2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

NFL Power Rankings
Todd Gurley and the Rams remain in the number two spot after a wild shootout with the Chiefs. (Photo Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

While all the attention was directed to the Rams-Chiefs slobber-knocker and the aftermath of that game, there were some very meaningful and surprising outcomes elsewhere around the league. After their win, the Rams have every right to feel as confident as any team, but their path to the Super Bowl is still slated to go through New Orleans. In the AFC, the loss for the Chiefs means that teams in their rearview mirror may prove to be closer than they appear.

Tier 1: Thinking Super Bowl

1 New Orleans Saints (9-1; +139 point differential)

Shayne: Ever since a baffling loss to the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first week, the Saints have been an unstoppable machine. Sunday was no different. At home against the defending champs, the Saints compiled 546 yards and 48 points behind a balanced offensive attack that saw MVP candidate Drew Brees hit 4 different receivers for a touchdown and dynamic duo Mark Ingram II & Alvin Kamara combine for 174 rushing yards. However, perhaps the more impressive performance for the Saints came from their rapidly improving defense, which only gave up 196 yards and forced 3 turnovers. Up a firm 3 games in the NFC South with 3 division games coming in the next 4 weeks, including this Thursday’s game against the Falcons, the Saints have a great opportunity to put a stranglehold on their division and continue chasing home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

2 Los Angeles Rams (10-1; +107)

Shayne: Hyped up all week as the most exciting regular season match-up of all time, the Rams and Chiefs produced a classic and then some, with the Rams winning the spectacle 54-51 in thrilling fashion. Jared Goff looked as comfortable as he ever has on this level, throwing for 413 yards and 4 touchdowns while hitting 7 different receivers for a completion. On the defensive side, Los Angeles gave up a mind-numbing 546 yards and 51 points, but sacked Patrick Mahomes 3 times, with two of the sacks forcing a fumble that directly led to a score, and picked Mahomes off three times, one being a pick six and two ending potential game-tying drives. While giving up a 50 piece at home isn’t ideal, the Rams’ offense and defense showed the resilience that will serve them well in their upcoming playoff run, making huge plays to beat a super talented team. The Rams get a well earned week off this week.

3 Kansas City Chiefs (9-2; +110)

Garrett: The Kansas City Chiefs, on the arm of Patrick Mahomes, have completely exceeded expectations through 11 weeks. Before the season many people were concerned about Mahomes ‘gunslinger’ style of play and thought it might cost the Chiefs many games this season. Mahomes has done a very good job of taking care of the ball, for the most part, this season and has led the Chiefs to an AFC leading 9-2 record. The dangerous offense shows no signs of slowing down, and if the defense can hold their opponents to under 50 the Chiefs have a shot of winning any game. Coming off a loss to the Rams in an instant classic on Monday Night Football, the Chiefs are heading into their week 12 bye. Week 13 they return to Oakland which should be a good game for them to get back on track.

4 Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2-1; +74)

Harry: After a dismal start, the Steelers scored 3 times in the final 16 minutes to defeat the Jaguars and continue to hold the number two seed in the AFC. Ben Roethlisberger was in the middle of one of the worst outings in his Hall of Fame career until he turned it on at the end of the third quarter and threw for 257 yards and 3 total touchdowns in the final 20 minutes en route to a Steelers win. Their defense held strong and shut down Blake Bortles and will need to continue doing so with match-ups against the Chargers, Saints, and Patriots coming in the last 6 weeks of the season.

5 New England Patriots (7-3; +44)

Ryan: In theory, New England should’ve moved down as a result of the surprisingly lopsided loss to Tennessee. But they hold steady since the Chargers and Panthers both lost, and the Bears are kind of capped out at number seven unless Mitchell Trubisky (who’s currently injured) channels his inner Joe Montana going forward. It is interesting that both time the Patriots have against a Bill Belichick protégé this season they’ve lost. Luckily, it looks like they won’t have to play any teams that fit that criterion the rest of the way.

Tier 2: Thinking There’s a Chance

6 Los Angeles Chargers (7-3; +53)

Garrett: After a 1-2 start, the Chargers won 6 consecutive games to get to 7-2. They started Week 11 against the Broncos very slowly, moving the ball down the field in the second quarter and took a 13-7 lead into halftime. A Philip Rivers touchdown pass to Antonio Gates in the 3rd quarter gave them a 19-7 lead. The turning point in this game was when Von Miller picked off a Rivers pass and returned it 42 yards. Poor clock management and penalties cost the Chargers the game, in which they out-gained the Broncos 479 to 325. Unfortunately, they’re in the same division as the Chiefs, but this is a team that can make a run as an AFC wildcard team if they aren’t able to catch the Chiefs who are 1.5 games up on them in the AFC West.

