Week 12 NFL Power Rankings: Lions Continue Elite Offensive Firepower
Week 12 of the NFL kicks off with a classic AFC North rivalry for this week’s Thursday Night Football, a grudge match between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, who have opposing records at 2-8 and 8-2, respectively. But above them and everyone else, it’s still the Detroit Lions who remain kings of the NFL as they continue to pound opponents with a stunning 9-1 record. Might not have to worry about blowing another NFC Championship this time, huh? Here are the top 5 teams for Week 12.
1. Lions (9-1)
The silver and blue need no introduction. Gone are the days when the Lions were the league’s laughing stock, and the only benefit of being a Detroit fan was getting a yearly Thanksgiving game. Now this team is absolutely dangerous, with QB Jared Goff finding success ever since he left Southern California and the Rams behind, plus the dual-threat running back tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Even when either of those two is out, the one that still plays picks up the slack nicely, as evidenced by the Lions’ upset win over then-undefeated Minnesota back in Week 7.
This team is still unbeaten on the road, at 5-0, and is 2-0 against its equally super competitive NFC North siblings. Not many teams can stake such a claim, and Detroit is no ordinary team.
2. Bills (9-2)
Knocking off the NFL’s last undefeated team and the most unreasonably hated one at that, with the heroics of one QB, Josh Allen, Buffalo may not be on a lot of people’s lists for Super Bowl contenders. It’s usually because they at first are and then something happens to derail them down the stretch. The Bills probably also don’t get much credit considering most of their now 6 wins in a row, which is tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the league’s 2nd longest active win streak, behind the Lions no less, have been by virtue of putting up the same scoreline week after week. Lots of 30-point outputs. Like, a BUNCH of 30-point affairs.
3. Chiefs (9-1)
Well, it had to happen at some point. Not only did Kansas City slug its way to its first loss this time rather than another ugly win, that was the point. The Chiefs have not played like a 2 time-defending Super Bowl champion team all year. And yes, there is the opportunity for things to get much better when the postseason rolls around, but the writer has a feeling that this time, karma might catch up to the Chiefs. Taylor Swift said it herself, you know. Mahomes continues to play moderately on the real field while not doing much better on the fantasy field, which has to be infuriating many managers across the country.
Travis Kelce is showing his age by not performing like his usual self either. And no, he’s not distracted by his celebrity girlfriend. Perhaps it’s the thought of retirement after this season, especially since his brother Jason hung up the cleats last year.
4. Eagles (8-2)
They’re as hot as the Lions but not quite there despite a similarly impressive 6 game-win streak. Philadelphia may be almost as good as Detroit on paper, but they lack one key difference- a widespread offensive attack. The Lions have a good QB and two equally good RBs, and even their receiving corps is stellar, with Amon-Ra St. Brown having a busy workload in game number 11. The Eagles, on the other hand, could have that same firepower if QB Jalen Hurts had more confidence to throw downfield and if they didn’t have to rely so much on RB Saquon Barkley when passes couldn’t be made. Like, so, so much.
Seriously. It gets pretty boring watching the same team run the same offensive scheme over and over again. You gotta mix things up a little!
5. Vikings (8-2)
Well, look who’s finally back after missing out on the top 5 for the last few weeks! Minnesota has whipped itself back into shape and is ready to clash with the Lions for the NFC North crown after their Week 7 loss, and then they lost in Week 8! Since then, however, things have gotten better, mainly with QB Sam Darnold’s turnaround. He’s still a potentially risky QB, however, both on the real-life field and the fantasy field, so if you’re just a casual NFL fan, you can keep watching them occasionally. If you’re a purple and gold wearer, keep your eyes glued to the screen every Sunday from here on out!
Related: The Lions Outscored Those Poor Jaguars By Almost 500 YARDS?!
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