Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Week 12 power rankings

Matt Ryan

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan reacts after throwing a touchdown pass in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Atlanta, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

AP

The No. 1 team in our weekly power poll keeps winning, so we continue to put them at the top of the heap.

The winner of next Monday’s game may be able to make a case for leapfrogging the three-week champion, however.

Until then, feel free to complain that we put the team you love too low, or that we put the team you hate too high.

1. Atlanta Falcons (No. 1; 9-2): Coach Mike Smith apparently didn’t want to find out whether losing to the Packers automatically results in getting fired the next day.

2. New York Jets (No.2; 9-2): Who do the Jets play next week? I haven’t heard.

3. New England Patriots (No. 3; 9-2): Who do the Patriots play next week? I haven’t heard.

4. Baltimore Ravens (No. 4; 8-3): With James Harrison attacking Joe Flacco from his blind side, Flacco should change his number from 5 to $100,000.

5. New Orleans Saints (No. 7; 8-3): Maybe the Saints are better off without Reggie Bush playing.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 8; 8-3): If God didn’t hate Steve Johnson, there’s a good chance the Steelers would miss the playoffs.

7. Chicago Bears (No. 11; 8-3): If Rod Marinelli continues to beef up the Chicago defense, the Lions might hire him to be their head coach again.

8. Green Bay Packers (No. 5; 7-4): The Pack may have peaked too soon.

9. Kansas City Chiefs (No. 12; 7-4): When Dwayne Bowe is in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl, the only thing he’ll be “importing” to his hotel room is pineapple.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (No. 6; 7-4): Hopefully, none of the AP voters have already sent in their MVP ballots.

11. San Diego Chargers (No. 14; 6-5): True to form, the slow-starting Chargers will get hot enough to lose in the playoffs.

12. New York Giants (No. 9; 7-4): Apparently, the Giants play better after they’re continuously booed.

13. Miami Dolphins (No. 16; 6-5): This team is more up-and-down than a high-speed elevator in a Dubai skyscraper.

14. Indianapolis Colts (No. 10; 6-5): Against the Chargers, quarterback Peyton Manning was flinching more than Shakey the Moyel.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 13; 7-4): The Bucs simply aren’t ready to play with the best teams in the league.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 15; 6-5): In first place after 12 weeks, the Jaguars have nothing to be ashamed of, but no one reasonably expects them to make it to the playoffs.

17. St. Louis Rams (No. 21; 5-6): With one more win, the Rams will match their total for the past three seasons combined.

18. Oakland Raiders (No. 17; 5-6): Why didn’t the Raiders get more respect when they were winning three in a row? The answer lies in the last two games.

19. Cleveland Browns (No. 19; 4-7): Narrowly holding off the Panthers should have a separate category in the standings.

20. Houston Texans (No. 24; 5-6): Moving receiver Andre Johnson to the Texans’ defense instantly would make it a lot tougher.

21. Seattle Seahawks (No. 20; 5-6): Seahawks coach Pete Carroll suddenly prefers a playoff system to the play-a-bunch-of-creampuffs-then-play-for-the-title approach. Especially since he now coaches one of the creampuffs.

22. Minnesota Vikings (No. 28; 4-7): Maybe Brett Favre’s sinus infection neutralized his pneumonia.

23. Washington Redskins (No. 22; 5-6): At least they won’t have to make room for a fourth Super Bowl trophy in the next few years.

24. Tennessee Titans (No. 18; 5-6): The Pats are now 6-1 since trading Randy Moss, and Randy is 1-6.

25. San Francisco 49ers (No. 26; 4-7): If we forget about the records, the NFC West race looks pretty good.

26. Dallas Cowboys (No. 23; 3-8): If Jerry Jones had changed coaches sooner, the Cowboys might still be alive.

27. Buffalo Bills (No. 25; 2-9): As if the six Super Bowls didn’t already prove it, Steve Johnson found out that God is a Steelers fan.

28. Denver Broncos (No. 27; 3-8): The league didn’t take draft picks from the Broncos for Spygate II because the league knows the Broncos will screw them up anyway.

29. Arizona Cardinals (No. 29; 3-7): It took a few years, but folks who go to Arizona home games will soon enjoy shorter lines for food, less congested restrooms, and plenty of space to stretch out in their seats.

30. Detroit Lions (No. 30; 2-9): With seven straight losses on Thanksgiving, why do the Lions even want to continue to host a game on the fourth Thursday in November?

31. Cincinnati Bengals (No. 31; 2-9): Pretty soon, Bengals games will generate ratings even lower than The T.Ocho Show.

32. Carolina Panthers (No. 32; 1-10): Hey, at least they won’t have to worry about any of their games being flexed this year.