NFL Power Rankings - Week 12

The Chiefs move up to the top 10 while there's a new #3.


1. New England Patriots: 341
Last Week: 1
Notes:  Whistle controversy aside, another tough battle for the Patriots, but they remain undefeated and look closer and closer to getting to that 16-0.

2. Carolina Panthers: 306
Last Week: 2
Notes: I think the Redskins game helped to quiet critics asking if they are as good as their record is. Cam Newton might be the MVP this season.

3. Arizona Cardinals: 248

Last Week: 4

Notes: Possibly a Super Bowl preview? Likely not, but the Cardinals pull off the win and move to 8-2.

4. Cincinnati Bengals:208
Last Week: 3
Notes: All of a sudden the Bengals look like they might not have the AFC North locked up. The Steelers game in Week 14 might decide the division.

5. Denver Broncos: 167

Last Week: 6

Notes: What a game by Osweiler. More importantly, the Broncos get the win. He'll have a tougher match-up next week against the Patriots.

6. Green Bay Packers: 156
Last Week: 7

Notes:  The Packers showed why they're still the team to beat in the NFC North, regaining the lead in the division with a win over the Vikings.

7. Minnesota Vikings: 122

Last Week: 5
Notes: They'll need to have short memories after that Packers loss with a tough remaining schedule to close out the season. They need to beat the Falcons next week.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers: 115

Last Week: 9

Notes: The Steelers had a great bye week with a loss by the Bengals.

9. Atlanta Falcons: 94
Last Week: 8
Notes: The Falcons blow a lead and lose their 3rd straight. After looking like an NFC favorite, they might not even get into the playoffs.

10. Kansas City Chiefs: 90

Last Week: 13

Notes: Remember when the Chiefs were 1-5? If the playoffs started today, the Chiefs would be in as the 6th seed.

11. Seattle Seahawks: 75

Last Week: 14

Notes: All year, the Seahawks have been losing against good teams and beating subpar teams. Regardless of the win against the 49ers, they look like a .500 team. If this pattern holds true, they'll struggle against the Steelers next week.

12. New York Giants: 65

Last Week: 12

Notes: It's strange to say that a team is building off of the momentum of a loss, but the Giants played their best football against the Patriots last week. They'll look to carry that momentum over on the road against the Redskins; an important game to help expand their lead.

13. Buffalo Bills: 62

Last Week: 11

Notes: They played the Pats tough, but found themselves on the losing. Regardless, the Bills look like the 2nd best team in the AFC East.

14. New York Jets: 59

Last Week: 10

Notes:  This team is no longer the great defense / run team they were the first 5 games of the season. If they can't find their way against the Dolphins, you can pretty much count the Jets out of the playoffs.

15. Indianapolis Colts: 21

Last Week: 17
Notes: It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win and the Colts remain in first in the AFC South.

16. Houston Texans: 15

Last Week: 18

Notes:  The Texans keep pace with the Colts with a win against a struggling Jets team. A wildcard is as much as a possibility for this team as the division.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 15

Last Week: 22
Notes: Tampa Bay is quietly in the thick of the playoff race after destroying the Eagles and moving up to .500.  If they beat the Falcons in Week 13, they'll hold the tiebreaker against them.

18. Philadelphia Eagles: 0

Last Week: 15

Notes: Despite the struggles of the NFC East, the Eagles are decreasingly looking like an option to win the division. An ugly loss.

19. Oakland Raiders: -29

Last Week: 20
Notes:  They move up only because of how bad most of other teams below played. They are looking less like the potential wildcard team they were the first half of the season.

20. St. Louis Rams: -30

Last Week: 19

Notes: It's really pathetic how bad the Rams play against non-divisional opponents.

21. Washington Redskins: -44

Last Week: 16

Notes:  I didn't expect them to win, but they were destroyed. The Redskins need to shake off the loss and bounce back against the Giants next week.

22. Chicago Bears: -45

Last Week: 23

Notes: A close game, but the Bears lose against the Broncos and drop to 4-6 on the season.

23. Miami Dolphins: -46

Last Week: 21

Notes: The excitement of a new coach has definitely worn off and the Dolphins are back to playing mediocre football.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars: -49

Last Week: 26

Notes: The Jaguars win again and find themselves still a game out of first. Those two things nobody ever expects to say about the Jaguars at this point in the season, but they've been finding ways to win.

