NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Latest Outlook and 2014-15 Super Bowl Odds

Sometimes it seems as if the NFL attempts to match the wild world of college football blow for blow.

College football has been unpredictable this year as it heads to its first playoff. The NFL has been just was wild, with no better example than Week 12.

There, Peyton Manning looked human, the defending champs were embarrassed and the AFC North all traded places again. The result is a ranking environment that is tough to discern unless viewed through an all-encompassing lens.

Like any number of collegiate polls that come out each week, enjoy the Week 12 power rankings while they last. The storm that will wipe them away is close.

2014 Super Bowl Odds After Week 11

Team	Odds
Denver Broncos	13-4
Green Bay Packers	15-2
New England Patriots	6-1
Seattle Seahawks	9-1
Indianapolis Colts	10-1
Philadelphia Eagles	12-1
Arizona Cardinals	12-1
Detroit Lions	16-1
San Francisco 49ers	16-1
Dallas Cowboys	18-1
New Orleans Saints	22-1
Kansas City Chiefs	25-1
San Diego Chargers	40-1
Baltimore Ravens	40-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	50-1
Cincinnati Bengals	50-1
Cleveland Browns	50-1
Miami Dolphins	50-1
Minnesota Vikings	150-1
Atlanta Falcons	150-1
Houston Texans	200-1
Buffalo Bills	250-1
Carolina Panthers	250-1
Chicago Bears	300-1
New York Giants	500-1
Washington	500-1
St. Louis Rams	1000-1
Tennessee Titans	1000-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2000-1
New York Jets	2000-1
Jacksonville Jaguars	3000-1
Oakland Raiders	5000-1

Note: Super Bowl odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. ET

32. Oakland Raiders (0-10)

At this point, 0-16 becomes a legitimate question. 

The Oakland Raiders have fight, but the team was not going to steal a win in San Diego against the Chargers. Derek Carr threw for just 172 yards, while his backfield produced just 71 yards.

Oakland has a borderline top-10 defense against the pass, but the positives stop there. The only game on the remaining schedule that looks like a likely win is an encounter with the St. Louis Rams, but as contenders have found out this season, even that is no sure thing.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9)

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Even for a team with a miserable record, things look good for the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

The experience to close games is not there quite yet, but Gus Bradley has a nice nucleus in place. Blake Bortles (eight touchdowns, 1,921 yards) and back Denard Robinson (483 yards, four scores) look like a solid combo, and a young wideout corps has astounding upside.

This is a throwaway season for the Jaguars, but not like those in years past. Bradley is on to something.

30. Tennessee Titans (2-7)

The Tennessee Titans are just another team from the AFC South stuck in an interesting rebuild. 

Ken Whisenhunt has turned to rookie Zach Mettenberger under center. So far the results have been somewhat mixed, although the former LSU star's booming arm and ability to extend plays as he sheds tackles is admirable.

Tennessee is not winning a ton of games this season but can certainly play the spoiler as it grows.

29. Washington (3-7)

Things are bad when a team comes out of a bye at home and drops a decision to the two-win Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Is it really a shock that Washington was the team to do just that, though? 

There is a brewing quarterback controversy now that Robert Griffin III threw for just 207 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The season is lost, and the front office needs to figure out how it wants to proceed. 

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-8)

Maybe Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith knows what he is doing when it comes to quarterbacks. 

All Josh McCown has done over the course of his two games as starter back under center is throw four scores to a pair of picks and lead the Buccaneers to their first win since September.

Make no mistake, the season is still lost. But Smith might be fighting for his job while his team fights for pride, so look for the Buccaneers to play the spoiler down the stretch.

27. New York Jets (2-8)

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

How long the feel-good story for Rex Ryan's New York Jets continues is quite difficult to say. 

Michael Vick led the team to a victory in Week 10 before a bye, but the team had lost eight in a row before that.

With the season in hand, Ryan is very much calling games to keep his job. The focal point now switches to whether or not the front office wants to start over at head coach, because it certainly is at quarterback.

26. New York Giants (3-7)

The New York Giants are that team that turned more than a few heads early on in the season with a big passing attack that teams seemingly had no answer for regardless of what they threw at the quarterback. 

In hindsight, though, the Giants' three-game winning streak came against Houston, Washington and Atlanta. 

Manning and Co. have simply crumbled against legit competition over the course of their last five games. Stick a fork in them.

25. Chicago Bears (4-6)

At the very least, the Chicago Bears have a pulse. 

Now, a win over the Minnesota Vikings is nothing to write home about. Especially after back-to-back allowances of more than 50 points.

But a win is a win, even if the Bears do not stand a chance of competing in the division at this point. Jay Cutler is a problem, as he threw three touchdowns but had a sloppy pair of interceptions to go with it. Chicago is stuck in neutral.

24. Carolina Panthers (3-7-1)

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

At some point, one has to just feel sorry for the Carolina Panthers. 

