Steelers take over No. 1 spot in RJ’s NFL rankings

Las Vegas Review-Journal NFL reporter Gilbert Manzano’s weekly rankings, with last week’s ranking in parentheses.

1. Steelers 11-2 (4). The Steelers have entertained us with three straight down-to-the-wire games on prime time. They’re not a dominant team, but they find ways to win with Antonio Brown stepping up during the biggest moments.

2. Patriots 10-3 (1). Tom Brady and the Patriots fell for the trap game in Miami as they head into an AFC showdown against the Steelers on Sunday. It’s rare when the Patriots lose two straight games.

3. Eagles 11-2 (3). Philadelphia had a bittersweet victory over the Rams last week after Carson Wentz tore his ACL. But don’t count out the Eagles with Nick Foles. Philly has a dominant front seven and can run the ball — the perfect formula for a backup quarterback to thrive.

4. Vikings 10-3 (2). Minnesota had its eight-game winning streak snapped at Carolina. The Vikings can clinch the NFC North with a victory over the Bengals this week.

5. Rams 9-4 (5). Jared Goff’s fumble cost the Rams a signature victory over the Eagles. They now travel to Seattle for a crucial NFC West matchup.

6. Saints 9-4 (6). The Saints aren’t the same team without Alvin Kamara in the lineup. They need him healthy if they want to make a deep playoff run.

7. Panthers 9-4 (8). Cam Newton and the Panthers’ rushing attack were unstoppable against a tough Vikings defense. The Panthers are going to be a tough out in January.

8. Falcons 8-5 (9). The Falcons picked up a much-needed win over the Saints. Atlanta still has a shot at winning the NFC South.

9. Jaguars 9-4 (11). It might be time to take the Jaguars seriously in the AFC, especially with Blake Bortles stepping up as he did against Seattle.

10. Seahawks 8-5 (7). Injuries might be catching up to the Seahawks. Linebacker Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright were added to the injury list.

11. Chargers 7-6 (13). Everyone is jumping on the Chargers’ bandwagon. We’ll find out how good they really are when they face the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

12. Chiefs 7-6 (14). The Chiefs began to climb out of their hole after crushing the Raiders.

13. Titans 8-5 (10). The Titans proved they’re pretenders with a loss to the Cardinals. Something isn’t right with Marcus Mariota.

14. Ravens 7-6 (12). The Ravens were once the worst offense in the NFL. Not anymore after scoring a combined 82 points in the past two games.

15. Packers 7-6 (18). Brett Hundley got the job done. Now is Aaron Rodgers healthy enough to return?

16. Lions 7-6 (16). Detroit kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a win at Tampa Bay.

17. Cowboys 7-6 (17). One more game before Ezekiel Elliott’s return. Will he have something to play for?

18. Bills 7-6 (19). LeSean McCoy saved the day for the Bills during the snow bowl against the Colts.

19. Raiders 6-7 (15). The Raiders are whom we thought they are. A poor defensive team with a boring offense.

20. Cardinals 6-7 (22). The Cardinals beat the Titans in a who-cares game.

21. Dolphins 6-7 (24). Jay Cutler had one more good game left in him after defeating the Patriots.

22. Redskins 5-8 (20). Kirk Cousins and the Redskins were embarrassed by the Chargers.

23 Jets 5-8 (21). Josh McCown’s surprising season came to an end after breaking his hand.

24. Bengals 5-8 (23). The Bungles were crushed by the Bears 33-7.

25. 49ers 3-10 (27). Jimmy Garoppolo is 2-0 as the Niners’ starter. The future is bright for San Francisco.

26. Texans 4-9 (25). Doesn’t matter who’s throwing the ball, DeAndre Hopkins will catch it.

27. Buccaneers 4-9 (26). Still no hand “W” for Jameis Winston.

28. Broncos 4-9 (28). The Broncos finally won a game.

29. Bears 4-9 (29). So did the Bears.

30. Colts 3-10 (30). But the Colts didn’t win.

31. Giants 2-11 (31). Eli Manning returned, but it wasn’t a memorable game.

32. Browns 0-13 (32). The Browns had a golden opportunity for their first win against the Packers. 0-16 is still alive.

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GManzano24 on Twitter.