25. New Orleans Saints: -60

Last Week: 24

Notes: The Saints hope that a Ryan-less defense will be an improvement for the remainder of the season.

26. Baltimore Ravens: -66

Last Week: 25

Notes: The Ravens squeak by with a win, but too little too late. More importantly, Flacco is out for the season.

27. Dallas Cowboys: -73

Last Week: 29

Notes: Romo didn't play like an elite QB, but he showed why he's so valuable to this team, getting the Cowboys their first win since week 2. A true test against the Panthers is ahead.

28. Tennessee Titans: -123

Last Week: 28

Notes:  Another less that finds the Titans dropping down to 2-8 on the season.

29. Detroit Lions: -132

Last Week: 31

Notes: Make that two wins in a row for the Lions! 29 is the highest they've ranked all season.

30. San Diego Chargers: -149

Last Week: 27

Notes:  The Chargers look like they've finally given up.

31. San Francisco 49ers: -156

Last Week: 30
Notes: Curious to see what this team will do for a QB come next season.

32. Cleveland Browns: -169

Last Week: 32

Notes: The Browns have a chance to win next week against a Flacco-less Ravens team. Still see them losing though.

NFL Power Rankings - Week 11

One of the craziest weeks of football all year.  The Vikings enter the top 5 and there's a new #2 team.


1. New England Patriots: 312
Last Week: 1
Notes:  Wow, what a nail biter against the Giants. A 54 yard field goal keeps the Patriots undefeated and in the top of the power rankings.

2. Carolina Panthers: 258
Last Week: 3

Notes: The Panthers are now on a 13 regular game winning streak. They're most difficult match-up for the remaining of the season are two games against the Falcons. 16-0 is possible for the this team.

3. Cincinnati Bengals:222
Last Week: 2
Notes: A surprising Bengals loss. Good teams are the ones with "short memories" and don't let losses like that effect the next game. They face a tough match-up against the Cardinals next week.

4. Arizona Cardinals 221
Last Week: 4
Notes: They blew their lead, but fought their way back for the win and pretty much clinched the NFC West in the process.

5. Minnesota Vikings: 150

Last Week: 7
Notes: Everyone's now taking the Vikings seriously (if they weren't already). 7-2 and now atop of the NFC North.

6. Denver Broncos: 145

Last Week: 5

Notes: What an ugly game by the Broncos. Manning breaks Favre's record, but gets benched in the same guy and puts up numbers that any QB in the league would be embarrassed about.

7. Green Bay Packers: 117
Last Week: 6
Notes:  Losing 3 in a row is very un-Packers like, especially against a team like the Lions who are terrible this year and who always struggle on the road against the Packers.  Forget the division, if they lose to the Vikings next week, they might be struggling to find their way into the playoffs.

8. Atlanta Falcons: 110
Last Week: 8
Notes: The Falcons look to bounce back against a Luck-less Colts.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers: 106

Last Week: 10

Notes: Their offense is one of the best in the leagues and can win them any game, but their defense is what prevents them from being a top 5 team. If their offense holds up, they should find their way into the playoffs.

10. New York Jets: 83

Last Week: 9

Notes:  A tough loss by the Jets that makes their playoff hopes a lot more difficult. The last game of the season against the Bills might be a deciding factor for the 6th seed.

11. Buffalo Bills: 80

Last Week: 14

Notes: Rex Ryan was pumped up to be playing his former team and gets the win. Things get a lot tougher on Monday with a game against the Patriots.

12. New York Giants: 53

Last Week: 12
Notes: Nobody thought the Giants would come this close. They had this game, but their defense couldn't hold Brady on the last drive and the lose on a field goal. Fans and the team have to be happy though with how this Giants team looked. They look like the best in the NFC East.

13. Kansas City Chiefs: 44

Last Week: 17

Notes: The Chiefs are back! After looking all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they win 2 in a row including this week against the Broncos. Only one team (the Bills) they face for the remainder of the season has an above .500 record. 10-6 isn't unrealistic.

14. Seattle Seahawks: 41

Last Week: 11

Notes: Nobody fears the Seahawks anymore. They look like a .500 team instead of the Super Bowl caliber team they were the last two seasons.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: 39

Last Week: 13

Notes: Tough loss by the Eagles that keeps them out of 1st in the NFC East. Bradford also gets injured, but what else is new.

