Week 12 On SI NFL Power Rankings: There’s a New No. 1

No team in the NFL is hotter than the Detroit Lions, who took over the top spot in the On SI NFL Power Rankings. The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are in the top five.

Detroit Lions defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) hugs mascot Roary to celebrate 52-6 win over Jacksonville Jaguars. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the Kansas City Chiefs finally losing, the rampaging Detroit Lions are the new No. 1 team in the On SI NFL Power Rankings after Week 11.

The Lions destroyed the Jacksonville Jaguars 52-6 and received all but one first-place vote in our poll of the On SI NFL team publishers. 

Detroit became the first team with three wins of 35-plus points in their first 10 games in 50 years and are the fifth team since the 1970 merger to score at least 50 points in back-to-back home games.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw four touchdown passes vs. five incomplete passes in becoming the fourth player in NFL history with a 150-plus passer rating and two-plus touchdown passes in three games in a season.

Detroit’s 9-1 record is its best 10-game start since 1934.

The Chiefs, the two-time defending champions, had their 15-game winning streak snapped by the Buffalo Bills. With its 30-21 victory, Buffalo won its sixth consecutive game and moved into No. 2 in our rankings. Kansas City is No. 3.

Here are this week’s rankings.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (-1)

The Jaguars entered Week 11 with questions swirling about the future of coach Doug Pederson. They responded with a 52-6 debacle in Detroit, the worst loss in the entire history of the franchise. The defense gave up 645 yards. The Jaguars are firmly in 2025 mode at this point. —John Shipley, Jacksonville Jaguars On SI

31. Tennessee Titans (+1)

The Titans found life despite a 23-13 loss to the Vikings. In throwing for 295 yards, Will Levis had several moments when his potential showed and, if a few questionable calls had gone their way, this game could've been much more competitive. — Noah Strackbein, Tennessee Titans On SI

30. New York Giants (-)

The Giants are coming off their bye week with a new starting quarterback – Tommy DeVito is in and Daniel Jones is out – and a renewed sense of urgency to finish the last seven games of the season better than they did in the first 10 games, as coach Brian Daboll’s job highly depends on it.. —Patricia Traina, New York Giants On SI

It's Tommy DeVito time in New York with the Giants benching Daniel Jones. / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

29. Carolina Panthers (-)

The Panthers carried a two-game winning streak and a whole lot of good vibes going into their bye. Bryce Young has taken a definitive step forward in his last three starts and he’ll be getting the ball again against the Chiefs on Sunday. The Panthers are also getting healthier, as they have picked up some reinforcements on offense, including the debut of rookie running back Jonathon Brooks and the return of starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu. —Tim Weaver, Carolina Panthers on SI

28. Las Vegas Raiders (-)

With a six-game losing streak, 2-8 is a unique situation, as national reports brew about who Tom Brady is eyeing for a head coach. The offense looked vastly improved against the Dolphins, but there is no time to lose for the Raiders. A winning streak must start this week with a home game against the surging Broncos. —Hondo S. Carpenter, Las Vegas Raiders On SI

27. Cleveland Browns (-)

The Browns’ 35-14 loss in New Orleans was an unmitigated disaster. Cleveland played three reasonably good quarters, but the fourth quarter was as bad as any 15-minute stretch of Browns football in a long, long time. Jameis Winston threw for 395 yards, Cleveland didn't turn over the ball and created two takeaways and had a tie game through three quarters but still lost by 21 points. —Brendan Gulick, Cleveland Browns On SI

26. New England Patriots (-)

The Patriots are 3-8, but there's life in the building and people are starting to believe in this team again. No one is expecting wins. Instead, the focus is on Drake Maye, the young wide receivers coach and coach Jerod Mayo. While the Patriots lost at home 28-22 to the Rams, there has been a steady improvement on all fronts the past couple weeks. —Noah Strackbein, New England Patriots on SI

25. New York Jets (-)

In a 28-27 loss to the Colts, the Jets needed 28 minutes to get a first down. They had the lead with less than 3 minutes to play and lost it to an offense led by a quarterback who was benched the preview two weeks. The Jets have lost seven of their last eight and fired GM Joe Douglas are, mercifully, on a bye. —Matthew Postins, New York Jets On SI

The Jets hoped Aaron Rodgers would be the final piece to the Super Bowl puzzle; instead, they have fired GM Joe Douglas after firing coach Robert Saleh earlier in the season. / Tom Horak-Imagn Images

24. New Orleans Saints (-)

New Orleans has two big wins with interim head coach Darren Rizzi. With the bye week, the team hopes to get a couple of key players healthy in order to remain relevant for the remainder of the season. The closing stretch will start with a home game against the Rams. —Kyle Mosley, New Orleans Saints On SI

