NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Are the Most Exciting to Watch?

The sparks continue to fly in New Orleans, as Drew Brees and the Saints offense exploded for nearly 50 points against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.

Speaking of the Giants, Eli Manning and Tom Coughiln look like deers stuck in a headlight. 

Speaking of a deer stuck in a headlight, have the Indianapolis Colts all but cemented the notion that Peyton Manning is this entire franchise? As an 0-16 season inches closer for the Manning-less Colts, the Andrew Luck chatter will only get louder. 

While the Indianapolis Colts struggle with their quarterback situation, the Green Bay Packers revel in Aaron Rodgers' brilliance. At 11-0, the Packers could very well finish with a perfect mark despite an imperfect defense.

Two teams with phenomenal defenses faced off in Baltimore, with older brother John Harbaugh prevailing over his younger brother Jim Harbaugh and his upstart San Francisco 49ers team. 

There are so many exciting storylines to talk about, but the biggest one of em all is Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. I kid (somewhat), but can you deny Tebow's presence in the Broncos' revitalization? 

Whichever storyline proves to be the biggest, we can all agree that Week 12 was exciting to say the least. 

Here are my power rankings for Week 12. 

32) Indianapolis Colts (0-11)

The Indianapolis Colts face the long road toward ultimate embarrassment.

Their next three opponents—New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans—have records over .500. 

The Week 17 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars looks to be the Indianapolis Colts' best shot at a win. 

31) St. Louis Rams (2-9)

Owner Stan Kroenke must make a difficult decision at season's end.

If they do indeed depart with the current management and coaching staff, is a change at quarterback also in consideration? 

The St.Louis Rams will have a premier pick in the draft and their choice of a quarterback (sans Andrew Luck). 

30) Minnesota Vikings (2-9)

The Minnesota Vikings, without star running back Adrian Peterson, played a competitive game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12. 

The Vikings are devoid of playmakers and must surround Christian Ponder with the necessary weapons to succeed. 

29) Kansas City Chiefs (4-7)

With or without Kyle Orton, the Kansas City Chiefs have no chance in reclaiming their AFC West divisional title.

The latest loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers have placed the Chiefs at 4-7, which puts them right behind both the Denver Broncos (6-5) and Oakland Raiders (7-4).  

28) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8)

The Jacksonville Jaguars boast a stingy defense that ranks in the top five in yards allowed (292.5 yards a game).

The offense, led by rookie Blaine Gabbert, is struggling—but that was expected.

Blaine Gabbert will succeed as long as the Jaguars surround the young quarterback with talent.

They have pieces in Maurice Jones-Drew and Mercedes Lewis but lack playmakers at receiver. 

27) Carolina Panthers (3-8)

DeAngelo Williams finally woke up from his slumber and contributed in the Carolina Panthers' win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12.

Cam Newton continues to shine, but the wins have come few and far between. 

26) Seattle Seahawks (4-7)

The Seattle Seahawks' loss to the Cleveland Browns (at home) was disappointing but in no way surprising.

In a way, the Seahawks are similar to the Baltimore Ravens except for the talent aspect. 

The defense is talented, but the offense continues to hold this team back.

A quarterback search will take place in Seattle during the offseason. 

25) Arizona Cardinals

Patrick Peterson is simply phenomenal.

He has recorded four punt return TDs this season, including one returned in the Cardinals' win against the St. Louis Rams. 

The Arizona Cardinals defense played well against the Rams, holding Steven Jackson to a measly 64 yards on the ground. 

John Skelton is not the answer in Arizona—nor is Kevin Kolb—but the Cardinals have far too much invested in their quarterbacks to simply start over. 

24) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a complete mess, and the blame should start with the head coach.

The overly confident Raheem Morris seems to have lost his young locker room. 

Josh Freeman desperately needs weapons in the passing game, and the defense lacks girth in the middle.

The addition of Albert Haynesworth has done nothing to improve the Buccaneers' 30th-ranked rush defense, and the secondary continues to underperform despite the talent. 

23) Washington Redskins (4-7)

The Ryan Kerrigan/Brian Orakpo tandem will dominate for years to come.

The issue lies in the future of this offense. 

Mike Shanahan must find the quarterback of the future—and soon—if he intends to continue coaching in Washington. 

22) San Diego Chargers (4-7)

The San Diego Chargers are finished, and head coach Norv Turner will feel the brunt of this fallout.

The loss to the Denver Broncos will prove to be the last straw for Norv Turner and a few of the head honchos in San Diego. 

Expect general manager A.J. Smith to slither out of this mess despite his stubborn and often unnecessary front-office practices.

This once-talented team has become a shell of its old self. 

21) Cleveland Browns (4-7)

The Cleveland Browns defense is ranked first against the pass and sixth in yards allowed.

The offense is at the root of their failures despite high expectations in the beginning of the season. 

The absence of Peyton Hillis has brought zero balance to the offense, and Colt McCoy has unfairly taken the blame for the fallout.

The presence of Hillis in the Browns' loss to the Houston Texans gave the team a spark even though the running back finished the day with a meager 3.4 average on the ground.  

20) Miami Dolphins (3-8)

How is a 3-8 team ranked 20th?

This is one exciting team that will break the hearts of teams with playoff aspirations. 

Tony Sparano is likely on his way out, but the Miami Dolphins' players refuse to quit on their head coach.

The Thanksgiving matchup against the Dallas Cowboys came down to the wire, and though the Dolphins lost, they can take pride in their defeat. 

Matt Moore has awakened a dull offense, and the defense is finally playing up to expectations.

This is a Dolphins team that should finish the season strong. 

19) Philadelphia Eagles (4-7)

The Andy Reid chants will only get louder as the season progresses.

