NFL Power Rankings Heading into Week 13

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports. (106)

December is upon us and now the NFL playoff races are starting to get very interesting…

In week 12, Tom Brady and the Patriots won another close contest as they beat the Jets. The Giants, Cowboys, and Dolphins all extended their win streaks. Lions won the battle for 1st place in the NFC North as they beat the Vikings on a game-winning field goal by Matt Prater. Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown had terrific games in the Steelers win over the Colts on Thanksgiving. Jameis Winston and the Bucs picked up another upset win as they beat the Seahawks 14–5. Alex Smith and the Chiefs won a thrilling game over the Broncos as they are now in sole possession of the #5 seed in the AFC.

After twelve weeks of the NFL season, here are the NFL Power Rankings heading into week 13.

1. Dallas Cowboys (10–1) — Ranked #1 last week

• Cowboys totaled 163 rushing yards against the Redskins and make that 10 straight wins for Dallas. The Cowboys offense were able to match every Redskins scoring drive in the 4th quarter and prevent any comeback. Sean Lee was all over the field as he recorded 14 tackles and he helped in limiting receivers yards after catch. At this rate, the Cowboys need at least three more wins to clinch at least a 1st round bye in the NFC playoffs. The Cowboys will have two road games upcoming against the Vikings and the only team that can say that they have beaten the Cowboys this season, the Giants.

2. New England Patriots (9–2) — Ranked #2 last week

• Patriots fans are used to seeing the offense tear apart losing teams defenses and go for over 35 points with a superb performance by Tom Brady. In their last two games against the 49ers and Jets, instead of beatdown wins, the Patriots won two close games that came right down to the 4th quarter. The Patriots did not rely on the run game like they did against the 49ers but rather on Tom Brady who had a season-high 50 pass attempts. With Tom Brady and Gronk not at 100%, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels still elected to go with Brady instead of going with LeGarrette Blount to have an effective balanced offense. The Jets did take the lead in the 4th quarter and Ryan Fitzpatrick had an opportunity for an upset game-winning drive but a fumble recovered by the Pats defense clinched their 9th win of the season. The Patriots have not been near flawless as usual in their last two games but they are two wins that gets them closer to clinching a 1st round bye.

3. Oakland Raiders (9–2) — Ranked #4 last week

• It was a rollercoaster game for Raiders fans. At the half, Raiders fans were cool, calm and collected as the team held a 17 point lead. Then during the 3rd quarter, Raiders fans went in full panic mode and assumed that their season was over when Derek Carr went into the locker room with a dislocated finger. But in the end, everything went back to normal as the Raiders beat the Panthers 35–32 and clinched their first winning season in 14 seasons. A ton of credit should go to Khalil Mack as he was the star impact player once again on the national stage with a sack, an interception returned for a touchdown and a forced fumble on Cam Newton to end the game.

4. Kansas City Chiefs (8–3) — Ranked #7 last week

• Still can not believe what happened in this game. It was like watching two heavyweight boxers go back and forth through 12 rounds with jab after jab and body shot after body shot. The Chiefs took advantage of Broncos mistakes (and coaching calls) and Alex Smith provided a pair of game-tying drives and a game-winning drive and the Chiefs somehow escaped with a win. The Chiefs secondary play should be a concern after Trevor Siemian torched the group in the 4th quarter. This game could have gone either way but the win puts the Chiefs at the #5 seed in the AFC and a game back of the Raiders for the division lead and more importantly, a first round bye.

5. New York Giants (8–3) — Ranked #6 last week

• It is hard to believe but at one point in the 2nd quarter, the game was scoreless and Giants fans were assuming the worst with a potential trap game on the horizon. Instead, the Giants came away with their 8th win of the season and they remain with the #5 seed in the NFC. The Giants defense were the ultimate game-changers in this game. The Giants sacked Browns quarterback Josh McCown seven times including three from Jason Pierre-Paul. The Giants also forced recovered three fumbles including one from Jason Pierre-Paul that sealed the win for the Giants. The Giants will be tested in their next two games as they will face the Steelers and Cowboys.

6. Seattle Seahawks (7–3–1) — Ranked #3 last week

• The Seahawks offensive struggles returned and it was an ugly game from the start. For the third time this season, the Seahawks failed to score an offensive touchdown. The Seahawks worried that defensive injuries to Earl Thomas, Michael Bennett, and DeShawn Shead could be the x-factor but it was the offensive inconsistencies that was the true x-factor. With a struggling offensive line that was getting constant pressure and absolutely no running attack with C.J Prosise out, Russell Wilson was forced to carry the team to victory and he was unable to do so. The loss put them 2.5 games back of the Dallas Cowboys for the #1 seed. Would the Seahawks rather play a potential NFC Championship game at home or on the road against the Cowboys? Of course they would want to play at home but with this crucial loss against the Bucs and with the Cowboys looking unstoppable in the NFC, the Seahawks may not have an opportunity to grab the #1 seed in the conference.

