NFL power rankings entering Week 13 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):
2. Philadelphia Eagles (3): RB Saquon Barkley showed Sunday night he might be the league’s best player. Per OptaSTATS, he’s the first to have more than 500 yards from scrimmage over consecutive games since Hall of Famer Walter Payton in 1977. He’s also the first since Maurice Jones-Drew 15 years ago to break two TD runs of 70-plus yards in the same game. But is Barkley the most valuable player in the NFL? Not ready to go there yet … though maybe Sunday’s game at Baltimore – against MVP candidates Lamar Jackson and (maybe) Derrick Henry – will shed further light on Barkley’s case.
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7. Baltimore Ravens (6): ‘Harbaugh Bowls’ are becoming byes for them. Not really, and playing another physical team on the West Coast in a Monday night matchup doesn’t bode especially well for the turnaround with those brutish Eagles making the quick commute to Charm City on a short week. But the Ravens are in a good spot, only a half-game out of first place in the AFC North.
13. Los Angeles Chargers (11): Detractors who might want to label them the Hoosiers of the NFL are eating no crow. A defense that hadn’t given up more than 20 points all season – albeit against questionable competition – has surrendered 57 at home over the past two weeks. It was also scorched for 212 yards on the ground Monday, the most ever for a Jim Harbaugh-coached team. Factor in RB J.K. Dobbins’ knee injury and … woof.
15. Atlanta Falcons (14): The August trade for Matthew Judon hasn’t borne fruit, the veteran pass rusher averaging roughly one pressure per game.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19): They might be on their way, Sunday’s rout of the Giants initiating what’s still the easiest remaining schedule (measured by opponents’ winning percentage) for any NFC team. WR Mike Evans had a 68-yard day on the heels of a five-week injury absence but will have to average 99.5 the rest of the way to keep his career-long string of 1,000-yard seasons intact.
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28. New York Jets (25): Before you avert your eyes … never mind – avert, avert.
29. Tennessee Titans (30): Per NFL Media, second-year QB Will Levis is the first player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to post a passer rating of at least 105.0 over three games while also being sacked at least 20 times.
30. Las Vegas Raiders (27): They hadn’t lost seven in a row since being based in Oakland … until now. Maybe it’s time to break tendencies and sign the ultimate anti-Raider – yes, we’re thinking it’s time for Daniel Jones to give this franchise, like, a shot in the arm … maybe of V8?
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.