Admin November 26, 2024
NFL Week 12 Overreactions
Mackenzie Salmon breaks down NFL week 12 wildest games.
Sports Seriously
NFL power rankings entering Week 13 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):
1. Detroit Lions (1): In their 95-season existence, they’d never had double-digit wins in back-to-back years … until now. Currently the NFC’s top seed, the Lions are on their way to consecutive 12-win campaigns – an effort that should be made easier given they don’t play on the road again until Dec. 22.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (3): RB Saquon Barkley showed Sunday night he might be the league’s best player. Per OptaSTATS, he’s the first to have more than 500 yards from scrimmage over consecutive games since Hall of Famer Walter Payton in 1977. He’s also the first since Maurice Jones-Drew 15 years ago to break two TD runs of 70-plus yards in the same game. But is Barkley the most valuable player in the NFL? Not ready to go there yet … though maybe Sunday’s game at Baltimore – against MVP candidates Lamar Jackson and (maybe) Derrick Henry – will shed further light on Barkley’s case.
3. Buffalo Bills (2): Their next three games are against NFC opponents, so losing one – at Detroit on Dec. 15? – won’t hurt the Bills too badly in the tiebreaker department, especially as they try to get better in the team health department.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (4): Starting with their Black Friday date with the Raiders, three of K.C.’s next four are at Arrowhead. The sooner the Chiefs get RB Isiah Pacheco and DE Charles Omenihu back, the greater the odds five of their next eight will be at Arrowhead.
5. Green Bay Packers (9): Could S Xavier McKinney be a viable Defensive Player of the Year candidate? Eight takeaways, including a league-best seven INTs, certainly make a compelling argument.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5): What does their next win mean? How about continuance of HC Mike Tomlin’s career-long streak of never having a losing campaign. Also, the Steelers would tie the Cowboys (1965-85) for the longest run of seasons (21) in league history with at least a .500 record.
7. Baltimore Ravens (6): “Harbaugh Bowls” are turning into bye weeks for them. Not really, and playing another physical team on the West Coast in a Monday night matchup doesn’t bode especially well with those brutish Eagles making the quick commute to Charm City on a short week. But the Ravens are in a good spot, now only a half-game out of first place in the AFC North.
8. Minnesota Vikings (7): After sweeping a three-game road trip, they’ll play their next three at U.S. Bank Stadium. Did you know RB Aaron Jones has 141 more yards from scrimmage this season than WR Justin Jefferson?
9. Washington Commanders (8): A team badly in need of a win draws sub-.500 opponents (Titans, Saints) in its next two games. Of course, the Cowboys were (and are) sub-.500.
10. Seattle Seahawks (20): A team that jumped from ninth place to third in the condensed NFC standings is also granted a big bump here – one accentuated by so many other comparable clubs face-planting over the weekend. But playing four of their final six games on the road, especially with games at New York and Chicago and the associated travel, could be a disqualifying factor as the NFC West leaders try to stay atop a tightly packed division – not only from a record perspective but a tie-breaker one.
11. Arizona Cardinals (10): Their 49 rushing yards in Sunday’s loss at Seattle were nearly 100 shy of their seasonal average. Good as TE Trey McBride was, this team is best when it’s balanced.
12. Houston Texans (12): They didn’t rush for a first down in Sunday’s surprising loss to Tennessee. They’re averaging fewer than 80 yards on the ground over the past three weeks – and failed to crack 60 two times, both defeats. And we thought they couldn’t pass the ball.
13. Los Angeles Chargers (11): Detractors who might want to label them the Hoosiers of the NFL are eating no crow. A defense that hadn’t given up more than 20 points all season – albeit against questionable competition – has surrendered 57 at home over the past two weeks. It was also scorched for 212 yards on the ground Monday, the most ever for a Jim Harbaugh-coached team. Factor in RB J.K. Dobbins’ knee injury and … woof.
14. Denver Broncos (13): With apologies to John Elway, but not Tim Tebow, Bo Nix is the greatest rookie quarterback in this franchise’s history. Nix’s seven wins and 16 TD passes are both team records for a freshman passer.
15. Atlanta Falcons (14): The August trade for Matthew Judon hasn’t borne fruit, the veteran pass rusher averaging roughly one pressure per game.
16. Miami Dolphins (16): Their revival has paralleled QB Tua Tagovailoa’s. What you might not have noticed is that his most dependable weapons have been RB De’Von Achane and TE Jonnu Smith.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (15): Hopefully they’re rested coming off the bye, because they’ll need the energy for an uphill playoff climb that’s going to require four games (two at night) over 19 days in the near term.
18. Los Angeles Rams (17): Getting embarrassed by Barkley on Sunday night was a setback for this young defense. But you still have to like new parts like DE Braden Fiske, who now leads all rookies with six sacks.
19. San Francisco 49ers (18): They haven’t won on consecutive weekends all season and risk a three-game slide given they’re next off to Buffalo. The Niners have certainly had their share of injuries, yet this also feels like HC Kyle Shanahan’s most disappointing squad.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19): They might be on their way, Sunday’s rout of the Giants initiating what’s still the easiest remaining schedule (measured by opponents’ winning percentage) for any NFC team. WR Mike Evans had a 68-yard day on the heels of a five-week injury absence but will have to average 99.5 the rest of the way to keep his career-long string of 1,000-yard seasons intact.
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21. Indianapolis Colts (21): QB Anthony Richardson’s return to the lineup hasn’t helped RB Jonathan Taylor, who’s averaged 46 rushing yards and 2.6 per carry the past two weeks.
22. New England Patriots (22): The last time they had at least three consecutive losing seasons, from 1989-93, the Pats were coached by the likes of Raymond Berry, Rod Rust, Dick MacPherson and … Bill Parcells.
23. Chicago Bears (23): Rookie QB Caleb Williams must average exactly 274 passing yards over the final six games to become the franchise’s first 4,000-yard passer.
24. Carolina Panthers (26): Rookie RB Jonathon Brooks made his highly anticipated debut Sunday … and gained 7 yards on two carries. But given he’s little more than a year removed from the ACL tear he suffered at the University of Texas, better days ahead.
25. New Orleans Saints (24): WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling has played three games with his new team. Over the last two, he has five receptions for 196 yards and three TDs.
26. Cleveland Browns (28): QB Jameis Winston in the snow? The Steelers never stood a chance.
27. Dallas Cowboys (29): Before you avert your eyes, at least note that over the past two games, QB2 Cooper Rush’s numbers are actually better than starter Dak Prescott’s this season. Just sayin’.
28. New York Jets (25): Before you avert your eyes … never mind – avert, avert.
29. Tennessee Titans (30): Per NFL Media, second-year QB Will Levis is the first player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to post a passer rating of at least 105.0 over three games while also being sacked at least 20 times.
30. Las Vegas Raiders (27): They hadn’t lost seven in a row since being based in Oakland … until now. Maybe it’s time to break tendencies and sign the ultimate anti-Raider – yes, we’re thinking it’s time for Daniel Jones to give this franchise, like, a shot in the arm … maybe of V8?
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (32): The coach is in peril. They just got blown up (before their bye). The starting quarterback seems gone. They’re not making the playoffs. What’s their motivation?
32. New York Giants (31): The coach is in peril. They just got blown up. The starting quarterback is gone. They’re not making the playoffs. What’s their motivation?
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.