2012 TD NFL Power Rankings: Week 12
If you’re thankful for nothing else, be thankful for the powers that be scheduling three NFL games on Thanksgiving Day. Just don’t thank anyone for the Monday night matchup this week, which features our No. 25 and 28 teams in the Week 12 rankings (Panthers-Eagles).
This week, the Redskins, Bengals and Bucs are moving on up, while the Raiders, Rams, Steelers and yes, Philly, are falling.
Be sure to check out the TD Power Rankings archive here to follow your team’s progress (or not) throughout the season. For now, here are the official Week 8 TD Power Rankings:
Note: Numbers in parentheses next to a team’s Week 11 rank represent their ranking last week.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | ANALYSIS |
| 1 (1) |  | 9-1 | The Texans were bound for an off night. But with the way they clawed back and delivered the deathblow to the Jags in OT, behind a brilliant 48-yard screen pass to Andre Johnson FTW, this team showed once again why they’re still No. 1. —Maurice Bobb |
| 2 (5) |  | 7-3 | New England may have gotten another win, but they lose Gronk for the next few games with a broken forearm. With a three-game lead in the division, there’s no reason to hit the panic button quite yet. —Dan Chiavetta |
| 3 (3) |  | 9-1 | The first quarterback to win a game in which he’s thrown five interceptions is Matt Ryan. The season MVP will no longer be Matt Ryan. —Danny Moran |
| 4 (4) |  | 7-3 | We have truly only seen one complete game by this team—when they beat New Orleans. They continue to win in spite of their miscues. But it is the defense that has become borderline “special.” —Cub Buenning |
| 5 (6) |  | 7-3 | Aaron Rodgers was slowed down by Detroit, but Green Bay still got a W. They don’t seem beatable anymore. —Leo Sepkowitz |
| 6 (7) |  | 7-2-1 | They’re right back in the best-of-the-NFC conversation. That happened while Colin Kaepernick might have created a QB controversy in San Francisco. —Sam Good |
| 7 (8) |  | 8-2 | Without the help of their offense, the Ravens scraped past the Steelers. They get a weekend respite in Southern California before going back to trying to move the ball against the Pittsburgh. —Brett Weisband |
| 8 (9) |  | 6-4 | Seahawks have struggled away from CenturyLink Field, and they find themselves on the road for two straight weeks coming off the bye. —SG |
| 9 (10) |  | 6-4 | A win against Green Bay Sunday night would do a lot for a team on the verge of a collapse. —Peter Walsh |
| 10 (5) |  | 7-3 | The Bears looked awful with Jason Campbell at the helm, so Jay Cutler better come back healthy… Fast. —LS |
| 11 (11) |  | 5-5 | As impressive as the Saints’ turnaround has been, their next four games are against plus-.500 teams. Don’t bank on a run to the playoffs. —DM |
| 12 (14) |  | 6-4 | The Vikings were off this week. It’ll be interesting to see if Adrian Peterson can led a group of overachievers into the playoffs. —LS |
| 13 (13) |  | 5-5 | Sitting at 5-5, they have the schedule to make a run for the NFC East crown. —PW |
| 14 (16) |  | 5-5 | Death, taxes and AJ Green catching a touchdown pass. —BW |
| 15 (17) |  | 6-4 | Imagine how scary this team would be if they had the LeGarrette Blount of two years ago in order to make a one-two punch with Doug Martin. —DM |
| 16 (15) |  | 6-4 | Even with the added motivation of Coach Chuck Pagano, the Colts were no match for the Patriots’ high octane offense. 59 points? That’s almost a basketball score. But don’t count Indy out just yet. They’ve earned the right for wild-card consideration. —MB |
| 17 (12) |  | 6-4 | Pretty clear now why Ben Roethlisberger has played through so many injuries over the years—the Steelers have no other signal callers capable of stepping up when he’s on the sidelines. —BW |
| 18 (18) |  | 4-6 | Were completely inept for the first 43 minutes in Denver. Offense has become stagnant and completely reliant on an error-prone Philip Rivers. REBUILDING TIME! —SG |
| 19 (19) |  | 4-6 | Detroit allowed the Packers to come back and beat them in the fourth quarter on Sunday. The Lions season may be over. —LS |
| 20 (27) |  | 4-6 | Amazingly, are in prime position to make a run at the Playoffs with their next two games against the Cowboys and Giants. As long as RGIII keeps playing at a high level, they have a chance. —PW |
| 21 (20) |  | 4-6 | The Fish’s playoff aspirations may be fried after a divisional loss to Buffalo. —DC |
| 22 (23) |  | 4-6 | The Titans are coming off a bye week, with plenty of rah rah rah from Coach Mike Munchak. It’s still a long shot for a playoff berth, but with the way Chris Johnson has been playing of late—averaging 5 ypc—this team is worth watching again. —MB |
| 23 (24) |  | 4-6 | Buffalo rode CJ to victory versus Miami, but can they get a repeat performance out of him in Indy this weekend? —DC |
| 24 (21) |  | 4-6 | The defense forced six turnovers Sunday, four on the Falcons’ side of the field, but the offense was just that bad. —SG |
| 25 (22) |  | 3-7 | LeSean McCoy injury only adds insult to an already horrible season. Only saving grace is that they may be able to spoil a few playoff hopes. —PW |
| 26 (29) |  | 4-6 | New York came out hot and finished strong in a must win game in St. Louis. Whether or not they can keep it going against the Patriots will be the real challenge. —DC |
| 27 (25) |  | 3-6-1 | How do you tie the 49ers in San Francisco then follow it up with a bad home loss to the Jets? —SG |
| 28 (26) |  | 2-8 | The Panthers once had company at the bottom of the NFC South. The streaking Bucs and Saints have emphasized how disastrous Carolina’s 2012 has been. —DM |
| 29 (30) |  | 2-8 | Despite having only two wins, Cleveland has hung tough in just about every game this season. That’s a real positive sign for a team that had no chance of contending from day one. —BW |
| 30 (28) |  | 3-7 | One late-first quarter Pick-6 was the real difference in their loss to New Orleans. Palmer is moving the offense, but just not cashing in drives with enough touchdowns. And the defense is giving up too many of them. —CB |
| 31 (31) |  | 1-9 | The good news is the Jags can now rely on Chad Henne. The bad news is they have to rely on Chad Henne. There are bright spots in Cecil Shorts and Justin Blackmon, but even though they almost upset the Texans, they’re still bad as ever. —MB |
| 32 (32) |  | 1-9 | An expected result against a very underrated Bengals team. The Chiefs are still just not dynamic enough at the key positions. No big play potential. —CB |
