Week 12 Power Rankings: Dangerous Seahawks climb back into top 10
Nine teams hold winning records at the moment. That's it.
The NFL's transcendent mediocrity will make for some fascinating playoff races—at least 25 teams have a realistic shot—but also poses a challenge when it comes to Power Rankings. Very few teams deserve to be ascending. Most spots, especially those from 10 through about 22, are more or less interchangeable.
Nevertheless, here's how things stack up as Turkey Day arrives:
1. New England Patriots
PREVIOUS: 1
RECORD: 10-0
This was as close as New England has come in 2015 to slipping from the Power Rankings top spot. The Giants and Bills—not to mention a rash of key injuries on offense—have made the Patriots look vulnerable, if not quite beatable. On the other hand, Sunday will mark 11 months and one day since Bill Belichick's team last loss (Dec. 28, 2014 at Buffalo).
2. Carolina Panthers
PREVIOUS: 2
RECORD: 10-0
Washington has been competitive in most of its games this season and was coming off a 33-point rout of New Orleans. But it looked like Charleston Southern trying to hang with Alabama for much of Sunday. The Panthers were thoroughly dominant, with Cam Newton throwing for as many touchdowns (five) as Washington had turnovers.
3. Arizona Cardinals
PREVIOUS: 4
RECORD: 8-2
• BANKS: Tyrann Mathieu on Cardinals high flying season
4. Cincinnati Bengals
PREVIOUS: 5
RECORD: 8-2
Yes, up a spot after a loss. The Bengals acquitted themselves well in a hard-fought loss at Arizona, so they get a bump. Storming back from 14 down against that foe is no easy task. Plus, ya know, like every team in the league stinks this season so someone has to be in the top five.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
PREVIOUS: 6
RECORD: 6-4
A Week 14 trip to Cincinnati suddenly looms large, should the Steelers traverse a tough back-to-back (at Seattle, Indianapolis). Will Richard Sherman track Antonio Brown around the field this week? And will it matter if no one else proves capable of covering Martavis Bryant?
6. Green Bay Packers
PREVIOUS: 9
RECORD: 7-3
The rallying cry proved prophetic last season, but can we cool it with Aaron Rodgers' "R-E-L-A-X" clip? It's trailing only "I am your father" and "Bond, James Bond" in the overplayed soundbite rankings. ("I am serious ... and don't call me Shirley" is No. 1 among underplayed soundbites.) Regardless, the Packers heeded Rodgers' year-old advice Sunday—they again looked like Super Bowl contenders in rolling Minnesota.
7. Denver Broncos
PREVIOUS: 7
RECORD: 8-2
• ROSENBERG: The Super Bowl that tore a family apart
8. Minnesota Vikings
PREVIOUS: 3
RECORD: 7-3
If you ever have watched a kid stack blocks for the sole purpose of being able to knock them over, then you have some idea how Teddy Bridgewater's day went Sunday. Disneyland is less welcoming than the Minnesota O-line was to Green Bay's pass rush.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
PREVIOUS: 10
RECORD: 5-5
A win over the Bills this week would make it a lot tougher to envision a Chiefs-less playoff field. Kansas City has the league's easiest remaining schedule (after the 5-5 Bills, it's five straight with sub-.500 teams), and its defense has been lights out since about mid-October.
10. Seattle Seahawks
PREVIOUS: 12
RECORD: 5-5
The Seahawks are still very much alive and very much a threat. Their first ten games, though, sure make that 5-5 seem rather accurate. They have yet to beat a quality team (the Tony Romo-less Cowboys don't count) and have fallen short against every playoff contender (plus the Rams). Knocking off Pittsburgh would change the story.
11. Buffalo Bills
PREVIOUS: 8
RECORD: 5-5
From the defense giving Tom Brady all he could handle to the offense stalling out behind a struggling QB, Monday's loss was prototypical Rex Ryan. The Bills clearly are a solid team. They're running out of time to prove they can be anything more.
12. Indianapolis Colts
PREVIOUS: 14
RECORD: 5-5
• Fantasy: Complete player rankings by position
13. New York Giants
PREVIOUS: 11
RECORD: 5-5
Has anyone alerted the Giants that they're supposed to step aside so the Cowboys can win the division now? This isn't a great team by any means, but it's still a first-place one as we head into Thanksgiving. The NFC East remains New York's to lose.
14. Houston Texans
PREVIOUS: 20
RECORD: 5-5
Watching this offense, it's like DeAndre Hopkins traveled back in time to play on a team that just learned about the forward pass. He and this Texans defense—as was advertised before the season—have a chance to swipe the division title from Indianapolis.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
PREVIOUS: 24
RECORD: 5-5
The Buccaneers are a playoff contender. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's happening ... sort of like the "Point Break" remake that debuts on Christmas Day. Jameis Winston might even be able to storm back for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors if he turns in a couple more five-touchdown outings.
