NFL Rankings: Thanksgiving Showdowns

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and with it comes five of our top 10 teams squaring off in battle. Top-ranked Green Bay takes the trip to No. 9 Detroit in what may be the biggest Turkey Day game the Lions have ever played. The tenth-ranked Cowboys face a Dolphins team they’ll be expected to handle. And in the best matchup of the day, two brothers-turned-head coaches do battle when the No. 2 49ers head to Baltimore to face the No. 5 Ravens. It’s going to be a holiday treat, and now that we’re done cutting the corny promo, let’s head to our rankings.

Rank	Previous	Team	Record	Week 11	Week 12
1	1	Green Bay Packers	10-0	W, TB 35-26	at DET
Including the playoffs and excluding the pre-season (obviously), the Packers have won 16 straight. Does it end here?
2	2	San Francisco 49ers	9-1	W, ARI 23-7	at BAL
SF has given up 11 points or less in half their games, and I’m not completely sure the Ravens offense is good.
3	3	New Orleans Saints	7-3	Bye	vs. NYG
Third best? The Saints are actually closer to the No. 12 Giants than the No. 2 49ers. Expect a good game Monday.
4	6	New England Patriots	7-3	W, KC 34-3	at PHI
Their defense is still awful, despite what Tyler Palko may lead you to believe. Still, they’d be AFC No. 1 this week.
5	7	Baltimore Ravens	7-3	W, CIN 31-24	vs. SF
Another big win for BAL, and SF will decide this division; they play BAL Thursday and PIT later in the season.
6	4	Houston Texans	7-3	Bye	at JAC
We’re dropping them a couple spots for losing Matt Schaub, but Arian Foster could still lead them to the No. 1 seed.
7	5	Chicago Bears	7-3	W, SD 31-20	at OAK
They drop a few spots despite the win with Jay Cutler out and have tough games in Oakland and Green Bay left.
8	8	Pittsburgh Steelers	7-3	Bye	at KC
Can’t look ahead to game against Cincy, but the Palko-led Chiefs should be child’s play for this defense.
9	11	Detroit Lions	7-3	W, CAR 49-35	vs. GB
The offense quickly righted the ship in Week 11 after a slow start, but the pressure’s on the defense this week.
10	10	Dallas Cowboys	6-4	W, WAS 27-24	vs. MIA
After pulling out their third straight win, the Cowboys are now back in the driver’s seat in the NFC East.
11	14	Atlanta Falcons	6-4	W, TEN 23-17	vs. MIN
The Falcons are the big winners after the Cutler injury, as the window is open to grab a Wild Card spot.
12	9	New York Giants	6-4	L, PHI 10-17	at NO
They won the first game of their six-week gauntlet before losing the last two weeks; still three toughies to go.
13	16	Oakland Raiders	6-4	W, MIN 27-21	vs. CHI
Tebow gets a ton of attention (rightly), but Carson Palmer has now won two straight on the road with this team.
14	20	Denver Broncos	5-5	W, NYJ 17-13	at SD
Predictions at San Diego? I say 4-for-11, 42 yards, TD, INT, 85 rushing yards, 2 TDs … and another win.
15	13	Cincinnati Bengals	6-4	L, BAL 24-31	vs. CLE
The Bengals played strong in a tough matchup, and it wouldn’t be crazy to see them make noise in January.
16	12	New York Jets	5-5	L, DEN 13-17	vs. BUF
With the Broncos coming on (and the Jets know that first-hand), they can ill-afford another loss in a should-win.
17	15	Tennessee Titans	5-5	L, ATL 17-23	vs. TB
The inconsistent Titans now need to take control of the opportunity that presents itself after the Schaub injury.
18	23	Seattle Seahawks	4-6	W, STL 24-7	vs. WAS
No, the Seahawks aren’t that good, but another solid win makes them one of the best of the also-rans.
19	25	Philadelphia Eagles	4-6	W, NYG 17-10	vs. NE
Big win for the Eagles, but they need to buckle up, because they need six more to even have a shot at the title.
20	26	Miami Dolphins	3-7	W, BUF 35-8	at DAL
Three straight wins — where has this team been all season? The Cowboys better not be caught napping on Thursday.
21	19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-6	L, GB 26-35	at TEN
The Bucs played a little better than expected against the Packers, but a fourth straight loss ends their season.
22	18	San Diego Chargers	4-6	L, CHI 20-31	vs. DEN
The last team the Chargers beat was the Broncos … seven weeks ago. Now they’re just the next sacrificial lamb.
23	17	Buffalo Bills	5-5	L, MIA 8-35	at NYJ
Even at 5-5, the Bills belong this low after losing by a combined score of 106-26 over the last three weeks.
24	27	Cleveland Browns	4-6	W, JAC 14-10	at CIN
Remember before the season started how the Browns were the sneaky sleeper and the Bengals were unworthy?
25	21	Kansas City Chiefs	4-6	L, NE 3-34	vs. PIT
The Tyler Palko Era started just as expected, with the Chiefs getting blown out on Monday night. Doesn’t get easier, kid.
26	22	Jacksonville Jaguars	3-7	L, CLE 10-14	vs. HOU
Weird loss for the Jaguars — you figure the defense should have held the Browns to single digits and secured the win.
27	24	Arizona Cardinals	3-7	L, SF 7-23	at STL
After piecing several competitive weeks together recently, the Cardinals needed the 49ers to remind them who they are.
28	28	Washington Redskins	3-7	L, DAL 24-27	at SEA
Yes, Rex Grossman kept them in last week’s game, but they ultimately lost their sixth straight. Fire Shenanihan already.
29	29	St. Louis Rams	2-8	L, SEA 7-24	vs. ARI
Even with a 31-point effort against the Saints, the Rams are averaging just 12 points per game. That’s a big problem.
30	30	Minnesota Vikings	2-8	L, OAK 21-27	at ATL
All-Day should spend all winter resting and getting ready for 2012, but with his competitiveness, that ain’t happening.
31	31	Carolina Panthers	2-8	L, DET 35-49	at IND
When the bottom two teams on the rankings play each other, you know it’s going to be a slugfest. Plenty of slugs here.
32	32	Indianapolis Colts	0-10	Bye	vs. CAR
Ignoring this awful team, am I the only one who thinks Robert Griffin III will be a better pro than Andrew Luck? Probably.

R.J. White is the head editor at the Cafe, writes for FanDuel and Razzball and has previously written for FanHouse. Catch up with him in the forums under the name daullaz. Follow him on Twitter; don't follow him in real life.

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