6:30 AM ET
NFL Nation reporters
Welcome to Week 13 of the NFL regular season -- we are present two-thirds of the mode through.
Our powerfulness sheet -- a radical of much than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- has evaluated however teams are stacking up done 12 weeks.
After the Jacksonville Jaguars took location the melodramatic come-from-behind triumph implicit the Baltimore Ravens, wherever does that permission the Ravens successful the rankings? The Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders won connected Sunday, truthful however adjacent are they to the apical 10? And of course, the astir important question, is determination a caller No. 1?
In summation to our updated rankings, we checked successful with NFL Nation reporters crossed the league and asked them what the expectations for the remainder of the play are going guardant for each squad entering December.
Now, let's instrumentality a look astatine the updated rankings.
Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-2)
Week 12 ranking: 1
Realistic expectation: Winning the AFC's apical playoff seed.
At 9-2, the Chiefs person the champion grounds successful the league and a docket conducive to holding connected to their pb implicit the remainder of the field. Winning different Super Bowl is besides a realistic extremity with QB Patrick Mahomes having an MVP-like season. He has thrown for implicit 300 yards successful six consecutive games. -- Adam Teicher
2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)
Week 12 ranking: 2
Realistic expectation: Representing the NFC successful Super Bowl LVII.
They person the champion grounds successful the league astatine 10-1, an MVP campaigner successful Jalen Hurts and a cold-weather-friendly discourtesy that tin suck the beingness retired of you connected the crushed and rip it up done the aerial erstwhile request be. The defence is opportunistic and leads the league successful takeaways (23). The Eagles are arsenic heavy and well-rounded arsenic immoderate squad successful football, and person already beaten the conference's apical contenders successful the Vikings and Cowboys, though the Cowboys were without Dak Prescott successful that Week 6 matchup. The rematch connected Christmas Eve successful Dallas should beryllium fun. -- Tim McManus
3. Buffalo Bills (8-3)
Week 12 ranking: 3
Realistic expectation: Winning a Super Bowl.
It's realistic adjacent though the Bills are not looking arsenic crisp since the team's bye. These adjacent 3 weeks volition spell a agelong mode successful impacting conscionable however imaginable winning it each volition beryllium for Buffalo. Securing home-field vantage successful the playoffs volition beryllium a priority. The squad is presently 0-2 successful AFC East play and has 3 consecutive games against part opponents -- astatine Patriots, vs. Jets and vs. Dolphins -- next. If the Bills tin travel retired connected apical successful those games, there's nary crushed they couldn't spell each the way. -- Alaina Getzenberg
0:33
Joe Fortenbaugh explains wherefore helium is taking the Patriots positive the points for their Thursday nighttime matchup against the Bills.
4. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
Week 12 ranking: 5
Realistic expectation: Getting to the Super Bowl.
Why not? The Cowboys are 8-3. They bushed some of past year's Super Bowl teams. They won astatine Minnesota. They get a accidental to amusement however bully they tin beryllium with a Christmas Eve gathering against the Eagles. They person a apical defense. They person a moving crippled that tin power the tempo of a game. They person a passing crippled that has improved. What they don't person is simply a past of rising to the occasion. That doesn't mean they can't. There is nary crushed to fearfulness immoderate of the dense hitters successful the NFC. -- Todd Archer
5. Miami Dolphins (8-3)
Week 12 ranking: 4
Realistic expectation: Winning the AFC East.
The Dolphins are successful the driver's spot to triumph their archetypal part rubric since 2008, and close now, they're playing amended than the Bills -- against whom they presently ain a tiebreaker. Their Week 15 showdown could extremity up deciding the division, though Miami does person 2 much part games successful Weeks 16 and 17. Fans successful occidental New York aren't going to similar proceeding it, but the Dolphins person placed themselves successful presumption to triumph the division, and it's what they should expect moving forward. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques
6. Minnesota Vikings (9-2)
Week 12 ranking: 6
Realistic expectation: Split their last six games, triumph the NFC North and big 2 playoff games.
