NFL Rankings: Top 10 NFL Teams Going Into Week 12

Co-Founder and Writer, Samuel Rodriguez

As the NFL playoffs seem to be inches away, teams are now battling it out for seeding to claim their spot in the race. Although there has been a lot of inconsistencies with NFL teams this season, leaving fans to wonder who to trust as the top teams going into crunch time? Locked IN ranks them right below:

10) Las Vegas Raiders

Or should we call them the Chiefs' kryptonite? After giving the reigning champion Chiefs their only loss of the season during their first division matchup, their last matchup went down to the final minute. Raiders QB Derek Carr has been showing he will not step down when the pressure is on. In the meantime, offensive star power in RB Josh Jacobs and TE Darren Waller keeps producing. While the future looks bright for this Raiders team, they will most likely be a one and done in this year’s playoffs, mostly due to the Raiders' secondary.

9) Buffalo Bills

Before going on a bye week, Bills QB Josh Allen was playing at a Pro Bowl level. After a few rough seasons, Allen is now showing signs of greatness as he improved his decision-making skills and is among the top 10 of the league in QB stats. While he is playing at this level, top target WR Stefon Diggs is proving to be a great addition to this Bills offense, as he is top three in receiving yards. Plus, there is also an unsung hero of the Bills, WR Cole Beasley, who comes up clutch in big moments. Now, we will see if their defense can get back to their dominant ways they showed last year versus a young superstar QB Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.

8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buccaneers QB Tom Brady is not looking like he used to. Could it be because he is now 43-years-old? Maybe, but at least fans know it’s not the weapons this time because the Buccaneers are loaded. The biggest problem with this team is consistency, as they look great in some weeks and flop in others. It also does not help that Brady is growing closer to throwing a career-high in interceptions (currently nine), as he is on pace to have 13 interceptions this season. Based on what they have shown so far, these Buccaneers are very inconsistent and an untrustworthy playoff team.

7) Indianapolis Colts

While beating the Ravens in week 10 and the Packers this past week, the Colts are showing to be a real threat to some of the best. QB Philip Rivers has strung along a few great games during this second half of the season, as he gets more comfortable in the offense. Still, it’s hard to trust an inconsistent QB. With inconsistent offense play and a top-ranked defense, the Colts now stand at 7-3 this season. Will they be playoff contenders? This year seems up in the air for anybody, but like the Buccaneers, the Colts need to be more consistent.

6) Tennessee Titans

DE Jadeveon Clowney's injury takes a huge toll on the Titans' defense, as they struggle with getting sacks and run defense. Still, there is another bad man on this team that can bull rush guys in RB Derrick Henry. Henry is the type of RB to shove the ball down defense's throats while he runs defenders over. Yet, there are still questions if he can carry the offense enough to make the Super Bowl, but with the weather getting colder the run game is going to be huge.

5) Green Bay Packers

Yes, coming off a loss may seem bad, but NFL fans cannot forget who runs this team. Starting QB Aaron Rodgers is still one of the top three QBs in this league. Although, the Packers' defense and their coordinator are not up to par, as teams run all over them to keep Rodgers on the bench. Talking about help, in order to compete with top-ranked teams, the Packers need more firepower from their offense and fewer turnovers. They are Super Bowl contenders when they play like the Packers the NFL fans know.

4) Los Angeles Rams

After winning a huge Monday night football game against the “packed” Buccaneers, the Rams showed why their defense ranks among the top of the NFL, with Buccaneers QB Brady being picked off not once, but TWICE. The well-rounded defense is consistently the Rams' greatest strength, but can it carry them to the Super Bowl? The only thing that would hold them back would be the man under center, QB Jared Goff.

3) New Orleans Saints

Saints Star QB Drew Brees’ days are almost over, yet there is still hope over in New Orleans. Backup QB, Taysom Hill played a solid game to get the Saints the win over the Atlanta Falcons in week 11. In his first start this year, Hill showed that he is enough to lead this team to wins, as he threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns. As a result, the Saints are now on a seven-game winning streak, and other NFC teams should be scared.

2) Kansas City Chiefs

Having the best QB in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes helps your case every week for rankings. This past week Mahomes showed once again why he is the most clutch player in the NFL, as he led two touchdown drives in the 4th quarter for the Chiefs to cap off the Raiders in Las Vegas. While they’re still one game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Chiefs look as explosive as expected. Although that one loss will haunt them, as it’s the reason they are not number one this week.

1) Pittsburgh Steelers

Who would have expected the Steelers to be 10-0 right now? This defense has been doing wonders as it ranks among the top in NFL in pressure. Meanwhile, returning QB Big Ben looks to be back in prime form, partnering with what looks to be the steal of the draft and next superstar WR in Chase Claypool. The Steelers look explosive all the way around. Taking this all into consideration, they should be Super Bowl favorites for everyone right now.

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