16. Washington Redskins: 11

Last Week: 21

Notes:  An impressive showing by the Redskins. Two weeks ago, people were picking either the Giants, Eagles, or even the Cowboys to win the NFC East - not the Redskins. This team will likely be in the race all year.

17. Indianapolis Colts: -2

Last Week: 18
Notes: The Colts will need to find a way to win without Luck. Given the Texans' win over the Bengals, 7-9 might not cut it anymore in this division.

18. Houston Texans: -6

Last Week: 20
Notes:  The Texans get the surprising win over the Bengals and now are in first in the AFC South. If they can beat the Jets next week, they have a chance of competing for either the division or wild card.

19. St. Louis Rams: -10

Last Week: 15

Notes: Somebody needs to invest in glasses for the Rams' that make their opponents all look like a team from their division. They look like a 2-14 team against non-divisional opponents.

20. Oakland Raiders: -11

Last Week: 16
Notes:  Are the Raiders not as good as we thought? The game showed that the Vikings are easily the better team. Fortunately for the Raiders, their next two games are against the Lions and the Titans.

21. Miami Dolphins: -21

Last Week: 22

Notes: A 1 point victory over the Eagles puts the Dolphins right back into the playoff race.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -33

Last Week: 23
Notes: They squeak by with a win against the Cowboys, which seems to be the case with everyone who faces them.

23. Chicago Bears: -30

Last Week: 25
Notes: All of a sudden the Bears are relevant and Jay Cutler is one of the best QBs in the league. Probably too little too late for the playoffs, but 9-7 doesn't seem unreasonable anymore for this team.

24. New Orleans Saints: -64

Last Week: 19

Notes: Rob Ryan finally gets fired. Any replacement is an upgrade.

25. Baltimore Ravens: -85

Last Week: 24

Notes: The loss is typical of the Ravens entire season. What a mess.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars: -85

Last Week: 28
Notes: The Jaguars get a win in ugly fashion and all of a sudden they are 1 game out of first. Who would have thought Jaguars would be in the race to win the division heading into week 11.

27. San Diego Chargers: -98

Last Week: 29

Notes:  The Chargers look to snap their 5 game losing streak against the red hot Chiefs.

28. Tennessee Titans: -102

Last Week: 26

Notes:  The Titans get a more favorable match-up against the Jaguars next week. 

29. Dallas Cowboys: -103
Last Week: 27
Notes: Too little too late for Romo's return. Even if they go 6-0, 9-7 might not be enough to win the division.

30. San Francisco 49ers: -127

Last Week: 30
Notes: Can the 49ers make it two in a row? Unlikely.

31. Detroit Lions: -151

Last Week: 32

Notes: The Lions get out of the cellar with a win over the Packers. They still played like a terrible team, but a win is a win.

32. Cleveland Browns: -165

Last Week: 31
Notes: Same ol' Browns. This is a spot they're used to in the rankings.

NFL Power Rankings - Week 10

The Colts are trending upwards and a new team makes the top 10.


1. New England Patriots: 289
Last Week: 1
Notes:  What else can you say about this team? Out of the 3 8-0 teams, they look the best.

2. Cincinnati Bengals:241
Last Week: 2
Notes: Another dominant performance by the 8-0 Bengals. They face the Texans before their toughest match-up yet; a road game against the Cardinals.

3. Carolina Panthers: 223
Last Week: 3

Notes: The Panthers showed why they're undefeated season is no fluke with an impressive win over the Packers.

4. Arizona Cardinals 189
Last Week: 4
Notes: If the Cardinals can beat the Seahawks on the road next week, they pretty much have the division locked up.

5. Denver Broncos: 173

Last Week: 5

Notes: After beating an undefeated Packers team, they lose in a close battle to a struggling Colts team. They should be able to rebound with a home against the Chiefs next week.

6. Green Bay Packers: 139
Last Week: 6
Notes:  The Packers haven't lost two games in a row since 2010. They should be able to stop this losing streak with a game against the Lions next week.

7. Minnesota Vikings: 111

Last Week: 8
Notes: The Vikings have won 4 in a row and are now tied for 1st in the NFC North. The 11/22 game against the Packers should be an exciting one.

