NFL Power Rankings after Week 12: Lions keep rolling, Bills sitting second, Eagles jump Chiefs

It was a wild Week 12 starting with a winter weather upset in Cleveland on Thursday before some fantastic finishes on Sunday afternoon and we wrapped up the weekend with a couple of incredible primetime performances from the top running backs in the game. The Lions rolled. The Chiefs struggled, and the Cowboys finally, finally put a smile on their fans faces with a finish full of fireworks in the nation’s capital. Here is how the Power Rankings are looking heading into Thanksgiving.

1) Detroit Lions 10-1, last week 1

Total football. Complete domination. Utter destruction. The Lions can’t stop winning, and they are doing so playing about as perfect as a team can play. Dan Campbell always gets his team to respond after losing games. They might not have lost the game against the Texans a few weeks ago, but they have responded like they lost that game. Seventy-six points scored and 12 points allowed in the last two weeks. You know how to spot a good team? Whenever a flag is thrown in a game that the Lions are playing, you know it’s not going to be on them. They are disciplined. They are well coached. They are talented. They are the best team in the NFL.

2) Buffalo Bills 9-2, last week 2

BYE

3) Philadelphia Eagles 9-2, last week 4

We knew Saquon was good. We knew that when he got the chance, he would become one of the top backs in the league. But not even the most delusional Philly fan could have imagined Saquon Barkley would be doing what he is doing in his first season in the City of Brotherly Love. The Eagles are an elite team. They are balanced. More than that, they are mesmerizing. And that is because of Saquon Barkley. Every time he gets the ball everyone in the stadium is on high alert. It’s must see TV, and on Sunday night he put on a show in front of the entire country. We know how Philly fans can be, and I’m sure they enjoyed Sunday night even more after the news that the Giants released the QB who they preferred to pay over Saquon. Best of all for Philly, Saquon is lightening the load on Jalen Hurts, and a healthy Hurts heading into the playoffs is a scary thought.

4) Kansas City Chiefs 10-1, last week 3

Was I the only one expecting a bounce back from the Chiefs after their first loss of the season? Ok. Maybe they weren’t going to blow the Panthers out by a hundred, but at least dominate the game against one of the worst teams in the league. A great team like the Lions would have buried this game early, and used it as a mini BYE week as they breezed by Carolina. Instead, KC was taken to the final bell, on a day that Patrick Mahomes was constantly under pressure. In the end, it was Mahomes being brilliant with a scramble down the sidelines to set up the game winning field goal. Of all of the games that the Chiefs had to scrape by their opponent in the last few minutes of the game, this was the most surprising. These narrow wins used to be a mark of a champion. Of a team that knew how to overcome any circumstance. Now that they have been handed a loss, these kinds of victories don’t feel as commendable.

5) Baltimore Ravens 8-4, last week 6

The secret to success for the Batlimore Ravens really isn’t a secret at all. Get Derrick Henry involved early on and all your problems are solved. When he gets 20 or more rushes the Ravens are 5-0, when he gets less than 20 rushes they are 3-4. I know they don’t want to wear him out before the postseason gets here, but like he shows in games he only gets stronger as the season goes on. While The King had 140 yards on 24 carries it was Justice Hill who shut the lights off in Sofi Stadium with his 51 yard run to go up two scores in the 4th quarter. The game in LA on Monday night was a big bounce back win for the Ravens, who went on the road and beat a good team in primetime, and for a third straight time John Harbaugh beat his little brother Jim in the Harbowl.

6) Green Bay Packers 8-3, last week 7

Every doubt we had about the Packers going into Week 12 was put to rest in their game against the battered Niners from Green Bay. Sure, there was no Brock Purdy or Nick Bosa on the other end, but the Packers wanted the ball to start the game, because they wanted to make a statement early on. Josh Jacobs made that with a hat-trick of TDs on a 100 yard rushing night. He ran all over the Niners one time great defense. The GB defense suffocated a hindered San Fran offense forcing three turnovers and another two turnover on downs in the second half. Jordan Love didn’t need to be great, but he still had two TDs, and you can see his relationship with his receivers growing by the week. The Packers are a damn good team at 8-3, but we don’t think of them as an elite team just yet. That might start to change if they continue to play like they did on Sunday.

