Home Sports Eight-team race to the Super Bowl

Sports

Eight-team race to the Super Bowl

November 28, 2023

Call them “The Crazy Eight.”

There are eight NFL teams — four in each conference — with at least eight victories after Week 12 of the season, which is tied with three other seasons (2020, 2019 and 2003) for the most teams to reach eight since 2002.

Yes, the NFL looks top-heavy.

But don’t worry; plenty of drama is setting up for the playoff race.

Five teams are within one game of each other for one wild-card spot in the AFC. Five teams are within one game of each other for two Wild spots in the NFC — plus the NFC South is wide open for a team with a losing record to qualify and host a playoff home game.

So, who’s the ninth-best team in the NFL? That’s anyone’s guess.

Here are The Post’s NFL power rankings for Week 13:

1. Eagles 10-1 (1)

Never underestimate the value of a great kicker. Jake Elliott’s game-tying 59-yarder through the rain tied the score with 20 seconds left in regulation, and Jalen Hurts capped a five-touchdown day (three passing, two rushing) with a 12-yard scramble to the end zone to seal a 37-34 overtime win against the Bills. The Eagles overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit.

2. Chiefs 8-3 (2)

After not scoring in the second half for three straight games, the Chiefs scored 17 to break a halftime tie in a 31-17 win against the Raiders. All of it was needed, too, after falling into a 14-0 hole. The Chiefs have held 11 straight opponents to 24 points or fewer. Isiah Pacheco rushed for two touchdowns.

3. 49ers 8-3 (5)

Christian McCaffrey rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the 49ers jumped out to a 21-point halftime lead and cruised to a 31-13 win against the Seahawks. The 49ers have won 10 straight against NFC West opponents and three straight overall to put a three-game losing streak in the distance.

4. Dolphins 8-3 (4)

Jevon Holland returned a Hail Mary interception 99 yards the other way for one of the craziest touchdowns in NFL history — the most memorable moment of a 34-13 win against the Jets in the inaugural “Black Friday” game. Rahmeet Mostert ran for two touchdowns to offset two interceptions thrown by Tua Tagovailoa.

5. Ravens 9-3 (6)

The well-traveled Jadeveon Clowney is playing like a former No. 1 overall draft pick, culminating with a key strip-sack takeaway that kept fourth-quarter points off the board in a 20-10 victory against the Chargers. Rookie Zay Flowers scored both touchdowns, icing the game with 96 seconds to go. The Ravens have led entering the fourth quarter in all 12 games.

6. Lions 8-3 (3)

The Lions dropped their seventh straight Thanksgiving game, losing 29-22 to the Packers. Converting just 1 of 5 fourth-down tries didn’t help the cause. Especially the failed fake punt from their own 23-yard line that led to an easy touchdown. Jared Goff fumbled a career-high three times, one of which was returned for a defensive touchdown.

7. Jaguars 8-3 (7)

Trevor Lawrence threw for 364 yards and accounted for two touchdowns as the Jaguars improved to 6-0 away from home and avenged an earlier loss to the Texans by winning, 24-21, in Houston. Brandon McManus made 3 of 4 field goals while counterpart Matt Ammendola missed both his attempts, including a would-be, game-tying, 58-yarder in the final minute.

8. Cowboys 8-3 (8)

A 25-point fourth-quarter explosion turned a close game into a 45-10 blowout against the Commanders. Dak Prescott threw for 331 yards and had multiple touchdown passes for the fifth straight game. Da’Ron Bland set a NFL single-season record with his fifth interception return for a touchdown. The Cowboys have won 13 straight at home — their longest streak in 42 years.

9. Steelers 7-4 (12)

In their first game since firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada, the Steelers snapped a 58-game streak of not gaining 400 yards by tallying 421 in a 16-10 win against the Bengals. Najee Harris scored a touchdown, and Chris Boswell kicked three field goals. The defense sacked Jake Browning four times in his first career NFL start.

10. Broncos 6-5 (14)

Left for dead after losing five of their first six games, the Broncos earned their fifth straight win by beating the Browns, 29-12, in a game that could have AFC playoffs tiebreaker ramifications. Their last similar longer streak was a 7-0 start in 2015. Denver recovered three fumbles and four sacks on third-string quarterback P.J. Walker.

11. Browns 7-4 (9)

12. Texans 6-5 (10)

13. Bills 6-6 (11)

14. Seahawks 6-5 (14)

15. Vikings 6-6 (15)

16. Colts 6-5 (18)

17. Packers 5-6 (20)

18. Bengals 5-6 (16)

19. Rams 5-6 (22)

20. Falcons 5-6 (25)

21. Saints 5-6 (17)

22. Raiders 5-7 (19)

23. Chargers 4-7 (21)

24. Buccaneers 4-7 (23)

25. Jets 4-7 (24)

An unwatchable offense wasn’t any better with Tim Boyle replacing Zach Wilson in the loss to the Dolphins. Perhaps that has something to do with the lack of starting-caliber receivers and offensive linemen around the quarterback. D.J. Reed and Brandin Echols had interceptions, but it seems a vaunted defense has been wearing down during a four-game skid.

26. Titans 4-7 (27)

27. Giants 4-8 (28)

The Tommy DeVito train keeps rolling. DeVito became just the seventh rookie quarterback in 31 tries to beat a Bill Belichick-led Patriots defense, as he threw for a touchdown in a 10-7 win. The defense has totaled nine takeaways in back-to-back wins, so head coach Brian Daboll and coordinator Wink Martindale need to bury their reported tension.