NFL Power Rankings (Week 12): Colts, Saints, Vikings Win; Chargers Surge

The NFL Power Rankings for Week 12 in the major power rankings lists -- ESPN, Fox Sports, and CBS -- again see the Top 3 unchanged, and the No. 4 team last week's No. 5 in all lists. CBS remains the lone holdout for the Colts at No. 1, with the New Orleans Saints at No. 1 in the Fox Sports and CBS NFL power rankings lists during Week 12. The Indianapolis Colts rest at No. 2 in the latter two lists as New Orleans takes second in the CBS list. Minnesota and New England are the universal #3 and #4 teams in Week 12. It is at #5 that the NFL power rankings lists start significantly diverging, with Fox Sports' NFL power rankings more divergent by far.

ESPN and CBS' NFL power rankings for Week 12 contain the same Top 10 teams. Strangely enough, if one took the remaining bottom six teams of the Top 10 and pair them, then flip their positions, that would be each particular teams position in the other list. For example, the Dallas Cowboys hold the No. 5 position on the CBS rankings list (even though they just barely defeated the lowly Redskins) and the No. 8 position in the ESPN list. The Arizona Cardinals hold those same positions, just in opposite lists. The Bengals and Chargers are No. 6 and No. 7, respectively, on the CBS list. Flip them and you have their positions on the ESPN NFL power rankings. The Eagles and Steelers round out the Top Ten at numbers 9 and 10 on the CBS list and just the opposite on the ESPN list for Week 12.

But it is Fox Sports that goes out on a limb in Week 12 to include two teams whose records indicate they may not belong. Fox Sports placed the Baltimore Ravens at #8 and the Denver Broncos at #9 (neither team places higher than #12 in the other lists), seeing something in the teams that apparently is being missed by other list-makers. Fox Sports also places the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 5, higher than the other two lists. The Chargers are at No. 6, where Fox Sports finds itself in agreement with ESPN. The Pittsburgh Steelers are at No. 7, again ranked higher than in the other two NFL power rankings lists. At #10 rests the Dallas Cowboys, lower than on the other two lists.

The shocker of the week came out of Oakland, where the lowly Raiders edged out the Bengals by three points. After beating tough intra-division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh, dropping a game to the Raiders seemed like a joke, but the joke was on Cincinnati as Oakland won its third game of the year.

Indianapolis remained undefeated, capitalizing on Baltimore Ravens mistakes. They escaped winners, by two points. The Colts have won six games this season by four points or less. But they're winning...

The NFL's only other undefeated team, the New Orleans Saints, crushed Tampa Bay, 38-7, to stay unbeaten. The Saints' hard-charging offense has scored 30-plus points in seven games, 35 or more in six, and 45 or more in four.

Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings continued their winning ways in Week 12 as well. They jumped all over Seattle, 35-9. Minnesota enjoys the second best record in the NFL (9-1), having lost two less games than their nearest competitor.

The Denver Broncos continued their slide, losing their fourth game in a row. The San Diego Chargers seemed to have become rejuvenated, trouncing the Broncos 32-3. Their win also placed them in sole possession of first place of their division, having one less loss than the Broncos.

The biggest gains in the lists were made by San Diego, the Giants, and Tennessee (Fox Sports), moving up three spots to #6, #15, and #18, respectively; the New York Giants (ESPN), jumping five spaces to #11; and the Miami Dolphins (CBS), who climbed five positions to #16. The biggest slides were committed by Atlanta, Houston, and Carolina (Fox Sports), dropping three positions to #16, #19, ad #20, respectively; Houston, which fell five spaces (ESPN) to No. 18; and Houston (CBS), falling five spots to No. 18.

The one match-up everyone is eye-balling for the upcoming week is the Monday night football game between the New England Patriots and the undefeated New Orleans Saints. Most other games are mediocre contests where the better teams should be able to pad their records going into the final third of the season. One game of note, however, exists in the intra-division match-up between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cincinnati's loss Sunday kept them a game above Pittsburgh (who also lost). Baltimore's loss kept them two games back of the Bengals. A win by Baltimore may get them within striking distance of winning the division by season's end. A win by Pittsburgh will all but kill the Ravens' hopes of making the playoffs and, depending upon what the Bengals do against Cleveland, would keep them within a game should Cincinnati win or secure them a tie for the division lead should Cincinnati lose.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 12)

ESPN NFL Power Rankings (Week 12)

1. (1) New Orleans Saints
2. (2) Indianapolis Colts
3. (3) Minnesota Vikings
4. (5) New England Patriots
5. (7) Arizona Cardinals
6. (8) San Diego Chargers
7. (4) Cincinnati Bengals
8. (10) Dallas Cowboys
9. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers
10. (12) Philadelphia Eagles

Fox Sports NFL Power Rankings (Week 12)

1. (1) New Orleans Saints
2. (2) Indianapolis Colts
3. (3) Minnesota Vikings
4. (5) New England Patriots
5. (4) Cincinnati Bengals
6. (9) San Diego Chargers
7. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers
8. (7) Baltimore Ravens
9. (8) Denver Broncos
10. (10) Dallas Cowboys

CBS NFL Power Rankings (Week 12)

1. (1) New Orleans Saints
2. (2) Indianapolis Colts
3. (3) Minnesota Vikings
4. (5) New England Patriots
5. (7) Dallas Cowboys
6. (4) Cincinnati Bengals
7. (9) San Diego Chargers
8. (10) Arizona Cardinals
9. (11) Philadelphia Eagles
10. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers

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Compare to NFL Power Rankings for Week 11.

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Sources:

ESPN.go.com
FoxSports.com
CBSSports.com