The latest batch of power rankings across the NFL

Week 14 has come and gone and the Dallas Cowboys are tied for the best record in the NFL. What a wonderful time to be amongst friends.

It was a 33-13 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles that elevated the Cowboys this past week and as a result they have picked up some positive steam across NFL circles from people who are suddenly willing to give them their due.

But where should they rank among all 32 teams as we roll further into December? Where exactly do these other people have them ranked?

It is time for our weekly power rankings as well as our curation of where outlets across the internet have the Cowboys slotted.

You can see last week’s rankings right here.

1. San Francisco 49ers, 10-3 (LW: 1)

They are without question the best team in the NFL right now. They are terrifying.

2. Dallas Cowboys, 10-3 (LW: 2)

We had them at number two last week and they justified that position.

3. Baltimore Ravens, 10-3 (LW: 4)

They are not always pretty but even when they are not they count the same. Sunday was an impressive victory that Baltimore was able to hold onto.

4. Philadelphia Eagles, 10-3 (LW: 3)

It appears that the status quo has changed.

5. Buffalo Bills, 7-6 (LW: 10)

They are desperate and sort of rolling which offers an uneasy feeling heading into their house.

6. Miami Dolphins, 9-4 (LW: 5)

That was a really tough loss. And even before it happened their offense was not showing up in grand fashion.

7. Cleveland Browns, 8-5 (LW: 14)

Good for Joe Flacco. what a fun story.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars, 8-5 (LW: 8)

Obviously they lost but the way they battled and the way that Trevor Lawrence did specifically was really impressive. They are going to be a hard out in the playoffs.

9. Detroit Lions, 9-4 (LW: 6)

It still feels safe to assume that they will win the NFC North, but they seem to be a cut below the top-tier NFC contenders at the moment.

10. Kansas City Chiefs, 8-5 (LW: 7)

Imagine getting all kinds of upset about what was objectively a penalty.

11. Los Angeles Rams, 6-7 (LW: 13)

They seem to really be peaking and hitting their stride. The NFL has yet to see a #7 seed win a playoff game since the added it two years ago, I wouldn’t count the Rams out from shocking somebody if they manage to squeak in.

12. Cincinnati Bengals, 7-6 (LW: 17)

Jake Browning is something else and the Bengals really are The Goonies. They never say die.

13. Houston Texans, 7-6 (LW: 9)

All the best to C.J. Stroud.

14. Denver Broncos, 7-6 (LW: 18)

Sean Payton deserves a lot of credit for making lemonade out of all of this. The Broncos are holding on and finding ways to win.

15. Indianapolis Colts, 7-6 (LW: 12)

They have felt like they were on borrowed time and it sort of caught up to them, but they are very much still in the mix for a playoff spot.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 6-7 (LW: 21)

Will they be the team to host the NFC East loser?

17. Green Bay Packers, 6-7 (LW: 11)

They had everything in front of them and lost it at the hands of Tommy DeVito.

18. Seattle Seahawks, 6-7 (LW: 15)

Please help us out next week. We said please.

19. Atlanta Falcons, 6-7 (LW: 16)

Nobody really wants to win the NFC South it seems.

20. New Orleans Saints, 6-7 (LW: 22)

Although they are still in the running for it.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers, 7-6 (LW: 19)

How do you lose that badly, and at home on top of it all, to the Patriots in 2023?

22. Tennessee Titans, 5-8 (LW: 26)

Like the Bengals they can truly never be counted out. What a rally!

23. Minnesota Vikings, 7-6 (LW: 20)

Winning a game 3-0 is… something.

24. New York Giants, 5-8 (LW: 27)

Not only is the Tommy DeVito story a ton of fun, but it is happening at no cost to us given how far out of things the Giants are. They are ruining their hope for a top 5 pick and if DeVito can steal even one against the Eagles down the stretch that would be great.

25. Chicago Bears, 5-8 (LW: 29)

Good for Matt Eberflus!

26. New York Jets, 5-8 (LW: 30)

And seriously good for Zach Wilson. Happy he got his moment.

