Strike 7 Elite: NFL Power Rankings 1-10
1. Eagles: 13-1
The Philadelphia Eagles remain on top of our Strike 7 Elite NFL Top 10 Power Rankings for another week. They overcame a strong push from the Chicago Bears to pull off the victory. QB Jalen Hurts tied a career-high by running for three touchdowns as the Eagles defeated the Bears 25-20. The 13-1 record matched their best start in franchise history achieved previously by the team that reached the Super Bowl in 2004.
2. Buffalo Bills: 11-3 (Previous Ranking 3rd)
The Buffalo Bills clinched their fourth straight postseason berth after they outlasted a battle-tested Miami Dolphins squad. The Bills overcame an eight-point deficit when Josh Allen led the team on scoring drives on their final two possessions. Kicker Tyler Bass sealed the win for the Bills when he nailed a 25-yard field goal as time expired.
3. Bengals: 10-4 (Previous Ranking 4th)
With Baltimore falling short in their Saturday battle against the Cleveland Browns, the Cincinnati Bengals are now on top of the AFC North. In Sunday’s game against the struggling Buccaneers, the Bengals rallied from being down by 17 points to win 34-23. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes as the Bengals overcame a struggling first half against Tampa Bay. Overall, he finished the day by completing 25 of 39 passes for 200 yards, four TDs, and an interception.
4. 49ers: 10-4 (Previous Ranking 5th)
The San Fransico 49ers finished off any hopes of the Seattle Seahawks regaining control of the NFC West on last week’s Thursday Night Football matchup. Running back Christian McCaffrey had another strong outing as he rushed for 108 yards, one touchdown on 26 carries. The win over Seattle awarded the 49ers their first division title since 2019.
5. Vikings: 11-3 (Previous Ranking 7th)
The Minnesota Vikings were involved in the greatest comebacks in league history when they came from behind to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 39-36 in overtime. Minnesota was down by 33 points for a significant portion of Saturday’s game. Kirk Cousins finished the day with 460 passing yards and four touchdowns as the Vikings recorded their eleventh win. Minnesota also won its first NFC North title since 2017.
6. Chiefs: 11-3
When a game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs goes into overtime, we know the outcome, especially if the Chiefs have possession of the football. That’s what happened in Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans. In overtime, Patrick Mahomes was sacked by Blake Chattman on third down. Kansas City would go on the punt to Houston but later commit a turnover. The Chiefs would take over and finish the game with a win after Jerick McKinnon ran for a 26-yard touchdown score. The win gives Kansas City their seventh-straight AFC West title.
7. Cowboys: 10-4
The Dallas Cowboys survived a scare in Week 14 against the Houston Texans but didn’t against the resurgent Jacksonville Jaguars. Some may view it as looking ahead to the upcoming showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, but there could be cause for concern. The defense has not been the dominant unit that we saw shape the outcomes of games in the first ten weeks of the season. On a positive note, the Cowboys were able to clinch a playoff berth due to the Commanders falling short of the Giants on Sunday Night Football. Dallas still has a slim shot of winning the NFC East, but they must defeat the Eagles next week and win the rest of their games to close out the regular season. They also need Philadelphia to lose two more games to gain significant traction.
8. Ravens: 9-5
There’s no other way to put it. The Baltimore Ravens need Lamar Jackson’s presence on the field for success. For the third-straight game, the offense struggled to be productive. Since Week 13, the Ravens have managed only to score 9, 14, and 3 in those perspective games. In the loss against Cleveland, Baltimore lost control of the AFC North. They will have an opportunity to bounce back this Saturday against the Atlanta Falcons.
9. Chargers: 8-6 (Previous Ranking 11th)
With the win over Tennessee Titans and the Patriots and Dolphins losing, the Los Angeles Chargers are now the sixth seed in the AFC playoff picture. They will make the playoffs if they win the following games against the Colts, Rams, and Broncos. That should be easy to pull off, right?
10. Giants: 8-5-1 (Previous Ranking 15th)
The New York Giants recovered from last week’s 48-point beatdown by the Eagles to defeat the Washington Commanders 20-12. Saquon Barkley scored the team’s only touchdown from the offense when he ran for a three-yard score deep in Commander’s territory.
Power Rankings 11-20: Second Tier
11. Dolphins: 8-6
12. Lions: 7-7
13. Commanders: 7-6-1
14. Patriots: 7-7
15. Jaguars: 6-8
16. Jets: 7-7
17. Seahawks: 7-7
18. Titans: 7-7
19. Buccaneers: 6-8
20. Steelers: 6-8
Power Rankings 21-32: Bottom Tier
21. Raiders: 6-8
22. Browns: 6-8
23. Packers: 5-8
24. Saints: 5-9
25. Panthers: 5-9
26. Falcons: 5-9
27. Rams: 4-9
28. Colts: 4-9-1
29. Cardinals: 4-10
30. Broncos: 4-10
31. Bears: 3-11
32. Texans: 1-12
