Just when you think everything is falling into place and the playoff field looks like it's locked in, a weekend like Week 14 comes along and shakes everything up.
MORE POWER RANKINGS
Every spot in the top 10 is different in this week's Wildly Important NFL Power Rankings, including the top spot. That now belongs to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. And after the Bears completely dismantled Sean McVay's high-flying Rams offense Sunday night, they crack the top five – and knock Los Angeles off its perch to No. 3.
And if you haven't been taking the Seahawks, Cowboys and Colts seriously this year, you might want to start. All three round out the top 10 this week. The Falcons, unfortunately, continue to slide and fall to No. 26 after losing for the fifth time in as many weeks. You can check out the rest of my rankings below:
| RANK | TEAM | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS (Dec. 4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiefs (11-2) | They’re not only the most exciting team to watch, but they’re my new No. 1 team. | 2 |
| 2 | Saints (11-2) | They finally woke up in the second half to take care of the Bucs, but still look off. | 3 |
| 3 | Rams (11-2) | Completely manhandled in Chicago. We’ll find out soon enough of it was just a hiccup. | 1 |
| 4 | Chargers (10-3) | With a HUGE game coming up Thursday, would’ve been easy to peek past the Bengals. | 4 |
| 5 | Bears (9-4) | Bears prove that a dominating defense and solid run game is plenty to win in this league. | 7 |
| 6 | Patriots (9-4) | Using Gronk back there as a safety valve at the end of the game probably wasn’t the best decision. | 5 |
| 7 | Texans (9-4) | Nine-game winning streak is over. Looks like they may have a fight on their hands for the South. | 6 |
| 8 | Seahawks (8-5) | Pssst. Hey, NFC. The Seahawks are here and I don’t think they want to go away anytime soon. | 9 |
| 9 | Cowboys (8-5) | Rip up that obituary you were writing on Jason Garrett and the 2018 Cowboys. They’re alive – and kicking. | 10 |
| 10 | Colts (7-6) | All those jokes you used to crack about the Colts offense the last two years aren’t funny anymore. | 15 |
| 11 | Ravens (7-6) | They were in position to knock off the Chiefs at home. They didn’t, but they have my attention. | 11 |
| 12 | Steelers (7-5-1) | It’s a good thing James Conner has a chance to return in Week 15. They missed him sorely. | 8 |
| 13 | Dolphins (7-6) | This team needed a miracle and got one. Everyone in South Florida is still smiling too. | 19 |
| 14 | Titans (7-6) | I think Derrick Henry is still running … and stiff-arming everyone in sight. They’re alive, but barely. | 18 |
| 15 | Vikings (6-6-1) | Someone has to be the sixth seed in the NFC. For now it’s the Vikings, but for how long? | 12 |
| 16 | Eagles (6-7) | Injuries have taken a toll on the defending champs but, to their credit, they’re still fighting. | 13 |
| 17 | Packers (5-7-1) | Did you notice how similar Joe Philbin’s offense looked compared to Mike McCarthy’s? I did. | 20 |
| 18 | Broncos (6-7) | They’re still alive in the AFC playoff picture with three games to go, but is John Elway happy? | 14 |
| 19 | Browns (5-7-1) | Say what you want about the 2018 Browns; they’re scrappy and Baker Mayfield is fun to watch. | 21 |
| 20 | Giants (5-8) | Where was this Giants team earlier this season? Regardless, it’s a good sign for Pat Shurmur. | 25 |
| 21 | Buccaneers (5-8) | They showed some fight against the Saints, but I expect some changes coming down the pike. | 22 |
| 22 | Panthers (6-7) | Do you remember when the Panthers were 6-2? The wheels have officially come off this team. | 17 |
| 23 | Redskins (6-7) | With Alex Smith’s future reportedly in jeopardy, the questions are beginning to swirl in D.C. | 16 |
| 24 | Bengals (5-8) | Marvin Lewis’ future is in doubt and they’re without A.J. Green, Andy Dalton and Tyler Eifert. Fun. | 23 |
| 25 | Lions (5-8) | Can we please get Matthew Stafford some weapons? This Jim Bob Cooter offense is getting hard to watch. | 26 |
| 26 | Falcons (4-9) | Self-inflicted mistakes hurt them more than the Packers did. At least they’re showing some fight. | 24 |
| 27 | Jaguars (4-9) | It’s hard to believe this team once sat atop the Wildly Important NFL Power Rankings. They’ve fallen apart. | 27 |
| 28 | Jets (4-9) | Hey, at least they beat their rivals from up North and can claim that Upstate New York is their turf, right? Sure. | 30 |
| 29 | Bills (4-9) | How many times has rookie quarterback Josh Allen led this team in rushing this year? That can’t be good. | 28 |
| 30 | Raiders (3-10) | Congratulations, you beat the Steelers and the value of those first-round draft picks keep dropping. | 31 |
| 31 | Cardinals (3-10) | It’s been a long year for rookie coach Steven Wilks and quarterback Josh Rosen. They get the Falcons next. | 29 |
| 32 | 49ers (3-10) | The 49ers aren’t winning a ton of games right now but they continue to show up and fight. | 32 |
