NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Is It the Falcons or the Patriots on Top?
NFL Power Rankings Week 12 is here just in time for a three-game slate on Turkey Day, and a couple days removed from a Week 11 that was a real "show me" weekend.
Do the Falcons have any hope of claiming the top spot, or is the Patriots' recent roll too impressive to ignore? How much have the Cowboys helped themselves over the last two weeks? Where does Brad Childress' firing leave the Vikings?
Answers to all these questions and more lie ahead. Start the slideshow to find them.
The Worst Of The Worst
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32. Carolina Panthers: Doing everything in their power to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.
31. Cincinnati Bengals: What T.O. said.
30. Arizona Cardinals: They've lost five in a row, and you know a quarterback situation is bad when Matt Leinart suddenly looks like a better option.
29. Detroit Lions: I hope you like blowouts with your Thanksgiving turkey.
28. Minnesota Vikings: They better hope that they can undergo a Dallas-like transformation now that Chilly is gone.
27. Buffalo Bills: Nobody wins two in a row like the Buffalo Bills. And how about Ryan Fitzpatrick for "The Most Underrated QB" award? If there was such a thing, of course.
26. San Francisco 49ers: They're already clambering for Jim Harbaugh here in the Bay Area.
25. Denver Broncos: It's actually kind of hilarious that they seem to have drafted Tim Tebow just so he could run the same plays he ran at Florida.
24. Dallas Cowboys: You have to tip your cap to Jason Garrett.
23. Cleveland Browns: With McCoy hurt, it's back to Jake Delhomme. Perish the thought...
22. Houston Texans: They're not losing by much, but they've still lost four in a row and have all but fallen out of the picture.
21. St. Louis Rams: They might be the only team that's better than their sub-.500 record. Sam Bradford for Rookie of the Year.
20. Seattle Seahawks
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They are absolutely atrocious. The only game they've won in their last four was against Arizona, who is even more rotten.
And yet they're in first place in the NFC West with a 5-5 record.
Sigh... the NFL deserves better than that (bleep)ing division.
19. Miami Dolphins
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Whether it's Chad Henne or Tyler Thigpen under center, the Dolphins still seem like they're trying to become too much of a passing game.
Whatever happened to the ground game? Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown allowed the Dolphins to have the fourth-ranked rushing attack (139.4 yards/game) last season, and this season they're not even averaging 100 yards a game.
So when you have guys like these, and you ask Thigpen to throw the ball 30 times, what exactly are you doing, Tony Sparano?
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18. Washington Redskins
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There really is no predicting what the Sins are going to do from week to week, on offense or defense.
In their last four games, they allowed 14 points to Chicago, and 16 to Tennessee. Not surprisingly, they won both of those games.
But then they went out and gave up 37 to Detroit and 59 to Philly, yet scored 25 and 28 points.
So...I honestly don't know. They're 5-5, I guess. And technically, they're still very much alive.
17. Tennessee Titans
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It has officially gotten ugly in Tennessee, which is a damn shame given that they looked like a real contender when they jumped out to a 5-2 start.
But now they've lost three in a row, their franchise quarterback is out for the year and has a vendetta against the head coach, and the head coach has a vendetta against him as well.
I hate to say it Titan fans, but your team is probably only going to keep sinking.
16. Oakland Raiders
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As good as the Raiders looked during their three-game win streak, they looked downright awful against a Pittsburgh team that was clearly playing angry.
It's pretty obvious at the point that they can't win if you can force their quarterback into making plays, whether it's Jason Campbell or Bruce Gradkowski. Stop Darren McFadden, and the Raiders aren't going anywhere.
As a Raider fan, I can honestly say that the only enjoyable part of that game was Richard Seymour's slapping of Big Ben.
But no matter, they get to host a reeling Dolphins team on Sunday. The only question is whether anybody in the Bay Area will get to watch on TV.
15. Kansas City Chiefs
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I wouldn't read too much into Kansas City's win over Arizona.
For one, the Cardinals have the worst defense in the NFL (29.2 points/game). Secondly, you just have to suspect that their losses against division foes Oakland and Denver are much more indicative of how good they are.
Besides, after starting 3-0, the Chiefs are a wildly mediocre 3-4.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars
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Is there a team in the NFL with a quieter three-game win streak than the Jags?
I think not. This might, in retrospect, have something to do with the teams they've beaten. Dallas was terrible at the time, the Texans are plummeting, and the Browns are the Browns.
And yet there they sit in first place in the AFC South, with a defense that gives up 27 points per game, and an offense that seems to thrive on luck.
Nevertheless, they deserve a tipping of the cap.
13. Chicago Bears
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So, they started 3-0, looked awful for four games, and are now on another three-game winning streak.
The Bears' defense is obviously their bread and butter. Chicago is second in the league in scoring defense (14.6) and third in yards per game (290.4). They've also forced eight turnovers during their win streak.
Also, from a purely Jay Cutler perspective, Jay Cutler really hasn't sucked all that much lately. He's thrown five touchdowns and three picks in his last three, the only real stinker of which being his subpar effort against Miami.
12. New York Giants
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They were on top of the NFC after five wins in a row. But after two pretty bad losses, well, it's pretty obvious that they don't belong there, do they?
