NFL Power Rankings: Eagles still on top; Jets, Bengals move up

Finally, we can catch our breath. The past few weeks went full-send in the NFL, as the power structure was shaken up by surprising results and shocking upsets. And while that's always going to be a key element of the league — Any Given Sunday remains a trope— things felt a bit quieter in Week 12.

Among the Top 10 teams in last week's power rankings, an impressive nine won over the holiday weekend. It makes things easier to navigate at the top, but man if it doesn't turn an already-messy situation in the middle into a true traffic jam.

With that said, let's have some fun trying to determine how we feel about a league whose middle class seems to get bigger by the week.

1)  Philadelphia Eagles (10-1): It's so impressive and scary when this team is able to dictate the flow of the game. Few, if any, defenses in this league can limit the Eagles' run game when things are clicking, and Jalen Hurts continues to make the necessary throws to keep this offense three-dimensional. Nice to see a bounce-back performance after the last couple of weeks.

2) Kansas City Chiefs (9-2): It's hard to keep track of all the way the Chiefs were sloppy in their win against the Rams. Most alarming of all was probably a 1-of-6 red-zone performance. And yet, if you're able to win by 16 when throwing up a truly stinky performance, it probably means you're pretty good.

3) Miami Dolphins (8-3): The Dolphins did what they were supposed to do, racing out to a 30-0 lead against overmatched Houston. The next three weeks should be fun for one of the league's hottest teams, with a murderer's row of at 49ers, at Chargers and at Bills coming up next.

4) Dallas Cowboys (8-3): Much like the Chiefs, it's encouraging when the Cowboys can play an awful first half and still work their way to a comfortable win against a divisional rival. Still, if the types of miscues that plagued them against the Giants happen against a better team, they'll be in trouble. 

5)  Minnesota Vikings (9-2): Don't underestimate the difficulty of turning the page on a demoralizing loss and grabbing a win on a short week. Kirk Cousins' performance against a feisty New England defense might've been the best of his season — especially since he got limited help from his run game.

6) Buffalo Bills (8-3): This isn't about the Lions, who have proven themselves as a capable opponent. But the last-second Thanksgiving win continues what is now a month-long trend for the Bills offense, which can't seem to find much series-to-series consistency. More will be needed from Josh Allen moving forward.

7)  San Francisco 49ers (7-4): Say what you will about the offense, which still looks a bit boom-or-bust. It doesn't matter as much when this defense hasn't allowed a second-half point since the Oct. 23 loss to Kansas City. 

8) Cincinnati Bengals (7-4): It's starting to feel awfully like 2021 around this team — which is good timing, since the Bengals welcome Kansas City to town this week. Adding Ja'Marr Chase back to this offense could put Cinci on the AFC short list.

9) Tennessee Titans (7-4): What a brutal way to lose a game — an untimely penalty on a field goal try that would have given the Titans a shot to force overtime. It was wild to watch Tennessee get beaten by its own bully ball game against the Bengals on Sunday.

10) New York Giants (7-4): The shine is coming off the Giants' early-season success, but it was impressive to watch such a depleted roster put up a gutsy effort in Dallas. The Giants still have both games to play against Philadelphia and Washington. They not only have every opportunity to make the playoffs — but also to cause chaos in the NFC along the way.

11) Baltimore Ravens (7-4): It's staggering to think about where the Ravens could be if they had only fallen apart in the fourth quarter half as many times. Missed opportunities on offense and untimely turnovers make up a recipe that's cost them in all four of their losses. It's enough to make you wonder if they're capable of fixing it.

12) Washington Commanders (7-5): A 1-4 skid to open the season, followed by a 6-1 stretch to follow it up. What a roller coaster ride. True, some of this stuff — like an end-zone interception in crunch time — is hard to replicate. But you can see this team growing in confidence. Back-to-back games against the Giants, sandwiched around a bye week, will be fun to watch.

13) New York Jets (7-4): For the second time in the last year, Mike White is the talk of the league after a phenomenal start. Who can say if White is the long-term answer at quarterback, but it further underscores the point: with a defense like this, the Jets aren't asking a lot from their signal-caller. They can make some noise.

14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6): Well, there goes the budding narrative that the Bucs are turning into the scariest team in the playoff picture. Aside from everything else that happened in an ugly loss, Tampa Bay needs to hope that All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs is OK in the long run. Tom Brady's chances of success might hinge on it.

15) Seattle Seahawks (6-5): It's been almost two months, but the Bad Seattle Defense reared its head again. It's going to be tough to hang on in the playoff race for any team that's allowing 576 yards of offense — including 300-plus all-purpose yards to Josh Jacobs. 

16) Los Angeles Chargers (6-5): Pretty win? No. Gutsy and necessary win? Absolutely. For all the injuries he's dealt with this season — to himself and his teammates — it was fun to watch Justin Herbert grind out a clutch drive in crunch time. And for the Chargers to put the ball in his hands and go for the win? Even better. 

