The New England Patriots making another huge statement with a big win over the Indianapolis Colts is just one of many highlights from this past weekend in the NFL. Let's not waste any more time and jump right into the 2014 NFL Power Rankings Week 12 (Pre-Monday Night Edition).
32. Oakland Raiders 0-10 (32)
(Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
32. Oakland Raiders 0-10 (32)
(Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
Derek Carr may have thrown four touchdown passes the last time the Oakland Raiders squared off against the San Diego Chargers, but that was far from the case on Sunday. Make that 10-straight losses for the Raiders as they missed out on another opportunity for their first win.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-9 (30)
(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
31. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-9 (30)
(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Jacksonville Jaguars should be well rested after their bye week, but don't be surprised if this team suffers their 10th loss of the year next weekend against the Indianapolis Colts--who are coming off a frustrating loss to the New England Patriots.
30. Tennessee Titans 2-7 (29) (Monday Night)
(Rob Carr/Getty Images)
30. Tennessee Titans 2-7 (29) (Monday Night)
(Rob Carr/Getty Images)
If the Tennessee Titans have any chance of beating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, they'll need a strong performance by Bishop Sankey--who has found the end zone just once during his rookie season.
29. Washington Redskins 3-7 (23)
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
29. Washington Redskins 3-7 (23)
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Just when you think this team couldn't hit a new low, the Washington Redskins suffer an embarrassing home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This team needs to strongly consider benching Robert Griffin III--who threw for just 207 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions against the Bucs.
28. New York Jets 2-8 (28)
(Elsa/Getty Images)
28. New York Jets 2-8 (28)
(Elsa/Getty Images)
After their surprising win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10, will the New York Jets continue rolling against the Buffalo Bills? It's a shame Rex Ryan didn't replace Geno Smith with Michael Vick earlier in the season considering how well the quarterback looked against the Steelers.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-8 (31)
(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-8 (31)
(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
There's a reason why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were excited to draft Mike Evans (seven catches for 209 yards with two touchdowns) last May as the rookie had his best game in the NFL against the Redskins. After a slow start, Evans now has five touchdowns over his last three games.
26. New York Giants 3-7 (26)
(Elsa/Getty Images)
26. New York Giants 3-7 (26)
(Elsa/Getty Images)
If it wasn't for Eli Manning throwing five interceptions, the New York Giants could have pulled off the much-needed win against the San Francisco 49ers. This team just has too many issues on both sides of the ball and it showed on Sunday.
25. Minnesota Vikings 4-6 (22)
(David Banks/Getty Images)
25. Minnesota Vikings 4-6 (22)
(David Banks/Getty Images)
Teams have loved facing the defense of the Chicago Bears over the last couple of weeks, but the Minnesota Vikings just couldn't find a way to take advantage as they only scored 13 points. It's clear how much this team misses Adrian Peterson on offense.
24. Chicago Bears 4-6 (27)
(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
24. Chicago Bears 4-6 (27)
(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
This was the big win we've been waiting for from the Bears as Jay Cutler found Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall 18 times--including three times in the end zone. Now, Chicago just needs to figure out a way to play at this level against the better teams.
23. Carolina Panthers 3-7-1 (21)
(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
23. Carolina Panthers 3-7-1 (21)
(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
With the way things have played out for the Carolina Panthers over the last couple of weeks, Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons was a brutal one. Two missed field goals in the final minutes shows and now the Panthers find themselves trailing both the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints in the division.
22. Buffalo Bills 5-5 (20)
(Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
22. Buffalo Bills 5-5 (20)
(Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
While there were plenty of questionable calls by the officials, the Buffalo Bills just couldn't figure out a way to find the end zone against the Miami Dolphins. If the Bills are going to have any chance at making a run at the playoffs, they're going to need more consistency from Sammy Watkins (three catches for 31 yards against the Dolphins) in the passing game.
21. New Orleans Saints 4-6 (18)
(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
21. New Orleans Saints 4-6 (18)
(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Remember when the New Orleans Saints were impossible to beat at home? Well, times have clearly changed as Drew Brees and company were held to just 10 points against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Still, it's amazing this team is still in the division hunt despite a 4-6 record.
20. Atlanta Falcons 4-6 (25)
(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
20. Atlanta Falcons 4-6 (25)
(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
After five-straight losses, the Atlanta Falcons all of a sudden find themselves in first place in the NFC South thanks to back-to-back wins. If this team is going to have any shot at winning the division, Matt Ryan will need to figure out a way to get Julio Jones in the end zone again some time soon.
19. Houston Texans 5-5 (24)
(Jason Miller/Getty Images)
19. Houston Texans 5-5 (24)
(Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Is there anything that J.J. Watt can't do? This guy seriously does it all for the Houston Texans and give credit to Ryan Mallett (20 of 30 for 211 yards with two touchdowns and one interception) for his performance in his first game with the Texans.
18. Cleveland Browns 6-4 (11)
(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
18. Cleveland Browns 6-4 (11)
(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Once again, this week will be filled with questions surrounding Brian Hoyer (20 of 50 for 330 yards with one touchdown and one interception) at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. At least the Browns were able to enjoy first place for a whole week, but don't count this team out of the playoff hunt just yet.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers 6-4 (14) (Monday Night)
(Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)
17. Pittsburgh Steelers 6-4 (14) (Monday Night)
(Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)
With the Cincinnati Bengals coming through with a big road win, the pressure is on the Pittsburgh Steelers for their Monday night matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Hopefully, Ben Roethlisberger can find a way to get back on track after the team's embarrassing loss to the Jets.
