A look at the NFL power rankings for week 12 tells us what we already knew about the NFC West: it's still terrible. With no improvement in sight for the division, and no team trying to distance itself at the top, the Seattle Seahawks remain the highest ranked team in the division across all the various power rankings for week 12. Mediocrity, in this case, is a great thing for the Seahawks.
We start at SB Nation, where the Seahawks remained at No. 19 this week, four spots clear of the St. Louis Rams. With all four NFC West teams losing on Sunday, the Seahawks win this one by default.
Who wants to win the NFC West? Anyone? The Seahawks lost by 15 points to the Saints and they're still the front-runner in the NFC West. Seven wins may take the division.
Moving on to ESPN, Seattle fell one spot to No. 21 in the rankings, with the Rams one spot behind. Matt Hasselbeck's second consecutive 300 yard game, however, was cause for celebration while the Rams' road woes were cause for concern.
Matt Hasselbeck's recent resurgence makes Seattle much more competitive.
The Rams must win a road game to realistically contend for the NFC West title.
Sports Illustrated also moved the Seahawks down a peg, to No. 20, but was optimistic about the Hawks' home stretch.
The Seahawks lead the division at .500, but they can take some heart in having four of their final six games at home, where they're a solid 3-1 this season. I was wrong about the NFL's two West divisions this season. I thought they were ready to sit at the big-people table. But they're not. Kansas City is the only one of the eight teams in the West that features a winning record.
CBS Sports dropped Seattle three spots to No. 22 and threw up their hands at the NFC West. Looking around the NFC West, it's clear anyone can still take the division, even behind a string of poor performances.
Can you believe they played like they did at New Orleans and they're still in first place? It's .500 now, but first place is first place.
While the entire division lingers around the 20s, any of these teams can jump up and take the division. With only two games separating first place from last, the home stretch will be pivotal for all four NFC West teams. Here's to hoping the Seahawks can be the best of the worst.