2013 Week Twelve NFL Power Rankings

By: Matt Harmon

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9)

• The Jaguars fell back to earth with another loss. However, they still remain comfortably in the lead to land the number one pick, which means they can land their future franchise quarterback without that embarrassing zero in the win column. 
  

31. Atlanta Falcons (2-8)

• The Falcons’ ownership is standing firmly behind Mike Smith and Thomas Dimitroff, for now. It is hard to imagine either of these guys getting the axe after such a successful run; however, a fall off of this magnitude is alarming. These two will likely be able to survive under the veil of the injury bug that has bit this team. Future aside, after losing to the Bucs, the Falcons are firmly entrenched as the second worst team in the league. 
  

30. Minnesota Vikings (2-8)

• The Vikings quarterback carousel keeps moving on. Who knows what is happening at that position? The team put Matt Cassel in late in the Seahawks game, which serves practically no purpose, and seems petrified of putting Josh Freeman back out there after he completely fell on his face when they rushed him out in the Giants game. 
  

29. Washington Redskins (3-7)

• The Redskins are another team that has plenty of built in excuses for their step back this season, and should not for a second consider a change at the top of this organization. This season is lost for the Redskins, but if they play things correctly this offseason, do not be surprised if they come back strong in 2014. 
  

28. Houston Texans (2-8)

• Gary Kubiak has lost this team. His desperate, foolish attempt to try to snag a win by putting in Matt Schuab during the second half of the Raiders loss was embarrassing, and his team knew it. Now the best player in franchise history, Andre Johnson, is leaving the field before games end, and responding to questions about his future with the team with statements like “I’m under contract”. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of positivity. 
  

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-8)

• If the Bucs keep playing this tough, and win a few more games, Greg Schiano might actually beat the odds and keep his job. That was pretty inconceivable a few weeks ago, but with his rookie quarterback playing at a passable level and the team certainly not packing it in, he may have built up enough cushion. Whether that is good or bad for the long term well being of this organization remains to be seen. 
  

26. Oakland Raiders (4-6)

• Matt McGloin is the latest backup quarterback to come in and perform admirably. McGloin may have realistically done enough to earn the starting gig for the rest of the season. With Terrelle Pryor being both ineffective and injured of late, there is no reason not to leave Pryor on the shelf for a bit and see if McGloin runs with the opportunity.  
  

25. Buffalo Bills (4-7)

• The Bills are fresh off of pummeling the Jets, and actually have a chance to go on a mini run here with a soft second half of the season schedule. The key for them is to see if E.J. Manuel can finish the season on a high note. The way he cut the strong Buffalo wins had to be encouraging for them. 
  

24. St. Louis Rams (4-6)

• The Rams are coming off their bye week and looking to play spoiler in the NFC playoff race. Even with a solid roster, that is about all they have left to play for after their slow start. 
  

23. Miami Dolphins (5-5)

• So are the Dolphins imploding in the face of outside pressure, or coming together in the face of adversity? Are Joe Philbin and the players bad guys, or are they just trying to do their job under unfair scrutiny? It is hard to tell when people want to change the narrative each week. The Dolphins situation is just more proof that winning is all that matters, and cures everything, in this league. 
  

22. New York Giants (4-6)

• The Giants won pretty convincingly against the Scott Tolzien led Packers. Then again, they beat the Scott Tolzien led Packers. The Giants are in too big of a hole to be anything but a thorn in the side for other teams in the NFC. Barring a major turn of events, this team is not a factor. 
  

21. Baltimore Ravens (4-6)

• Ray Rice had his best statistical game, even if he still looked a step slow, on Sunday. With an 8-8 AFC team very likely to grab the sixth seed the Ravens are not cooked if the can get Rice to run like that every week.
  

20. Cleveland Browns (4-6)

• Jason Campbell struggled under pressure? You don’t say. Campbell is probably coming back to earth after two solid games before the bye, and is merely a caretaker to get this team to the end of the season. 
  

19. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-6)

• If the Steelers sneak into the playoffs, is that really good for the long-term health of this franchise? If the Steelers think they are just another retooling offseason from becoming an elite team in the AFC again, they are kidding themselves. This team might need a fall flat on its face season to accurately reassess how far away they are from another Super Bowl win, and make the necessary changes. 
  

18. Tennessee Titans (4-6)

• The Titans are settling down to where they should have been all along in these rankings; somewhere right in the middle of the pack. They are one of the many teams with a small chance to sneak into the playoffs, but after their collapse on Thursday Night Football, it is hard to trust them. 
  

17. San Diego Chargers (4-6)

• You could basically cut and paste portions of what was just said about teams 18-21 and apply any of it too the Chargers. That is how inconsistent and streaky this team is. Of all the teams subpar teams competing in the AFC, their quarterback has been playing the best, and that could be the edge they need. 
  