27. Los Angeles Chargers, 5-8 (LW: 23)

As if watching them were not taxing enough now we have to do it on a Thursday night and in all likelihood without Justin Herbert.

28. Las Vegas Raiders, 5-8 (LW: 24)

Losing a game 3-0 is… something.

29. Arizona Cardinals, 3-10 (LW: 25)

Another potential ray of hope for the Cowboys what with their pending trip to Philly.

30. New England Patriots, 3-10 (LW: 31)

Kudos on the win, I guess?

31. Washington Commanders, 4-9 (LW: 28)

At least they did not lose.

32. Carolina Panthers, 1-12 (LW: 32)

They did for the millionth time.

NFL.com: 3 (LW: 4)

The movement begins.

For a guy who was on the operating table a few days before, Mike McCarthy looked pretty healthy loping over to call timeout prior to the touchdown that gave Dallas a 24-6 halftime lead over rival Philadelphia. McCarthy called all the right shots in that opening half Sunday night, converting on a 60-yard field goal in the first quarter and successfully pulling off the rare TD-notching challenge at the goal line in the second quarter. Things simmered down after that, but in the end, the Cowboys sent a big message that they are indeed serious contenders for both the NFC East crown and the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs. This was the quality victory Dallas needed, but the next two are at Buffalo and at Miami, so the work isn’t yet done, especially with the Eagles’ remaining schedule a lot more favorable.

ESPN: 2 (LW: 5)

They also added a biggest improvement for every team.

Biggest improvement: Red zone offense

We could say the entire offense, especially the passing game, comparing it to where the Cowboys were after the loss to San Francisco in Week 5, but the red zone improvement has been dramatic. In the first five games, the Cowboys converted touchdowns on 7 of 19 red zone trips (36.8%). Since then, they have scored touchdowns on 25 of 38 opportunities. Quarterback Dak Prescott’s efficiency has matched perfectly with coach Mike McCarthy’s playcalling. This is how you lead the NFL in scoring (32.3 points per game). — Todd Archer

USA Today: 2 (LW: 4)

Deuces wild.

Though they’ll still need some help to win the NFC East, particularly during such a tough stretch of the schedule, no doubt at this point that they’re playing the best football in the division. And speaking of foot and ball, Brandon Aubrey’s remarkable season (perfect on all 30 FG tries) continued in Sunday night’s thrashing of the Eagles when he became the first kicker to connect from 59+ yards twice in the same game. Also, HC Mike McCarthy is undefeated without an appendix.

Yahoo: 2 (LW: 4)

Again.

The Cowboys are still very likely to finish second in the NFC East and get the No. 5 seed (and that seems like it could cost Dak Prescott an MVP award, based on how voters usually decide the award). But now that Dallas has a quality win, it legitimizes the hot streak they’ve been on. There’s a big gap between Dallas and the No. 1 team, but the Cowboys deserve the second spot.

CBS Sports: 2 (LW: 3)

And again.

They beat up the Eagles on Sunday night, but face another tough test on the road against the Bills this week. Dak Prescott is pushing hard for the MVP.

The Athletic: 2 (LW: 3)

Yet another one.

The Cowboys quarterback strengthened his MVP candidacy Sunday night by leading Dallas to a resounding win over the Eagles. Thus far, this is the third-best fantasy season of Prescott’s career (20.98 points per game). On the field, it may be his best. He is second in the league in EPA per attempt (.29) and passer rating (107.5) and his touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.7) is the best of any quarterback with more than 250 attempts this season.

Sports Illustrated: 4 (LW: 6)

The Eagles are number 3 here, by the way.

The NFL season is a series of runs. There are weeks when players feel great and weeks they don’t. There are weeks they feel motivated to slam their bodies into concrete and weeks they don’t. On Sunday, we saw the Cowboys at a peak. The question is—and always has been—whether we will get this in the playoffs against one of two teams (Philadelphia or San Francisco) with a slightly deeper set of personnel.