NFL Power Rankings: Week 12 Standings and Review After Sunday's Games

After Sunday's action, 17 teams—more than half of the league—is within one game of a .500 record. 

An optimist could praise the NFL for its parity but, more realistically, we're just watching a lot of incredibly mediocre football this season. 

As a result, this week's power rankings are essentially grouped into three parts.

The first group are the seven contenders, all at least two games over .500. The bottom group are the six teams battling it out for the No. 1 pick in the draft, each with at least seven losses already. And everyone else is jumbled up somewhere in the middle.

Rank	Team	W-L
1	New England Patriots	9-0
2	Carolina Panthers	10-0
3	Arizona Cardinals	8-2
4	Denver Broncos	8-2
5	Cincinnati Bengals	8-2
6	Green Bay Packers	7-3
7	Minnesota Vikings	7-3
8	Pittsburgh Steelers	6-4
9	Buffalo Bills	5-4
10	Seattle Seahawks	5-5
11	Kansas City Chiefs	5-5
12	New York Giants	5-5
13	New York Jets	5-5
14	Houston Texans	5-5
15	Indianapolis Colts	5-5
16	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5-5
17	Dallas Cowboys	3-7
18	Oakland Raiders	4-6
19	Philadelphia Eagles	4-6
20	Jacksonville Jaguars	4-6
21	Atlanta Falcons	6-4
22	New Orleans Saints	4-6
23	St. Louis Rams	4-6
24	Washington Redskins	4-6
25	Chicago Bears	4-6
26	Miami Dolphins	4-6
27	Baltimore Ravens	3-7
28	Detroit Lions	3-7
29	San Francisco 49ers	3-7
30	San Diego Chargers	2-8
31	Tennessee Titans	2-8
32	Cleveland Browns	2-8

6. Green Bay Packers

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

The Packers/Vikings rivalry is one of the NFL's best when both teams are competitive, so it was nice to see this matchup return to relevancy for the first time in a few seasons. 

Despite the Vikings revival this season, the results remained the same, as the Packers snapped their three-game losing streak. 

While getting the win was important, the performance of Eddie Lacy was equally as exciting for the Packers as the final result. 

"

Eddie Lacy on what had been wrong with him, to Erin Andrews: "I wasn't right, like spiritually."

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 23, 2015"

After sitting out last week, Lacy returned to carry the ball 22 times for 100 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. 

If Lacy is back to full health, the Packers are once again a legitimate threat in the NFC.

10. Seattle Seahawks

John Froschauer/Associated Press

The Seahawks are on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, but it would be foolish to count out Seattle just yet.

Seattle has won three of its last four games, with the lone loss in that stretch coming against the division-leading Cardinals. 

After a brutal schedule to open up the season, the Seahawks will soon reap the rewards of surviving that tough early stretch. The Rams, Ravens and Browns account for three of the Seahawks' four December games. 

17. Dallas Cowboys

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The Cowboys are the most difficult team to place in the power rankings. 

Obviously, the seven losses have to be factored in, but this is clearly a different team with Tony Romo at the helm.

"

Since Tony Romo became Cowboys starter in 2006, they are 78-48 (.619) with him, 6-16 (.272) without him.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 22, 2015"

Over the past two seasons, the Cowboys are 16-4 with Romo as their starter and have to be considered one of the most dangerous teams in the NFC down the stretch, even if the playoffs are a long shot. 

The Cowboys host Carolina on Thanksgiving, which should generate a playoff-like atmosphere in Dallas.

21. Atlanta Falcons

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

It's tough to rank a team with a winning record so far down the list, but the Falcons have dropped three straight and four of their last five games. 

"

If 6-4 was all Falcons were capable of right now it'd be one thing. They should be 8-2 at worst. Underachieving badly.

— Shane Alexander (@Alexander1Great) November 22, 2015"

Not only are the Falcons losing games, but they're losing to some of the league's doormats.

The last three quarterbacks to beat the Falcons are Jameis Winston, Blaine Gabbert and Matt Hasselbeck—not exactly the types of quarterbacks who should be knocking off playoff contenders. 

Atlanta hosts the Vikings next week, followed by road trips to Tampa Bay and Carolina—a tough stretch that will likely decide the Falcons' playoff fate.