ESPN Power Rankings: Your top 15

[Rock Strongo]

1. Philadelphia Eagles

2017 record: 10-1
Week 12 ranking: No. 1

The Eagles have the best record in the NFL and are the most efficient team, according to FPI -- and that's all thanks to balance. They've thrown for the most touchdowns, rushed for the most yards after contact, allowed the fewest rush yards per game and allowed the second-fewest yards per pass attempt.
2. New England Patriots
2017 record:9-2
Week 12 ranking: No. 2

The defense has made a substantial turnaround since a slow start, but the Patriots' bread and butter is still an offense led by a guy whose diet doesn't allow much actual bread and butter. Tom Brady's offense has been the most efficient in the NFL this season, according to FPI, and has committed a league-low seven turnovers.

3. Los Angeles Rams
2017 record: 8-3
Week 12 ranking: No. 6

Jared Goff is having a great season, but he has been getting plenty of help from his friends. The Rams are averaging an NFL-best 13.3 yards per reception and a league-best 6.7 yards after the catch.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers
2017 record: 9-2
Week 12 ranking: No. 3

Le'Veon Bell leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage and Antonio Browns leads all wide receivers. Their 2,572 combined yards from scrimmage are most by a pair of teammates this season.

5. Minnesota Vikings
2017 record: 9-2
Week 12 ranking: No. 4

Sam Bradford played well before his injury, and Case Keenum has been great with Bradford out. As a result, the Vikings have the best team Total QBR (74) this season. Give credit to the pass protection, too. They've allowed 12 sacks this year, tied for fewest in the NFL.

6. New Orleans Saints
2017 record: 8-2
Week 12 ranking: No. 5

Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara might be the best backfield duo of 2017, and the stats bear that out. No team has gained more rushing yards from running backs and no team has gained more receiving yards from running backs than the Saints have this season.

7. Seattle Seahawks
2017 record: 7-4
Week 12 ranking: No. 10

The Seahawks have actually been outscored in the first three quarters of games this season, but they're 7-4 thanks to their dominance in the fourth. They've scored an NFL-best 104 points in the fourth quarter of games this season, outscoring opponents by a league-best 58 points.

8. Carolina Panthers
2017 record: 8-3
Week 12 ranking: No. 8

An 8-3 team has to be doing a lot stuff well, but the Panthers' biggest strength this season might be what they don't do: commit penalties. Carolina has been flagged a league-low 67 times this season, and only 21 of those have been against the defense.

9. Atlanta Falcons
2017 record: 7-4
Week 12 ranking: No. 9

Atlanta's specialty this season has been moving the chains. The Falcons have converted 48 percent of third downs this season, best in the NFL. It would also be the best by the Falcons since the 1999 team -- which made the Super Bowl -- converted 54 percent of third downs.

10. Los Angeles Chargers
2017 record: 5-6
Week 12 ranking: No. 16

The Chargers are tied for the second-best turnover differential this season, but no team has been better since their 0-4 start. Since the start of Week 5, the Chargers have committed a league-low five turnovers while forcing a league-best 17 turnovers.

11. Jacksonville Jaguars
2017 record: 7-4
Week 12 ranking: No. 7

Pick something related to pass defense and odds are the Jaguars are leading in it. They've allowed the fewest yards per attempt (5.9), pass yards (1,856) and passing touchdowns (9) and posted the best TD-INT ratio (0.64). They've also sacked the quarterback a league-high 41 times.

12. Washington Redskins
2017 record: 5-6
Week 12 ranking: No. 15

The Redskins don't have many big name receivers, but that hasn't stopped their pass offense from ripping off explosive plays. Washington has 22 pass plays of 30 or more yards this season, three more than any other team in the NFL.

13. Detroit Lions
2017 record: 6-5
Week 12 ranking: No. 11

The Lions are ranked fifth in points per game, but the offense isn't the sole reason. Detroit has scored seven defensive and special teams touchdowns, best in the NFL.

