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Hey, everybody, let's do it.
Welcome to the NFL Power Ranking Show, Week fourteen edition. We are presented to you by Energizer.
Thanks for being here, everybody. On one side of the screen.
The man who puts these rankings together, the engine without which this car could not drive. In Chicago, Eric Aedholm, how are you, sir, Great to see you.
I'm doing well. We're a month from the playoffs.
Got the uh, you know, the Christmas Ravens forty nine Ers game to look forward to. There's so much in front of the in front of us.
Andrew looking for Christmas? Man?
I mean, seriously, you're you're that guy. You're that guy that starts doing your Christmas shopping like right after a labor day?
Are you that guy?
I haven't started yet? Is that bad?
Okay? Neither I have neither.
By the way, my name is andrewsus and Leatoom in our studios here in Los Angeles.
Welcome to this member football.
I'll do my shopping during those December twenty fourth games.
Okay, yep, Well we'll plan ahead as always.
Scan everything on your screen right there at the QR code go to NFL dot com.
Let's get the rankings out of the way.
The San Francisco forty nine Ers, who went into Philadelphia and pushed the Eagles around, are the new number one. We thought that would happen. We knew that would happen. It did happen, followed by the Ravens and then the Eagles, and then their opponent this week, the Cowboys, and then the Dolphins who scrimmaged the Commanders, and then the Chiefs, the Lions, and the Jacksonville Jaguars. But let's make right out of the gate our team of the Week, presented
by Truist, the San Francisco forty nine Ers. Eric we said last week that the winner of that game in Philadelphia would be the new number one team. So you're a man of your word. They are the number one team. Not surprising. I guess the question here is how much better are the forty nine ers then everybody? It's the Niners and the field. How big is the gap?
Yeah?
I think that's the way you have to frame it.
Obviously, some people are still going to refer back to that three game losing streak, but look at the body of work. First of all, they could have won two of those games. And you know what brock Purty has done. By the way, we're now entering the one year anniversary of brock Purty taken over. It feels like it's been about three years since he had the elbows surgery even but you know, averaging almost ten yards per tempt, full
healthy offense in place right now. You know Trent Williams leading the O line obviously, Deebo Samuels and Samuel what he can do, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Ayuk. It's impossible to stop these guys when they're at full strength, I believe. And defensively they're getting after it too. And this was as big as statement victory as we've seen this year. So right now, having just beaten Eagles in their house, I don't care how many tough games they
play lately. They put themselves a measurable distance ahead of the field.
At this point, you mentioned that one year anniversary, pretty making his debut. His passer rating in that one year one fourteen, which is the best in football, And honestly, I was kind of sick of the forty nine ers griping and all this. We changed the quarterback rules and the offseason because the Niners mismanaged their roster last year, just full stop, right, That's why they didn't have quarterback in that NFC championship game. But they shut everyone up.
To their credit, they went in there and shut every one, including the Eagles security director up. And they are the best team. I mean, I think if you take the rest of the NFC, whether it's the Eagles or the Cowboys or the Lions or whomever, they are simply in a different class.
Yep.
I mean you're talking about a team that scored forty two against Philly and Dallas and had five games on the road with thirty plus points.
That's a good opening statement right there.
And you know, I'm a Browns fan. But if Jake Moody hits that field goal, it's different. Literally, he missed it. Cleveland deserved to win that game. But there's so many what ifs during the season, that certainly is one of them. We're gonna skip over the Ravens. We'll get back to them, don't be mad, Baltimore. And we're gonna get to the Cowboys because this week it's the Eagles. And the Cowboys,
this time in Dallas. The Cowboys come in well rested, obviously, but they had a close call against the Seahawks.
You're still sitting there at number three.
Yeah, I mean, I still believe in this team's ability to put up points. Stack Prescott is in the middle of an MVP campaign, I think, or at least, you know, to be one of the candidates for that award. Party certainly has to be in the mix as well. But you know, win over Eagle over the Eagles would go a long way towards helping Dak. Their offense isn't the issue right now, wasn't the issue the other night. Obviously, they came back and looks kind of comfortable doing it.
But dron Bland after a tremendous season getting picked on mercilessly in that game, even with a pick. You have to say he had a rough night, and some of that second level of the Cowboys defense hasn't exactly tightened up around him at times. So you know, they didn't get anything from Mike until late. It required a lot of effort defensively, and look, I mean, this is a team that we were talking about being a great defensive club.
