NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

I'm going with a recap/power rankings hybrid this week. I'll recap why teams are moving up or down, but I won't waste your time with things that didn't matter. Here we go:

The Elite:
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. New England Patriots
4. Minnesota Vikings

This is a huge change from last week. The top 3 remain the same, but the big news came from Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. They lost to the Raiders and Chiefs, respectively. Not just lost against the spread, but lost the game out-right! I can't honestly say they are among the Elite teams anymore. You just can't lose to teams like that. The loss of Palamalu is just absolutely terrible for Pittsburgh. They are a completely different defense without him. Cincinnati was without Cedric Benson but still, you can't lose to the Raiders.

The other developement is that I can no longer keep Minnesota out of this group. Brett Favre continues to defy his age and track record. He's not throwing interceptions! Its crazy. They are beating the teams they should beat. They haven't laid an egg like the Steelers and Bengals just did. They belong here, behind the big 3.

The Contenders:
5. San Diego Chargers
6. Cincinnati Bengals
7. Arizona Cardinals
8. Dallas Cowboys
9. Green Bay Packers
10. Pittsburgh Steelers
11. Philadelphia Eagles
12. Baltimore Ravens
13. Tennessee Titans

Lots of movers here, the biggest being the aforementioned Steelers. I think they might be done depending on when Palamalu comes back. Its just such a crushing blow to this team. The Chargers move up a couple slots with their blow out of Denver. They are the team closest to moving into the Elite. They are just clicking right now at the right time. They talented enough to win a Super Bowl, lets see if they can avoid letting their coach tank them. The other important developement: Those Tennessee Titans, at 4-6, are contenders. Would you want to play this team right now? I know I wouldn't! Vince Young is playing fantastic and he's having fun, which is so important and great to see. Chris Johnson is the best running back in football right now. He could go for 2000 yards this season. It was once crazy, but they could legitimately go 10-6. They are just really good and they are fired up. They have total "nobody believed in us" status, they control the ball, and Vince is playing his game that is so hard to defend when he gets out of the pocket. Watch out, they are jumping every week.

The Texans drop out of the contenders and into the mid pack with their loss. The other teams move up and down based on their performance this week, but they are all generally the same as they were and still belong here.

The Mid Pack:
14. Miami Dolphins
15. Atlanta Falcons
16. Jacksonville Jaguars
17. Houston Texans
18. New York Giants
19. Denver Broncos
20. Carolina Panthers
21. San Fransisco 49ers
22. Chicago Bears
23. New York Jets

These teams pretty much lived up to their name. They were very middle of the road. Only two teams jumped 3 spots in this pack, the Giants and the Jaguars. I still don't like either of them, as they didn't look impressive and don't think either is close to being a contender, but they did actually win their games. I can't say that about anyone else in this list other than the best team in this group, Miami. Just a bunch of mediocre 4-6 to 6-4 squads. The Mid-Pack indeed.

The Awful:
24. Washington Redskins
25. Kansas City Chiefs
26. Oakland Raiders
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Seattle Seahawks
29. St. Louis Rams
30. Detroit Lions
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. Cleveland Browns

Washington almost beat Dallas, so they move up to the top of this list. Kansas City beat the Steelers, so they are right behind. That is also why Oakland moves up to 26 and they might actually be a mid-pack team with Bruce Gradkowski. Only time will tell. The rest remain in the dregs, with no hope of escaping even into the mediocre. Buffalo had a shot at beating Jacksonville, but let it slip away. Just like any awful team should.

That's it for me this week. If you have the chance to go see the Blind Side, definitely check it out. It was fantastic. Have a very happy Thanksgiving everybody!