Week 12 Power Rankings: Endgame

Will Shawn be able to reclaim the #1 seed that rightfully belongs to him? The good people of Iran certainly hope so.

Well, kiddos, this is it. The last power rankings where I'll subjectively categorize you as good, terrible, or some mutant hybrid of both. Because after this week's games, the playoff seeds are set. The results speak for themselves. Next week we'll take a peek back at my original projections, and I'll see how I did at predicting the future. But for this one last glorious week, I bring out my "Pin The Ranking On The Donkey" game and assign you all a number that defines your worth in my eyes.

1. Rich (9-3, W4, Previous #2)
In the closest horse race of the season, Rich has established himself as the best team in the league. Most of this has to do with Tony Romo, who was been lights out all season, and provides consistently solid numbers at QB. Romo has also put Rich in an excellent position to win this week, but that's irrelevant for this discussion.

2. Shawn (9-3, L1, Previous #1)
It would be tragic if Shawn fell to #3 after his late-season stranglehold on the #1 spot. Shawn's best hope this week is that Willie Parker runs roughshod over the Bengals defense, allowing him to get past Rich and stay on top. Randy Moss will likely look to get back in the spotlight after a ho-hum game last week against Philadelphia.

3. Slimmy (8-4, L1, Previous #3)
Say what you will about Slims (and most of us already have done more than our fair share of that), but I give him major props for being smarter than Norv Turner and benching Pip Rivers. Slimmy rides the emotional roller coaster known as Clinton Portis into the playoffs. Will Portis go into Incredible Hulk mode and explode for 500 yards and 10 touchdowns? Or will he be distraught at the loss of one of his closest friends?

4. Hefty (7-5, W1, Previous #4)
There are not enough exclamation points in this world to show how happy I am that Adrian Peterson is playing this week. Even if he shares the load with Chester Taylor, he's way better than Julius Jones (understatement of the decade), and I feel like I actually have a shot to win this thing with him healthy. I also like the fact that if I make it to the Championship, Carson Palmer plays the Browns again.

5. Jordan (7-5, W2, Previous #6)
Peyton hasn't been Peyton this year, but he's still good enough to start every week no questions asked. Jordan is riding two hot hands at running back in Marion Barber and Ryan Grant into the playoffs and frankly, I'd be terrified if I had to play him Round 1 of the playoffs.

6. Aaron (7-5, L2, Previous #5)
I said the same thing a few weeks ago, but this team has too much talent on the bench and not enough star power in the starting lineup. A more aggressive trade strategy seems like it would have paid large dividends for the Lymez Nutz. I see a brief, uneventful one-and-done for A-Rep.

7. Craig (5-7, L1, Previous #7)
I am astonished to learn that Jamal Lewis is 6th among all running backs in scoring. There's no way I could have guessed that. Lucky for Craig, Cleveland has one of the easiest schedules in the league over the next 3 weeks. Next year, somebody remind me to only draft players from teams who finished in last place the year before. By the by, there's a feature in SI about the Browns being winners all of the sudden that I'm really excited to read. It's official, I'm on this Browns bandwagon.

8. Shelby (5-7, L2, Previous #8)
I hope Shelby does make the playoffs, for the sole reason that his QBs are Brett Favre and Marc Bulger and they both might not play next week. Seeing Shelby panic-sign a guy like Kellen Clemens will be awesome.

9. Mike (5-7, W1, Previous #10)
He's got the Derek Anderson thing going for him, which is a major plus. Unfortunately, I think he'll be on the outside looking in after I shellack him this weekend. I do fully endorse my co-columnist in the Consolation Ladder tournament, however.

10. Adam (5-7, W3, Previous #9)
Ouch. Dude rips off a three game win streak and I bump him down a spot. Adam's receivers are still dreck at this point in the season, which hurts his chances of making a deep run. For the most part though, Adam's season hinges on both Adrian Petersons. If one of them plays well, Chester Taylor will be back on the bench, and if the other one can't handle a starting role, then Adam's goose is cooked.

11. Deewaan (4-8, W1, Previous #11)
Actually, I don't hope Shelby makes the playoffs. I hope Deewaan makes the playoffs. May Steve Smith unleash the lightning this week for you, good sir.

12. Melvin (1-11, L9, Previous #12)
I'm glad this is the team that Eli Manning plays for. It makes me imagine the Giants being 1-11 and ballistic New Yorkers throwing hot soup or feces on him as he walks down the street.

Good luck to everyone in the final week!!