NFL Week 11 Power Rankings
By Tim Dillon
Nov 10, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; St. Louis Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson (22) reacts after intercepting a pass during the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Rams won 38-8. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) – The Chiefs got to rest up in preparation to face their division opponent and the second-best team in the AFC, the Broncos. If the Chiefs can win this game, that momentum would make them even tougher to stop than they already are. Previous Rank: 1
2. Denver Broncos (8-1) – The MRI revealed no additional damage to Manning’s leg, but everyone has to be wondering if this will affect his monstrous season. It couldn’t have come at a worse time too, now that he has to play the Chiefs in prime-time. If any QB is up to the challenge, though, it’s Peyton Manning. Previous Rank: 2
3. New Orleans Saints (7-2) – Setting a record with 40 first downs in one game is no small feat. This offense is explosive and all it needs is a weak defense to exploit. The game on Sunday against the 49ers could be the NFC championship game if San Fran gets their act together and starts playing like last year. Previous Rank: 6
4. Seattle Seahawks (9-1) – The Falcons didn’t stand a chance against the Seahawks last week and neither do the Vikings this week. Seahawks should roll to 10-1. Previous Rank: 3
5. New England Patriots (7-2) – After a much-needed bye week the Patriots face two tough tests in Carolina and then at home against the Broncos. Shane Vereen and Aqib Talib should be returning to the lineup just in time. Josh McDaniels is going to have to come up with some creative plays to beat the Panthers defense on Monday night. Previous Rank: 5
6. Detroit Lions (6-3) – Matt Stafford didn’t have a great game, throwing 18/35 and only converting 5-12 on third down, but it didn’t matter with Megatron on the field. With injuries to Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler, the NFC North is the Lions’ to lose. Previous Rank: 9
7. Indianapolis Colts (6-3) – This Sunday’s loss to the Rams was the worst the Colts have looked since pre-Luck. He was inaccurate and threw three picks in a game for the first time in his career. They still own the AFC South, but they need to prove this loss was a fluke. Previous Rank: 4
8. Carolina Panthers (6-3) – Is this defense the best in the league? Everyone is talking about the Chiefs defense, but the Panthers are 2nd in opposing rushing yards and 5th in opposing passing yards. They’ve given up more than 15 points only twice this year, both games they lost. The defense can send a huge message to the league this week if they can shut down Tom Brady. Previous Rank: 13
9. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) – Andy Dalton looked awful against the Ravens and the last-second converted Hail Mary to force OT overshadowed a terribly executed final drive. The offense around him is great, but the success of this team is going to rest on their QB’s shoulders. Previous Rank: 7
10. San Francisco 49ers (6-3) – Kaepernick only threw for 91 yards in his home loss to the Panthers, and the ‘Niners were only able to convert 2-13 third downs. They desperately need Mario Manningham and Michael Crabtree back or else this offense will continue to sink. Previous Rank: 8
11. Chicago Bears (5-4) – Losing Jay Cutler again to a high ankle sprain could spell doom for the Bears’ season. In a tight NFC North, they can’t afford to lose many games down the stretch. Previous Rank: 10
12. New York Jets (5-4) – They have a big divisional game against the Bills next weekend, but they will be more prepared than last time the two met. This defense has swagger now, but the Jets have alternated winning and losing the entire season. A loss this week would continue this streak. Previous Rank: 14
13. Arizona Cardinals (5-4) – No one has noticed, but Arizona currently sits only one game out of a playoff spot in the NFC. They’re 4-1 at home and three of their losses have come from far superior teams (Saints, Seahawks, 49ers). They have some easy games in the second half of the season and if they can gain momentum, they could end up back in the post-season. Previous Rank: 16
14. Philadelphia Eagles (5-5) – Nick Foles has completely run away with the starting job in Philly. Against the Packers on the road he went 12/18 for 228 yards and 3 TDs with no picks, earning a near-perfect passer rating of 149.3. He has yet to throw an interception the entire season. Previous Rank: 20
15. Green Bay Packers (5-4) – Without Aaron Rodgers, this team looks lost. With all of the injuries they’ve suffered, it will be a miracle if they can make the post-season, unless Matt Flynn can consistently play as well as he did in his last start for Green Bay. Previous Rank: 12
16. Dallas Cowboys (5-5) – Allowing 625 total yards in one game is absolutely inexcusable, even if it was against the high-powered Saints offense. Dallas is 1-4 on the road and even though they still are leading the division, all signs point to the typical self-destruction at the end of the season. Previous Rank: 11
