NFL Week 15 Power Rankings: Dallas Cowboys climb to No. 2

• Biggest riser: Cincinnati Bengals (up seven places since Week 14)

• Biggest faller: Los Angeles Chargers (down eight places since Week 14)

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NFL Week 15 Power Rankings

WEEK 14 PFF GRADES & TAKEAWAYS

The Zach Wilson-led Jets beat the Texans 30-6 in Week 14. The Texans earned a 46.2 team offense grade, the lowest of the week. The Jets' 70.8 team offense grade ranked ninth and was their highest mark of the 2023 campaign.

The Bears beat the Lions decisively. The Lions ranked 28th in team offense grade at 54.7, their lowest grade of the season. Quarterback Jared Goff threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, which gave the Bears too many scoring opportunities. The Bears offense ranked 12th in team offense grade at 68.1.

The Vikings and Raiders fought a defensive battle, with the Vikings leading the league in team defense grade (86.5) and the Raiders finishing sixth (74.0). Both teams failed to earn a 60.0-plus grade on offense.

The Monday Night Football doubleheader gave us two upsets, with the Giants beating the Packers and the Titans getting the better of the high-flying Dolphins. The Dolphins earned a fourth-ranked 75.8 team offense grade in Week 14 and have the hardest schedule remaining, according to PFF Greenline.

Biggest Riser: Cincinnati Bengals

Just when it looked as though the Joe Burrow-less Bengals were dead in the water, backup signal-caller Jake Browning stepped right in and has hardly put a foot wrong. Now, the Bengals are squarely back in the playoff hunt.

Browning earned a league-leading 85.9 PFF passing grade in Week 14, leading the Bengals to a second consecutive win. He finished with zero turnover-worthy plays as his pick-six unluckily bounced off his receiver’s hands.

Biggest Faller: Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers have been on the downswing for a couple of weeks now, but now they will have to finish the season without starting quarterback Justin Herbert.

Unlike the Bengals, the Chargers don’t have a good enough roster to win without their starting quarterback, and backup quarterback Easton Stick has dropped back to pass just 27 times in the regular season since being drafted in 2019 — and 26 of those snaps came last week.

At this point, the Chargers should focus on the 2024 NFL Draft and try to improve the roster for next season.

WAR Lost to Injuries

Notable offensive injuries this week include Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson and running back Alexander Mattison, Texans receiver Nico Collins, Rams receiver Tutu Atwell, Falcons offensive linemen Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom, Jaguars guard Ezra Cleveland, and Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill and center Connor Williams.

Notable defensive injuries this week include 49ers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., and Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton.

Late-Down Decision-Making

The Patriots lost the most in win probability by kicking on fourth downs in Week 14. Combined, the Patriots and Steelers punted 15 times. Both teams struggled to move the chains, with the Patriots converting 24.6% of their plays into a new set of downs (23rd) and the Steelers converting just 25.7% of the time (20th).

The Chargers didn’t convert any of their third-down plays in Week 14. They ranked last among teams in team offense grade on third down (37.2).

While the Lions continue to be aggressive on fourth downs, they went 1-of-6 on fourth-down attempts last week. Through Week 14, they’ve converted 48.3% of their fourth downs into a score or a new set of downs.

Game Finishers

In the second half of their Week 14 clash with the Texans, the Jets moved the chains of 37.5% of their plays and recorded a 44.7% offensive success rate, both of which paced the league.

The Bills gave the Chiefs a chance to come back in the second half. Kansas City converted 32.3% of offensive plays into a score or a new set of downs in the second half, while the Bills did so on just 21.1% of their plays (26th).

The Vikings earned a 90.3 team defense grade in the second half of their Week 14 game against the Raiders, as they gave up a league-best -0.69 expected points added (EPA) per play over the final 30 minutes. They limited the Raiders to the lowest second-half conversion rate in the league (8.7%).

The Titans came out swinging in the second half, finishing fifth in conversion rate (32.4%) this week, while the Dolphins finished 16th (26.2%). The Dolphins converted only two of their eight third-down plays in the second half. From Week 1 to Week 13, they moved the chains on 30.3% of their third-down plays.

The Trenches

The Bills offensive line struggled against the Chiefs, earning just a 59.7 PFF grade as a unit. They gave up two sacks, five hits and eight hurries across 49 passing plays.

The Patriots offensive line allowed the highest pressure rate in Week 14 (46.9%). Quarterback Bailey Zappe dropped back to pass just 32 times, and the line allowed two sacks and 13 hurries.

The Falcons offensive line had a near-perfect day in pass protection, as they gave up just one pressure (a hurry) across 45 pass-blocking snaps.

Defensive Success

The Texans defense could not stop a Jets offense that racked up a season-high 315 passing yards. New York also did well defensively, leading the league in forced incompletion percentage (34.5%).

The Cowboys and Titans excelled in coverage, as neither team allowed a touchdown through the air.

The Dolphins were uncharacteristically poor in coverage, allowing 10 plays of 15 or more yards. Through Week 13, they ranked fifth in coverage grade (90.1) and fourth in EPA per play allowed (-0.12).