7. Atlanta Falcons (7–4) — Ranked #8 last week

• With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right behind them, every game means so much more for the Falcons. Against the Cardinals, the Falcons got the job done with their 7th win of the season. The Falcons power offense scored over 35 or more points for the 5th time this season. Matt Ryan had two touchdown passes and Devonta Freeman scored two as well. The Falcons offense will have yet another challenge against the Chiefs next week.

8. Denver Broncos (7–4) — Ranked #5 last week

• You can go back and forth on whether or not Gary Kubiak should have elected to kick the 62 yard field goal in overtime (which he should not have called for) but the result is final as the Broncos dropped their 4th game of the season. Trevor Siemian and the Broncos offense struggled to move the ball against the Chiefs but they were able to suddenly look like John Elway Broncos as they scored 17 points in the 4th quarter and overtime. On defense, they do not deserve to get the blame after a strong overall performance but when it mattered in crunch time, “game manager” Alex Smith was able to put together two game-tying drives and a game-winning drive against the Broncos pass defense. The loss now puts the Broncos out of the playoff picture.

9. Detroit Lions (7–4) — Ranked #10 last week

• Seven Stafford 4th quarter comebacks and seven Lions wins. This time around, a Darius Slay interception set up Matt Prater for the game-winning field goal and the Lions got the job done again. Lions were effectively able to run the ball against the Vikings defensive front with 94 yards on 4.9 yards per carry. Lions defense were also able to play smart and give Bradford all of the checkdowns that he wants as it resulted to 6.1 yards per attempt. The Lions defense will have their toughest test of the season next week when they face Drew Brees and the Saints.

10. Miami Dolphins (7–4) — Ranked #11 last week

• Arguably one of the biggest surprises of the season has been the comeback of the Dolphins. From a 1–4 two months ago where fans were calling for the Dolphins to cut Ryan Tannehill and fire Adam Gase to now 7–4 and holding a wild card spot. It was not easy for the Dolphins against the 49ers as it came to the final play but the Dolphins were able to get one final defensive stop and clinch another victory. Ryan Tannehill had his 2nd three touchdown game of the season and Cameron Wake recorded a sack to bring his season total to 8.5. The schedule will get tougher for the Dolphins as they will face the Ravens and Cardinals up next.

11. Washington Redskins (6–4–1) — Ranked #9 last week

• A 41/53 for 449 yards and three touchdown performance by Kirk Cousins was not enough as the Cowboys completed the season sweep over Washington. Washington had no answer for Dallas’ top five ranked rushing unit while they were unable to apply pressure on Dak Prescott dropbacks to rattle him and potentially force erratic throws. Even with the loss, the Redskins still hold a wild card spot.

12. Baltimore Ravens (6–5) — Ranked #17 last week

• Once again, a Ravens football game came right down to the very last play but they sneaked by for the victory over the Bengals. This game was once by the defense as they had good pressure on Andy Dalton all game long and without A.J Green, Dalton was not effective at all. The Ravens will host the surging Dolphins next week.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (6–5) — Ranked #18 last week

• Steelers defense dominated the Browns with eight sacks and they did just enough to hold off Scott Tolzien and the Colts offense. The Steelers defense sacked Tolzien three times, including one from the Steelers standout rookie Jason Hargrave, and the Steelers intercepted Tolzien twice. The Steelers top five red zone defense did their job as they held the Colts to just seven points in three red zone trips. Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes with all three going to the Antonio Brown while Le’Veon Bell totaled 142 yards. One positive from this game as the Steelers prepare for the Giants next week is that Ladarius Green was an influential part of the offense and they will need Green to come through this season especially with the injuries to Darrius Heyward Bey and Sammie Coates.

