The old cliche is true: offense wins games.
Whether the Lions or Bills have enough defense to win a championship will be determined in the playoffs.
But right now, Detroit and Buffalo appear to be Super Bowl contenders as they boast first- and third-place finishes in the NFL.
Shortly after the Lions became the third team in the Super Bowl era to have three wins by 35 points or more through the first 10 games, the Bills won the most anticipated game of the NFL regular season because head coach Sean McDermott showed guts.
Converting a field goal that would have extended a two-point lead to five late in the fourth quarter, McDermott put the ball in Josh Allen's hands, and the MVP-caliber quarterback delivered a 26-yarder that sealed a 30-21 win over the Chiefs and made a statement via a loaded AFC drive.
Here are The Post's power rankings for Week 12:
1. Black 9-1 (2)
It doesn't get much more dominant than scoring touchdowns on your first seven possessions, as happened in the Jaguars' 52-6 demolition. The Lions piled up a franchise-record 645 yards of offense en route to winning their eighth straight game and ninth in the Top 10 for the first time since 1934. Jared Goff threw four touchdown passes.
2. Bills 9-2 (4)
Allen threw for 262 yards and a touchdown as well as his signature rush into the end zone in the win over the Chiefs. The Bills led throughout the entire second half after taking the lead on Tyler Bass' 33-yard field goal before halftime. Bass was the goat when the two teams met in last year's playoffs. James Cook rushed for two touchdowns.
3. Chiefs 9-1 (1)
The Chiefs' 15-game winning streak was unbeaten, and they lost to the Bills for the fourth straight regular season. Patrick Mahomes threw three touchdown passes but also two interceptions, including in his last offensive tackle. Travis Kelce (two catches for eight yards) was a non-factor. But Isiah Pacheco is on his way back from injury.
4. Steelers 8-2 (6)
One of the best rivalries in the NFL became lopsided as the Steelers beat the Ravens, 18-16, for the seventh time in the last eight meetings despite not scoring a touchdown. Chris Boswell tied a franchise record with six field goals. Payton Wilson had an interception in the fourth quarter, and the offensive balance (36 pass, 34 pass) was impressive.
5. Packers 7-3 (5)
Just as the Chiefs did one week earlier, the Packers won on a blocked field goal. Carl Brooks got his hands on a potential 46-yard game-winner to seal a 20-19 win over the Bears after Jordan Love ran for the go-ahead touchdown. Christian Watson had a career-high 150 rushing yards. This brought a record 11 straight wins in this rivalry for the Packers.
6. Eagles 8-2 (9)
Saquon Barkley scored two touchdowns as part of a 20-point fourth quarter explosion in a 26-18 win over the Leaders. Jalen Hurts stole a third touchdown from Barkley after being dropped at the one-yard line. The game was closer than it should have been because Jake Elliott missed two field goals and a PAT. Philadelphia has won six straight.
7. Vikings 8-2 (8)
Sam Darnold threw for two touchdowns and ran again to atone for his early fumble in the 23-13 win over the Giants. The Vikings improved to 5-0 against the AFC as the defense did its part with five sacks (Andrew Van Ginkel and Pat Jones II with two each) and an interception by Harrison Smith to seal the game.
8. Ravens 7-4 (3)
Lamar Jackson's MVP showing was a huge success as he completed just 16 of 33 passes with one touchdown and ran for just 46 yards in the loss to the Steelers. The Ravens committed three turnovers and committed 12 penalties en route to a season-low 16 points. The usually automatic Justin Tucker missed two field goals.
9. Texans 7-4 (9)
The Texans were no contest as Joe Mixon ran for 109 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-10 blowout of the Cowboys. As they jumped out to a 14-0 lead, the Texans forced the Cowboys into 61 turnovers, including five sacks. Derek Barnett's fumble return for a touchdown put the game out of reach.
10. Leaders 7-4 (7)
Without starting kicker Austin Seibert, head coach Dan Quinn bypassed a potential fourth-quarter field goal attempt, go-ahead, 44-yarder from fill-in Zane Gonzalez to set up a fourth-and-goal attempt in the loss to the Eagles. Jayden Daniels threw for an interception and a touchdown, and Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for a touchdown after missing the previous game.
11. Chargers 7-3 (13)
12. Cardinals 6-4 (12)
13. Broncos 6-5 (16)
14. Seahawks 5-5 (18)
15. 49ers 5-5 (11)
16. Buccaneers 4-6 (15)
17. Rams 5-5 (17)
18. Falcons 6-5 (14)
19. Colts 5-6 (19)
20. Bengals 4-7 (20)
21. Dolphins 4-6 (24)
22. Saints 4-7 (25)
23. Bears 4-6 (23)
24. Cowboys 3-7 (21)
25. Patriots 3-8 (22)
26. Jets 3-8 (26)
Just when you think the Jets have hit rock bottom, they find a new low. The offense didn't get a first down in the first 28 minutes but scored a season-high 27 points. So, the defense decided to come up short late, allowing two 70-yard touchdown drives in the fourth quarter by drawing 44.4 percent passersby by Anthony Richardson in a 28-27 loss to the Colts.
27. Panthers 3-7 (27)
28. Raiders 2-8 (28)
29. Brown 2-8 (29)
30. Giants 2-8 (30)
31. Giants 2-8 (32)
After losing five straight games, the Giants had one of their best weekends of the season (bye week). The change of quarterback from Daniel Jones to Tommy DeVito is a welcome distraction for fans and players desperate for anything to change. But it won't solve the Giants' worst rushing defense, which is close to setting records, going nine games without an interception or issues in pass protection.