Coach Reid is not at the root of the Eagles' issues. 

The problems lie in their locker room.

The Philadelphia Eagles lack a true leader from a player perspective, and no one in that locker room has stepped up to the plate. 

Their leader for most of the decade—Brian Dawkins—is in a Denver Broncos uniform.

Should the Eagles make the call to Denver in the offseason? 

18) Buffalo Bills (5-6)

The Buffalo Bills' Cinderella season has come crashing down.

The Bills have lost four straight despite a strong 4-1 start to the season. 

The loss of Kyle Williams has really hurt this defense. 

17) Tennessee Titans (6-5)

Chris Johnson had his best game of the season, totaling 190 yards on the ground in the Tennessee Titans' win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Matt Hasselbeck was average against a struggling Buccaneers secondary, but he came away with a win.

The Jake Locker era will have to wait, as I do not see the Titans relieving Matt Hasselbeck from his starting duties. 

16) New York Jets (6-5)

Mark Sanchez played well in the New York Jets' win over the Buffalo Bills.

He'll have to play at this level if the Jets have playoff aspirations this season. 

Shonn Green also played well. He averaged six yards per carry and totaled 78 yards on the ground in the win. 

15) Denver Broncos (6-5)

After another improbable victory, Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos inch closer to AFC West divisional leader, the Oakland Raiders. 

Besides the Tim Tebow effect, the Denver Broncos have relied on a strong defense and run game. 

14) Atlanta Falcons (7-4)

The Atlanta Falcons' 24-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings was far closer than the score indicated.

With the victory, the Falcons boast a 7-4 record and confidence entering their matchup with the Houston Texans in Week 13.

The Texans' strong running game—led by Arian Foster and Ben Tate—will face a surprisingly stingy Falcons run defense. 

13) Detroit Lions (7-4)

Ndamukong Suh's behavior was unacceptable, and his comments after the game made me think the guy needed a concussion test.

The loss on Thanksgiving night all but cements a division title for the Green Bay Packers—and maybe even a perfect season. 

The Detroit Lions have stiff competition for a Wild Card spot, making their next three games all the more important.  

12) New York Giants (6-5)

The Giants defense gave up 49 points to the New Orleans Saints, while the New York offense only put up 24 points.

The Saints secondary can be had, but Manning struggled early in this game. 

If the Giants have playoff aspirations, they must start more quickly against good opponents.

The Giants cannot expect their defense to slow down such an explosive offense in the Saints. 

With this latest loss, the Giants fall to 6-5 on the season. 

11) Chicago Bears (7-4)

Caleb Haine's debut as a starter was filled both with great and not-so-great moments. 

Like the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Bears must rely on a Wild Card spot for playoff entry.

Two of their next three opponents have records below .500. 

10) Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)

The Cincinnati Bengals' victory over the Cleveland Browns places them at 7-4 with a great shot at a Wild Card spot (or division title). 

Andy Dalton continues his strong play, but this Bengals defense is the heart and soul of this team. 

9) Oakland Raiders (7-4)

The Oakland Raiders deserve major props for their victory over the Bears despite the absence of Jay Cutler.

Carson Palmer did not "wow" in his performance—but he got the job done.

The eventual return of Darren McFadden should spark the Raiders' run game, which looked a little lethargic in the win against the Bears. 

8) Houston Texans (8-3)

The loss of Matt Leinart hurts despite the Houston Texans' victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Head coach Gary Kubiak will have his hands full with a rookie quarterback unless the Texans decide to sign a veteran quarterback. 

The offense will continue to run through both Arian Foster and Ben Tate no matter the quarterback under center. 

7) Dallas Cowboys (7-4)

The Cowboys' 20-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins places the Cowboys atop the NFC East with a 7-4 record.

Tony Romo will have to lead this team in December, a month the nine-year veteran has previously struggled in. 

I expect the Cowboys to finish the season strong, especially with the New York Giants' recent struggles. 

6) New England Patriots (8-3)

The New England Patriots handily defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, advancing the Pats to 8-3 for the season.

The Patriots have the easiest remaining schedule in football, and that should score them a first-round bye in the crowded AFC.

Tom Brady is exceptional, and the defense seems to be improving.

They'll be a tough out in the playoffs once again.  

5) San Francisco 49ers (9-2)

The San Francisco 49ers' loss to the Baltimore Ravens drops them to 9-2 on the season.

Alex Smith's performance was a bit concerning but nothing unexpected.

The Baltimore defense can be ferocious at times, and the 49ers just happened to play an extremely motivated Ravens team.

The Niners should have a strong finish to the season, as four of their five remaining games are against NFC West opponents. 

4) New Orleans Saints (8-3)

The New Orleans Saints defense must improve if this team hopes to keep up with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. 

Drew Brees played lights-out against the New York Giants, and his relationship with Jimmy Graham continues to strengthen as the season progresses. 

3) Baltimore Ravens (8-3)

After a huge victory over his brother's San Francisco 49ers squad, John Harbaugh deserves credit for leading his team to consecutive victories without veteran leader Ray Lewis. 

The Ravens must not relent, as they are still in a dogfight within both their division and the AFC as a whole. 

2) Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)

The Steelers' victory over the Chiefs was far too close, but victory pushed the Steelers record to 8-3 on the season. 

The offense is clicking, and the defense has reestablished its dominance.

What a turnaround for a team that many left for dead in the beginning of the season. 

1) Green Bay Packers (11-0)

The Green Bay Packers are well on their way to perfection.

The Packers will begin to face questions—around Week 14 or 15—on whether they should sit starters. 

Aaron Rodgers and that offense seems to be getting better as the season progresses, which is downright scary for future opponents.

The defense and special teams have begun to play well, which shores up many of the concerning questions critics have nitpicked at.