Monday, December 16, 2024
Sports

Week 14 NFL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus a first-time Pro Bowl nominee for every team

Welcome to Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season.

Last week brought three exciting Thanksgiving Day games, a wild Black Friday finish and thrillers over the weekend. The Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts won in the two-minute drill, the Philadelphia Eagles overpowered the Baltimore Ravens, and the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs narrowly escaped with victories.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (posterior cruciate ligament injury) is on IR, and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is in the concussion protocol, leaving their teams with many questions.

With all of this drama, our Power Rankings were shaken up. So, who is rising and who is falling?

In addition to the updated rankings, our NFL Nation reporters picked a player who could potentially earn a first-time Pro Bowl nomination. From talented rookies to sleeper veterans, we named players who could get their first nod.

Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluates how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

Week 13 result: Beat the Bears 23-20
Week 13 ranking: 1

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Safety Kerby Joseph

In his third season, Joseph has sparkled on a Lions defense that has displayed spurts of dominance. Detroit’s D at one point went 12 straight quarters without surrendering a touchdown, and Joseph has played a key role in its success with 56 tackles and 10 passes defended. He also had his first career pick-six in Week 9 at Lambeau Field, one of his league-lead-tying seven interceptions. — Eric Woodyard


Week 13 result: Beat the 49ers 35-10
Week 13 ranking: 4

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Defensive end Greg Rousseau

Rousseau has put together an impressive fourth campaign after the Bills picked up his fifth-year option in the offseason. Beyond leading the team with 6.5 sacks, the 24-year-old D-lineman is sixth in the league in pressure percentage (13.8), tied for sixth in quarterback hits (19) and tied for the third-most tackles for loss (15). There are plenty of Bills candidates for this — four of the five offensive linemen have not made the Pro Bowl, in addition to nickel corner Taron Johnson — but Rousseau has put together a campaign worthy of recognition. — Alaina Getzenberg


Week 13 result: Beat the Raiders 19-17
Week 13 ranking: 2

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Cornerback Trent McDuffie

The Chiefs haven’t been as solid on defense as they were last season, but that’s no reflection on McDuffie. He took over for L’Jarius Sneed, who was traded to the Titans, as the No. 1 cornerback and responded as the Chiefs had hoped. McDuffie was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 for his play in slot coverage, but he somehow missed on a Pro Bowl selection. Playing mostly outside this season, McDuffie deserves a bid. — Adam Teicher


Week 13 result: Beat the Ravens 24-19
Week 13 ranking: 3

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Linebacker Zack Baun

The Eagles signed Baun to a one-year, $1.6 million deal this past offseason with the thought of using him as a rotational edge rusher/special teams contributor, which is the role he filled previously for the Saints. But Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio saw his potential as an inside linebacker, and Baun earned a starting role there. He has demolished expectations, posting 117 tackles (tied for fourth in the league), 2.5 sacks, an interception and four forced fumbles. — Tim McManus


Week 13 result: Beat the Bengals 44-38
Week 13 ranking: 7

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Outside linebacker Nick Herbig

T.J. Watt gets most of the spotlight in the Steelers’ pass rush group, but Herbig is a promising young player following in Watt’s footsteps. Though Herbig has been limited by a hamstring injury in his second season, he is incredibly productive when on the field. He has forced a fumble in three consecutive games since returning from injury. Prior to that, he forced a fumble and had two sacks against the Chargers and recovered a fumble against the Cowboys. — Brooke Pryor


Week 13 result: Beat the Cardinals 23-22
Week 13 ranking: 5

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Linebacker Jonathan Greenard

Greenard has been one of the NFL’s best pass rushers. He is tied for fourth in the league with 10 sacks, and his 36 pressures rank 11th. Greenard also has made the transition from a classic 4-3 defensive end to an outside linebacker role that has required him to drop into coverage an average of three times per game — all while playing a career-high 81.3% of his team’s defensive snaps. — Kevin Seifert


Week 13 result: Beat the Dolphins 30-17
Week 13 ranking: 6

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Safety Xavier McKinney

McKinney’s toughest competition for a Pro Bowl spot at safety is the Lions’ Joseph. They share the league lead in interceptions with seven, and they’ll be on the same field Thursday night in Detroit. McKinney never made a Pro Bowl in his four seasons with the Giants. Now, he’s in line for a Pro Bowl spot — and All-Pro honors too. — Rob Demovsky

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0:32

Why Tyler Fulghum predicts a high-scoring game in Packers-Lions

Tyler Fulghum explains why he is expecting a high-scoring game between the Packers and Lions.


