Post-Week 12 Power Rankings

1 – Packers (9-3) 1

Once again, we have another 1-2 switch as the Packers return to the top of the Power Rankings, and for good reason. Not only did the Cardinals have a bye, but Green Bay played a perfect game in the dismantling of the Rams on Sunday at Lambeau. The offense played perhaps their best game of the season, which should come as no shock as it was the healthiest they’ve been in weeks. The defense also put in work, which might not reflect on the scoreboard thanks to some statpadding from LA, but anyone who watched the game knows how dominant the defense was. It was simply a perfect performance from what is easily the NFL’s best team right now. Watching this team for even a few drives on Sundays is all you need to do to understand how great they truly are.

2 – Cardinals (9-2) 1

The Cards had a bye that they seemingly needed badly as their offensive injury saga hopefully comes to a close. Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins should be back this week, but it wouldn’t shock me at all if they don’t. Even if that’s the case, the backups have proven themselves more than capable of winning games.

3 – Patriots (8-4) 1

With every passing week, this team gets more and more impressive. In every aspect of the game, you can argue that this is the hottest, or maybe best team in football. Their offense is still somehow getting better as more and more people get involved, their defense is still probably the best in football, and any Nick Folk fantasy owners know how good the special teams are. There’s not much I can say about the Patriots that I haven’t been saying for weeks now. They are simply mastering their craft and are without a shadow of a doubt the best team in the AFC right now.

4 – Buccaneers (8-3) 1

It took everything going right in the second half for the Bucs to come out of Indy with a win, but they still looked good on Sunday. They regained their identity with the run game against a very good defense, not necessarily relying on Tom Brady to provide magic in order to win the game. Leonard Fournette carried the load with 4 touchdowns, including the game-winner, and the defense stepped up to make plays and force turnovers to help secure the comeback bid. It was a very solid all-around game, adding to the momentum of last week’s win. As the Bucs get healthier, I expect them to keep up this level of play en route to the playoffs.

5 – Chiefs (7-4)

The Chiefs had a bye this week, so you can fully expect them to come out and play a great game this week against Denver. This is the best team in the league off of byes, so I have no reservations about them winning this week.

6 – Colts (6-6) 1

Bumping up the Colts here feels weird, but you can thank some of the teams above them falling apart for that. Even still, this team held their own for 60 minutes against the Bucs and were arguably the better team for the majority of the game. I’m not one to hand out moral victories, but this team deserves one. I’m not a fan of them abandoning Jonathan Taylor in the second half, but I think they’ve now learned their lesson the hard way. They’re still just 2 games back in the division and are poised to make a run while Derrick Henry remains out in Tennessee. This team proved their worth to me again, even in a loss, and I still feel very good about them.

7 – Bengals (7-4) 6

Don’t look now, but the Bengals are back. After their bye week, they have strung together 2 complete, dominant victories over solid teams in the AFC. Their latest victim was the Steelers, who they absolutely walloped this week. Everything is working right now for Cincy on both sides of the ball, and it’s a delight to watch. I don’t know how long they can keep this level of play up with an insanely tough remaining schedule, but if these last two games are any indication, this team is built for a playoff push. They’re only a game out of first in the division and the 1 seed in the AFC. Why not the Bengals?

8 – Ravens (8-3) 3

I’m not entirely sure what to make of this team right now, but it feels like they’ve done a complete 180 in terms of their identity. Nowadays, their offense is a complete mess, but their defense has been lockdown. Lamar Jackson has struggled mightily lately, especially with his 4 INT game on Sunday night, but the other side of the ball has been a delight to watch. The emergence of rookie DE Odafe Oweh and the rest of the front seven has this team in position to win any game on their schedule. Once the offense picks up the slack, this team should play like the 1 seed that they currently are. But I need to see that first before putting too much faith in them.

9 – Bills (7-4) 3

I’ll give the Bills credit. They went into a very tough environment on a short week and absolutely ran through a decent Saints team. It was a clinic on both sides of the ball, and they looked very impressive. Josh Allen had himself a game with 4 TDs, and Stefon Diggs is putting up superstar numbers after a quiet start to the season. I still don’t like this team’s inability to run the football, but as I’ve said so many times before, they have what it takes to make up for that through the air. The defense also played like its old self, which should hopefully give them some momentum heading into their biggest game of the season next Monday against New England. We’ll see if we get the Bills of old, or the Bills of now.

10 – 49ers (6-5) 6

If you think about it, the 49ers are just the Patriots with a couple more tough early season losses. This team has found its identity in the last month or so, and they have been nothing short of unstoppable since finding it. They can run the ball no matter who they’re handing it off to, and their defense is still playing very well. Sunday wasn’t their best showing, but they still made the necessary plays to win the game in the end. To put it plainly, there aren’t many teams playing better football than San Francisco right now. The injury to Deebo Samuel might derail them for the next week or so, but if they have him healthy, this team can match up with anyone in the league.

