Sigh. The haters, of which there were many outside of the Colorado Front Range metropolitan area, were incorrect.

Sean Payton always knew exactly what he was doing with his Denver Broncos rebuild. And less than two years into his time in Denver, the Broncos are the formidable powerhouse the future Hall of Fame coach promised when he took the job.

All of a sudden, an uber-efficient, playmaking Bo Nix is neck and neck with Jayden Daniels for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Courtland Sutton looks like a No. 1 receiver again. At the same time, Denver’s shutdown defense — led by Patrick Surtain II and Nik Bonitto — is decimating every offense it faces. And guess what, folks? If not for a blocked field goal in Kansas City, the Broncos would have won five of their last six games. Phew.

It’s not too early to anoint potential playoff dark horses. With the way Denver’s season has gone, it’s probably one of the last teams any of the AFC heavyweights want to potentially see in the playoffs. And it’s all thanks to Payton, who knew what he was doing the entire time. Honestly? Kudos to him.

Naturally, the Broncos are a huge component of For The Win’s NFL Power Rankings in Week 13. Let’s see where they and the rest of the league stand as we head into Thanksgiving week.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars

Last week's rank: 32

The Jaguars took a 46-point loss to the ribs from the NFL's best team. They're 2-9, and former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence has regressed. Badly. Why is Doug Pederson still roaming their sideline? -- Robert Zeglinski

31. Las Vegas Raiders

Last week's rank: 31

Gardner Minshew's broken collarbone will end his season, relegating us to six weeks of either Aidan O'Connell or Desmond Ridder in Nevada. Or, if the football gods are just, one hilarious month of Daniel Jones, Las Vegas Raider. -- Christian D'Andrea

30. New York Giants

Last week's rank: 28

Malik Nabers suggested the Giants' awful quarterbacks aren't the franchise's main problem after New York's blowout loss to Tampa Bay. Uh, agree to disagree, but I see what he's implying. General manager Joe Schoen let an All-Pro running back walk away for nothing while building one of the NFL's worst offensive lines. Head coach Brian Daboll seems like a classic egomaniac who has given his team no identity in almost three years. I think it's plausible to blame them for the Giants' woes. -- RZ

29. New England Patriots

Last week's rank: 24

Whatever momentum Drake Maye had built in New England's 2-2 run was vacated in Miami Gardens. The Dolphins limited his offense to a single touchdown and locked down his downfield passing game until a garbage-time touchdown throw to Austin Hooper. It turns out the Patriots' abject lack of talent is an issue! -- CD

28. Tennessee Titans

Last week's rank: 30

Fun fact: Will Levis has just three turnovers in his last three games, and he looked pretty good against an elite Houston Texans defense in a win. I am not joking when I say that is great progress for a player who looked like he couldn't stop making boneheaded decisions in the early season. It's a small sample size, and it's not entirely encouraging, but Titans coach Brian Callahan seems to know what he's doing with his young quarterback. -- RZ

27. New York Jets

Last week's rank: 26

Instead of resetting during the bye, reports swirled that Jets management was considering benching or sending Aaron Rodgers to injured reserve and that the four-time MVP was looking for an exit from what's been a dysfunctional relationship. You know, totally normal bye-week stuff. -- CD

26. Carolina Panthers

Last week's rank: 29

Bryce Young played the finest game of his young career in a near-upset of the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Wait, WHAT? I can't believe that sentence left my keyboard. Needless to say, after his benching, things are looking up for Young and Carolina's future. He's not setting the world on fire, but he is looking more poised and comfortable, even in one of the NFL's worst situations. -- RZ

25. Cleveland Browns

Last week's rank: 27

Cleveland averted disaster in the snow thanks to some clutch completions from Jameis Winston. Would the Browns re-sign him in 2025, knowing they have no way to move on from the onerous, fully guaranteed contract of Deshaun Watson, the league's 38th-best quarterback who was accused of more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct and what the league itself described as "predatory behavior?" Or will the franchise opt for a young prospect in a flawed class instead? -- CD

24. Dallas Cowboys

Last week's rank: 25

Well ... huh. (Jimmy Johnson voice) How 'bout them Cowboys? After everyone had written them off for 2024, Dallas entered Washington and humbled Jayden Daniels without much resistance. Don't let a chaotic final few minutes get this twisted. The Cowboys, while playing for pride, looked like a solid team. Hmm, maybe Thanksgiving against Tommy DeVito won't be that hard to watch after all. Eh, that's probably wishful thinking. -- RZ