8. Atlanta Falcons: 110
Last Week: 7
Notes: Losers of 2 in a row and 3 out of their last 4, the Falcons need to turn it around quickly or they might go from 6-0 to no playoffs. They're schedule gets tough with games against the Colts, Vikings, and two against the Panthers.

9. New York Jets: 99

Last Week: 9

Notes:  They're still not looking like the same team that played the first 5 games, but a win is a win. An important divisional game this Thursday against the Bills.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers: 72

Last Week: 11

Notes: They get the win, but they lose Ben for (likely) the entire season. It's a tough road ahead, but they still are looking like a favorite for the wildcard, especially with the tiebreaker over the Raiders.

11. Seattle Seahawks: 62

Last Week: 10

Notes: Winners of 2 straight, the Seahawks need to show they're still a top team with a home game against the Cardinals.

12. New York Giants: 57

Last Week: 15
Notes: The Giants remain in 1st with a win over Tampa Bay. They have their toughest match-up of the season against the Patriots.

13. Philadelphia Eagles: 55

Last Week: 14

Notes: A win over Dallas keeps them a half game behind the Giants. The NFC East really might come down to the last game of the season when these two teams face each other.

14. Buffalo Bills: 55

Last Week: 16

Notes: A great rushing effort by the Bills. They have an important divisional game against the Jets on Thursday. You know Rex Ryan will do whatever he can to win this game.

15. St. Louis Rams: 34

Last Week: 13

Notes: A close game, but the Rams find themselves on the losing end against the Vikings. They have two winnable games coming up, however, against the Bears and Ravens.

16. Oakland Raiders: 31

Last Week: 12
Notes:  Tough OT loss. A win would have put them in the driver's seat for the wild card. However, with a tiebreaker over the Jets and the Steelers losing Ben, this team has more than a legitimate chance of getting in. 5 out of their remaining 8 games area against teams with a losing record.

17. Kansas City Chiefs: 12

Last Week: 17

Notes: The Chiefs had a good bye week with their entire division losing.

18. Indianapolis Colts: -1

Last Week: 22
Notes: Are the Colts back? The win against the Broncos was certainly a good start.

19. New Orleans Saints: -14

Last Week: 18

Notes: After an exciting win over the Giants, they fall flat in OT against the Titans. They really do look like a .500 team.

20. Houston Texans: -40

Last Week: 23
Notes:  The Texans didn't have a great bye week with a win by the Colts. They have a tough two games coming up against the Bengals and Jets. They'll likely need to win 1 of these to stay alive.

21. Washington Redskins: -42

Last Week: 20

Notes:  Nobody expected them to come close to the Patriots and they didn't. With wins by the Giants and Eagles this week, the Redskins are pretty much done.

22. Miami Dolphins: -44

Last Week: 19

Notes: The excitement of a change in coach has worn off and the Dolphins look like their old selves.

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -59

Last Week: 21
Notes: Tampa Bay could have beaten the Giants if it weren't for mental errors

24. Baltimore Ravens: -61

Last Week: 25

Notes: The Ravens have the kind of 4 game stretch that could make things interesting for the wild card hunt if they can go 4-0. They have the potential to win all 4 of these games.

25. Chicago Bears: -72

Last Week: 30
Notes: A nice 4th quarter comeback by the Bears to keep their playoff hopes alive.

26. Tennessee Titans: -80

Last Week: 29

Notes:  They finally get another win. Don't expect it to be 2 in a row with a game against the Panthers.

27. Dallas Cowboys: -84
Last Week: 24
Notes: Put a nail in the coffin - the Cowboys are all but mathematically eliminated. Even if they go undefeated when Romo returns, they likely won't get in.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars: -95

Last Week: 27
Notes: It looked like anybody could be a last place team in the AFC South two weeks ago, but the Jags are slowly establishing themselves as the worst in the division.

29. San Diego Chargers: -99
Last Week: 26
Notes:  They blew a 4th quarter lead and now have lost 5 straight.

30. San Francisco 49ers: -120

Last Week: 31
Notes: Everyone mocked putting Gabbert in, but he gets the win. If they can pull of wins against the Seahawks and Cardinals things will start to get interesting.

31. Cleveland Browns: -124

Last Week: 28
Notes: The same old Browns - losers of 4 straight.

32. Detroit Lions: -172

Last Week: 32

Notes: Will be an ugly game against the Packers who have just lost 2 straight and will do anything they can not to lose 3.