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NFL Week 12 Power Rankings: Eagles still No. 1, Bengals tumble
Amid Week 12’s action, some teams are on the rise, while others are grappling with injuries that have impacted their standing in the season. Mackenzie Salmon provides all the details on the latest rankings.
NFL power rankings entering Week 12 of the 2023 season (previous rank in parentheses):
- Eagles (1): Monday night, C Jason Kelce got his long-awaited victory over former coach Andy Reid and current brother Travis Kelce. The schedule won’t let up for Philly over the next month, but the reigning NFC champs proved – maybe, most importantly, to themselves? – that they can beat anyone and anywhere.
- Chiefs (2): Of course, if WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling makes a play at game’s end – or had Taylor Swift been able to attend – Reid would be 5-0 against his former team while establishing a K.C. record with 125 regular-season wins. The defending champions will certainly be back … though work to be done to reclaim the AFC’s No. 1 seed from Baltimore. A generally forgiving cluster of games down the stretch should help to that end.
- 49ers (3): Brock Purdy, “Mr. Irrelevant,” has faced No. 1 overall draft pick QBs each of the past three games, winning twice. His next three matchups are with second-rounders before he sees Kyler Murray, the top pick in 2019, in Week 15. All of those opposing passers will draw a San Francisco defense depleted by the loss of All-Pro S Talanoa Hufanga (torn ACL).
- Ravens (5): Baltimore’s top-ranked running game is in fine shape, Lamar Jackson now the first quarterback in league history to rush for at least 500 yards in each of his first six seasons. RB Gus Edwards has 10 TDs already after totaling nine over the previous three years. But a 20th-ranked passing game better hope TE Isaiah Likely can capably fill in for injured All-Pro Mark Andrews.
- Cowboys (7): CB DaRon Bland’s next pick-six will give him the NFL’s single-season record, which is great. However WR CeeDee Lamb is the only Dallas player with more TDs (6) than Bland’s four … which is not as great.
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