NFL Power Rankings Week 12 – Building A Road To The Playoffs

Ab Stanley

The NFL post season might not start until January but most teams are mired in tough games that have a playoff feel to them. Every win inches teams closer to a division crown and prime post season posturing.

A loss could inch them closer to a limbo position, not good enough for the playoffs and just good enough for a middling draft pick.

 

1. Baltimore Ravens (8-2)
The Ravens number one rushing attack is not all about the stellar quarterback play of Lamar Jackson. Mark Ingram is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and he has eight rushing touchdowns on the season.

 

2. Seattle Seahawks (8-2)
The Seahawks are one of those rare teams that will be better than most teams in the league but will have to travel in the playoffs.

 

3. San Francisco 49ers (9-1)
Deebo Samuel has 16 catches for 246 yards in his last two games. He’s becoming more reliable as a receiver with more targets in his last three games than in his first seven.

 

4. New England Patriots (9-1)
Tom Brady is fighting through injuries to his offensive line and a reality check from father time. The Patriots’ defense allows him to work through these issues and still maintain a first place status.

 

5. Green Bay Packers (8-2)
The Packers come off their bye week to face only two opponents with a winning record in their last six games.

 

6. Minnesota Vikings (8-3)
Kirk Cousins has 539 passing yards and five touchdowns during the Vikings’ two game winning streak.

 

7. New Orleans Saints (8-2)
The Saints got back on track with 34 points points against the Buccaneers. They have surpassed the 30 point mark six times this season.

 

8. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)
The Chiefs forced four turnovers in their win over the Chargers. They forced five turnovers total in their previous five games.

 

9. Buffalo Bills (7-3)
Josh Allen hasn’t thrown an interception in five games straight. They play the Broncos next who haven’t shown a particular knack for picking the ball off.

 

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-4)
Michael Gallup burst out for nine catches for 148 yards against Detroit. He had nine catches in the previous three games combined.

 

11. Indianapolis Colts (6-4)
Jonathan Williams played the role of next man up particularly well on Sunday. He gained 147 total yards after Marlon Mack went down with an injury.

 

12. Los Angeles Rams (6-4)
Todd Gurley finally looked like Todd Gurley versus Chicago with 133 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. The team has won three out of four games, allowing an average of 9.0 points in the three wins.

 

13. Houston Texans (6-4)
The Texans’ defense has to do a better job at stopping drives. The offense has to do a better job of protecting Deshaun Watson.

 

14. Oakland Raiders (6-4)
The Raiders are riding a three game winning streak, averaging 24.6 points per game. Their next opponent is the Jets, who allow 25.5 points per game.

 

15. Carolina Panthers (5-5)
The Panthers have lost two straight games scoring a total of 19 points. They have six turnovers in those two games.

 

16. Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)
The Eagles played an attacking style of defense versus the Patriots but couldn’t seal the victory. The offense has been up and down all season.

 

17. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5)
The Steelers have a turnover in every game this season. They have multiple turnovers in five of their ten games played.

 

18. Tennessee Titans (5-5)
The Titans will face a division opponent in four out of their last six games.

 

19. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6)
Nick Foles returned from injury to throw for 296 yards and two touchdowns. The offense has scored 16 points total in their past two games.

 

20. Chicago Bears (4-6)
The Bears are top five in scoring defense and in the bottom five in scoring on offense. They have 17 total touchdowns and 10 turnovers this season.

 

21. Los Angeles Chargers (4-7)
Phillip Rivers interception total has reached 14 and only Jameis Winston has thrown more (18). Rivers has thrown eight of those in the last four games.

 

22. Cleveland Browns (4-6)
The Browns forced more turnovers versus Pittsburgh than the previous four games combined. If it wasn’t for the end of game shenanigans this would be viewed as a good a win.

 

23. Atlanta Falcons (3-7)
The Falcons and their fans really wish they would’ve started the season with two divisional games. 1-7 against everybody else versus 2-0 against the division can’t be a coincidence, right?

 

24. Arizona Cardinals (3-7-1)
The Cardinals are tenth in scoring with 248 points on the season. The team might not have the wins to prove it but they are trending in the right direction.

 

25. Denver Broncos (3-7)
Denver blew a big opportunity to grab their fourth win of the season. They take on Buffalo this week, which will yield a much slimmer opportunity for a win.

 

26. Detroit Lions (3-6-1)
The Lions have lost three straight games, giving up a total of 1,185 total yards in that span. They rank 30th in yards allowed on the season.

 

27. New York Jets (3-7)
Sam Darnold showed some flashes again with four touchdown passes versus Washington. When he keeps the turnovers down and Adam Gase keeps his passing attempts around 30, the Jets have a chance to win the game.

 

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7)
The Bucs have given up an average of 32.0 points per game since their bye week. They have given up 30 or more points in seven of their ten games.

 

29. Miami Dolphins (2-8)
The Dolphins had their two game winning streak snapped but still continue to play tough. Wide receiver DeVante Parker had his best game of the season (maybe his career) with seven catches for 135 yards.

 

30. New York Giants (2-8)
The Giants come off their bye week hoping to avoid disastrous turnovers. They have nine turnovers combined in their last four games.

 

31. Washington Redskins (1-9)
Dwayne Haskins is finding life in the NFL is much different than Ohio State. For starters, his lineman aren’t bigger than everybody else’s like in the Big Ten.

 

32. Cincinnati Bengals (0-10)
The Bengals switch to Ryan Finley has been less than successful. He’s averaging 141.0 passing yards per game with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Ab Stanley

Atlanta, GA

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