23. Chicago Bears

Last week's rank: 23

The losses aren't the headline here. Caleb Williams' return to franchise quarterback status is. After looking like the next broken robot in the Bears' toy chest, Williams has thrived after the firing of former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. He's been given the tools to thrive behind center. Now, he needs a coach who can get him to meet his ludicrous potential. -- CD

22. Indianapolis Colts

Last week's rank: 22

Anthony Richardson wasn't as bad as his stat line suggested on Sunday. He had several big plays wiped out by penalties, drops, and a general lack of focus from his supporting cast. No one expected Indy to upset the Detroit Lions. But a better effort from the people surrounding Richardson -- who looks a lot more confident since his benching -- would've likely, at least, made Detroit sweat more. -- RZ

21. New Orleans Saints

Last week's rank: 21

New Orleans is returning to stasis as a six-to-nine-win team, failing to serve as a playoff threat or be bad enough to land a top quarterback prospect in next spring's draft. Derek Carr is also playing clean, efficient football in a way that's difficult to care about. Unless you're Michael Thomas, in which case you care too much. -- CD

20. Miami Dolphins

Last week's rank: 20

So much for Tua Tagovailoa being a Tyreek Hill merchant. The electric Miami receiver was mostly a non-factor against the Patriots on Sunday. That didn't matter. Tagovailoa didn't miss a beat in a performance where he threw four touchdowns, completed over 72 percent of his passes, and averaged nearly eight yards per pass attempt. Don't look now, but the suddenly red-hot Dolphins are nipping at the heels of the AFC's No. 7 playoff seed.

19. San Francisco 49ers

Last week's rank: 15

Brock Purdy and Nick Bosa both missed Week 12, but that doesn't exactly excuse allowing Green Bay to score a season-high 38 points Sunday afternoon. It could have been more if Christian Watson had hauled in a perfect deep ball at the end of the second quarter. Kyle Shanahan's run-after-catch wizardry is fading, and losses across the defensive depth chart have taken their toll. A season that was supposed to prop open the Niners' championship window may instead force us to watch it slowly close. -- CD

18. Cincinnati Bengals

Last week's rank: 19

Cincinnati's season unofficially ended when it couldn't complete a miraculous comeback against the "bolty" Los Angeles team. No one's going to pack in the towel just yet, but this team is almost certainly in spoiler mode. Joe Burrow would captivate a lot of hearts in southern Ohio if he managed to ruin the hated Pittsburgh Steelers' season in two different matchups over the next month and a half. -- RZ

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last week's rank: 18

Baker Mayfield is in the top seven of most relevant quarterback statistics (yards, completion percentage, touchdown passes, and passer rating). We're seeing the ex-No. 1 pick finally reach his potential, and it's a magnificent sight to behold. And because of the Atlanta Falcons' recent struggles, this MVP-caliber version of Mayfield still has an opportunity to get yet another NFC South division title for the Buccaneers. -- RZ

16. Los Angeles Rams

Last week's rank: 13

Los Angeles patched up its offensive line long enough for a surge, but blocking issues were a concern on Sunday night when Matthew Stafford was sacked five times and pressured 12 more in a loss to the Eagles -- especially when that chaos was sewn on only seven Philadelphia blitzes. Stafford's presence and a host of explosive skill players should make the Rams a tough out this winter, but that lack of protection may be their fatal flaw. -- CD

15. Seattle Seahawks

Last week's rank: 17

Seattle is a difficult team to trust -- a galaxy of stars (and potential stars) who don't always create winning constellations. But in terms of pure talent (and a rising offensive line), there's a lot to like about the Seahawks. Geno Smith has proven himself throughout his time in the Pacific Northwest ... but the one thing he's missing is a playoff win. -- CD

14. Washington Commanders

Last week's rank: 11

We chalked up the Commanders' offense struggles against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia because those are two elite defenses. With Washington failing to generate much positivity against the Cowboys' 30th-ranked unit, there's officially a Kliff Kingsbury predictability problem in the nation's capital. And who could've seen this coming? It's not like this is the third or fourth time in Kingsbury's coaching career, right? Oh, wait. -- RZ

13. Houston Texans

Last week's rank: 12

C.J. Stroud is experiencing a stunning sophomore slump. Nico Collins is the only Texans receiver who can consistently get open without being schemed open. Bobby Slowik has lost grip of Houston's offensive steering wheel. And DeMeco Ryans' top-five defense can't, well, hold up forever. But hey, at least the Texans will probably win the AFC South again before getting humiliated in the wild-card round. Silver linings! -- RZ

