Nickel City Power Rankings: Week 12

Week 11 is complete. Things have started to stabilize a little bit more. We’re starting to fully understand What these teams are. Then again, there are some basement dwellers that have won a couple straight (Dolphins) and some perennial favorites that are ready to be buried (Chiefs). So what do we really know? Let’s hash it out!

1.  Los Angeles Rams (8-2) (Last Week: 1) – This is the most impressive team in the league, bar none. The fact that they aren’t the unanimous favorite amongst all platforms is flat out wrong.

2.  Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) (Last Week: 2) – At least to me, they’re solidly the number two team in the league. Nothing they do is super impressive. But they keep making games ugly and then winning them.

3.  New England Patriots (9-2) (Last Week: 5) – They deserve the jump. Winners of eight straight. Drake Maye is an MVP candidate. I’m just waiting (or hoping) for the bubble to burst.

4.  Indianapolis Colts (8-2) (Last Week: 3) – They didn’t do anything wrong in their bye week to deserve the drop. The Patriots are just the flavor of the week.

5.   Denver Broncos (9-2) (Last Week: 7) – They’re atop the AFC. I don’t think their way of winning is completely sustainable, but they are a great team. They deserve top five.

6.  Seattle Seahawks (7-3) (Last Week: 4) – Dropping them a little bit. Only because they lost, but it was to the best team in the league. So I can’t really hold that against them.

7.  Buffalo Bills (7-3) (Last Week: 9) – The Bills opened up their offense. They need to keep playing with that kind of reckless abandon. If they do, they should keep moving up this board.

8.  Green Bay Packers (6-3-1) (Last Week: 12) – They won against the Giants in not very convincing fashion. But so many more teams are a lot more underwhelming than them.

9.  Detroit Lions (6-4) (Last Week: 6) – How is this team with this amount of talent 6-4? Turns out the loss of Ben Johnson was bigger than anticipated.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) (Last Week: 8) – This team is extremely injured. And when they get healthy, I could see them as a serious Super Bowl contender.  

11. Chicago Bears (7-3) (Last Week: 13) – It hasn’t been the most impressive 7-3. But 7-3 is 7-3. And I don’t think the league is ready for the Bears to be good again.

12. San Francisco 49ers (7-4) (Last Week: 14) – Kyle Shanahan always has his team in the running, regardless of who the quarterback is. And Brock Purdy is back now.

13  Kansas City Chiefs (5-5) (Last Week: 11) – It brings me so much joy to push them down this far. And I know I’m supposed to root for them against the Colts – I don’t think my body will physically allow me to. I want the Colts to bury them.

14. Baltimore Ravens (5-5) (Last Week: 16) – They’re coming back. The Steelers are in their sights. Just as expected. They would’ve been higher if not for an ugly win against the lowly Browns.

15. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) (Last Week: 17) – What an impressive win against the Chargers. They’ll lose a stupid one soon to make up for it though.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) (Last Week: 15) – They have to just be staring at their rearview mirror waiting for the Ravens to catch them. Especially now that Rodgers is hurt. Scary times.

17. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) (Last Week: 10) – Chargers gonna Charger. What a rough loss to the Jaguars. After all, can’t make it too hard on the Chiefs, right?

18. Houston Texans (5-5) (Last Week: 18) – A dogfight win against the Titans. Their defense is the one thing that’s keeping them in games. And it’s good enough to beat anyone in the league. Including the Bills.

19. Carolina Panthers (6-5) (Last Week: 19) – A three point win this week against the Falcons is unfortunately not enough to get me to move them out of this spot.

20. Minnesota Vikings (4-6) (Last Week: 20) – Can anybody else play quarterback? It doesn’t feel like a stretch to think this is a competitive team with literally anybody else.

21. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1) (Last Week: 21) – Even after a dominant win over the Raiders, it’s not enough to get me to move them. Get a defense and then we’ll talk.

22. Miami Dolphins (4-7) (Last Week: 26) – I know they only beat the Commanders this week, and it was only by three points, but two straight, and at least one of them was impressive.

23. Arizona Cardinals (3-7) (Last Week: 22) – Getting blown out always results in you dropping spots. I just can’t put them below any of the teams that are frequenting this area of the list.

24. Atlanta Falcons (3-7) (Last Week: 23) – Every game that they play is close. They just can’t seem to win any of them. Especially now that Penix is out for the rest of the year.

25. Cincinnati Bengals (3-7) (Last Week: 24) – They need Joe Burrow back so bad. And they’re going to get it. But is there a point? It’s far too late to make any kind of a run.

26. Washington Commanders (3-8) (Last Week: 25) – They lost to the Dolphins. Not that I, a Bills fan, can talk. But still. They lost to the Dolphins - who only scored 16 points.

27. New York Giants (2-9) (Last Week: 27) – Winston is always a fun watch. But 2-9 is 2-9 and seeing them win a game the rest of the way will be a surprise.

28. New Orleans Saints (2-9) (Last Week: 28) – They continue to lose. They’re going to continue to lose. And they need a real life quarterback in the worst way.

29. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) (Last Week: 30) – They lost to the Cowboys. But they still looked better than the Jets. So they get to move up a spot.

30. Cleveland Browns (2-8) (Last Week: 31) – They lost to the Ravens. But they still looked better than the Jets. So they get to move up a spot.

31. New York Jets (2-8) (Last Week: 29) – They lost to the Patriots. And Justin Fields looked so incompetent that they’re moving to Tyrod Taylor. But they’re not the Titans. So 31 it is.

32. Tennessee Titans (1-9) (Last Week: 32) – They are the Titans.