16. Miami Dolphins 6-4 (17)
(Marc Serota/Getty Images)
16. Miami Dolphins 6-4 (17)
(Marc Serota/Getty Images)
Ryan Tannehill has yet to throw for 300 yards this season, but the Miami Dolphins looked like playoff contenders against the Bills on Thursday night. Unfortunately, the division may be out of the question with the way the New England Patriots have been playing, but don't be surprised if this team puts up a fight for a Wild Card spot over the final six weeks.
15. St. Louis Rams 4-6 (19)
(Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
15. St. Louis Rams 4-6 (19)
(Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
Despite their 4-6 record, the St. Louis Rams have now defeated the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Denver Broncos this season. Jeff Fisher's defense looked phenomenal against Peyton Manning, but the team's six losses at this point in the year hurts their chances at being playoff contenders.
14. Baltimore Ravens 6-4 (12)
(Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
14. Baltimore Ravens 6-4 (12)
(Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The AFC North has shaped up to be the best division in football and all of a sudden the Baltimore Ravens find themselves in a must-win situation heading into Week 12 with a key matchup against the Saints. Maybe this will be the week Steve Smith finally gets back on track for the Ravens.
13. San Francisco 49ers 6-4 (15)
(Al Bello/Getty Images)
13. San Francisco 49ers 6-4 (15)
(Al Bello/Getty Images)
Despite five interceptions by Eli Manning, the San Francisco 49ers still almost managed to lose this game to the Giants. Give credit to the defense for dominating this one as the 49ers need every win they can get from here on out.
12. San Diego Chargers 6-4 (13)
(Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
12. San Diego Chargers 6-4 (13)
(Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
While the losing streak finally came to an end, the San Diego Chargers should still be concerned after barely getting by the Raiders at home. Philip Rivers (22 of 34 for 193 yards with one touchdown) needs to help this team put up more points on offense or they'll be watching the playoffs from home in January.
11. Detroit Lions 7-3 (10)
(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
11. Detroit Lions 7-3 (10)
(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Sure, it was a tough matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, but the Detroit Lions could have won this game if they could have just figured out a way to get Calvin Johnson (five catches
10. Cincinnati Bengals 6-3-1 (16)
(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
10. Cincinnati Bengals 6-3-1 (16)
(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Where has this type of play been for the Cincinnati Bengals over the last couple of weeks? This was a huge win for the Bengals against the Saints on the road and if they can just find a way to play this well on a consistent basis--there's no reason why they can't be strong contenders in the AFC.
9. Indianapolis Colts 6-4 (9)
(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
9. Indianapolis Colts 6-4 (9)
(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots showed the rest of the NFL just how easy it is to beat the Indianapolis Colts when you remove T.Y Hilton from the offense. This was an embarrassing loss for Andrew Luck and company, but expect this team to bounce back next weekend against the Jaguars.
8. Philadelphia Eagles 7-3 (6)
(Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
8. Philadelphia Eagles 7-3 (6)
(Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
We knew the Philadelphia Eagles have looked bad on defense at times this year, but nobody expected them to lose this bad against the Green Bay Packers. And as much as we don't want to say it, Mark Sanchez showed signs of his old self--especially with that one horrendous fumble that ended up being returned for a touchdown.
7. Dallas Cowboys 7-3 (7)
(Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)
7. Dallas Cowboys 7-3 (7)
(Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)
These next two weeks will be extremely important for the Dallas Cowboys with two key division matchups against the Giants and Eagles. It's clear how important Tony Romo is to this team and let's hope the bye week helped the quarterback out with getting extra rest for his back.
6. Denver Broncos 7-3 (4)
(Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
6. Denver Broncos 7-3 (4)
(Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
From the start of the game, Peyton Manning just couldn't figure out a way to get anything consistent going on offense against the Rams as the Denver Broncos suffered one of the biggest surprise losses of Week 11. The injury bug played a huge factor in this one, but all of a sudden Denver should be concerned about possibly losing out on the division title to the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs.
5. Seattle Seahawks 6-4 (3)
(Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
5. Seattle Seahawks 6-4 (3)
(Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
Russell Wilson did everything he could for the Seattle Seahawks, but they just couldn't find a way to come through on the winning end against the Chiefs. If the season ended today, the Seahawks wouldn't even be a Wild Card team in the NFC--which none of us could have predicted at the start of the season.
4. Kansas City Chiefs 7-3 (8)
(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
4. Kansas City Chiefs 7-3 (8)
(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
It's amazing how the Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best records in football and they still haven't thrown a touchdown pass to a wide receiver this season. With seven wins in eight games, the Chiefs are all of a sudden right up there with the Broncos in the AFC West standings and we can't wait for these two teams to square off on November 30.
3. Green Bay Packers 7-3 (5)
(Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
3. Green Bay Packers 7-3 (5)
(Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers have scored 50+ points over the last two weeks and Aaron Rodgers doesn't look like he's going to slow down any time soon. It's amazing how dominant Jordy Nelson (four catches for 109 yards with one touchdown) and Randall Cobb (10 catches for 129 yards) are in the passing game for the Packers as they clearly have one of the most dangerous offenses in football.
2. New England Patriots 8-2 (2)
(Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
2. New England Patriots 8-2 (2)
(Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Jonas Gray had never recorded a touchdown in the NFL prior to Sunday night and against the Colts--the running back managed to find the end zone four times to go along with 199 rushing yards. All of a sudden, the Patriots may have found another dangerous weapon to use on offense--which would only happen to a Bill Belichick team.
1. Arizona Cardinals 9-1 (1)
(Norm Hall/Getty Images)
1. Arizona Cardinals 9-1 (1)
(Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Even with Carson Palmer out, the Arizona Cardinals continued to roll with Drew Stanton at quarterback against one of the league's top defenses in the Lions. With a three-game lead in the division, it's safe to say Arizona has the NFC West locked up and could be dangerous if they earn home-field advantage in the playoffs.
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