12. Arizona Cardinals

Last week's rank: 10

The Seahawks contained Kyler Murray and forced him into one of his least impactful games of 2024 -- he had as many sacks taken as completions of 10-plus yards in Seattle. That wasn't what Arizona wanted to see after taking a hot streak into its Week 11 bye. Can the Cardinals get back to punching above their weight class, or are they still a year away from a postseason return? -- CD

11. Atlanta Falcons

Last week's rank: 16

Atlanta badly needed the bye to figure its stuff out. But things won't get easier after Week 12 as games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings loom. The Falcons could dip under .500 in December ... or emerge refreshed and take control of the NFC South en route to a playoff bid. -- CD

10. Denver Broncos

Last week's rank: 14

Bo Nix has over 20 touchdowns and just two turnovers in his last 10 games. The only other quarterbacks to ever do that in NFL history are Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers. Yes, you read that right. Factor in an elite Denver defense, and it's time to start fearing the Broncos as a legitimate AFC playoff dark horse. -- RZ

9. Green Bay Packers

Last week's rank: 8

A win over the 49ers would have been discounted even with Brock Purdy in the lineup, but the Packers still acquitted themselves well against a diminished rival. Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney each continue to thrive as Brian Gutekunst cements his place as one of the league's more under-appreciated general managers. And hey, Jordan Love got his first game without an interception, which is neat! -- CD

8. Pittsburgh Steelers

Last week's rank: 4

Russell Wilson continued his semi-resurgence in Week 12 by nearly bringing the Steelers back from the dead in snowy Cleveland. But Pittsburgh's defense couldn't hold up against Jameis Winston, and the black and gold took a loss on the chin. Alas, provided Pittsburgh takes care of business down the stretch, its first AFC North title since the turn of the decade is within grasp. That'll be easier said than done with a schedule featuring games against juggernauts like Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Baltimore, as well as two battles with feisty Cincinnati. -- RZ

7. Los Angeles Chargers

Last week's rank: 9

Jim Harbaugh's defense is beginning to show cracks, which makes sense given the lack of depth he inherited in Year 1 with the Chargers. Los Angeles hadn't given up more than 20 points before Week 11. In its last two games, opponents have hung a combined 57 points on Harbaugh's team. -- CD

6. Baltimore Ravens

Last week's rank: 7

We got so invested in the "is Saquon Barkley NFL MVP?" talk we forgot about the running back who originally begged the question in 2024. Derrick Henry remains a beautiful asset in the Baltimore offense as a short-yardage cheat code and rising tide who makes life easier for all parties. -- CD

5. Minnesota Vikings

Last week's rank: 5

There's a ceiling to what Sam Darnold can do, but the Vikings have proven they have the talent around him to mitigate this. He led Minnesota to an overtime win in Chicago on a day where Justin Jefferson had only two catches, thanks to the presence of guys like T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison, and Aaron Jones. Pair that with a defense that continues to sew chaos, and this could be the Vikings' longest playoff run since Case Keenum was thriving in the Twin Cities. -- CD

4. Philadelphia Eagles

Last week's rank: 6

Galvanized by Vic Fangio's usual coaching brilliance, Philadelphia has the best and most disruptive defense in the NFL since Week 6. Meanwhile, Saquon Barkley is piecing together one of the greatest seasons by a running back in league history. He might be the likely MVP right now. Suffice it to say, the Eagles have juice again. At this rate, anything less than an NFC title game berth would be a disappointment. -- RZ

3. Kansas City Chiefs

Last week's rank: 3

The Chiefs once again allowed an opponent to stick around and, once again, escaped with a win. Steve Spagnuolo's championship-caliber defense played host to the best game of Bryce Young's career and got torn up by David Moore, a wide receiver who had more catches in Week 12 (six) than he did from 2021 to 2023 combined (five). This would all be much more concerning if not for the last five seasons of Kansas City's existence. -- CD

2. Buffalo Bills

Last week's rank: 2

The Bills lost Stefon Diggs and Matt Milano (for most of the season) and still have a top-10 offense and defense in expected points added. Josh Allen is a veritable MVP candidate, and Buffalo can clinch a fifth consecutive AFC East title this Sunday -- which would officially be the longest streak in franchise history. All of a sudden, a visit to Detroit in a few weeks looks like a monumental game on the NFL regular-season schedule for obvious (cough, cough) reasons. -- RZ

1. Detroit Lions

Last week's rank: 1

Detroit's offense gets most of the love, but it's time to give this defense its flowers. The Lions have allowed more than 14 points only once since their Week 5 bye. They haven't allowed a touchdown since November 10. They outscored the entirety of the AFC South 154-49. This team is terrifying right now. -- CD

This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Sean Payton has finally turned surprising Broncos into an AFC contender