NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Why Dak Prescott's Cowboys are the real deal but Josh Allen's Bills are funny money
Each week, the NFL power rankings change based on each team's performance that week. The leading NFL team is the Philadelphia Eagles, who beat two good teams over the past seven days and now are 10-1. The Carolina Panthers, on the other side, are 1-10 and just fired head coach Frank Reich.
Here are the top 15 teams in the NFL entering Week 13:
Week 13 NFL Power Rankings
#15 Indianapolis Colts
Three straight wins on the back of a fantastic coaching job from Shane Steichen. If the season ended today, the Colts would've qualified for the playoffs as a wild card. This is a team that refused to give up following Anthony Richardson's injury, and now they're reaping the rewards.
#14 Buffalo Bills
Talk about a team that's more dependent on a single player than the Bills are on Josh Allen – you won't find any. The quarterback had one of the greatest exhibitions of the season, but they still couldn't beat the Eagles in overtime. A shakedown is coming at the end of the season.
#13 Minnesota Vikings
This team is still consistent with Joshua Dobbs under center, but obviously, they lost the explosive plays with Kirk Cousins out for the season. They're still in the hunt for an NFC Wild Card spot and should get the job done as long as they don't crumble in the final third of the season.
#12 Houston Texans
Although they're explosive, the game against the Jaguars proved that the Texans still have some ways to go. They can't go for the home run in every play: balancing their offense would go a long way in games like in Week 12. Still, they're well-positioned to go on a run until the end of the NFL season.
#11 Denver Broncos
Five straight wins and with merit - the Broncos defeated teams like the Chiefs and the Bills during this stretch. Against the Browns, the defense did most of the job, but the run game also worked massively. They learned how to play after that torrid defeat against the Miami Dolphins.
#10 Cleveland Browns
As long as their defense holds their own, the Browns are going to stand a chance. However, they need to find ways to get average quarterback play – this alone would give them a great shot at a wild card berth. Cleveland has a great team, but the offense is in danger with Deshaun Watson out for the season.
#9 Pittsburgh Steelers
In the first game without Matt Canada as their offensive coordinator, the Steelers amassed 421 offensive yards. During all the games where Canada was their offensive coordinator, they never got past the 400-yard mark. This team looked better right out the gate and there's a real chance they could be a threat in the AFC.
#8 Detroit Lions
The secondary needs to be addressed quickly. There aren't many doubts about the offense, even if Jared Goff had a subpar afternoon against the Packers; the real concern lies on the defense, with the pass defense getting back to below-average levels from the start of the NFL season.
#7 Miami Dolphins
It's difficult to draw any conclusions when you're playing a team led by Tim Boyle, but the Dolphins did their job the way they needed to do. Losing Jaelan Phillips is a big blow, however - the defense is getting better week by week and Phillips was a big part of this evolution.
#6 Dallas Cowboys
We already know how much the Cowboys can obliterate bad teams - the problem lies deeper against the other contenders in the NFC. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are a formidable duo, but on Thanksgiving, it was time for other receivers to emerge and take the burden off Lamb's shoulders.
#5 Jacksonville Jaguars
They not only won the most important game of their season, but the Jaguars also (finally) discovered the correct way to unleash Calvin Ridley. This team has a lot of potential to improve: they just need to protect Trevor Lawrence. But against the emerging Houston Texans, the Jaguars delivered when they needed the most.
#4 Baltimore Ravens
They need to be a bit more consistent, but it's undeniable that the Ravens became an NFL powerhouse. On primetime, they dominated the Los Angeles Chargers, allowing just 10 points for Justin Herbert and his friends. The AFC North has a king.
#3 Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs fans have to feel way happier about this game, with the passing game showing signs of life and a great exhibition from Rashee Rice. That's exactly what Kansas City needs in order to position themselves as the team to beat in the AFC.
#2 San Francisco 49ers
After a three-game losing streak midway through the season, the 49ers found their feet again. Against the Seattle Seahawks in a massive game for both teams, they left no doubt about who's the best team in the NFC West. Their only fight now is for the top seed in the conference – and what better opportunity than to play the Eagles in Week 13?
#1 Philadelphia Eagles
It was another week where the Eagles had to dig deep to find a way to win a game. After beating the Kansas City Chiefs with a second-half comeback on Monday, they did it again against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. All teams have their own flaws, but it's impossible to argue against Philadelphia being the best team in the NFL right now.
Best of the rest in the NFL
Here are the remaining teams ranked in the NFL Week 13 power rankings:
#16 Green Bay Packers
#17 Seattle Seahawks
#18 Los Angeles Rams
#19 New Orleans Saints
#20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
#21 Las Vegas Raiders
#22 Cincinnati Bengals
#23 Atlanta Falcons
#24 Tennessee Titans
#25 Los Angeles Chargers
#26 Washington Commanders
#27 Chicago Bears
#28 New York Jets
#29 New York Giants
#30 Arizona Cardinals
#31 New England Patriots
#32 Carolina Panthers