Week 13 result: Lost to the Eagles 24-19
Week 13 ranking: 8

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Wide receiver Zay Flowers

In his second season, Flowers has established himself as quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s go-to wide receiver and the top outside threat for the NFL’s No. 1 offense. His 863 receiving yards rank third among wideouts in the AFC. With his downfield speed and elusiveness, Flowers leads the AFC with 17 receptions of 20 or more yards. He can become the first Ravens player to reach the Pro Bowl as a wideout in the franchise’s 29-year history. — Jamison Hensley


Week 13 result: Beat the Falcons 17-13
Week 13 ranking: 9

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Wide receiver Ladd McConkey

McConkey has emerged as one of the NFL’s best receivers this season and quarterback Justin Herbert‘s most trusted target. McConkey is 13th in the NFL in receiving yards (815) and has the second-most yards among rookies. He is the first Chargers rookie wideout since Keenan Allen to have three 100-plus-yard receiving games, including 117 of the Chargers’ 150 receiving yards (78%) against the Falcons. That was the third-highest percentage of a team’s receiving yards by a single player this season. — Kris Rhim


Week 13 result: Beat the Titans 42-19
Week 13 ranking: 11

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Linebacker Frankie Luvu

The Commanders were busy in free agency, but Washington’s staff was particularly excited about Luvu. Turns out it was for good reason. Luvu, who had 12.5 sacks combined in his past two seasons with Carolina, is second on the Commanders with eight sacks and nine tackles for a loss. The seventh-year linebacker provides energy and, as coach Dan Quinn said Sunday, fits the identity of who the Commanders want to become defensively. — John Keim


Week 13 result: Beat the Jaguars 23-20
Week 13 ranking: 12

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.

Stingley has played at an All-Pro level with moments of dominance. He has held two teams — the Cowboys (3.5) and Jaguars (zero) — to a pass rating of less than five when throwing against him this season. Among cornerbacks with at least 300 snaps, he has allowed the fourth-lowest rating when targeted (57.8) and the second-most pass deflections (15). Stingley was a Pro Bowl alternate last season, but he is trending toward being a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro with these numbers. — DJ Bien-Aime


Week 13 result: Beat the Browns 41-32
Week 13 ranking: 10

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto

Bonitto, the Broncos’ second-round pick in the 2022 draft, offered a preview in 2023 of where he was headed this campaign. Last season, he was one of the best players in first pressures created (third best in the NFL), but those pressures didn’t result in sacks. Now, they are, as his 11 sacks make him the Broncos’ first player with double-digit sacks since Von Miller in 2018. Bonitto is solid against the run too, so he’s getting more snaps overall in the best season of his career. — Jeff Legwold


Week 13 result: Beat the Jets 26-21
Week 13 ranking: 13

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Four wide receivers from each conference are selected to the Pro Bowl, and Smith-Njigba’s 829 receiving yards are the fourth most at that position in the NFC. He’ll likely need to add to his four-touchdown total to earn a nod. But Pro Bowl or not, Smith-Njigba is having a second-year breakout, routinely coming through as a chain mover and a deep threat, as well. He has overtaken Tyler Lockett as Seattle’s No. 2 receiver and actually has outproduced DK Metcalf (763 yards). — Brady Henderson

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Why JSN is a top-15 receiver in Week 14

Liz Loza explains why Jaxon Smith-Njigba is slotted as a top-15 receiver heading into his Week 14 matchup vs. the Cardinals.


Week 13 result: Beat the Panthers 26-23 (OT)
Week 13 ranking: 15

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Running back Bucky Irving

The Bucs’ fourth-round draft pick isn’t technically a starter, yet his 1,017 scrimmage yards rank 17th in the league. Irving is becoming one of the NFL’s most electrifying young players. As the rookie’s touches continue to go up, his ranking will too. His 5.5 yards per carry average is also fifth best in the league. — Jenna Laine


Week 13 result: Lost to the Cardinals 23-22
Week 13 ranking: 14

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Linebacker Mack Wilson Sr.

