2012 NFL Power Rankings: Week 13
Life on the playoff bubble is tough, especially in the NFC.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys all lost in Week 12, further clouding the conference's playoff picture (at least as far as the final wild card is concerned) and raising questions about each team's long-term viability.
Who among this group has the best chance to pull though? 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) have the most faith in Tampa Bay (No. 12), but a lot can happen between now and Week 17.
Just consider some of the factors: The Buccaneers and Saints face brutal schedules, the Cowboys have ongoing O-line issues, the Vikings lack consistency on offense and the Seahawks may lose starting cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner to four-game suspensions.
In other words, all five have reason(s) to be concerned. And because there's little margin for error, playoff bubbles will soon begin to burst -- perhaps as early as this week.
• How they voted | Bloggers | Rank 'Em | Playoffs Predictor 
| Bettors' Poll | Mike & Mike 
| Team Power Rankings charts since 2002
| 2012 Power Rankings: Week 13 | ||||
| RANK | TEAM / RECORD | TRENDING | COMMENTS | |
| 1 |  | -- Last Week: 1 | It's amazing to think the Texans have most things, including the AFC South, wrapped up. (Clayton) | |
| 2 |  | -- Last Week: 2 | Winning close games is great, but the percentages tend to even out eventually. (Sando) | |
| 3 |  | -- Last Week: 3 | Jim Harbaugh plans to announce his QB choice Wednesday. It will be an upset if he benches Colin Kaepernick now. (Sando) | |
| 4 |  | 1 Last Week: 5 | Ray Rice ranks third among NFL running backs in total yards with 108.9 per game. But no one is better on fourth down. (Hensley) | |
| 5 |  | 3 Last Week: 8 | The Patriots are the only team averaging more than 30 points per game this season. They've averaged 43.8 points in their five-game win streak. (Hensley) | |
| 6 |  | -- Last Week: 6 | For better or for worse, their success is tied to Jay Cutler, and his return to action showed how valuable he is. (Graziano) | |
| 7 |  | -- Last Week: 7 | Six straight wins and a four-game lead in the division. That's why the Broncos got Peyton Manning. (Fox) | |
| 8 |  | 1 Last Week: 9 | When they flip that switch, the Giants look like the best team in the league. How do they decide when to flip it? (Graziano) | |
| 9 |  | 5 Last Week: 4 | Will they look back on Sunday's debacle as a fluke or a sign that something's really wrong on defense? (Graziano) | |
| 10 |  | 5 Last Week: 15 | As long as the Colts keep winning at home, they should secure a wild card in the AFC. (Clayton) | |
| 11 |  | 6 Last Week: 17 | Cincinnati is looking like a playoff team during its three-game win streak, beating teams by an average of 21.3 points. (Hensley) | |
| 12 |  | 2 Last Week: 10 | Losing at home to the Falcons was costly with trips to Denver, New Orleans and Atlanta still to come. (Sando) | |
| 13 |  | 1 Last Week: 12 | The Seahawks are allowing 155 yards rushing per game over the past five after allowing 70 per game over their first six. (Sando) | |
| 14 |  | 3 Last Week: 11 | A rare losing streak for Pittsburgh. It's the first time in a span of 46 games that the Steelers have lost back-to-back games. (Hensley) | |
| 15 |  | 2 Last Week: 13 | The Saints, 2-3 against teams that currently have winning records, could face three more in the next three games. (Sando) | |
| 16 |  | 2 Last Week: 14 | As great as Adrian Peterson is, there just doesn't appear to be much the Vikings' offense can do without Percy Harvin. (Graziano) | |
| 17 |  | 1 Last Week: 18 | RG3 has them dreaming playoff dreams with a "Monday Night Football" showdown against the Giants up next. (Graziano) | |
| 18 |  | 2 Last Week: 20 | Ryan Tannehill has thrown for 2,373 yards this season, surpassing Dan Marino for the most by a rookie in Dolphins history. (Hensley) | |
| 19 |  | 3 Last Week: 16 | Four starting defensive players are now on injured reserve as the Cowboys continue to muddle through an up-and-down season. (Graziano) | |
| 20 |  | 1 Last Week: 19 | The Lions have lost three straight after getting back to .500. They just make too many mistakes, and even their coach isn't immune. (Graziano) | |
| 21 |  | 5 Last Week: 26 | The Rams have allowed one TD pass with seven INTs and 18 sacks against NFC West quarterbacks. (Sando) | |
| 22 |  | 1 Last Week: 21 | Fourth-and-29. It will live in infamy in San Diego. Norv Turner certainly won't forget it. (Fox) | |
| 23 |  | 1 Last Week: 22 | Scoring average for past four games: 12 points. Mark Sanchez's guaranteed salary for next season: $8.25 million. (Hensley) | |
| 24 |  | -- Last Week: 24 | Buffalo is lost on the road. The Bills have lost 12 of their past 14 games away from home, including three straight. (Hensley) | |
| 25 |  | -- Last Week: 25 | Losing steady center Lyle Sendlein further weakens the Cardinals' already depleted offensive line. (Sando) | |
| 26 |  | 3 Last Week: 23 | Has anybody noticed that Chris Johnson is running like a $10 million-plus back of late? (Clayton) | |
| 27 |  | 3 Last Week: 30 | Cleveland is starting to build some confidence. The Browns are 3-3 after an 0-5 start to the season. (Hensley) | |
| 28 |  | 1 Last Week: 29 | The closing schedule could help Cam Newton maintain the momentum established Monday night. (Sando) | |
| 29 |  | 1 Last Week: 28 | The Raiders have been outscored by an average of 22.5 points per game in their four straight losses. (Fox) | |
| 30 |  | 3 Last Week: 27 | Did not win a game in October or November. At this point, the biggest question is whether they have a chance at the No. 1 pick in the draft. (Graziano) | |
| 31 |  | -- Last Week: 31 | Chad Henne's ability to get the ball downfield adds some excitement to the Jaguars' offense. (Clayton) | |
| 32 |  | -- Last Week: 32 | They have one win, but expectations were that they'd win the division. Not good times in Kansas City. (Fox) | |
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| Glossary |
| The rankings were determined by ESPN's Power Panel, a group of more than 80 writers, editors and television personalities. |
