Analysis

12/14/21

8 min read

Domo's Week 14 Power Rankings: Browns Punch Their Way Into Playoff Conversation

By Paul Domowitch

Senior Writer
Domo's Week 14 Power Rankings: Browns Punch Their Way...

1) Bucs (10-3)     Previous: 2

Last week: W33-27BUF

This week: v. 6-7 Saints

Good news: Tom Brady has an NFL-best plus-26 TDs-to-INTs differential and has been sacked just 16 times.

Bad news: Defense has given up 6.5 yards per carry in the last three games.

2) Packers (10-3)     Previous: 3

Last week: W45-30CHI

This week: at 8-5 Ravens

Good news: Aaron Rodgers has thrown 10 TD passes and no interceptions in the last three games.

Bad news: The Packers’ special teams problems could cost them in the playoffs.

3) Cardinals (10-3)     Previous: 1

Last week: L23-30LAR

This week: at 1-11-1 Lions

Good news: RB James Conner had 125 yards from scrimmage against the Rams, including 94 receiving yards on nine catches.

Bad news: Kyler Murray had his second lowest passer rating of the season against the Rams and failed to throw a touchdown pass for just the third time in 13 games.

4) Patriots (9-4)     Previous: 4

Last week: bye

This week: at 7-6 Colts

Good news: Rookie QB Mac Jones has a 70.3 completion percentage and has thrown just two interceptions in the last seven games.

Bad news: Patriots are 26th in red-zone offense, converting just 54.3 percent of their trips inside the 20 into TDs. They’re 3-for-9 in the last three games.

5) Chiefs (9-4)     Previous: 5

Last week: W48-9LVR

This week: at 8-5 Chargers

Good news: Chiefs have won six in a row and their defense has given up just 65 points in those six wins.

Bad news: Travis Kelce has just six receptions for 54 yards in the last two games.

6) Cowboys (9-4)     Previous: 6

Last week: W27-20@WAS

This week: at 4-9 Giants

Good news: Defense forced four turnovers, had four sacks and allowed Washington to convert just 3 of 14 third-down opportunities.

Bad news: Cowboys converted just one of six red-zone opportunities into TDs against Washington.

7) Rams (9-4)     Previous: 8

Last week: W30-23@ARI

This week: v. 5-8 Seahawks

Good news: Rams managed to beat the Cardinals despite the absence of several key starters, who were on the COVID list.

Bad news: Rams have one of the more difficult homestretches. They finish with the Seahawks, Vikings, Ravens and 49ers.

8) Titans (9-4)     Previous: 10

Last week: W20-0JAX

This week: at 6-6-1 Steelers

Good news: Ryan Tannehill had just his second interception-free performance in the last eight games.

Bad news: It came against a Jacksonville defense that has five interceptions.

9) Bills (7-6)     Previous: 7

Last week: L27-33@TB

This week: v. 5-8 Panthers

Good news: Defense has given up just 10 passing touchdowns in 13 games.

Bad news: Josh Allen has averaged less than six yards per attempt in five of the last seven games.

10) Colts (7-6)     Previous: 11

Last week: bye

This week: v. 9-4 Patriots

Good news: RB Jonathan Taylor has averaged 5.8 yards per carry and has 10 rushing TDs in the last five games.

Bad news: Their next two games are against the 9-4 Patriots and the 10-3 Cardinals.

11) 49ers (7-6)    Previous: 12

Last week: W26-23@CIN

This week: v. 6-7 Falcons

Good news: Jimmy Garoppolo has rediscovered George Kittle. The Niners TE has 22 catches for 332 yards and three TDs in the last two games.

Bad news: Niners are 24th in third-down offense (37.3%). They’ve converted just 8 of 25 third-down attempts in the last two games.

12) Chargers  (8-5)     Previous: 14

Last week:W37-21NYG

This week: v. 9-4 Chiefs

Good news: Justin Herbert has a plus-40 TDs-to-INTs differential in his first 28 NFL starts.

Bad news: The Chargers’ run defense isn’t getting any better. Giants averaged 5.2 yards per carry against them.

13) Ravens (8-5)     Previous: 9

Last week: L22-24@CLE

This week: v. 10-3 Packers

Good news: Backup Tyler Huntley completed 27 of 38 passes and almost led the Ravens to a comeback win over the Browns.

Bad news: The Ravens are facing the very real possibility of not having Lamar Jackson for this week’s important game against Green Bay.

14) Bengals (7-6)     Previous: 13

Last week: L23-26SF

This week: at 7-6 Broncos

Good news: Playing with an injured finger on his throwing hand, Joe Burrow put up his highest passer rating (125.6) since Week 4.

Bad news: Bengals have lost four of their last six and have given up 142 points in those four losses.

15) Broncos (7-6)     Previous: 17

Last week: W38-10DET

This week: v. 7-6 Bengals

Good news: The Broncos’ 184 rushing yards against the Lions was their second highest total of the season.

Bad news: Running the ball against the Lions is easier than giving instructions to Alexa.

