NFL NationDec 2, 2025, 06:35 AM ETCloseNFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.
play2:19Stephen A.: Eagles are ‘coming apart at the seams’Stephen A. Smith explains why he believes the Eagles’ Week 13 loss was worse than the Rams’ loss to the Panthers.
play1:20Schefter: Colts’ early-season momentum seems to be goneAdam Schefter joins “Get Up” and discusses the tough road for the Colts to get into the playoffs after Sunday’s loss to the Texans.
play1:26Eisen: NFC South is now a division that could be won by PanthersRich Eisen gives his thoughts on the current state of the Panthers and previews their upcoming schedule.
play0:52Will the Vikings sort out their QB issues in time for next game?Kevin Seifert details the ongoing issues at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.
play1:45Stephen A.: Shedeur Sanders should start the rest of the seasonStephen A. Smith breaks down why the Browns should start Shedeur Sanders at quarterback for the rest of the season.
Why Rich Eisen is impressed by the Bears (2:00)Rich Eisen offers his outlook on the Bears after they defeated the Steelers and Eagles in back-to-back weeks. (2:00)
Stephen A.: Eagles are ‘coming apart at the seams’Stephen A. Smith explains why he believes the Eagles’ Week 13 loss was worse than the Rams’ loss to the Panthers.
Stephen A. Smith explains why he believes the Eagles’ Week 13 loss was worse than the Rams’ loss to the Panthers.
Schefter: Colts’ early-season momentum seems to be goneAdam Schefter joins “Get Up” and discusses the tough road for the Colts to get into the playoffs after Sunday’s loss to the Texans.
Adam Schefter joins “Get Up” and discusses the tough road for the Colts to get into the playoffs after Sunday’s loss to the Texans.
Eisen: NFC South is now a division that could be won by PanthersRich Eisen gives his thoughts on the current state of the Panthers and previews their upcoming schedule.
Rich Eisen gives his thoughts on the current state of the Panthers and previews their upcoming schedule.
Will the Vikings sort out their QB issues in time for next game?Kevin Seifert details the ongoing issues at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.
Stephen A.: Shedeur Sanders should start the rest of the seasonStephen A. Smith breaks down why the Browns should start Shedeur Sanders at quarterback for the rest of the season.
Stephen A. Smith breaks down why the Browns should start Shedeur Sanders at quarterback for the rest of the season.
The playoff race is heating up after Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season, which started on Thanksgiving and concluded with a Patriots win on “Monday Night Football.” After victories by the Bills, Chargers, Jaguars and Packers, there are still 12 teams at least four games over .500. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that’s tied with 2000 for the most teams at that mark through Week 13 since the 1970 merger.
How do these teams fit in our updated Power Rankings? We restacked the NFL heading into Week 14, which includes byes for the Giants, Panthers, Patriots and 49ers. In addition to the 1-32 rankings, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to pick an X factor for the final stretch of the season. Who could be crucial to their team in a postseason push? Who needs big performances to get a new contract for 2026?
Let’s get into it with the No. 1 team, which is different from last week’s rankings. Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluated how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.
With starting DT Milton Williams on injured reserve because of a high ankle sprain for at least the next two games and No. 3 DT Khyiris Tonga slowed by a chest injury from Week 12, more of the burden falls on Barmore. Through the first nine weeks, the Patriots hadn’t allowed an opposing running back to gain 50 rushing yards in a game. But in Weeks 10-12, Patriots opponents averaged more than 5.0 yards a carry. — Mike Reiss
This Sunday showed just how important the Rams’ pass rush has been to their success on defense. That group has been particularly helpful to an injury-riddled secondary by pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Young is the leader — at least in sacks — of their pass rush with a career high of 10 this season. The 2023 third-round pick is also setting himself up for a big contract extension, which he’s eligible for after the season. — Sarah Barshop
With J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve (foot), Harvey is clearly the team’s RB1 and the only “big” back on the roster at 205 pounds — no other player at the position is over 200 pounds. He has shown improvement in pass protection, so that should give him some additional third-down snaps in the weeks ahead. But the Broncos need him at his decisive best as a runner if their run game is going to be more than ornamental. — Jeff Legwold
The Bills’ rushing attack — fueled by Cook and his offensive line and coached by Aaron Kromer — has been a vital piece of the team’s success. To secure a spot in the postseason, the Bills need production on the ground when their inconsistent passing game falls short. Three of the Bills’ four losses have come when Cook rushes for fewer than 100 yards. The team is 0-4 when he has less than 20 carries. — Alaina Getzenberg
