NFL Power Rankings: Sizing Up the League Entering Week 12

Week 11 provided some clarity at the top of the power rankings, and the Denver Broncos have now reclaimed the top spot.

Thanks to the Broncos, no undefeated teams remain. The 1972 Miami Dolphins will be able to celebrate another year as the lone unbeaten team.

The AFC playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Five of the playoff spots look pretty much set, barring major collapses. Now, the battle for higher seeds will begin.

Over in the NFC, things are pretty messy. Two teams are in very good shape to make the playoffs, and a few others aren’t far behind. However, the playoff field is far from set.

Check out how teams stack up entering Week 12.

1. Denver Broncos (9-1)

Knocking off the final unbeaten team puts the Broncos at No. 1. They are now in the middle of the toughest part of their schedule. They have to go to New England and Kansas City the next two weeks, and if they win both of those games, there will be no debate as to which team is the NFL’s best.

2. Seattle Seahawks (10-1)

The Seahawks are the first team to 10 wins, and they look like the best in the NFC. Now, they will prepare for the biggest game of the season. They have a bye in Week 12, and then the New Orleans Saints come to Seattle on Monday Night Football in Week 13. Seattle has won 13 straight at home, and that game could decide home-field advantage in the NFC.

Nobody wants to play in Seattle in the playoffs, and nobody wants to play in the Superdome. Both teams will have a lot to play for, and the winner of that game will be the top team in the conference.

3. New Orleans Saints (8-2)

The Saints found a way to come back against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. It wasn’t their best game, but it showed just how important home-field advantage is to them. The Saints are 6-0 at home and only 2-2 on the road. If Drew Brees can lead them to the top record in the NFC, they will be a tough out.

4. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)

Don’t think that the loss in Denver means the Chiefs are frauds. The Broncos are the best team in the NFL, and there is no shame in losing to them. Kansas City will have to make adjustments before they meet again in two weeks, because Peyton Manning had his way with the defense.

 

5. Indianapolis Colts (7-3)

A few weeks ago, the Colts looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders. A blowout loss at home to the St. Louis Rams and a close call against the Tennessee Titans don't look great.

Running back Trent Richardson needs to pick up more than 2.8 yards per carry, which is his current average. With Reggie Wayne out for the year, Richardson has to be more productive if the Colts are going to win the Super Bowl.

6. Carolina Panthers (7-3) 

The Saints better watch out—the Carolina Panthers are for real. The NFC South is not over by any means, as the two squads play twice in the final four weeks of the season. With the defense the Panthers have, they could win the division.

The Panthers showed just how good they are by beating the 49ers and the New England Patriots in back-to-back weeks. Don't forget that they nearly beat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.

7. New England Patriots (7-3)

The New England Patriots lost to the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football, and now they'll have to make adjustments for this week’s game against the Broncos. Carolina wins with defense, but Denver wins with offense.

New England has to win this game in order to have the inside track for home-field advantage.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)

No Geno Atkins or Leon Hall? That’s not a problem for the Bengals as long as they are at home. The Bengals defense and special teams stepped up big time in the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. They intercepted a pass, returned a fumble for a touchdown and blocked two punts, including one that was returned for a touchdown. Cincinnati scored 31 points in the second quarter and had only three first downs.

The Bengals are a completely different team in Cincinnati, where they are 5-0 this season. They have a 2.5-game lead in the AFC North, and this could be the year they finally win a playoff game.

 

9. San Francisco 49ers (6-4)

The 49ers lost, but they should feel good about going into the Superdome and nearly upsetting the Saints. They are going to have a hard time getting back into the NFC West race, but San Francisco is in good position for a wild-card spot.

 

10. Detroit Lions (6-4)

The Lions had a chance to grab a hold of the NFC North with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, but they let it slip away.

However, Calvin Johnson continues to amaze. The superstar had 179 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. He is projected to surpass 1,700 yards and grab 18 touchdowns.

Reggie Bush’s 326 receiving yards rank second on the team. Opponents know who is getting the ball but still can’t stop him. Unbelievable.

           

11. Chicago Bears (6-4) 

Despite Jay Cutler being banged up, the Chicago Bears continue to hang around in the division. Matt Forte has averaged 115 total yards over the last four weeks. Wideouts Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery each have more than 800 yards on the season and have combined for 11 touchdowns. The Bears have so many weapons on offense that doesn’t really matter who is playing quarterback.

12. Arizona Cardinals (6-4) 

The Cardinals continue to be a surprising team. They are currently tied for second in their division, but now they will be tested. Arizona will face two straight division leaders and four teams with winning records. If the Cardinals are going to sneak into the playoffs, they will have to earn it.

 

13. Philadelphia Eagles (6-5)

Quarterback Nick Foles hasn’t put up insane numbers every week, but he has been very good. The second-year quarterback has 16 touchdowns to zero interceptions. He also has two rushing touchdowns. If he continues to take care of the football and LeSean McCoy keeps running all over teams, the Philadelphia Eagles could win the NFC East.

 

14. Green Bay Packers (5-5)

It’s tough to drop the Green Bay Packers too far given all of their injuries. It seems like the injury bug has hit them the hardest. The Packers aren’t making the postseason unless Aaron Rodgers comes back soon, but it’s tough to rush back a franchise quarterback.

15. Dallas Cowboys (5-5)

The Cowboys have plenty of talent on offense, but the defense has kept them from running away with the division. They had a bye last week. Now, they will try to get better defense down the stretch as they look to get back to the postseason.