17) New England Patriots (6-5): The Patriots feel like the epitome of the NFL's middle class this year. They're capable of playing with anyone, and even of pulling out some eye-catching results on their best day. But as they're currently constructed, you're probably not banking on them to pull out many wins against the league's upper tier, as was the case in Minnesota on Thanksgiving.

18) Cleveland Browns (4-7): What a satisfying way for Jacoby Brissett to conclude his time as the Browns' starter. Regardless of what comes next, it had to be fun to topple Tom Brady in such a slog of a game. Now, all eyes turn toward what we see from Deshaun Watson in the home stretch of the season.

19) Detroit Lions (4-7): It is at least a positive sign for the Lions that Thursday's loss felt devastating, because they've played well enough to give fans hope. Detroit absolutely deserved to beat Buffalo for large parts of the early Thanksgiving game. The game management on the Lions' final drive — not taking time outs, seemingly playing for the field goal – was tough to stomach.

20) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7): What a fun moment for a team that needed one. The Jags' seven losses this season have come by an average of just 6.9 points, so an upset over Baltimore shouldn't be as stunning as it looks. But when given a chance to sneak out with a win, what a great call by Doug Pederson to put the game in his young quarterback's hands.

21) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-7): It's not often going to be pretty when you're breaking in a rookie quarterback, but that felt like a big win for the Steelers. They had control of this game and lost it, only to watch Kenny Pickett guide them back to the lead in time for the defense to shut the door. This team isn't going anywhere in 2022, but this is a win that provides hope for the future.

22) Atlanta Falcons (5-7): We'd all agree that the Falcons have been surprisingly scrappy in 2022. But at least we can always count on this franchise to find new and devastating ways to lose. A goal-line interception, followed by a brutal penalty that allowed Washington to ice the game. And this was a win that could've given Atlanta the division lead. Oh, Falcons.

23) Green Bay Packers (4-8): Aaron Rodgers told reporters he wanted to keep playing as long as the Packers are mathematically eligible for the playoffs. But those chances sit around 3%, and Rodgers is dealing with rib and thumb injuries. It still feels weird to say for such a consistent franchise, but maybe it's time for Green Bay to call 2022 a lost season and take a look at Jordan Love.

24) Indianapolis Colts (4-7-1): Disappointing team finds ways to stay disappointing, regardless of coach. The Colts didn't bother to wake up for a crucial Monday night game until halftime, and even then, they were plagued by ball security issues and bad offensive-line play. Not the most entertaining way to spend a Monday evening, but at least now we can avoid wasting time thinking about the Colts making a second half surge.

25) Las Vegas Raiders (4-7): Josh Jacobs going supernova in Seattle is just another reminder that this team has far too much talent to sit so far below .500. Officially, the Raiders still have a small chance of piecing together a postseason run. Realistically, it's fascinating to think which talented pieces will still be here in 2023 — and which won't be.

26) Arizona Cardinals (4-8): The Cardinals took a 24-17 lead against the Chargers with 13:31 to play. On their ensuing three possessions, with a chance to close the game out, they went three-and-out thrice. Another frustrating day for one of the most frustrating offenses in the league.

27) Carolina Panthers (4-8): That's the arm talent that made Sam Darnold a top-five pick. Say what you will about Denver's offense, but that's an impressive Denver defense the Panthers were able to move the ball against. It doesn't change the trajectory of the season, but it was a nice day at the office.

28) New Orleans Saints (4-8): Few teams fluctuate as wildly from week to week as the Saints. The same group that got shut out by San Francisco was able to pitch its own shutout against Las Vegas. The same team that struggled to score points the last three weeks has also gotten into shootouts with playoff contenders like Seattle, Cincinnati and Minnesota. It's impossible to know what to expect with the Saints, except that the result is likely going to be a loss.

29) Chicago Bears (3-9): At least the losses are entertaining when Justin Fields plays. As much as he might need to improve as a passer, his athletic ability gives the Bears an undeniable edge on offense. With Darnell Mooney now lost for the season, it doesn't look to get any prettier.

30) Los Angeles Rams (3-8): The Rams don't have any regrets. That Super Bowl LVI banner hasn't even started collecting dust. Still, even if they weren't going to repeat, no one could have seen this coming. With Aaron Donald now added to the list of injured veterans, the Rams are on the verge of the worst seasons by a defending champion in the Super Bowl era.

31) Denver Broncos (3-8): It's hard to imagine a realistic scenario where things are worse. The offense remains a travesty, and now it's gotten to the point where a Broncos defender is feuding with Russell Wilson on the field. Denver hasn't even played either of its games against the Chiefs. One of the most magnificent train wrecks in recent NFL history.

32) Houston Texans (1-9-1): The blurb here could stay the same virtually every week. This time the Texans rallied late, rather than fading away, but they still cruised to a comfortable 15-point loss. They figure to be in the news cycle a bit more this week, on account of the visit from their former franchise quarterback.

Read more from the World Cup:

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• Landon Donovan's four-step guide to becoming a World Cup hero

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David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter @davidhelman_.