NFL power rankings, post-Week 14 edition:
1. Saints (2): Collectively, they're back on track for home-field advantage. But from individual vantage point, Drew Brees' MVP candidacy taking on water.
2. Rams (1): Jared Goff reverted to dreadful rookie form. Todd Gurley was treated as afterthought. It was as if, for one ugly night, Jeff Fisher was back.
3. Chiefs (4): We're tired of those touting how hard it will be for visitors to win at Arrowhead in January. K.C. has lost six straight home playoff games.
4. Chargers (5): Do they ever fire on all cylinders? Just as Joey Bosa and special teams approach peak form, offense nearly unravels against DOA Bengals.
5. Patriots (3): Hindsight provides clarity, yet hard to figure why Gronk defending on last play (Devin McCourty wasn't) with Miami 69 yards from end zone.
6. Bears (9): Is there a starting 11 in league superior to Chicago's defense? Only one that leaps to mind is Matt Nagy's nearly 3,300-pound Santa's Sleigh package.
7. Texans (6): Just as we were starting to believe hype, maybe J.J. Watt and Co. were, too. Window to overtake Pats for first-round bye now virtually shut.
8. Cowboys (7): Top-five defense continues to do its part. But Dak, Zeke and Coop can't afford to sleepwalk until fourth quarter once postseason arrives.
9. Seahawks (11): Rebooted defense looked solid Monday night, though this team will have trouble going on road and winning in wild-card round.
10. Ravens (13): For 59 minutes, Lamar Jackson played his best game as starting quarterback. He lapsed into rookie form at end, but encouraging performance.
11. Steelers (8): To some degree it's probably pure coincidence, but it's worth noting this team began eroding right as Le'Veon Bell said peace out on 2018.
12. Colts (15): Among tools we might have forgotten were in Andrew Luck's copious arsenal is a killer hard count. Jadeveon Clowney evidently forgot, too.
13. Dolphins (17): Only five QBs have passer rating better than Ryan Tannehill's 105.7. With Vikes, Jags, Bills left, two wins could mean playoff ticket.
14. Titans (18): Epic performance by Derrick Henry on Thursday, but also concerning one-third of this year's rush production came in one game. Feed the man.
15. Vikings (12): Kirk Cousins will be subject for (some) deserved criticism for their implosion, but there's plenty of blame to go around in Minnesota.
16. Broncos (10): Emmanuel Sanders' Achilles injury in practice couldn't have come at worse time ... while also casting doubt about Demaryius Thomas trade.
17. Browns (20): He gets overshadowed by Baker Mayfield, but rookie RB Nick Chubb has been aces ... and could top 1,000 yards in basically half a season.
18. Panthers (16): Cam Newton, who says he's "playing the best football of my career," has room to grow — like not throwing heaters to WRs near end zone.
19. Eagles (14): Super Bowl hangover is real. Philly about to become fourth defending champ in past seven years to miss playoffs in subsequent campaign.
20. Packers (25): Let's not assume troops have been successfully rallied yet. Unlike last week, Pack survived team struggling more than they've been. Shrug.
21. Falcons (21): Julio Jones has taken plenty of (undeserved) grief for struggling to score. But he moves chains, his 66 first-down catches topping league.
22. Giants (22): Saquon Barkley needs 460 yards from scrimmage over final three weeks to break Eric Dickerson's rookie record (2,212), established in 1983.
23. Buccaneers (23): Gave Saints all they could handle for more than three quarters. Too little, too late, but Bucs playing like division's second-best squad.
24. Lions (24): As his production dries up, Matthew Stafford will have to wait a season to become first with 40,000 passing yards and no playoff wins.
25. Redskins (19): What's left to say about team that's demise was largely of its own making — from front office decisions to apparent locker room friction.
26. Bengals (26): Defense no longer trending toward being worst statistically in NFL history. But this may be Marvin Lewis' worst post-Carson Palmer club.
27. 49ers (32): Still unfathomable that, after George Kittle's 210-yard first half, Kyle Shanahan couldn't get his TE 5 more yards and that receiving record. Boo.
28. Jets (29): You can't miss him on social media even if you've missed his games. But best believe Jamal Adams has reached all-pro caliber in second year.
29. Raiders (30): Probably no surprise Reggie McKenzie was cast out — after all, he wanted to build a nucleus around guys like Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper.
30. Bills (27): Josh Allen should listen to advice Michael Vick offered Lamar Jackson — propensity to bolt pocket will eventually/certainly prove costly.
31. Jaguars (28): Insert palms-up emoji. Just when it looked like pride had returned in Week 13 shutout of Indy, apparently none was packed for Nashville.
32. Cardinals (31): Is Larry Fitzgerald best receiver to play whole career with one team? Numbers say yes. Debate says Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Megatron among those also in conversation.
(Previous week's rank in parentheses)