NFL Power Rankings for Week 12
NFL Power Rankings:
By: Lou Landers
Welcome to the 2020 NFL week 12 Power Rankings. These are my personal rankings, based on my opinions of all 32 NFL teams. I go into detail only for the top 10 teams so come find me on Twitter @LandersTalks if you want further explanations, want to disagree with anything or if you want to check out my weekly podcasts. There was a lot of movement this week. Let’s begin.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 12:
- Chiefs (9-1)
They were just over a minute away from moving down to the #2 spot on these rankings. The Raiders were just as close to beating the Chiefs for the 2nd time this season and moving themselves into the top 10. Then Patrick Mahomes, the best player in the world, the possible 2020 NFL MVP and a Super Bowl Champion put together a game winning touchdown drive that pushed the Chiefs to 9-1 and all but wrapped up the AFC West division. They may not be undefeated, but starting the season 9-1 with a first place schedule is about as good as it gets. This team should still be considered the favorite in the AFC and the favorite to win the Super Bowl.
- Steelers (10-0)
Can they do it? Can they go 16-0? Well, they don’t play the Chiefs this season so they have a chance. But they do play the Colts late in the year and that will be a big time test. Speaking of big time test, they get the Ravens this Thursday night in the 3rd of 3 Thanksgiving games. The Ravens haven’t been playing well lately, but when these 2 division rivals match up, you gotta throw away the stats. I believe this Steelers team will pull out the win. Big Ben is the come back player of the year, they have 4 very talented WR for him to throw to and the defense is top notch. They are a complete team.
- Saints (8-2)
No Brees, no problem! The Saints keep on rolling and they’ve now won 7 straight games. Taysom Hill proved me and many doubters wrong. He looked the part, he played a great game as the Saints QB. He showed off his athleticism, arm strength and even helped Michael Thomas get on track. The offense looked different with Hill than it does with Brees, however I think it actually was better and more explosive. Hill has the ability to push the ball down field which we haven’t seen from the Saints in a few years. The bigger story might be the defense though. It had been a great unit for weeks and showed up once again vs a good Falcons offense. They hold down the number one seed in the NFC right now and I expect for them to finish the season 13-3 with their only loss coming against the Chiefs in a few weeks.
- Colts (7-3)⬆️2
In the past 2 weeks the Colts have gone from being outside the top 10 to being in the top 5. This past week they really earned it too, beating Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in a thrilling game that was decided in OT. They lead the AFC South division and feature one of the best defenses in the entire NFL. They allowed 28 first half points and were then able to hold the Packers to just 3 points the rest of the way, all while coming back and scoring 20 points of their own to win. Philip Rivers is playing great football, he’s turning the ball over less and his WR are finally healthy. If the Colts can get rookie RB Jonathan Taylor going, they will be a very scary team the rest of the way. They’ll need him to have a big performance this weekend against the Titans.
- Rams (7-3) ⬆️5
The offense is good, it’s balanced and it looks a lot more like the NFC championship offense from a couple years ago. With that being said, I don’t think it’s good enough to win on its own, especially if Jared Goff continues to turn the ball over as much as he does. Interceptions are an issue, but the big problem is the fumbles, only Carson Wentz has fumbled more than Goff since his debut. This team is going to live and die by its very good defense. They have a ferocious defensive front that is incredibly effective even when they only get QB pressures and not sacks. Jalen Ramsey is playing at an all-pro level and has made their secondary one of the best around. This is a championship caliber defense and it’s a big reason why they have been able to beat some of the better teams in the league this season.
- Seahawks (7-3)⬆️3
After back to back tough losses for the Seahawks, they bounced back in a big way in Week 11 on Thursday Night Football. They were able to avenge their loss earlier this season to the division rival Cardinals, winning the game 28-21. Both Metcalf and Lockett found the end zone, Wilson didn’t throw an INT and their defense finally showed up. They held the Cardinals to under 60 rushing yards which is even more impressive when you consider that the Cardinals are the 2nd best rushing team in the NFL this season. The Seattle offense is as good as it gets right now, and if they’re able to build off their big defensive performance, they will contend for the top seed in the NFC the rest of the way.
- Packers (7-3)
Although they lost in Week 11, the Packers remain in the 7 spot on this weeks rankings. They played a great game against a great team and had Valdes-Scantling not fumbled in OT, they might have driven down the field to win. Aaron Rodgers is having an outstanding season, Aaron Jones is a star, Davante Adams is a top 3 WR in the league and the defense does rank 11th in the league in yards allowed per game. They are no slouch. They have a chance to all but lock up their division this week with a Sunday night matchup against their rival, the Chicago Bears.
- Bills (7-3)
It was a perfect bye week for the Buffalo Bills in Week 11. Not only did they get to rest and reset for the final push, but every other team in the division had a game in week 11 and all of those teams lost. This is a team that hasn’t lived up to expectations defensively so far in 2020, however, they have exceeded all expectations offensively. Particularly in the passing game where they currently rank 4th in the NFL. That can be attributed to the further development of QB Josh Allen and the offseason addition of number 1 WR Stefon DIggs. I am even going to go as far as saying that the Bills acquiring Diggs has had a bigger impact than the Cardinals acquiring DeAndre Hopkins, something I posted on social media earlier this week.
- Titans (7-3)⬆️4
They’re back in the top 10 after a massive OT win over the Ravens on Sunday. Derrick Henry had a monster 2nd half, Tannehill was in prime form, Corey Davis stepped up big time and their defense actually held Lamar Jackson in check. That is very noteworthy considering this Titans defense really hasn’t held anyone in check this year. It has been their biggest weakness. They have a massive game coming up this weekend vs the Colts, a game that if they win can vault them back into first place in the AFC South. Remember, the Titans lost to the Colts just a couple weeks ago.
- Bucs (7-4)⬇️5
Their defense is 2nd in the NFL in interceptions, trailing only the Steelers. Antonio Brown and Brady seem to have a great connection and when all their WR are healthy they are as good a passing attack as you’ll find around the league. The problem is the lack of a consistent running game that can make them one dimensional. The passing attack becomes less effective because of it and that leads to Brady turning the ball over. Their inability to beat good teams is something they need to fix if they want to be considered a legitimate contender. They have to play the Chiefs this week and based on how they’ve handled other good teams this season, I expect them to lose.
- Raiders (6-4) ⬆️3
- Ravens (6-4)⬇️8
- Browns (7-3)⬆️2
- Dolphins (6-4)⬇️2
- Cardinals (6-4)⬇️4
- Vikings (4-6)
- Broncos (4-6)⬆️7
- Bears (5-5)
- 49ers (4-6)
- Panthers (4-7)⬆️3
- Patriots (4-6)⬇️4
- Cowboys (3-7)⬆️8
- Giants (3-7)⬆️2
- Falcons (3-7)⬇️4
- Lions (4-6)⬇️4
- Texans (3-7) ⬆️2
- Eagles (3-6-1)⬇️5
- WSH Football Team (3-7)⬆️1
- Chargers (3-7)⬇️3
- Bengals (2-7-1)⬇️3
- Jaguars (1-9)
- Jets (0-10)