Week 12 NFL Power Rankings: Most Unpredictable Season EVER!
I give up trying to figure out who is good and who is bad. Just when one team is cementing themselves at the top, it's almost like they have to lose. Ask the Titans who were the hottest team in football after beating 5 straight playoff teams from last season to then lose badly to the 31st team in the ranks from a week ago. #1 lost to #31 in the ranks from last week. Things move around a ton again this week, and the changes probably won't be to stay.
1. Arizona Cardinals (9-2)
Previously #4 +
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
Previously #6 +
Just like the Cardinals, after a hard fall last week, a nice win brings them back near the top. The defending champs are probably the most-trustworthy team in the league right now. Sure, they lose a few head-scratchers every once in awhile, but you know they will win when it matters. It mattered to win on MNF and avoid a three-game skid, and Tom Brady left no doubt. The Bucs D smothered the Giants offense while the offensive line didn't allow a single sack on Brady. The Bucs remain my Super Bowl favorite.
3. New England Patriots (7-4)
Previously #7 +
4. Green Bay Packers (8-3)
Previously #3 -
After a terrible start to the game vs Minnesota, the Packers rallied all the way back and almost won. They fell just short, losing on a game-winning field goal. You can't drop this team too far. That was the first game in awhile that their defense has looked bad and Aaron Rodgers played incredibly well. One of his better games in awhile and it was a loss. You win some, you lose some. The Packers had the best loss of any of the elite teams this week.
5. Tennessee Titans (8-3)
Previously #1 -
Sure, the Titans were bound for a letdown eventually, but I have no idea how it was the Texans. The Texans are literally terrible. They do nothing well and don't really even have a defense. It's almost like the Titans were forced to drop this one by some supernatural force that is making this season so unpredictable. Seriously. The Titans looked awful on Sunday, hopefully it was just a letdown, because 4 INTs from Ryan Tannehill will not cut it against anyone.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)
Previously #8 +
The Chiefs truly are back. The win last weekend was so promising but then they went out and just straight up outplayed a Dallas Cowboy team that we had ranked at #2 in our last power rankings set. Patrick Mahomes didn't even have the best game, he had multiple picks, but for the first time in literal years, the defense won them this game. Chris Jones and co. were incredible as they shutdown the no. 1 offensive attack in the league in dominating fashion. The Chiefs are right back to where they want to be.
7. Baltimore Ravens (7-3)
Previously #9 +
Ravens fans must have been worried sick when they got the last minute news that Lamar Jackson would not play due to an illness (not COVID). It didn't end up mattering. The team rose up to the challenge with young backup QB Tyler Huntley getting his first career start. He did his best Lamar Jackson impression en route to the low scoring victory. This was a massive win for this team. The morale is going to be a lot higher after finding a way to do this without Jackson. While it doesn't really matter as of just week 12, the Ravens happen to be sitting with the no. 1 seed in the AFC right now. Just win out...
Previously #12 +
The Chargers may be BACK! After a rough couple of weeks, they looked like their early season selfs again in a thrilling 41-37 win over the Steelers on SNF. While the defense let up a lot of points, they played better than the box score might indicate. Justin Herbert and Austin Ekeler on the other hand, were otherworldly. Herbert had one of the best games of his young career and should be considered back in the MVP conversation. Will they be able to keep this up is the real question..?
9. Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
Previously #2 -
Quite the fall for our no. 2 team a week ago. I hated what I saw on Sunday from them (minus Micah Parsons who continues to prove he's the DROY). Dak Prescott looked lost without Amari Cooper and then CeeDee Lamb who got injured later on. I like the Cowboys at full strength, but it's concerning to see how the offense plays when just one player is missing. Dallas needs a quality win to regain trust.
10. Los Angeles Rams (7-3)
Previously #10
No movement here for the Rams who were on bye this week. They are in the midst of a two-game losing streak and can't let that fall to three. The Rams are probably the most talented and deepest team in the league, but that clearly doesn't always translate. A big win this weekend would send them far up the ranks once again but for now they remain on the edge of the top 10.
11. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)
Previously #17 +
12. Buffalo Bills (6-4)
Previously #5 -
For the first time this season, the Bills fall outside of the top 10. I don't know what is wrong with this team. Statistically, they are maybe the most balanced team in the sport. They just continue to come out flat in big games. Sunday wasn't just flat, they barely even showed up at all. In a crucial game in which you are at home and heavily favored, you CANNOT lose 41-15. That is an absolute joke. This team is lost right now and can't sugarcoat it with demolishing the Jets or Dolphins the next week. The Patriots have come from far behind all the way to leaping over them for first place in the AFC West. The looming matches between the two clubs just got real.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)
Previously #11 -
The Bengals had a really great week and won convincingly against the Raiders who are pretty good. They only move down because of other teams moving around. While Ja'Marr Chase has been suddenly AWOL, Joe Mixon had a huge game which helped guide the offense to victory. At 6-4, they are still right in the midst of the ultra-competitive AFC North race. They sit 1 game back of the Ravens who they already beat but a game up on the Browns and Steelers. I can't wait to see how this division shakes out and am hoping the Bengals can find a way into the post-season, they are so fun to watch.
14. San Fransisco 49ers (5-5)
Previously #19 +
Niners are finally getting their swagger back. It's been awhile, but they are. After the big win vs the Rams last week, the team continued on their path by rocking the Jaguars as expected. Jimmy Garopollo has looked so much better over the past couple of games and the rest of the team is really following along. George Kittle along with multiple key defenders coming back from injury has been the push this team needed. At .500 with a lot of games left to play, this team could be back in the post-season after the year in between their 2019 Super Bowl berth.
15. Minnesota Vikings (5-5)
Previously #20 +
Called it. In an upset pick, I picked the Vikings to take down Green Bay on Sunday, and they did! They are finally getting somewhere. Two straight wins. Both against top 10 teams. Maybe, just maybe, the Vikings are figuring it out. Justin Jefferson is a superstar. We already knew that, but he yelled it to everyone in quite the statement game on Sunday. Just like SF, the Vikings find themselves right in the mix for an NFC wildcard spot at .500.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4-1)
Previously #14 -
A week after tying the winless Lions, the Steelers were down 17 points in the second half to the Chargers. Was this it for the nice start to the season they created? Nope. Big Ben looked rejuvenated as he led the offense in a fiery comeback try in the 4th quarter. Ultimately, they fell just short, but this team is better than I thought. Diontae Johnson is so underrated. There was one drive where he almost got the ball every play and then capped it off with an amazing TD catch. He's blossoming into a superstar before our eyes.
17. Cleveland Browns (6-5)
Previously #13 -
Quite possibly the least inspiring victory for a "contending" team I've ever seen. It was so ugly, but the Browns came out on top 13-10 to the still winless Lions. This isn't the year for the Browns. As talented as they may be, they are just too banged up. I don't think they will make the playoffs. Baker Mayfield is playing through multiple injuries. He's just not fit to play. The Browns should make the call sooner rather than later, but I think they need to shut him down for the rest of the year. A tough break for the Browns who started the season out with such high aspirations.
18. Philadelphia Eagles (5-6)
Previously #21 +
19. Carolina Panthers (5-6)
Previously #15 -
It hurt a little to see the Panthers get barely edged out in Cam Newton's return home with the Panthers, but all is not lost. They are just one game under .500 and have a winnable schedule coming up. This team is still squarely in the race for a wildcard spot. Cam Newton looked very good in this game and his presence is elevating everyone on the offense. CMC is back to his old ways, DJ Moore is too, and Robby Anderson is slowly but surely getting re-involved in the offense as well. A tough loss, but one that this team can learn from (especially on D) and come back even stronger from.
20. Washington Football Team (4-6)
Previously #24 +
Two weeks ago, Washington was 30th in our power ranks at 2-6. Now at 4-6, they've swiftly moved up 10 slots. I'm not saying this will happen nor do I think it will, but Washington is far from out of the playoff race. At 4-6, they are right in the thick of it. That being said, they will need to virtually win out, or at least come close to it, but this team, the way it's playing right now, has a shot. Taylor Heinicke broke out of a mid-season slump and is playing inspired football. The whole offense rallies around him. What a win against the Panthers on Sunday which proves that this team is still very much alive.
