NFL Power Rankings: Last-Minute Examination of League Hierarchy Before Week 11

The Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans met on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 11 of NFL action.

Indianapolis was able to net a somewhat expected victory, but we're just getting started as far as the week goes. Several impressive matchups litter the schedule, including a showdown between San Francisco and New Orleans.

Before the schedule fully gets underway, let's take a gander at where each team stands in the rankings. Most weeks so far this season have bucked what pre-weekend rankings have had to say, but that's the fun of it, no?

So enjoy the latest batch, because they'll surely be much different after Sunday. Until then, this is how things shake out.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0)

It would be erroneous to have anyone but Kansas City on top of the NFL.

Yes, the Chiefs are undefeated. That is impressive in its own right in the NFL. Perhaps more impressive is Andy Reid's team is doing it with the No. 1 scoring defense at 12.3 points allowed per game.

Time will tell if the Chiefs are to remain in the top spot thanks to a date with the No. 2 team on this list.

2. Denver Broncos (8-1)

Denver gets Kansas City in Week 11 in the first of two games for AFC West supremacy in three weeks.

Above all else, Peyton Manning is back and at practice with the team after an ankle scare per Lindsay Jones of USA Today:

Manning leads the NFL's only team to break the 30- and 40-point barriers in total offense average and faces a stiff test in Week 11. A win means a move back to the top.

3. New Orleans Saints (7-2)

New Orleans set an NFL record last week with 40 first downs. Is that truly surprising with Drew Brees at the helm?

Maybe not, but what is surprising out of Louisiana is the Saints defense, which ranks in the top five against the pass at just 199.9 yards allowed per game.

In the NFL where the pass is favored over all, New Orleans does it very well and defends it the same. Scary.

4. Seattle Seahawks (9-1)

Seattle is one of the NFL's most dominant squads. The Seahawks tout the NFL's best rushing attack and a top-five defense against the pass thanks to the likes of Richard Sherman.

Yet, it was just back in Week 9 when the Seahawks allowed then-winless Tampa Bay to hang around while Seattle was at home—where the Seahawks have not lost since December of 2011.

Week 11 will tell fans quickly whether or not the Seahawks will continue to let mediocre teams hang around thanks to a matchup with Minnesota.

5. New England Patriots (7-2)

Fresh off a bye, it was just two weeks ago New England and quarterback Tom Brady exploded for more than 600 total yards and 55 points.

While the offense appears back on track, a Monday Night Football showdown with the next team on the list will tell fans if the Patriots are for real.

6. Carolina Panthers (6-3)

We say that about New England because Carolina and linebacker Luke Kuechly are elite.

The Panthers tout the NFL's No. 2 scoring defense at 12.8 points per game, allow opponents to convert under 40 percent of their third-down attempts and rank in the top five against both the run and pass.

Oh, and the offense is a top-10 unit in terms of rushing, and Cam Newton is playing at a high level. What's not to like?

7. Detroit Lions (6-3)

Detroit seems to have the inside track in the NFC North.

With Green Bay and Chicago hobbled (we'll get to those later), the 6-3 Lions, fresh off a major victory over the Bears, are in a great spot.

Matthew Stafford and a top-five pass offense now get a shot at Pittsburgh, the team that let Brady and Co. go off for 55 points and more than 600 total yards in Week 9.

8. Indianapolis Colts (7-3)

Indianapolis was the team to kick off Week 11 with a bang on Thursday Night Football with a win over AFC South foe Tennessee.

Unfortunately, the Colts continue to act like a team that cannot take care of business when it should. Andrew Luck and Indianapolis are two weeks removed from a strange 38-8 defeat at the hands of St. Louis.

On Thursday, the Colts escaped with a three-point victory over 4-6 Tennessee. A win is a win, but at some point, it is time to start worrying.

9. New York Jets (5-4)

Before the season, it was all the rage to poke fun at Rex Ryan's "circus" in New York.

We'll let ESPN do the talking:

Who is laughing now?

Ryan's defense is once again stout and ranks best in the league against the rush. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith is hit-or-miss, but he's backed by a top-10 rushing attack. Don't sleep on the Jets.

10. San Francisco 49ers (6-3)

San Francisco was just the latest team to struggle when tasked with moving the football against Carolina.

The result was a 10-9 loss in Week 10 and only 91 passing yards and an interception from Colin Kaepernick on an 11-of-22 effort.

