2012 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

Updated: November 20, 2012, 3:18 PM ET

ESPN.com

Week:

The Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers don't own the top spots in our latest rankings.

But there's no denying they're the hottest teams in football heading into Thanksgiving.

Both Denver and Green Bay have won a league-best five in a row, and both appear to have the pieces -- elite quarterbacks and defenses with a knack for delivering timely plays -- to make legitimate Super Bowl runs.

Our voters (ESPN.com's John Clayton, ESPN.com's Ashley Fox, NFC East blogger Dan Graziano, AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley and NFC West blogger Mike Sando) still hold the Houston Texans (No. 1) and Atlanta Falcons (No. 2) in the highest regard, but things suddenly look far from settled at the top. Both teams were nearly upset in Week 11, leaving the proverbial door open for a shakeup down the road.

Week 12 could thicken the plot even more. The Texans get the inconsistent yet dangerous Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, the Falcons face the surging Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers (No. 3) play the much-improved New Orleans Saints.

If any of our top three falter, the red-hot Packers and Broncos appear poised to take advantage.

2012 Power Rankings: Week 12
RANK	TEAM / RECORD	TRENDING	COMMENTS
1	Texans 9-1	-- Last Week: 1	No QB does play-action better than Matt Schaub, and the win over Jags had plenty of action. (Clayton)
2	Falcons 9-1	-- Last Week: 2	It's tough to argue with a 9-1 record unless you've watched the Falcons play lately. (Sando)
3	49ers 7-2-1	1 Last Week: 4	Playing in New Orleans is always tough, but the 49ers have the O-line, backs and scheme to run all over the Saints. (Sando)
4	Packers 7-3	2 Last Week: 6	Five wins in a row have shot them back up toward the top. Big game versus Giants on Sunday. (Graziano)
5	Ravens 8-2	-- Last Week: 5	The Ravens have won 12 straight games in the division, tying the Colts (2004-06) for longest such streak since the 2002 realignment. (Hensley)
6	Bears 7-3	3 Last Week: 3	Division lead gone, schedule remains tough. Jay Cutler or no, the Bears have to find a way to block somebody. (Graziano)
7	Broncos 7-3	-- Last Week: 7	The Broncos are going to run away with the AFC West. Up three games with six to play and a favorable schedule. Foot meet gas. (Fox)
8	Patriots 7-3	-- Last Week: 8	Injured Rob Gronkowski is the first tight end in NFL history to record double-digit TDs in three consecutive seasons. (Hensley)
9	Giants 6-4	1 Last Week: 10	They're back from the bye with the Cowboys suddenly in the rearview mirror. Is Eli's arm up to the task? (Graziano)
10	Buccaneers 6-4	3 Last Week: 13	Josh Freeman has 16 touchdown passes in his past six games after having 16 all last season. (Sando)
11	Steelers 6-4	2 Last Week: 9	The NFL's top-ranked defense hasn't allowed an offensive touchdown in its past seven quarters. (Hensley)
12	Seahawks 6-4	-- Last Week: 12	The 49ers' victory Monday night helped in one regard given that Chicago could be a wild-card competitor. (Sando)
13	Saints 5-5	3 Last Week: 16	The Saints have done well rallying back into contention, but their next four opponents have winning records. (Sando)
14	Vikings 6-4	-- Last Week: 14	They want to make it three NFC North teams in this year's playoffs. More consistency from their QB would help. (Graziano)
15	Colts 6-4	4 Last Week: 11	Their blowout loss to the Patriots showed how out of place the Colts look in the playoff picture. (Clayton)
16	Cowboys 5-5	1 Last Week: 15	They needed an every-ounce comeback to beat the lowly Browns. Dez Bryant's emergence could be a difference-maker. (Graziano)
17	Bengals 5-5	2 Last Week: 19	For the first time in 27 years, the Bengals have won by 18 or more points in back-to-back games. (Hensley)
18	Commanders 4-6	3 Last Week: 21	Whatever happens this year, rookie QB Robert Griffin III has fans smiling about the years to come. (Graziano)
19	Lions 4-6	2 Last Week: 17	Too much discord, too little production. Maybe if they were in the NFC East, but this year's North is too tough for them. (Graziano)
20	Dolphins 4-6	2 Last Week: 18	In Miami's three-game losing streak, Ryan Tannehill has thrown two touchdowns and five interceptions. (Hensley)
21	Chargers 4-6	1 Last Week: 20	Another year, another disappointment. The Chargers have lost five of their past six. Not good. (Fox)
22	Jets 4-6	4 Last Week: 26	The Jets ended a three-game losing streak but now face the first-place Patriots on Thanksgiving. (Hensley)
23	Titans 4-6	2 Last Week: 25	Coach Mike Munchak used the bye week to focus his team on being more consistent over final six weeks. (Clayton)
24	Bills 4-6	3 Last Week: 27	The Bills not only ended a three-game losing streak this season but a seven-game skid in November. (Hensley)
25	Cardinals 4-6	3 Last Week: 22	John Skelton fell one game short of Ryan Leaf's record for consecutive games with a pick, but he still got benched. (Sando)
26	Rams 3-6-1	3 Last Week: 23	The Rams have now gone six games without picking off a pass after collecting eight INTs through four games. (Sando)
27	Eagles 3-7	3 Last Week: 24	Six losses in a row. The Phillies won more recently. (Yes, really.) They do nothing well at all. (Graziano)
28	Raiders 3-7	-- Last Week: 28	The owner isn't happy. Just imagine if Al Davis were still alive. He'd be turning people to stone with his stare. (Fox)
29	Panthers 2-8	-- Last Week: 29	Someone needs to tell coach Ron Rivera he keeps going against the percentages with his fourth-down decisions. (Sando)
30	Browns 2-8	-- Last Week: 30	The Week 11 overtime loss clinched the Browns' 12th non-winning season in 14 years since returning to the league. (Hensley)
31	Jaguars 1-9	-- Last Week: 31	It would have been a bunch of mularkey if Mike Mularkey didn't name Chad Henne the starting QB after how well he did against Houston. (Clayton)
32	Chiefs 1-9	-- Last Week: 32	Mounting losses. Blackouts. Early exiting crowds. Lousy quarterback play. How long before ownership opts for a massive overhaul? (Fox)
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