NFL Power Rankings: Where Your Team Stands Heading into Week 12

With Week 12 of the 2012 NFL regular season already upon us, the Thanksgiving holiday has brought us yet another edition of the weekly power rankings.

As some of the best teams in the league falter and struggle, this is where your team stands heading into the latter half of the season.

This is the portion of the season when contenders separate themselves from the pretenders.

After 12 weeks of NFL action, this is where every team in the league stands.

1. Houston Texans (9-1)

While the Houston Texans stole an overtime victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the close call exposed some serious flaws. Houston keeps the No. 1 spot, but they need a great performance in Week 12 to maintain.

2. Atlanta Falcons (9-1)

As bad as the Texans struggled Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons looked just as mediocre against the Arizona Cardinals. If it wasn’t for the complete upheaval under center for the Cardinals, Atlanta would have walked away with a loss; the Falcons need a big bounce-back effort this week.

3. Baltimore Ravens (8-2)

Despite going against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that was missing Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, the Baltimore Ravens defense stiffened up and gave their offense a chance to win the game. Thank goodness for the special teams because Joe Flacco came up small.

4. New England Patriots (7-3)

The New England Patriots looked like a team on a mission Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, and a tough Thanksgiving matchup against the New York Jets will test exactly how good this team can be heading into the postseason.

5. Denver Broncos (7-3)

Led by the elite play of Peyton Manning, the Denver Broncos are proving to not only be the cream of the AFC West, but a serious contender to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. If the defense continues to play inspired football, they’ll be tough to beat.

6. Green Bay Packers (7-3)

In arguably the best divisional game of the weekend, the Green Bay Packers snuck out a big win over the Detroit Lions, and continued to assert their dominance on the NFC North. The Packers are once again returning to elite form.

7. San Francisco 49ers (7-2-1)

Even without starting quarterback Alex Smith under center, the San Francisco 49ers looked like one of the best teams in the league on both sides of the ball. No matter who is the starting QB, San Fran is a real contender in the NFC.

8. Chicago Bears (7-3)

Without Jay Cutler, the Chicago Bears were destroyed on Monday Night Football by the 49ers and didn’t look like a team that could truly contend for championships. While there are still questions about protection, Cutler makes the Bears a playoff contender.

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are an enigmatic team that hasn’t played the same two weeks in a row yet this season. With every aspect of the team playing great at different times, the young Buccaneers could be one of the biggest surprises in the NFC playoff hunt.

10. Indianapolis Colts (6-4)

The Indianapolis Colts' No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Luck has emerged as a star in the NFL, but a return to reality against the New England Patriots is exactly what the young QB needed. With a sobering loss to a bitter rival, Luck will be even more focused and determined.

11. New York Giants (6-4)

The entire New York Giants team needed a week off to recharge their batteries and get ready for the run to the playoffs. The bye week will bring the Super Bowl champions back to reality and have them back on the road to prominence.

12. New Orleans Saints (5-5)

The New Orleans Saints are the real deal and as their defensive unit continues to tighten up, they will only continue to get better. Drew Brees is on pace for another monster year, and the hole the Saints dug themselves may have been the wakeup call they needed.

13. Seattle Seahawks (6-4)

With a potent mixture of stellar defensive play and an offense predicated on the run, the basic style of the Seattle Seahawks makes them a serious contender to not only make the playoffs, but be a real burden on NFC teams.

15. Dallas Cowboys (5-5)

The Dallas Cowboys have been a shell of the Super Bowl contenders they were made out to be at the start of the season. While sitting at 5-5 gives the Cowboys a chance to recover, the team must start playing more efficient football, fast.

16. Cincinnati Bengals (5-5)

While the duo of A.J. Green and Andy Dalton has been amazing through the early portions of their careers, the Bengals need more help from the running game and the defense. If Cincinnati can start getting more third-down stops, the Bengals could sneak into the playoffs.

