Rivalry Sunday in the NFL that saw the San Francisco 49ers embolden their status as the team to beat, and the Dallas Cowboys pull off a victory that legitimizes the momentum they have been riding all week, was followed by a maniacal Monday night doubleheader.
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Both the potentially playoff bound Packers and the Dolphins, who entered as the No. 1 seed in the AFC suffered stunning upsets.
After a weekend of action that shook up conventional wisdom, here's where things stand for all 32 teams in the FanBuzz NFL Power Rankings after Week 14:
1. San Francisco 49ers (10-3)
Previous: No. 1
The 49ers keep steamrolling along, without skipping a beat. Sunday, Brock Purdy showed why he is a leading MVP candidate while posting a 122.1 passer rating with 368 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. At this point, it doesn't feel like hyperbole to say both that the 49ers are the team to beat in the NFL, and that Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and Deebo Samuel all deserve legitimate MVP consideration.
2. Dallas Cowboys (10-3)
Previous: No. 2
Now's the time to start taking the Cowboys seriously. After throttling the Eagles, and holding Philadelphia without an offensive touchdown for the first time in the Nick Sirianni-Jalen Hurts era, the Cowboys just keep firing on all cylinders. Dallas has now won five straight, while averaging 40.2 points per game over that span. Sunday night was the 15th consecutive home win for the Cowboys, and if Dallas secures homefield throughout the NFC Playoffs, it might be enough to change the postseason narrative.
3. Baltimore Ravens (10-3)
Previous: No. 3
Baltimore's walk off victory was one of the most memorable of the season, but it overshadows another prolific performance from Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers, who have seen their chemistry surge in recent weeks. The Ravens have all the ingredients to emerge in the AFC; dangerous passing game, consistently physical ground attack, and a talented defense that can produce timely stops and turnovers. As the Ravens showed Sunday, they can even pivot a game on special teams, too. This is one of the toughest outs in football, right now.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (10-3)
Previous: No. 4
The Eagles looked like a tired, undisciplined, identity-less football team in Sunday night's loss, which is a major problem with four weeks to go. Philadelphia still largely controls its own destiny when it comes to reclaiming the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but that requires winning out. Unless the Eagles find a way back to their run-first identity, and catch their breath from this recent gauntlet against top competition, an unbeaten finish might be too tough an ask for a team that seems to be fading.
5. Buffalo Bills (7-6)
Previous: No. 9
After a brutally challenging week, amid a season of brutal challenges when it comes to injuries to key players, the Bills threw a haymaker in the AFC Playoff picture by walking out of Kansas City with an upset win and their Wild Card hopes still alive. Sunday's win, after the week of criticism head coach Sean McDermott went through, is the type that can galvanize a team. Don't write Buffalo off, just yet.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (8-5)
Previous: No. 7
Two realities from the Chiefs' loss to the Bills in Arrowhead; Buffalo needed the game more, and Kansas City's relentless criticism of a valid penalty on Kadarius Toney are a terrible look for a franchise that has been among the sport's most successful over the past half decade. The bigger worry for the Chiefs is that general manager Brett Veach looked at the receiving corps at the trade deadline and decided not to make an upgrade. That decision looks more and more like it might cost Kansas City a fourth Lombardi.
7. Detroit Lions (9-4)
Previous: No. 7
The Lions feel like they're in real trouble here. If Detroit is going to make a legitimate Super Bowl push, it is becoming evident that they need to play indoors, in MoTown, and falling to the woebegone Bears is a major missed opportunity. It also doesn't help that Jared Goff is leaking oil, passing for just 161 yards with one touchdown to two interceptions. For a spell, the Lions looked like one of the top-three teams in the NFC, and that just might not be the case.
8. Miami Dolphins (9-4)
Previous: No. 5
It's time to stop questioning whether Tyreek Hill belongs in the MVP conversation. The Dolphins' explosive offense was grounded from the moment Hill suffered an ankle injury onward, and his presence was desperately missed by Tua Tagovailoa on an ill-fated final Miami possession. It's tough to expect the Dolphins to make legitimate noise in the postseason when they get upset by a double-digit underdog at home.
