New York, New York At Top Of 'AHN Top Ten' Football Rankings; Giants-Jets Are 1-2

November 26, 2008 4:30 p.m. EST

No Plaxico Burress? No Brandon Jacobs? No problem.

Without their leading rusher and their number one receiver, the New York Giants supporting crew stepped up to the plate and hit a home run against the first-place Arizona Cardinals for a 37-29 win.

Meanwhile, another New York team, the Jets, socked it to the then-undefeated Tennessee Titans 34-13.

A balanced Jets running and passing attack combined with a stifling defense had the '72 Dolphins popping champagne once again in Miami.

Teams in the NFC South are a remarkable 19-2 at home and a key divisional matchup followed the trend as the Atlanta Falcons used a 28-point fourth quarter to tackle the first-place Carolina Panthers.

Indianapolis took over the Wild Card lead with a last-second, 51-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal that stunned the San Diego Chargers and gave the Colts their fourth straight win.

Overall, offense reigned supreme during Week Twelve as teams combined for 837 points to set a new NFL single-week record.

Here's how they stand after Week Twelve:

No. 1: New York Giants (10-1) - The Giants have the highest point differential in the NFL at an amazing 130 and a turnover margin of +9. They are rolling through a tough schedule and have scored 30+ points for four straight games for the first time since 1967. (Last Week, 1)

No. 2: New York Jets (8-3) - Not only did they rip an undefeated season from the Titans grip, but they did so while holding Tennessee to a season-low 45 rushing yards and handing them season highs in points (34), yards (409) and rushing yards (192) allowed. (Last Week, 4)

No. 3: Tennessee Titans (10-1) - This team did not look like they won 10 in a row Sunday, but they still have a huge lead in their division coupled with a lackluster upcoming schedule with games against the Lions, Browns and Texans over the next three weeks. (Last Week, 2)

No. 4: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) - The Steelers did not look so dominant but still managed to win by 17 points against the Bengals. Their defense is first in passing, rushing and total yards allowed but they will need to address their offensive troubles if they plan to go far in the playoffs. (Last Week, 6)

No. 5: Indianapolis Colts (7-4) - Peyton Manning has led the Colts to four straight wins and the Wild Card lead thanks to a 6-2 record against AFC teams. They face teams with a combined 9-23-1 record over the next three weeks (Browns, Bengals and Jaguars). (Last Week, 8)

No. 6: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3) - The Bucs took advantage of a Panthers loss to take over first place in the NFC South with a 2-1 divisional record serving as the tiebreaker. With two games separating last from first, they will need to step it up over the next three weeks as they face division opponents. (Last Week, 7)

No. 7: New England Patriots (7-4) - Matt Cassel became only the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 400 yards in two straight games as he led the Patriots to a 48-28 win over the Dolphins in Miami. (Last Week, Bubble)

No. 8: Carolina Panthers (8-3) - With the NFC South race so tight, divisional records become vastly important as the tiebreaker. The Panthers may need to win both divisional matchups left, now just 2-2 against the NFC South but leading the Wild Card. (Last Week, 3)

No. 9: Dallas Cowboys (7-4) - Terrell Owens caught seven passes for 213 yards Sunday as the Cowboys finally found their offensive flow in a 35-22 win over the 49ers that ended a three-game streak of scoring 14 points or less. (Last Week, 10)

No. 10: Atlanta Falcons (7-4) - Matt Ryan and the Falcons made the Panthers look more like domesticated cats in a 45-28 win. Their offense is sixth in total yards per game with 364.1 but their defense has allowed an average of 351.6, ranked 24th. (Last Week, Not Rated)

"Bubble" teams: Baltimore Ravens (7-4), Washington Redskins (7-4)

The "AHN Top 10" will attempt to balance power rankings based on each team's most recent performance, while keeping in mind the overall scope of each team's place in the league.

The rankings are compiled by the AHN writer and are the sole opinion of the author.