Racing Post Sport NFL power rankings: Patriots back on track after Titans upset

Each week, we will list the 32 NFL teams in order of best to worst and see how far each one climbs up or falls down the list during the course of the regular season.

Last week's rankings

Here's this week's 1-32:

1 New Orleans up one
Record: 10-1
Last week: Won 31-17 at home to Atlanta
This week: 7.5-point favourites at Dallas

The super Saints made it ten wins in a row by crushing Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day and their head-to-head win over the Rams gives them the edge in the race for the top seeding in the NFC.

2 Los Angeles Rams down one
Record: 10-1
Last week: Bye
This week: Ten-point favourites at Detroit

The Rams slip off the top following their week off but they deserved a holiday after their amazing 54-51 win over Kansas City in the best game of the season so far.

3 Kansas City Chiefs unchanged
Record: 9-2
Last week: Bye
This week: 15-point favourites at Oakland

The Chiefs will be eyeing up the record books again after their epic duel with the Rams as the Oakland defence look woefully unprepared to handle Kansas City's offensive strength, as the huge handicap line highlights.

4 New England Patriots up one
Record: 8-3
Last week: Won 27-13 at New York Jets
This week: Six-point favourites at home to Minnesota

New England are only one game behind the Chiefs in the AFC playoff race and have gone three clear of Miami in a poor AFC East division but they don't have the same aura of the dominant Brady-Belichick sides of old.

5 Los Angeles Chargers up two
Record: 8-3
Last week: Won 45-10 at home to Arizona
This week: 3.5-point underdogs at Pittsburgh

The Chargers shrugged off a slow start to blitz bewildered Arizona with quarterback Philip Rivers completing 28 of his 29 passes. The big game on their schedule is their showdown with the Chiefs on December 14.

6 Minnesota Vikings unchanged
Record: 6-4-1
Last week: Won 24-17 at home to Green Bay
This week: Six-point underdogs at New England

The Vikings defence looked more like their old selves in a notable victory over the Packers. We will know a lot more about their playoff potential after they have visited the Patriots and Seahawks in their next two games.

7 Pittsburgh Steelers down three
Record: 7-3-1
Last week: Lost 24-17 at Denver
This week: 3.5-point favourites at home to Los Angeles Chargers

The Steelers lost for the first time in seven games at Denver when a poor late interception from Ben Roethlisberger ended their hopes. They still have to face the Chargers, Patriots and Saints in their last five fixtures.

8 Houston Texans unchanged
Record: 8-3
Last week: Won 34-17 at home to Tennessee
This week: Five-point favourites at home to Cleveland

The Texans are the first team ever to win eight games in a row after making an 0-3 start and their victory over a handy Tennessee team was sound. With a Jets-Eagles-Jaguars finish, they are looking good, but they might find the improving Browns awkward visitors to deal with on Sunday.

9 Baltimore Ravens unchanged
Record: 6-5
Last week: Won 34-17 at home to Oakland
This week: 1.5-point favourites at home to Atlanta

The Ravens are expected to stick with Lamar Jackson at quarterback for at least one more game with Joe Flacco still not fit and the rookie is making a decent case to keep the job.

10 Chicago Bears up three
Record: 8-3
Last week: Won 23-16 at Detroit
This week: 4.5-point favourites at New York Giants

The Bears' hungry defence makes them a team others will not relish meeting in the playoffs and they should have high hopes of a sixth straight win when they go to New York this week.

11 Philadelphia Eagles unchanged
Record: 5-6
Last week: Won 25-22 at home to New York Giants
This week: 6.5-point favourites at home to Washington

The Super Bowl champions are finding ways to stay alive in a mediocre NFC East race and after squeaking their way past the Giants - having trailed 19-3 - they will have no excuses if they can't beat a Washington team shorn of starting quarterback Alex Smith.

12 Carolina Panthers down two
Record: 6-5
Last week: Lost 30-27 at home to Seattle
This week: 3.5-point favourites at Tampa Bay

It would be understandable for Carolina to lose heart being four wins behind the steaming Saints in the NFC South but a three-game losing streak is hampering their wildcard hopes. A visit to Tampa Bay gives them an ideal chance to end that run.

13 Denver Broncos up one
Record: 5-6
Last week: Won 24-17 at home to Pittsburgh
This week: Four-point favourites at Cincinnati

The Broncos defence came good when it mattered against the Steelers and it's no surprise to see them road favourites at Cincinnati, who were blown away by the Browns last week. They have a great chance to even up their record.

14 Seattle Seahawks up three
Record: 6-5
Last week: Won 30-27 at Carolina
This week: Ten-point favourites at home to San Francisco

Things are looking up for the Seahawks, who are in the thick of the battle for a wildcard place and earned themselves what could be a handy tiebreaker in that race with a head-to-head win over the Panthers.

15 Green Bay Packers down three
Record: 4-6-1
Last week: Lost 24-17 at Minnesota
This week: 14-point favourites at home to Arizona

You need a good quarterback to win games, but a good quarterback clearly needs some support. The Packers have one of the game's elite passers in Aaron Rodgers but they have lost all six of their road games. This week's contest gives them a great chance to shape up their ideas, though.

16 Indianapolis Colts up five
Record: 6-5
Last week: Won 27-24 at home to Miami
This week: Four-point favourites at Jacksonville

The Colts made it five wins in a row albeit not in convincing fashion against Miami. The good news is they get the Jaguars next, who are not only riding a seven-game losing streak but will also be missing suspended running back Leonard Fournette.