The Colts are 5-0 when Taylor rushes for 100 yards or more. That’s a bit of an oversimplification because he tends to close out wins by running the ball and chewing up clock. But there’s a relationship between the Colts having an efficient offensive performance and Taylor being productive. In recent weeks, neither has been true, and Indy has lost three of four, with Taylor averaging 62.7 yards in those losses. — Stephen Holder
Schefter: Colts’ early-season momentum seems to be gone
When Young plays well and limits turnovers, the Panthers have a chance. The past two weeks are prime examples. He had three touchdown passes and a season-high passer rating of 147.1 against the Rams on Sunday. The week before that, Young had two picks and a passer rating of 60.8 in a loss to San Francisco when the defense played well enough to win. With teams stacking up against the run, Young has to perform well in the pass game. — David Newton
Eisen: NFC South is now a division that could be won by Panthers
With so many areas of concern, it’s hard to pin down one player as the team’s X factor entering this crucial stretch. Rodgers, though, is a good place to start. The offense mustered a season low of points against the Bills and possessed the ball for just 18 minutes. The defense has glaring issues, too. But if Rodgers and the offense can sustain drives, that could alleviate the load carried by the defense. — Brooke Pryor
Will the Vikings sort out their QB issues in time for next game?
Kevin Seifert details the ongoing issues at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.
Sanders, a fifth-round pick, will make his third straight start against the Titans, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter previously reported that the Browns are open to giving Sanders an extended look for the rest of the season. He has shown flashes in his two starts (60% completion rate, two touchdown passes) and will have an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on Cleveland’s decision-makers ahead of the offseason. The team has two first-round picks in the 2026 draft. — Daniel Oyefusi
Stephen A.: Shedeur Sanders should start the rest of the season
McDonald, a 2023 first-round pick, is on pace for his second double-digit sack season, but he has had stretches of inconsistency. Four of his seven sacks came in Week 10 against the Browns. His pressure percentage of 11.7% is down from last season’s 16.3%, per NFL Next Gen Stats. The Jets have to make a decision on McDonald’s fifth-year option by May. Right now, it’s projected at $14.9 million (fully guaranteed) for 2027. — Rich Cimini
Thibodeaux missed his third straight game Monday night because of a shoulder injury, and he has just 2.5 sacks in 10 games. The edge rusher started 2025 strong, but the injury has hurt his value moving forward. Thibodeaux has a fifth-year option in 2026, but he could have been up for a new contract had this season gone well. Now, it will be interesting to see how he finishes on the field. It could go a long way in determining his future with the team. — Jordan Raanan
The Saints’ last win came when Olave had his only 100-yard game of the season in Week 10 against the Panthers. The Saints are down two receivers now that Brandin Cooks and Rashid Shaheed are gone and running back Alvin Kamara is hurt. That means there aren’t a lot of pass-catching options for rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. Devaughn Vele had his best game as a Saint against the Dolphins, but the Saints need Olave to get their offense going. — Katherine Terrell
The Packers aren’t just getting back another receiver soon. They’re getting back their leading receiver in each of the past two seasons. Reed hasn’t played since he broke his collarbone in Week 2. He underwent surgery to repair that, as well as a fracture in his foot, and is expected to return either this week against the Bears or next week against the Broncos. Reed is the Packers’ most versatile receiver and should make their passing game even more difficult to defend down the stretch. — Rob Demovsky
Moore’s emergence over the past month has played a crucial role in San Francisco’s special teams turnaround. He ranks fifth in the NFL in yards per kick return (28.1) and 11th in yards per punt return (12.1). He has nearly scored on one of each and has said repeatedly it’s just a matter of time until he takes one all the way. The Niners need contributions from all over the roster in order to make up for what they’ve lost to injury, so Moore could be particularly important down the stretch. — Nick Wagoner
Wright is a big reason the Bears lead the NFL in takeaways (26). The backup-turned-starter for 11 of 12 games is second on the team in interceptions (five), including the Bears’ only pick-six. He also has three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Considering the Bears’ lack of consistent pass rush, they will continue to lean on Wright to earn extra possessions. Those instinctive plays, such as a forced fumble on the Eagles’ tush push Friday, are keeping Wright on the field even as the rest of the Chicago secondary gets healthy at a critical time. — Courtney Cronin