NFL Week 12 Power Rankings, and what every team should give thanks for this Thanksgiving

Record: 1-8-1

Week 11 result: Lost to the Commanders, 23-10

Week 12 opponent: at Miami Dolphins

One thing to be thankful for: With every other team in the league having at least three wins to Houston's one, the Texans appear to have a firm grasp on the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Whether they take Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud, the Texans will get to choose the quarterback they want to attempt to lead their rebuild effort.

Record: 3-8

Week 11 result: Lost to the Ravens, 13-3

Week 12 opponent: vs. Denver Broncos

One thing to be thankful for: By firing Matt Rhule early in the season, the Panthers can get a head start on searching for their next head coach.

Record: 3-7

Week 11 result: Lost to the Bengals, 37-30

Week 12 opponent: at Indianapolis Colts

One thing to be thankful for: Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is still finding his footing in the league, but he appears to have a solid connection with fellow rookie receiver George Pickens. Should the tandem develop together, they could be foundational pieces of the Pittsburgh offense for years to come.

Record: 3-7

Week 11 result: Lost to the Raiders, 22-16

Week 12 opponent: at Carolina Panthers

One thing to be thankful for: With Walmart heir Rob Walton now the owner of the Denver Broncos, there should be no problems finding the money to buy out Nathaniel Hackett's head coaching contract whenever they decide to move on.

Record: 4-6-1

Week 11 result: Lost to the Eagles, 17-16

Week 12 opponent: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

One thing to be thankful for: Despite all the criticism that bringing in Jeff Saturday as head coach brought, at least he was smart enough to put Matt Ryan back under center as opposed to Sam Ehlinger.

Record: 3-7

Week 11 result: Bye

Week 12 opponent: vs. Baltimore Ravens

One thing to be thankful for: Trevor Lawrence's development with head coach Doug Peterson has been leaps and bounds greater than the potential he showed last year under Urban Meyer.

Record: 3-7

Week 11 result: Lost to the Saints, 27-20

Week 12 opponent: at Kansas City Chiefs

One thing to be thankful for: That they won the Super Bowl last year after going all in, because their lack of depth is shining through this year, and it could be a problem for years to come. 

Record: 4-7

Week 11 result: Beat the Rams, 27-20

Week 12 opponent: at San Francisco 49ers

One thing to be thankful for: Rookie wide receiver Chris Olave already has the potential to be a superstar should the Saints eventually find another great quarterback.

Record: 4-6

Week 11 result: Beat the Giants, 31-18

Week 12 opponent: vs. Buffalo Bills

One thing to be thankful for: With four wins this season, head coach Dan Campbell has already exceeded last year's win total for the Lions. They might not be great yet, but for the first time in years, Lions fans have a fun team to watch.

—Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 20, 2022

Record: 4-7

Week 11 result: Lost to the Titans, 27-17

Week 12 opponent: at Philadelphia Eagles

One thing to be thankful for: After spending the first half of the season wondering who in the Packers receiving corps would step up, rookie Christian Watson has finally answered the call.

Record: 4-7

Week 11 result: Lost to the 49ers, 38-10

Week 12 opponent: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

One thing to be thankful for: Because of the circular firing squad that is the NFC West, the Cardinals are still only two wins behind the Seahawks, who sit atop the division.

Record: 5-6

Week 11 result: Beat the Bears, 27-24

Week 12 opponent: at Washington Commanders

One thing to be thankful for: Cordarrelle Patterson is one of the most exciting players in football, and one of the few in the NFL still capable of taking a kick return to the house.

—NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2022

Record: 6-5

Week 11 result: Beat the Texans, 23-10

Week 12 opponent: vs. Atlanta Falcons

One thing to be thankful for: Given the structure of Carson Wentz's contract, it will not be hard for the Commanders to get out of it in the off-season.

Record: 6-4

Week 11 result: Lost to the Patriots, 10-3

Week 12 opponent: vs. Chicago Bears

One thing to be thankful for: A defense playing like one of the best units in the NFL gives head coach Robert Saleh the freedom to entertain moving on from quarterback Zach Wilson, who has failed to meet expectations.

Record: 6-4

Week 11 result: Bye

Week 12 opponent: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

One thing to be thankful for: Not only did the Seahawks front office move on from Russell Wilson at the perfect moment, they have replaced him with Geno Smith, who is leading the NFL in completion percentage and far exceeding all expectations.

Record: 5-5

Week 11 result: Bye

Week 12 opponent: at Cleveland Browns

One thing to be thankful for: In 2020, Tom Brady's first season in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers had five losses heading into their bye week before running the table the rest of the way to win the Super Bowl. This year, the Buccaneers once again had five losses heading into their bye week. All that's left is for Brady to go to work.

Record: 5-5

Week 11 result: Lost to the Chiefs, 30-27

Week 12 opponent: at Arizona Cardinals

One thing to be thankful for: After missing the majority of the season so far due to injury, star wide receiver Keenan Allen returned to the lineup for the Chargers last week, finishing the game with 94 yards receiving on five catches. If the Chargers are going to make a run at the postseason, Allen will be a key part in getting the offense going.

Record: 7-3

Week 11 result: Lost to the Lions, 31-18

Week 12 opponent: at Dallas Cowboys

One thing to be thankful for: The hire of head coach Brian Daboll appears to be a success. Whether the Giants decide to keep Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley around in the coming seasons, fans should feel a lot better knowing that there's a steady hand at the wheel making decisions after nearly a decade on the coaching carousel.

Record: 7-3

Week 11 result: Beat the Packers, 27-17

Week 12 opponent: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

One thing to be thankful for: Derrick Henry. That is all.

Record: 8-2

Week 11 result: Lost to the Cowboys, 40-3

Week 12 opponent: vs. New England Patriots

One thing to be thankful for: If you're going to lose by 30 points to an NFC East opponent, it's better to do it in the regular season as opposed to the NFC Championship game.

Record: 7-3

Week 11 result: Beat the Vikings, 40-3

Week 12 opponent: vs. New York Giants

One thing to be thankful for: The Cowboys are already looking like potential contenders in the NFC and could score the biggest remaining free agent signing of the season if Odell Beckham Jr. decides to take his talents to Dallas after Thanksgiving.

Record: 7-3

Week 11 result: Beat the Browns, 31-23

Week 12 opponent: at Detroit Lions

One thing to be thankful for: The Bills might be the most thankful team in all of football, after the help they received from the Buffalo community to make sure that all the players were shoveled out in time to make their flight to Detroit last week.

Record: 9-1

Week 11 result: Beat the Colts, 17-16

Week 12 opponent: vs. Green Bay Packers

One thing to be thankful for: The Titans' willingness to trade A.J. Brown in the off-season, and the absolute mess that the rest of the NFC looks like as the playoff picture begins to take shape.