NFL Power Rankings, Week 14: Bears reach new heights, while Lions fall out of top 10

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Is there a truly great NFL team in 2025?

The league’s wins leaders, New England (11) and Denver (10), are a fascinating study in contrasts — and wouldn’t it be fun if they were to meet in the playoffs? Both are compelling, emerging teams, but it’s been hard to judge them individually, with greatness as the barometer. The Patriots, admittedly, have played a softer schedule, but their high notes are high . The Broncos’ late-game heroics have been tremendous — and consistent — but like I ask my kids all the time: Why does everything have to be so difficult?

Over the past three months in this league pecking order, we’ve seen a number of different teams at No. 1. My most recent elevation to the top spot, the Rams, couldn’t even make it a few weeks without losing, falling to a spirited Panthers team on Sunday. But I am keeping firm on my support of Los Angeles because there’s little shame in a close road loss to a scrappy, desperate team.

The rest of the field is a big pile of Who the heck knows? Thanksgiving chewed up the Lions, Chiefs and Ravens, and it’s possible all three miss the playoffs. Black Friday shockingly shifted the NFC sands toward the upstart Bears and away from the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles.

This has been my toughest year — by far — ranking the powers. Inherently, it’s also been my favorite season of handling this duty. It’s anyone’s Super Bowl, and a lot of new faces are gunning for it.

NOTE: Up/down arrows below reflect movement from the Week 13 Power Rankings.

I checked the manual, and it turns out that Super Bowl contenders are allowed to lose close, late-season games on the road to teams fighting for their playoff lives. It’s never encouraged, of course, but also not prohibited. Still, the Panthers did expose some potential weaknesses for these Rams. If you can harass Matthew Stafford into making some bad throws, have success running the ball and hit on some key third and fourth downs, you can beat this team. The Rams were actually rolling offensively for most of Sunday, but their drives all seemed to end in either a touchdown or a turnover. Carolina played Russian roulette and won. What can you do? That’s now three losses for Los Angeles this season, by 13 total points. Sunday’s defeat dealt a blow to the Rams’ hopes of earning the NFC’s top seed, even if that remains very much within reach. Everything largely boils down to that huge, short-week game at Seattle in Week 16. Despite the loss, the Rams remain atop this pecking order.

Five takeaways, four sacks, zero points allowed. Even against a quarterback making his first NFL start (Minnesota rookie Max Brosmer), that’s a tremendous effort from Seattle’s defense. The defensive front just mauled a beat-up Vikings offensive line, and it’s the kind of unit that will give even playoff-caliber opponents trouble. But there have been some issues in the Seahawks’ passing game at times, and Sunday exposed a problem that hadn’t really emerged prior. The Vikings’ hell-for-leather blitzing in the first half caused all kinds of chaos for Seattle’s offensive line. Sam Darnold had only been sacked 11 times in the first 11 games, but the Vikings got him four times in the first half, including a strip sack that could have been costly had the ‘Hawks not gotten a pick-six a few plays later. They still have a couple more games to get everything in order up front before the titanic rematch with the Rams.

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