NFL Power Rankings: Thanksgiving Will Be Recipe for Disaster for These Teams

Those who gripe about Thanksgiving typically featuring boring matchups are going to be singing a different tune this Thursday, as the entire day is filled with can't-miss football action that will leave three teams on top of the world, and the other three sorely disappointed.

The Ravens and 49ers are both legitimate contenders and their matchup could ultimately be a Super Bowl preview.

The Packers look to remain undefeated and their road game against Matthew Stafford's Lions is their toughest matchup remaining on their schedule.

The Dolphins and Cowboys have both caught fire and a win would allow them to finish the season strong after shaky starts.

For the losers of these games, a skid in the power rankings is inevitable. Here are the teams who will be forced to eat a loss on Turkey Day.

Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers

The Lions are the most overrated team in football. Their 5-0 start looks far less impressive now that we know how sorry the Bucs, Chiefs and Vikings are. Their win over the Bears was grossly overshadowed last week when the Bears torched them in a 37-13 blowout.

Now they have to take on Aaron Rodgers and the undefeated Packers on a short week. The Lions have dropped three of their last five and though some are impressed by their second-half heroics against the Panthers last week, it's embarrassing that they had to come back in the first place.

Matthew Stafford is a solid quarterback. Rodgers is having a historic season. The disparity between the two isn't done justice on the stat sheet, but the scoreboard will reflect how grossly outmatched Stafford is.

The Packers are averaging 41.7 PPG in the three games they've played after their bye week. The Lions have shown the ability to produce that amount of points against the Broncos, Chiefs and Panthers, but how will they fair against a defense that actually has a pulse?

This game won't just prove the Lions are elite, it's going to show that they are a fringe playoff team at best. They've got elite pieces on both sides of the ball, they just aren't there yet.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins

The Cowboys and Dolphins have taken advantage of seeing soft opponents in recent weeks. they're both on a hot streak, but the verdict is still out on both of them and this matchup will say far more about the losing team than the winning team.

The Cowboys have a chance to grab hold of the NFC East, but with the Dolphins punishing the last three opponents they've faced and the Cowboys squeaking by the Redskins, it appears as though an upset is brewing in Dallas.

Tony Romo has been lighting it up in recent weeks, including a performance in which he completed 88.5 percent of his passes against the Bills. Even if that were against air, that's impressive.

We're overdue for a poor performance from Romo and no team in the past three weeks has found an answer for Reggie Bush, who has four touchdowns in that span.

The Dolphins are rolling and though they are nowhere near a playoff-caliber team, they've got what it takes to catch the Cowboys napping. When they do, the Cowboys will have to prove themselves all over again.

Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers

The Ravens are a coin toss when they go on the road in what should be an easy win, as we saw when they botched games against the Jags and Seahawks. Oddly enough, they've got to be on their toes this week, as the 49ers are coming into Baltimore.

Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers have mastered going on the road and coming away with the victory. The 49ers haven't lost on the road this season and though they are going into this game as the underdog, the 49ers have the upper hand in this physical battle.

The 49ers have the best run defense in the league. They haven't allowed a rushing touchdown all season long and in games where Ray Rice doesn't have a rushing touchdown, the Ravens are 2-3 this season.

Ray Lewis is banged up and even if he does play, he's still having the third best season of linebackers playing in this game.

NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis are unstoppable. The 49ers lead the league with 26 takeaways and with those two dominating the middle of the field, the Ravens can't hope to play conservative football by keeping the ball on the ground.

This hard-hitting affair won't prove the Ravens aren't the best team in the AFC, but it will prove that there has been a shift in power from the AFC to the NFC.

Kyle Vassalo's Week 12 Power Rankings
1	Packers
2	49ers
3	Steelers
4	Saints
5	Ravens
6	Bears
7	Patriots
8	Cowboys
9	Texans
10	Lions
11	Bengals
12	Falcons
13	Giants
14	Jets
15	Raiders
16	Broncos
17	Titans
18	Eagles
19	Chargers
20	Buccaneers
21	Bills
22	Dolphins
23	Chiefs
24	Seahawks
25	Vikings
26	Jaguars
27	Browns
28	Redskins
29	Cardinals
30	Panthers
31	Rams
32	Colts