It seems like forever ago that this roster qualified for the playoffs with an elite defense. Now that defense is a weakness, and Cam Newton and the offense are losing 19-17 decisions to teams like Atlanta.

In hindsight, two of the team's three wins this year are frauds, too, having come against Tampa Bay and Chicago.

23. Buffalo Bills (5-5)

Say goodnight to the Buffalo Bills. 

Buffalo now has two consecutive losses after a Week 9 bye, the latest coming last Thursday at the hands of Miami.

Now .500 and still relying on Kyle Orton under center, who threw for just 193 yards with no scores in last week's loss, the Bills have a seemingly impossible mountain to climb to qualify for the postseason.

22. Atlanta Falcons (4-6)

The NFC South is so bad that the Atlanta Falcons are still tied for first place after that aforementioned win over Carolina. 

Matt Ryan's team has done a great job of beating up on the division this year to stay alive. In fact, the team's only wins this season have come against divisional opponents.

Wildly enough, that may be enough to get one of the league's worst overall defenses to the postseason. It is too bad, then, that the Falcons will not get to play the division once there.

21. Minnesota Vikings (4-6)

Things need to be very bad for a team to take a dive at the hands of the Bears at this point.

Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater gets this, obviously, per the team's Twitter account:

A loss in a winnable game in Chicago is merely growing pains for a rebuilding team, but it certainly stings that it snapped a two-game winning streak and a chance at .500.

20. St. Louis Rams (4-6)

Many were right to throw in the towel on the Rams after a Week 10 blowout at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals, but Jeff Fisher's team once again showed resiliency and took down the Denver Broncos Sunday.

An underrated secondary picked off Manning twice, and Shaun Hill showed some fight under center with 220 yards and a score.

The Rams now have wins over Seattle, San Francisco and Denver. Teams with playoffs in mind and the Rams on the schedule had better tread lightly.

19. Cleveland Browns (6-4)

Like clockwork, the Cleveland Browns fell off the face of the planet in Week 11. 

One week removed from an epic upset against the Cincinnati Bengals, Brian Hoyer and the Browns went home and faced the Houston Texans. There the team took a 23-7 dive while the ground game got just 58 rushing yards.

That has been the glaring issue for the Browns despite a decent season—if the ground production is not there, the team does not have a player under center who can make up for it.

18. Houston Texans (5-5)

The Texans are a jumbled mess this season and just turned to Ryan Mallett under center.

A win over Cleveland is great, but the real story is the jaw-dropping play of J.J. Watt, as ESPN Stats & Info summarizes:

Even Watt cannot mask one of the league's worst pass defenses, though. It is going to be a long closing stretch for the Texans as the playoffs slip away.

17. New Orleans Saints (4-6)

The New Orleans Saints are that other team tied for first place in the NFC South, although it may be time to hit the panic button. 

Drew Brees and Co. have now lost consecutive games at home, fully erasing the notion that the Dome is one of the most difficult places to play. The stadium was quiet for most of a 27-10 dissection at the hands of the Bengals this past weekend.

When Brees' defense is allowing Andy Dalton to throw for 220 yards and a trio of scores, even he is going to have a hard time gunning his team to a win.

16. San Diego Chargers (6-4)

It took a dance with the winless Raiders, but the Chargers finally snapped a three-game skid. 

Not that the performance was all that encouraging, though.

Rivers struggled against a strong pass defense, while the team as a whole found just 120 yards on a 3.8 yards-per-carry average on the ground. If the Chargers are serious about catching up in the AFC West, better offensive balance is a must.

15. Baltimore Ravens (6-4)

Thanks to a top run defense and surprisingly a top rushing offense, the Baltimore Ravens sit in good position in the AFC North despite a Week 11 bye. 

Veteran Justin Forsett is the reason for the team's efficiency on the ground. In his team's last game, Forsett found 112 yards and two scores on the ground.

Granted, that production came against lowly Tennessee, but the fact that the Ravens are extremely balanced should concern a number of AFC-playoff hopefuls.

14. San Francisco 49ers (6-4)

After saving their season with a win in New Orleans, the San Francisco 49ers went to the Big Apple and got a gritty win over the Giants.

Just like that, things look great for the 49ers. Despite a rash of injuries, the defense still ranks in the top 10 against the rush and the pass.

Most encouraging, though, is the fact that the coaching staff has decided to return to its rush-first roots in recent weeks. The result is two wins and a balanced offense few defenses can hope to stop, as it was last year.

13. Seattle Seahawks (6-4)

Simply put, the defending champions looked as if they did not feel like playing in Week 11. 

It is hard to blame them, really. The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the best teams in the league and tout one of the best home-field advantages.

Still, it is hard to justify the overwhelming struggles of the normally stout defense as the Chiefs rumbled for 190 rushing yards and three scores. Things get no easier with both San Francisco and Arizona on the schedule two times apiece in the coming five weeks.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4)

The Pittsburgh Steelers have to deal with a number of injuries to overcome the Titans on Monday Night Football. 