It is realistic to deliberation the Vikings volition person a grounds of astatine slightest 12-5 (or better). It's existent the Vikings person the seventh-easiest remaining schedule, and that determination are lone 2 teams connected it with winning records (Jets and Giants). But they inactive person to play each 3 NFC North rivals connected the road, and it's pugnacious to task a expanse determination adjacent successful a down twelvemonth for the division. -- Kevin Seifert
7. San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
Week 12 ranking: 8
Realistic expectation: Going to the Super Bowl.
The Niners haven't shied distant from this being the objective, adjacent going truthful acold arsenic to archer the satellite they judge they tin erstwhile they traded for moving backmost Christian McCaffrey. Anything little would beryllium considered a disappointment, with the question past becoming whether they tin really triumph it. Whether they tin sound disconnected a squad similar the Kansas City Chiefs is simply a antithetic issue, but realistically, this squad has everything it needs to astatine slightest beryllium successful the large game. -- Nick Wagoner
8. Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)
Week 12 ranking: 11
Realistic expectation: Repeating arsenic AFC champions.
While it mightiness look similar a agelong for a squad presently seeded sixth successful the AFC standings, the defending league champions are truly uncovering their signifier arsenic they participate December. The defence remains a coagulated unit, and the discourtesy is 1 of the champion successful the league. Cincinnati ranks 4th successful the NFL successful points per thrust and violative points per crippled -- contempt the information that WR Ja'Marr Chase has missed the past 4 games with a hep injury. The squad besides owns the AFC's champion nett touchdown differential (plus-13). -- Ben Baby
9. Tennessee Titans (7-4)
Week 12 ranking: 9
Realistic expectation: Winning the AFC South.
Despite a frustrating nonaccomplishment to the Bengals, the Titans person a two-game pb implicit the Colts successful the AFC South. All things are pointing toward the Titans winning the part though they person 2 games against the Jaguars connected the horizon. Tennessee's passing crippled is starting to travel alive, but the rushing onslaught hasn't been the aforesaid implicit the past 3 weeks. The Titans volition beryllium a unsafe squad if they tin find immoderate benignant of equilibrium connected offense. And the defence hasn't allowed an opposing squad to people much than 20 points successful 8 weeks. -- Turron Davenport
10. Baltimore Ravens (7-4)
Week 12 ranking: 7
Realistic expectation: Winning the AFC North.
Despite getting upset by the Jaguars, the Ravens inactive person a favorable docket the remainder of the way. Baltimore plays 5 consecutive games against teams with losing records earlier playing astatine the Bengals successful the regular-season finale. That's wherefore Baltimore has a 78.2% accidental to triumph its archetypal part rubric since 2019. The bigger question is however acold the Ravens tin beforehand successful the postseason. Lamar Jackson is 1-3 successful the playoffs for his career, throwing 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. -- Jamison Hensley
11. New York Jets (7-4)
Week 12 ranking: 15
Realistic expectation: Finishing 10-7 to snag a wild-card spot.
It won't beryllium easy, particularly with 4 of the remaining six connected the road, but the Jets are 4-1 connected the roadworthy this play and defence travels. They're ranked 4th successful scoring defense, and if the Mike White-led discourtesy tin beryllium middle-of-the-road, the Jets should beryllium good due to the fact that they're 6-0 erstwhile scoring astatine slightest 18 points. -- Rich Cimini
12. Washington Commanders (7-5)
Week 12 ranking: 13
Realistic expectation: Making the postseason.
Washington holds the seventh spot, which is singular considering the Commanders were 1-4 aft 5 games this season. It won't beryllium casual arsenic 4 of their last 5 games are against teams with winning records -- the New York Giants (7-4) twice, San Francisco (7-4) and Dallas (8-3). The Commanders besides play Cleveland (4-7) -- Washington is 6-1 vs. teams presently nether .500. It's apt that the Commanders volition person to spell astatine slightest 2-3, truthful splitting with the Giants and winning 1 different game, particularly vs. an NFC hostile for tiebreaker purposes. Three wins successful 5 games? Book the postseason. -- John Keim
13. New York Giants (7-4)
Week 12 ranking: 10
Realistic expectation: Making the playoffs.
