NFL Power Rankings: Week 12 Expert Consensus from Around the Web

Another week of NFL action is officially in the books, and, surprise, surprise, there were nail-biting finishes that came down to the wire.

The NFL is filled with parity, as single plays can alter the course of a game and even an entire season. It only makes sense then that the power rankings from around the web are also incredibly varied, given the razor-thin separation between clubs.

With that in mind, it is better to look at a number of power rankings to get an idea of where everyone actually stands. A solid cross check will at least provide a somewhat clearer picture from around the league.

With that in mind, here is a look at some expert consensus from around the web before digging into my own power rankings.

*USA Today's power rankings can be found here, CBS Sports' Pete Prisco's power rankings can be found here and Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab's power rankings can be found here. 

	USA Today	Pete Prisco, CBS Sports	Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports
1	Patriots	Cardinals	Patriots
2	Cardinals	Patriots	Packers
3	Packers	Packers	Cardinals
4	Broncos	Cowboys	Broncos
5	Colts	Broncos	Eagles
6	Cowboys	Eagles	Chiefs
7	Eagles	Chiefs	Colts
8	Lions	Lions	Cowboys
9	49ers	Bengals	Seahawks
10	Chiefs	Seahawks	Lions
11	Seahawks	49ers	Ravens
12	Bengals	Colts	Dolphins
13	Ravens	Steelers	49ers
14	Steelers	Ravens	Chargers
15	Dolphins	Dolphins	Browns
16	Texans	Chargers	Steelers
17	Browns	Texans	Bengals
18	Chargers	Browns	Bills
19	Bills	Falcons	Texans
20	Rams	Bills	Rams
21	Saints	Bears	Saints
22	Bears	Rams	Bears
23	Falcons	Saints	Vikings
24	Giants	Giants	Falcons
25	Panthers	Panthers	Panthers
26	Vikings	Vikings	Giants
27	Buccaneers	Jets	Washington
28	Washington	Titans	Jets
29	Jets	Buccaneers	Titans
30	Titans	Washington	Buccaneers
31	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars
32	Raiders	Raiders	Raiders

Scott Polacek's Power Rankings

32. Oakland Raiders (0-10) 

The Oakland Raiders may have lost to the San Diego Chargers , but the defense held Philip Rivers and company to a mere 13 points. Still, Oakland is the only winless team in the league and will be on the bottom of these power rankings until that changes.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9)

Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images

Nobody wants to advocate losing, but the more of it the Jacksonville Jaguars do in 2014, the better off they will be in the long term. 

The Jaguars had a bye in Week 11, but they are clearly rebuilding toward the future with Blake Bortles and a young wide receiver corps. Losing means better draft position, which would mean more young assets in Jacksonville.

30. Tennessee Titans (2-8) 

Give credit to Zach Mettenberger, who bounced back on the national stage on Monday night from his first-quarter pick-six to put a serious scare in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, the defense just couldn’t stop Le’Veon Bell, but fans have to be encouraged about the future with Mettenberger’s performance (263 passing yards and two touchdowns).

29. Washington (3-7)

Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network pointed out a sad reality for Washington:

Call it what you will, but this Washington team is one of the worst in the league. Chemistry issues, lackluster quarterback play and a struggling defense are all suspect here, and a disastrous loss to Tampa Bay exacerbated everything. 

Any outside chance Washington had at sneaking back into the playoff race disappeared on Sunday.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-8)

Week 11 was what this entire season was supposed to look like for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they drafted Mike Evans and signed Josh McCown. 

The two connected for 209 yards and two touchdowns and propelled the Bucs past Washington and somehow back into the NFC South race at 2-8. That may seem ridiculous, but Tampa Bay is only two games out of first place in that division.

27. New York Jets (2-8) 

The New York Jets had a bye in Week 11.

They are out of playoff contention and have been a train wreck for much of the season. At this point, the only real interesting storyline is whether Michael Vick thrives at quarterback and possibly earns himself a job for next season.

26. Carolina Panthers (3-7-1)

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Criticize Cam Newton for his lackluster play all you want, but the offensive line for the Carolina Panthers is nonexistent.

It’s hard to do anything on offense when you can’t block, especially since the running backs have been injured off and on all season. The NFC South race is wide open, and the Panthers lost at home to the Atlanta Falcons. 

It was inexcusable if they want to reach the postseason this year.

25. New York Giants (3-7)

LeBron James would be proud of Eli Manning. The New York Giants quarterback threw not one, not two, not three, but five interceptions on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. 

Somehow, the Giants still only lost by six points, which is a testament to their defense’s performance. Unfortunately for New York, any playoff chances likely went out the window with Manning’s fifth pick.

24. Minnesota Vikings (4-6)

Rookie quarterbacks are going to be erratic, but Teddy Bridgewater missed a golden opportunity on Sunday against the same defense that allowed more than 50 points to the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers the last two weeks. 

Instead, the Chicago Bears held the Minnesota Vikings offense to 13 points and picked the rookie off in the end zone on the final drive. Any faint playoff hopes Minnesota was clinging to went up in smoke.