14. Buffalo Bills (6–5) — Ranked #16 last week

• 2 wins in a row has the Bills back with a winning record. The Bills rush offense totaled 153 yards with 75 coming from a LeSean McCoy touchdown run. Pass protection was not at its best as Tyrod Taylor was sacked five times but credit the Jaguars for tight downfield coverage too. As of now, the Bills are on the outside looking in on the playoff picture but they can prove that they belong in the playoff race with a win next week against the Raiders.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6–5) — Ranked #23 last week

• It must a great time to be a Florida football fan… well except for Jaguars and Gators fans. The Dolphins are currently holding a wild card spot while the Buccaneers picked up two of the biggest wins in the Jameis Winston era. Bucs beat the Chiefs last week on the road and now they are coming off a home victory against the Seahawks. The Bucs won this game on the line of scrimmage. The Bucs offensive line had a superb protection on Jameis Winston as he was not sacked while the Bucs defense sacked Russell Wilson six times. The win puts the Bucs still at a game back of the Falcons but the NFC South has now become a must watch division.

16. Minnesota Vikings (6–5) — Ranked #12 last week

• With the Vikings loss to the Lions, they now stand at 6–5 and a game back of the Lions in the NFC North. They can not complain about the opportunities that they had in the game but missed opportunity after missed opportunity was the theme of the game for the Vikings. Bradford and the Vikings offense had a difficult time extending drives as they finished 2–10 on 3rd down. Sam Bradford was ineffective again as he really missed the deep play threat of Stefon Diggs.

17. Houston Texans (6–5) — Ranked #14 last week

• The Texans were big money spenders in the off-season with the majority of it going to revamp the offense but the results have not panned out like they had hoped for. The Texans rank 29th in the NFL with 316.9 yards per game and rank 29th in the NFL with 17.6 points per game. Against the Chargers, it was more of the same offensive struggles. The Texans offense were held to one offensive touchdown and they committed four turnovers. If something does not change, they could end up handing the division over to the Colts or Titans.

18. New Orleans Saints (5–6) — Ranked #19 last week

• Against the Rams, it was a vintage Drew Brees offensive beatdown. Drew Brees had his 26th career game with at least 300 passing yards and four touchdown passes as the Saints beat the Rams 49–21. The Saints rush offense had over 200 yards for the first time this season and although Jared Goff had an efficient start with three touchdown passes in the 1st half, the Saints defense held the Rams scoreless in the 2nd half. The Saints are capable of scoring over 35 points against any team in the NFL and that is why you should not count them out just yet in the playoff race.

19. Tennessee Titans (6–6) — Ranked #20 last week

• For the 10th time this season, the Titans rushed for over 100 rushing yards and they escaped with a win against the Bears. A sloppy defensive 4th quarter almost saw an incredible Bears comeback victory but the Titans held on. When will Marcus Mariota throw an interception in the red zone? Mariota extended his streak with 32 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions.

20. Green Bay Packers (5–6) — Ranked #21 last week

• Finally, Aaron Rodgers got some help from his defense. In the Packers previous four games, the Packers allowed 30+ points in all of those games and the secondary was in need of a good bounceback game. Against the Eagles, the Packers did just that as they allowed just one offensive touchdown and the Packers snapped their four game losing streak. The Packers still have a chance to make a playoff run but their next two games will be tough as they will face the Texans and Seahawks.

21. Philadelphia Eagles (5–6) — Ranked #13 last week

• The Eagles played a struggling Packers team that had given up at least 30 points in their last game… but the Eagles offense did not take advantage as they scored just 13 points in their 2nd straight loss. Carson Wentz threw his 8th interception of the season but it is difficult to carry the offense as rookie when you have no rushing game to rely on and your receivers have disappointed you with constant drops. While they are losing hold of a potential wild card spot, Eagles fans should be pleased with the progress of Wentz and a defense because at least they have something to build on for next season instead of having the mentality of a complete rebuild as they have had over the past two seasons.

22. Indianapolis Colts (5–6) — Ranked #15 last week

• Without Andrew Luck, the Colts offense scored seven points and it was a struggle on defense too. The Colts were able to win the time of possession battle but it did not matter as the Steelers scored four quick touchdowns and Antonio Brown had no problem winning the matchups against the Colts secondary. The Colts also lost Vontae Davis, and T.Y Hilton during the game due to injury. Even at 5–6, the Colts can still win the division and that can happen only in the AFC South.

23. San Diego Chargers (5–6) — Ranked #25 last week

• Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon did not have another all-star like performance but they did just enough to beat the Texans and win their 5th game of the season. The Chargers defense was the story as they had four takeaways and Joey Bosa had another effective game. While the Chargers might not be playing playoff games this season, they still can play the role of spoiler as they play three teams in their remaining games (Bucs, Raiders and Chiefs) that are in the playoff race.