17. Cleveland Browns (4-5) – With Jason Campbell giving this team new life, the Browns have a chance to fight for the division lead this Sunday against the current leading Bengals. After Andy Dalton’s miserable performance last weekend against the Ravens, Cleveland definitely has a shot at the upset. Previous Rank: 18
18. San Diego Chargers (4-5) – Each week a different Chargers team shows up to play so no one knows what to expect. They’ve proven they can’t close out games and their season only gets tougher from next week on. It could be a rough December for Chargers fans. Previous Rank: 17
19. St. Louis Rams (4-6) – This defense was in Andrew Luck’s face the entire game and completely shut him down for the first time in his career. They have a tough schedule to close out their season, though, and the defense will need to build off of this momentum in order to compete. Previous Rank: 24
20. New York Giants (3-6) – After stringing three wins together the G-men are now incredibly only two spots out of the division lead. They can capitalize on a weak Green Bay team without Rodgers this Sunday to gain even more momentum before facing the division-leading Cowboys. New York has proven they can be lethal with the proper momentum, just check their last Lombardi trophies. Previous Rank: 27
21. Baltimore Ravens (4-5) – The Ravens won because Andy Dalton completely lost his ability to make an accurate pass on Sunday. They were 3-16 on third down and Flacco was average, throwing 20/36 for 140 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 picks. Jay Cutler has already been ruled out for their game against the Bears, so they have a shot of returning to .500 for the first time in over a month. Previous Rank: 22
22. Tennessee Titans (4-5) – Without Jake Locker, this team got significantly less threatening. Ryan Fitzpatrick was mediocre at best in his time as the replacement and he’ll have his work cut out for him when they play the Colts in two of the next three games. Previous Rank: 15
23. Miami Dolphins (4-5) – They’ve lost five out of their last six games and looked completely lost in that time. The offensive line is even worse without Incognito and Tannehill got hit 8 times and sacked twice against the Buccs. The “Fire Ireland” signs are already popping up in Florida. Previous Rank: 19
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) – After being embarrassed by New England, Pittsburgh rebounded in a big way over the lowly Bills. No matter how badly they’ve played at the beginning of the season, they still have a chance to win the division now that they are only three games back behind Cincinnati. Previous Rank: 28
25. Washington Redskins (3-6) – The ‘Skins are 10th overall in passing yards and 3rd overall in rushing yards, yet they’re 1-4 on the road and their three wins were very tight contests. The defense has looked better, but it needs to continue to improve dramatically if they want to be seriously in the NFC East division race. Previous Rank: 21
26. Buffalo Bills (3-7) – Buffalo was completely outmatched by the Steelers in Pittsburgh and EJ Manuel was pedestrian in his return. They have a critical game against the Jets this week and a win would go a long way for their confidence. Previous Rank: 23
27. Oakland Raiders (3-6) – Terrell Pryor went 11/26 for 122 yards and a pick against the Giants and the Raiders offense converted only 2 of 12 third downs. Pryor’s rushing TD in the opening minutes of the game marked the end of the offense’s success for the day. Previous Rank: 25
28. Minnesota Vikings (2-7) – Christian Ponder only had four incompletions in Thursday night’s victory over the Redskins before leaving the game with an injury. He went 17/21 for 174 yards, 2 TDs and a pick. If he can keep up that level of play, he should win back the starting job at least for the remainder of this season. Previous Rank: 30
29. Houston Texans (2-7) – Losers of seven straight games, the Texans have been unable to close out tight games. In their past three games they’ve lost by a combined total of seven points. Previous Rank: 26
30. Atlanta Falcons (2-7) – The lack of a running game is killing the Falcons and making Matt Ryan completely ineffective. Perhaps they can beat the Buccs a second time this year to earn another win and hold off finishing the season below .500 for the first time since 2007. Previous Rank: 29
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8) – They capitalized on what was likely their last chance at a win this season against the Titans on Sunday. Now they have to take on the Cardinals, who are quietly fighting for a playoff spot. Previous Rank: 32
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8) – They got their first win, but the way this team played was just miserable. 3 for 12 on third down and they committed stupid penalties to shoot themselves in the foot. This team has no discipline. Previous Rank: 31