NFL Power Rankings entering We...

The 1972 Miami Dolphins are considered by some the greatest team in NFL history. Yet, they were underdogs at many sportsbooks for Super Bowl VII. That means before a 14-7 win over Washington to finish an undefeated season, the 1972 Dolphins weren't even considered by many oddsmakers to be the best team that season. They played — and beat — a soft schedule. Over time, the enduring accomplishment of going 17-0 has built that team's legacy to mythic proportions.

As this NFL season moves on, we're getting closer to the possibility of the Chiefs going 16-1 or 15-2 in the regular season and winning a third straight Super Bowl. They have a two-game lead for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and if they have just two home games between them and the Super Bowl, it'll be hard to stop them. And we'd rank a Chiefs team like that as one of the greatest ever. But remember what you think about the Chiefs right now.

Kansas City has won an incredible 15 straight one-score games. They've won due to a tight end's toe being out of bounds in the end zone, a defensive pass interference on a fourth-and-16, a missed pass interference call in the end zone, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles not going for 2 and the win, a blocked field goal, a last-minute drive after falling behind to a 3-10 Panthers team, a botched snap by the 2-11 Raiders when they were in field-goal range to win and then a doinked-in field goal Sunday night. The Chiefs' +56 point differential is not only the worst of any team 12-1 or better in NFL history, it's the worst by 33 points, according to Brett Kollmann of "The Film Room." They rank eighth in DVOA, behind the 6-7 49ers.

We probably won't remember any of that a decade or two down the road if the 2024 Chiefs win a Super Bowl. We'll just tell stories about how dominant they were.

Here are the NFL power rankings after Week 14 of the NFL season:

32 (32) New York Giants - 2-11

The Giants played terribly but still had a 35-yard FG attempt to send the game to overtime. And it got blocked. This season can’t end soon enough for them.

31 (30) Tennessee Titans - 3-10

At some point, the Titans have to wonder if Brian Callahan deserves a second year as head coach. The answer is probably yes, but has there been anything positive from this season? A home loss to the Jaguars should have them questioning everything.

30 (31) Jacksonville Jaguars - 3-10

The Jaguars have one positive highlight of this season and it's Brian Thomas Jr. He was drafted behind the hyped trio of Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze, yet leads all rookie wide receivers with 851 yards. He's a building block.

29 (29) Las Vegas Raiders - 2-11

If the season ended right now, the Raiders would have the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. What's that worth in a draft that has no elite prospects? The Raiders would probably feel compelled to take a QB, whether that player is worth the top pick or not.

28 (28) New England Patriots - 3-10

It would be good for the Patriots to get second-round draft pick Ja'Lynn Polk some confidence going into the offseason. He has just 13 receiving yards in his past seven games. It's not like the Patriots have much to lose by playing a talented, highly drafted (37th overall) rookie down the stretch.

27 (27) New York Jets - 3-10

The Jets nearly winning without Breece Hall or Sauce Gardner says the team is still battling, which is a good thing. New York also had Aaron Rodgers' best game with the team on Sunday, which has to be bittersweet near the end of such a disappointing season.

26 (24)mCleveland Browns - 3-10

The Browns are getting nothing out of their recent draft class. That isn't a surprise considering they had no first-round pick and just two selections in the top 155. But they don't have one sack or interception from the class and just 22 yards from scrimmage. That's bad news for a three-win team.

25 (26) New Orleans Saints - 5-8

Derek Carr is week-to-week with a reported fractured left hand and he's also in the concussion protocol. The Saints won at the Giants on Sunday, and it's possible that's the last W they get this season if Carr doesn't return.

24 (22) Chicago Bears - 4-9

The Bears were awful on Sunday. How about one positive: Rome Odunze had two touchdowns. He had one in Chicago's first 12 games. Odunze, the ninth pick of this year's draft, has had a quiet rookie season. A good finish would be a promising sign for 2025 and beyond.

23 (23) Dallas Cowboys - 5-8

The Cowboys lost in the weirdest way Monday night, when they touched a blocked punt and allowed the Bengals to recover it, leading to Cincinnati's go-ahead touchdown. Micah Parsons was beside himself with the loss, and for good reason.

22 (25) Carolina Panthers - 3-10

The Panthers can feel good about a strong recent stretch. But the loss of second-round draft pick Jonathon Brooks to another ACL tear is a big blow. The Panthers were careful with his return. It didn't help him avoid the injury. We might not see Brooks in 2025, given the timing of his injury.

21 (20) Atlanta Falcons - 6-7

Kirk Cousins' dead salary-cap hit for 2025, if the Falcons cut him, would be $65 million. That would be the second-largest hit in NFL history. That's why benching him this season isn't the easy decision. It has ramifications beyond the final four games.

20 (21) Cincinnati Bengals - 5-8

Saquon Barkley is very likely to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year, but Ja'Marr Chase is trying to stay in the race. Chase had 14 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns including the game-winner on Monday night. Why haven't the Bengals paid him yet?

19 (19) Indianapolis Colts - 6-7

If the Colts win at Denver on Sunday there's some hope for a playoff push. They finish the season with the Titans, Giants and Jaguars, the bottom three teams in these rankings. The Colts aren't good enough to be a lock to beat anyone, but it's a team worth keeping an eye on.