The Giants are presently sitting sixth successful the NFC. It's shaping up to beryllium a three-team contention betwixt them, the Commanders and the Seahawks. The Giants already mislaid to Seattle but person 2 games successful a three-week agelong against Washington. Winning 1 of 2 puts them successful beauteous coagulated position. It's wholly imaginable to get into the postseason with 9 wins successful the NFC, but splitting the last six would get the Giants to a steadfast 10 wins -- and implicit a wildly overachieving season. -- Jordan Raanan
14. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
Week 12 ranking: 12
Realistic expectation: Getting to 10 wins.
The Seahawks were cruising toward astatine slightest that galore erstwhile they were riding a four-game triumph streak, but they've travel backmost down to world with back-to-back losses, including a disappointing overtime decision to the Raiders successful Week 12. Ten wins is inactive a tenable expectation, though it volition necessitate beating astatine slightest 1 bully squad (either the 49ers, Chiefs oregon Jets) successful summation to taking attraction of concern successful the 3 games successful which they'll apt beryllium favored (Rams doubly and Panthers). It should assistance that 4 of their last six are astatine Lumen Field. Then again, they conscionable mislaid to the antecedently three-win Raiders astatine home. -- Brady Henderson
15. New England Patriots (6-5)
Week 12 ranking: 14
Realistic expectation: Finishing supra .500.
Bill Belichick's 6-5 squad has the pursuing remaining schedule: vs. Buffalo, astatine Arizona, astatine Las Vegas, vs. Cincinnati, vs. Miami and astatine Buffalo. Squeezing retired 3 wins would guarantee a decorativeness implicit .500, but the Patriots mightiness request 4 to suffice for the postseason. -- Mike Reiss
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6)
Week 12 ranking: 16
Realistic expectation: Winning the NFC South.
Winning the part is successful jeopardy aft slipping 1 crippled beneath .500 and holding conscionable a half-game pb implicit the Falcons. The Bucs' discourtesy can't look to wide the 17-point threshold, and the defence is inactive struggling to enactment unneurotic implicit games. On apical of that, the coaching unit has made questionable decisions with playcalling, crippled absorption and unit -- astir notably the determination not to usage each timeouts anterior to the extremity of regularisation against Cleveland. If the Bucs scope the postseason, it's hard to spot them being much than a "one and done." -- Jenna Laine
1:12
Ryan Clark weighs successful connected Tom Brady and Buccaneers' underwhelming show this season.
17. Los Angeles Chargers (6-5)
Week 12 ranking: 17
Realistic expectation: Making the playoffs.
The Chargers bolstered the roster implicit the offseason with the volition of making a heavy postseason run. However, that extremity has mostly been derailed due to the fact that of an overwhelming fig of injuries that person resulted successful borderline rusher Joey Bosa, cornerback J.C. Jackson, near tackle Rashawn Slater and antiaircraft lineman Austin Johnson being placed connected injured reserve. However, the Bolts inactive person a changeable astatine making the playoffs for the archetypal clip since 2018, with their chances improving to 60% pursuing a gutsy determination -- arsenic manager Brandon Staley opted to spell for the 2-point conversion alternatively than footwear an other constituent and spell to overtime successful a Week 12 triumph implicit the Cardinals. -- Lindsey Thiry
18. Atlanta Falcons (5-7)
Week 12 ranking: 18
Realistic expectation: Being successful the playoff speech entering Week 17.
Atlanta is simply a half-game retired of archetypal spot successful the NFC South and faces 1 squad with a winning grounds -- Baltimore -- the remainder of the season. Plus, the Falcons inactive person games against the Saints (Week 15) and Bucs (Week 18), which could spell the quality betwixt being NFC South champs and retired of the playoffs. The information that we're inactive talking astir this speaks to however Atlanta has overachieved this play and enactment unneurotic beardown crippled plans to maximize what the squad does good (run the ball, power clock). -- Michael Rothstein
19. Green Bay Packers (4-8)
Week 12 ranking: 19
Realistic expectation: Getting a person look astatine what they person successful Jordan Love.
After Love came connected successful alleviation for Aaron Rodgers connected Sunday nighttime vs. the Eagles, it opened the speech of what the Packers should bash the remainder of their season, fixed their record. It could beryllium a delicate concern depending connected what Rodgers wants to bash adjacent season, but his injuries (to his thumb and ribs) marque it a small easier to beryllium him. The bottommost enactment is the Packers request to spot what they person successful Love, and playing respective weeks successful a enactment volition assistance marque that clearer. -- Rob Demovsky
20. Las Vegas Raiders (4-7)
Week 12 ranking: 27
Realistic expectation: A six-game triumph streak.
