NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Bottom Feeders Starting to Rise After Wins

What happened to teams like the Miami Dolphins who were all in for “Sucking for Luck?” Is it possible that motto turned their team around for the better?  

It’s amazing that after going 0-7 the Dolphins have turned it around to win their last three games and they are doing it by getting a Pro Bowl performance from running back Reggie Bush. Yes, the same Reggie Bush that was left for dead in the first seven weeks of this year. He has turned it around and has scored four touchdowns in three weeks.

However, Bush, Matt Moore and Brandon Marshall are not the only reasons why this Dolphins team has done a complete 180. Their defense has been playing out of their minds during this stretch. Over the last three games the defense has given up 21 points. That’s a seven-point average over that span, while the offense is scoring 20 points or more.  

This Dolphins team is playing at an elite level right now that proves they were not all in for the Stanford quarterback.  

The Denver Broncos are just like the Dolphins. They were once right there playing for the right to potentially draft the Stanford quarterback. However after a three-game winning streak this team is right back in the hunt for the division title.  

It’s hard to believe that one person is responsible for this immediate turn around for the Broncos, yet since Tim Tebow took over as quarterback this team has transformed into a serious playoff contender.  

In Tebow’s five games the offense isn’t playing at an elite level. However, in those four wins of Tebow’s five games, the defense is playing at an insane level. In those four wins the defense is shutting teams down, only giving up more than 15 points once. With the defense playing at a high level it has allowed Tebow the chance to engineer his miraculous comebacks.  

The Broncos success will not be because of Tebow, but because of how well this defense is playing.  

Just like the Broncos and Dolphins the Seattle Seahawks have quietly put together a very impressive two-game winning streak.  

The Seahawks are getting it done with one player and one player only, running back Marshawn Lynch. During this two-game streak, which includes a win over the 7-3 Baltimore Ravens, Lynch has two touchdowns and 197 rushing yards. He’s getting the ball between 32 and 27 times in those games.  

Seattle is not going to catch San Francisco for first place in the NFC West. However, at 4-6, they do sit just two games out of the last playoff spot in the NFC.  

These three teams all at one point looked like they could finish any more than three wins this year. However, after their recent winning streaks, they have given their fans something to cheer about. 

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T.J. McAloon's NFL Power Rankings

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