NFL Week 12 Power Rankings: Broncos soar, Steelers get exposed

17. Cincinnati Bengals (5-5)

Well, the Cincinnati Bengals season is over.  Joe Burrow is out for the year after tearing a ligament in his throwing wrist.  It’s a sad ending for a QB who has now suffered his second second-ending injury since entering the league in 2020.  The Bengals need to fix their offensive line or Burrow might end up having a similar career to Andrew Luck.

16. New Orleans Saints (5-5)

There’s really nothing special about this team in my opinion.  I don’t think they’re particularly well coached, but I guess having a strong defense is nice.  The NFC South is extremely weak, so the Saints are already probably locked in to the 4th seed in the NFC, so they’ll probably have a home playoff game.

15. Indianapolis Colts (5-5)

The Indianapolis Colts are not supposed to be 5-5 with a first-year head coach and a backup QB.  If anything, that’s a testament to the quality of the coaching staff.  Gardner Minshew and the Colts’ offense can move the ball extremely well, but the defense is a bit of a concern.  I don’t think the Colts are a good bet late in the season to earn a Wild Card spot, but they’re right in the mix.