikings (8-4) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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They came up short in Seattle but, trust me, no one wants to face the Vikings in the playoffs. | 7 |
| 9. Texans (8-4) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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It was like they beat the Patriots at their own game and it was fun to watch. This is another one of those scary teams with tons of talent. | 10 |
| 10. Chiefs (8-4) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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The Chiefs re-asserted themselves out West and coming together at the right time. | 9 |
| 11. Steelers (7-5) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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They might be the feel-good story of the NFL (outside of Cleveland) and are led by a Duck. | 17 |
| 12. Titans (7-5) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Don’t look now but the Titans are 5-1 with Ryan Tannehill under center. | 12 |
| 13. Rams (7-5) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Sure, it was against the Cardinals defense, but the Rams looked like the 2018 Rams on Sunday. | 15 |
| 14. Colts (6-6) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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They’re on the outside looking in as far as the postseason goes, especially after tough loss to the Titans. | 16 |
| 15. Cowboys (6-6) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Their coach is on the hottest of seats, they haven’t beaten a winning team, they’re a .500 team and … leading the division and currently the fourth seed. | 11 |
| 16. Raiders (6-6) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Too bad they’re leaving Oakland; they’re 5-1 at home (and a 1-5 on the road). | 14 |
| 17. Bears (6-6) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Mitch Trubisky played one of his better games against the Lions. | 21 |
| 18. Eagles (5-7) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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They were right back in the NFC East (still are, technically) and all they had to do was go down and beat the lowly Dolphins. Instead they got smacked and lost. Ouch. | 13 |
| 19. Buccaneers (5-7) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Sure, they’re 5-7 but they play hard every single week for Bruce Arians and have picked up some nice wins along the way. | 25 |
| 20. Browns (5-7) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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So much for the big rematch against the Steelers. This team has gone from media darling and favorite to disarray and their coach placed on the proverbial hot seat. | 18 |
| 21. Panthers (5-7) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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The Panthers have no lost five of their last six – and one of those was the Falcons on Nov. 17. They still have a shot at the postseason but hope is fading fast. | 19 |
| 22. Jaguars (4-8) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Gardner Minshew is back. Will the magic return as well? | 22 |
| 23. Cardinals (3-8-1) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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This team has grown up (and fallen down) quite a bit this season. They close it out with games against the Steelers, Browns, Seahawks and Rams. Woof. | 23 |
| 24. Broncos (4-8) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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It’s been a tough year in the Mile High City but that Brandon McManus 53-yard game-winning field goal to beat the Chargers had to feel pretty good. | 28 |
| 25. Chargers (4-8) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Is there another team in the NFL that finds more painful ways to lose games than the Chargers? Show me. | 24 |
| 26. Jets (4-8) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Just when you wanted to believe in the Jets (they won three straight and scored 34 in each), they go and lay an egg and lose to the previously winless Bengals. | 20 |
| 27. Falcons (3-9) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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The amazing two-game winning streak over the hated Saints and Panthers is all but a distant memory now as they’ve dropped two straight (including one to the Saints). | 26 |
| 28. Dolphins (3-9) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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So much for laying over and tanking. The Dolphins punched the Eagles, a team with postseason aspirations, and pick up win No. 3. | 29 |
| 29. Lions (3-8-1) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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They’re down to David Blough, who is also a magician in his spare time, behind center. | 27 |
| 30. Redskins (3-9) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Remember when Derrius Guice looked so good in the preseason against the Falcons (before getting hurt)? Well, he’s finally back healthy and, well, looks really good. | 31 |
| 31. Giants (2-10) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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It’s been a long time since the Giants were this bad and there could be lots of changes coming in the Big Apple this offseason. | 30 |
| 32. Bengals (1-11) | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS |
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Woo-hoo! The Bengals went back to their starting quarterback and – wow! – managed to pick up their first win of the season. Someone tell Cincy that they currently own the first pick in the draft. Please. | 32 |
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