9. Denver Broncos (7-6)
Previous: No. 13
The Broncos bounced back and made a statement by running away from the division rival Chargers. Sean Payton had his team firing on all cylinders, including holding Los Angeles to under 300 yards of total offense. Denver has to like its chances of securing a wild card berth, given that the Broncos' have the sixth-easiest remaining strength of schedule.
10. Cleveland Browns (8-5)
Previous: No. 22
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
It didn't take long after Sunday's victory for Kevin Stefanski to announce Joe Flacco as the Browns' quarterback the remainder of the season. And, why wouldn't he? Flacco lit up the Jaguars for passing for 311 yards with three touchdowns to one interception, igniting Cleveland's vertical passing game. The Browns have to be favored to take home one of the AFC wild card berths at this point.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5)
Previous: No. 11
Trevor Lawrence played and looked fine, despite an ankle injury suffered late in a Monday night loss to the Bengals, but it was the Browns' defense that seemed to flummox and force Lawrence into some key mistakes Sunday afternoon. Jacksonville's late comeback fell short, but three AFC South teams also fell Sunday afternoon, which means their hold on the division lead remains strong.
12. Green Bay Packers (6-7)
Previous: No. 10
Whether it was an emotional letdown from last Sunday night's upset over the Chiefs, the Packers taking the Giants lightly, or Jordan Love struggling with the East Rutherford wind tunnel, Green Bay wasn't able to overcome a sluggish start in a disappointing upset loss. Special teams miscues, and giving up explosive plays on defense were too much for the Packers' offense to overcome on an off night. Turns out, this young team is still in it's learning how to win phase.
13. Houston Texans (7-6)
Previous: No. 8
Houston probably couldn't have drawn up a worse result than Sunday's disastrous blowout loss to the Jets. Not only did the Texans lose 30-6, but might lose C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson for at least a week. The Texans also lost out on the opportunity to pull into a tie for the division lead with the Jaguars.
14. Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)
Previous: No. 19
Jake Browning was a revelation for the Bengals, and a backfield duo of Joe Mixon and Chase Brown really have stabilized the offense in the absence of Joe Burrow's effective consistency. Another week of the front-seven producing a timely turnover helped dispatch the upstart Colts, keeping the Bengals in the playoff picture.
15. Indianapolis Colts (7-6)
Previous: No. 12
Zaire Franklin seems to be around the football on every snap ... he had 14 tackles on Sunday, but might be the lone bright spot right now. The Colts are too one-dimensional on offense at the moment, and the secondary was an absolute sieve against Browning and the Bengals.
16. Minnesota Vikings (7-6)
Previous: No. 15
The Vikings didn't score until inside the two-minute warning, and more concerning to Minnesota's fading playoff hopes is the fact that Justin Jefferson got hurt. Kevin O'Connell has a decision to make at quarterback after Nick Mullens led that game-winning drive.
17. Seattle Seahawks (6-7)
Previous: No. 14
In one of the biggest surprises of the weekend, Drew Lock looks the part of a starting quarterback for the Seahawks. Seattle held its own against the 49ers, and now gets the benefit of the 19th-toughest remaining strength of schedule to potentially climb into the wild card conversation. The Seahawks just need to get through a floundering Philly next week, first.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
Previous: No. 17
It's time for the Steelers to overhaul their entire identity. It turns out that firing Matt Canada just wasn't enough, nor has there been enough time or changes for interim offensive coordinators Mike Sullivan and Eddie Faulkner to make any sort of difference.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7)
Previous: No. 20
The topsy-turvy NFC South rollercoaster ride took another turn Sunday afternoon when the Buccaneers came back in the final seconds to beat the Falcons in Atlanta to take the division lead. In theory, if the Buccaneers' defense gets healthy, this team has the quarterback and the weapons to wind up winning the race.
