NFL power rankings Week 15: San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals NFL's hottest teams
The San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals are streaking toward the NFL playoffs as the hottest teams in the league.
The NFC's 49ers are now 9-4 on the season after starting the year 3-4. They have won six straight games, the longest current win streak in the NFL.
The AFC's Bengals are also 9-4 after winning five straight games.
When will their streaks end this regular season? Will they end?
The 49ers face the Seattle Seahawks in a pivotal NFL Week 15 contest on Thursday Night Football, before taking on the Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals to conclude the regular season.
NFL Week 15 picks: 49ers vs. Seahawks | Colts vs. Vikings | Ravens vs. Browns | Dolphins vs. Bills | Falcons vs. Saints | Steelers vs. Panthers | Eagles vs. Bears | Chiefs vs. Texans | Cowboys vs. Jaguars | Lions vs. Jets | Cardinals vs. Broncos | Patriots vs. Raiders | Titans vs. Chargers | Bengals vs. Buccaneers | Giants vs. Commanders | Rams vs. Packers
The Bengals have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens left on the schedule.
These teams could be major factors in the NFL postseason this year.
Check out how we rank the 49ers, Bengals and all 30 other NFL teams heading into Week 15 of the 2022-23 season, from lowest to highest. Previous ranking in parenthesis.
NFL Week 15 odds: 49ers vs. Seahawks | Colts vs. Vikings | Ravens vs. Browns | Dolphins vs. Bills | Falcons vs. Saints | Steelers vs. Panthers | Eagles vs. Bears | Chiefs vs. Texans | Cowboys vs. Jaguars | Lions vs. Jets | Cardinals vs. Broncos | Patriots vs. Raiders | Titans vs. Chargers | Bengals vs. Buccaneers | Giants vs. Commanders | Rams vs. Packers
32. Houston Texans (32)
Lost to Cowboys, 27-23, to fall to 1-11-1. Who will the Texans take with the No. 1 NFL draft pick in 2023?
31. Denver Broncos (31)
Lost to Chiefs, 34-28, to fall to 3-10. This team has lost five straight and nine of 10. Ouch.
30. Chicago Bears (30)
Entered bye week in NFL Week 14 with 3-10 record. The Bears end the season with games vs. Eagles, Bills, Lions and Vikings. Yikes.
29. Indianapolis Colts (28)
Entered bye week in NFL Week 14 with 4-8-1 record. Exit it with a matchup against the Vikings on the road.
28. Los Angeles Rams (29)
Beat Raiders, 17-16, to improve to 4-9. We're not sure if the Rams deserve more credit for their Week 14 win or if the Raiders deserve more blame.
27. New Orleans Saints (25)
Entered bye week in NFL Week 14 with 4-9 record. If the Saints hadn't fallen apart in Week 13 against the Buccaneers, the entire NFC South would be 5-8.
26. Las Vegas Raiders (17)
Lost to Rams, 17-16, to fall to 5-8. Too big a drop for the Raiders? Not after that collapse against Baker Mayfield and the Rams.
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25. Arizona Cardinals (24)
Lost to Patriots, 27-13, to fall to 4-9. A rough season got rougher for the Cardinals with Kyler Murray's injury and the loss to the Patriots.
24. Atlanta Falcons (23)
Entered bye week in NFL Week 14 with 5-8 record. They exit it just one game back in the abysmal NFC South.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19)
Lost to 49ers, 35-7, to fall to 6-7. Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 NFL draft, just helped hand the Bucs a loss. This Tampa Bay team might not win the NFC South.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers (22)
Lost to Ravens, 16-14, to fall to 5-8. The Steelers' defense is good enough to keep it in any game. It has too to give them a chance to win.
21. Cleveland Browns (21)
Lost to Bengals, 23-10, to fall to 5-8. The Browns' offense is struggling with Deshaun Watson and now gets to face the Ravens' defense in Week 15.
How to watch: NFL Week 15 schedule, television information
20. Green Bay Packers (20)
Entered bye week in NFL Week 14 with 5-8 record. They have a very winnable game against the Rams in Week 15.
19. Carolina Panthers (27)
Beat Seahawks, 30-24, to improve to 5-8. Steve Wilks has done a great job with the Panthers, who have won three of their last four games and could still win the NFC South.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (26)
Beat Titans, 36-22, to improve to 5-8. This team looks great one week and bad the next. How will it look against the Cowboys in Week 15?
17. Tennessee Titans (14)
Lost to Jaguars, 36-22, to fall to 7-6. Tennessee should make the playoffs because of its really bad division, but we don't think they'll last long in them.
16. New England Patriots (16)
Beat Cardinals, 27-13, to improve to 7-6. This team did what it had to do on Monday to stay in the AFC playoff race. Can it remain there?
15. New York Jets (13)
Lost to Bills, 20-12, to fall to 7-6. The Jets have lost three of four games to fall out of playoff position. It might be hard getting back into it with the Lions, Jaguars, Seahawks and Dolphins still on the schedule.
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14. New York Giants (T-11)
Lost to Eagles, 48-22, to fall to 7-5-1. The Giants are 0-3-1 in their last four games and have the Vikings and Commanders on deck. Could they miss the playoffs?
13. Detroit Lions (18)
Beat Vikings, 34-23, to improve to 6-7. Too high of a jump for the Lions? Maybe. But we've been impressed with Dan Campbell's team (and not impressed with some teams below them).
12. Seattle Seahawks (10)
Lost to Panthers, 30-24, to fall to 7-6. The Seahawks couldn't afford to lose to the Panthers with the 49ers and Chiefs on deck.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (15)
Beat Dolphins, 23-17, to improve to 7-6. The Chargers have four very winnable games remaining vs. Titans, Colts, Rams and Broncos.
10. Washington Commanders (T-11)
Entered bye week in NFL Week 14 with 7-5-1 record. This team hasn't lost since Week 9 and faces the Giants for the second straight game.
9. Miami Dolphins (8)
Lost to Chargers, 23-17, to fall to 8-5. Are the Dolphins in trouble? They have lost two straight and face the Bills on the road in Week 15.
8. Baltimore Ravens (9)
Beat Steelers, 16-14, to improve to 9-4. The NFL Week 18 game against the Bengals could be for the AFC North division title.
7. Minnesota Vikings (3)
Lost to Lions, 34-23, to fall to 10-3. The Vikings are going to make the playoffs, but we don't have confidence that they will last very long in them.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (7)
Beat Browns, 23-10, to improve to 9-4. The Bengals' remaining schedule is very interesting with the Buccaneers, Patriots, Bills and Ravens to close the regular season.
5. San Francisco 49ers (6)
Beat Buccaneers, 35-7, to improve to 9-4. With a defense like San Francisco's Brock Purdy just has to be OK for the 49ers. He looked more than OK in his first NFL start.
4. Dallas Cowboys (2)
Beat Texans, 27-23, to improve to 10-3. A win is a win, but we're dropping the Cowboys because of how they looked against the Texans.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (5)
Beat Broncos, 34-28, to improve to 10-3. The Chiefs have the Texans, Seahawks, Broncos and Raiders left on the schedule. Will they lose again?
2. Buffalo Bills (4)
Beat Jets, 20-12, to improve to 10-3. This team has to be the favorite to win the AFC right now thanks to its win at Kansas City earlier in the season.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (1)
Beat Giants, 48-22, to improve to 12-1. The Eagles are flying. They have scored 40, 35 and 48 points in their last three games.
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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NFL power rankings Week 15: 49ers, Bengals surging toward NFL playoffs