16. New York Jets (5-5)

• Oh the Jets. You would like to think this is the beginning of the end for them as a serious contender for the sixth seed, but we have tried to stick a fork in them several times now only for them to win the following week. They still control their destiny to get in, but that does not mean you should trust them. 
  

15. Dallas Cowboys (5-5)

• The Cowboys needed a bye week so they could get healthy on both sides of the ball. It is going to be awfully tough to keep pace with the Eagles when one of your three best defensive players, Sean Lee, is out and your best offensive player, Dez Bryant, is not one-hundred percent. 
  

14. Green Bay Packers (5-5)

• The Packers are continuing to drop with a lot of the flaws on this team becoming exposed with Scott Tolzien at the helm. It is as simple as this: the Packers can only hope to hang on long enough for superman to come and save them. Superman obviously being Aaron Rodgers in this scenario.
  

13. Arizona Cardinals (6-4)

• The Cardinals actually got a turnover free game from Carson Palmer! What is this 2005? Granted that game was against the Jaguars, but the sample at least showed you how good this team can be if they can get mistake free play from their signal caller.
  

12. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)

• The Bengals are well on their way to their third straight playoff berth, followed by their third straight first round playoff loss. Seriously, is there any doubt this team will not follow the same path it has the last two seasons under Andy Dalton? Despite some nice additions, nothing has changed with the Bengals. 
  

11. Philadelphia Eagles (6-5)

• The Eagles are winning on both sides of the ball right now, and look to be rounding into form. If they sustain this level of play, the NFC East representative in the postseason may not just be a laughing stock. The Eagles might be a legitimate contender. 
  

10. San Francisco 49ers (6-4)

• The 49ers are in danger of falling to the back of the pack in the NFC playoff race. The 49ers offense cannot score points right now, and do not have the personnel to do too much more than slam Frank Gore into the heart of the defense. It hard to imagine them going anywhere in the postseason even if they do get into the dance. 
  

9. Indianapolis Colts (7-3)

• The Colts certainly have some shortcomings, but Andrew Luck gives them a chance to win every week. After disposing of the Titans on Thursday, and with the Texans in crisis mode, the Colts are going to walk away with this division no matter what. It will be up to Luck to pull out some heroics in January. 
  

8. Chicago Bears (6-4)

• The Bears look capable of staying in the hunt no mater who is at quarterback. That offense will always be viable, but the defense has to be a concern. Injuries have ravaged them, and they were not exactly playing well to begin with. Julius Peppers collected a couple of sacks on Sunday, and they need more performances like that from him to cover up the other holes in this unit.
  

7. Detroit Lions (6-4)

• The Lions squandered the perfect opportunity to take a commanding lead in their division. Inconsistency and silly mistakes once again caused them to fall short of their potential. The Lions secondary is also being taken advantage of to an alarming degree, and is clearly their Achilles heel. 
  

6. New England Patriots (7-3)

• If you have come to this page looking for something about “the call” allow me to redirect you. Now, back to football. Second year defensive end, Chandler Jones, is the best pass rusher that no one talks about. Already the owner of ten and a half sacks this season, Jones is still a mere puppy, and can be inconsistent at times, but last night he flashed his true potential. Jones was clearly the only one athletic enough on the Patriots defensive front to keep up with Cam Newton, and made several stops on him. However, you just knew if and when Cam would beat Jones in the pocket, he was gone. 
  

5. Carolina Panthers (7-3)

• If you have come to this page looking for something about “the call” allow me to redirect you. Now, back to football. Never would any of us have imagined the Panthers would be cracking the top five in any power rankings just a few months ago, but here they are. The Panthers have two winnable games coming up before they have to take on the Saints two times in three weeks. The Panthers are set up to go on a big run here, and could grab a home playoff game before all is said and done. 
  

4. New Orleans Saints (8-2)

• The Saints did not play their best, but still got a win. Think about what the score would have been if Lance Moore did not muff a punt, Brees did not throw a bad interception, and Corey White did not fumble an interception into the 49ers end zone right before he was going to score. Those three things do not happen often, and if they did not happen Sunday, the Saints would have blown out the 49ers. 
  

3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)

• The Chiefs showed enough on Sunday to hold strong to the third spot. If Alex Smith had gotten a little more help from his pass catchers, that game would have been much closer. Of course, the Chiefs showed some flaws on Sunday night, but those were already well known. To say the Broncos exposed them as frauds is a ridiculous notion. Lets see what they do in the coming weeks. 
  

2. Seattle Seahawks (10-1)

• The Seahawks were always just lying in wait to bust out an explosive offense. This team looks capable of beating anyone on any given day, and despite the overblown notion of their supposed road struggles, they have a transportable formula.
  

1.    Denver Broncos (9-1)

• The Broncos established themselves as the class of the AFC with their win over the Chiefs, but the tests are just beginning for this team. Next week they face off against a salty New England squad, and then have to travel to the raucous Arrowhead Stadium in a rematch with the Chiefs. We will certainly learn a lot more about who this team is, and where they are going, after these next two weeks. 

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