20. Los Angeles Rams (6-7)
Previous: No. 18
Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images
Los Angeles took the Ravens to the brink, and then some, coming back multiple times only to fall 37-31. Matthew Stafford continues to build on his chemistry with the weapons around him, which has to be encouraging about LA's future.
21. New Orleans Saints (6-7)
Previous: No. 24
The Saints were fortunate that it was the lowly Panthers who came marching in Sunday, because New Orleans' offense still looked disjointed as ever at key spots and in key times. New Olreans' defense swarmed around Bryce Young, and Derek Carr played a bit better than he has, but this offense still has a ways to go.
22. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
Previous: No. 15
Atlanta just keeps finding ways to lose games that the have to have, if they want to make the playoffs. The Falcons' defense seems to be buckling under the pressure from having to carry things earlier this season, because that group looked gassed at the end of Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers.
23. New York Jets (5-8)
Previous: No. 30
Zach Wilson's potential swan song as the Jets' starter, Aaron Rodgers against the Dolphins, perhaps, might have been his finest performance as a professional. For once, the Jets' offense matched the dominance of its gifted and disruptive defense. If New York is going to keep their flickering postseason aspirations alive, it's now or never in Miami next week.
24. New York Giants (5-8)
Previous: No. 26
Tommy DeVito executed the Giants' offense to near perfection, as New York's offense featured a heavy dose of Saquon Barkley and Won'Dale Robinson. But, the Giants' defense is making real tangible strides. Between recovering two fumbles, intercepting Jordan Love once, and sacking him twice, this is a young unit that is punching above its weight and making big time plays in big time moments. That's something that the Giants can build on.
25. Tennessee Titans (5-8)
Previous: No. 25
The Titans' future has arrived, and that future's name is Will Levis. In leading one of the most outrageous upsets in recent NFL history, Levis passed for 327 yards with one touchdown to one interception, while leading the Titans back from 14 points down to the Dolphins in the game's final three minutes. Tennessee has to feel pretty confident about its future, with Levis leading the charge to build around.
26. Chicago Bears (5-8)
Previous: No. 28
Justin Fields isn't surrendering his role as the Bears' quarterback of the future without a fight. Suddenly, Chicago has won two straight, including a thumping of the division-leading Lions. Over that span, Fields has completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 440 yards with a touchdown while adding 117 yards and another score. A strong finish could make for some interesting debate inside Halas Hall about what to do with Fields and by proxy the likely No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
27. Los Angeles Chargers (5-8)
Previous: No. 23
Justin Herbert injured another finger against the Broncos, but even before he was knocked from the game had only 96 yards with an interception through nearly the first half. There are major issues with Los Angeles' offense, which is stunning given how much talent there is at key positions on that side of the ball.
28. Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)
Previous: No. 21
For a stretch, albeit a 58-minute stretch, it looked like the Raiders and Vikings would play to the first 0-0 tie since 1943. Instead, Sunday was a shutout loss that saw Aidan O'Connell struggle to lead any momentum offensively. Vegas seems primed to have its defense drag the offense limping across the finish line of the season.
29. Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
Previous: No. 27
Are the Cardinals about to come crashing back down to earth? Arizona still has to play the 49ers, Eagles, Seahawks, and suddenly surging Bears to close out the season. Don't rule out the Cardinals picking in the top-three just yet ...
30. Washington Commanders (4-9)
Previous: No. 29
Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Commanders will come out of the bye week with four to go, to evaluate whether Sam Howell is the franchise's quarterback of the future. Also, the clock could be ticking on who will actually be making that decision this offseason.
31. New England Patriots (3-10)
Previous: No. 32
It was a solid weekend for Bill Belichick; beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing a monkey-wrench into their flickering postseason aspirations and then getting to put on the Navy helmet on College GameDay. Belichick hasn't had many good weekends lately. Neither have the Patriots.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-12)
Previous: No. 31
The Panthers are in an awful place. About to begin a coaching search, saddled with a quarterback they paid a king's ransom for, but placed behind an offensive line who can't protect him, and as a result he is regressing each week. Oh, and the Panthers won't be picking in the first-round until 2025. Charlotte is now football hell.