14. Tennessee Titans
2017 record: 7-4
Week 12 ranking: No. 14

The Titans hold onto the ball better than any other team. Not in terms of time of possession -- they rank 11th in that -- but physically holding the ball. Tennessee has fumbled a league-low five times and the Titans' pass-catchers have dropped only seven passes, also fewest in the NFL.

15. Kansas City Chiefs
2017 record: 6-5
Week 12 ranking: No. 10

The Chiefs' offense has disappeared and the defense hasn't been as strong as it has in recent years, but the special teams units are still firing on all cylinders. Kansas City has had the best special teams play, according to FPI, which is bolstered by no missed extra points and a league-best 96.3 field goal percentage.

 

[Rock Strongo]

discuss

 

[LetsGoPats]

discuss

NFL power rankings are useless.

 

[rmilia1]

I'd go....

1. New England
2. Philly
3. Minnesota
4. Pitt
5. Rams
6. New Orleans
7. Atlanta
8. Carolina
9. Seattle
10. Jacksonville
11. Tennessee
12. Detroit
13. Chargers
14. KC
15. Buffalo

 

[Battlelyon]

Rams should be ranked lower than the Vikings, Vikings should be 3, Steelers at 4, Rams at 5, Saints at 6, Panthers at 7. While the Chargers shouldn't be in the top 10

 

[Yo Tee]

My top 15 would be...

Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams
New England
Minnesota
Pittsburgh
New Orleans
Carolina
Atlanta
Jacksonville
Seattle
Tennessee
Los Angeles Chargers
Baltimore
Buffalo
Detroit

I can't put Kansas City or Washington in here. Yeah, Redskins beat the Giants. Big deal. Washington couldn't hold onto the win against New Orleans and that was a baaad way to lose a winnable game. I also don't get putting Buffalo behind KC after Buffalo JUST beat them.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

1-3 I'm good with.
4-6 I think can be intermingled they're all very close.
7 I think Seattle is too high. Way too many key injuries. That 104 points in the 4th is a nice ace in the hole to have.
8-10 meh.

After that who really cares?

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Steelers should be behind everyone up through Atlanta at #9

 

[Yo Tee]

Steelers should be behind everyone up through Atlanta at #9

Now I know you're smoking dope.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Now I know you're smoking dope.

Apologies, losing to the Bears, struggling to beat the Colts and the practice squad of the Packers

Color me not impressed

 

[Yo Tee]

Apologies, losing to the Bears, struggling to beat the Colts and the practice squad of the Packers

Color me not impressed

Seahawks lost to the Redskins, struggled to beat the 49ers and Cardinals.
Falcons lost to the Dolphins, struggled to beat the Bears and Jets
Panthers lost to the Bears, struggled to beat the Jets

Push the Steelers down to 6th maybe, but that's about as low as they should go.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Seahawks lost to the Redskins, struggled to beat the 49ers and Cardinals.
Falcons lost to the Dolphins, struggled to beat the Bears and Jets
Panthers lost to the Bears, struggled to beat the Jets

Push the Steelers down to 6th maybe, but that's about as low as they should go.

Everyone that has beaten the jets has struggled to do so

The Redskins isnt a bad loss at all

And the Seahawks definitely did not "struggle" Sunday to beat the Niners

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Wow how KC has plummeted.

 

[Yo Tee]

Everyone that has beaten the jets has struggled to do so

The Redskins isnt a bad loss at all

And the Seahawks definitely did not "struggle" Sunday to beat the Niners

Redskins is a bad loss. Defense is bad, no running game, o-line sucks, receivers can't catch the ball. They are a bad team.
Jets is a bad loss. Don't all of a sudden say a loss to the Jets isn't a bad loss because it's a good argument to your point.
It was a 1 possession game until the beginning of the 4th quarter of the Seahawks/49ers game.

The Steelers aren't the best team at all. They have always played down to less than average teams for some reason. But we've found a way to win and that says something to the tenacity of this team. We also blew out 2 division leaders (Vikings and Titans). Putting the Steelers 4th is probably a little too confident, I'd say 5th or 6th would be the best spot for Pittsburgh.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Redskins is a bad loss. Defense is bad, no running game, o-line sucks, receivers can't catch the ball. They are a bad team.
Jets is a bad loss. Don't all of a sudden say a loss to the Jets isn't a bad loss because it's a good argument to your point.
It was a 1 possession game until the beginning of the 4th quarter of the Seahawks/49ers game.