7 Chicago Bears (7-3; +99)

Ryan: Chicago won a huge game against Minnesota last Sunday. But it might have cost them their starting quarterback for at least one game. They do have Chase Daniel on the roster, who’s one of the more highly-regarded backups in the league. The twist in the plot here is that seeing the Bears without Trubisky might give us the best evaluation of him to date.

8 Carolina Panthers (6-4; +8)

Shayne: One week after getting curb-stomped by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football, the Panthers spent their bounce-back game against the free-falling Lions getting in their own way and losing their second straight game. Cam Newton turned in a phenomenal performance, throwing for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns, but his game will only be remembered for missing a wide open receiver on the 2 point conversion. However, the 2 point conversion wouldn’t have been necessary if the typically reliable Graham Gano hadn’t missed a 34-yard field goal and an extra point. The loss for Carolina puts them in real danger of having their playoff spot challenged, with 3 teams within one game of their wild-card spot. The Panthers will have a chance to right the ship at home, where they have yet to lose this season, against the Seattle Seahawks.

9 Houston Texans (7-3; +34)

Richard: The best team in Texas are the Texans. Houston has won seven in a row after starting the season 0-3. Despite the winning streak, they only scored more than 23 points twice this season. This team depends heavily on their defense to keep them in games and look for the offense to do just enough. If the defense holds up to that pressure and the offense doesn’t mess it up for everyone, the Texans playoff card is as good as punched in a division that has no other team over .500.

10 Minnesota Vikings (5-4-1; +12)

Ryan: Looking back on the QB carousel that took place in 2018, Minnesota might regret how they played it. Kirk Cousins is a starting-caliber quarterback, to be sure. But it’s his contract that might come back to haunt the Vikings. In a salary capped sport, paying $84 million to someone who hasn’t proven to be elite could turn into a franchise-crippling move. They could still make a run at winning the NFC North, or a wild-card playoff spot, but the offensive production on this team this season is nothing short of a disappointment. Especially outside of Adam Thielen.

Tier 3: Thinking They Could Use Some Help

11 Seattle Seahawks (5-5; +30)

Shayne: In a game that felt like a de facto playoff eliminator, the Seahawks found themselves down to Aaron Rodgers three separate times, and all three times Russell Wilson responded accordingly to keep his Seahawks alive. The Seahawks sliced through the Packers defense seemingly any which way they wanted to, with Russ throwing for 225 yards and 2 touchdowns and Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, and Mike Davis combining for 155 rushing yards and 1 touchdown. Seattle’s improved run game put the Packers to bed, picking up two huge first downs that allowed the Seahawks to kneel the clock out and secure the win. The Seahawks’ underrated defense held up their end of the bargain, sacking Rodgers 5 times and forcing a three and out on A-Rod’s lone potential game-winning drive. Next up for Seattle is a trip to Carolina that can put them in a wild-card spot with a victory.

12 Indianapolis Colts (5-5; +49)

Richard: The Texans aren’t the only team in the ACF South on a hot streak. The Colts are on a four-game winning streak after starting their season 1-5. Andrew Luck is finally looking like the quarterback that everybody thought he was going to be when he got drafted out of Stanford. That could be because he is finally healthy after his shoulder surgery. It may also have to do with his offensive line not giving up a single sack in the last five games. This team is headed in the right direction with an offense that is consistently putting up points and a schedule that is favorable to finish of the season.

13 Baltimore Ravens (5-5; +56)

Harry: The Lamar Jackson era began in Baltimore on Sunday and it resulted in a crucial win for a team that is trying to keep pace in the AFC wild-card race. Jackson went 13-19 for 150 yards and also ran for 117 yards which were the most rushing yards the Ravens have had in any game this season. If he keeps performing strongly it will be interesting to see who John Harbaugh will name as the starter once Joe Flacco returns. The Ravens almost need to win their next two games against the Raiders and Falcons before they have showdowns against the Chiefs and Chargers in mid-December.

14 Cincinnati Bengals (5-5; -56)

Harry: You know you have an awful defense when your coach after the game says that he saw progress after ONLY giving up 403 yards of offense to a team with a rookie quarterback in his first career start. The Bengals, after an encouraging start, are now in third place in the AFC North and are in a 5-way tie for the second wild-card spot. They’ve lost four of their last five and are going to be without A.J. Green for the foreseeable future.

