NFL Power Rankings: Sizing Up the League Entering Week 11

The NFL playoff picture is starting to take shape, but power rankings still see quite a bit of movement as the weeks go by.

There are quite a few teams that are near-locks to make the playoffs. However, there are a lot of teams battling in the middle of the pack.

For those who are hoping for history, the Kansas City Chiefs are still undefeated.

A team’s record isn’t the only deciding factor in these rankings. As good as a team may be when healthy, injuries have to be accounted for in power rankings. How the team has played recently will also determine where the team lands on this list.

Let’s take a look at how each team stands entering Week 11.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0)

Although being the lone undefeated team doesn’t guarantee that the Chiefs should be the No. 1 team, it’s tough to argue against their defense. Kansas City’s defense has allowed only 12.3 points per game.

Running back Jamaal Charles has done enough to help the offense put up points. He has run for 725 yards, which ranks fifth in the NFL, and six touchdowns this season.

The Chiefs will travel to Denver this week, and they have a chance to prove that they are for real. There’s a lot of talk this week that the Chiefs haven’t played anyone. If the defense can contain Peyton Manning and find a way to win, there will be no argument as to which deserves the top spot.

2. Denver Broncos (8-1)

Quarterback Peyton Manning is on pace for some historic stats. Take a look at some numbers that SportsCenter tweeted out:

Those are pretty impressive numbers. Now he will have to go up against the stingiest defense in the league. He’s been beat up lately, so it will be interesting to see how he fares against the Chiefs, who lead the league with 36 sacks.

Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas and Wes Welker each have nine receiving touchdowns through nine games. That shows just how much Manning has been able to share the football.

Denver hasn’t looked as dominant in recent weeks, but it has a chance to prove that it is the team to beat.

3. Seattle Seahawks (9-1)

The Seahawks look like the best team in the NFC right now. If they earn the top seed, it’s hard to see any team knocking them off. Quarterback Russell Wilson is 12-0 in Seattle, and they just find ways to win. Now the team is showing that it can win convincingly on the road.

4. New Orleans Saints (7-2)

Seattle has a great defense, and New Orleans has an offense that could provide a challenge. Now Drew Brees and the Saints will have to prepare for a tough stretch of games that could decide home-field advantage. New Orleans hosts San Francisco this week, visits Atlanta and Seattle in consecutive weeks and hosts the Carolina Panthers in Week 14. It’s a tough stretch that will show just how good the Saints are.

5. New England Patriots (7-2)

Tom Brady’s numbers may not be outstanding this season, but the fact that he has led his team to a 7-2 record has been one of the most impressive feats of the year.

Brady has only 13 touchdowns in nine games, but the offense is starting to come around. It has scored at least 27 points in each of the past four games and in five of six.

The bye week came at a great time. With Carolina and Denver the next two weeks, the Patriots should be prepared to battle through one of the toughest part of their schedule.

6. Indianapolis Colts (6-3)

Before last week, an argument could be made that the Indianapolis Colts were one of the top teams in the AFC. They are still going to win their division, but losing by 30 points at home to the St. Louis Rams is concerning.

If receiver Reggie Wayne was healthy, this team would be one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Now the team will have to get production out of everyone on its roster to make up for his absence.

7. Detroit Lions (6-3)

With the other NFC North contenders dealing with injuries to their quarterbacks, the Detroit Lions are in the driver’s seat. Receiver Calvin Johnson is just unreal. After shattering records last season, he is putting up similar numbers this season. He has 904 yards and nine touchdowns through nine games. Teams can’t stop him, and he can carry the Lions into the playoffs.

8. Carolina Panthers (6-3)

Kansas City has been the surprise of the year, but the Carolina Panthers aren’t far behind. After starting the year 1-3, the Panthers have reeled off five straight victories. They had blown out four straight inferior opponents, but they won a slugfest with the San Francisco 49ers.