11 – Rams (7-4) 5

Well, things got ugly just as quick as they were seemingly getting prettier in LA. The Rams are now 0-3 since acquiring Von Miller and 0-2 since acquiring Odell Beckham Jr., and none of those games have been competitive. Once again, this team was dismantled on both sides of the ball despite having more starpower than almost every team in football. The absence of Robert Woods has clearly made this offense significantly worse. So, what gives at this point? I really don’t know. This team has no business being so underwhelming. Every time they play a team with a pulse, they simply fall apart. Everyone is to blame, from Stafford to McVay to everyone else. I just don’t know what it’ll take to get this team to play up to their talent level. This is probably a playoff team, but until they find their identity, they are the NFL’s #1 fugazi.

12 – Cowboys (7-4) 4

Speaking of fugazis, did anyone watch the Cowboys on Thanksgiving? Because that was truly something to behold. Losing to a team that hasn’t had a semblance of a pulse in the last month is one thing, but losing the way the Cowboys did was embarrassing. I understand that this team was missing its top 2 receivers, but like I said last week, they are built to overcome that. But, the run game was nonexistent, and it took 3 quarters for Dak to find a rhythm. Though they were able to force OT, it just felt like too little too late, and that showed in the collapse in the extra 10 minutes. This defense is showing its true colors, playing very weak and soft, and the offense hasn’t found a groove against a real team in over a month. Like the Rams, I don’t know what it will take to turn this team around. Only they can show us.

13 – Titans (8-4) 4

There’s nothing I can say about the Titans this week that I didn’t already say last week. They are simply not a legitimate team offensively without Derrick Henry. At least their defense had been playing well. We can throw that out of the window as well. What a mess.

14 – Chargers (6-5) 4

Sunday’s loss in Denver was written in the stars sheerly based on how unbelievably inconsistent this team is. Their week-to-week flip-flopping is well-documented by now. So, maybe next week’s Chargers won’t look like a complete dumpster fire. But you can bet on the game after that looking just like this Sunday’s did. It’s just such a waste of time. This team is playing themselves out of the postseason fast, and at this point, that might be a good thing. If you’re this talented and this incompetent, you don’t deserve more than the 17 games you’re given.

15 – Vikings (5-6) 1

In a completely not-shocking turn of events on Sunday, the Vikings snatched defeat from the jaws of victory yet again. Now, their playoff hopes continue to slim down as they continue to play themselves out of wins. Oh, and Dalvin Cook is hurt as well. The franchise that embodies Murphy’s law more than any other in football is doing it again. I still feel bad for them, but at some point, you have to throw your hands up and surrender to the incompetence. Sounds like a team in LA I know.

16 – Broncos (6-5) 4

I’ll give some credit to the Broncos. They have been keeping up a solid level of play in recent weeks, even after the Von Miller trade. Outside of their loss to the Eagles, this team has played really well in the last month, and now only sits a single game out of first place in the division. The offense has been solid, and the defense has returned to old form. This team is just playing some good ball right now, and I personally never saw it coming. It’s nothing that pops off the screen, but it evidently wins games. And if Denver beats KC on Sunday night, they are your first place team in the AFC West. That’s crazy to think about.

17 – Washington (5-6) 4

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there aren’t many teams in the league playing better football right now than the Washington Football Team. I know. It’s ridiculous to even think about. But, it’s true. While they haven’t exactly been game-wreckers, and their schedule hasn’t been the best, this team has found its winning formula and boy, does it look good. The defense has somehow gotten infinitely better in the absence of star DEs Chase Young and Montez Sweat, and they’re finally playing as advertised. The offense is also playing efficient football thanks to the resilience and craftiness of Taylor Heinicke and the resurgent ground game led by Antonio Gibson. Simply put, this team is playing very solid football and the back stretch of the schedule isn’t much to look at. Everything is in front of them to take if they so desire. Whether they decide to take it or not remains to be seen.

18 – Raiders (6-5) 5

The Raiders evidently will not be buried as easily as some of their AFC counterparts. Thanksgiving’s performance was one I never could have seen coming from a team playing as poorly as they had been playing, but perhaps it can rejuvenate this team moving forward. Sunday’s tough matchup with the WFT will tell us what we need to know. After all, they’re just 1 game out of first place and tied for a wild card spot. Anything is possible in this league.

19 – Eagles (5-7) 2

The Eagles picked a great time to play arguably their worst game of the season. Sunday’s performance was absolutely abhorrent on all fronts, especially offensively. Jalen Hurts played his first bad game in a long time, throwing 3 INTs with some coming at very inopportune moments. Still, he nearly made up for it with some late game heroics, but would be denied by his own WRs’ inability to catch the football. Alas, this team squandered a golden opportunity to get to .500, and now sit at 3rd in the division. That’s the type of game that can derail an entire season. We’ll see how the Eagles respond to it with a cupcake against the Jets coming up.