 

16. Baltimore Ravens (4-6)

Although their record isn’t great, the Ravens have been putting up a fight lately. They beat the Cincinnati Bengals and took the Chicago Bears to overtime at Soldier Field. Their last five losses have come by a combined 17 points. They are a play here and there away from winning games, so maybe they are due to catch some breaks down the stretch.

17. New York Jets (5-5)

The New York Jets are currently the sixth seed in the AFC. Nobody saw that coming in the preseason. However, they yanked rookie quarterback Geno Smith twice in the last three games because of poor play. He has eight touchdowns to 16 interceptions, so it’s amazing he has been able to lead his team to five wins.

Safety Ed Reed will be making his second trip back to Baltimore this season. He went there with the Houston Texans earlier this season and lost.

The Jets have alternated wins and losses this season. If that trend continues, they will win this week. A win keeps the Jets in position for the playoffs, but a loss to Baltimore drops them into a tie with the Ravens and maybe more teams.

 

18. San Diego Chargers (4-6)

The Chargers have lost three straight games by one possession. Even though they are only one game out of the final playoff spot, their chances of making the postseason aren’t good. Four of their final six games are against division-leading teams.

19. New York Giants (4-6) 

Don’t count out the New York Giants just yet. After starting the season 0-6, they have run off four straight victories and are only 1.5 games back of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The biggest reason for their turnaround has been their defense. They allowed 34.8 points per game during their six-game losing streak to start the year but have allowed only 11.8 points per game during their four-game winning streak. It has been an incredible turnaround.

20. St. Louis Rams (4-6)

The St. Louis Rams got a bye week at a bad time. They had just smoked the Colts by 30 in Indianapolis, and Tavon Austin had a monster game. Unfortunately, the momentum was slowed by a bye last week. Their next four games come against teams with winning records, so hopefully they made good use of their bye week.

21. Tennessee Titans (4-6)

Any chance the Titans had of making the playoffs disappeared with their latest loss. They trailed the Colts by two games with two meetings in three weeks. They blew a 14-0 lead, and their playoff hopes went away with it.

 

22. Cleveland Browns (4-6) 

It’s hard to believe what happened to the Browns on Sunday. They picked off two Andy Dalton passes in the first quarter and had a chance to put the Bengals away. Instead, they only had a 13-0 lead after the first quarter before imploding.

They lost 41-20, but their defense was fantastic. It held the Bengals to 224 total yards, and Andy Dalton threw for only 93 yards. Just how good was the defense? It held Dalton to a quarterback rating of 3.7. That’s getting it done.

The offense and special teams, on the other hand, were a mess. It was the team’s biggest game in six years, and they had a bye week to prepare. Those two units still looked bad.  A terrible second quarter cost the team the game.

Cleveland’s defense is legit. If it can get a steady quarterback, this team could be dangerous soon.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-6)

If you counted out the Steelers, you might have spoken too soon. Pittsburgh is currently in a three-way tie for last place in the AFC North, but it will face the two teams it is tied with in each of the next two weeks. If the Steelers can pull out a pair of victories, they will put some pressure on the Bengals.

24. Miami Dolphins (4-6)

The Dolphins picked up a much-needed victory last week. If the offense can become more consistent, they could still make a run at the playoffs.

25. Buffalo Bills (4-7)

Buffalo has talent on both sides of the ball. The Bills are still growing as a team, but they could be competitive next season. Their first two victories of the year came by a combined five points. A 23-point win over the Jets is a big boost for the team’s confidence.

26. Oakland Raiders (4-6) 

The Oakland Raiders were on the road without Terrelle Pryor. It didn’t look like they stood a chance, but, lucky for them, the Houston Texans are in free-fall mode. Oakland has to feel like it has some hope for the future with how the team has performed this season.

27. Washington Redskins (3-7) 

Washington started last season 3-6 and went on a seven-game winning streak. That’s not going to happen again this season, as it lost last week. Washington once again fell behind big and didn't have enough time to come all the way back. By the time the offense gets going, the game is already out of reach.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-8) 

Tampa Bay lost eight straight to start the season but has looked good the last three weeks. The Buccaneers got up 21-0 in Seattle before blowing the game, but they found a way to win back-to-back home games.

The Buccaneers have had their chances to win this year, but they haven’t been able to finish games. They are starting to do that, so maybe they will begin to catch fire.

29. Houston Texans (2-8)

Pulling Case Keenum just adds to the quarterback mess. However, Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com reports he will start for the Texans this week. At least Andre Johnson is still giving 100 percent. The wideout has 966 yards and five touchdowns this season. Good news: Jacksonville is coming to town. This should be the end of an eight-game losing streak. 

30. Atlanta Falcons (2-8)

Injuries have been an issue for Atlanta, but the Falcons aren’t even staying competitive at this point. They haven’t come within 12 points of a team since Week 7. They have lost by an average of 18.5 points per game during their four-game losing streak. It’s getting bad in Atlanta.

 

31. Minnesota Vikings (2-8)

Adrian Peterson is still a great running back, but the Minnesota Vikings don’t have a quarterback. If they are going to be competitive anytime soon, they have to get a franchise quarterback.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9)

Jacksonville is likely going to have the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. It’s unclear if the Jaguars will win another game or if they should even try. They get another shot at the Titans, the only team the Jaguars have beaten. Games against the Browns and the Bills won’t be easy, so it’s possible Jacksonville finishes with only one win.  

*All stats are via NFL.com