18 (14) Arizona Cardinals - 6-7

The Cardinals are 0-3 since their bye and their playoff outlook went from pretty good to barely hanging on. It's troubling because second-half collapses have not been uncommon in the Kyler Murray era. His inconsistent play this season is finally catching up to Arizona.

17 (18) San Francisco 49ers - 6-7

The 49ers decided to finally play like Super Bowl contenders after they fell to two games under .500. That's frustrating. They were dominant in a win over the Bears. The 49ers' only real hope for the playoffs is winning out, and that's possible if this past Sunday was a preview.

16 (17) Miami Dolphins - 6-7

Heading into Monday night's game, the QB with the highest completion percentage in NFL history was Tua Tagovailoa at 68.1%. He is at 73.8% this season, which leads the NFL. He is having another excellent season. Maybe one day he won't be criminally underrated anymore.

15 (15) Houston Texans - 8-5

The Texans are practically a lock to win the AFC South because there are no viable challengers. They also aren't very good themselves and likely on their way to the AFC's No. 4 seed. Perhaps the silver lining is they basically have four exhibition games before the playoffs to figure things out.

14 (16) Los Angeles Rams - 7-6

When Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford are cooking, it's impressive. That's a good Bills defense they shredded on Sunday. The Rams are still alive in the NFC West. Don't forget, they host the Seahawks in Week 18 and already have a win at Seattle.

13 (12) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 7-6

The Buccaneers have to be watching the Falcons implode with glee. Atlanta has an easy remaining schedule, but Tampa Bay is clearly the better team at this point. This is still the only team with a win over the Lions this season, and the Bucs won that at Detroit.

12 (13) Seattle Seahawks - 8-5

The Seahawks are 4-0 since their bye and they are thriving under rookie head coach Mike Macdonald. A win Sunday over the Cardinals made them the new favorite to capture the NFC West. And running back Zach Charbonnet having a career day (193 total yards) is a nice development going forward.

11 (11) Denver Broncos - 8-5

Courtland Sutton has been on a great run. Since being held without a catch vs. New Orleans in Week 7, he has at least six receptions and 70 yards in six games. In four of those games he had 97 or more yards. It's Sutton's best season since 2019, when he made his only Pro Bowl.

10 (10) Washington Commanders - 8-5

The Commanders are in good shape for a playoff spot if they win at New Orleans on Sunday. Their playoff odds would get a lot worse if they blow that game, and we remember them being upset by the Cowboys recently.

9 (9) Los Angeles Chargers - 8-5

The Chargers were without receiver Ladd McConkey and running back J.K. Dobbins on Sunday night, tight end Will Dissly missed the second half and quarterback Justin Herbert was banged up too. They still almost won at Kansas City. The Chargers are capable of winning a road playoff game.

8 (8) Baltimore Ravens - 8-5

The Ravens aren't dead in the AFC North despite being two games behind the Steelers. They host the Steelers in Week 16. Pittsburgh has the second-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon. Baltimore might need to win out, but it still has a shot.

7 (6) Green Bay Packers - 9-4

The Packers are in a weird spot. They're 98.2% to make the playoffs, via DVOA, but have zero chance to win the division. The one thing they can play for is avoiding the No. 7 seed, who will play the NFC North champ or the Eagles in the postseason.

6 (7) Pittsburgh Steelers - 10-3

George Pickens is hard to trust but he's practically all the Steelers have at receiver. With Pickens out on Sunday vs. the Browns, Steelers WRs combined for 88 yards. Pittsburgh won because it is well-rounded. Receiver is one flaw on a team that doesn't have many others.

5 (5) Minnesota Vikings - 11-2

The Vikings still have hard games left against the Lions, Packers and Seahawks, and the Bears might not be a pushover. Still, they keep winning. A Week 18 game between a 14-2 Vikings team and 14-2 Lions team for the NFC North title isn't a stretch.

4 (3) Buffalo Bills - 10-3

Josh Allen's odds to win MVP got a lot better even in a loss. The Bills' hopes of avoiding Arrowhead Stadium in January didn't. Giving up 44 points to the Rams and losing Sunday might define the AFC playoffs.

3 (4) Kansas City Chiefs - 12-1

Even if we give Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes an edge of 20% over their opponent in each close game, the odds of a 60/40 event hitting 15 times in a row is about 0.047%. That's 1 in 2,127. Yes, it's OK to say the Chiefs are good in close games and also still quite lucky to win 15 in a row.

2 (2) Philadelphia Eagles - 11-2

Apparently there's some panic over the Eagles getting just 108 passing yards in a win on Sunday vs. the Panthers. Jalen Hurts is averaging barely over 200 yards per game. Apparently, when Philly is on a nine-game winning streak, you have to find something to worry about.

1 (1) Detroit Lions - 12-1

The defensive injuries are getting concerning. We can talk and joke about Dan Campbell going for it on fourth-and-1 instead of taking the field goal last Thursday, but in doing so he indicated he didn't trust his defense to hold Green Bay out of FG range with about only 40 seconds left.