The Steelers aren't the best team at all. They have always played down to less than average teams for some reason. But we've found a way to win and that says something to the tenacity of this team. We also blew out 2 division leaders (Vikings and Titans). Putting the Steelers 4th is probably a little too confident, I'd say 5th or 6th would be the best spot for Pittsburgh.

Jets havent been blown out all season with the exception of the Raiders game, and neither the Falcons or Panthers lost to them

Skins will finish around 8-8, there are a LOT of teams worse than them, maybe even the Steelers

 

[Yo Tee]

Jets havent been blown out all season with the exception of the Raiders game, and neither the Falcons or Panthers lost to them

Skins will finish around 8-8, there are a LOT of teams worse than them, maybe even the Steelers

So the level of whether the Jets are a bad team or not is that they haven't been blown out all season? Come on now. And the Steelers are worse than the Redskins? You're joking now. I can't take you seriously right now haha

 

[BottleWalk]

Call me stubborn but I'd rather play the eagles than the pats in a playoff game almost regardless of location and therefore I'm still putting the pats at number one. Whatever issues they had early in the season are very long gone...

 

[BottleWalk]

So the level of whether the Jets are a bad team or not is that they haven't been blown out all season? Come on now. And the Steelers are worse than the Redskins? You're joking now. I can't take you seriously right now haha

Both of you guys have said some strange things...you said the Skins "are a bad team" which is not true- they're a better team than one or two teams that will make the afc playoffs.

And it's obviously also false that they're as good as the Steelers. They're a decent team that, if they played all the other 31 teams in the league in a round-robin, would probably get about 16 or 17 wins. Losing to them isn't disgraceful, but it does punch a hole in the "you can't beat Seattle in the link" theory since on paper the seahawks should be a clearly better team.

I also hate evaluating teams based on one or two games- I think seattle will find a way to make it into the playoffs one way or another

 

[Yo Tee]

Both of you guys have said some strange things...you said the Skins "are a bad team" which is not true- they're a better team than one or two teams that will make the afc playoffs.

And it's obviously also false that they're as good as the Steelers. They're a decent team that, if they played all the other 31 teams in the league in a round-robin, would probably get about 16 or 17 wins. Losing to them isn't disgraceful, but it does punch a hole in the "you can't beat Seattle in the link" theory since on paper the seahawks should be a clearly better team.

I also hate evaluating teams based on one or two games- I think seattle will find a way to make it into the playoffs one way or another

The Redskins as a whole are not a good team. Comparing them to the AFC playoff teams isn't a fair comparison either because the competition on the AFC side is appalling. Seattle MIGHT find a way, depending on the NFC South and how that all plays out. The Steelers struggle against below average teams, that's a trend unfortunately. They play down to bad teams and play up to good teams. To say they are barely a top 10 team in the NFL because of a loss to the Bears in OT and struggling against the Colts and Packers, yet the teams that "should" be put against them have bad losses and struggled against bad teams also is just laughable.

 

[BottleWalk]

The Redskins as a whole are not a good team. Comparing them to the AFC playoff teams isn't a fair comparison either because the competition on the AFC side is appalling. Seattle MIGHT find a way, depending on the NFC South and how that all plays out. The Steelers struggle against below average teams, that's a trend unfortunately. They play down to bad teams and play up to good teams. To say they are barely a top 10 team in the NFL because of a loss to the Bears in OT and struggling against the Colts and Packers, yet the teams that "should" be put against them have bad losses and struggled against bad teams also is just laughable.

I haven't said that the steelers aren't a top five team and personally I'd still put them at number three, so I'm not sure what the hangup is there.....

The skins I think would be around 13-15 if I made a list now and whether you think that's good is a question of definition. But in any case seattle isn't not a good team just because of one surprising upset loss. Only cfb works like that lol