NFL Power Rankings: Looking at Which Wins Lifted Teams Most

There is only one way for an NFL team to rise in the power rankings, and that's through winning. A convincing victory means that a team's position is guaranteed to improve from one week to the next.

In the following slides, I detail four teams whose Week 11 wins gave them a boost heading into Week 12, and I'll close with my full, 32-team NFL power rankings .

No. 20: Denver Broncos (Last Week: 24)

Defeating the New York Jets in Week 11, the Denver Broncos are on a three-game winning streak. And while they are still near the bottom in my Week 12 power rankings, that win still jumped them four spots, from No. 24 to No. 20.

Though quarterback Tim Tebow has yet to prove he can throw the ball effectively and consistently, the team's running game, and especially their defense, has provided the team with just enough productivity to earn them victories.

While the team's current offensive approach isn't likely sustainable in the long term, the fact that it's garnered them wins proves that it's not the total failure everyone feared it would be. With the San Diego Chargers next for Denver, their rise might not continue.

However, the Chargers have now lost five straight games, and without improvement won't have an easy time handling the confounding Broncos.

No. 5: Baltimore Ravens (Last Week: 8)

The Baltimore Ravens only dropped to No. 8 heading into Week 11, though they lost a thoroughly winnable tilt against the Seattle Seahawks the Sunday prior. But with a home victory over the venerable Cincinnati Bengals, they've managed to rise yet again, cracking the top five.

The Ravens' victory also propelled them to first place in the hotly-contested AFC North Division, and as such, I had them leapfrog the second-place Steelers in my Week 12 power rankings.

Though Baltimore still has issues with offensive inconsistency, their perennially fierce defense has managed to more than make up for what the team lacks from quarterback Joe Flacco and company.

A strong showing this week against the San Francisco 49ers will vault them even higher, and a loss, however devastating, shouldn't drop them out of the top 10, considering the quality of opponent.

No. 17: Miami Dolphins (Last Week: 20)

Though the Miami Dolphins started their season 0-7, they've managed to find formulas on both offense and defense that have worked, winning their last three games.

The third, a 35-8 blowout victory over the once-dominant Buffalo Bills, has moved them to just one spot out of the top half of my power rankings for Week 12.

Miami seems to have finally gelled as a team, with quarterback Matt Moore performing above expectations and running back Reggie Bush having a better-defined role, and increased production as a result.

Also, the Dolphins defense, never all that bad to begin with, has gotten their collective act together. Though this week's contest against the Dallas Cowboys will be a major test, there's no doubt they'll be ready and able to put up a serious fight.

Should the Dolphins defeat Dallas on Sunday, they will easily slide into the top 16 of my power rankings for next week.

No. 18: Seattle Seahawks (Last Week: 22)

The Seattle Seahawks emerged part-way out of the very bottom of my power rankings after their Week 10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. With two wins in a row, they're now at No. 18, with their most recent defeat a 24-7 rout over the St. Louis Rams.

Alternately inspiring and infuriating, the Seahawks have a good number of pieces in place to have a solid team, but have been too inconsistent to manage a better record. With two wins over seriously strong opponents, Seattle needs to shore up the little mistakes they've made.

Though the Seahawks have a couple of truly hard contests ahead of them, they can still manage to put together enough wins to have a season they can be proud of.

As long as Seattle can keep up what they've been doing in the past two weeks, they shouldn't have much trouble dispatching the terrible Washington Redskins this Sunday.

Full 32-Team NFL Power Rankings for Week 12

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