15 Washington Redskins (6-4; -1)

Richard: Alex Smith is lost for the season. Three of the starting offensive lineman lost for the season. The signing of Mark Sanchez. This team has all the signs of a team heading in the wrong direction. Despite it all, the Redskins still lead the NFC East. Coming off their 23-21 loss to the Houston Texans, the Redskins lead on the division is down to one game. With a patchwork of an offense and Colt McCoy at the helm, it looks like a tough road ahead for the Washington Redskins.

16 Dallas Cowboys (5-5; +13)

Richard: Don’t look now but the once dead and out Dallas Cowboys are in second place in the NFC East. Dallas is one game back of first place after their 22-19 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Cowboys have won two straight and face the injury-ridden division leading Redskins in their next game. The path to the playoffs is clearing up for the Cowboys if they can just stay out their own way.

17 Miami Dolphins (5-5; -57)

Ryan: A negative-57 point differential with a .500 record is kind of unbelievable. And while Ryan Tannehill has been out with an injury (but might be back this week), Miami’s proves the saying “If you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have any quarterbacks” is exactly right. Whether it was Tannehill or Brock Osweiler, the Dolphins season has been a series of peaks and valleys. Their schedule sets up pretty nice from here on out, but this is a team that doesn’t deserve the confidence a team with this good a chance to make the playoffs would otherwise get.

Tier 4: Thinking There’s Still Hope

18 Tennessee Titans (5-5; -11)

Richard: The Titans seem to be destined to finish the season 8-8. Whether it be because of the availability of quarterback Marcus Mariota to finish games or the inconstancy of the offense to score points. They have put up 38 against the Patriots and 28 on the Cowboys the week before but also goes on stretches where they only muster up 12 points against a bad Bills team before getting shut out by the Ravens. The often injured Mariota left Sundays game against the Colts at the end of the second quarter and is questionable to play in their upcoming game. The only consistent thing about the Titans seems to be it inconsistency.

19 Philadelphia Eagles (4-6; -26)

Richard: How long do hangovers usually last? To be fair to the Philadelphia Eagles injuries have also played a big part in the disappointing season of the defending Super Bowl Champions. Safety Malcolm Jenkins is the only starter in the secondary that has not been lost to injury and the running back position hasn’t been healthy all year. All that being said, this team hasn’t looked like a contender at any point this season. After getting blown out by the Saints, the benefit of the doubt given to a defending champion has run out.

20 Atlanta Falcons (4-6; -13)

Shayne: Any hope of the Falcons shaking off a disastrous start to the season to sneak into the playoffs was all but destroyed against the Cowboys. For the second straight week, the Falcons’ lone shining light on the season was nowhere to be found in their opponent’s territory, as their offense compiled a bunch of yards with only 19 points to show for it. Julio Jones scored for the third straight week and Atlanta’s normally porous defense played reasonably well, holding the Cowboys to only 22 points, but the Falcons’ problem of finishing strong drives with field goals instead of touchdowns is one that will keep resulting in losses for this snake-bitten squad. Atlanta will have a chance to rebound on Thanksgiving against their heated rival, the New Orleans Saints.

21 Green Bay Packers (4-5-1; +4)

Ryan: Green Bay just can’t get out of its own way. Once again, the game was there for the taking, but they stumbled to the finish and ended up with the L. They’re hanging onto playoff hopes by the skin of their teeth. And Mike McCarthy’s job security might have an even thinner margin of error. It’s going one of two directions here: either the Packers get red-hot and go on a run or they’ll be looking at an early vacation with a vacant head coaching spot.

22 Denver Broncos (4-6; -7)

Garrett: Their 4-6 record may not sound very impressive but the Denver Broncos have been a pretty solid team. The signing of Case Keenum combined with taking Bradley Chubb with the 5th overall pick with multiple quarterbacks still on the board confused many people this summer. John Elway expressed his belief that in his mind Keenum was more than just a transition quarterback. With all of the turnover to their roster this off-season, 4-6 is pretty impressive for this Denver team. Their 6 losses are pretty deceptive of what the Broncos have played like this season, including a # point loss to the Rams, 2 losses to the Chiefs by a combined 10 points and a 2 point loss to the Houston Texans. Coming off a win In Los Angeles against the Chargers, the Broncos have a tough match-up against the Steelers which could be a much better game than their records would indicate.

Tier 5: Thinking the Ship Has Sailed

23 Detroit Lions (4-6; -41)

Ryan: Detroit’s point differential wouldn’t be nearly as bad if it weren’t for that Week 1 48-17 loss to the N.Y. Jets. Then again, a lot of teams’ seasons might not seem so bad if you take away their worst loss. The front office here is in a dangerous place. They’re just good enough with some good players to convince themselves they are a single offseason away from putting together a winner. Doing that and getting it wrong sets an organization back years. But so could failing to do so. Either way, this team might be more than one year away from making it back to the postseason.

