NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Rams, Patriots continue meteoric ascent, Chargers, Bucs, Lions drop

Week 11 delivered a series of dominant displays, stunning upsets, and no shortage of jaw-dropping action - very much in keeping with what we’ve seen throughout this wildly unpredictable 2025 NFL season.

If you've been following along on DAZN with NFL Game Pass, you’ve seen how even this campaign really is, with the supposed giants slipping and the overlooked teams proving they aren't the afterthoughts we initially thought they were.

With Week 12 rapidly approaching, we pulled together everything we’ve seen so far and ordered all 32 teams in our latest power rankings. Let's dive in.

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1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2, ▬ ): The offense still isn’t clicking, but there’s a sense of when, not if, it does. Their defense, rejuvenated with the addition of Jaelan Phillips, has come into its own. They’re not dominating, but they have just knocked off two strong teams.

2. New England Patriots (9-2, ▲ 4): Eight consecutive wins. Quarterback Drake Maye is playing at an MVP level. Head coach Mike Vrabel is looking like the Coach of the Year. The only blot is the injury to Milton Williams.

3. Los Angeles Rams (8-2, ▲ 2): Matthew Stafford is the headline act, but even in a game when he barely completes 50% of his passes, the defense comes up big. Locking down Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense in that manner was impressive.

4. Indianapolis Colts (8-2, ▼ 2): The Colts slipping a few spots while on a bye week highlights how close these top five are. If Daniel Jones catches fire again, they will make a deep postseason run. Even if he doesn’t, Jonathan Taylor simply cannot be stopped. The showdown with the Chiefs this weekend will reveal a lot about where both teams are.

5. Denver Broncos (9-2, ▲ 5): Defeating the Chiefs was a statement moment. We know the Bo Nix-led offense has its flaws, but this defense is as good as it gets, and they get reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain back soon.

6. Buffalo Bills (7-3, ▲ 5): Beating a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the shock defeat to the Miami Dolphins was exactly what Sean McDermott’s side needed. Can they continue to win without an elite wideout? Josh Allen cannot account for six touchdowns every week.

7. Seattle Seahawks (7-3, ▬ ): Strictly speaking, the Seahawks should have slipped, as much for their loss to the Rams as for the problems on the interior of their offensive line. Mike Macdonald will find a way.

8. Detroit Lions (6-4, ▼ 5): Two wins in the last five have revealed problems in Detroit. This offense desperately needs to find its rhythm again. They have the talent to do so.

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9. San Francisco 49ers (7-4, ▲ 5): Purdy looked excellent in his return. Can they keep winning without more help at wide receiver? Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle are excellent, and Jauan Jennings is showing signs of life, but they could really do with Brandon Aiyuk back sooner rather than later.

10. Chicago Bears (7-3, ▬ ): Kudos to head coach Ben Johnson for fixing many of the Bears’ problems this year. Leading the stacked NFC North is not something many of us saw coming. If they can find a way to get Caleb Williams playing a little more consistently, they could be truly dangerous. Otherwise, it feels like this could go south at any moment.

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4, ▼ 5): Three losses in the last four is not a good look, even if they have all come against good teams. Injuries have taken their toll. Beyond the Rams this weekend, their schedule gets a little lighter down the stretch.

12. Baltimore Ravens (5-5, ▲ 4): Lamar Jackson has led the charge in the Ravens’ four-game winning streak. They should be beating a team like the Browns by more, but Myles Garrett is too much for anyone right now.

13. Green Bay Packers (6-3-1, ▼ 1): They’re too talented to be ranked this low, but their win over the Jaxson Dart-less Giants wasn’t as dominant as it should have been. Their remaining schedule is daunting.

14. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4, ▼ 6): Losing to the Jaguars wasn't entirely surprising. Losing in that manner was truly shocking. It doesn’t matter how talented Justin Herbert is when his offensive line cannot protect him. The absence of Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt is felt every week.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4, ▬ ): It looks like Aaron Rodgers has avoided serious injury, but the Steelers have been wildly inconsistent over the last month. With the Bears, Bills, Ravens (twice), and the Lions on the upcoming schedule, they need to be at their best.

16. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5, ▼ 3): Who saw this coming? The AFC West is slipping away, and the Chiefs are on the verge of missing the postseason. With that said, who would put it past them to turn on the style and sneak into a Wild Card spot?

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17. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4, ▲ 1): Whatever happens the rest of the way, Jacksonville has definitely turned a corner. They still have a long way to go, but with key players returning and some of their star players yet to hit top form, they could remain dangerous.

18. Carolina Panthers (6-5, ▲ 1): Bryce Young had a day against an excellent Falcons defense, but he’ll need to produce more consistently before we truly believe. Tet McMillan is becoming every bit as good as expected and will need to maintain that level if the Panthers are to keep the Buccaneers at bay in the NFC South.

19. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1, ▲ 2): Prescott and the whole Dallas offense were scintillating on MNF, exposing a Raiders defense that thought it was making progress. Defensively, too, they played far better than they have all season, with Quinnen Williams looking like an inspired acquisition. Will it be enough to save Eberflus’ job?

20. Houston Texans (5-5, ▼ 1): The Texans’ defense did its job last week, as it has so often this year. They need C.J. Stroud back ASAP and Nico Collins to continue his recent improvement.

21. Minnesota Vikings (4-6, ▬ ): The jury is out on J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings’ season, and McCarthy’s future as Minnesota’s quarterback, hinges on how he performs between now and the end of the year. The next two games against the Packers and Seahawks could either make or break their season.

22. Miami Dolphins (4-7, ▲ 5): At one point, it looked like the Dolphins had given up on the season. Fast forward to Week 11, and they’ve won three of their last four. Tua is still inconsistent, but he’s getting away with it because DeVon Achane is unbelievably talented.

23. Cincinnati Bengals (3-7, ▲ 1): Even after a jarring loss to the Steelers, the Bengals - who have several issues and will be without Ja’Marr Chase against the Patriots in Week 12 - deserve this spot simply because Joe Burrow is nearing a return.

24.  Arizona Cardinals (3-7, ▲ 1): Even with Jacoby Brissett breaking the pass-completion record, the Cardinals stumbled. But there’s still a sense that they are better than the teams below them. The loss to the Titans aside, every game they’ve dropped has been against good teams.

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25.  Atlanta Falcons (3-7, ▼ 4): With Michael Penix on IR and Drake London missing Week 12, the Falcons are in danger of going into freefall. The only saving grace is that they play the Saints this weekend and have the Jets in Week 13.

26.  New Orleans Saints (2-8, ▲ 2): Can Tyler Shough build on his promising Week 10 performance before the Saints’ bye and become the player they build around next year? Who knows. What’s clear is that even if he does, this roster needs to be overhauled.

27.  Washington Commanders (3-8, ▲ 2): When we describe the Commanders’ loss to the Dolphins as encouraging, it demonstrates the depths to which Washington has sunk this year. Injuries to key players have completely derailed their season.

28.  New York Jets (2-8, ▼ 4): On defense, parting ways with Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner sank what was already a sinking boat. On offense, as exciting as he is to watch, we know Justin Fields lacks what it takes to become a franchise quarterback.

29.  New York Giants (2-9, ▬ ): Outside of Brian Burns’ excellent season, there’s not much to like here. 2026 should be much better, with Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, and Malik Nabers back in the fold.

30.  Cleveland Browns (2-9, ▼ 1): Shedeur Sanders should play better with a week of first-team reps under his belt, and the otherworldly play of Myles Garrett and Carson Schwesinger has kept them in games. But they’re still a franchise quarterback and an elite wide receiver away from seriously competing.

31.  Las Vegas Raiders (2-8, ▼ 1): Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty give them pieces to build around, but that display against the Cowboys underlined how far they have to go.

32.  Tennessee Titans (1-9, ▬ ): Cam Ward had some bright moments against the Texans, as did the Titans’ defense. Otherwise, it was more of the same. With Calvin Ridley now on IR, Tennessee may not add to their win tally this season.