17 Dallas Cowboys up seven
Record: 6-5
Last week: Won 31-23 at home to Washington
This week: 7.5-point underdogs at home to New Orleans

The Cowboys have won three in a row to go top of the NFC East, but they face a much tougher test of their credentials on Thursday night when the Saints come marching into town.

18 Cleveland Browns up seven
Record: 4-6-1
Last week: Won 35-20 at Cincinnati
This week: Six-point underdogs at Houston

The Browns ended their 25-game losing streak on the road one game short of the league record with a convincing Ohio derby win at Cincinnati in which they went 35-7 up just after half-time. Interim head coach Gregg Williams has won two of his three games and is just one win short of predecessor Hue Jackson's 3-36-1 record already.

19 Tennessee Titans down four
Record: 5-6
Last week: Lost 34-17 at Houston
This week: 9.5-point favourites at home to New York Jets

The Titans disappointed on Monday night and they remain a team who can either look very good or very bad from week to week. The good news for them is that four of their final five games, but they have little scope for any more off-days.

20 Atlanta Falcons down four
Record: 4-7
Last week: Lost 31-17 at New Orleans
This week: 1.5-point underdogs at home to Baltimore

The Falcons were blown away by the Saints, which is entirely forgivable in itself, but they have lost three in a row since standing at 4-4 and have won only one of their five road games. Their defence needs to step up against the Ravens or their season will be over.

21 Washington Redskins down three
Record: 6-5
Last week: Lost 31-23 at Dallas
This week: 6.5-point underdogs at Philadelphia

Washington quarterback Colt McCoy had little time to prepare for his Thanksgiving Day start against the Cowboys, when he did well enough in the circumstances after starter Alex Smith's horrific leg injury against the Texans. If he's sharper against the Eagles they are not without hope.

22 Detroit Lions down two
Record: 4-7
Last week: Lost 23-16 at home to Chicago
This week: Ten-point underdogs at home to LA Rams

The last thing Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford would have wanted to see after his late interceptions dashed their hopes against the Bears is the Rams defence next on the schedule. The Lions look to be at a crossroads.

23 Miami Dolphins unchanged
Record: 5-6
Last week: Lost 27-24 at Indianapolis
This week: Five-point favourites at home to Buffalo

The Dolphins made a decent fist of their game against the Colts but still blew a ten-point lead as quarterback Ryan Tannehill returned after injury. They get another AFC East derby next but there is little room for more disappointments.

24 Jacksonville Jaguars down five
Record: 3-8
Last week: Lost 24-21 at Buffalo
This week: Four-point underdogs at home to Indianapolis

The Jaguars' slump is one of the biggest surprises of the season but their losing streak is up to seven, they have benched quarterback Blake Bortles to start Cody Kessler and running back Leonard Fournette is suspended this week after his part in a brawl against the Bills. Things could be going better.

25 Cincinnati Bengals down three
Record: 5-6
Last week: Lost 35-20 at home to Cleveland
This week: Four-point underdogs at home to Denver

The Bengals were embarrassed at home by the Browns last week and must start their recovery mission without starting quarterback who will miss the rest of the season with a thumb injury. Unheralded back-up Jeff Driskel did a fair job after replacing Dalton last week but he faces a tough task.

26 New York Giants unchanged
Record: 3-8
Last week: Lost 25-22 at Philadelphia
This week: 4.5-point underdogs at home to Chicago

The Giants gave it a go against the Eagles but their season is effectively over and it won't be easy for them at home to the in-form Bears.

27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers up two
Record: 4-7
Last week: Won 27-9 at home to San Francisco
This week: 3.5-point underdogs at home to Carolina

The Buccaneers secured their fourth win against the 49ers after losing four games in a row but their schedule gets nasty again now with the Panthers, Saints and Ravens their next three opponents.

28 Buffalo Bills up three
Record: 4-7
Last week: Won 24-21 at home to Jacksonville
This week: Five-point underdogs at Miami

The Bills show occasional flashes of hope for the future but three wins in a row might be asking a little too much of them.

29 San Francisco 49ers down two
Record: 2-9
Last week: Lost 27-9 at Tampa Bay
This week: 10-point underdogs at Seattle

The 49ers are in a tailspin and parted company with linebacker Reuben Foster, a former first-round draft pick, this week for disciplinary reasons. A trip to a noisy CenturyLink Field in Seattle would not have been top of their wishlist.

30 New York Jets down two
Record: 3-8
Last week: Lost 27-13 at home to New England
This week: 9.5-point underdogs at Tennessee

It's five defeats in a row for the Jets. Quarterback Sam Darnold is back at practice after missing the last two games but seems unlikely to be risked against the Titans.

31 Oakland Raiders down two
Record: 2-9
Last week: Lost 34-17 at Baltimore
This week: 15-point underdogs at home to Kansas City

The Raiders and Chiefs have a famous rivalry but they are huge home underdogs for this week's AFC West showdown and with good reason.

32 Arizona Cardinals unchanged
Record: 2-9
Last week: Lost 45-10 at Los Angeles Chargers
This week: 14-point underdogs at Green Bay

The Cardinals were blown away by the Chargers after making what looked like a decent start. Some will argue there are worse teams just above them in the list (they have beaten the 49ers twice) but no one is getting moved up after a 35-point defeat.

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