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

Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans was supposed to be a high-scoring affair. There were a lot of points, but most of them came from one team.

The Ravens continued their impressive season with a dominant 41-7 home win over the Texans. It was Baltimore's sixth consecutive win, and its fourth straight with 30 or more points. Over that four-game span, the Ravens have also notched strong wins over the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.

Although the Patriots and San Francisco 49ers each have only one loss, while the Ravens have two, Baltimore is firmly in the conversation of Super Bowl contenders at this point in the season, especially because it has proved it can beat New England.

With most of Week 12 of the NFL season complete—the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers play in Mexico City on Monday night—here's a look at the current standings and power rankings, along with a closer breakdown of the league's top three teams.

Current NFL Standings

AFC East

New England 9-1

Buffalo 7-3

N.Y. Jets 3-7

Miami 2-8

AFC North

Baltimore 8-2

Pittsburgh 5-5

Cleveland 4-6

Cincinnati 0-10

AFC South

Indianapolis 6-4

Houston 6-4

Tennessee 5-5

Jacksonville 4-6

AFC West

Kansas City 6-4

Oakland 6-4

L.A. Chargers 4-6

Denver 3-7

NFC East

Dallas 6-4

Philadelphia 5-5

N.Y. Giants 2-8

Washington 1-9

NFC North

Green Bay 8-2

Minnesota 8-3

Chicago 4-6

Detroit 3-6-1

NFC South

New Orleans 8-2

Carolina 5-5

Atlanta 3-7

Tampa Bay 3-7

NFC West

San Francisco 9-1

Seattle 8-2

L.A. Rams 6-4

Arizona 3-7-1

Current NFL Power Rankings

1. Baltimore Ravens (8-2)

2. New England Patriots (9-1)

3. San Francisco 49ers (9-1)

4. Seattle Seahawks (8-2)

5. Green Bay Packers (8-2)

6. New Orleans Saints (8-2)

7. Minnesota Vikings (8-3)

8. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)

9. Dallas Cowboys (6-4)

10. Houston Texans (6-4)

11. Buffalo Bills (7-3)

12. Oakland Raiders (6-4)

13. Los Angeles Rams (6-4)

14. Indianapolis Colts (6-4)

15. Tennessee Titans (5-5)

16. Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)

17. Carolina Panthers (5-5)

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5)

19. Cleveland Browns (4-6) 

20. Chicago Bears (4-6)

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6)

22. Los Angeles Chargers (4-6)

23. Detroit Lions (3-6-1)

24. Atlanta Falcons (3-7)

25. Denver Broncos (3-7)

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7)

27. Arizona Cardinals (3-7-1)

28. New York Jets (3-7)

29. New York Giants (2-8)

30. Miami Dolphins (2-8)

31. Washington Redskins (1-9)

32. Cincinnati Bengals (0-10)

Top Three Teams

1. Baltimore Ravens (8-2)

The Ravens have made back-to-back losses to the Chiefs and Browns in Weeks 3 and 4 a distant memory. Baltimore is winning challenging matchups, and doing so in convincing fashion.

The latest example was Sunday, when the Ravens rolled to a lopsided victory over the Texans. Quarterback Lamar Jackson, an NFL MVP candidate this season, passed for 222 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 86 yards. He's one of the league's most exciting players, and he's performing at a high level in only his second NFL season.

Baltimore's six-game winning streak is its longest since winning seven straight in 2000. That was the year the Ravens won their first Super Bowl. And if they continue playing like this, they could end up with the franchise's third championship.

An exciting matchup to look forward to will be in Week 13, when the Ravens host the 49ers in a rematch of Super Bowl XLVII—and perhaps a preview of Super Bowl LIV.

2. New England Patriots (9-1)

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

After suffering their first loss of the season in Week 9 to the Ravens, the Patriots had their bye, which provided them the opportunity for extra rest and preparation before looking to bounce back. And that's just what they did.

In a Super Bowl LII rematch, New England notched a 17-10 road victory at Philadelphia on Sunday. Julian Edelman threw a go-ahead 15-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Dorsett with 10 minutes, 49 seconds remaining, and the Patriots defense held on for the win.

The Pats have allowed only 108 points over 10 games this season, and 20 of those came in their loss to the Ravens. No other team has scored more than 14 against them.

New England has more tough matchups in the weeks to come, as its next three games are against Dallas, Houston and Kansas City, all three of which are atop its respective divisions. But if the Patriots impress during that stretch, they'll remain a top contender to win the Super Bowl.

3. San Francisco 49ers (9-1)

John Hefti/Associated Press

The 49ers came from behind to bounce back from their first loss of the season on Sunday.

In Sunday's 36-26 home victory over Arizona, San Francisco fell behind 16-0 early in the second quarter. Then, after battling back, the 49ers fell behind 26-23 with 6:30 to go. However, Jimmy Garoppolo threw a go-ahead 25-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Wilson Jr. with 31 seconds remaining, and San Francisco sealed the win with a defensive touchdown as time expired.

The 49ers were the last undefeated team in the NFL this season before their Week 10 Monday night overtime loss to the Seahawks. But their win over the Cardinals got them back on track in an impressive way.

Now, San Francisco has its most challenging stretch of its schedule. Over the next three weeks, the 49ers play the Packers, Ravens and Saints, all three of whom are currently 8-2.