16) Vikings (6-7)     Previous: 18

Last week: W36-28PIT

This week: at 4-9 Bears

Good news: Any concerns about Dalvin Cook’s injured shoulder were put to bed by his 205-yard rushing performance against the Steelers.

Bad news: Mike Zimmer’s defense continues to be unreliable. Vikings are 25th in points allowed (25.6) and have given up 122 points in their last four games.

17) Washington (6-7)     Previous: 15

Last week: L20-27DAL

This week: at 6-7 Eagles

Good news: Defense sacked Dak Prescott four times and gave up just one TD in six red-zone challenges.

Bad news: Their top ball carrier, Antonio Gibson, has fumbled six times this season and lost four of them.

18) Raiders (6-7)     Previous: 16

Last week: L9-48@KC

This week: at 7-6 Browns

Good news: Slot receiver Hunter Renfrow has 30 catches for 353 yards in the Raiders’ last three games.

Bad news: Raiders turned the ball over five times against the Chiefs.

19) Browns (7-6)     Previous: 23

Last week: W24-22BAL

This week: v. 6-7 Raiders

Good news: Baker Mayfield’s 68.8 completion percentage v. Ravens was his highest since Week 5.

Bad news: Browns failed to score in the second half and nearly blew a 24-6 halftime lead.

20) Dolphins (6-7)     Previous: 19

Last week: bye

This week: v. 3-10 Jets

Good news: The Dolphins have won five games in a row.

Bad news: Just one of the five teams they’ve beaten during that streak has a winning record (Ravens).

21) Eagles (6-7)      Previous: 20

Last week: bye

This week: v. 6-7 Washington

Good news: Jalen Hurts is fourth in the league in rushing first downs with 50.

Bad news: He’s 33rd in third-down completion percentage (51.2).

22) Saints (6-7)     Previous: 22

Last week: W30-9@NYJ

This week: at 10-3 Bucs

Good news: Saints got Alvin Kamara back just in the nick of time. He rushed for 120 yards Sunday.

Bad news: QB Taysom Hill has run for three more touchdowns (5) than he’s thrown for (2).

23) Steelers (6-6-1)     Previous: 21

Last week: L28-36@MIN

This week: v. 9-4 Titans

Good news: Big Ben has put together back-to-back games with 100-plus passer ratings.

Bad news: Their run defense is a sieve. They’ve been gashed to the tune of 5.7 yards per carry in their last six games.

24) Seahawks (5-8)     Previous: 26

Last week: W33-13@HOU

This week: at 9-4 Rams

Good news: Russell Wilson has thrown six touchdown passes and one interception in the last three games.

Bad news: Seahawks offensive line already has given up 39 sacks.

25) Falcons (6-7)     Previous: 27

Last week: W29-21@CAR

This week: at 7-6 49ers

Good news: Falcons are 5-2 on the road this season.

Bad news: They’re 1-5 at home.

26) Bears (4-9)     Previous: 24

Last week: L30-45@GB

This week: v. 6-7 Vikings

Good news: Justin Fields is averaging 5.9 yards per carry.

Bad news: He’s 30th in the league in passing with a 69.3 rating.

27) Panthers (5-8)     Previous: 28

Last week: L21-29ATL

This week: at 7-6 Bills

Good news: Panthers defense has given up just 18 touchdown passes.

Bad news: Their own quarterbacks have thrown just 11.

28) Giants (4-9)     Previous: 25

Last week: L21-37@LAC

This week: v. 9-4 Cowboys

Good news: The Giants have five picks in the first three rounds of the draft, including, at the moment, Nos. 5 and 6 in the first round.

Bad news: There is no reason to believe they will have the foggiest idea what to do with them.

29) Lions (1-11-1)     Previous: 29

Last week: L10-38@DEN

This week: v. 10-3 Cardinals

Good news: With four games left, Lions are in the driver’s seat for the first overall pick in the draft.

Bad news: They’ve got the 10-3 Cardinals next, who aren’t going to be in a good mood after losing to the Rams.

30) Jets (3-10)     Previous: 30

Last week: L9-30NO

This week: at 6-7 Dolphins

Good news: Held an opponent without a touchdown pass for the first time since Week 3. Of course, that didn’t really matter since the Saints were able to run all over them.

Bad news: Their last six losses have been by an average of 21.7 points. That’s well into not-even-trying territory.

31) Jaguars (2-11)     Previous: 31

Last week: L0-20@TEN

This week: v. 2-11 Texans

Good news: Just four more games until they start a new head-coaching search and we don’t have to think about Urban Meyer any more.

Bad news: Trevor Lawrence threw four interceptions against the Titans and has thrown just one touchdown pass in the last six games. There’s a lot more going on there than just a rookie QB having trouble adjusting to the speed of the pro game.

32) Texans (2-11)     Previous: 32

Last week: L13-33SEA

This week: at 2-11 Jaguars

Good news: Texans defense is tied for sixth in interceptions with 14.

Bad news: The turnovers haven’t helped the offense much. Texans haven’t scored more than 22 points since Week 1.

Tags: Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, NFL Power Rankings See More

Paul Domowitch

Senior Writer

Paul Domowitch covered the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL for the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer for four decades. He has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame selector since 2001.

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