Week 11 is big for Carolina. The New England Patriots come to town for Monday Night Football. New England's offense is on a roll, but the Panthers have the league’s second-ranked scoring defense, which allows only 12.8 points per game.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)

If the Bengals are going to win a playoff game, they have to win the AFC North and get a home game. The team is a dominant 4-0 at Paul Brown Stadium, but it is only 2-4 on the road. The Bengals have beaten the Patriots and the Green Bay Packers at home, but they have lost on the road in Cleveland and Miami. Go figure.

The Bengals had a chance to knock the Baltimore Ravens out of the division race last week but came up short in overtime. Now they will get a chance to take out the Browns. A win will keep Cincinnati in control of the division.

In Cincinnati, the Bengals are averaging 29 points per game, and opponents have scored more than 10 points only once. That’s dominant.

Injuries to tight end Jermaine Gresham, corner Leon Hall and defensive linemen Geno Atkins are starting to take their toll. If the team is going to overcome key injuries, quarterback Andy Dalton needs to step up.

10. San Francisco 49ers (6-3)

The 49ers rank fourth in rushing, but they also rank last in passing. Something’s not right in San Francisco. However, the team recently went on a run that put them back in contention.

During their recent five-game winning streak, the 49ers' average margin of victory was 22.6 points. However, the bye week came at a bad time. They lost 10-9 to the Panthers, and now they have to go to the Superdome to face the Saints.

A win over New Orleans would keep San Francisco in contention for a home playoff game, but a loss like allows Seattle to run away with the NFC West.

11. Chicago Bears (5-4)

Jay Cutler’s injuries are concerning. He had a tough time getting anything going against Detroit in Week 10 before having to leave the game with a high ankle sprain. Backup quarterback Josh McCown will have to try to keep the Bears’ season alive.

12. Green Bay Packers (5-4)

Injuries just keep piling up in Green Bay. From Eddie Lacy to James Jones to Jermichael Finley, the offense was having a hard time getting into a rhythm. When Aaron Rodgers went down with a collarbone injury, Seneca Wallace struggled. Wallace went down last game, so the Packers will have to find a way to survive with other options.

According to ProFootballTalk.com's Josh Alper, third-string quarterback Scott Tolzien will start this week. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that the team signed Matt Flynn. The Packers need Rodgers back as quickly as possible, or they could miss the playoffs.

13. Arizona Cardinals (5-4)

Arizona’s defense is great against the run, and Patrick Peterson is one of the league’s top corners. With Carson Palmer finding his receivers, this team could surprise the league.

A two-game winning streak has the team believing that it can make a run. Four of its next five games are very winnable, so if it can pull off an upset or two, Arizona could sneak into the playoffs.

14. New York Jets (5-4)

As it has been noted many times, the Jets have alternated wins and losses this year. If that trend continues, they are due for a loss this week.

New York can run the football and is the best in the league at stopping the run. Those are the two characteristics that helped Rex Ryan succeed in his first two years as coach.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)

The Philadelphia Eagles have the league’s top rushing attack, and quarterback Nick Foles has 16 touchdowns to zero interceptions. That’s a good combination. If the defense can step up, the Eagles could win the NFC East.

16. Dallas Cowboys (5-5)

On paper, the Cowboys are the most talented team in the division. Tony Romo can get the ball to either Dez Bryant or Jason Witten. The offense is doing its part, but the defense has been terrible.

Dallas ranks 28th against the pass and 32nd against the run. With those types of numbers, the Cowboys should be happy to be tied for first.

17. Baltimore Ravens (4-5)

Baltimore saved its season with an overtime victory over Cincinnati. Now it gets to go up against Chicago’s backup quarterback. If the defense can get to the quarterback like it did when it had five sacks against Cincinnati, the Ravens could keep the momentum going with another victory.

18. San Diego Chargers (4-5)

Philip Rivers continues to throw the ball well, but the Chargers are in a tough division. They are also entering the meat of their schedule. They just faced Denver for the first time last week. San Diego will face Denver, Cincinnati and Kansas City (twice) the rest of the way. In other words, it doesn’t look good.