21. New Orleans Saints (5-5)
Previously #16 -
That marks the third-straight loss without Jameis Winston. This team simply might be dead. Without Winston or Alvin Kamara (who looks like he could miss a third-straight this Thursday), New Orleans has just been unable to find any consistency. As good as this defense can be at times, it clear isn't one of those groups that can singlehandedly win you football games with a bad offense. Trevor Siemian has been better than anticipated, but it's still not enough for this team to win games. Once seeming like an interesting playoff contender now looks all but dead.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (5-5)
Previously #18 -
Just like the Saints, formerly a good team in the younger parts of the season, the Raiders as well look all but dead. This offense which was humming has hit a standstill with Derek Carr not producing. I say ride Josh Jacobs. They haven't been using him well since his rookie season and he was so good when he was the feature back. Why not try it at this point? 1-2 more losses and this team is done for anyway.
23. Denver Broncos (5-5)
Previously #22 -
For the middling Broncos, a bye week this week must have felt very refreshing. Denver has been anything but consistent this season and is on the brink of completely collapsing. They just don't have the QB to win them games. The defense is good, but can't defend if their lives depended on it at times. The WR core is great. The RB core is great. Overall, it's a pretty good roster, they are just still waiting for that game-changing QB that they've lacked since Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset following Super Bowl 50.
24. Miami Dolphins (4-7)
Previously #28 +
25. Seattle Seahawks (3-7)
Previously #23 -
It's all coming undone in Seattle. This was a game they should have won. At home, healthy again, against a Colt McCoy led Cardinal team, and they lost, again. This team isn't much different from the roster that went 12-4 last season, yet they just can't seem to figure obvious things out which continuously kills them. All the Cardinals did the entire game was throw checkdowns in the middle of the field to Zach Ertz and James Conner, they couldn't figure it out. Pete Carroll storming out of a press conference after the game when he couldn't answer reasons for the struggles is very telling. This team is setting up for a drama-filled final 7 weeks and then potentially an off-season of wild change for this organization that has been so elite over the past decade.
26. Chicago Bears (3-7)
Previously #26
It was quite disappointing to see this team blow a winning performance on a two-minute drill to a backup-QB led Raven team. Their defense had them winning for the entirety of the game until the final seconds. Matt Nagy might finally be out after this week, especially if they find a way to lose to the Lions. It appears Justin Fields avoided major injury which would have been the knockout punch for this team that has had to deal with so much adversity already this season.
27. New York Giants (3-7)
Previously #27
The Giants just aren't good. Daniel Jones probably isn't the answer. The defense isn't as good as it might seem at times. This team needs a reset. It started with the firing of OC Jason Garrett on Monday and will probably continue into the off-season as HC Joe Judge and GM Dave Gettleman both deserve to be out. If they can clean house with the staff and hit on their two early first-rounders, this team could be in the playoffs in 2022.
28. Houston Texans (2-8)
Previously #31 +
29. Atlanta Falcons (4-6)
Previously #25 -
While their record may suggest they are still in the playoff race, they are not. They just completed one of the worst two-game stretches I may have ever seen. Losing by more than 30 to Dallas and then coming back at home and losing 25-0 to the Patriots. The 4th-quarter of the Pats' game was especially concerning. They just kept throwing interceptions. It was one of the first times I've ever seen an NFL game, a professional football game, and thought that it was just sad how bad one team was. I don't know where you go from here if you are Atlanta.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8)
Previously #29 -
After a stretch of playing well and losing close, it all ended on Sunday. Losing 30-10 to the Niners, the Jags clearly just aren't there yet at all. It's concerning to see how little improvement we've seen from Trevor Lawrence. He isn't even a top 25 rookie this season. You rarely see that from a no. 1 overall pick, especially when they are considered 'generational'. This team is not trending up and might just stunt another young, promising QB.
31. New York Jets (2-8)
Previously #30 -
While the Jets lost again, at least they are seeing what guys they have for the future. Rookie second-round WR Elijah Moore has been bursting onto the scene of late, and he had his best game yet on Sunday vs the Dolphins. With 140 yards and a TD, he showed off his special playmaking ability all day long. The Jets may be bad, but they have something real here in Moore.
32. Detroit Lions (0-9-1)
Previously #32
With Tim Boyle at QB, the Lions only lost to the Browns 13-10. They just can't find a way to win. It was impressive to see them in it vs the Browns, especially with Boyle at QB, but I won't be really impressed with this 'team' until they find a way to not lose.
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