Both they and Philly I think come into this game with defensive questions, no doubt about it.
At this point. Yeah, considering the Eagles defensive issues, I think I would lean Dallas in this game and the rematch they could have would have won it in Philadelphia. They blew the late game management stunning of course down the stretch in Philadelphia. But I still think the Cowboys are a bit here of the the NFCS Miami Dolphins. Show me a good win, show me consistent good wins. I haven't seen it yet. This would be that good win for them, and maybe they get it. All right,
Let's get back to the Ravens. What a week they had. They got to sit at home, get healthy and watch the Chiefs, the Browns, the Steelers, and the Jaguars all lose. This one, though, is not easy. They get the upstart Rams this week. You have the Ravens as the best team in the AFC.
I do yeah.
I mean again, you could certainly sort of poke some holes in some you know, two close home losses to teams they probably should have beaten. Let some other teams hang around, like Pittsburgh and the Chargers and whatnot. But this is a pretty complete team right now. You and you made a great point right sitting at home watching this scenario one fol where it's it's gotten easier there for them to win the AFC North, it's gotten better for them to cruise to that number one draft or that number one.
Slot in the AFC playoffs.
So great set up late season by get your guys rested. Doesn't sound like they'll make any movements on the receiver tight end front. They like their guys, but they're asking, you know, more out of Zay Flowers and Obj and guys like that right now. So I'll be curious to see if that offense can still kind of hum the way we had seen it with Andrews at times. But you're right, this is a tough game. Teams aren't that
familiar with each other. Rams come in hot. You know their offense is done work lately too, So you know, again, is this fall into the category of a Colts or Cleveland type of game or is this more of the Detroit Lions or Seattle type game where they dominate a very good Uppunnert at home.
I was at the game in La this past Sunday. Rams look good. Rams can run the football now, Kyron Williams makes that much of a difference in the Rams o line is playing fantastic.
We'll get to the Rams coming up at a second.
But the Ravens schedule, you get the Rams, the Jaguars, the Niners, that's a Christmas Day game or night game, and then Miami. It is a tough stretch here for the Ravens to close it out, A much needed list of teams losing for them when they sat at home week thirteen. All Right, the Dolphins one week, it's Jalen Phillips, Now it's Jerome Baker. They've got a lot of injuries. Jalen Ramsey can't cover up all those defensive injuries.
But again, it's.
Another week in which they beat up on a team they're supposed to beat up.
In this case it's the Commanders.
You still think they're the fifth best team in the NFL.
I think they have the fifth best resume, even with that obvious hole that you mentioned with Dallas. Right, show me the money, show me a good win, and that's ultimately the question with the Miami Dolphins. Now they'll get their chance late, right, They've got Dallas and Baltimore to close out the season. But We're gonna have to be patient here and take a couple of home games against teams that have kind of fallen out of the race,
and the Titans and Jets. So you know, again it's they keep winning games against lesser opponents.
It's a tough team to rank.
But Devin ah Chan coming back and having a big second half and it was a good sign. Didn't look
like he was on a pitch count Andrews. So you know, if they really have that run game at full strength and depends on the offensive line, Armstead and other guys getting hurt up front Sunday, that to me could separate them and that could really justify that that high ranking because when they run the ball well, they seem to be a very dangerous team and give opponents, whether they're or not, the most trouble.
I think.
Yeah, And after Tennessee and the Jets, they do get the Cowboys and then the Ravens, so they do go up in wait class and again the Bills Week eighteen. Who knows what that game is going to mean for Buffalo or for the Dolphins. Maybe they have a shot at number one. Maybe, Yeah, they still are sitting at
number one right now. That game is going to mean something here, and it's going to be a good test for them in those final three games of the regular season to show that they can beat good teams before they get to.
The postseason, before they get to January.
The Chiefs went to Lambeau and I kind of sort of called it this week. I can't take credit I foreshadowed it.
I wasn't.
I didn't have the guts to say that the Packers would beat the Chiefs, but they ran into trouble there and Kansas City is now down to eric They are your sixth team in your power rankings.
Yeah, and had Jacksonville one Monday night, right, had they not had a spate of injuries, maybe they would have jumped ahead of them.
So yeah, I mean, it's a situation where we're used.