17. Minnesota Vikings (6-4)

The Vikings have played well at times this season, but a bye week was exactly what many of the tired players on both sides of the ball needed. With a week to adapt the game plan moving forward, look for Minnesota to come out fast in Week 12 and make a statement.

18. Washington Redskins (4-6)

After demolishing NFC East foe, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins have proven that they can stand toe-to-toe with a team they should beat and finish the job. With Robert Griffin III’s passing accuracy, the Redskins are heading in the right direction.

19. Tennessee Titans (4-6)

After finally getting a bye week, the hope from the Tennessee Titans organization is that the team can return in Week 12 healthy and rejuvenated and make a big second-half push towards a wild-card spot. While they’ll likely fall short, they have the talent to make a run.

20. San Diego Chargers (4-6)

With too many turnovers and a lack of communication on the offensive side of the ball, the San Diego Chargers are completely imploding and will fall each week from now on. What happened to Philip Rivers?

21. Detroit Lions (4-6)

The Detroit Lions have faced a very tough schedule this season, but they played well against their competition. While they haven’t racked up the wins they’d like, a late run in the season now that they’re playing red hot could catapult them into contention.

22. Buffalo Bills (4-6)

A big Thursday night win for the Buffalo Bills was a step in the right direction, but there are still many issues facing this team. With a defense giving up big points every game and an offense turning the ball over too much, the Bills are in serious trouble.

23. New York Jets (4-6)

The New York Jets are one of the oddest teams in the league because you don’t ever know what to expect from them. While they beat St. Louis this week, QB mark Sanchez only threw for 178 yards. Go figure.

24. Miami Dolphins (4-6)

After a tough loss to the Buffalo Bills, and serious issues between starting running back Reggie Bush and the coaching staff in Miami, the Dolphins and their elite defense won’t go anywhere unless the team recommits to running the ball consistently.

25. St. Louis Rams (3-6-1)

The St. Louis Rams just can’t catch a break, and a tough loss to the New York Jets just adds to the frustration. With a tough remaining schedule, the growing pains under Jeff Fisher have been painfully obvious.

26. Arizona Cardinals (4-6)

With Kevin Kolb hurt and John Skelton benched, the Arizona Cardinals offensive unit is by far the most dysfunctional in the NFL. If it wasn’t for the team’s stellar defensive unit, Arizona would be the league’s worst team.

27. Cleveland Browns (2-8)

There are some great young pieces on the Cleveland Browns roster, but the organization has yet to put it all together. With complete disarray on the offensive end and injuries plaguing the defense, Cleveland is heading nowhere fast.

28. Oakland Raiders (3-7)

The Oakland Raiders have been cursed by a tough schedule and a plethora of serious injuries, but the young team hasn’t managed to overcome the adversity and instead has faltered. Despite the reemergence of Carson Palmer as a viable QB in the NFL, the Raiders are in trouble.

29. Philadelphia Eagles (3-7)

After so much potential for a team built to win now, the Philadelphia Eagles have completely fallen apart. With many of the team’s top stars injured and a lack of elite play from their replacements and current starters, the Eagles have played poorly enough to get Andy Reid fired.

30. Carolina Panthers (2-8)

There is little doubt that Cam Newton can be a star in the NFL, but his play with the Carolina Panthers this season shows that there is still so much left to improve on. The team is also awful defensively because of injuries, so the blame doesn’t all fall on Newton’s shoulders.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9)

Despite looking like a different team offensively, the Jacksonville Jaguars success against the Houston Texans was an anomaly. Chad Henne will remember who he is and the lack of talent around him and the house of cards will fall to earth once again.

32. Kansas City Chiefs (1-9)

Poor Kansas City Chiefs fans. The team has some of the best young talent in the league, but a lack of stars at key positions has doomed their season. At least they will have the top pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

Check back for more on the National Football League as it comes, and don’t miss Bleacher Report’s NFL page to get your fill of all things football.

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