NFL Week 12 Power Rankings: Eagles still No. 1, Bengals down
While there are many things to be thankful for in improving their playoff position, other teams have suffered injuries that have changed their outlook on the season. Mackenzie Salmon has his Week 12 highs and lows.
NFL power rankings entering Week 12 of the 2023 season (rankings in parentheses):
1. Eagles (1): On Monday night, C Jason Kelce got a long-awaited victory over former coach Andy Reid and brother Travis Kelce. The schedule won’t allow for Philly next month, but the NFC champions they’ve bought have proven — maybe, more importantly, for themselves? – You can beat anyone and anywhere.
2. Chiefs (2): Of course, if WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling makes a play late in the game or Taylor Swift gets involved, Reid is 5-0 against his former team, breaking the KC record with 125 regular season wins. Although there is work to be done to wrest the AFC’s No. 1 seed from Baltimore, the defense will surely return. A generally forgiving set of games should help with that.
3. 49ers (3) Brooke Purdy, “Mr. Irrelevant”, has faced 1 overall draft pick QBs in each of the past three games, winning twice. His next three matches are against second round pick Kyler Murray in Week 15 of 2019. All of the opposing players drew San Francisco’s defense with the loss of All-Pro S Talanoa Hufanga (torn ACL). ).
4. Crows (5): Baltimore’s top-tier running game is in good shape, with Lamar Jackson now the first quarterback in league history to rush for at least 500 yards in each of his first six seasons. RB Gus Edwards has 10 TDs after a total of nine over the last three years. But the 20th-ranked passing game’s best prospect, Tee Isaiah, could probably fill in for injured All-Pro Mark Andrews.
5. Cows (7): CB DaRon Bland’s next pick-six gives him the NFL single-season record, which is great. However, WR CeeDee Lamb is the only Dallas player with more TDs (6) than Bland’s four.
6. Lions (6): It’s the first time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger that a team with zero NFC North crowns has won seven straight division games. With a win over Green Bay, they can make that streak eight on Thanksgiving.
7. Dolphins (8): CB Jalen Ramsey is making a measurable impact on an upstart defense, catching three passes in three games since returning from July knee surgery. “He’s the best corner in the league, man,” Miami WR Tyreek Hill said Sunday.
8. Texas (9): Sweep Jacksonville on Sunday and Houston will take first place in the AFC South. And starting QB CJ Stroud isn’t working. LB Blake Cashman is a tackle machine (19 vs. Arizona), while highly touted CB Derek Stingley Jr. picked off his first pass of 2023, matching his disappointing rookie year.
9. Jaguars (11): As for the diversity war in Houston? The Jags have lost 10 of 11 to the Texans, although the lone win this year came on New Year’s Day at NRG Stadium.
10. Brownies (4): Why is DE Myles Garrett in position to get some MVP traction? He’s on pace for 22 sacks, seven forced fumbles and roughly 50 pressures. For a team with such a broken offense, why not consider making him the first quarterback to get the hardware since Fomer Lawrence Taylor in 1986?
11. Bills (14): Sunday’s offensive revival was fantastic. But how will newly acquired CB Russell Douglas pick off two passes — ending a seven-game drought for Buffalo — and recover from the fumble? Taking machine. Imagine if he played with Josh Allen…
12. Steelers (12): Sunday’s loss at Cleveland snapped Pittsburgh’s nine-game winning streak at one point. But maybe upset RB Naje Harris and company can open up a big lead in Cincinnati in Week 12 against the Burro-less Bengals? If not, well – the “blame Canada” excuse evaporates, so I’ll look for something else.
13. Rams (19): The receiving tandem of Cooper Cupp and Puca Nacua is pretty good, but LA hasn’t averaged more than 220 yards through the air in the past six games.
14. Seahawks (13): LB Bobby Wagner has played 12 seasons and has compiled at least 100 tackles in all of them after Sunday. See you in Canton — finally — BWagz.
15. Broncos (23): Still, Minnesota defenders think Denver WR Jerry Judy is going to throw that ball. But maybe that kind of juke is after the Broncos cheated death early in the season.
16. Cubs (17): Coming out of the week, only two of Indianapolis’ last seven opponents (Pittsburgh and Houston) are over .500. Sleep on these guys at your peril.
17. Battery Chargers (15): A win in Week 12 would make QB Justin Herbert 30-30 in the regular season as an NFL starter. Beat Baltimore by two, and the Bolts have scored and given up the same number of points since his rookie season in the 2020 campaign.
18. Viking (16): Joshua Dobbs’ lone season continues as quarterback becomes first in NFL history to catch both TD passes And Running with the team in the first three games.
19. Robbers (18): Now the AFC’s least productive rushing offense (79 yards per game), Sunday’s 36-yard output was a season low. Confusing, especially given the temporary HCC. Antonio Pierce singled out franchise RB Josh Jacobs (league rushing champion in 2022) as the player Las Vegas should build.
20. Cardinals (27): QB Kyler Murray’s rushing and passing TDs next game will give him 18 in his career, trailing only Cam Newton (31 games) and Allen (25) in a player’s first five NFL seasons.
21. Buccaneers (21): WR Mike Evans needs 220 more receiving yards to pass for at least 1,000 in all 10 NFL seasons. It has never been done before.
22. Saints (22): The only NFC team to wrap up its interconference schedule, rested New Orleans should start piling up wins and playoff appearances in the NFC South.
23. Titans (24): Why is it a game that brings a TD pass to Pro Bowl DT Jeffery Simmons when you’re trailing by 27 points?
24. Falcon (25): None of their last seven opponents currently have a winning record. In golf, this will be “move day” for Atlanta.
25. Packers (26): Sunday’s 322 yards passing from QB Jordan Love cleared his previous career high by 33 yards. Thank you Chargers Protection.
26. Bengal (10): All due respect to Jake Browning, but Cincinnati looks dead in the water without QB1 Joe Burroughs.
27. Jets (20) All due respect to Zach Wilson…and Tim Boyle…but NYJ looks dead in the water without QB1 Aaron Rodgers. Until they are?
28. Bears (28): After joining the lineup on Sunday, Justin Fields appeared to be back in the starting lineup, rushing for at least 100 yards for the fifth time in his three-year career. Only Jackson (13 games) and Michael Vick (10) have more among quarterbacks in NFL history.
29. Veterans (30): After losing two Super Bowls to the Giants, Bill Belichick may seek revenge on Sunday. Infinite Vengeance.
30. Giants (32): They are 2-0 against Washington, and 1-8 against the rest of the league. All four of Big Blue’s first-half TDs this season came against the Chiefs, who brought HC Brian Daboll to the lighter side when it was time to evaluate rookie QB Tommy DeVito.
31. Commanders (29): At least when HC Ron Rivera tells his players to hit the Dallas showers on Thanksgiving Day… they can.
32. Panthers (31): The 2024 draft – for Chicago – they haven’t gotten the top pick yet. But Carolina owner David Tepper in 2010 After taking over the franchise in 2018, she is assured of a sixth consecutive season.
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