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NFL Power Rankings 2013, Week 12: Giants continue to soar

After fourth straight win, Giants climb in Big Blue View's Power Rankings

By Sam Spiegelman
Elsa

Week 11 featured so many matchups that had shed some light on the true colors of some NFL teams. The Broncos knocked off the Chiefs, providing they're the class of the AFC, while Seattle and New Orleans stood out in the NFC.

The Giants won their fourth straight game -- over a Packers squad without Aaron Rodgers -- again with the defense leading the charge. The Giants are just one loss out of first place in the NFC East with divisional contests against Dallas and Washington in the next two weeks.

While Dallas sat idly, Philly notched their first home win of the season and took over first place in the division. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the 'Skins may have punched their ticket out of the playoffs.

Here are the Big Blue View Power Rankings for Week 12:

1. Denver Broncos (9-1): The Broncos are the class of the AFC, plain and simple. (LW: 1)

2. Seattle Seahawks (10-1): With the offensive line and Percy Harvin healthy, this team could come out even better after the bye week. (LW: 2)

3. New Orleans Saints (8-2): It's amazing how well-rounded the Saints are after last season's debacle. (LW: 4)

4. Indianapolis Colts (7-3): The comeback kids, the Colts have beaten the NFL's elite but struggled -- at least early on -- against inferior opponents. (LW: 5)

5. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1): Eventually, we knew this offense would hold them back. (LW: 3)

6. New England Patriots (7-3): This defensive-oriented version of New England reminds me more of the Super Bowl-winning teams, but they used to be able to pull out wins in close games. (LW: 7)

7. Detroit Lions (6-4): Chalk that last loss up to Pittsburgh. The Lions will still likely take home the NFC North. (LW: 6)

8. Carolina Panthers (7-3): The hottest team in the NFL, Carolina's defense is proving to be among the best in the game these days. LW: 9)

9. Cincinnati Bengals (7-4): With the Ravens reeling, the Bengals seemingly have an AFC North title within their reach. (LW: 11)

10. San Francisco 49ers (6-4): Now losers of two n a row, the 49ers have two winnable games before facing off against Seattle. (LW: 8)

11. Chicago Bears (6-4): Even without Jay Cutler, the Bears are hanging close to the top. (LW: 12)

12. Green Bay Packers (5-5): Aaron Rodgers is simply irreplaceable. He makes up for Green Bay's very mediocre defense. (LW: 12)

13. Philadelphia Eagles (6-5): The Eagles are soaring high, and they finally got their first home win of the year. (LW: 19)

14. Dallas Cowboys (5-5): Is Dallas any better than a .500 club? (LW: 13)

15. Arizona Cardinals (6-4): Winners of three in a row, Arizona's road get much tougher in the next few weeks. (LW: 17)

16. New York Jets (5-5): Still occupying an AFC Wildcard spot, you'd expect the Jets to put forth a better performance after a bye week. (LW: 14)

17. New York Giants (4-6): It's amazing to see how much defense is winning football games for the Giants. The next two weeks have major post-season implications. (LW: 18)

18. Baltimore Ravens (4-6): The Super Bowl champs certainly lack that "it" quality this season. (LW: 16)

19. Miami Dolphins (5-5): The Dolphins are such a disaster off the field, we forget their just a game back of a Wildcard spot. (LW: 20)

20. San Diego Chargers (4-6): Is there any team more difficult to read than San Diego? (LW:15)

21. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-6): Just when you're ready to count out Pittsburgh, they knock off Detroit. They're not dead ... yet. (LW: 22)

22. St. Louis Rams (4-6): After defeating Indy before their bye, it'll be intriguing how they fair against the NFC elite down the stretch. (LW: 22)

23. Tennessee Titans (4-6): The Titans looked sharp at the start of Thursday Night Football. What a drop-off. (LW: 21)

24. Buffalo Bills (4-7): E.J. Manuel certainly outplayed Geno Smith in the battle of rookie quarterbacks. (LW: 26)

25. Oakland Raiders (4-6): Wow, Matt McGloin. Is there a quarterback controversy by the bay? (LW: 28)

26. Cleveland Browns (4-6): The Browns play tough and they're improving, but they're awful away from the Dog Pound. (LW: 24)

27. Washington Redskins (3-7): The 'Skins might have cost themselves a spot in the playoffs with a loss to Philly. Should Mike Shanahan's job be on the line? (LW: 27)

28. Houston Texans (2-8): Case Keenum was benched. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are barking at each other. This team's a mess. (LW: 25)

29. Minnesota Vikings (2-8): This teams need to find out who's their quarterback in the offseason. (LW: 29)

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-8): Two wins a row -- break up the Bucs! (LW: 31)

31. Atlanta Falcons (2-9): Atlanta has dropped four in a row. What a disastrous turnaround. (LW: 30)

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9): After notching their first win last week, the Jags let Carson Palmer slice and dice them. Yikes. (LW: 32)

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