NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Heavyweight battle of Eagles-Chiefs shakes things up
By Grant Tuttle
You know a list of the NFL Power Rankings is going to shake out quite differently in a week in which the top two teams take each other on. That's how delicious the schedule was for the NFL in Week 11, as the Philadelphia Eagles went into Arrowhead Stadium and stole a close victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football to close another surprising week of games.
This week brought several key injuries and some shocking results, which means we've got changes from top to bottom in our Week 12 NFL Power Rankings.
Let's check out how the teams sort themselves out:
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
Last Week: 1 (-)
The Eagles got their revenge over the Chiefs in a tight matchup on Monday night. Just one play could have changed it all, but hats off to the Eagles. They are unquestionably the best team in the NFL at this point in time. The defense is very good, and that rushing attack is great. It's the Eagles' spot to lose at the top of the NFC.
2. San Francisco 49ers (7-3)
Last week: 5 (+3)
The 49ers are looking more like the version of themselves that we saw at the beginning of the year. They are executing at a high level and not making silly mistakes. Further, their defense looks as good as it has all season. The addition of Chase Young to an already talented front could be the move that pushes them into the number one seed discussion by the end of the season.
3. Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
Last Week: 3 (-)
Dallas keeps on winning. While this week it was against the NFL's worst team, the Carolina Panthers, they found different ways to get it done. It is unclear whether they are going to be able to hold up against tougher competition, but as long as Dallas keeps blowing out bad teams, we have to consider them a real threat in the NFC.
4. Baltimore Ravens (8-3)
Last Week: 4 (-)
There's some good news and some bad news. The good news is, barring some kind of collapse, the Ravens are in an excellent position to win their division. The bad news is that the Ravens lost their best offensive player outside of Lamar Jackson for the season. Mark Andrews is a bigger loss than some think. As the security blanket and red zone threat, the Ravens will have a lot of patchwork to do in the coming days.
5. Kansas City Chiefs (7-3)
Last Week: 2 (-3)
A tough loss that included 5 drops. While the Chiefs could have won with just a few big plays down the stretch, they fell short. They are not playing as well offensively as the fanbase has come to expect. Right now, this team is reminiscent of a Marty Schottenheimer team that has a great defense and mediocre offense. This could all change, but for now, that's where we are.
6. Detroit Lions (8-2)
Last Week: 6 (-)
By the grace of the football gods, the Lions defeated the Bears on Sunday. In a game that featured three (uncharacteristic) interceptions thrown by Jared Goff, the Bears fell apart at the end of the game and allowed the Lions to will themselves to yet another victory. Hopefully, Detroit plays a better game next week because the Packers are good enough to win a game like that one.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3)
Last Week: 8 (+1)
The Jaguars, fresh off of an embarrassing loss to the San Francisco 49ers, made an embarrassment of the Titans. While I don't necessarily think that this was a shock, the dominance from Calvin Ridley showcased that this offense has another gear to it. Jacksonville is still one of the AFC's best overall teams.
8. Miami Dolphins (7-3)
Last Week: 7 (-1)
The Dolphins found themselves in a dogfight with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders have played better in recent weeks, but I think this win says more about the Dolphins than the Raiders at this point. After suffering defeat to the Chiefs, are they going to be able to hold strong in their playoff positioning? Probably. But it should be an interesting couple of weeks in Miami.