NFL Power Rankings 2014: Predicting Post-Week 11 Standings

The 2014 NFL season has had no shortage of shocking results. Put a few crazy upsets and wild scorelines together, and you get some interesting standings. 

The Cleveland Browns are in first place in the AFC North, while the Arizona Cardinals, despite not having their best quarterback for three games, are 8-1 and have the best record in the entire league. The Raiders are 0-9 and are in danger of going 0-16.

Okay, perhaps that last one isn't so surprising, but it just goes to show that not every NFL franchise reaps the benefits of the league's commitment to parity. 

Let's take a look at some picks for Week 11, followed by power rankings for all 32 teams.

Date	Time (ET)	Away	Home	Pick
Nov. 13	8:25 p.m.	Buffalo Bills	Miami Dolphins	Miami
Nov 16	1 p.m.	Houston Texans	Cleveland Browns	Cleveland
Nov 16	1 p.m.	Atlanta Falcons	Carolina Panthers	Atlanta
Nov 16	1 p.m.	Minnesota Vikings	Chicago Bears	Chicago
Nov 16	1 p.m.	Cincinnati Bengals	New Orleans Saints	New Orleans
Nov 16	1 p.m.	Denver Broncos	St. Louis Rams	Denver
Nov 16	1 p.m.	Seattle Seahawks	Kansas City Chiefs	Seattle
Nov 16	1 p.m.	San Francisco 49ers	New York Giants	San Francisco
Nov 16	1 p.m.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Washington Redskins	Washington
Nov 16	4:05 p.m.	Oakland Raiders	San Diego Chargers	San Diego
Nov 16	4:25 p.m.	Detroit Lions	Arizona Cardinals	Detroit
Nov 16	4:25 p.m.	Philadelphia Eagles	Green Bay Packers	Green Bay
Nov 16	8:30 p.m.	New England Patriots	Indianapolis Colts	New England
Nov 17	8:30 p.m.	Pittsburgh Steelers	Tennessee Titans	Pittsburgh

NFL Power Rankings

32. Oakland Raiders (0-9)

The Raiders don't get to move from this spot until they win a game. With Derek Carr in the fold, there is hope for the future, but as Grantland's Bill Barnwell explains, there isn't too much else to work with in terms of young talent:

"

2013 first-round pick D.J. Hayden, general manager Reggie McKenzie’s first first-round pick, has struggled to stay healthy. In his 11th professional game on Sunday, Hayden came up with the first interception of Manning, only to pay for his insolence by allowing a touchdown to Emmanuel Sanders before leaving with a groin injury. 2014 first-rounder Khalil Mack is a star talent, and second-rounder Carr has exhibited signs of competence, but the only other cheap asset on the roster might be 2013 third-rounder Sio Moore. 

"

The Raiders travel to San Diego in Week 11—not a great shot for a win. Their best (and possibly only) chance comes in Week 13 against the St. Louis Rams.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9)

Blake Bortles is the key to the team's future, but it must be nice for fans to know they might have a competent running back in the fold in former college passer Denard Robinson. Over the past four weeks, Shoelace has put up 389 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 5.4 yards per carry. He has a relatively slight frame for a running back, but he hits the hole hard regardless and has speed to burn in the open field.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8)

Head coach Lovie Smith gave Josh McCown another chance to commandeer the Bucs' rudderless ship in Week 10, and his performance was uneven, although somewhat encouraging considering his past struggles. McCown threw for 301 yards while tossing two touchdowns and two interceptions—not good enough to beat the struggling Atlanta Falcons. Neither he nor Mike Glennon has the ability to salvage much, if anything, from this disastrous season.

29. New York Jets (2-8)

The Jets have spent much of this season losing the turnover battle (minus-15 coming in to Week 10), but they managed to reverse the trend against the Pittsburgh Steelers and come up with an unlikely 20-13 victory. The Jets forced four turnovers from the Steelers and committed none themselves.

