Week 12 took a barbed-wire covered baseball bat to the NFL Against the Spread Power Rankings. A nutty Sunday of action set the league ablaze, awakening a handful of teams’ playoff chances, while wrapping up others for good.
As always, we have your NFL Against the Spread Power Rankings here to help sort it all out.
1. New Orleans Saints (10-1, ATS: 9-2): Four of the Saints last five matchups are against legitimate teams with playoff hopes (Cowboys, Panthers twice and Steelers) and I still don’t think they’ll drop another game. Last week: 1
Related: NFL Betting Guide | Week 13 Odds
2. Los Angeles Rams (10-1, ATS: 5-6): The Rams and Saints are so far ahead of the rest of the NFC that they could finish 15-1 and still be the two seed. Last week: 2
3. New England Patriots (8-3, ATS:7-4): You made your fans sweat there for a quarter against the Jets last Sunday, Pats. Last week: 4
4. Kansas City Chiefs (9-2, ATS 8-3): The race is on now for AFC home field, something the Chiefs haven’t had in a long time, but is probably required for a Super Bowl run. The last AFC team to even play in a Super Bowl without home-field advantage in the playoffs was the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. Last week: 5
5. Chicago Bears (8-3, ATS: 8-3): The Bears have done all they can to prove they’re the third best team in the NFC. What that will likely get them is a loss in the divisional round. There’s a bright side. You’ve got the right coach and the right quarterback. You’re just a year away. Last week: 6
6. Houston Texans (8-3, ATS: 5-6): The Texans have now won eight games in a row and are one good weekend away from becoming the No. 2 seed in the AFC. This is what drafting the right quarterback can do. And, it may be early, but it looks like Bill O’Brien might have pulled that rare “Ron Rivera” and become a decent coach in spite of himself. Last week: 7
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3-1, ATS: 6-5): You can blame rookie wideouts all you want, but that game against the Broncos was a bad loss and everybody contributed. Last week: 3
8. Los Angeles Chargers (8-3, ATS: 6-5): Beating a hapless Cardinals team doesn’t make up for blowing it against the Broncos the week before. Now, steal once against Kansas City in a couple of weeks and we’ll all pay attention. Last week: 8
9. Minnesota Vikings (6-4-1,ATS: 6-5): They aren’t technically out of the NFC North race just yet, but the Vikings need to be thinking Wild Card. Last week: 9
10. Baltimore Ravens (6-5, ATS: 5-6): The Ravens are currently the No. 6 seed and control their own destiny. Just like last year. And the year before that. Last week: 12
11. Seattle Seahawks (6-5, ATS: 6-5): Speaking of teams in the Wild Card driver’s seat, there’s some tough games ahead to stay there, but if Russell Wilson is your quarterback, you have a chance. Last week: 13
12. Indianapolis Colts (6-5, ATS: 5-6): The Colts have won five in a row and are the team no one will want to face in the playoffs. All they have to do is make it. That’s not a given. Last week: 14
13. Dallas Cowboys (6-5, ATS: 6-5): All Jason Garrett has to do to save his job is keep winning. Don’t worry, Cowboys fans. The Saints are here to help. Last week: 15
14. Washington Redskins (6-5, ATS: 7-4): All Jay Gruden needs to do to save his job is win. So, I hope he’s already been buying bubble wrap in bulk. Last week: 10
15. Carolina Panthers (6-5, ATS: 5-6): On a three-game losing streak, nothing can make a team feel better than seeing Dirk Koetter, Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the schedule. Last week: 11
16. Philadelphia Eagles (5-6 ATS: 3-8): If the Eagles are going to sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card, they’ll have to run a Cowboys, Rams, Texans gauntlet to do so. Last week: 20
17. Denver Broncos (5-6, ATS: 5-6): Look out, but it we might be seeing 2017 Case Keenum. If the Broncos win out, and they could, they’d not only make the playoffs, they’d be the fifth seed. Last week: 23
18. Detroit Lions (4-7, ATS: 6-5): The Lions ruined Thanksgiving for Detroit, losing to Chase Daniel in only his third NFL start. Last week: 16
19. Cincinnati Bengals (5-6, ATS: 5-6): Does anyone think it’s a coincidence that this team hasn’t won a game since they allowed Hue Jackson back into the building? Last week: 17
20. Tennessee Titans (5-6, ATS: 6-5): Two horrible losses in a row should have Mike Vrabel’s head on the chopping block already. Last week: 18
21. Miami Dolphins (5-6, ATS: 6-5): Ryan Tannehill returned to action showing why Adam Gase has so much faith in him, but it’s just too late now. Last week: 22
22. Green Bay Packers (4-6-1 ATS: 4-7): If you want to get Mike McCarthy to load himself into the trebuchet, just toss a couple of hot wings into the launcher. Last week: 19
23. Atlanta Falcons (4-7, ATS: 3-8): So much for that patented Falcons second-half surge. Last week: 21
24. Cleveland Browns (4-6-1, ATS: 7-4): Gregg Williams is going to keep this up. Last week: 26
25. Buffalo Bills (4-7, ATS: 5-6): I will marvel at it every time. The fact that the Bills, with the worst roster in the NFL, have won four games is an indictment of every team and coach ranked below them. Last week: 31
26. New York Giants (3-8, ATS: 5-6): Eli Manning has five more games to audition for Jacksonville and Tampa Bay. Last week: 24
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8,ATS: 3-8): The Jaguars finally benched Blake Bortles. Welcome to the Cody Kessler era. Last week: 25
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7, ATS: 4-7): You can’t play the 49ers every week, Bucs. Last week: 27
29. New York Jets (3-8, ATS: 3-8): Alright Jets. You can escape purgatory now. That was a spirited effort against New England. Last week: 32
30. Oakland Raiders (2-9, ATS: 3-8): Jon Gruden took a team that went 12-4 two years ago and turned them into this. Last week: 28
31. San Francisco 49ers (2-9, ATS: 3-8): Man, the bloom fell of the Nick Mullens rose pretty quick. Last week: 30
32. Arizona Cardinals (2-9, ATS: 5-6): Of all the teams that should be indicted over those four Buffalo Bills victories, the Cardinals are the most egregious offenders. Every coach on this staff should be fired today. Last Week: 29