More than anything, though, the Steelers have to be able to overcome themselves. This is a team that lost a last-second contest to Tampa Bay and got blown away by Cleveland. Then they turned around and were the hottest team in the league for three weeks.

Something has to give. The AFC North will not wait around.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (6-3-1)

Bill Haber/Associated Press

It has been a wild two weeks for Dalton and the Bengals. The team got brutalized by Cleveland at home, only to invade New Orleans and get that big win. 

The Bengals have been dealing with major injuries for most of the season, but the real cause for concern is how the team plays when everyone is actually watching.

Epic collapses on prime time have yet again defined these Bengals. A Week 16 Monday meeting with Denver will say a whole lot about how the team will fare in the postseason, should it qualify.

10. Miami Dolphins (6-4)

It may not be enough to catch New England, but Ryan Tannehill's team got a critical Thursday win over Buffalo. 

The upshot, of course, is presented by Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald:

Miami still has Denver and New England on the schedule, so running the table seems unlikely. Still, the team already got the best of Tom Brady once and touts a top-two pass defense.

9. Indianapolis Colts (6-4)

For the third time, Andrew Luck was unable to overcome his team in a duel with Tom Brady. 

Luck threw for 303 yards and a pair of scores, but his run defense allowed the New England Patriots to total 244 rushing yards and four scores on the ground.

With not nearly as much time on the field as his counterpart, Luck could not get his team the home win. Even worse, the blueprint for beating the Colts is now out there in public domain.

8. Philadelphia Eagles (7-3)

That was quick. 

The fun times with Mark Sanchez under center came to an emphatic halt this past weekend in Green Bay. The former USC star found his way to 346 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he threw as many interceptions, too.

To Sanchez's credit, Green Bay has one of the best pass defenses in the league. Things should look much better next week against Tennessee.

7. Detroit Lions (7-3)

It is quite difficult to fault the Detroit Lions for a road loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Matthew Stafford had a game to forget with just 183 yards and an interception, but most do against Patrick Peterson and Co., especially in the desert.

Remember that this Detroit team has beaten Miami, New Orleans and Green Bay this season and touts and elite defense in all phases.

6. Denver Broncos (7-3)

Denver was the latest victim to fall into the trap known as the Rams, but more concerning is the play of Manning as of late.

As NFL Network's Albert Breer points out, Manning has not been his usual self as of late:

The cold-weather narrative could be etched here, but let's chalk it up to a tough schedule. The only issue is that things get no easier in the coming weeks with matchups against Miami and Kansas City.

5. Kansas City Chiefs (7-3)

Do not look now, but the Chiefs are keeping pace with the Broncos in the AFC West. 

The aforementioned home win over Seattle is great, but more important in the grand scheme of things is one of the league's top pass defenses that lost just 24-17 in Denver near the start of the season.

These Chiefs are legit, and try not to sleep on Andy Reid's team, as a divisional crown is not out of the question.

4. Dallas Cowboys (7-3)

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys got a much-needed bye in Week 11 after a trip to London resulted in a blowout of Jacksonville. 

Romo has been through health issues as of late, but it is only further reason many want to see him in MVP talk, such as ESPNDallas:

Regardless of individual accolades, if the Cowboys stay healthy, they are undeniably Super Bowl contenders. Two of the team's three losses have come with Romo limping.

3. Arizona Cardinals (9-1)

Perhaps the loss of starting quarterback Carson Palmer is not the death blow to the Cardinals most thought it would be.

Against an elite Detroit secondary, Drew Stanton did well enough to get his team a win with 306 yards with a pair of touchdowns and interceptions.

It is not hard to glean a lot from the encounter—Arizona keeps winning, even in gritty defensive battles with some of the top teams in the league. Stanton and the Cardinals are a serious threat.

2. Green Bay Packers (7-3)

The Green Bay Packers are humming along to home-field advantage in the postseason, a scary thought for the rest of the league when one digests a note provided by NFL.com's Jeff Darlington: 

Aaron Rodgers is quite unstoppable right now, although a Week 13 home encounter with the No. 1 team on the list will tell the globe much more about the Packers. 

It'll tell the globe more about the next team, too.

1. New England Patriots (8-2)

Jonas Gray is not the man who will single-handedly carry the Patriots to a Super Bowl, but it sure does not hurt when he erupts for 199 rushing yards and four scores as he did against the Colts Sunday.

The Patriots are running away with the AFC East and have wins over Indianapolis, Denver and Cincinnati. As of right now, no team is hotter or in a better position to get to the postseason and keep a great tear alive.

With Brady under center and Bill Belichick at the controls, no team is better prepared on a week-to-week basis.

Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com as of 10 a.m. ET on Nov. 17 unless otherwise specified.