7) Pittsburgh Steelers 8-3, last week 5

If there was ever a trap game, the Steelers walked into it on a snowy night in Cleveland. Just days after their bloodbath with the Ravens, they had a quick turn around against a divisional rival with nothing to play for, on the road and in the snow. For the second straight week the offense skidded, but the defense was there to bail them out. Two fourth quarter turnovers allowed the Steelers to get back into the game, and take the lead as Russell Wilson and the passing game finally woke up. A terrible punt late in the game gave Cleveland new life and after bailing the offense out time after time, the defense gave up a late TD which snapped the Steelers five game win streak. The question is, is this a little rut against AFC North competition or has the rest of the league figured out how to play the Steelers with Wilson as their QB?

8) Minnesota Vikings 9-2, last week 9

I said it last week, and the Vikings didn’t do much to disprove me on Sunday against the Bears. This is the least convincing 9-2 team I can remember. There was a time they looked like a formidable squad, and it’s true since their two game slide, they have won four straight games, but all against teams with losing records and three of those four by just one possession. They did everything a team could do to lose a game. They started the game by fumbling on the 2 yard line. They blew a two TD lead in the fourth quarter by allowing a TD, 2 pt. conversion, an onside kick and and field goal in the last two minutes of the game, and some how still managed to win. There’s no doubt this is going to be a playoff team, I’m just not sure how this team is going to hold up when they have to play tough opponents in January.

9) Los Angeles Chargers 7-4, last week 8

You could see this coming on the horizon for a while now. The Chargers’s 7-3 record was shrouded in doubt, just like their top rated defense after not really playing any team with a noteworthy offense in the first 9 games of the season. In the last two weeks they have given up a total of 57 points after giving up just over 14 ppg in the first nine games. Justin Herbert and the offense aren’t equipped to go toe-to-toe with top scoring sides in the league just yet. They have some tough tests against teams with high octane offenses over the next three weeks, and we will get a better idea of how good or bad this team is soon enough.

10) Denver Broncos 7-5, last week 12

Going into Las Vegas and coming out with a division win on the road isn’t an easy thing to do. Just ask the Chiefs who barely escaped a loss at the hands of a Raiders team that rises to the occasion when playing AFC West opponents. As always the defense dictated for Denver, but when the Broncos needed rookie sensation to make plays in crucial moments he delivered the goods throwing two TD passes including one that closed the door on the Raiders late in the fourth quarter.

11) Houston Texans 7-5, last week 10

How do you explain what’s going on in Houston? We wondered if there would be a sophomore slump, and the last month and a half has shown that this is more than just a slump. Four losses in six games has turned this season of promise into a trench of torment for Texans fans. It’s not like the Titans just out played them. Tennessee gave them chances to win the game, but Houston spoiled those chances time and time again. Soon after coming up with a pick six to take the lead in the closing moments of the third quarter, the offense couldn’t take advantage of a muffed punt to put the game out of reach. The defense gave up a 70 yard catch and run to lose their lead. Ka’imi Fairbarin missed a 28 yard field goal to tie the game with under 2:00 to play, and C.J. Stroud pulled a Dan Orlovski and ran out of the back of the end zone to put he and his team to the sword. All season, the Texans have had trouble in the second half of games. So far their second half of the season has mirrored how they have been finishing games.

12) Washington Commanders 7-5, last week 11

We’re going to track back here, but I remember watching the Hail Mary game against the Bears thinking, “Oh boy this could be the end of the Commanders”. They blew a lead, and Chicago made a comeback after a horrendous first half. The Hail Mary made football history, and we overlooked that collapse. Since then they squeaked past the Giants in an ugly game and then lost their next three including the loss to Dallas at home this Sunday. The offense and Jayden Daniels look like a shade of what they used to be, and all of the sudden offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is under the microscope for his team failing to perform in the second half of the season, and it’s not exactly the first time he finds himself in this position.

13) Miami Dolphins 5-6, last week 19

Tua and the Dolphins are on a mission. They have to win out and they know that. So far so good. At least over the last three weeks. They have a history of dominance over the Pats and demonstrated that again on Sunday, going up 31-0 through the first 45 minutes of the game. Tua is putting up numbers like he used to when the Dolphins were an offensive juggernaut. Jaylen Waddle exploded for 144 yards, but the key to the next six weeks is going to be Jonnu Smith. He brings a balance to the offense that is going to make or break Miami’s chance to keep winning once they play teams like the Packers on Thanksgiving, and the Texans in Week 15.