Kaepernick continues to be a liability through the air. This is especially the case when the run game is ineffective. Things don't get easier with the aforementioned date with New Orleans now on deck.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)

Cincinnati is a mess despite its status as first in the AFC North.

Week 9 was an overtime loss to Miami on a sack. Week 10 was an overtime loss to Baltimore on a field goal after a lucky Hail Mary attempt went the team's way to end regulation.

Now Cincinnati must find a way to move the football on a stout Cleveland defense—a team that already holds one win against the Bengals in which the team failed to score a touchdown.

It's close to panic time in the Queen City.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)

Alright, fine—Nick Foles is the answer in Philadelphia.

Week 9 saw seven touchdown passes from Foles. Week 10 was not such a historic game, but Foles still managed 228 yards and three touchdowns.

The Eagles defense remains mediocre, but Chip Kelly's fast-paced offense is not really helping matters. Does it really matter at this point with the way the offense scores as of late?

Probably not.

13. Cleveland Browns (4-5)

Don't sleep on Cleveland—the Browns are still very much in the thick of the playoff hunt in a weak AFC North.

The Browns have new life with veteran Jason Campbell under center. All he's done since taking over is throw for 555 yards and five touchdowns in two games.

Cleveland is a tough team to beat thanks to a combo of Campbell's play and stellar defense.

14. Green Bay Packers (5-4)

Seneca Wallace was in the game last week for the Packers in relief of Aaron Rodgers and his broken collarbone, but that was short-lived as the veteran suffered an injury of his own.

Now the Packers turn to backup Scott Tolzien despite the presence of Matt Flynn per Fox Sports' Paul Imig.

Tolzien put forth a 24-of-39 effort with one touchdown and two interceptions in a loss to Philadelphia a week ago. Still, the Packers stand a good chance of hitting .500 and falling even further without Rodgers.

15. Miami Dolphins (4-5)

If Cincinnati is a mess, it's hard to find a word to describe Miami.

The Dolphins were upset at the hands of winless Tampa Bay in Week 10 on Monday Night Football.

Miami allows more than 23 points per game, and quarterback Ryan Tannehill is the most-sacked player in the league as he has wound up on his back 37 times.

It's hard to tell if the .500 Dolphins will be able to turn things around in the foreseeable future.

16. Chicago Bears (5-4)

Take a gander at Chicago's running effort in Week 10—20 rushes for 38 yards.

Nice.

As if that is not bad enough, starting quarterback Jay Cutler is hurt yet again and will be out Week 11 per Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune:

Things continue to go from bad to worse. Now Chicago must take on Baltimore in an effort to stay relevant. 

17. San Diego Chargers (4-5)

San Diego is another team quietly still in the playoff picture.

Philip Rivers and the Chargers most recently played Denver tough in a 28-20 loss. A top-five pass offense led by Rivers is still in place, and San Diego has a favorable matchup in Week 11 against Miami.

As long as the defense can get back to its quality ways after a date with Peyton Manning, San Diego will be able to hang around.

18. Dallas Cowboys (5-5)

Dallas has a bye in Week 11, and it simply could not come at a better point.

Week 10 saw the Cowboys give up an NFL-record 40 first downs and more than 600 total yards to New Orleans.

Once again, Dallas has all the makings of a .500 club at best as the defense continues to hold the team back.

19. St. Louis Rams (4-6)

St. Louis is the other team on bye, which is a good or bad thing depending on how fans view a buzzword such as "momentum."

The Rams put together an impressive 38-8 win over playoff-bound Indianapolis in Week 10. Rookie Tavon Austin accounted for three total scores, and Chris Long returned a fumble for a touchdown.

That won't happen every week, but a win regardless of the journey is a win.

20. Baltimore Ravens (4-5)

Baltimore clawed its way back into the AFC North conversation with a win over Cincinnati last week.

Great. But plenty of issues abound for the Ravens. Joe Flacco has thrown 12 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, and Ray Rice is missing in action with his 2.5-yards-per-carry average.

Regardless of the reasons for the stagnant offense, it's hard to take the Ravens seriously. They can help change minds Sunday with a win over Chicago.

21. Arizona Cardinals (5-4)

Arizona is quietly red-hot.