23. Chicago Bears (-2)

After a second game-ending catastrophe during their four-game losing streak, the concern has to be whether the Bears will handle the blocked field goal mentally the same way as they did the Hail Mary and get blown out at home by Minnesota. Caleb Williams' success in Sunday’s 20-19 loss to the Packers will be tough to sustain against the Vikings' confusing blitz looks. —Gene Chamberlain, Chicago Bears On SI

22. Dallas Cowboys (-2)

If it wasn’t clear before, the wheels have officially fallen off for the Cowboys. The team has come to a point where they are openly being mocked by opponents for their failures on and off of the field, and the team shows no signs of improvement. With Cooper Rush or Trey Lance at the helm for the remainder of the season, times are grim in Big D. Former Cowboys stars are calling for change and fans are hoping to tank for Travis Hunter. Those calls will only get louder after the upcoming clash with the Commanders. It seems like it is officially draft season in Dallas. —Josh Sanchez, Dallas Cowboys On SI

21. Indianapolis Colts (+2)

We finally saw the Colts do three things they hadn’t done this season in beating the Jets 28-27. First, Anthony Richardson played controlled football and had the best game of his career. Second, coach Shane Steichen called an appropriate game to get the most out of Richardson. Last, the Colts changed their plan in the fourth quarter and got the comeback victory. —Jake Arthur, Indianapolis Colts On SI

20. Miami Dolphins (+2)

Coming off their first 30-point outing of the season and riding their first winning streak of 2024, the Dolphins look like a team with a realistic chance to make a playoff push despite their ugly 2-6 start. But the margin for error remains thin and they certainly can't afford a slip up against the Patriots at home. —Alain Poupart, Miami Dolphins On SI

19. Cincinnati Bengals (-)

The Bengals' season is spiraling after another one-possession defeat. At 4-7 following a 34-27 loss at the Chargers, their playoff hopes are dwindling, and they enter the bye searching for answers. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson are elite, but the pieces around them haven't done enough to help the team win. —James Rapien, Cincinnati Bengals On SI

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been tremendous but the team is 4-7. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

18. Los Angeles Rams (-1)

The Rams handled business against a lesser opponent with a bounce-back performance over the Patriots on a short week. Four touchdown passes from Matthew Stafford and two takeaways by the defense keep this team in contention for the NFC West. —Tom Cavanaugh, Los Angeles Rams on SI

17. San Francisco 49ers (-4)

The 49ers’ offense struggled to move the ball and score points against a revamped Seahawks defense, and the 49ers defense gave up an 80-yard, game-winning drive to Geno Smith after Nick Bosa left the game with an oblique injury. The 49ers have blown fourth-quarter leads to all three division opponents.  —Grant Cohn, San Francisco 49ers On SI

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1)

The Buccaneers didn't play in Week 11, and for their fans who just watched the team lose four in a row, that might be a good thing. Now, though, they have to win almost every game in their upcoming stretch to make the playoffs. With a laughably weak schedule ahead – only the Chargers have more than four wins – it's certainly not impossible. —River Wells, Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI

15. Atlanta Falcons (-1)

The Falcons’ defense that had been flirting with disaster all season collapsed in an embarrassing 38-6 loss at the Broncos. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw for more than 300 yards despite an average depth of target of just 4.1 yards as Jimmy Lake's retreating unit continued to concede everything underneath. Kirk Cousins and the offense played a top defense for the first time in nearly two months and weren't up to the task. The bye week is sorely needed while the Falcons do some soul searching. —Scott Kennedy, Atlanta Falcons on SI

14. Seattle Seahawks (+2)

Making a statement out of their bye week, Ernest Jones and the Seahawks turned in a dominant defensive showing to snap a six-game skid against the 49ers, showing they aren’t out of the NFC West race. Seattle, which had lost five out of six games, will host the first-place Cardinals on Sunday. —Corbin Smith, Seattle Seahawks On SI

13. Denver Broncos (+4)

The claim was that the Broncos hadn't “beaten anyone yet.” Almost, in Kansas City. But Bo Nix and Co. embarrassed the Falcons in a coming-out party for the Broncos' rookie quarterback. With a very moderate schedule remaining – the Raiders and Browns before the bye and the Colts after it – Denver is rising. —Chad Jensen, Denver Broncos On SI

It was nothing but sunshine for Bo Nix and the Broncos while routing the Falcons. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

12. Arizona Cardinals (-1)

The Cardinals enjoyed their bye week and had a major domino fall in their favor, thanks to the 49ers losing at home to Seattle. Arizona, which has a one game lead over the rest of its NFC West rivals, is well-rested and hopes to continue its four-game winning streak at the Seahawks. —Donnie Druin, Arizona Cardinals On SI

