NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Which Teams Have the Most to Gain?

Thanksgiving is the point of no return for NFL teams. It marks a time where contenders can't afford to slip up and pretenders become more obvious. Here are three teams with a lot of question marks that can make huge statements in Week 12.

Detroit Lions

After starting the season 5-0, Detroit has hit a rough patch over the past month. The Lions lost three of four games before picking up a win over the pesky Carolina Panthers. They have a measuring stick game against the Green Bay Packers to kickoff the Thanksgiving Day fun.

If Kevin Smith can fill the shoes of Jahvid Best, the offense should be able to return to elite status. The defense is still a concern, though. After giving up 35 points to Carolina, the unit will need to turn things around in a big way against Aaron Rodgers and Co.

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore may have the most impressive victories of any team, having already beat the Houston Texans, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers (twice). However, they also lead the league in head-scratching losses.

The Ravens will need to be in elite form to match up with the red-hot San Francisco 49ers. Their offense tends to depend on Ray Rice, so it will be essential to feed him the ball early and often. Asking Joe Flacco to throw 52 times like he did vs. Seattle is not a recipe for success.

New York Giants

The Giants never make things easy. They started 6-2 but have proceeded to drop two straight games, including one against the Philadelphia Eagles without Michael Vick. That's dropped them into an NFC East tie with the Dallas Cowboys.

Now they have a Monday night road game in New Orleans waiting for them. With a difficult final stretch of games, it's still possible for New York to miss the playoffs after its quick start. Getting back on track vs. the Saints will help to avoid that fate.

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