NFL Power Rankings: Breaking Down Sunday's Action Ahead of Week 11

The cream is gradually rising to the top in the 2016 NFL pecking order as the playoffs approach.

The Seattle Seahawks earned an impressive win over the New England Patriots, three AFC West teams (and the Patriots) have seven wins and the Dallas Cowboys moved to 8-1 with a dramatic 35-30 victory on the road over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While there is still plenty of mediocrity remaining across the league with 15 teams at either .500 or within one game of .500, the legitimate Super Bowl contenders are making themselves known.

With that in mind, here is a look at the power rankings following Sunday's action:

Rank	Team	Record	Week 10 Result	Takeaway
1	Dallas Cowboys	8-1	35-30 win over Steelers	True statement win against one of league's most talented teams
2	Seattle Seahawks	6-2-1	31-24 win over Patriots	Went on the road in a short week and beat a Super Bowl favorite
3	New England Patriots	7-2	31-24 loss to Seahawks	Still the team to beat in the AFC
4	Oakland Raiders	7-2	Bye	Proving to be a legitimate AFC powerhouse
5	Kansas City Chiefs	7-2	20-17 win over Panthers	Gutsy fourth quarter preserved spot in division
6	Denver Broncos	7-3	25-23 win over Saints	Some luck involved on the blocked extra point returned for the win, but still rolling along
7	Pittsburgh Steelers	4-5	35-30 loss to Cowboys	Believe in the talent over the record
8	New York Giants	5-3	Monday night vs. Bengals	Big test against Bengals team that is usually in playoffs
9	Washington	5-3-1	26-20 win over Vikings	Crucial win in the race for NFC positioning
10	Philadelphia Eagles	5-4	24-15 win over Falcons	Controlled the game against a division leader
11	Atlanta Falcons	6-4	24-15 loss to Eagles	Still in control of the NFC South despite Sunday's loss
12	Houston Texans	6-3	24-21 win over Jaguars	Not as good as record indicates
13	Detroit Lions	5-4	Bye	Rest of the division lost on Sunday, making it a fruitful bye
14	Tennessee Titans	5-5	47-25 win over Packers	Dominated a Packers team that looks lost
15	New Orleans Saints	4-5	25-23 loss to Broncos	Heartbreaking loss, still enough talent to challenge for playoffs
16	Miami Dolphins	5-4	31-24 win over Chargers	On a roll and wild-card threat in AFC
17	Baltimore Ravens	5-4	28-7 win over Browns	Took care of business against hapless Browns team
18	Arizona Cardinals	4-4-1	23-20 win over 49ers	Narrow win helps Cardinals avoid disaster
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-5	36-10 win over Bears	Did what they had to do against bad Bears team to remain in playoff picture
20	Minnesota Vikings	5-4	26-20 loss to Washington	Freefalling
21	Indianapolis Colts	4-5	Bye	Not enough talent surrounding Andrew Luck
22	San Diego Chargers	4-6	31-24 loss to Dolphins	Brutal loss and slipping behind in a loaded division
23	Cincinnati Bengals	3-4-1	Monday night vs. Giants	Bengals need to win to keep pace with Ravens
24	Buffalo Bills	4-5	Bye	Still hanging in playoff picture despite three straight losses
25	Green Bay Packers	4-5	47-25 loss to Titans	First offense was the concern and now the defense looks overwhelmed
26	Carolina Panthers	3-6	20-17 loss to Chiefs	Lost the fourth quarter 17-0 and didn't look anything like last season's Super Bowl team
27	Los Angeles Rams	4-5	9-6 win over Jets	Ugly win in an ugly game
28	New York Jets	3-7	9-6 loss to Rams	Ugly loss in an ugly game
29	Jacksonville Jaguars	2-7	24-21 loss to Texans	Too much offensive talent to be this bad
30	San Francisco 49ers	1-8	23-20 loss to Cardinals	Just missed a surprising win
31	Chicago Bears	2-7	36-10 loss to Buccaneers	Downright embarrassing performance all around after a bye week
32	Cleveland Browns	0-10	28-7 loss to Ravens	Not much to say, clearly the worst team in the league

Team of the Week: Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys didn't only win in Pittsburgh, they tied their franchise record with eight wins in a row, per Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram.

It was a roller coaster of a win that saw Dallas fall behind 12-3 in the first quarter before an 83-yard screen to Ezekiel Elliott helped make it 12-10. Each team hit two field goals before a 50-yard touchdown catch by Dez Bryant helped make it 23-18 Dallas heading to the fourth quarter.

From there, Le'Veon Bell and Elliott scored touchdowns, and Antonio Brown scored with 43 seconds remaining to make it 30-29 Pittsburgh. Elliott then busted loose for a 32-yard run with nine seconds remaining to win it, 35-30.

"It parted like the Red Sea," Elliott said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "All I had to do was run."

He did just that for 114 rushing yards, 95 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Yahoo Sports wondered if the rookie should merit MVP discussion, and NBA superstar LeBron James had an answer:

It wasn't just Elliott, though, as rookie quarterback Dak Prescott tallied 319 passing yards and two touchdowns. NFL on ESPN underscored just how effective the pair has been this season:

The Cowboys are the team of the week for more than just an entertaining win. Before Sunday's game, the combined record of the seven teams they beat was 20-41-2. While the 7-1 record was impressive, it was fair to question if Dallas' success was largely the result of a favorable schedule.

The Steelers are just 4-5, but they were widely seen as Super Bowl contenders coming into the season. Peter King of Sports Illustrated's MMQB picked them to win the Lombardi Trophy, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's injury from earlier in the year likely cost them positioning in the standings.

The combination of Roethlisberger, Bell and Brown is one of the league's best, and Prescott, Elliott and Bryant topped it.

Dallas survived a stiff test on the road against a quality team and appears to be legitimate Super Bowl threats with less than half of the regular season remaining.

Week 11 Matchup to Watch: Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders

The 6-3 Houston Texans and 7-2 Oakland Raiders will give football fans a treat on Monday night in Week 11.

The game is in Oakland, which adds an interesting dynamic considering the Texans didn't earn their first road win of the season until Sunday's 24-21 narrow victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. That would appear to give the Raiders the advantage, but they are just 2-2 at home and a perfect 5-0 on the road.

Oakland will be fresh after a bye week and looking to create some separation from the 7-2 Kansas City Chiefs and 7-3 Denver Broncos in the AFC West.

The Texans sit atop the AFC South, which means there will be plenty at stake in this contest (making it the game of the week). Home-field advantage and a first-round bye are still in play for each team, and a head-to-head victory could play a significant role in tiebreaker scenarios.

Ultimately, Oakland will be too much for a Texans team that was 30th in the league in points per game before Sunday's action. Khalil Mack and his seven sacks will terrorize quarterback Brock Osweiler, who managed to beat the Jaguars behind a measly 99 passing yards.

On the other side, the Raiders were fifth in points per game before Sunday's games and featured an offensive line that Football Outsiders rated as the best pass-blocking unit in the league through Week 9.

Quarterback Derek Carr has 17 touchdown passes to three interceptions with weapons Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, and running back Latavius Murray is fresh off a dominant performance against the Denver Broncos with three touchdowns and 114 rushing yards.

That offense will put the Texans behind early and force them to be one-dimensional in comeback mode, which will give Mack the clearance to attack Osweiler off the edge and help the Raiders earn the crucial win.

Prediction: Raiders 28, Texans 17