The Raiders, coming disconnected 2 consecutive OT wins, look to person rediscovered the fortunate charm they had successful closing past play with 4 consecutive wins to get into the playoffs. The Raiders' adjacent 4 games are against teams with a combined grounds of 18-25 successful the Chargers (6-5), Rams (3-8), Patriots (6-5) and Steelers (3-7), earlier closing retired against the 49ers (7-4) and Chiefs (9-2). -- Paul Gutierrez
21. New Orleans Saints (4-8)
Week 12 ranking: 21
Realistic expectation: Evaluating young players.
The Saints mathematically person a changeable astatine the NFC South similar everyone else, but they've squandered each accidental they've gotten to marque immoderate advancement successful the part by beating themselves with mediocre play. While a best-case script has them winning retired to decorativeness with a winning season, a much realistic 1 has them getting much snaps for players similar Trevor Penning, Rashid Shaheed and Alontae Taylor to get them acceptable for adjacent season. -- Katherine Terrell
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7)
Week 12 ranking: 26
Realistic expectation: Getting to six victories.
It doesn't dependable similar a lofty goal, but that would beryllium the astir games the franchise has won successful a play since 2019. Since then, they've won a full of eight. The Jaguars person won 2 of their past three, including an upset of Baltimore this past Sunday, and if they someway spell connected a rotation -- and that's asking a batch since they play 4 playoff contenders -- they could adjacent person a accidental to decorativeness 8-9 -- which would people lone the 2nd clip successful the past 12 seasons that they didn't decorativeness with double-digit losses. -- Michael DiRocco
23. Detroit Lions (4-7)
Week 12 ranking: 23
Realistic expectation: Doubling their triumph full from past season.
The expectations were higher successful Year 2 of the Dan Campbell era. Although they got disconnected to a unsmooth 1-6 start, lately the Lions person been among the hottest teams successful the league, winning 3 of their past 4 games. The Lions mightiness not decorativeness astatine .500 this year, but they bash person an accidental to treble their triumph full from 3-13-1 successful 2021 to astatine slightest six wins this season, which is simply a large betterment arsenic they proceed to instrumentality steps toward their rebuild. Detroit has not won six games since 2018. -- Eric Woodyard
24. Cleveland Browns (4-7)
Week 12 ranking: 29
Realistic expectation: Hanging astir the playoff conversation.
Expecting to marque the AFC playoffs mightiness beryllium excessively overmuch for a squad with a grounds of 4-7. But it's not unthinkable that Cleveland could astatine slightest bent successful the playoff picture. The Browns tin spend lone 1 much nonaccomplishment successful their last six games, astatine most. Even then, they mightiness request assistance elsewhere from a loaded AFC. But if the Browns tin debar being mathematically eliminated successful December, that would represent a occurrence astatine this constituent for a squad that remains a agelong changeable to marque the postseason. -- Jake Trotter
25. Arizona Cardinals (4-8)
Week 12 ranking: 20
Realistic expectation: Winning one, possibly 2 games.
The last 5 games are nary gag for the Cardinals, who fell to 4-8 connected Sunday. With the Patriots, Broncos, Bucs, Falcons and 49ers left, 2 of those look winnable connected insubstantial aft however this play has played out. The turnaround that manager Kliff Kingsbury talked astir happening hasn't materialized and apt won't. But the question down the agelong volition beryllium whether his occupation is harmless successful 2023. -- Josh Weinfuss
1:45
Keyshawn Johnson breaks down wherefore it would beryllium hard for the Broncos to portion ways with Russell Wilson oregon manager Nathaniel Hackett.
26. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-7)
Week 12 ranking: 28
Realistic expectation: Developing Kenny Pickett.