Michael Vick wasn't asked to do much, but he put together a quietly competent game and should finish out the season as the starter while the team assesses its future.

28. Tennessee Titans (2-7)

The Tennessee Titans are trying to work things out in the nascent Zach Mettenberger era, and one area of concern for team president Tommy Smith is the listless offensive line. Although it features notable draft picks, such as former Alabama mauler Chance Warmack, Smith is demanding more from the unit.

"We spent a fortune to build this line," Smith said on The Wake Up Zone on 104.5 in Nashville, via ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky. "I am committed, I've told the coach, I don't care when someone was drafted or what they're paid, if they're not getting the job done, to get somebody else."

27. Chicago Bears (3-6)

This team is clearly hurting, and despite all of the talent, it's hard to see a way out of the doldrums for this squad. Jay Cutler's play has dropped off, with five touchdowns against four interceptions in the last three games. The team is now last in the league in points allowed (30.8) and is 26th in yards allowed. The defense is in complete disarray, and Cutler's struggles aren't helping.

26. Washington Redskins (3-6)

The Redskins have an excellent opportunity to turn their season around against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11. The return of Robert Griffin III is heartening; he threw for 251 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Week 10. His mobility may be limited, but Griffin's athleticism should give Jay Gruden the flexibility he needs to expand his offense.

25. New York Giants (3-6)

The Giants have been short on good news lately, but they could see the return of running back Rashad Jennings in Week 11, per head coach Tom Coughlin.

"I am going to say that we certainly do expect that he will be ready at the end of this week, but who knows? If he is ready, then obviously he will have a big share of the load," he said, per the New York Post's Paul Schwartz.

Before his injury, Jennings put up 396 rushing yards in five games. A pairing of Jennings and Andre Williams could take some pressure off quarterback Eli Manning.

24. Carolina Panthers (3-6-1)

Cam Newton has struggled with accuracy throughout this season. ESPN Stats & Info noted he's prone to putting too much on his passes:

That being said, it's not like he's had much time to set his feet. The Panthers offensive line has been leaky at best. The team has allowed 31 sacks this season, per ESPN.com, tied for the second-worst mark in the league.

23. St. Louis Rams (3-6)

The Rams have plenty of moxie, but unfortunately, that's not a statistic in the NFL, nor does it necessarily mean a team will win on any given Sunday. The Cardinals took them to task in a 31-14 victory in Week 10, exposing the lack of cohesion on offense. Austin Davis is a fine caretaker quarterback, but he has a bit of a Kyle Orton vibe to him, filling for an injured Sam Bradford and posting an 85.1 quarterback rating. It will be interesting to see how this team handles the signal-caller situation next season.

22. Atlanta Falcons (3-6)

This might be lost on some people, but Matt Ryan has been chucking the ball around a lot this season, per NFL on ESPN:

He's actually done a fine job of taking care of the ball as well, throwing just eight interceptions in nine games. Ryan's consistency will be the key to the Falcons turning things around in the latter half of the season.

21. Minnesota Vikings (4-5)

Head coach Mike Zimmer and his staff have done well to keep the Vikings relevant this season, despite starting a rookie quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater. Dave Campbell of The Associated Press reported that Zimmer has brought a more aggressive scheme to the Great White North:

"

The 4-3 alignment is the same, but the strategy is more aggressive than what the Vikings played before. Not only has Zimmer excelled over his years running NFL defenses, he has succeeded in confusing opposing coaches and quarterbacks with a wily package of blitzes, but his overall pass-rushing scheme that calls for linemen to stay in certain lanes has helped produce plenty of pressure.

"

The Vikings have a bye in Week 11, and perhaps offensive coordinator Norv Turner can find some ways to get his best athlete, Cordarrelle Patterson, involved in the plodding offense.