11. Houston Texans (-3)

The Texans got back on track with a blowout win over the Cowboys. They need to continue taking care of business against the Titans and Jaguars the next two weeks before they play the Chiefs and Ravens in potential playoff previews late in December. —Jeremy Brener, Houston Texans On SI

10. Green Bay Packers (-)

The Packers beat the Bears for the 11th consecutive time on Sunday. For just the second game during that stretch, they had to come from behind in the fourth quarter, and they survived on a blocked field goal. Now comes the gauntlet: home against the Niners and Dolphins, at the Lions and Seahawks, home against the Saints, at the Vikings and Round 2 vs. Chicago. They will need to play much better down the stretch. —Bill Huber, Green Bay Packers on SI

9. Washington Commanders (-)

The Commanders didn't get much time to rebound from a mistake-riddled Week 10 loss to the Steelers before facing the Eagles in Week 11, and it showed offensively in a 26-18 loss. The team will look to rebound after a full week of practice heading into an important matchup against the Cowboys. —David Harrison, Washington Commanders On SI

8. Los Angeles Chargers (+4)

The Chargers passed the first of three major tests in four weeks with a win over the Bengals. Jim Harbaugh has seemed to put “Chargering” to bed for good, combining an elite defense with offensive highlights, such as rookie breakout Ladd McConkey outshining Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. On Monday night, it will be the “Harbaugh Bowl” against John Harbaugh’s Ravens. After a trip to Atlanta, the Chargers will play at Kansas City for Round 2 against the Chiefs. The Chargers hope that the Chiefs luck is running out and that the AFC West itself could be a possibility. —Chris Roling, Los Angeles Chargers on SI

Jim Harbaugh's Chargers have won four in a row entering the "Harbaugh Bowl" clash against John Harbaugh's Ravens. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

7. Baltimore Ravens (-2)

The Ravens still can't get over the Steelers hump, as Lamar Jackson fell to 2-5 against Pittsburgh throughout his career. Now trailing by 1 1/2 games in the AFC North, the Ravens have some catching up to do, but they'll get another opportunity against Pittsburgh in Week 16 that could have serious playoff implications. But first, they’ve got games at the Chargers and at home against the Eagles before their bye. —Noah Strackbein, Baltimore Ravens On SI

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (-)

The Steelers are on a five-game winning streak and have taken a game-and-a-half lead in the AFC North. Behind six field goals by Chris Boswell, their 18-16 win over the Ravens has everyone believing they are contenders as the confidence grows that they can survive a gauntlet of a second-half schedule. —Noah Strackbein, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI

5. Minnesota Vikings (-1)

The Vikings were much better against Tennessee than they were seven days earlier against Jacksonville. Sam Darnold took care of the football and the defense was elite. The running game struggled, and that's the next thing to improve to get Minnesota one step closer to firing on all cylinders. —Joe Nelson, Minnesota Vikings On SI

4. Philadelphia Eagles (+3)

The Eagles cemented their place atop the NFC East with a 26-18 win over the Commanders in what will be looked back upon as one of the most important games of the season. Jayden Daniels has had quite the rookie season, but it was Jalen Hurts and Co. who remain on top. —Scott Neville, Philadelphia Eagles On SI

3. Kansas City Chiefs (-2)

The Chiefs were never going to go undefeated and a regular-season loss to the Bills is nothing new, but a few of the lessons of Kansas City's first defeat are worth heeding. The Chiefs could not pressure Josh Allen with a four-man rush and they still haven't found a solution at cornerback following the loss of No. 2 corner Jaylen Watson.—Joshua Brisco, Kansas City Chiefs On SI

Josh Allen and the Bills beat the Chiefs on Sunday. Will there be a playoff rematch? / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

2. Buffalo Bills (+1)

The Bills are coming off a riveting victory over the previously undefeated City Chiefs, and Josh Allen looks as though he’s well on track to earning his first NFL MVP Award. That win over Kansas City, by the way, is the first time the Chiefs have given up 30 points in the last 40 games, and came without wide receiver Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid, both of whom are pivotal members of the passing attack. The Bills are 9-2 and legitimate Super Bowl contenders entering their bye in what was supposed to be a retooling year. —Kyle Silagyi, Buffalo Bills on SI

1. Detroit Lions (+1)

The Lions took complete advantage of a Jaguars team dealing with swirling rumors of a potential coaching change. Jared Goff and the offense rebounded in a big way. A week after throwing five interceptions in a win at Houston, Goff threw only five incomplete passes (and four touchdowns) in sending the Jaguars back home with their worst loss in franchise history, 52-6. —John Maakaron, Detroit Lions On SI