The Steelers aren't making the playoffs this year. Even though the AFC North is successful a down year, that's the world they look aft starting 4-7. But the backmost fractional of the play tin beryllium each astir processing the rookie quarterback, who was unceremoniously inserted astatine halftime of the Week 4 nonaccomplishment to the Jets. The last weeks are Pickett's on-the-job grooming and tin found a baseline for him to physique from for his 2nd season. -- Brooke Pryor
27. Indianapolis Colts (4-7-1)
Week 12 ranking: 22
Realistic expectation: Evaluate the roster for adjacent season.
This is the 2nd consecutive twelvemonth the Colts person fallen abbreviated of their ain preseason expectations. It mightiness beryllium clip to instrumentality a measurement backmost and reevaluate wherever this roster is heading into 2023. The Colts person already fired their caput manager and are expected to behaviour a morganatic coaching hunt erstwhile the play ends. The changes won't halt there, considering their evident needs and the deficiency of accumulation the Colts are getting from an violative enactment that is the NFL's astir expensive. Something the Colts mightiness besides person to see is whether they privation to support Matt Ryan connected the roster adjacent play to mentor different QB. The past 5 games could assistance find that. -- Stephen Holder
28. Carolina Panthers (4-8)
Week 12 ranking: 31
Realistic expectation: Staying successful the NFC South mix.
Only 1 of the Carolina's past 5 opponents has a winning record, and the Panthers already person beaten 2 of them (Tampa Bay, New Orleans). The defence is playing good capable to support Carolina successful games if backmost Sam Darnold tin simply negociate the discourtesy without making catastrophic mistakes. The Panthers are a agelong changeable for sure, but they besides were successful 2014 erstwhile they won the past 4 games to triumph the part astatine 7-8-1. -- David Newton
29. Chicago Bears (3-9)
Week 12 ranking: 25
Realistic expectation: Focusing connected Justin Fields' development.
The Bears should enactment each their efforts toward gathering for 2023. When Fields returns from an wounded to his non-throwing shoulder, everything should beryllium geared toward helping him make his skills arsenic a passer and being capable to triumph from the pocket. Fields has yet to effort much than 28 passes oregon propulsion for much than 208 yards successful a crippled this season. Therefore, the Bears' extremity of creating a sustainable discourtesy for their aboriginal franchise backmost needs to beryllium the focal constituent the remainder of the way. -- Courtney Cronin
30. Los Angeles Rams (3-8)
Week 12 ranking: 24
Realistic expectation: Finding aboriginal contributors connected this roster.
One of the fewer agleam spots to the fig of injuries the Rams person had this play is that the squad is getting an extended look astatine the extent it has. Now astatine 3-8, the Rams' absorption tin beryllium connected figuring retired if immoderate of these players tin lend going guardant and adjacent play a bigger relation adjacent season. Coach Sean McVay said Sunday that the valuation has "got to occur," and arsenic a effect of those injuries, "guys are going to get immoderate opportunities similar you've seen each of the past mates weeks." That radical could see moving backmost Kyren Williams, and the radical of wide receivers down the injured Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson II: Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek and Brandon Powell. -- Sarah Barshop
31. Denver Broncos (3-8)
Week 12 ranking: 30
Realistic expectation: Not being the lowest-scoring squad successful franchise history.
The Broncos, who are past successful the league, averaging 14.3 points per game, request to halt their existent tumble. They person scored less than 10 points successful 4 games this season. Their lowest-scoring (non-strike year) squad successful past scored 196 points; that's 14 points per crippled successful a 14-game AFL season. Their lowest-scoring squad of the 16-game epoch (post 1978) was successful 1992, erstwhile they scored 262 points, oregon 16.38 points per game. The Broncos, with 157 points, are presently the lowest-scoring squad since the 2000 Browns. -- Jeff Legwold
32. Houston Texans (1-9-1)
Week 12 ranking: 32
Realistic expectation: Dameon Pierce getting to 1,000 rushing yards.
Pierce has 788 yards rushing truthful acold this season. The fourth-round rookie is averaging 71 yards a game, but precocious defenses person centered their crippled program astir stopping him. In the past 2 games against the Commanders and Dolphins, Pierce has totaled 16 yards. If that continues, helium won't deed 1,000 yards. The violative enactment indispensable instrumentality to creating holes for Pierce, and the passing onslaught indispensable instrumentality the unit disconnected him for Pierce to person a accidental to deed that milestone. -- DJ Bien-Aime
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