The Cardinals have won two straight and tout a top-five run defense. Now Carson Palmer and the Cardinals have a matchup with lowly Jacksonville and remain a serious contender for the playoffs.

With a stout defense, favorable schedule and emerging star in rookie running back Andre Ellington (7.2 yards per carry) anything is possible for the desert-dwelling Cardinals.

22. Buffalo Bills (3-7)

No longer can anyone label Buffalo a gritty team that can hang with any team in the league.

Rookie quarterback EJ Manuel made his return last week and threw for just 155 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Rather than contend for a playoff spot in the top-heavy AFC East, the Bills have completely fallen off the map in recent weeks. That sounds about right for Buffalo.

Now the Bills have a matchup with a team they already lost to earlier in the season—the New York Jets.

23. Houston Texans (2-7)

Houston has lost seven in a row.

The Texans remain competitive thanks to quarterback Case Keenum and have lost their last three games by a combined seven points—two came against playoff contenders in Indianapolis and Kansas City.

It's great the Texans have enough juice to stay in games. Unfortunately, this is the NFL where the good teams win the close games.

Readers can do the rest of the math.

24. New York Giants (3-6)

It's time for another classic New York Giants late-season push.

Tom Coughlin's team has won three straight after a six-game skid. The Giants are finally healthy once more. Running back Andre Brown made his return last week and rumbled for 115 yards and a touchdown.

With a running game finally present, New York is not out of it in the NFC East. Now the Giants get a hampered Green Bay squad in Week 11.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6)

Things are very bad in Pittsburgh at face value—especially with all this Ben Roethlisberger trade nonsense making the rounds. 

Face value is a tricky thing.

Look deeper and the Steelers are only 2.5 games out of first in the AFC North. Detroit will by no means be an easy win in Week 11, but Pittsburgh can do much to keep its hopes alive.

Better protection for Roethlisberger (35 sacks) is a requirement if the Steelers are to make any noise.

26. Tennessee Titans (4-6)

Tennessee fought to the bitter end with Indianapolis on Thursday Night Football.

As expected, the Titans offense is simply not the same without Jake Locker (he'll miss the remainder of the season per ESPN's Paul Kuharsky).

The Titans continue to have a top pass defense, but that's about it as far as positives go. The spoiler role is as good as it gets for Tennessee the rest of the way.

27. Oakland Raiders (3-6)

At one point, Oakland had the look of a .500 team. By all accounts, that was a great thing considering the state of the rebuilding franchise.

That look has faded quickly.

The Raiders are now hurt rather than helped by quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who threw for just 122 yards and an interception in a loss last week.

Pryor continues to help the Raiders have a top-10 rushing attack, but that is not good enough this year in Oakland.

28. Atlanta Falcons (2-7)

Injuries have ruined the season in Atlanta.

The silver lining? Atlanta gets a great prospect in the upcoming draft to add to what should be a healthy and very talented roster by the time next season rolls around.

After three straight losses, the Falcons do have a chance to pick up a win in Week 11 against one-win Tampa Bay.

After all, Tampa Bay is one of the two teams Atlanta has defeated this season.

29. Minnesota Vikings (2-7)

Adrian Peterson's 75 yards and two scores were the catalyst for a big win in Week 10 as Minnesota found success against Washington.

The good vibes will be short-lived with a trip to Seattle on the slate in Week 11.

Minnesota can play with most teams when the staff actually uses Peterson, but winning games consistently is another thing entirely.

30. Washington Redskins (3-6) 

The season is all but over for Washington.

Bad NFC East or not, Washington suffers right along with quarterback Robert Griffin III. His 281 yards and three scores were not enough to make up for a porous defense in Week 10.

Expect this trend to continue. RGIII has yet to find success on the ground, and quality defenses have no issue putting the clamps down.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8)

It's about time the Tampa Bay defense made an appearance. 

Tampa Bay was on Monday Night Football in Week 10 against Miami and held the Dolphins to two rushing yards (not a typo) on 14 carries and 213 total yards.

Too little, too late. The Buccaneers will continue to fight Jacksonville for the top draft slot. Speaking of which...

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)

Jacksonville finally got in the win column in Week 10 with a two-point victory over AFC South rival Tennessee.

The one-spot rise in the rankings was brief with Tampa Bay also picking up its first win. As a result, the NFL's worst roster continues to dabble at the bottom of the rankings with a high draft pick on the horizon.