NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Latest 2014 Standings and Reaction for All 32 Teams

Can we all agree that Week 11 just may have produced the most perplexing Sunday that we've seen so far this NFL season? After all, the evidence is everywhere.

The Denver Broncos scored just seven points. The Cincinnati Bengals trounced the New Orleans Saints, the team's second consecutive loss in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. A victory over the Carolina Panthers put the 4-6 Atlanta Falcons in the driver's seat of the NFC South. The Arizona Cardinals looked just as good even without Carson Palmer under center. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won by a 20-point margin.

Obviously, in the wake of all of this mayhem, the league's hierarchy has shifted in dramatic fashion. Which teams are now the most powerful as we head into Week 12? You'll find the answer to that question below.

32. Oakland Raiders

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Let's go ahead and continue the ongoing theme: The Raiders will continue to reside in the gutter of the power rankings until they can generate a win. This team continues to hang tough with opponents, but it doesn't have anything to show for it.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are coming off a bye week, but a tall task is ahead, as this team is set to face a reeling Indianapolis Colts team in Week 12. Another top-notch draft pick should do wonders for a young Jacksonville team.

30. Washington Redskins

This team was dreadful across the board in Week 11, leading to a 20-point loss to the hapless Buccaneers. The offensive line can't protect Robert Griffin III. The quarterback can't find his receivers. The defense can't contain the pass. The locker room may be shaky this week, via For The Win:

Things are bad in Washington.

29. Tennessee Titans

Rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger gave it another go against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. His efforts resulted in another loss, but his matchup against a tough Steelers front seven wasn't promising to begin with. He'll try his luck in Week 12 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Rookie wide receiver Mike Evans made Josh McCown resemble his previous form when he was under center for the Chicago Bears last season. Evans is every bit as talented as advertised, and his presence is already paying off in a big way for the Buccaneers. Now the team must concentrate on filling many other holes.

27. New York Jets

We'll find out soon enough if the Jets' victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10 was a fluke or not. New York is coming off a bye week and will face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. A game against a solid Bills defense will be a true test for Michael Vick and Co.

26. New York Giants

Eli Manning threw five interceptions against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11. No, that wasn't a typo, he threw five. The entire Giants team continues to be highly inconsistent, and it won't be getting any easier with the Dallas Cowboys next up on the slate.

25. Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton continues to struggle. His form doesn't remotely resemble what we saw earlier this season, and this statistic from ESPN Stats & Info really sums it up: 

His health should also be a concern for this team, as he hasn't looked 100 percent for a few weeks now. Luckily, he'll have a chance to get it together during the team's Week 12 bye.

24. Minnesota Vikings

Teddy Bridgewater is still learning the ways of the NFL. He may be a great quarterback in the future, but right now, this Vikings offense simply doesn't have the firepower to keep up with most opponents. That was wildly apparent against the Chicago Bears in Week 11.

23. St. Louis Rams

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Who are the Rams? This team continues to look like a gutter dweller one week and a Super Bowl contender the next. They produced a great team effort in Week 11, taking down the mighty Peyton Manning; however, we'll see what on-field product St. Louis delivers against the San Diego Chargers in Week 12.

22. Chicago Bears

Despite throwing two more picks, Jay Cutler looked better on Sunday. This team's offense fired on all cylinders for the first time in weeks, but consistency has plagued the Bears all season. Keeping up this momentum next week will be crucial.

21. New Orleans Saints

Just when the Saints look like they're ready to contend, they regress. This team has now dropped two consecutive games at home, and the 17-point margin of defeat was the largest since 2009, according to Evan Abrams of ESPN:

Guess what? The Saints are at home again in Week 12.

20. Buffalo Bills

Kyle Orton continues to play efficient football, but this team must figure out how to get the ball into the end zone from within the 20-yard line. The Bills can't continue to rely on defense if they are to make a run at the playoffs.

19. Houston Texans

Ryan Mallett looked decent against the Browns in Week 11. He completed 20 of his 30 pass attempts for 211 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He was also helped by a 156-yard performance from Alfred Blue. However, a tough test against the Cincinnati Bengals lies ahead.

18. Atlanta Falcons

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The Falcons didn't do anything flashy in their Week 11 victory over the Panthers, but the offensive line protected Matt Ryan well enough to notch the win. This team may be 4-6, but it now sits atop a very weak NFC South.