19. Cleveland Browns (4-5)

This is the biggest game for the Browns since 2007. They had a bye week to prepare for it, and now it will be time to show what they are made of. A win against the Bengals gives them a 2-0 series victory and puts them down only one in the win column. They’d have the inside track to the AFC North crown with a win, but they have to show they can knock off the Bengals in Cincinnati.

20. New York Giants (3-6)

A three-game winning streak has saved the season—for now. The Giants will get to face a third-string quarterback this week and Dallas the following week. If they have any chance of winning the division, they have to keep this winning streak going.

21. St. Louis Rams (4-6)

The Rams had the most impressive victory of Week 10. Rookie Tavon Austin exploded for three long touchdowns of at least 57 yards, including two of at least 81 yards. It was a great way to head into a bye, but a pair of three-game losing streaks will make it tough to finish .500.

22. Tennessee Titans (4-5)

Yes, Jake Locker went down. However, Ryan Fitzpatrick is good enough to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans lost, so they fall down the rankings.

23. Washington Redskins (3-6)

Washington was 3-6 last season before going on a seven-game winning streak to win the division. The NFC East is still within reach, so it may not take another magical run. Robert Griffin III has looked better recently, but the team has alternated wins and losses the last seven games. This week’s game in Philadelphia is huge, especially considering the Eagles have lost 10 straight at home.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6)

The Steelers got a much-needed win against Buffalo, but there are still a lot of issues in Pittsburgh. They can’t run the ball, and they can’t stop the run. Injuries haven’t helped the offensive line, and this looks like a rare season in which the Steelers fall out of contention early.

25. Buffalo Bills (3-7)

Buffalo has lost five of six games, and the team has only averaged 13.3 points per game during its three-game losing streak. Even when the Bills have won, it hasn’t been easy. Their three wins have come by a combined six points.

26. Atlanta Falcons (2-7)

Injuries have wrecked Atlanta’s season. Running back Steven Jackson, receiver Roddy White and wideout Julio Jones have all been hit by the injury bug in 2013.

Matt Ryan rarely lost at home before this season, but he has lost three of his last four games in the Georgia Dome. After losing six of seven, they can forget about the playoffs.

27. Miami Dolphins (4-5)

Miami is a mess right now. The Dolphins have lost five of six, and they were lucky to come away with a win in that span. They found a way to rally to beat Cincinnati two weeks ago, but they couldn’t hang on to beat Tampa Bay. Losing to the previously winless Buccaneers drops the team down the rankings. It’s going downhill quickly in Miami.

28. Houston Texans (2-7)

Case Keenum has thrown for 551 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions in the last two games. Those are good numbers for a guy who started for the first time on Oct. 20. Unfortunately he is 0-3, but his three losses have come by a combined seven points.

A seven-game losing streak has dropped the Texans way down in the rankings. Even though the team started the season 2-0, they could have just as easily lost those games.

Playoffs are out of the question at this point, but Keenum has shown some promise lately.

29. Oakland Raiders (3-6)

Terrelle Pryor has been a pleasant surprise this season. He has made mistakes, but he has also shown the ability to be an explosive dual-threat quarterback.

Pryor can use the final seven games as a learning experience as he tries to show that he is the quarterback of the future in Oakland. He’s done a good job as he has led the Raiders to the fifth-best rushing attack in the NFL.

30. Minnesota Vikings (2-7)

The Vikings have played better recently, but Adrian Peterson is still looking for someone to help him on offense. He has 786 rushing yards and nine touchdowns despite an unsettled quarterback position. The running back has averaged 4.5 yards per carry.

Teams have been able to pass all over the defense, so Minnesota has had to try to throw the ball to stay in the game. Unfortunately, the Vikings haven’t been able to have much luck lately.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8)

The Buccaneers have blown a 21-point lead and a 15-point lead the last two weeks. That’s not a good sign. Fortunately they found a way to come back and win this week to get their first win.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)

Many wondered if the Jaguars would win a game this season. Well, they did it and got the win on the road. The win still wasn't enough to bump them out of the bottom spot.

*All stats are courtesy of NFL.com