23. Chicago Bears (4-6)

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

On Sunday, Jay Cutler threw for more than 300 yards, Matt Forte ran for more than 100 yards, Alshon Jeffery found the end zone and Brandon Marshall found the end zone. This is what the Bears offense was supposed to look like before the season, even if they did only score 21 points because of turnovers and a missed field goal. 

There are just too many weapons and too much talent on this team to get embarrassed like it had the previous two games. With a home game against Tampa Bay up next, perhaps the Bears can battle back to within striking distance of a .500 record.

22. Buffalo Bills (5-5)

Unfortunately for the Buffalo Bills, as long as there is a lack of explosiveness on the offense outside of Sammy Watkins, the ceiling is probably a .500 record.

The defense is stingy, but the offense went off the rails a bit when all the running backs started getting hurt. Kyle Orton has done a solid job in replacement of EJ Manuel, but he probably isn’t going to lift the Bills to a postseason spot, especially after losing to Miami.

21. Atlanta Falcons (4-6)

Matt Ryan summarized the Atlanta Falcons’ season best after the win over the Panthers, according to The Associated Press, via ESPN.com: "It's been a different year, for sure. You play to be relevant in November and December. As quirky as this season's been, we're relevant.”

Just like that, the 4-6 Falcons are in first place after beating the Panthers in Carolina.

The Falcons haven’t won a lot, but they are at least picking the right games to come away victorious. Atlanta is undefeated in the division and 0-6 outside of it. 

Yes, the NFC South winner gets to host a playoff game.

20. New Orleans Saints (4-6)

The New Orleans Saints losing by 17 points at home to the same Cincinnati Bengals squad that got destroyed by the Cleveland Browns the last time out was one of the biggest surprises in all of Week 11. 

Jimmy Graham was not a factor, Drew Brees was never comfortable and the Cincinnati offense made mincemeat of the Saints defense. The talent is still there to compete for the postseason, but New Orleans needs to find some level of consistency quickly.

19. St. Louis Rams (4-6) 

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com pointed out that the season may not be over for the St. Louis Rams:

If only the Rams were in the NFC South.

The defense dominated the proceedings on Sunday as much as you can possibly hope for when going against Peyton Manning. St. Louis pressured him, forced mistakes and controlled the tempo of the game, all while demonstrating how dominant the front seven can be when it plays at its best.

18. Cleveland Browns (6-4)

Josh Gordon could not have picked a more perfect time to come back.

It seems like the season is somewhat on the brink for the Cleveland Browns after losing at home to the Houston Texans, but adding the league’s leader in receiving yards from a season ago could change that. The AFC North race is a logjam, but the Browns are the only one to add an All-Pro this late in year. 

Let’s see if they can take advantage.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4)

ESPN Stats & Info gave some credit to Bell, who basically saved the Steelers on Monday night against Tennessee:

The Steelers already lost to the Jets and Buccaneers earlier this season and played the Jaguars awfully close. They appeared primed to lose to yet another bottom-dweller on Monday until Bell dominated the second half and Antonio Brown caught a critical touchdown. 

Ultimately, the three-point win is all that matters for Pittsburgh in a crowded AFC North race.

16. Houston Texans (5-5)

David Richard/Associated Press

The Houston Texans are the dark-horse team in the AFC playoff picture at this point.

They are only a game behind the Indianapolis Colts in the division and are hanging in the race with the AFC North squads and Miami Dolphins for a wild-card spot. They need some help, but reaching the postseason is not out of the question. 

J.J. Watt is a one-man wrecking crew, Arian Foster is a superstar when healthy and the quarterback position is no longer being manned by Ryan Fitzpatrick. That’s a solid combination.

15. San Diego Chargers (6-4)

The San Diego Chargers are banged up, but they did get a boost from Ryan Mathews (70 rushing yards) on Sunday in a too-close-for-comfort home win against the Raiders.

San Diego started 5-1 but is trending in wrong direction now at 6-4. To make matters worse, the remaining schedule is absolutely brutal with games against the Rams, Ravens, Patriots, Broncos, 49ers and Chiefs. 

It is just really difficult to envision this team in the postseason.

14. Cincinnati Bengals (6-3-1)

The Cincinnati Bengals are the picture of NFL inconsistency, but they have racked up enough wins to be a serious playoff contender.

They look like world-beaters in one week and then appear to be one of the league’s worst teams the next. The good version showed up in the Superdome on Sunday and destroyed the Saints, which put Cincinnati back in the thick of the race to host a playoff game. 

If nothing else, the Bengals and Andy Dalton needed that win after their performance against the Browns the week before.

13. Miami Dolphins (6-4)

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

It seems like ages ago after a thrilling Sunday, but the Dolphins controlled Thursday night’s game against the Bills to stay alive in the AFC wild-card hunt. 

Miami features a strong running game when Lamar Miller is fully healthy, and Ryan Tannehill looks like one of the most improved players in the league. Throw in a solid defense, and teams would be wise not to overlook the Dolphins down the stretch.

