Week 14 NFL Powerless Ranking: These teams are looking ahead to the draft

It’s time to check in on the teams that can’t get out of their own way. We’re coming up on the home stretch of the 2022 NFL season, and much of it has been unpredictable, but there are always a few teams we expect to disappoint their fan base. Now let’s get into the Powerless Rankings for Week 14.

Teams on the doorstep: Los Angeles Rams (4-9), Las Vegas Raiders (5-8), Green Bay Packers (5-8), Pittsburgh Steelers (5-8)

Arizona creeps into the bottom five as this ship continues to sink on head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Kyler Murray (pictured) left this game early after suffering a non-contact injury. (Seems like we’re seeing more and more of these, btw). Murray only attempted one pass before the injury, which he completed for nine yards. 

The Cardinals and their fans should want to get as far away from this year as quickly as possible. Nothing has gone right for them, and Murray’s injury caps it off. You’d expect Kingsbury to be on the hot seat, but he recently signed a contract extension, so he’ll likely be around for at least another year. The Cardinals have the second-worst record (1-7) at home in the NFL, behind only the lowly Houston Texans. That’s how bad of a year it’s been in Arizona. 

Chicago has its quarterback, and now the Bears have got to finish building the offense around Justin Fields (pictured) and retooling the defense. It sounds like a lot, but Da Bears could be a draft or two away from being ready to compete in the NFC North.

With the Green Bay Packers falling off and the Minnesota Vikings being good but not elite, there is an opening for another team to step up. It might be the Lions, but we know how that’s likely to turn out. Chicago hasn’t won much, but once you have the QB in place, it’s much easier to rebuild from there. 

New Orleans is a team without an identity once again. After years of having one of the most creative head coaches in the league and an explosive offense led by Drew Brees, the Saints are once again the Aints. Simply put, they ain’t got a quarterback. Nobody in the QB room — Andy Dalton (pictured), Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill — is the answer, so New Orleans should be looking at QBs in the upcoming draft. 

It’s tough to evaluate a coach like Dennis Allen (pictured) with so much turmoil at the QB position, but it’s also possible he isn’t the guy to get them back over the hump. He’s never won more than four games in a season going back to his time in Oakland a decade ago. The good news for the Saints is their division is horrible, so one good offseason could turn this ship around. 

The Broncos posted their highest scoring output of the season in Week 14 with a 28-point performance. It’s just too bad it came against the Chiefs, who are known for scoring 30 plus in their sleep. Denver climbed back into this game after falling behind 27-14 at halftime.

Russell Wilson (pictured) played arguably his best game of the season, and the Broncos even outscored the Chiefs 14-7 in the second half. Wilson passed for 247 yards and three TDs before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter with a concussion. This game was within reach for Denver and had Wilson been able to continue, who knows how this would’ve ended? But, like Wilson’s first year in Denver, it just wasn’t meant to be.

Houston put up a good fight against its Lonestar state rivals in Dallas this week before falling apart in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys had a tough time putting the Texans away and trailed in the fourth quarter before securing the 27-23 win. Davis Mills (pictured) had the kind of game we’ve come to expect, passing for 175 yards and one INT.

For Houston, it’s about securing the No. 1 pick now, moving toward the draft, and finding their franchise QB. With essentially a two-game advantage on the Broncos and Bears, the Texans are almost home free in the number one pick sweepstakes.