17. San Diego Chargers

San Diego improved its record by defeating the Raiders on Sunday, but the win was less than convincing. While the Chargers looked much improved on defense, the offense sputtered, reaching the end zone just once at the beginning of the game.

16. Cleveland Browns

The Browns continue to be the most confusing team in the league. Are they any good? After looking stellar against the Bengals in Week 10, they couldn't get out of their own way in Week 11. That dropped them from first to worst in a highly competitive AFC North.

15. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle was beaten at its own game by the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Kansas City controlled the game with superior defensive play and a better ground game. Making matters worse, the Seahawks will have a similar test against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12. The NFL tweeted the bitter truth for this team following the loss:

14. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are coming off a bye week before a pivotal Monday Night Football bout with the Saints. If Joe Flacco can't step up his game when the team travels to New Orleans, Baltimore will quickly find itself beginning to drop out of contention in the division.

13. Miami Dolphins

Solid defensive play continues to keep Miami in the mix in the AFC East. The offense did better finding the end zone against the Bills in Week 11, but better production inside the red zone will be essential going forward, especially against the Broncos in Week 12.

12. San Francisco 49ers

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The 49ers earned a solid road win against the Giants. However, the concern is that New York was still in the game in the fourth quarter despite five Manning interceptions. San Francisco needs to find its offensive identity quickly.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh did what it was supposed to do on Monday night, taking down the Titans. The Steelers are now in great position in the AFC North and have a bye week next on the slate. If this team can remain healthy, they have the talent to make a playoff push.

10. Cincinnati Bengals

Are the Bengals the most enigmatic team in the league? After being dismantled in Week 10 by the Browns, Cincinnati stepped up and earned a huge road win against the Saints. Andy Dalton was sharp and the team's defense was solid. But can this team keep it up?

9. Indianapolis Colts

It was tough sledding for the Colts on Sunday night against the New England Patriots. Both Ahmad Bradshaw and Dwayne Allen were lost due to injury, making things even more difficult against the league's best team. The news regarding Bradshaw was devastating, via NFL on ESPN:

Luckily, this team will have a good opportunity to regroup in Week 12 against the Jaguars.

8. Philadelphia Eagles

Things got ugly for the Eagles in Week 11. Quarterback Mark Sanchez looked like, well, Mark Sanchez. He was intercepted twice and lost two fumbles as the Packers won in a 53-20 rout. Head coach Chip Kelly must figure out a way to limit Sanchez's mistakes going forward, or the division will slip away from this team.

7. Detroit Lions

Detroit's defense lived up to expectations against the Cardinals on Sunday; however, Matthew Stafford looked awful and Calvin Johnson couldn't do much against Arizona's secondary. If the Lions can't find offensive consistency, they'll find tough sledding ahead.

6. Kansas City Chiefs

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Can we all agree the Chiefs are very much for real? This team may be the most complete squad in the league, with a quarterback who doesn't turn the ball over, a great running game and a fantastic defense. The Chiefs are poised to make a run in January.

5. Denver Broncos

The Broncos suffered some key injuries to Emmanuel Sanders and Julius Thomas, but the fact that they only finished with seven points is concerning. Still, we'll consider that an outlier for now, as Manning isn't one to slump for long. It also looks like he'll have his tight end back quickly, according to Around the NFL:

4. Dallas Cowboys

The combination of Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray has been fantastic this season. Romo has really made strides in the turnover department, and Murray has rushed for at least 100 yards in each game Romo has started this season. This team is one of the league's best when at full strength.

3. Green Bay Packers

What more can we say about Aaron Rodgers? At this current moment, he may be the best quarterback in the NFL. He threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns against the Eagles on Sunday, bringing his season totals to 2,748 yards, 28 touchdowns and three interceptions. The last time he played this well was in 2011, the year he was the NFL MVP.

2. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals proved they can win without Palmer at the helm thanks to a stout defense. However, Drew Stanton must improve on limiting errant throws for this team to maintain the NFL's best record. A Week 12 contest in Seattle will really give an indication of what this team is made of.

1. New England Patriots

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The Patriots steamrolled the Colts on Sunday night. Tom Brady overcame early mistakes, running back Jonas Gray was a revelation out of the backfield and the team's secondary was fantastic against Andrew Luck and Co. SportsNation summed up the offensive line play with this tweet:

New England is playing its best football of the year right now, and the rest of the league is officially on notice.