12. Baltimore Ravens (6-4)

The Baltimore Ravens had a bye in Week 11. 

They are the anti-Falcons because three of their four losses have come inside the division, including two against the Bengals. That could very well be a problem if and when tie-breaking scenarios come into play at the end of the season.

11. Seattle Seahawks (6-4)

Maybe the Super Bowl hangover is real.

In all fairness, going into Kansas City and coming away with a win is incredibly difficult in any season, let alone in this one where the Chiefs are actually good for the second consecutive year. Still, the Seattle Seahawks just don’t look as dominant as they were a year ago. 

The pieces are still in place for a deep run, but the Seahawks need to figure it out sooner rather than later in a deep NFC.

10. San Francisco 49ers (6-4)

Congratulations to those who played the San Francisco 49ers defense in fantasy football after it picked Manning off five times.

However, it has to be concerning for 49ers fans that their team still almost lost that game. Colin Kaepernick has been erratic at best throwing the ball this season, but there is too much talent on that side of the ball to struggle to put away a game in which the defense forced five interceptions. 

At least the 49ers got the win.

9. Dallas Cowboys (7-3)

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

The Dallas Cowboys had a bye in Week 11, but there are some question marks around this team after losing two of the last three. 

DeMarco Murray’s workload has been particularly heavy, Tony Romo has health concerns and the defense still isn’t talented enough to trust. The two games against the Philadelphia Eagles remaining on the schedule will be telling.

8. Indianapolis Colts (6-4)

Rapoport had some unfortunate news for the Indianapolis Colts:

The loss of Ahmad Bradshaw hurts because he was Andrew Luck’s security blanket when things broke down in the pocket. The Colts still have Luck, Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton, but they now lose one of the dynamic elements that made the offense tick, especially as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. 

The defense will also have to play better to hoist the Lombardi Trophy than it did against New England.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (7-3)

For as bad as Sunday’s blowout loss to the Packers was, the Eagles are tied for first place in the NFC East with two games remaining against the Cowboys. All is not lost, and every goal they had entering the season is still in front of them with a solid finish. 

There are some questions about which Mark Sanchez will show up from week to week after his performance in Green Bay, but the Packers are a buzzsaw right now. Sometimes the other team is just better.

6. Detroit Lions (7-3)

The Detroit Lions are no longer the Calvin Johnson Show where everyone else shows up and hopes he does something amazing to get the win. Instead, the defense has been among the league’s best all year, and it managed to keep the game at Arizona close on Sunday.

However, the offense didn’t do anything, and the Lions swallowed the loss. 

Still, it has to be encouraging for Lions fans that this defense is daunting this season, because Johnson and Matt Stafford will eventually find the connection that made them so formidable over the years. When it happens, this team will be dangerous on both sides of the ball.

5. Kansas City Chiefs (7-3)

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

With a 7-3 record, 4-1 mark at home and wins over New England and Seattle, Kansas City may be the best team in the NFL that nobody is talking about.

The Chiefs now have five consecutive wins after starting 2-3 and appear ready to seize a playoff spot out of the AFC West. The only question now is whether it will be a division crown or wild-card spot. 

The combination of the running attack and defense is nearly impossible to top when playing Kansas City. Those two factors become even more important at the end of the season in poor weather conditions.

4. Denver Broncos (7-3)

Denver took a major hit on Sunday when it was basically blown out at St. Louis. More importantly, Emmanuel Sanders, Montee Ball and Julius Thomas went down with injuries, which could have a long-term impact on the offense. 

It is a safe assumption based on track record that Manning will figure it out, regardless of who is out there with him, but the Broncos will need the defense to play up to its capabilities for the upcoming stretch.

3. Green Bay Packers (7-3)

Sunday’s game between two Super Bowl contenders from the NFC in the Packers and Eagles actually looked like an exhibition game between a varsity squad and a junior varsity team. That is how dangerous Green Bay looks after Week 11.

Aaron Rodgers is basically a cheating character from a video game, and Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are nearly impossible to stop. If the Packers continue to win and establish themselves as a top seed with home-field advantage, it will be incredibly difficult for opposing teams to come into the frozen tundra against Rodgers and win in the playoffs.

2. Arizona Cardinals (9-1)

The Arizona Cardinals feature the NFL’s best record, a boisterous home crowd and an opportunistic defense, which means they check in at No. 2 in these rankings.

Arizona doesn’t have a home loss and is in position to seize home-field advantage all the way to the Super Bowl. Nobody may believe in this squad’s championship aspirations, but the NFC will go through Arizona this season. 

That is a scary thought for the rest of the league.

1. New England Patriots (8-2)

Remember when the nation assumed the New England Patriots were done after they got crushed by Kansas City?

Whether it is relatively unknown running back Jonas Gray or Tom Brady finding Rob Gronkowski , the Patriots offense is simply unstoppable right now. What’s more, the defense looks much better as the season progresses, which is a problem for the AFC. 

At this point, the Patriots appear to be the best bet to win the Super Bowl.

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