20 – Browns (6-6) 1

I really don’t feel like talking about this team. There is simply nothing to talk about, but at the same time, it feels like there are an infinite amount of things to talk about. I will say that their defense is playing well, but man, their offense is an absolute mess. It feels impossible to watch. They were gifted 4 extra possessions on Sunday night and did absolutely nothing with any of them. Forcing 4 turnovers and scoring 10 points in 60 minutes is not a winning formula. Most of the blame falls with Baker Mayfield, who still refuses to play like a starting QB. It’s time to move on, Cleveland. This team is too talented to be held back like this any longer.

21 – Steelers (5-5-1) 6

Oh man. How does it feel? To have all of your shortcomings and refusals to move on or get better come crashing down in your face in one swift stroke? Doesn’t feel good, does it? Keeping Big Ben around, refusing to stay healthy on defense, continuing to run a prehistoric offense, the list goes on and on. The unsustainability of it all has reached its breaking point, and it’s on full display for the world to see. It’s over.

22 – Saints (5-6) 4

I don’t know why I put my faith in this team to do anything on Thanksgiving night, but I’ll consider that a lesson learned. The offense remains a complete joke without Alvin Kamara, and the defense once again laid down and died. Now, the Saints are trusting Taysom Hill to lead the charge to redeem this seemingly lost season. Because that inspires so much confidence in all of us. If there’s any team the Saints can beat right now to get back on track, it’s the Cowboys on Thursday night. It’s a perfect opportunity to take a step in the right direction. It’s just so hard to see them doing so. We shall see.

23 – Dolphins (5-7) 2

Can you believe that the second longest winning streak in football belongs to the Dolphins? Well, if you look at their schedule, it becomes a bit more believable. But, teams have shown us that even the most winnable of games can become losses, so credit to the Fins for getting the job done on a weekly basis. Sunday’s game was a complete clinic on both sides of the ball and probably this team’s best performance of 2021. The schedule isn’t getting much tougher, so this team should continue winning games as we roll into the last month of the season. But the early season struggles might prove to be too much to overcome. At least they’re ruining that Eagles pick.

24 – Falcons (5-6) 3

Congrats to the Falcons on avoiding the incredible embarrassment of losing to the Jaguars. They did their job. They almost messed it up, but they did it. And that’s about all I want to say about them.

25 – Panthers (5-7) 3

Remember when I said that Cam coming back to this team was good for them? Yeah, disregard everything I said. After a 5/20 passing day with 2 INTs and a passer rating of FIVE (5!), Cam was benched in the middle of a blowout at the hands of the fledgling Dolphins. Oh, and now Christian McCaffrey is out for the season, so the already nonexistent offense is about to somehow get worse. I don’t want to watch another snap of this team for the rest of the year. Not one.

26 – Bears (4-7) 2

Why am I moving the Bears up? I genuinely don’t know. They absolutely deserved to lose on Thanksgiving, which is truly saying something considering they were playing the Lions. The game was an absolute mess from start to finish, but they proved to be the less incompetent team, winning on a FG at the buzzer. The win did nothing for me, but thanks to some action around them, they get bumped up this week.

27 – Giants (4-7) 1

The Giants’ win over the Eagles on Sunday was probably the most shocking of the week to me. I never thought this lifeless team could have strung together 60 minutes of winning football, but they did just that, and it was thanks to a stellar performance from their defense. That was always the team’s best unit, and they played perhaps their best game yet against a red hot Philly team. The offense was still a struggle, and it’ll only get worse as Daniel Jones will now miss time with a neck injury. Still, Sunday’s win was a good one that this team desperately needed.

28 – Seahawks (3-8) 2

Remember what I said last week about this team being a joke? Just imagine that, but worse. That’s all I’ll say about the Seahawks.

29 – Jets (3-8) 2

The Jets won the worst game ever put to paper, proving themselves as at least better than the Texans for likely the rest of the season. Good for them. That’s not a very high bar to pass, but at least they passed.

30 – Jaguars (2-9) 1

The Jags have been the same team for many, many weeks now. They’re competent, and often competitive, but simply incapable of winning games. Their offense just doesn’t have what it takes. It doesn’t really matter at this point, but that’s who they are, and it won’t change between now and season’s end.

31 – Texans (2-9) 1

The Texans have entered an elusive club of teams that have lost to the Jets, which really rubs me the wrong way. I just hate it when teams do that. I thought they at least had it in them to beat such a putrid team, but this team was either riding the high of the Titans upset, or they’re still just terrible. Either way, at least they’re not Detroit!

32 – Lions (0-10-1)

The Lions have played themselves out of so many win this season, it’s like they want to be winless. It feels intentional. Well, Detroit, you get what you ask for. Hope you relish in this.

All stats taken from ESPN.