14) Seattle Seahawks 6-5, last week 16

You can’t count this Seahawks team out. I did, and they me made look like jerk. It got ugly for a while, but the five losses in six games were growing pains they had to go through under new coach Mike Macdonald. He’ll be the first one to tell you this team needed that rough patch to turn into the team they are now. The biggest improvement is on the defensive end. The team that gave up 32.8 ppg in their five losses have now held two division opponents to 11.5 points over the last two games. We know Geno can light it up, especially with the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but if the defense catches up, the Seahawk might run away with this division.

15) Atlanta Falcons 6-5, last week 15

BYE

16) Arizona Cardinals 6-5, last week 13

The Cardinals are a mystery. There are weeks in which they play really well and you think, maybe these guys are ready to turn around the franchise and actually compete. Then there are other weeks that remind you why this team has been in a constant state of turnover for the last decade. This was one of those weeks. Coming off a BYE, leading the division, with a chance to make a statement win in Seattle, the Cardinals offense was outscored by the Seahawks defense. Don’t be surprised to see things unravel in the desert, but then again, these guys are so inconsistent, you can’t even rely on that.

17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-6, last week 18

Fasten your seat belts because it’s going to be a wild ride in the NFC South. Since the Bucs saw their top two WRs go down against Baltimore a month ago, the name of the game was: hold on until Mike Evans came back. I don’t know if losing three straight games was holding on, but the Falcons did them a few favors by stinking up the joint. Tampa Bay lost both games to Atlanta and that could come back to kill them, but they have only one more game against a team with a winning record the rest of the regular season, so don’t count Baker and the Bucs out.

18) Los Angeles Rams 5-6, last week 14

I keep on thinking the Rams are in a much worse spot than they are, but then I remember they are in the wide open NFC West. They looked tired. They looked worn down and they looked defeated in the second half of the Sunday night game against the Eagles. That might be a product of having to claw back into contention in the division after their horrible start to the season. Losing to the Eagles isn’t the end of the world. That’s a really good team, and not many teams have beaten them this year. The good news is they are still in the division race, but they are going to have to recharge the batteries and make sure they win their remaining games against NFC West opponents.

19) San Francisco 49ers 5-6, last week 17

Going into Green Bay without Brock Purdy was always going to be tough, but San Fran got a version of the Packers we haven’t seen all season. They came out and smacked them around from the very first snap. I’m not sure Purdy being under center would have made a difference. Having said that, there was a chance for the Niners to get back into the game. After scoring a TD right before half, the Niners got the ball back after the break and Deebo returned it all the way inside the GB 10, but it was taken back for a holding. That was the common theme of the night, and has been all season. San Fran not only isn’t playing like the Niners teams of the last few years, but they are making mental mistakes that are completely out of character a Kyle Shanahan coached team.

20) Cincinnati Bengals 4-7, last week 20

BYE

21) Indianapolis Colts 5-7, last week 21

Putting in Anthony Richardson might have been a quick fix to the Colts’ problem last week against the Jets, but a harsh reality was waiting for them when they played an actual team in the Lions in Week 12. Richardson had an unfortunately familiar passing day going 11/28 and leading his team to just two field goals all day against Detroit. Even more unfortunate for him, he was the leading rusher and took more punishment to his already banged up body. It’s a terrible paradox, because the only arrow in his quiver is the one that puts him and his body in jeopardy.

22) New Orleans Saints 4-7, last week 23

BYE

23) Chicago Bears 4-7, last week 22

Chicago fans have dealt with enough in their sporting history, but it appears the football gods aren’t too eager to show any mercy to those poor Windy City souls. The curse of the Billy Goat was ended in 2016, and Michael Jordan gave the Bulls a decade of decadence, but the Bears seem to be in an endless pit of despair with no end end sight. This was supposed to be the year that things changed. Five losses in the last five games, and it seems like some things will forever stay the same at Soldier Field. You aren’t supposed to lose in OT after scoring a late TD, getting the two point conversion, recovering an onside kick and kicking a game tying field goal all in the last two minutes. Somehow the Bears blew all the momentum they had going into their extra session and Chicago fans sunk deeper into depression in a season that was so full of promise.

