With a convincing Monday night thrashing of the Houston Texans, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots crept closer to the AFC’s top seed, while also jumping to the top spot in KP’s latest edition of NFL Power Rankings at The Wife Hates Sports.
Also leaving quite an impact on the rankings is the Seattle Seahawks, who jumped six spots to sixth place, following a 58-0 blowout of the struggling Arizona Cardinals.
Elsewhere, the aforementioned Texans sit in second, followed by the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons.
Here’s where each squad sits in the rankings after Week 14, featuring some stats, notes, thoughts and figures for every team in the NFL.
NFL Power Rankings: Tom Brady is pointing the Patriots in the right direction
KP’s NFL Power Rankings: December 12, 2012
*Stats, records and information through Week 14 of the 2012 NFL season
1. New England Patriots (257 points)
New England’s last loss was on October 14th, a one-point road defeat at the hands of the Seahawks.
2. Houston Texans (239 points)
Houston’s once rock-solid defense has allowed 120 points combined over the last four games, including 42 in a loss to the Patriots on Monday night.
3. San Francisco 49ers (230 points)
The 49ers are ranked 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards (161.5 per game), opponent passing yards (184.7 per game) and opponent rushing yards (90.8 per game).
4. Denver Broncos (222 points)
In his first full season since having multiple surgeries, Peyton Manning is fourth in the NFL with a 104.0 quarterback rating.
5. Atlanta Falcons (189 points)
Julio Jones is three yards away from giving Atlanta its second 1,000 receiver this season (Roddy White has 1,140 yards).
6. Seattle Seahawks (150 points)
A 58-0 victory over Arizona helped move the Seahawks up the charts – six spots to be exact.
7. Chicago Bears (148 points)
The Bears have lost four of five, but these rankings are a collection of statistics covering the entire season. Clearly though, Chicago is struggling and could continue to fall if nothing changes.
8. New York Giants (142 points)
Victor Cruz has easily been New York’s best receiver this season, with 76 receptions, 1,004 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns.
9. Green Bay Packers (137 points)
Aaron Rodgers has just 4 passing TD’s and 3 interceptions over Green Bay’s last four games.
10. Baltimore Ravens (129 points)
The Ravens have been a middle of the pack offense, ranking 16th in passing yards and 17th in rushing yards. As a result, coordinator Cam Cameron was fired a few days ago.
11. Cincinnati Bengals (118 points)
BenJarvus Green-Ellis is 26 yards away from a 1,000-yard rushing season.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (106 points)
Holding on to the sixth playoff spot in the AFC, the Steelers have two critical games coming, with the Cowboys on the road this weekend and the rival Bengals next week.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (89 points)
Tampa Bay’s defense continues to be lopsided, ranked last in opposing passing yards, but first in opponent rushing yards.
14. Washington Redskins (86 points)
Four straight victories would likely have every Redskins fan thinking playoffs, that is, if everyone’s mind weren’t instead focused on Robert Griffin III’s sprained knee.
15. Indianapolis Colts (85 points)
Statistically, the Colts fail to put up huge points in each category, leaving them near the middle of the pack. However, Indy actually controls its own destiny in the AFC South division.
16. Dallas Cowboys (78 points)
Tony Romo and the Cowboys are quietly in the NFC playoff picture
Winners of four out of five, the Cowboys have quietly snuck under the radar. Tony Romo has, too, what with his near 4,000 passing yards and 20 TD’s.
17. Minnesota Vikings (57 points)
Adrian Peterson is on a record-breaking pace this season, rushing for 1,600 yards and averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
18. St. Louis Rams (45 points)
Chris Givens leads the Rams in receiving yards, with just 584.
19. San Diego Chargers (41 points)
The Chargers have scored 31 or more points in four of its five victories this season.
20. New York Jets (22 points)
Believe it or not, the Jets are still in playoff contention, and face opponents with losing records over its final three games.
21. Detroit Lions (21 points)
Fantasy owners may not be excited by Calvin Johnson’s five touchdowns, but his 1,546 receiving yards currently leads the NFL.
22. Cleveland Browns (8 points)
The Browns have won three straight games, outscoring its opponents 70-38 during that span.
23. Miami Dolphins (7 points)
Brian Hartline is just 75 yards away from his first ever 1,000-yard season.
24. Carolina Panthers (5 points)
Rookie Luke Kuechly leads the NFL in tackles, with 130.
25. Buffalo Bills (-4 points)
The Bills have given up 35 or more points in five of its eight losses this season.
26. New Orleans Saints (-5 points)
The New Orleans defense has allowed 106 total points over its last three games.
27. Philadelphia Eagles (-20 points)
Nick Foles has thrown zero interceptions over his last three games.
28. Tennessee Titans (-62 points)
Chris Johnson has proven his critics wrong, rushing for 1,037 yards so far this season.
29. Arizona Cardinals (-69 points)
John Skelton and Ryan Lindley have combined to throw just two touchdowns, while having 14 interceptions.
30. Kansas City Chiefs (-96 points)
Jamaal Charles leads the AFC in rushing yards, with 1,220. He’s fifth in the NFL behind four NFC running backs.
31. Oakland Raiders (-99 points)
The Raiders have lost six straight games, five of which have been by 13 or more points.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (-125 points)
He hasn’t appeared in a game since October 21st, but Maurice Jones-Drew still leads the Jaguars in rushing yards, with 414.
* All stats per NFL.com
The Wife Hates Sports NFL Power Rankings system has a method to its madness, attempting to be different and not just rank by popularity and record. It mixes a secret formula of eight completely different categories, meshed into a points system. The categories don’t just include team results regarding record, but how each team has performed on the road, as well as incorporating some statistics on both a team’s offense and defense, too.
