NFL Power Rankings Week 12: 2017-18 Conference Standings and Super Bowl Odds

The NFL continued to settle into a sense of normalcy over the course of Week 11, where contenders picked up wins and those fading teams took another step backward. 

Of course, it took a while for some of these trends to become normal. The Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams featuring in a match between heavyweight playoff contenders wouldn't have seemed likely before the start of the season.

The Buffalo Bills laughably benching Tyrod Taylor and watching replacement Nathan Peterman throw five interceptions in a 54-24 loss exemplified the oddities of the season. 

As such, weekly power rankings haven't been a simple beast to master. In the AFC, even 4-6 teams still have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. 

To provide an assist, let's look at Super Bowl odds and conference standings alongside the power rankings. 

2017 NFL Power Rankings and Super Bowl Odds

Rank	Team
1	Philadelphia Eagles (11-2)
2	New Orleans Saints (9-1)
3	Minnesota Vikings (18-1)
4	Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2)
5	New England Patriots (7-2)
6	Los Angeles Rams (9-1)
7	Jacksonville Jaguars (25-1)
8	Seattle Seahawks (12-1)
9	Carolina Panthers (20-1)
10	Detroit Lions (33-1)
11	Atlanta Falcons (28-1)
12	Kansas City Chiefs (12-1)
13	Dallas Cowboys (33-1)
14	Tennessee Titans (40-1)
15	New York Jets (500-1)
16	Washington Redskins (125-1)
17	Los Angeles Chargers (200-1)
18	Oakland Raiders (40-1)
19	Buffalo Bills (125-1)
20	Baltimore Ravens (125-1)
21	Cincinnati Bengals (200-1)
22	Denver Broncos (200-1)
23	Houston Texans (200-1)
24	Chicago Bears (300-1)
25	Green Bay Packers (66-1)
26	Indianapolis Colts (1000-1)
27	New York Giants (1000-1)
28	Arizona Cardinals (200-1)
29	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (200-1)
30	Miami Dolphins (500-1)
31	San Francisco 49ers (5000-1)
32	Cleveland Browns (5000-1)

Conference Standings

AFC 

• Pittsburgh Steelers 8-2
• New England Patriots 8-2
• Jacksonville Jaguars 7-3
• Kansas City Chiefs 6-4
• Tennessee Titans 6-4
• Baltimore Ravens 5-5
• Buffalo Bills 5-5
• Miami Dolphins 4-6
• New York Jets 4-6
• Cincinnati Bengals 4-6
• Houston Texans 4-6
• Los Angeles Chargers 4-6
• Oakland Raiders 4-6
• Indianapolis Colts 3-7
• Denver Broncos 3-7
• Cleveland Browns 0-10

NFC 

• Philadelphia Eagles 9-1
• Minnesota Vikings 8-2
• New Orleans Saints 8-2
• Los Angeles Rams 7-3
• Carolina Panthers 7-3
• Seattle Seahawks 6-3
• Detroit Lions 6-4
• Atlanta Falcons 5-4
• Green Bay Packers 5-5
• Dallas Cowboys 5-5
• Washington Redskins 4-6
• Arizona Cardinals 4-6
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-6
• Chicago Bears 3-7
• New York Giants 2-8
• San Francisco 49ers 1-9

Worth a Look: Jacksonville Jaguars 

Hidden Truth: Jaguars Defense Can Beat Anyone in AFC Playoffs, Even Patriots

Now might be a good time to strike on the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

The odds might actually provide a better payout than usual if they move here. After all, though they have seven wins, the Jaguars haven't overly impressed over the past two weeks with an overtime three-point escape of the Los Angeles Chargers and a 19-7 victory against the Cleveland Browns. 

But it's an eye-of-the-beholder ordeal. The Jaguars don't need to look pretty so long as they're winning, which they are while riding the league's most dominant defense, as noted by the team's Tad Dickman: 

One could say the Jaguars are now flying under the radar, which is a trend that should only increase in the coming weeks as they play Arizona and Indianapolis. They also get San Francisco and Tennessee to close the season. 

Call it a double-edged sword—in a good way. Provided the team keeps taking care of business, oddsmakers might let the line slip while the Jaguars storm to an AFC South title and the playoffs. 

There, the defense and an elite running back like Leonard Fournette (740 yards, six touchdowns, 4.2 yards per carry average) have the talent to make some noise in a weak conference. 

Don't Panic: Los Angeles Rams

There's no reason to jump ship on the Rams because they lost a tough game. 

Yes, the Rams hit the road and went down 24-7 against a great Vikings team. Yes, Jared Goff didn't throw a touchdown and the team got away from its balance while attempting 37 passes and rushing it 17 times for all of 2.6 yards per carry. 

But please, breathe. 

The Rams have still won four of their last five—including one over the Jaguars—and by impressive margins at 27-17, 33-0, 51-17, 33-7. Goff is still the guy with 16 touchdowns against four interceptions, and Todd Gurley is still the guy with 791 yards and eight touchdowns. This is still the offense with four players sitting on at least three touchdown receptions. 

If anything, the loss to the Vikings shows what a dangerous team Minnesota is, as NFL Research helped to illustrate: 

Things remain tough for the Rams in Week 12 thanks to a game against the New Orleans Saints, but there are winnable games such as Arizona, Tennessee and San Francisco still on the schedule. 

Provided the Rams keep playing well, the lead on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West should remain intact, though the two do meet in Week 15. But, like the Jaguars, now is a good time to buy in, not shy away. 

Contender to Bet: New Orleans Saints 

Let's talk about those Saints.

It was an easy fact to gloss over before, but there's no ignoring it now—the Saints haven't lost since Week 2. 

These Saints have rattled off eight wins in a row, making history in the process, as noted by ESPN's Adam Schefter: 

And here is where we need to point out something perhaps even more impressive—the Saints have only lost to Minnesota and New England. 

Simply put, the Saints might be the most well-rounded team in football. Drew Brees is still his usual self with 15 touchdowns against five interceptions, sure. But Mark Ingram (806 yards, eight touchdowns, 5.2-yard average) and rookie Alvin Kamara (459 yards, four TDs, 6.4-yard average) round out the league's best offense. 

Case in point—the eighth win in a row came against the Washington Redskins after rallying from a 15-point deficit to win in overtime. Brees finished with 385 yards and two touchdowns, but his team rushing for 160 yards with seven yards per carry is a lethal balance the upset-minded Redskins couldn't handle while trying to save their season. 

The NFC South belongs to the Saints, especially after blowing out the closest team, the Carolina Panthers, 34-13 back in Week 3. The schedule is tough the rest of the way, but it's been that way for most of the season, so don't shy away from the Saints now. 

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Odds courtesy of OddsShark.