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Breaking down the NFL standings coming out of Week 12

The NFL is almost finished with Week 12. We break down the standings as the league starts to look to Week 13.

By David Fucillo Updated
Kendrick Bourne #84 of the New England Patriots runs after the catch for a third quarter touchdown against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on November 28, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images

The NFL closes out Week 12 on Monday evening when the Seahawks head east to face the Washington Football Team in primetime. In the meantime, it’s been a busy, busy Sunday with numerous huge matchups taking place.

The playoff picture is going to take several weeks to clear itself up and this week is unlikely to offer much clarity. Thanksgiving saw some big wins that in many ways just served to further muddy the waters. The Bills beat the Saints and while it helped Buffalo’s overall position, their AFC East battle with the Patriots is going to come down to the wire. The Raiders got a huge road win over the Cowboys to tighten things up in the AFC. Dallas remains in control of the NFC East, but they’re scuffling of late.

Below are the eight divisional standings, along with some quick thoughts about each division after 12 weeks of football. We’ll update with afternoon and evening results, and then close it out with records for the Seahawks and Washington following Monday Night Football.

AFC East

The Bills opened the week with a thumping of the Saints on Thanksgiving. Miami beat Carolina to improve their wild card positioning. The Patriots had their way with the Titans to re-take first place in the AFC East. The Jets upset the Texans.

  1. New England Patriots, 8-4
  2. Buffalo Bills, 7-4
  3. Miami Dolphins, 5-7
  4. New York Jets, 3-8

AFC North

The Bengals thumped the Steelers to put pressure on the first-place Ravens. Baltimore edged the Browns 16-10 on Sunday Night Football.

  1. Baltimore Ravens, 8-3
  2. Cincinnati Bengals, 7-4
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 5-5-1
  4. Cleveland Browns, 6-6

AFC South

The Titans lost badly to the Patriots and are struggling with injuries slowing them down. The Texans lost to the Jets and the Jaguars lost to the Falcons. The Colts lost a tough one to the Bucs.

  1. Tennessee Titans, 8-4
  2. Indianapolis Colts, 6-6
  3. Houston Texans, 2-9
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars, 2-9

AFC West

The Raiders opened the week with an overtime win over the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The Broncos beat the Chargers 28-13 to create a three-way tie for second in the division.

  1. Kansas City Chiefs, 7-4
  2. Los Angeles Chargers, 6-5
  3. Las Vegas Raiders, 6-5
  4. Denver Broncos, 6-5

NFC East

The Cowboys lost to the Raiders in overtime on Thanksgiving. The Giants stunned the Eagles in the Meadowlands. Washington beat Seattle on Monday.

  1. Dallas Cowboys, 7-4
  2. Washington Football Team, 5-6
  3. Philadelphia Eagles, 5-7
  4. New York Giants, 4-7

NFC North

The Bears beat the Lions on a field goal as time expired on Thanksgiving. The Vikings lost to the 49ers 34-26. The Packers beat the Rams and are now 3.5 games up in the division.

  1. Green Bay Packers, 9-3
  2. Minnesota Vikings, 5-6
  3. Chicago Bears, 4-7
  4. Detroit Lions, 0-10-1

NFC South

The Saints were thumped by Buffalo at the Superdome on Thanksgiving. Carolina lost bad to Miami and takes a hit in the division and wild card races. The Falcons held off the Jaguars. The Bucs held off the Colts in a wild one to boost their division lead.

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8-3
  2. Carolina Panthers, 5-7
  3. New Orleans Saints, 5-6
  4. Atlanta Falcons, 5-6

NFC West

The 49ers beat the Vikings to move over .500 while the Rams lost to the Packers. The Seahawks lost on Monday to Washington.

  1. Arizona Cardinals, 9-2
  2. Los Angeles Rams, 7-4
  3. San Francisco 49ers, 6-5
  4. Seattle Seahawks, 3-8

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