24 Cleveland Browns (3-6-1; -45)

Harry: The Browns had a bye week this past week and are going to face their in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Browns are unlikely to get the number one pick for a third straight year and will try to keep developing rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield for the rest of the season. Their much-improved defense will be tested over the next few weeks with match-ups against high-powered offenses in Carolina and Houston.

Tier 6: Thinking About the 2019 NFL Draft

25 Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7; -43)

Richard: The Jaguars have lost their last six games. Their window for success has closed. They didn’t take advantage of their defense last year by not upgrading the quarterback position and have lost their opportunity to win a championship with that decision. The defense they once could claim to be the best in the league has given up and an average of 27.1 points per game in their last six games. The offense has only scored more than 20 points once in those games and has scored in the single digits twice.

26 New York Jets (3-7; -46)

Ryan: It’s unclear, at this points, if this season has provided the Jets with more answers or questions. Losing to the Bills 41-10 in Week 11 certainly didn’t help matters any. In the past, it has felt like occasionally this team has made significant changes merely for change’s sake. But something has to be done here. This is heading for (another) rebuild. Even though they’re already in the midst of one. Rebuilding seasons in New York are like waves in the water: it can be hard to distinguish where one ends and the next begins, and as soon as one is finished there’s another one right behind it.

27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7; -62)

Shayne: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are what happens when you put a Big 12 football team in the NFL. A high risk, high variance offense led by a gunslinger (or in this team’s case, two gunslingers) that throws the ball far too many times, will complete throws only a few quarterbacks make, while also making throws that make you wonder why that quarterback is even on the field. To go with the gunslinger is a talented running back who should get more touches, a superstar receiver that makes the quarterback look better than they are and a defense that looks like they haven’t practiced together a day in their lives. You put all of those pieces together and you get a team that accumulates 510 yards and scores 35 points, but also turns the ball over 4 times and gives up 38 points to an Eli Manning-led offense, which is a long way of saying this team is terrible. The Buccaneers sideshow continues next week at home against the 49ers.

28 New York Giants (3-7; -48)

Richard: The Giants should have drafted a quarterback last year. They didn’t. Now that they should be losing games to help their draft ranking, they decide that it’s a good time to start winning games. They have won two in a row after being sellers at the NFL trade deadline and in a bad NFC East are only three games out of first place. The Giants must decide whether they should continue to fight for a playoff spot, however unlikely, or start losing games and help their spot in the draft for a class that is not deep in quarterback talent.

29 San Francisco 49ers (2-8; -36)

Shayne: The 49ers were off this week, they’ll be back this Sunday against Tampa Bay.

30 Buffalo Bills (3-7; -114)

Ryan: After last week’s point explosion and a couple surprising wins, this season can be deemed something of a success. It’ll be interesting to see if good or bad Buffalo shows up against Jacksonville this week – another very winnable game for the Bills. But as with any rebuilding team, this season isn’t really about this season, it’s about finding pieces to move forward with and lay the foundation for winning seasons to come. They’ve accomplished that, at least to some degree.

31 Arizona Cardinals (2-8; -108)

Shayne: In a battle between two of the worst teams in the league, if not the two worst teams in the league, the Cardinals proved to be the worst of the worst. The Cards gave up 152 rushing yards to the trio of Jalen Richard, Doug Martin and DeAndre Washington and a game-winning drive to Derek Carr, while also turning the ball over twice. On the bright side, David Johnson continues to look like old David Johnson under Byron Leftwich and rookie Josh Rosen threw 3 touchdowns, one to fellow rookie Christian Kirk and moved one step closer to the top pick in the 2019 draft. The Cardinals are back in action next week against San Diego.

32 Oakland Raiders (2-8; -123)

Garrett: Nobody aside from John Gruden knows exactly what the Raiders are doing with their franchise. After signing the 10-year contract after not coaching in the NFL for a decade, Gruden traded the Raiders’ most dynamic player in Khalil Mack. After the first few games of the season, everybody was expecting for Gruden to come out and say it was Frank Caliendo that made the call to the Bears to send Mack to Chicago. Through 11 weeks the Raiders are essentially playing for the number 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL and maybe, just maybe, John Gruden is a genius having accumulated 2 extra first-round picks ahead of the move to Vegas.

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Ryan lives in Wisconsin. He was raised on a steady diet of whole milk, cheese, sports, WWF/WWE wrestling, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

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