Week 12 Barometer

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We’re back this week with a holiday edition of the NFL Barometer. Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the Lions and the Cowboys putting on a show as you shovel mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie down your gullet. On top of the two traditional games that occur every year, there will be a third holiday game for those of you lucky enough to have NFL Network. You’ll get to witness the divisional showdown of Denver at Kansas City.

We had quite a lot of movement in the Barometer this week. Jacksonville and San Francisco each climbed six spots with their wins over the New York Giants, and Seattle respectively. Seattle slipped five spots, tying for the most spots dropped with New Orleans, who lost to Cincinnati.

Be safe and enjoy the food, family, and football. Happy Thanksgiving!

Recently, we asked four Cafe members to rank all 32 NFL teams from first to worst after Week 11 of the 2006 season. The average number for each team, based on their submissions, was calculated and the teams were ranked accordingly (to increase consistency, the highest and the lowest values for each team were disregarded).

Rank	Change	TEAM	Avg Rank	K n a p p	D a n	K i l r o y	J a y
1 (3)		San Diego	1.5	4	2	1	1
With LT outscoring entire teams by himself, the Chargers welcome Oakland to town as they try to win their fifth straight game and ninth overall.
2 (1)		Indianapolis	2.0	2	1	3	2
Now that the pressure of being undefeated is gone, the Colts can get back to business. Can they reach ten wins on Sunday?
3 (2)		Chicago	2.5	1	3	2	3
Three games better than any other team in the NFC, a win against the Patriots would almost assure the Bears of having home field advantage in the playoffs.
4 (5)		Baltimore	4.0	3	5	4	4
A win Sunday over the Steelers guarantees they retain their three-game division lead and nearly assures them of a playoff spot.
5 (6)		New England	5.5	5	9	5	6
After dominating Green Bay 35-0, can the Pats deal the Bears their second loss of the season?
6 (10)		Dallas	6.5	8	6	7	5
The Cowboys look poised to run away with their division with the way they’ve been playing. There’s only one question: Will Jessica Simpson be a distraction for Tony Romo?
6 (4)		Denver	6.5	6	7	6	7
Now a game back in their division, can the Broncos go into Kansas City and get the victory?
8 (11)		Carolina	8.5	9	10	8	8
After shutting down the Rams’ aerial attack, the Panthers should feast on Jason Campbell in his second career start.
8 (14)		Jacksonville	8.5	7	8	9	9
The Jags continued their on and off season with their big win over the Giants. Will they ever come to play two weeks in a row?
10 (7)		NY Giants	11.0	11	11	14	10
If Eli continues his poor play, they will fall right out of the division race. They need this game against the Titans.
`11 (13)		Cincinnati	12.0	16	4	13	11
Averaging 36 points over the past two weeks, the Bengal offense is finally clicking. However, the defense is still not showing up.
11 (15)		Kansas City	12.0	10	12	12	13
After barely holding off the Raiders in the final minute, the Chiefs face the Broncos on Sunday in a game with huge playoff implications.
13 (8)		New Orleans	12.5	13	21	11	12
I’m sure the Saints are thrilled to be through with the AFC North part of their schedule. They went a combined 1-3 against those teams.
14 (9)		Seattle	13.0	12	14	10	14
With only a one game lead in the division, the Seahawks can’t afford a letdown against the Packers on Monday night.
15 (15)		Atlanta	15.5	15	16	15	16
The Falcons are 2-1 in their division. Can they end their three-game losing streak against the visiting Saints?
16 (18)		NY Jets	17.0	17	19	17	15
Following their loss to the Bears, can the Jets get back above .500 with a win over the Texans?
17 (23)		San Francisco	18.0	18	25	18	17
Don’t look now, but the 49ers are on a three-game roll with their eyes on the postseason.
18 (19)		Pittsburgh	18.5	19	20	16	18
Narrowly squeaking by Cleveland, the Steelers face division leader Baltimore on Sunday. Can they play spoiler?
19 (24)		Miami	19.5	20	13	20	19
The Dolphins picked a bad time to finally start playing like they’re capable of. They’re all but eliminated from playoff contention.
19 (12)		Philadelphia	19.5	14	22	19	20
Losing McNabb was the worst thing that could happen to Andy Reid’s squad. Can they rally around Jeff Garcia?
21 (17)		St. Louis	21.0	22	15	21	21
The Rams’ season hinges on Sunday’s game with San Francisco. A loss puts them at 4-7 and at least two games back in the division.
22 (19)		Minnesota	22.0	23	17	22	22
After dropping their fourth straight game, the Vikings’ ship is sinking. A matchup with the Cardinals just might be the life raft they need.
23 (26)		Buffalo	23.5	21	28	24	23
Following their win over the Texans, can the Bills steal a victory from an up-and-down Jacksonville club?
24 (25)		Cleveland	25.0	25	24	27	25
With Pittsburgh on the ropes, the Browns gave up a late TD that put them away for good. Can the Browns get their first division win Sunday against Cincinnati?
24 (21)		Green Bay	25.0	24	26	23	27
Will this be Brett Favre’s last rodeo on Monday Night Football? He’ll have to go through Seattle to go out in style.
26 (28)		Tampa Bay	26.0	26	23	26	26
After their third win of the entire season last week, can the Buccaneers catch the Cowboys napping on Thanksgiving?
27 (29)		Tennessee	27.0	29	29	25	24
Can the Titans continue their strong play (2-1) against the NFC East when they face the Giants on Sunday?
28 (27)		Houston	27.5	27	27	28	28
Losing to Buffalo dropped them to 3-7. Can they head in to New York and spoil the Jets’ season?
29 (22)		Washington	28.5	28	28	29	29
Jason Campbell played quite well in his NFL debut last week. Can he get his first victory against the Panthers on Sunday?
30 (32)		Arizona	31.0	32	30	30	32
The Cardinals finally snapped their eight game losing streak with their win over Detroit. Can Denny Green coach them to a win over his old club, the Vikings?
30 (29)		Detroit	31.0	31	31	31	30
What’s Thanksgiving without the Lions? Can they put a halt to Miami’s hot streak?
32 (31)		Oakland	31.5	30	32	32	31
Aaron Brooks nearly gave the Raiders the lift they needed against the Chiefs. After coming up short, do they have anything left for the Chargers?

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