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PowerRankignsWeek12
The ALLCITY NFL Power Rankings tiers were a success last week, so they are here to stay. We’ll just make a couple minor tweaks to make it more sustainable over the rest of the season.
With that in mind, we lost two Super Bowl contenders this past week – although things are always fluid in the NFL.
Here are thoughts on all 32 teams as we head into Week 12:
Super Bowl Contenders
While more teams can still join the party, these four teams still appear to have enough to make a run to Santa Clara.
1. Los Angeles Rams (1) (8-2) – The Rams passed a big test getting by a really good Seahawks defense.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (2) (8-2) – It’s been a while since we’ve heard so much negative noise from a team that keeps winning anyway. Are these the 1993 Dallas Cowboys?
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3. Buffalo Bills (6) (7-3) – Let’s hope Josh Allen’s bizarre chest pass interception was the last of his careless turnovers this season. If he takes care of the ball, the Bills are fine.
4. Detroit Lions (4) (6-4) – Vic Fangio is Jared Goff’s kryptonite. Winning the Super Bowl might mean avoiding Philadelphia.
More to Prove
These teams can’t be ruled out yet, but they have at least one major weakness and need to prove they are serious contenders.
5. Seattle Seahawks (5) (7-4) – I dropped the Seahawks to this tier for one simple reason: Sam Darnold threw four interceptions in a big game. After last season’s collapse with the Vikings, he still has to prove he can do it in big moments.
6. Denver Broncos (10) (9-2) – The Broncos get a big jump after beating the Chiefs, but I still need to see Bo Nix play more consistently over four quarters.
7. Indianapolis Colts (7) (8-2) – We’re going to learn a lot about the Colts this week at Arrowhead.
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8. New England Patriots (8) (9-2) – The Pats keep winning. They might even win the AFC East.
9. Kansas City Chiefs (3) (5-5) – It’s finally time to have a serious talk about the Chiefs – mainly because Patrick Mahomes isn’t playing that well.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9) (6-4) – Still shorthanded, the Bucs more than hung with the Bills in Buffalo.
11. Baltimore Ravens (11) (6-5) – The Ravens’ run is officially happening. Can they get back in the Super Bowl tier?
12. Chicago Bears (13) (7-3) – The Bears seemed doomed from a pass rush standpoint, but if they get Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon back soon, they could be playing their best football in December – as Ben Johnson promised.
13. Green Bay Packers (15) (6-3-1) – Are the Packers a bad good team or a good bad team?
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Fatally Flawed
These teams are terribly flawed on one side of the ball.
14. San Francisco 49ers (14) (7-4) – Brock Purdy’s return was needed, but it’s hard to see this defense giving the 49ers a realistic shot this year.
15. Jacksonville Jaguars (20) (6-4) – Ten wins are still on the table for the Jaguars with their remaining schedule.
16. Los Angeles Chargers (12) (7-4) – You can’t lose both starting tackles and not let it affect you. Unfortunately, it might derail the Chargers’ season.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (18) (6-4) – With the Bills and Ravens looming, this feels like a must-win for the Steelers in Chicago.
18. Houston Texans (17) (5-5) – Not getting C.J. Stroud back against the Bills is a huge blow.
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19. Minnesota Vikings (16) (4-6) – Let’s call it what it is: The quarterback is holding back a good team.
Clinging to (False) Hope
You can’t rule these teams out yet, but you also shouldn’t get too excited.
20. Carolina Panthers (21) (6-5) – It’s been a season of progress for the Panthers, but the rest of the schedule is pretty tough.
21. Dallas Cowboys (22) (4-5-1) – Is it weird that I find this team entertaining?
It’s Over
We can safely say none of these teams will make the playoffs and need to have hard conversations about the future.
22. Miami Dolphins (25) (4-7) – The Dolphins are the one team who might be able to fight their way back to .500, but it’s a little too late.
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23. Atlanta Falcons (19) (3-7) – With Michael Penix Jr. now out for the season, we can officially say it’s over for the weirdest team in the league this year.
24. Arizona Cardinals (23) (3-7) – We can officially say the Emari Demercado fumble ended the Cardinals’ season back in Week 5.
25. Cincinnati Bengals (24) (3-7) – If Joe Burrow comes back, I’ll happily watch.
26. Las Vegas Raiders (28) (2-8) – Maxx Crosby deserves to be on a contender.
27. Washington Commanders (29) (3-8) – The Commanders’ regression was easy to see coming, but this is even worse than imagined.
28. New York Giants (30) (2-9) – I expect Jaxson Dart and Mike Kafka to win a few more games this season.
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Race for No. 1
At this point, securing the No. 1 overall pick matters the most.
29. Cleveland Browns (27) (2-8) – Is Shadeur Sanders about to lead the tank to his successor?
30. New York Jets (26) (2-8) – Justin Fields got benched again, but this time the owner didn’t drive the bus over him.
31. New Orleans Saints (31) (2-8) – There are just enough winnable games on the schedule that the Saints might screw around and not get the No. 1 pick.
32. Tennessee Titans (32) (1-9) – I wonder how many people know Mike McCoy is the head coach of the Titans.
Adam Hoge is the ALLCITY NFL Analyst and covers the Chicago Bears for CHGO. You can email him at hoge@allchgo.com and follow him on X @adamhoge.
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