The offseason free agent signing has played as well as the Cardinals had hoped at inside and outside linebacker. He has three sacks to complement 62 tackles. He also has four passes defended and an interception. He has been doing it all for Arizona’s defense. — Josh Weinfuss


Week 13 result: Beat the Saints 21-14
Week 13 ranking: 19

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Outside linebacker Jared Verse

The rookie has been a difference-maker for the Rams, and his impact showed in Sunday’s victory. Verse generated a team-high seven pressures in the game; no other Rams player registered more than two. One of Verse’s pressures sealed the game, as it led to an incompletion and a turnover on downs. Verse now has 58 total pressures, which is tied for the third most in the NFL and is 18 more than that of the next rookie. — Sarah Barshop


Week 13 result: Lost to the Chargers 17-13
Week 13 ranking: 16

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Running back Bijan Robinson

The second-year player has been one of the lone bright spots during the Falcons’ three-game losing streak. Robinson is fourth in the NFL among running backs in all-purpose yards (1,277) and sixth in the NFC in rushing yards (885). He has cleaned up his fumble issues — he had four as a rookie — and hasn’t turned the ball over at all this season. Atlanta’s offense has sputtered lately, but Robinson has made the most of his opportunities. He is fourth in the NFC in percentage of runs over the expected yards (ROE) at 44.9. — Marc Raimondi


Week 13 result: Beat the Patriots 25-24
Week 13 ranking: 21

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Safety Nick Cross

Cross is likely a long shot, but he is having a surprisingly strong season. After losing his starting role as a rookie in 2022, Cross has been a consistent playmaker on all three levels of the Colts’ defense. He has been a tackling menace while playing mostly near the line of scrimmage (second in the NFL with 116 stops). He also has recorded three passes defensed, two interceptions and a forced fumble. The 2022 third-round pick is finally showing himself worthy of the high expectations once placed on him by the team. — Stephen Holder


Week 13 result: Lost to the Steelers 44-38
Week 13 ranking: 20

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Safety Tycen Anderson

Outside of Cincinnati’s usual Pro Bowl selections (Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson), Anderson has a shot as a special-teamer. He leads the NFL in tackles on punt coverage with nine. He has been meticulous in his preparation as a gunner in punt coverage, including studying film early in the week to gauge how opponents will try to stop him from pursuing returners. Anderson has helped pin four punts inside the 10-yard line. He is a big reason punter Ryan Rehkow is sixth in the league in starting field position following a punt. — Ben Baby


Week 13 result: Lost to the Packers 30-17
Week 13 ranking: 17

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Center Aaron Brewer

Tight end Jonnu Smith is also an option here if he continues to eat up yards at his current pace, but Brewer has been a revelation in his first year with the Dolphins. The former Titans center ranks in the top 10 for his position in both pass block win rate and run block win rate and has allowed two sacks in 784 snaps. His 95.3% and 71.8% pass and run block win rates, respectively, represent career bests, and he is on pace to allow a career-low three sacks allowed this season. There aren’t a plethora of options for first-time Pro Bowlers on this roster, but Brewer is at the top of a small group. — Marcel Louis-Jacques


Week 13 result: Lost to the Bills 35-10
Week 13 ranking: 18

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Offensive lineman Dominick Puni

The rookie guard has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season for the Niners. Puni ranks in the top 15 among NFL guards in both pass block win rate (93.7%) and run block win rate (74.3%). There have been some hiccups along the way, but Puni has all the makings of a perennial Pro Bowler even if he doesn’t make it in his first season. — Nick Wagoner

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0:33

Schefter: CMC, Jordan Mason headed to IR

Adam Schefter details who will lead the 49ers’ backfield after injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason.


Week 13 result: Lost to the Lions 23-20
Week 13 ranking: 23

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Wide receiver DJ Moore

It’s a long shot considering Moore’s usage didn’t get going until Chicago’s offensive coordinator switch in Week 11, as Moore ranks 26th in the NFL in receiving yards (663). But the veteran wideout is driving his team’s receiving production. Moore has been targeted 97 times, has caught 62 passes for 663 yards and has five touchdowns — all of which lead the Bears. His involvement late in games — including the 27-yard catch he made to set up a game-tying field goal against Minnesota and the pass interference penalty he drew on fourth down late in Detroit — shows the type of campaign he is putting together as of late. — Courtney Cronin


Week 13 result: Beat the Giants 27-20
Week 13 ranking: 24

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown

With the Cowboys’ record and the defense’s slow start, Overshown might only make the Pro Bowl as an alternate. But he has shown he can be a playmaker after missing his rookie year with a torn left ACL. He can rush the passer. He can cover. He is a good tackler. Once he sees the play, he has the speed to go. And if he guesses incorrectly, he has the speed to make up for the error. The more experience he gains, the better he should become. — Todd Archer


Week 13 result: Lost to the Rams 21-14
Week 13 ranking: 22

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Linebacker Anfernee Orji

The Saints don’t have a lot of first-time candidates for the Pro Bowl this season, but Orji has been a standout as a special-teamer in his second year. Bill Belichick recognized Orji as one of the best special teams players in the league for his all-midseason team, and New Orleans interim coach Darren Rizzi has specifically given Orji’s special teams work praise, as well. — Katherine Terrell