24) Cleveland Browns 3-8, last week 24

Jameis Winston may not be an every day quarterback, but boy does he show up for the big occasions. First it was the stunning win over the Ravens in his return to football. A couple of sub par performances reminded us that Jameis is Jameis for the good and the bad. His TD scramble that put Cleveland up 12 points was pure poetry in motion. In the snow, against a top defense in the league, under the primetime lights Winston resurrected the Browns from the dead after fumbling and throwing a pick that gave the Steelers a late lead. He shook those mistakes off, and led the Browns on a scoring drive that was polished off with Nick Chubb’s second TD of the night in a redemption game against the Steelers.

25) Carolina Panthers 3-8, last week 28

For a team that doesn’t get many wins, and a fan base that spends most of it’s existence loathing the team and it’s management we are going to count the Panthers last second loss to the Chiefs as a win. Bryce Young looked like an NFL quarterback. The defense gave a three time Super Bowl champion problems all night, and the fans stayed until the final whistle which is much more than they normally do. They came into the week on a two game winning streak. That streak might have come to an end, but this should feel like a win for those in Carolina.

26) New York Jets 3-8, last week 26

BYE

27) Dallas Cowboys 4-7, last week 29

I don’t mean this to be a compliment, but this Cowboys season has been spectacular. When they lose it’s in spectacular fashion. And Sunday’s game from Landover showed us, on the rare occasion that they win, it is equally spectacular, if not more so. They started the game getting a field goal blocked, missing a field goal and fumbling. It looked like they were going to get stomped on in another embarrassing NFC East outing, but the defense held up and gave the offense (and special teams) a chance to win it in the 4th quarter. Back-to-back kick returns for touchdowns closed the Commanders out as the Cowboys finally snapped their five game losing streak.

28) New England Patriots 3-9, last week 25

Four three-and-outs and a missed field goal. That’s how the Pats started against the Dolphins on Sunday in Miami. The Dolphins scored three straight TDs and a field goal to go up 24-0 at halftime and cruise to victory as New England would eventually put up some consolation points late in the game. That’s what the end of the season is going to be all about. Find some things to build on late in a season that there is nothing but the future to think about. Drake Maye has shown moments of promise. Rhaemondre Stevenson will be better as this offense gets better, and Jerod Mayo is going to get a chance to sculpt this defense for years to come. The Pats were never in a position to make a surprise run to the playoffs, so make the most of it and continue to get better every week.

29) Las Vegas Raiders 2-9, last week 27

There was a time when this team was 2-2. We knew that wouldn’t hold up for long with no quarterback to run the offense. While that has indeed been the case, the surprising thing is Antonio Pierce’s defense that has given up 31 points a game over this seven game losing streak.

30) Tennessee Titans 3-8, last week 32

Hey now. Remember the Titans? Remember how bad they were for the first few weeks of the season, but have hung tight with the Chargers, the Vikings and beat the Texans in the last few weeks. They maybe shouldn’t have won the game against Houston, because they tried to do what they always do, which is lay on their own grenade and self destruct, but the Texans didn’t let them. Will Levis has put two of his best games of his career together in back to back games against defenses that pride themselves in their ability to limit the passing game. There are six weeks left for the Titans, and they would love to end the season with a little momentum, especially with Levis who they want to be their starter for the next few years. The audition has officially started for the Titans young QB.

31) Jacksonville Jaguars 2-9, last week 30

BYE

32) New York Giants 2-9, last week 31

Three quarters and some change was all the Giants fans needed to see of Tommy De Vito to be reminded he isn’t the answer to their QB problems. He had a fun run for a week or two last season, but even if he went for 300 yards and 3 TDs against the Bucs, that would just mask the true problems for a team that released the QB they decided to pay instead of Saquon Barkley. Now rookie WR, and the only bright spot in this dark season, Malik Nabers is sounding off and in the post game interviews and Brian Daboll is being the one singled out. There is institutional disfunction from the top to the bottom, and to make matters worse, they are the bottom feeders of our NFL Power Rankings after Week 12.