NFL Power Rankings: Week 12 Sees The Titans, Giants, Panthers Still On Top

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Last week's power rankings had the Titans, Giants and Panthers leading the way. None of that has changed yet, but there was a little shifting around the second half of the top 10. Without further ado, here's the FanIQ Week 12 Power Rankings. Enjoy.

Top 10:

1: Still the Titans. Until they lose a game, they're not going anywhere. And I'm not completely sold on the idea of them losing at all. This team is for real. It's possible for them to clinch a playoff spot next week. That's sick.

2: Much like the Titans, they're not going anywhere until something drastic happens. A loss is the only way they drop, and a Titans loss is the only way they move up. These two teams are definitely the top two.

3: Last week, some people were questioning whether or not they're for real. I'm hoping we find out when they play the Falcons this week, which could be an excellent game, and could get the Falcons back in division contention. Or not.

4: With he best offense in the league, they're now in a race with the Titans to see who can clinch their division first. I'm actually betting on the Cardinals, since their division competition is far worse, although the Titans will clinch a playoff spot first

5: The Bucs show no signs of slowing down. Not the most impressive win against the Vikings, but a tough defensive win nonetheless, and they held Adrian Peterson to only 85 yards, after he had 4 straight games of 100+.

6: They beat the Chargers in the controversial game of the week, although it had no impact on the outcome. Their defense looked impressive, but they will really need to get the offense going if they want to go anywhere in January.

7: They are winning their division, and Brett Favre looked like his old self against the Patriots in a huge OT win. If they can continue to utilize Dustin Keller like they did late in that game, the offense will get a huge boost.

8: Tony Romo's impact was instantaneous. The offense still isn't running on all cylinders, but there's no comparison between him and Brad Johnson. Even Romo at 60% is better in this offense. He's back, so expect good things.

9: The Colts' offense might finally be on track. Peyton Manning is actually looking like, well, Peyton Manning, and Joseph Addai had a pretty solid game as well. The division is out of reach, but the playoffs are a possibility.

10: After a 4-game winning streak, the Dolphins are now a game back in the AFC East, tied with the Patriots. I think everyone knew they would improve this year, but they are undoubtedly a lot better than most people expected.

Bottom 5:

28: The Seahawks have fallen far from the top of the NFC West, where they spent the last half decade. Now, the NFL doesn't even care about Matt Hasselbeck, and lets guys like Adrian Wilson pummel him without penalty.

29: For only the 3rd time all year, the Bengals didn't lose. There was the win over the Jaguars, their bye week, and now their tie with the Eagles. If Donovan McNabb knew ties were possible, he wouldn't have let it happen.

30: I will never understand what makes a man so desperate that he would want to coach this team. Jim Fassel is pathetic. I almost hope he gets the job, so Al Davis can fire him and refuse to give him his money. That'll teach him.

31: The Chiefs have a great chance to stay on the bottom of this list for years, as long as Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards don't go anywhere. Now that Matt Millen is gone, this might be the worst Coach-GM combo in the NFL.

32: I really hope the Lions go 0-16. And I am supremely confident that they have the talent and the drive to do it. That is all.

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11/19/08

Jesus, when the Cowboys were at the top I could careless who was below them. The Giants are number two, who cares about who is at number 8? I understand that the Cowboys still have a lot to prove, but can anyone really doubt that part of their rapid decline was because of all the injuries, to include the starting QB going down? Look at the simple math here, before Romo broke his pinkie the Cowboys did not fail one time to score over 20 points. When Brad Johnson came in the Cowboys were lucky to score one touch down, averaging about 13.5 points a game. Simply put, bias aside, it was more probable the Cowboys were losing more due to injury than any other possible concept.

That said, the NY Giants are still the better team in the division and the Conference, at this moment.

11/18/08

I have been looking at power rankings all day. You have the Cowboys at eight. Now, you are suppose to smoke crack, not guzzle it. There is no way after a couple of average quarters of football they should be added back to the top 15., let alone the top 10. Any other team that had declined so rapidly and then played okay for half a game to beat a team that was just having an off night would ever be added back to the elite group. The Cowboys continue to get the special treatment. Wade Phillips will be fired ths season as soon as the BOYS are mathamatically eliminated or sooner.

11/18/08

0	With Romo, they're a MUCH better team. As they continue to get healthy, they will continue to improve.

11/18/08

djclemson

1	It wasn't getting Romo back that won the game, it was getting Terrance Newman back that made the difference. Ask Santana Moss.

11/18/08

djclemson

cityneversleepz wrote:

Do you really think the Cowboys will miss the playoffs, or are you just hoping they do???

Mathematically.

11/18/08

djclemson

0	Ohh! I forgot

11/18/08

2	djclemson wrote: Do you really think the Cowboys will miss the playoffs, or are you just hoping they do??? Mathematically. Actually I hope they do make the playoffs. That way the Giants can beat them three times this year.

11/19/08

MarkTheShark

0	Without a doubt, Game of the Week: Defending Champs G-Men out in the desert to facing the surging Cards. We will find out a lot about both teams. I suspect emotion and big plays will carry the Cards early but the Giants running attack will win it for the Giants..say 27-24

11/19/08

11/19/08

ary201

1	cityneversleepz wrote: Actually I hope they do make the playoffs. That way the Giants can beat them three times this year. Famous last words...that were also uttered by many a Cowboys fan, oh, about 12 months ago.

11/19/08

bennyprofane

1	While I hope that is true, I have to disagree. A one-dimensional offense means the Giants will go ape-s*** attacking Warner behind the line of scrimmage. I don't expect the Cards can stop the Giants running game either. Their only hope is that Eli turns the ball over early and often and they get up big early. Personally, I think the Giants are going to prove the Cards are pretenders.