Exactly which part of the team to blame is harder to identify. Maybe it's the defense, which faltered early against Dallas and late against Philly. Maybe it's Eli Manning, who has thrown five picks in his last two games and also lost a key fumble against the Eagles.
On balance, they've just looked sloppy.
11. Indianapolis Colts
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While it's far from panic time in Indianapolis, it's probably time to take a truly realistic look at the Colts.
On paper, they're a very good team. But players don't get injured on paper (unless we're talking about some kind of epic paper cut).
Listen, we all know Peyton Manning is the man. But it's hard to recall a season in which he's had to carry a similar load to the one he's had to bear this year.
And he just hasn't been his typical great self in the Colts' last four games, in which they're 2-2. Peyton has thrown seven touchdowns, sure, but he's also thrown five of his seven picks.
It's also not going to get any easier with a hot San Diego team coming into town on Sunday.
10. San Diego Chargers
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Given the Chargers' history in the first half of each of the last couple seasons, it's about that time of year where we overlook their rather average record and start regarding them as a team to beat.
The primary reason for this, as it usually is, would be Philip Rivers. His numbers during San Diego's three game win streak: 833 yards, 10 touchdowns and three picks. That's good for a 127.7 rating.
In short, it's between him and Michael Vick for the NFL MVP right now.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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The fact that the Buccaneers keep winning is almost frustrating. They're not really good at any one thing, and there's nary a star to be found on the team.
And that, I think, is why they deserve credit.
After shutting out the Niners on their own turf, the Bucs have now won four of five. And that one loss was a very winnable game against the NFC's best team.
Also, you have to dig LeGarrette Blount, who's been a good find for both the Bucs and my fantasy team.
8. New York Jets
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They are definitely the so-called "cardiac kids" of the 2010 NFL crop. But hey, it's better to win close games than to lose them, right?
Indeed. And the Jets basically have Santonio Holmes to thank for their three-game winning streak, as he has racked up 216 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those, of course, were game winners.
They may be 8-2, but the one reason I don't have them higher is because it's not like they've pulled out these close wins over NFL powerhouses.
7. New Orleans Saints
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It's starting to look like Drew Brees is going to be pick-happy for the rest of the season, but at least he's starting to pad his rating with some touchdowns recently. In fact, he's doubled up his touchdown-pick ration in each of his last three games (2-1, 2-1, 4-2).
And after trading wins for six weeks, the Saints look like their old 2009 selves in their three-game win streak. It should be fun watching them put Dallas back in their place tomorrow, preferably over a few beers and some delicious om noms.
6. Green Bay Packers
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When the Pack dropped their second game in a row to Miami in Week 6, I thought they were doomed.
But because the Pack are one of my all-time favorite teams, I'm glad I was wrong.
Four wins in a row, the last three of which have seen them outscore their opponents 84-10. And my fellow Cal alum Aaron Rodgers has seven touchdowns and no picks in his last two games.
It's a tough road ahead, however. The Pack has to play at Atlanta on Sunday, and then wraps the season up with New England, the football Giants and Chicago.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
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Did Big Ben deserve that slap from Richard Seymour?
Absolutely.
But did he and his team get the last laugh?
Most definitely.
Indeed, the Steelers rebounded from a bad loss to the Pats to hold one of the NFL's hottest teams to three points and 182 total yards. They held the NFL's leading rusher in yards per game to a grand total of 14 on 10 carries.
Yup, New England was a minor hiccup. And the Steelers have the benefit of getting to face Buffalo, Cincinnati, Carolina and Cleveland down the stretch.
4. Baltimore Ravens
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I remember looking at Batlimore's huge spread against Carolina and thinking it should have been bigger.
The strange thing about the Ravens is that they almost seem to be flying under the radar (as I'm told by a reputable ornithologist that ravens are known to do). They're 7-3 and first in the AFC North, and have won six of eight.
The two losses in that span were by a total of eight points, and Baltimore could have won either one of them.
They do have a relatively tough road from here on out, with games against Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh looming, and they have to host the Saints in a few weeks as well.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
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Was their win over the Giants as pretty as their epic Monday night win over Washington?
Here's a better question: is that even possible?
To be sure, the Eagles are on a roll right now, and it's gotten to the point where it will be a borderline shock every time they lose.
In addition, they face just two teams with better than .500 records the rest of the way: Chicago and the football Giants, respectively.
2. Atlanta Falcons
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As good as the Eagles have been recently, the Falcons are the best team in the NFC. And they might just be the best team in the NFL.
It starts with Matt Ryan, who has thrown nine touchdowns and just one interception during the Falcons' four-game win streak. Then there's Michael Turner, who is sixth in the league in rushing with 864 yards. And of course, there's Roddy White, who has easily been the best wide receiver in football this year.
And then there's the defense, which is quietly seventh in scoring.
1. New England Patriots
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Remember how down we were on them after they got thrashed by Cleveland?
Next thing we know, they come out with an immense amount of intensity and have their way with the NFL's most physical defense in Pittsburgh, and then they get the better of Peyton Manning and the Colts at home.
That's two AFC powers dislodged in impressive fashion in the last two weeks. Not too shabby at all.
Sure, their defense has its issues. But exactly how you're supposed to stop their offense is getting trickier every week as more and more players get involved. They lead the NFL in scoring, and it seems like it's a new guy every week.
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