Crowe - NFL Week #12 Power Rankings 2022: Patriots Thanksgiving Edition

Crowe - NFL Week #12 Power Rankings 2022: Patriots Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving to all. We’re thankful to you for joining us each and every week for our vaunted NFL Power Rankings. As we all try to enjoy the holiday with family, friends, and of course, a trio of football games, let’s share a handful of other things around the National Football League that we’re thankful for this season.

Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill – Although no longer teammates in Kansas City, both are thriving just nicely for the Chiefs and the Dolphins. Mahomes ranks first in the NFL in touchdown passes with 28 while leading KC to an 8-2 record. Hill is the league’s top pass catcher in Miami with 81 catches and 1148 receiving yards while leading a resurgence for the Dolphins.

Tom Brady’s resiliency – He may be 45 years old, having to deal with his high-profile divorce from supermodel and now ex-wife Gisele Bundchen, and his team struggling to only three wins through eight games, but all Tom Brady does is power through. The Bucs have now won two straight, sit atop the NFC South as Tampa Bay travels to Cleveland to face the Browns this Sunday. Brady hasn’t been spectacular but has tossed 12 touchdowns against only two interceptions. Don’t count TB out for another run through the NFC and a possible 8th Super Bowl championship. Right now, the Buccaneers would host the Cowboys, a team they beat in week one, in the Wild Card round

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Parity in the NFL – Through the first 11 weeks of the season, there’s been a record 125 games that have been within one score in the fourth quarter. Of those contests, 71 games have been decided by six points or less, equaling the mark in 2016. It truly creates a scenario in which each and every game is up for grabs which means more eyeballs on the product until the very end. All that spells good business for the NFL.

The Beasts of the Easts – Both the AFC and NFC East divisions have all four teams with winning records. In the AFC, the Bills, Dolphins, Jets, and Patriots would all make the playoffs if they started today. In the NFC, only the Commanders would miss out as the Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants would all be dancing into the postseason.

The Patriots winning record – Heading into Thursday night’s matchup in Minnesota, New England is 6-4, still in the playoff chase, and in sight of our very own power rankings. All that comes after a 10-3 victory over the Jets in which they needed a last-second Marcus Jones 84-yard punt return for a touchdown to win the game. Currently, I have the Pats in the 12th spot, just behind the Seahawks at number 11 and just barely outside our full top 10.

 

10. NY Giants (7-3, Last week ranked 5th)

Maybe I was more correct in week 10 when I left the Giants off our top 10. Last week, New York was back in and all they did was promptly lay an egg, losing at home 31-18 to the lowly Lions. Detroit has won three in a row, but when Saquon Barkley (15 carries, 22 yards) and the then-fourth-ranked rushing offense only manage 89 yards against the 31st-ranked rushing defense, that’s a problem. Of course, you knew it was going to be a bad day when kicker Graham Gano missed two extra points. Let’s see how the G-Men fare in Big D on Thanksgiving in a game that could speak volumes on how the rest of the season goes for boys in blue.

 

9. Tennessee Titans (7-3, Last week not ranked)

Here’s the problem with the Titans. They have seven wins and sit in first place comfortably in the AFC South with a three-game edge over the Colts. The issue is that they’ve beaten exactly one team, the Commanders, with a winning record. Now is that their fault? No. You can only play who’s in front of you and that’s what they did last Thursday night when they beat up on a bad Packers team in Green Bay, 27-17. Week 12 will be a tougher test, however, as the Cincinnati Bengals travel to Tennessee in what could be a possible playoff preview.

 

8. San Francisco 49ers (6-4, Last week 10th)

If the 49ers keep playing the way they’ve played the last three weeks, they’ll be climbing higher and higher each week. San Francisco, now winners of three straight, completely overwhelmed the Cardinals Monday night in Mexico City 38-10 with Jimmy Garoppolo tossing four touchdown passes. In those three victories over the Rams, Chargers, and Cardinals, the Niners have outscored their opponents 51-0. Now that’s closing things out in style. Of course, having weapons like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Elijah Mitchell will make things a bit easier on Jimmy G to get that done. So too will have the league’s number one defense, giving up just 283 yards per game.