20. Houston Texans (4-5)

The Houston Texans, despite having already won two more games than they did in all of last season, aren't content to just spin their wheels this season. Head coach Bill O'Brien is done with Ryan Fitzpatrick and his 87.1 quarterback rating and will be turning to 26-year-old Ryan Mallett in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland coach Mike Pettine is wary of his arm strength, which should be an improvement over Fitzpatrick's.

"It’s important to know that he does have a big arm and maybe a little bit more deeper (downfield) shots than what they’ve shown,” Pettine said, via the Houston Chronicle's Brian T. Smith.

19. New Orleans Saints (4-5)

The Saints are below .500 and yet are in sole possession of first place in the NFC South. The Panthers, Buccaneers and Falcons all have major flaws that could prevent them from catching up this season.

However, the Saints have three games in a row against squads from the AFC North, the league's toughest division. It starts with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11, followed by the Ravens and Steelers. If the Saints can snag a win or two from this stretch, the division should be theirs not long after.

18. Buffalo Bills (5-4)

The Bills made several trips to the red zone in their disappointing Week 10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and yet they finished the game with just 13 points. It's tough rooting for the Bills, and everyone knows it. The Chiefs' fourth-quarter comeback elicited this tweet from professional hockey player Paul Bissonnette:

A loss to the division-rival Miami Dolphins in Week 11 could derail the Bills' promising season.

17. San Diego Chargers (5-4)

Nothing gets your power-ranking mojo back like a date with the Raiders. Hopefully, the Bolts had time to think about what's ailing them during the bye week. The offense isn't a problem. Philip Rivers' three-pick game against Miami was a mere aberration—it was only the fourth time he's thrown at least three interceptions in a game in his career. It's John Pagano's defense that needs work.

16. Miami Dolphins (5-4)

The Dolphins-Bills game could come down to which quarterback spends less time on the ground. The Bills rank first in the league in sacks with 34, while the Fins are tied for fourth with 28, per ESPN.com. Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has shown flashes of mobility in the past few weeks and should be able to do a better job of avoiding the rush than the aging Kyle Orton. 

15. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3-1)

The Bengals have a strong rushing attack, a daring defense and a smart coach in Marvin Lewis. Unfortunately, their best laid plans are every so often derailed by quarterback Andy Dalton. He put up an all-time stinker of a stat line in Week 10, completing just 10 of 33 passes for 86 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions. The 2.61 yards per attempt in that game were somehow worse than the 3.31 rate he put up in a shutout loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7.

14. San Francisco 49ers (5-4)

The 49ers stayed true to 31-year-old running back Frank Gore in their overtime win against the Saints. He toted the rock 23 times for 81 yards and a touchdown, giving much-needed balance to the offense. Correlation doesn't imply causation, but the 49ers are 0-4 this season in games where Gore carried the ball less than 15 times. Only one of those games was a blowout—Week 7 against the Denver Broncos—so it seems there is a lesson to be learned here: Gore is not yet finished.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4)

Well, that de-escalated quickly. After throwing six touchdown passes in two straight games, Steelers pivot Ben Roethlisberger threw just one touchdown and two interceptions in a disappointing loss to the Jets in Week 11. Dropping games against beatable opponents wont cut it in the cutthroat AFC North.

12. Baltimore Ravens (6-4)

The Baltimore Ravens are a winning team yet again this season, thanks to the time-honored combination of a strong defense and rugged rushing attack. Justin Forsett, a relatively unheralded tailback prior to this season, has been a revelation. He's averaging 5.4 yards per carry this season and ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee.

The Ravens also have the luxury of limiting his carries and saving him for a postseason run, as both Bernard Pierce and Lorenzo Taliaferro have proved capable of grinding out tough yards.

11. Cleveland Browns (6-3)

The Cleveland Browns are in sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Let that sink in for a minute. This is the franchise that managed just 27 wins combined over the past six seasons.

This doesn't mean a playoff berth is a sure thing, though. Four of the Browns' final seven opponents have winning records, which includes games against both the Bengals and the Ravens. Winning those contests will be crucial, as it's quite possible this division comes down to tiebreakers at the end of the season.

