NFL

2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 14

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Teams Ranked 12th to 1st

RankTeamnERDRecPlayoff OddsOff. NEP RankDef. NEP RankChange
12Minnesota Vikings2.126-5-161.8%234-2
11Houston Texans3.369-399.0%149+1
10Seattle Seahawks3.637-589.5%715+1
9Denver Broncos4.526-624.5%1550
8Baltimore Ravens5.967-563.2%1710
7Kansas City Chiefs6.4610-2100.0%127-3
6Pittsburgh Steelers6.567-4-186.3%6120
5Chicago Bears6.638-495.9%1320
4New England Patriots7.579-399.8%414+3
3Los Angeles Chargers8.099-396.0%5100
2New Orleans Saints10.2810-2100.0%217-1
1Los Angeles Rams10.2911-1100.0%313+1


They haven’t always looked the part this year (check those blowout losses to Jacksonville, Detroit and Tennessee), but the Patriots are now favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Some of this is the fact that New England is all but assured to win its division, while there is a chance the other elite teams in the conference could play on the road wild card weekend, but is also owes to the fact the Patriots are still a great team in their own right.

They do have those three puzzling defeats but are also one of four teams with at least six double-digit wins.

Nevertheless, Tom Brady and the passing game rank sixth in net yards per dropback (7.2), and despite the absence of a strong pass rush, New England is tied for eighth on the defensive side of this. The Patriots' defense has combined the third-lowest completion rate allowed (61.7%) with the seventh-fewest yards per completion (11.1), more or less offsetting the league’s second-worst sack rate.

It looks like we’re headed for another January where New England will be one of the teams to beat.