Review-Journal’s Week 12 NFL rankings

Las Vegas Review-Journal NFL reporter Gilbert Manzano’s weekly rankings, with last week’s ranking in parentheses.

1. Eagles 9-1 (1). The Eagles dismantled the Cowboys last week and now host the Bears. Philadelphia will be flying high heading into December.

2. Patriots 8-2 (2). Suddenly the AFC feels like a one-team race. It’s ridiculous what Tom Brady is doing at age 40.

3. Steelers 8-2 (4). It took awhile, but the Steelers finally scored more than 30 points in a game this season. They might be the only team in the AFC capable of beating the Patriots.

4. Vikings 8-2 (5). Minnesota’s dominant defense held the Rams’ explosive offense to seven points. The Vikings have signature wins over the Rams and Saints.

5. Saints 8-2 (6). The Saints went back to relying on the arm of Drew Brees. The future Hall of Famer went 11 of 11 down the stretch to lift New Orleans over Washington in overtime in Week 11.

6. Rams 7-3 (3). The young Rams got a wake-up call in Minnesota. They now get the Saints at home during their brutal stretch of games.

7. Jaguars 7-3 (11). Jacksonville’s defense has smothered opposing offenses, but can they win a playoff game with Blake Bortles under center?

8. Chiefs 6-4 (7). The Chiefs are in a free fall and just lost to the Giants. Kansas City’s 5-0 start seems like ages ago.

9. Falcons 6-4 (12). Atlanta escaped Seattle with a victory to keep alive its playoff hopes.

10. Panthers 7-3 (10). The Panthers return from a bye week to face the Jets on the road.

11. Seahawks 6-4 (8). Seattle will be without Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman the rest of the season. Russell Wilson will need to play at an MVP level to give the Seahawks a shot at the postseason.

12. Lions 6-4 (14). Detroit has won three straight and now gets the Vikings on Thanksgiving in an NFC North showdown.

13. Titans 6-4 (9). The Titans were embarrassed by the Steelers. They might be a one-and-done team in the playoffs.

14. Ravens 5-5 (20). Somehow the Ravens are the sixth seed in the AFC after shutting out the Packers.

15. Cowboys 5-5 (13). Dak Prescott played the worst game of his career against the Eagles. The Cowboys might be done.

16. Redskins 4-6 (16). The Redskins play teams tough but can’t find ways to hold on. Washington allowed New Orleans to rally.

17. Bills 5-5 (15). It’s safe to say the Nathan Peterman experiment was abysmal.

18. Chargers 4-6 (24). The Chargers dropped a 50-burger on the Bills and sit one game behind for the sixth seed.

19. Raiders 4-6 (18). Oakland was embarrassed on both sides of the ball against the Patriots in Mexico. The Raiders responded by firing defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. on Tuesday.

20. Cardinals 4-6 (17). Adrian Peterson and the Cardinals struggled against Houston.

21. Packers 5-5 (19). Brett Hundley isn’t an NFL starting quarterback.

22. Texans 4-6 (22). Tom Savage finally had a pulse versus Arizona.

23. Bengals 4-6 (26). Cincinnati handed Denver its sixth straight loss.

24. Jets 4-6 (25). New York returns from a bye to face Carolina.

25. Dolphins 4-6 (23). Jay Cutler might be regretting ending his retirement.

26. Broncos 3-7 (21). Denver has no quarterback and just fired its offensive coordinator.

27. Buccaneers 4-6 (28). Make that two straight wins for FitzMagic.

28. Bears 3-7 (27). The Bears lost a close one to the Lions in Week 11.

29. Colts 3-7 (29). The Colts come back from a bye week to host the Titans.

30. Giants 2-8 (31). Giants fans finally had something to smile about after New York defeated the Chiefs in overtime.

31. 49ers 1-9 (30). The 49ers return from a bye week to host the Seahawks