Week 13 result: Lost to the Broncos 41-32
Week 13 ranking: 25

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy

Jeudy got off to a slow start as the Browns’ offense struggled with quarterback Deshaun Watson. But since Watson suffered a season-ending torn Achilles injury in Week 7, and Jameis Winston took over as the starter, Jeudy has been the most productive receiver in the NFL. His 614 receiving yards since Week 8 leads the league and after his career-high 235-yard performance on Monday night, he is now up to 880 receiving yards, tied for fifth most in the NFL. Jeudy, in his fifth season, is well on pace for his first 1,000-yard receiving season. — Daniel Oyefusi


Week 13 result: Lost to the Buccaneers 26-23 (OT)
Week 13 ranking: 28

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Guard Robert Hunt

The Panthers signed Hunt to a five-year, $100 million contract to shore up the middle of a line that gave up 35 of the team’s 65 sacks last season. He has been a key player in a unit that has given up only 21 sacks. That has helped running back Chuba Hubbard rank among the top 10 in rushing with 919 yards. — David Newton


Week 13 result: Lost to the Jets 26-21
Week 13 ranking: 29

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Wide receiver Garrett Wilson

Despite inconsistent quarterback play from Aaron Rodgers, Wilson ranks fifth among NFL wide receivers with 74 receptions. Wilson is on pace for 1,080 receiving yards, which would be his third straight 1,000-yard season. The last Jets player to record three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons was George Sauer Jr. (1966 to 1968). Wilson is one of the few players on the team meeting expectations. He made one of the best plays of the year — a leaping, one-handed grab in the back of the end zone — to help beat the Texans in prime time last month. — Rich Cimini

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2:08

Why Stephen A. is nearly speechless about Aaron Rodgers

Stephen A. Smith voices his disappointment in Aaron Rodgers after the Jets’ loss to the Seahawks.


Week 13 result: Lost to the Colts 25-24
Week 13 ranking: 27

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Cornerback Christian Gonzalez

Playing 98% of the defensive snaps, Gonzalez is coming off back-to-back weeks in which he returned a fumble 69 yards for a touchdown and notched his second interception of the season. Those types of plays usually go a long way toward Pro Bowl recognition, but in reality, it has been Gonzalez’s sticky coverage against opposing No. 1 wideouts on a weekly basis that has him ascending to lockdown corner status. — Mike Reiss


Week 13 result: Lost to the Commanders 42-19
Week 13 ranking: 26

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

Westbrook-Ikhine has been a bright spot for a struggling Titans offense despite starting the season as the fourth receiver. The fifth-year wideout didn’t see any targets through the first four games, but he has been on a tear over the past seven. His eight receiving touchdowns over that stretch are tied with Ja’Marr Chase for the most in the NFL. That TD total also ties him with San Francisco tight end George Kittle for the third most among pass catchers. “It seems like every time we throw him the ball, it’s either a first down or a touchdown,” offensive coordinator Nick Holz said of Westbrook-Ikhine. — Turron Davenport


Week 13 result: Lost to the Texans 23-20
Week 13 ranking: 30

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Punter Logan Cooke

Cooke has been the Jaguars’ most consistent player in 2024. He is second in the NFL in net yards per punt (46.0) and third in yards per punt (51.3), both of which would be single-season franchise records if they hold up. Cooke’s 26 punts downed inside the 20-yard line are third most in the league, and his opponents’ average starting field position is the 19-yard line, just one yard shy of the league lead. — Mike DiRocco


Week 13 result: Lost to the Chiefs 19-17
Week 13 ranking: 31

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Tight end Brock Bowers

Bowers is not only a lock to be named to the Pro Bowl. He is aiming for a first-team All-Pro nod, as well. The rookie leads the NFL with 84 catches, and his 884 receiving yards is tops among tight ends. Bowers is just three catches away from surpassing Sam LaPorta to set an NFL record for most catches in a season by a rookie tight end. LaPorta had 86 receptions for the Lions in 2023. — Paul Gutierrez


Week 13 result: Lost to the Cowboys 27-20
Week 13 ranking: 32

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Linebacker Bobby Okereke

The veteran linebacker probably should have made the Pro Bowl last year, when he had even better production. In a new defense, he doesn’t have quite the same opportunities for big plays, but Okereke is still producing. He does it all. The middle ‘backer has 93 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 3 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. As coach Brian Daboll said on Thanksgiving, Okereke is one of the best in the league at punching the ball out. It’s a skill. Only two NFC linebackers (Zack Baun and Fred Warner) have more forced fumbles this season. — Jordan Raanan

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