JACKSONVILLE – Here are senior writer John Oehser's Week 12 2016 NFL power rankings. And we all know how important these are:
Rank.Team (Rec) | Last week | Comment
1.Dallas Cowboys (9-1) | 1 | Rolling right along
2.Seattle Seahawks (7-2-1) | 2 | Can they win in Dallas? That question may decide NFC title
3.New England Patriots (8-2) | 3 | Looks like a big separation between Pats and rest of AFC
4.Oakland Raiders (8-2) | 4 | Leading the NFL's best division
5.Denver Broncos (7-3) | 5 | Always one of best on the bye week
6.Atlanta Falcons (6-4) | 7 | Another really good bye-week performance
7.Kansas City Chiefs (7-3) | 6 | Big loss at home to Tampa Bay could haunt them
8.New York Giants (7-3) | 8 | Has a five-game winning streak ever gone more unnoticed?
9.Washington Redskins (6-3-1) | 12 | In case you missed it, the 'Skins are good
10.Detroit Lions (6-4) | 10 | Took all the Jaguars gave them on Sunday – and were happy to do it
11.Houston Texans (6-4) | 9 | Still looking like AFC South favorites
- Miami Dolphins (6-4) | 13 | OK, maybe this five-game streak has been as overlooked as Giants
13.Minnesota Vikings (6-4) | 16 | With that defense, don't count them out
14.Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5) | 18 | Your first-place Pittsburgh Steelers
15.Philadelphia Eagles (5-5) | 11 | Starting to lose touch in a deep, competitive division
16.Arizona Cardinals (4-5-1) | 14 | Hanging on by a thread, but things starting to look bleak
17.Baltimore Ravens (5-5) | 15 | Your first-place Baltimore Ravens
18.Buffalo Bills (5-5) | 21 | If only they were in the AFC North; up next: Jaguars
19.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5) |23 | Impressive job by Koetter, Winston and Co.
20.Green Bay Packers (4-6) | 17 | Defense may be too banged up to bounce back
21.Indianapolis Colts (5-5) | 26 | Will the Colts be Luck-less Thursday?
22.Tennessee Titans (5-6) | 19 | Will need to make up ground in final five games
23.Carolina Panthers (4-6) | 27 | Clawing their way back
24.New Orleans Saints (4-6) | 20 | Close every week – but still in trouble for the postseason
25.Cincinnati Bengals (3-6-1) | 22| Nightmare season continues for a team that expected so much more
26.San Diego Chargers (4-6) | 24 | A long way to go in a very, very tough division
27.Los Angeles Rams (4-6) | 25 | So close and yet so far in Jared Goff debut
28.New York Jets (3-7) | 28 | Fitzy's back
29.Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8) | 29 | Finding ways to lose every week
30.Chicago Bears (2-8) | 30 | Season already long – and now Cutler's hurt again?
31.San Francisco 49ers (1-9) | 31 | Nine and counting
32.Cleveland Browns (0-11) | 32 | Eleven and counting