11/19/08

stormdude3603

Good list of rankings. Putting the Cardinals at 4 takes guts, and number 10 is questionable, but overall a nice list. Though I bleed Cowboy blue, the Giants are the best team in the NFC, maybe the NFL. Beware of the long unbeaten teams. Ask Indianapolis and New England about that. Its never a bad thing to take a few lumps now and again. Though the aforementioned are having off years for their standards, they are both treading water and could be very dangerous in the playoffs. Peyton Manning is still Peytong Manning, and the Patriots were undefeated last season, and its not like they are sending out chopped liver on the turf. Pittsburgh I think has a big spoon in the pot, as well as the Cowboys. Pardon me while I pat them on the back for a second...Romo is getting healthy, Newman is back, Felix Jones will be back in a week or two, Witten's injury isn't that severe and TO loves to get the football in the clutch. Don't at all be surprised to see the Cowboys at 8-4 soon. Should be an interesting tussle with NYG.

11/19/08

0	Wow... the sad part is that you might actually think that your little scenario even crossed my mind. The Patriots have accomplished enough lately, I don't need to try to over-inflate anything they have done, or might do.

11/20/08

Wow, have you even checked the standings in the division? My guess is no. Look at it again, we go by wins in the NFL, and the Cowboys are tied with the Redskins for second, though the Redskins do have the tie breaker. The Eagles are dead last with only five wins, 4 losses and a McNabb didn't think they could do that. People might say the Cowboys beat the Redskins on a bad day, but who can really say if that is true or not? The Cowboys won that game, their record is the only thing that needs to speak right now. If they lose the next three or four, that'll speak too. For now they are what they are. That's third place in a four team division. Not the best, but a win better than the worst.

11/20/08

No easily the worst team in the NFL is Detroit at 0-10. I think the word you are looking for is grossly underachieving. If that is the word you are looking for, than you are right. The Cowboys have not played up to their potential and have not played up to the media's expectations. I think it's also safe to say that they haven't played up to their own expectations. I am interested to see if the defense can play as well as they did against Washington for more than just one or two games. I think it's safe to assume the offense will actually improve.

11/21/08

No there are still a lot of possibilities there, but it would make for very difficult odds. I will say that the Cowboys best chance at making it to the playoffs is winning 5 out of the next 6 at the very least. The Redskins honestly would actually need to do the same thing. Remember though three teams can go out of the same division, and the Eagles have been the worst with all their starters healthy.

11/21/08

MarkTheShark

So let me get this straight, you have the Buccaneers going 2-4 or worse the rest of the way????....let me correct you, it is the Panthers that will go 2-4 the rest of the way.
The Falcons, meanwhile will go 4-2 the rest of the way?
Buccaneers defense better than both of those teams and OL is better than both of those teams, not to mention they don't play one tougher team the rest of the way than they've already played. The loss of Graham will hurt some, but this is a resilient team and the return of Cadillac could be a surprising x-factor.

11/21/08

MarkTheShark

I think you may be surprised to hear this from me....but I'm not sold on any of the NFC South teams, INCLUDING my Buccaneers. The records are good...but look closer. No one has really played anyone this year. How's that? Well, the NFC South drew the NFC North (UGH! three 5-5 teams and a winless one!) and the AFC West (DOUBLE UGH!) so that leaves your intra conference matchups from last year's finishes....The Bucs lost a sloppy but close game at Dallas and beat up on an injury riddled Seahawk team that was in no way a representation of last year's squad.
The Falcons get to play the Rams and lost pretty easily at Philly.
The Panthers escaped the Cards earlier, but have to play at the GIANTS in Week 16.OUCH
The Saints lost to Washington and beat San Fran so not one team in the NFC South swept their two intra conference matchups (unless the Panthers beat the Giants NOT)
Now, you could take the tack that the weak schedule will help them get three teams in the playoffs but I think definitely one and maybe two of these teams fade into purgatory.

11/24/08

0	So would you like to reconsider any of those thoughts at this time, or are you still thinking there is a possibility Philly might come back to upset the Skins and the Cowboys, which is essentially what they would have to do.

11/24/08

bennyprofane wrote:

While I hope that is true, I have to disagree. A one-dimensional offense means the Giants will go ape-s*** attacking Warner behind the line of scrimmage. I don't expect the Cards can stop the Giants running game either. Their only hope is that Eli turns the ball over early and often and they get up big early. Personally, I think the Giants are going to prove the Cards are pretenders.

You were right. I was nervous, only because of all the offensive weapons the Cards have. Thought they would score well over 30 pts. The Cards still deserve respect.. Giant pride includes winning on the road and second, Titans early game loss was something the G-Men were aware of. Think about it. JETS BEAT TITANS could be the big headline in NYC. Instead, BIG BLUE HITS TOP OF NFL wins the spotlight. The CHAMPS aren't handing the key to T.C. over yet.

Johnny

11/24/08

0	Thanks for the good advice. Are the Giants still number 2?

11/24/08

RichyMcWiggleSr

1	Carolina is not number 3. They just have a terrible schedule! They had no business losing to Atlanta ... especially not by such a point margin ... IF they are truly number 3. They'll finish 10-6, more than likely.

11/24/08

RichyMcWiggleSr

(Edited by RichyMcWiggleSr)

If you take into consideration the remaining schedule for these teams, I'd put the Jets up in the top 5. They've already beaten two of the remaining 5 teams they face ... and only the Broncs and Bills have outside chances of knocking em down.

Tampa is definately a better team than Carolina, and their schedule is easier.

Of course, I understand most people do rankings based solely on current records, sooooo ....

You can watch with me as Carolina is ousted from their #3 spot ... rather quickly.

11/24/08