To the Chiefs playing their best football late in the season, kind of streaking into the postseason, having that offense carry the weight, and we've gotten used to the idea of the defense being kind of their bedrock now and giving
them that level of insurance, if you will. But that's two straight games now where the defense has put them in a two score deficit, right, that puts even more pressure on Patrick Mahomes to be perfect, and Andrew, I don't know about you, but watching at home, there were some funny looking passes that came out. Now, credit the packers for pressuring them and covering those receivers and tightening those windows and everything, but oh, it doesn't look pretty. And you're used to ugly plays.
By Mahomes every now and then.
Right doesn't always look right, but more and more it's becoming the norm, and it's just surprising to see them not be able to push the ball down the field more readily.
And listen, I know Chiefs fans want to get upset about the lack of past interference. Absolutely, yep, one mbs. Certainly. I don't think there should have been one on the play in the end zone at the end, I mean that wasn't yet.
Was it a push in the back, of course?
Was it even close to some of the hail mary penalties we should have seen thrown in other games?
No, not at all.
But as you point out in your story here, Travis Kelcey was the only guy to catch a pass of longer than sixteen yards, and they do not still, even though she Rice has made some plays this year, have enough consistency other than Travis Kelcey. They are still the three seed in the AFC. Because let's get to the Jaguars.
Jacksonville lost and they also lost their quarterback. If Jacksonville had pulled out the victory as all expected on Monday against Jake Browning and the Bengals, we would be sitting here today with the Jaguars as the one seed eric in the AFC. And even though it looks as if they've escaped the worst case scenario, it is merely a high ankle sprain. Doug Peterson says, I mean that could be a couple of weeks. Jacksonville is number eight in your rankings and now number four in the AFC.
Yeah, suddenly a team that we have some major doubts about. And obviously the injury situation with Kirk and the core muscle, as you pointed out also Lawrence, do you know, gives us.
Some major doubt about them.
But even before Trevor Lawrence got hurt, this defense was getting worked over, I think, too reliant on taking the football away from teams, and the only turnover they got Monday night was that gift of.
An interception by Tyler Boyd.
So you know, look, I mean, they've got to find some solutions on that side of the ball. They've got to find another playmaker to step up for CJ.
Bethard.
You would assume who had a pretty nice overtime. He looks, he looked, had some moments out there, had the one big play call back by a holding call that was really devastating. But you know, two and four at home, they're terrific outside of Jacksonville. No arguments there, but all of a sudden, a lot of questions for a team, as you pointed out, that could have been in that number one slot had the injuries not happened, had the wing gone the other way.
It's crazy too and four at home.
Doug Peterson actually cited home crowd noise as an issue where defensive communication issues. He didn't say there were issues, but then he got defensive instead of the crowd was loud, making noise as good fans to try to disrupt Jake Browning and the Bengals. They are six and zero away from their own building. Maybe they should be a wild card team. Maybe maybe there's a silver lining there are the Packers making the playoffs. Everybody funny how the pendulum
swings the other way. Now for everyone that thought Jordan Love didn't have it. That's coming up next on the NFL Power Ranking Show presented by Energizer. But wait, there's more on the NFL Power Ranking Show presented by Energizer. The Houston Texans and it's just a wild game there go up to it's a number with yet another victory. The Cleveland Browns are ten with Joe Flacco not moving. Steelers have a quarterback injury. They are down two to eleven.
The Bills, the Colts, the Packers, the Seahawks, and the Denver Broncos are sitting there at sixteen.
Let's talk about the Houston Texans. Eric at home.
They lose Tank Dell, which is a big deal, but they are still looking good even as the third team of the AFC South. If I had told you that the third team of the AFC South would be number nine on your power rankings heading into week fourteen, you would have said.
What, Yeah, I couldn't have imagined it, right, And the Tennessee Titans weren't one of those those teams, right.
I mean, obviously we've seen.
The Colts kind of get off to a good start, struggle get back into it. You know, we've seen the Texans have a wild roller coaster ride this year and it's going to continue. With the Dell injury, I'm sorry, that's a massive blow. As you pointed out, Ka Collins has stuffed up though that's good.
I think they need.
More on Adulton schultzide of Noah Brown, John Metchi, the third, whoever else. Somebody has to give CJ. Straud a weapon. But I'm impressed with him obviously, and also with the defense that made three huge interceptions the last, you know, sixteen minutes of the game.
So they've got a formula.
Losing last week at home that Jacksonville was tough, but Jacksonville now opens the doorback up with the.
Lost Monday night.
