When Aaron Rodgers took the final kneeldown Sunday, the Green Bay Packers shifted from a pack of title contenders to the "it" team in the National Football League. Green Bay hasn't held that post since the conclusion of its 15-1 campaign in 2011.
NFL power rankings 2014, Week 14: Eagles on the rise, while Packers climb to the top
The Green Bay Packers’ impressive win against the New England Patriots has jettisoned them to the top of the power rankings.
Rodgers is playing as well or better than he did that year, and the Packers' defense has improved considerably with the addition of Julius Peppers, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and others. While the New England Patriots remain a dangerous team, they no longer hold the top spot over Green Bay after Rodgers and company defeated them in Week 13, 26-21.
The Eagles accomplished a similarly impressive feat by demolishing the Dallas Cowboys in Jerry World. Mark Sanchez completed 69 percent of his passes for 217 yards and a touchdown -- his second game as an Eagle without a turnover. Just as importantly, LeSean McCoy broke out for his biggest game of the season, rushing for 159 yards and a score on 25 attempts.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals are heading in the wrong direction. Losing to the Seahawks in Seattle last week wasn't a massive blow -- most teams struggle at CenturyLink Field -- but dropping a game to the previously 4-7 Atlanta Falcons is cause for concern. Todd Bowles' defense remains as ferocious as ever, but the offense hasn't come close to holding up its end since Carson Palmer went down. Larry Fitzgerald's absence is clearly affecting this team as well. The Cardinals must hope that his return can fix enough issues to keep the team afloat.
Another team falling down the ranks is Pittsburgh. The Steelers played poorly for the third time in as many games, and it cost them against the New Orleans Saints. Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 400 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to negate Drew Brees' five scores. Pittsburgh's defense continues to give up big plays through the air, a problem considering the number of great quarterbacks in the AFC. Though they're still in the heart of the AFC North race, the Steelers are starting to look too old to compete again.
Here’s a full look at how the sports media outlets ranked the teams after Week 13:
| Team | Record | SB Nation | ESPN | NFL.com | Football Outsiders | Average |
| Green Bay Packers | 9-3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.5 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 9-3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Denver Broncos | 9-3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2.5 |
| New England Patriots | 9-3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8-4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5.8 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 8-4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 7.0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 9-3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 9.8 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8-3-1 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 19 | 11.8 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8-4 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 11.8 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 8-4 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 9.5 |
| Detroit Lions | 8-4 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 11.0 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7-5 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 10.8 |
| Miami Dolphins | 7-5 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 12.0 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 7-5 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 4 | 12.0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-5 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15.3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7-5 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14.3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7-5 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 9 | 14.5 |
| Houston Texans | 6-6 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 19.0 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-5 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 19.3 |
| St. Louis Rams | 5-7 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 19.5 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 5-7 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23.0 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-7 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21.8 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5-7 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 10 | 18.5 |
| Chicago Bears | 5-7 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23.5 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-10 | 25 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 27.0 |
| Washington | 3-9 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27.0 |
| Carolina Panthers | 3-8-1 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26.8 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-10 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 29.8 |
| New York Jets | 2-10 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 26 | 28.8 |
| New York Giants | 3-9 | 30 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26.5 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2-10 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 30.8 |
| Oakland Raiders | 1-11 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 31.5 |
The four polls we use:
We use four different rankings to compile our weekly average. Our power rankings sources are from our in-house rankings, ESPN and NFL.com. We also factor in the DVOA rankings from Football Outsiders to add an objective statistical measurement to the formula.
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