16. Dallas Cowboys
PREVIOUS: 28
RECORD: 3-7
• KING: Jason Witten unplugged as he approaches 1,000 catches
17. Chicago Bears
PREVIOUS: 15
RECORD: 4-6
Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal all missed Sunday's loss to Denver. At one point during the game, Jay Cutler attempted a pass to what I believe was just a chair with two shovels taped to it for arms. The injuries are a shame, because a win over the Broncos would have made things very interesting for Chicago.
18. St. Louis Rams
PREVIOUS: 13
RECORD: 4-6
• BURKE: Fisher largely to blame for mishandling Keenum concussion
19. New York Jets
PREVIOUS: 16
RECORD: 5-5
The Jets have lost four of five, pushing their once-promising season to the brink. The offense's sudden struggles should come as a surprise only to someone who's never witnessed the many prior runs of the Ryan Fitzpatrick Roller Coaster.
20. Oakland Raiders
PREVIOUS: 17
RECORD: 4-6
"We expect to be better than we were," head coach Jack Del Rio said Monday of his team's lethargic offensive performance in Detroit. "There’s no sugarcoating that." If his team doesn't snap out of it immediately, the promise following a 4-3 start will be gone until 2016.
21. Atlanta Falcons
PREVIOUS: 18
RECORD: 6-4
The Falcons' season is on the brink following their fourth loss in five games. And it's really the offense that is causing the ship to anchor. Atlanta has turned it over 16 times combined over its past six games, including four in Sunday's loss to Indianapolis.
22. Washington Redskins
PREVIOUS: 19
RECORD: 4-6
There is ample material to harp on regarding Washington's road performances. In the Redskins' defense, though, their last two trips took them to New England and Carolina—teams with a combined 20-0 record.
23. New Orleans Saints
PREVIOUS: 23
RECORD: 4-6
Recently fired coordinator Rob Ryan said Sunday on the NFL Network that he's been blamed for everything in New Orleans, "including Katrina." Oof I guess it probably was unrealistic to to expect that Ryan's mouth could play a little defense on his brain.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
PREVIOUS: 25
RECORD: 4-6
A two-game win streak has the Jaguars firmly entrenched in the playoff race, which is the latest piece of evidence that NFL parity has gone cuckoo bananas this season. WR Allen Robinson is the league's least talked-about star.
25. Miami Dolphins
PREVIOUS: 21
RECORD: 4-6
The Dolphins did not give up a safety this past weekend, snapping a three-game run. They did, however, allow a pick-six—Rolando McClain picked off Ryan Tannehill to open Dallas's 24-14 win. Miami finishes with four of five at home, but it's hard to see that mattering.
26. Detroit Lions
PREVIOUS: 27
RECORD: 3-7
Had Detroit held on to a 21-3 lead in San Diego or Calvin Johnson held on to the football at the goal line in Seattle, the Lions would be a wild-card threat. As is, each win merely drifts them into the middle of the NFL draft pack.
27. Philadelphia Eagles
PREVIOUS: 22
RECORD: 4-6
• FARRAR: Kelly's loss of control a major issue
28. Baltimore Ravens
PREVIOUS: 29
RECORD: 3-7
Baltimore won Sunday but lost Joe Flacco in the process, making him the 15th player on this team to hit injured reserve in 2015. The entire season basically has played out like the plot of "Final Destination" for the Ravens. Check for buses before crossing the street, Matt Schaub.
29. San Francisco 49ers
PREVIOUS: 26
RECORD: 3-7
With his team trailing Seattle by 16 in the fourth quarter Sunday, Jim Tomsula thrice opted to punt on fourth downs. He then fruitlessly used two timeouts when Seattle had the ball in the closing minutes. Tomsula is a likable guy and, by all accounts, a solid position coach but he continues to prove he's in way over his head.
30. Tennessee Titans
PREVIOUS: 30
RECORD: 2-8
The Titans now have lost two straight to AFC South rival Jaguars. They've also beaten Houston just once in the past four seasons and are mired in a 1-13 drought against Indianapolis. Tough to crawl out of the basement when you can't beat anyone else in the division.
31. Cleveland Browns
PREVIOUS: 32
RECORD: 2-8
• JACOBS: Frustrated Pettine right to bench Manziel
32. San Diego Chargers
PREVIOUS: 31
RECORD: 2-8
The Chargers came out of their bye week with a 30-point home loss to Kansas City, extending their losing streak to six games. When reached for comment about this franchise's possible relocation, the city of Los Angeles said, "Nah, never mind. We're good."
