Week 12 NFL power rankings roundup: ESPN drops Eagles from top spot after win

For the second week in a row, it was the Eagles defense leading the way as the Birds scraped past another NFC North opponent, this time in a 16-9 win over the Detroit Lions.

Last week after their win over the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles (8-2) seemed to confuse those who compile weekly NFL power rankings. Some saw the victory over another NFC contender as a reason to move the Eagles up. Others, however, saw the narrow victory as a reason to drop the Birds, largely because of the questions surrounding their lack of offensive output.

Did another defensive win confuse the list makers even more? Or did the impressive showing by Vic Fangio’s defense — against one of the NFL’s best offenses — confirm that this team doesn’t need to score a lot of points to win? Here’s a look at where the Eagles stand in the latest round of power rankings as the season enters Week 12 …

Our first outlet, and we’re already seeing the Eagles drop despite their win. Last week, ESPN was one of the sites that moved the Eagles up to the top spot. This week, they’re back to No. 2, and the team that leapfrogged them — the 8-2 Los Angeles Rams — is one the Eagles already have beaten this season, albeit on a last-second blocked field goal.

» READ MORE: What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 12 vs. the Cowboys

So what was the difference? The Eagles offense, according to Tim McManus, who also says that offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is under the most pressure.

“The offense has been a disappointment,” McManus wrote. “The Eagles rank 25th in total yards (300.1 per game), 28th in passing (184.9) and 29th in third-down conversion rate (33.87%). They’re averaging 115 rushing yards per game (17th in NFL), compared to 179 in 2024 (second). They are, however, the best red zone offense (75% conversion rate) and have a league-low four giveaways. That, paired with a defense that has played lights out as of late, has been enough to keep Philly atop the NFC. But the offense has not yet reached its potential, and it falls on the first-year play caller to help remedy that.”

We’re more than halfway through the season. At what point do we stop talking about the Eagles’ offensive “potential” and just come to terms with the product they put out there each week? You are what you repeatedly do, right?

The tight win on Sunday Night Football wasn’t enough for Yahoo! to drop the Eagles from the top spot, even if it openly acknowledges that the already struggling offense just took another hit with the loss of right tackle Lane Johnson to a Lisfranc injury.

“Lane Johnson’s injury will knock him out 4-6 weeks and everyone by now knows the Eagles aren’t nearly as good without their All-Pro right tackle,” Frank Schwab wrote. “Still, the Eagles are becoming masterful at overcoming adversity. Their defense is finally hitting its stride, too.”

No surprise that the Rams are right behind the Eagles, with the Indianapolis Colts in third and the Seahawks in fourth after each dropping a spot after being leapfrogged by the Rams.

» READ MORE: ‘Absolute garbage’ penalty call ‘robbed’ fans of epic finish, and what else they’re saying about Eagles-Lions

The Athletic’s Josh Kendall and Chad Graff offered a seemingly simple suggestion to the Eagles, one that is hard to argue with after watching their last two games: “Be more interesting.” But boring football wasn’t enough to drop the Birds from the top spot.

“Thank goodness for A.J. Brown,” Kendall and Graff wrote. “The wide receiver’s weekly passive-aggressive complaints about his role in the offense are the only things making this team worth watching anymore. Jalen Hurts completed 14 passes for 135 yards Sunday night. The sublime Saquon Barkley averaged 3.2 yards per carry and is 14th in the league in rushing (662 yards). Yet the Eagles and their smothering defense are marching joylessly back toward the Super Bowl.”

The Rams held steady at No. 2, while the idle Colts climbed to No. 3, and the Denver Broncos, courtesy of their win over the Kansas City Chiefs, moved into the fourth spot.

» READ MORE: Lane Johnson’s absence means more ‘bleep show’ offense for Eagles; Nakobe Dean inspires | Marcus Hayes

Unlike ESPN, The Ringer didn’t drop the Eagles to second after their win; it elevated them from third to second. “This team is finding its 2024 form again, and I’m starting to believe,” Diante Lee wrote.

“As the ugly wins stack up in 2025, it’s hard not to think about the similarities to last year and whether all the issues will iron themselves out once we get to the playoffs,” Lee added. “If this defense keeps playing this well, I’m inclined to believe that the answer is an emphatic yes.”

The Rams have held steady in The Ringer’s top spot for several weeks. Meanwhile, the Seahawks (No. 3), Broncos (No. 4), and Colts (No. 5) round out their top five.

» READ MORE: Eagles open as road favorites over Cowboys, improve their Super Bowl odds

The Rams were already well ahead of the Eagles at Sports Illustrated — they moved from second to first this week — but the Birds were one of the outlet’s biggest risers, climbing five spots, up from seventh, to second.

“The clips of Nakobe Dean staying stride for stride with all of Detroit’s best players was just another reminder of how weaponized this Eagles defense is,” Conor Orr wrote. “Can’t we understand now that the team’s best talent and coaching resides on that side of the ball, which is why the offense is being used as a game-shortening tool rather than an elevator of personal feelings and your fantasy team?”

The Eagles jumped over the New England Patriots, Seahawks, Broncos, Colts, and Lions to claim that second spot.

» READ MORE: What is a Lisfranc injury? Where does it get its name? And what does it mean for Lane Johnson?

The Eagles moved up one spot at NFL.com, thanks to the Seahawks’ loss. But that also meant that the new No. 1 team, the Rams, and the new No. 2, the Colts, also moved up a spot each as Seattle fell to fourth.

“The Lions might have hurt themselves with their own overaggressiveness, but the Eagles certainly had a lot to do with that,” wrote Eric Edholm. “Philadelphia’s relentless pressure has been the new calling card of a defense that has reached another plateau since the bye. That’s now two straight games in prime time where the Eagles have held a playoff-contending opponent to single-digit points. The trade acquisition of Jaelan Phillips looks like a gem of a pickup, with the edge rusher making his impact felt in both games since his arrival in Philly. ... Doubt them at your own risk.”

A big tumble by the previously top-ranked Seahawks (now No. 7) meant a lot of teams moved up, including the Eagles, who climbed one spot to third, behind the Rams and the Patriots, respectively.

“The offense still isn’t great, but they are winning games,“ Pete Prisco wrote. ”The defense has really stepped up the past two weeks."

The Colts (No. 4), and Broncos (No. 5) also cracked the top five.

» READ MORE: Nick Sirianni wins in spite of himself, some might say. Those critics are wrong.

The Eagles remained in the fourth position at USA Today, as there was very little movement among Nate Davis’ top five teams.

“A replenished defense has held two high-octane offenses to single-digit points in successive weeks − which is even better news with injured RT Lane Johnson set to miss a chunk of time with a Lisfranc injury for an already sputtering offense,” wrote Davis.

The Rams, Patriots, Seahawks, and Broncos — in that order — make up the rest of their top five, with the only change this week being the Patriots and Seahawks swapping spots.