24. Arizona Cardinals (4–6–1) — Ranked #22 last week

• The NFL’s 2nd most disappointing team of the season lost their 2nd game in a row as the Cardinals lost 38–19 to the Falcons. The Cardinals are now 1–4 on the road. David Johnson has done his part as he leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage with over 1,500. On the other hand, Carson Palmer has not played like the MVP quarterback that he was last season. This season, Palmer has completed 60% of passes with 15 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions compared to 63% of passes with 35 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season. The Cardinals defense has also allowed 30 points or more in four games this season compared to three last season.

25. Carolina Panthers (4–7) — Ranked #24 last week

• One positive about the Panthers this season is that they are fighting until the end and they are showing the always play hard mentality that got them to the Super Bowl last season. Against the Raiders, the Panthers would able to make a fierce comeback as they scored 25 unanswered points to take the lead after being down 17 but they were unable to finish off the Raiders. The loss puts them at 4–7 and their playoff hopes are now truly all but gone.

26. Cincinnati Bengals (3–7–1) — Ranked #26 last week

• The AFC’s most disappointing team of the season lost another game as a late rally was unsuccessful and the Bengals lost 19–14 to the Ravens. Not many are talking about this but should Marvin Lewis be fired? Lewis came into the season with high expectations after a disappointing playoff loss and now this year’s team is headed for their first losing season since the 2010 season. The Bengals front office should really think consider Lewis’ future and look ahead to replacements.

27. Los Angeles Rams (4–7) — Ranked #27 last week

• Defenses can have off days but this was more than an off day for the Rams defense. In their previous four games, the Rams defense allowed 49 total points. Against the Saints, they allowed 49 points with seven touchdown drives. Brees had no problem finding open receiver after open receiver and the Rams defense looked like amateurs against the future Hall of Famer. At least Jared Goff got to display what he is really all about as he threw his first three touchdown passes, all in the 1st half.

28. New York Jets (3–8) — Ranked #28 last week

• Jets fans were pleased to see the team fight until the end against their rival Patriots but in what has become the theme of the season, they came up short. The Jets did hold a lead in the 4th quarter after a 22 yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick set them up at 17–13 but nine straight points by the Patriots and that was it. The Jets will have their 2nd Monday Night Football game of the season as they host the Colts next week.

29. Chicago Bears (2–9) — Ranked #29 last week

• Every game is filled with different disappointments and this game was no different. In the 4th quarter with a chance to win the game, Bears wide receiver Josh Bellamy dropped the potential game-winning touchdown and the Bears lost their 9th game this season. While they did not complete the 20 point 4th quarter comeback, it must have been a good morale booster for Bears fans to see their team not give up. The NFL Draft is all that Bears fans are looking forward to now and also the million dollar question, will Jay Cutler return next season?

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (2–9) — Ranked #30 last week

• Rex Ryan called the Jaguars the best two win team that he’s ever seen and he is right about that considering the solid core of young but inexperienced talent. The Jaguars once again highlighted their inexperience in their 9th loss this season as Blake Bortles was not much of a threat throwing the football and the defense was unable to get crucial stops in the 4th quarter. The Jaguars clinched their 6th consecutive losing season and Gus Bradley’s time with Jacksonville should come to an end.

31. San Francisco 49ers (1–10) — Ranked #31 last week

• Times have changed with this once proud 49ers defense. Three seasons ago, the 49ers defense did not allowed 30 points in any game but this season, the 49ers defense have allowed at least 30 points in eight games this season. In their matchup against the Dolphins, the 49ers offense were able to move the ball with 25 1st downs and 475 total yards but it was not enough as three touchdown passes by Ryan Tannehill and a late defensive stop by the Dolphins defense prevented the 49ers from winning their first game since week one. As of now, they should probably draft Alabama’s Jonathan Allen or a solid tackler like… Alabama’s Reuben Foster with their first picks.

32. Cleveland Browns (0–12) — Ranked #32 last week

• Hue Jackson’s horrendous debut season is almost coming to a dreadful finish. The Browns dropped their 12th game of the season and are now four losses from the second 0–16 season in NFL history. In their game against the Giants, Browns fans felt like they had seen this game before. Last week against the Steelers, the Browns did a fine job of tightening up their red zone defense as they trailed by eight points heading into the 4th quarter until a Josh McCown fumble and Steelers return for a touchdown basically sealed the game. This week, the Browns red zone defense did a good job again against as they trailed by eight points heading into the 4th quarter but a fumble by Josh McCown led to a Jason Pierre-Paul return for a touchdown and that sealed the game. The Browns offensive line have also allowed 15 sacks over the past two games. If you know a Browns fan, get them something good for the holidays because they need it.