NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Are Tom Brady's New England Patriots No. 1?
NFL Power Rankings for Week 12 are in place, and there is plenty to chew on.
You can't argue which teams are set apart from the rest, but when you examine that group itself, does any team truly distinguish itself? Most sitting atop their divisions have impressive wins and ultra-talented quarterbacks, but their weaknesses haven't been too crippling so far.
With another week of games set to begin on Thanksgiving Day comes plenty more story lines.
How good will the Saints be once Reggie Bush returns and is at full strength? Will Tampa Bay continue to fly under the radar and knock off Atlanta? Is Jason Garrett the answer for Dallas?
Fans will also get their first look at Leslie Frazier, who took over as interim coach for the Minnesota Vikings after Brad Childress was fired.
Time to get into the rankings.
Just Cover Your Eyes
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32. Carolina Panthers (1-9):
Hey Panthers fans, who would you rather have in next year's draft: Da'Quan Bowers from Clemson or Alabama's Marcell Dareus?
31. Cincinnati Bengals (2-8):
Who else had a laugh when they heard T.O. say that Darrelle Revis was "an average corner"? In their two meetings last year, Revis Island held T.O. to six catches for 44 yards.
Not a Pretty Sight
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30. Arizona Cardinals (3-7):
You know you're really bad when you have 68 plays in a game and manage only 13 points. That's what happened in Arizona's 31-13 loss to Kansas City.
A side note for you stat geeks: Joey Porter is third among active players with 97 career sacks.
29. Detroit Lions (2-8):
First they lose Matthew Stafford to injury, and now any type of a running game has disappeared, too.
Still Pretty Bad
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28. Minnesota Vikings (3-7):
Great stuff about Brad Childress from Michael Lombardi's column on NFL.com: "Childress rode the success of the Eagles to becoming a head coach, yet no one paid attention to his lack of leadership skills, or that he never called a game. He was 'the candidate,' and he had options, therefore, he must be good."
27. Buffalo Bills (2-8):
Steve Johnson went off against Cincinnati, finishing with eight catches for 137 yards and three touchdowns. Anyone else see his great "Why So Serious?" T-shirt?
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Don't Break Out Your Pompoms
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26. San Francisco 49ers (3-7):
Troy Smith cooled off and finished with 148 yards and a pick in a 21-0 loss to Tampa Bay. May be wise for the 49ers to go after a franchise quarterback in next year's draft.
25. Denver Broncos (3-7):
The team has been dreadful, but Kyle Orton is having a tremendous season. So far he's thrown for 3,023 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Got Some Work To Do
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24. Houston Texans (4-6):
The Texans rank next to last in the league in defense, allowing just over 408 total yards per game.
23. Dallas Cowboys (3-7):
Leading rusher Felix Jones (bruised hip) is day-to-day. Can Jason Garrett and the Cowboys pull off a third straight win and stun the Saints for the second year?
Not in the Gutter
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22. Miami Dolphins (5-5):
The Dolphins have won four straight games at Oakland.
21. Cleveland Browns (3-7):
Cleveland simply needs to learn how to win close games. The Browns are 1-5 in games decided by seven points or fewer.
20. St. Louis Rams (4-6)
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The Rams gave Atlanta a fight and trailed by six at halftime, but couldn't hang on in a 34-17 loss.
St. Louis has lost two straight, but sits in second and still has a shot in the NFC West.
Quarterback Sam Bradford continues to mature, setting an NFL rookie record with 169 consecutive passes without an interception.
It ended when Atlanta's William Moore intercepted a Bradford shovel pass.
19. Seattle Seahawks (5-5)
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Seattle could be much better if they improved in the red zone.
A jarring stat: In their last five games, Seattle's been inside the 20-yard line 21 times.
Total touchdowns?
Only four.
It's not much better at the goal line: Seattle's had 18 chances at the goal line and only scored eight touchdowns, which is third-worst in the NFL.
18. Tennessee Titans (5-5)
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It won't be easy, but it's time for this team to cut ties with Vince Young.
The Titans quarterback made news following the team's 19-16 overtime loss to Washington, and he could be gone for the season with a torn flexor tendon in his right thumb.
The Randy Moss Experiment continues to be a massive failure: He was targeted just three times in Sunday's loss and finished with no catches.
17. Oakland Raiders (5-5)
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Oakland's ground game was absolutely shut down in Sunday's 35-3 loss at Pittsburgh.
The Raiders had just 61 yards rushing, and Darren McFadden was held to 10 carries for 14 yards. McFadden is one of the league's best young rushers and is second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage per game (128.6).
This week's game with Miami is a must-win if Oakland wants to remain the playoff hunt.
16. Washington Redskins (5-5)
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The Redskins' 19-16 overtime win over Tennessee was the team's third overtime game of the season, but it also was their first win over an AFC South team since week four of the 2006 season.
This team still has lots to fix. Clinton Portis re-injured his groin Sunday, and the defense is still dreadful, allowing a league-worst 411 total yards per game.
15. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4)
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Don't look now, but the Jaguars have gone from the basement to the penthouse.
Jacksonville is in first in the AFC South and has a very interesting stretch ahead: First up is a road game against a struggling New York Giants team, followed by very winnable matchups at Tennessee and at home against Oakland. Then comes a big showdown at Indianapolis on Dec.19.
In Sunday's 24-20 win over Cleveland, David Garrard threw for 254 yards, and Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 133.
14. San Diego Chargers (5-5)
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San Diego's won three straight and is about to get an even bigger boost for Sunday's game with Indianapolis.
Receiver Vincent Jackson has been activated after being on the roster-exemption list the past three games following a holdout.
Philip Rivers' only real options last week against Denver were Darren Sproles and Patrick Crayton, but adding Jackson will improve the receiving corps dramatically.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
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Josh Freeman continues to show that he is one of the league's most promising quarterbacks. He completed 13-of-20 passes for 136 yards, with two touchdowns, in a 21-0 win over San Francisco.
Freeman will be in for a test this week against a Baltimore defense that's allowing just under 79 yards passing per game.
After facing the Ravens, Freeman and the Bucs turn around to host division rivals Atlanta.
12. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
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Yes, the Chiefs snapped a two-game losing streak and are in first in the AFC West.
But there may be even more reason for excitement with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. The former first-round pick out of LSU, while his attitude and lacking work ethic have made him a pain in the past, Bowe may be maturing: He finished with six catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 31-13 win over Arizona.
He now how has caught at least one touchdown pass in a team-record six straight games.
11. New York Giants (6-4)
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This team has got some issues.
Philadelphia's 27-17 victory marked the second straight loss for the Giants, who had five turnovers in the game.
Even more troubling: How can you finish with just 61 yards rushing?
10. Indianapolis (6-4)
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This team can't shake the injury bug.
The Colts will be without receiver Austin Collie for the San Diego game. He left early in last week's game with New England and was held out of the Bengals game after sustaining a concussion in the loss to Philadelphia.
Bob Sanders will also sit out, and running back Joseph Addai (shoulder) will go through non-contact drills.
9. Chicago Bears (7-3)
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Julius Peppers put on a show last Thursday.
The Bears defensive lineman had six tackles and three sacks (for minus 14 yards) in a 16-0 victory over Miami.
Peppers and the Bears D will be put to the test against Michael Vick and the Eagles this week. After next week's game with Detroit, then comes a showdown with Tom Brady and the Patriots.
8. Pittsburgh (7-3)
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Just another dominant outing for James Harrison.
The Steelers' Pro Bowl linebacker had five tackles, two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in Sunday's 35-3 victory over Oakland.
After this week's game at Buffalo, the rivalry is renewed when Pittsburgh travels to play at Baltimore.
7. Baltimore (7-3)
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Apparently quarterback Joe Flacco and wide receiver Derrick Mason had a little spat on the sidelines during Sunday's 37-13 win over Carolina. Coach John Harbaugh brushed it off and said it was nothing.
OK. Such is life when you're one of the league's best.
The Ravens finished with 378 total yards, and they host Tampa Bay on Sunday.
6. New Orleans Saints (7-3)
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The Saints ruled Reggie Bush inactive for Sunday's game with Seattle, but you've got to bet he'll be back for the Thanksgiving game with Dallas.
New Orleans should have plenty of motivation, too: It was Dallas who handed them their first loss of the season last year.
5. Green Bay (7-3)
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Greg Jennings proved to be quite the option for Aaron Rodgers in Sunday's win over Minnesota.
Jennings finished with a career-high three touchdown catches and had seven total receptions for 152 yards. Two of his receptions came off fade passes, and Jennings gained 47 and 22 yards. He also turned a short pass into a 46-yard touchdown.
4. Atlanta (8-2)
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There's not a lot you can't like about this team.
There's balance on both sides of the ball and an offense that is one of the most talented in the NFL.
The Falcons host Green Bay in one of this weekend's best games, then turn around to go face division rival Tampa Bay next week.
3. Philadelphia (7-3)
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Michael Vick is getting plenty of attention, but LeSean McCoy often goes overlooked. The player nicknamed "Shady" finished with 14 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win over New York.
Speaking of Vick, kudos for the recent speech to students in Connecticut, urging them to be kind to animals.
2. New York Jets (8-2)
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The man who was nicknamed "The Sanchize" is living up to all the expectations.
The Jets have been escaping defeat the past three weeks, and it's thanks mostly to Mark Sanchez. He came up big again this week, connecting with Santonio Holmes on a six-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left in the game for a 30-27 victory over Houston.
Drama's nice, but there's no way New York can keep pulling out wins like these.
1. New England (8-2)
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They just knocked off their rivals on Sunday, and they seem to be developing a rhythm on offense.
Here's what's scary: Tom Brady said Tuesday this team isn't "half the team" they're going to be in the next five to six weeks.
That should make for some impressive football, especially December 6th when they host the Jets.
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