So you know, the divisions in play, and there's are all of a sudden, a lot of hope hitting into this game.
I mean, here's how bonkers and here's how tightly packed everything is in both conferences, but especially here in the AFC. Right now, the Texans don't have a playoff spot. If the playoffs weren't to start today, they're right, they're the eight seed. You have them as the number nine overall team in football.
It's America's team, baby.
I mean everyone loves them, right, I think that, Yeah, they scare the heck out of people. They can go on the road and win games. They can beat Joe Burrow, they can have those type by afternoons. They've also lost to the Panthers, though they've had some losses that they've let kind of slip to their fingers. So what we know is that almost every game comes down to a THRILLI and finish with them, and that alone makes them a pretty interesting club.
All right, Browns ten. They get the Browns in a couple of weeks as well.
Steelers Bills into the Colts at thirteen Texans and the Colts in Indianapolis week eighteen likely means something. You know that the Colts are tied for the longest active winning streak right now in the NFL with.
Four right, yeah, three teams with four wins. They're one of them, baby. I mean, I thought they were completely out of it at what three and five, I want to say, And you know, it just looked like things weren't working out with Gardner Minshew, but to his credit, made a lot of place Sunday when the run game was at work and Jonathan Taylor was out. Michael Pittman keeps adding dollar signs to his name in the offseason.
Alec Pierce stepped up with probably his best game of the year, had a big catch there at the end, had four big ones in the game. So, yeah, you're right, they find ways, And I think special teams was a huge reason why you had the Titans not had a reason to fire their special teams coordinated to the next day after the game. Maybe the Colts don't win this game and we might have more questions about their candidacy
as a playoff team. But again, Shane Steichen has done a pretty masterful job handling all the twists and turns that have been thrown at him.
Absolutely, he's in the running for coach of the Year. They are in Cincinnati this week for a fun and now very relevant game against Jake Browning and the Cincinnati Bengals. Yeah, time to make some power moves at home. They're presented by Energizer. The Green Bay Packers are the biggest movers of the week. They are up fourteen after.
Beating the Chiefs. Where were they a couple of weeks ago?
Week eleven, Eric they were twenty sixth.
Yeah, yeah, I mean it feels like they've gone up fourteen spots in the last two weeks.
Right, it's pretty amazing.
But you got to put a lot of it on Jordan Love, the guy who Brian Gudakutz the GM. When he had his little mid season press conference, they said, these games down the stretch are pretty big, and you had people in Green Bay assuming that was.
A shot across his bow. Well, Love has answered it, right.
Protection has been pretty good without David Baktiar. They haven't had Aaron Jones the last couple of games. Christian Watson, the relationship with him in Love on the field look non existent for eight or nine weeks. Now, all of a sudden, that is cooking the other young receivers, you know, the tight ends have stepped up. So it's been tremendous to watch and exciting certainly for Packers fans.
But yeah, there were a lot of people who thought Loved.
During that interception streak he had and all the mispasses and the missed opportunities, maybe it.
Was going to be a one year guy.
Now I think these most recent games have shown us that he can get him in the postseason this year.
Yeah, and kind of cast the forward going forward.
And listen, I'm not yet ready to crown him. But he did play well. He has been playing well, and it's another example of how patience is needed when judging any quarterbacks development, even one that waited three years on the bench. You know, the pendulum back and forth. September, Oh my god, Jordan Love is the truth. The Packers nailed it. And then mid season, wow, all right, they got to move on. And now look, maybe he gets
them into the postseason. This week he battles Tommy da Vito, and the New York Giant says DeVito is going to get another start that game in Jersey. We have the Seahawks at fifteen. Are the Seahawks in trouble at home? You dropped them only one, but they gotta go the Yeah.
Cisco this week.
Gave him credit for a good effort at Dallas, and Gino looked a lot healthier. But I think every game at.
This point feels pretty existential.
Right.
They went into the by early in the season, everybody thought, wow, this is a really interesting team all of a sudden, and they just haven't found that offensive consistency. But I give him a little hope in the rematch against San Francisco. I remember they blasted him on Thanksgiving because Gino did.
Look a lot healthier, a lot better.
But that defense, when they have one true stop against Dallas, you can't have that against San Francisco. So if they have any hope, they've got to win this one and keep going from there.
Maybe went out.
At this point.
