Cowboys' NFL power rankings roundup has Dallas surging up board

The Dallas Cowboys have reeled off three wins in a row to put themselves in the NFC playoff picture.

There’s a lot of work left to be done for them to get into the postseason, but they’re full of confidence after knocking off the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs over the past two weeks. They’ve even made believers out of those who had written them off following the 3-5-1 start.

MORE: Quinnen Williams comically shades Jets when talking Cowboys' playoff hopes

That’s evident in the latest NFL power rankings, which have the Cowboys moving up in a hurry.

Sports Illustrated

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb celebrates after catching a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This week's ranking: 15
Last week's ranking: 18

”Dallas has upset Kansas City and Philadelphia in back-to-back weeks and is now +9000 to win the Super Bowl (it was +15000 before Week 13). If the Cowboys run the table, they have a real playoff case in the NFC.” - Peter Dewey

This ranking was done by Super Bowl odds and while the Cowboys are still a long shot, they made some progress with their latest win.

Pro Football Network

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens celebrates by eating turkey after the game against the Chiefs. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This week's ranking: 14
Last week's ranking: 22

”Dallas’ offense is clicking with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens both healthy, and the defense may still be flawed, but it’s shown improvements since the NFL trade deadline. I wouldn’t want to have to face this red-hot Cowboys team down the stretch this year.” - Jacob Infante

The Cowboys are suddenly a team no one wants to face. Their offense can outscore anyone and the addition of Quinnen Williams has made the defense respectable, which is all they need to be in order to contend.

USA Today

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams warms up prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This week's ranking: 13
Last week's ranking: 19

“Beating both the reigning conference champions in back-to-back weeks is a pretty significant accomplishment. Quinnen Williams has helped stabilize the defensive front, but George Pickens has been the newcomer to watch in Dallas. Over the last 11 weeks he's averaged better than 100 receiving yards per game and been a massive part of the offense that racked up more than 900 total yards the last two weeks.”

Being in the top 13 is impressive. That puts Dallas among the playoff contenders, which is where they hope to be when the season ends.

The Athletic

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce runs with the ball against Dallas Cowboys safeties Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This week's ranking: 16
Last week's ranking: 19

"The odds are still against them (our simulator gives them a 24 percent chance of reaching the playoffs), but with three straight wins, the Cowboys have given themselves a chance with a defense that’s suddenly playing better."

More praise for the defense, but in this ranking, there's a reminder that the playoffs are still a long shot. That said, there's a lot of football left to be played and things can change in a hurry.

Bleacher Report

Dallas Cowboys DE Jadeveon Clowney and DT Osa Odighizuwa pressure Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This week's ranking: 18
Last week's ranking: 19

"Winners in three consecutive games, the Dallas Cowboys have shown more resistance on defense, allowing an average of 21.7 points during their win streak, nearly a touchdown less than their season average of 28.5. They gave up 28 points in their last victory, but only allowed a 38 percent conversion rate on third down and sacked Patrick Mahomes three times." - Moe Moton

There wasn't much movement in this one, showing that not everyone is buying the hype. Still, the Cowboys are praised for their work against a three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback. That's not something fans expected to hear about this defense.

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