 

7. Baltimore Ravens (7-3, Last week ranked 8th)

Coming off the bye week, the Ravens figured to have an easy matchup with the Panthers in week 11. Unfortunately for Baltimore, no one told Carolina. Thanks to a fourth-quarter Lamar Jackson rushing touchdown, though, the Ravens held on for 13-3 win. At this point in the season, a win is a win and that one makes four in a row for the AFC North leading Ravens.

 

6. Minnesota Vikings (8-2, Last week ranked 1st)

In just seven days, the Vikings went from feeling really good about their seven-game win streak after an overtime win in Buffalo to feeling pretty lousy about themselves due to a 40-3 thumbing at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. Thankfully, the Vikes won’t have to hang on to that bad taste in their collective mouths too long as they welcome the Patriots to Minnesota on Thanksgiving Night.

 

5. Buffalo Bills (7-3, Last week ranked 6th)

Neither six feet of snow, an unscheduled trip to Detroit, nor the Cleveland Browns could prevent the Bills from getting back in the win column after two straight losses. It took the Bills almost three quarters to get on track, but they did with a balanced run/pass attack, leading them to the 31-23 victory. Week 12 finds them right back in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day to face the Lions, something that’s not been good for Buffalo. The Bills have faced the Lions twice on the holiday and lost them both, 35-21 in 1994 and 27-14 in 1976.

 

4. Miami Dolphins (7-3, Last week ranked 4th)

No game in week 11 meant the Dolphins stayed in first place atop the AFC East. They now have to share that standing with the Bills at 7-3, just one game ahead of the Patriots and Jets in a division in which all four teams not only have a winning record, but would make the AFC playoffs if they started today, which they don’t. Miami hosts the 1-8-1 Texans Sunday which should play out to another comfortable victory for the Fins.

 

3. Dallas Cowboys (7-3, Last week ranked 7th)

Talk about a rebound. After a disappointing overtime loss in Lambeau Field to the woeful Packers in week 10, all the Cowboys did in week 11 was walk into Minnesota and rout the vaunted 8-1 Vikings, 40-3. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw a pair of touchdown passes and the Dallas defense sacked Kirk Cousins seven times in a game that even saw Cowboys kicker Brett Maher hit two 60-yard field goals after one was wiped out due to a booth review. The NFC East rival Giants come calling to Dallas on Turkey Day with the winner grabbing second place in the division.

 

2. Philadelphia Eagles (9-1, Last week ranked 3rd)

If not for a lackluster last-second victory in Indianapolis Sunday, the Eagles may have gained their top spot. Instead, they’re in the two-spot after having to ride Jalen Hurts’ 7-yard touchdown run to beat the Colts, 17-16 in the final minutes. Philly welcomes the Packers and Titans to town the next two weeks before a spicy showdown at the Giants in week 14.

 

1. Kansas City Chiefs (8-2, Last week ranked 2nd)

If it’s prime time, it must be time for a Chiefs’ comeback victory. Just as he did earlier this season against Tennessee, Patrick Mahomes rallied his team from a last-minute deficit to beat the Chargers Sunday night, 30-27 on his third touchdown pass to Travis Kelce. Even without wide receivers JuJu Schuster and Mecole Hardman due to concussion and abdomen injuries, the KC offense didn’t skip a beat in gaining its eighth win to keep them atop the AFC standings. The Chiefs try to complete the LA sweep Sunday when they host the defending Super Bowl champion Rams.

Games to watch week 12
Bills at Lions (Thursday 12:30 pm CBS) – Two games in Detroit in five days for the Bills.
Giants at Cowboys (Thursday 4:30 pm FOX) – Dallas goes for the sweep of the Giants.
Patriots at Vikings (Thursday 8:20 pm NBC) – First-ever Thanksgiving Day game in Minnesota.
Bengals at Titans (Sunday 1 pm CBS) – WR Ja’Marr Chase is close to a return for the Bengals.
Packers at Eagles (Sunday 8:20 pm NBC) – Eagles try to put an end to Packers’ playoff hopes.

Last week:
10. Seahawks/49ers
9. Jets
8. Ravens
7. Cowboys
6. Bills
5. Giants
4. Dolphins
3. Eagles
2. Chiefs
1. Vikings