Yeah, And the big thing against them is that they got swept by the Rams, and the Rams won again they get to six and six, So the Seahawks legitimately have to win some and they have to do it now. Coming up, I mentioned Jake Browning and the Bengals.
They're a legit threat.
Where does Ed Holme have the fighting Jake Brownings? That's next for the NFL Power Ranking Show present by Energizer. Let's roll on here on the NFL Power Ranking Show presented by Energizer. The Minnesota Vikings had to buy. They fall in their by whatever to seventeen. The Cincinnati Bengals are up to what a performance they had on Monday night.
Atlanta is nineteen and leading in a vision. The Rams are twenty and the Chargers, the Saints, the Buccaneers and the Raiders checking in Eric at home at twenty five when I watched that game Monday night and Steve watch and I did the NFL Game Day Final postgame show on NFL Network, and I sat there and I said, not only did the Bengals win and Jake Briding throw for three fifty four, but that this team, if it
gets in. I know lou Anaromo's defense has given up a lot of big plays downfield, but that Jake Browning from what we saw Monday night, this team can win. I mean, this team can make a run even since six.
I think I said on this show.
Correct me if I'm wrong that I thought Zach Taylor could run about eighty percent of the offense that he did with Burrow. With Jake Browning, I'm convinced it's now about ninety nine percent. Right, Maybe some of the movement stuff is going to be there, But Browning even did with his legs. He had that long scramble in the second half, he had a goal line rushing touchdown. And oh, by the way, he threw thirty seven passes, five of them hit the ground and one of them was a clear drop.
So yeah, where has this been?
I mean, in twenty fifteen, When we first heard Jake Browning's name on the national level as a college fresh you know, all roads were open. They thought this guy might be something truly special, a top ten pick kind of guy.
Didn't work out that way.
But here he is, at age what twenty seven, now getting his opportunity, andrew in an unusual circumstance with a very talented team, and he made the most of it in a brilliant performance.
I don't know what else you say.
It was brilliant. That sums it up.
Also only Zach Taylor's fifth victory ever as a head coach. Without Wow goll Burrow, Jake Browning did everyone good there in Cincinnati. Time for our I can't believe I'm going to say this future champions for his head of my panduel and they're the Atlanta Falcons. Well not really, but we're gonna put the NFC South up here. The Falcons are at six and six at minus one ninety to win the division, followed by the Bucks and the Saints.
The Panthers are off the board because the Panthers on Sunday, with their loss to the Buccaneers, became the first team eliminated. The Welkins Eric, someone's got to win the division.
I guess.
They could, but boy, I mean another listless performance offensively, I mean under two hundred yards of offense. Really, I mean all but two drives. They did nothing right.
And the run game is still there. They still have a defense.
It's going to make you really earn your yards against them. But winning thirteen to eight games in which you have a three to zero edge in the turnover department doesn't excite me that much. Man, I have to say, I'm not feeling it right now. But you know, they still have a formula that some teams could struggle with.
And you know what comes with a winning.
The division a home game. So who knows they're right now? I guess the favorites with the Saints really falling.
Off me yep, And they play the Bucks week eighteen, Maybe that game is for the division and the loser gets relegated to the XFL. Dared three. The Rams are number twenty. I hit on them earlier, Eric, They're up two spots. I mean they're offensive line and that run game huge against the Brown.
Absolutely physical dominent.
Right yeah in the season, right, I mean, Sean McVay is having a fine kind of new ways to winning. Matthew Stafford got banged up receiver injuries with Cooper.
Cup Well, they have that there. When Kyraen Williams came back in the lineup, it was seamless.
They started running the ball. And oh, by the way, Pooka Akua hasn't gone anywhere. He's still special. Great long run and some several great catches in this game. Unbelievable rookie season so far. So you know, you've got Kyron Williams, You've got Pooka Nakua, You've got you know, DeMarcus Robinson playing big role for a team that was, you know, out of it two and five, not even looking good, not even having a shot at the playoffs.
So pretty amazing stuff.
In our final couple of seconds, twenty five to thirty two, Bears, Titans, Jets, Giants, Cardinals, Commander's Patriots, Carol Aina, Panthers. Eric, will you commit right now to giving everyone their money back if any of these teams make the playoffs?
Absolutely guarantee you one hundred percent.
I'll do that, Okay, the shows for free, by the way, for the record, so Eric at home, thank you as always for putting up with me. Everyone enjoy Week fourteen.
My name is Andrew cciliano. Thanks for watching and listening to it.
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