10. Seattle Seahawks (6-3)

The 49ers may forget the virtues of power running from time to time, but thank goodness the Seahawks aren't so absent-minded. Marshawn Lynch is a menace to front sevens everywhere, and his four-touchdown performance against the New York Giants was better than several teams had done all season, per NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano:

"

Marshawn Lynch rushed for more touchdowns yesterday (4), than the Patriots, Steelers, Chargers, Bills, and Raiders have all season.

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) November 10, 2014"

Running against the Kansas City Chiefs might not be so easy, but we know Lynch is going to try.

9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-3)

The Chiefs will have to play safe, steady football if they are to fend off the Chargers and hold on to second place in the AFC West. Luckily, safe and steady has been a winning modus operandi for the Chiefs this season, per Chase Stuart of The New York Times:

"

Kansas City ranks in the top five in time of possession, average plays run per drive and average time per drive. The Chiefs have eight turnovers this year, with three coming in the opening day loss. That means Kansas City has five turnovers in its last eight games, tied with the Patriots for second least in the N.F.L. in that span, one behind Arizona.

"

Alex Smith will have to be at his sharpest in Week 11 and avoid the trickery of the Seahawks secondary.

8. Indianapolis Colts (6-3)

The Colts play the Patriots this week. That means Andrew Luck versus Tom Brady. FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver noted the former is in the same company as the latter in at least one aspect of quarterbacking:

This game could very well be an AFC playoff preview, as neither team looks to be in danger of falling off its recent form.

7. Dallas Cowboys (7-3)

DeMarco Murray has 1,233 rushing yards through 10 games, which is pretty cool. You know what else is cool? Having wide receive Dez Bryant in the same offense. The fifth-year pro reeled in six catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns against the Jags in Week 10. In fact, all of that production came in the first half, and it had Grantland's Robert Mays concerned for the mental health of Jags cornerback Dwayne Gratz:

6. Green Bay Packers (6-3)

Speaking of superlative first-half performances, Aaron Rodgers tossed six touchdowns in just two quarters of play in the Packers' 55-14 win over the Bears in Week 10, tying an NFL record.

It seems the amount of things Rodgers does wrong each week consistently hovers between very little and nothing. This bodes well for the future of the Packers.

5. Detroit Lions (7-2)

Matthew Stafford has hardly been impressive this season, unless you only watch the Lions when they are behind their opponents, in which case he looks awesome. Stafford led yet another fourth-quarter comeback against the Dolphins in Week 10. According to NFL.com, his quarterback rating when the Lions trail by eight points or less this season is 94.0. If the defense keeps things close, which it often does, Stafford gives the Lions a chance.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2)

Maybe head coach Chip Kelly's offense is meant so that the coach himself can step in at quarterback and run things. Or, the much-maligned Mark Sanchez has simply had the opportunity to grow and learn away from the New York spotlight and in a backup role with the Eagles. He threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers in Week 10, a performance that should have Philly fans thinking more than just playoffs this season.

3. Arizona Cardinals (8-1)

Carson Palmer suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 10, which puts the Cardinals' season in doubt somewhat. They will have to work hard to hold off the Seahawks in the coming weeks, but at least a solid defense, led by the wonderful Patrick Peterson, will be able to see them through most contests.

2. Denver Broncos (7-2)

The Broncos got things back on track in Week 10, as they trounced the hapless Raiders 41-17. Peyton Manning simply has too many weapons in that offense for this team to fail on a consistent basis. There is still a chance this team will be the class of the AFC by the end of the season, but it doesn't get the top spot back just two weeks after a certain devastating head-to-head loss.

1. New England Patriots (7-2)

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are out there making fools of anyone who dared question their competency early in the season. That beatdown at the hands of the Chiefs is a distant memory at this point, and it appears to be a two-horse race for best team in the AFC at this point in the season. A win over Luck and the Colts would only cement this team's status as the squad to beat in 2014.