2012 NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Resting Vikings hold steady in middle

The Minnesota Vikings didn't play a game in Week 12, since they had the latest break in the season that the NFL schedules. Without playing, analysts mostly left the Vikings be in their weekly power rankings.

In ESPN's panel rankings and the rankings of NFL.com's Eliot Harrison, Minnesota is ranked as the 14th team of 32. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports and Joel Thorman at SBNation both held the Vikings in their 15th position for another week. Brian Billick, at FOX Sports, was one of the rare major analysts to drop Minnesota in the Week 12 rankings, by one slot, to 16.

The Chicago Bears, who dropped to 7-3 after losing to San Francisco 32-7 Monday night, fell several spots in most power rankings. ESPN docked the Bears to No. 6 from No. 3, and Billick, Harrison, Prisco and Thorman all put them eighth in their rankings, down from the No. 3 or No. 4 positions. The Green Bay Packers are also 7-3 and in the top five for most analysts. The Vikings visit the Bears and then the Packers in the next two weeks.