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NFL Power Rankings 2018: Updated Standings, Super Bowl Odds for Week 11
November 14, 2018
Week 10 of the 2018 NFL season played out like plenty before it.
While there were a handful of upsets along the way—the Tennessee Titans toppling the New England Patriots 34-10 by far the biggest—this was largely about the rich getting richer. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints all extended their winning streaks to four straight victories or more.
It's growing increasingly clear which teams are legit contenders and which won't have a Super Bowl upside for at least another year. That makes this perfect time to take a macro view at the league's pecking order through power rankings, updated standings and Super Bowl odds (courtesy of OddsShark).
2018 NFL Power Rankings and Super Bowl Odds
1. New Orleans Saints (4/1)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (5/1)
3. Los Angeles Rams (4/1)
4. Los Angeles Chargers (13/1)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (9/1)
6. New England Patriots (8/1)
7. Carolina Panthers (33/1)
8. Chicago Bears (22/1)
9. Minnesota Vikings (20/1)
10. Houston Texans (25/1)
11. Washington Redskins (33/1)
12. Green Bay Packers (33/1)
13. Tennessee Titans (50/1)
14. Seattle Seahawks (80/1)
15. Dallas Cowboys (40/1)
16. Atlanta Falcons (80/1)
17. Baltimore Ravens (50/1)
18. Cincinnati Bengals (80/1)
19. Indianapolis Colts (50/1)
20. Philadelphia Eagles (33/1)
21. Denver Broncos (500/1)
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (100/1)
23. Cleveland Browns (150/1)
24. Miami Dolphins (450/1)
25. Detroit Lions (500/1)
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (500/1)
27. New York Giants (250/1)
28. Buffalo Bills (500/1)
29. San Francisco 49ers (1000/1)
30. Arizona Cardinals (1000/1)
31. New York Jets (1000/1)
32. Oakland Raiders (2500/1)
Standings
AFC East
1. New England Patriots (7-3)
2. Miami Dolphins (5-5)
3. Buffalo Bills (3-7)
4. New York Jets (3-7)
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2-1)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
3. Baltimore Ravens (4-5)
4. Cleveland Browns (3-6-1)
AFC South
1. Houston Texans (6-3)
2. Tennessee Titans (5-4)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-5)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6)
AFC West
1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)
2. Los Angeles Chargers (7-2)
3. Denver Broncos (3-6)
4. Oakland Raiders (1-8)
NFC East
1. Washington Redskins (6-3)
2. Dallas Cowboys (4-5)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (4-5)
4. New York Giants (2-7)
NFC North
1. Chicago Bears (6-3)
2. Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1)
3. Green Bay Packers (4-4-1)
4. Detroit Lions (3-6)
NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints (8-1)
2. Carolina Panthers (6-3)
3. Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6)
NFC West
1. Los Angeles Rams (9-1)
2. Seattle Seahawks (4-5)
3. Arizona Cardinals (2-7)
4. San Francisco 49ers (2-8)
The Juggernaut: Los Angeles Rams (4/1)
While the Saints hold the spot in our power rankings for being the NFL's hottest team, the Rams are our favorite…well, favorite for arguably being its most complete.
Los Angeles sits third in scoring offense (33.5 points per game) and 12th in scoring defense (23.1). Only two other teams hold top-12 rankings in both categories. One has a sophomore quarterback who threw the same number of interceptions and touchdowns last season (Chicago Bears, Mitchell Trubisky). The other has a scoring differential nearly half of the Rams' plus-104 mark (Los Angeles Chargers, plus-54).
The Rams are good-to-great at almost everything.
Jared Goff is No. 2 in passing yards. Todd Gurley leads all ball-carriers in yards and touchdowns. Brandin Cooks (seventh) and Robert Woods (ninth) both sit inside the top 10 in receiving yards. Aaron Donald paces everyone in sacks. Cory Littleton sits third in tackles. The Rams are tied for eighth in takeaways and tied for fourth in turnover differential.
If you prefer gambling on Goliaths, no one looks bigger or more menacing than Sean McVay's squad.
The Sleeper: Carolina Panthers (33/1)
While the Panthers hold the seventh spot in our rankings, they have the same Super Bowl odds as the 11th-ranked Washington Redskins, 12th-ranked Green Bay Packers and 20th-ranked Philadelphia Eagles.
Oddsmakers will wise up sooner or later. Carolina looks primed for some serious stat-padding, as it isn't slated to face a .500-plus opponent until Week 15 (New Orleans Saints).
Carolina certainly didn't look the part of a contender Thursday night, when it was on the wrong side of a 52-21 stomping by the Steelers. But it's important to remember that loss not only snapped a three-game skid, it was the first time all season the Panthers had been outclassed by an opponent. Their previous two losses both came on the road (at Atlanta and at Washington) and were decided by a total of 13 points.
In other words, panic at your own risk.
"This (expletive) happens," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said afterward. "And I'm going to put it just like that. … I told the players in the locker room, 'At the end of the day, get this one out of your system and move forward.'"
The Panthers have more than enough weapons to right the ship.
Cam Newton has never been more efficient. Christian McCaffrey is doing a convincing impersonation of a shooting star. Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Shaq Thompson might form the best linebacker group in the business.
While Carolina is no shoo-in—there are no such things as 33/1 shoo-ins—this is tremendous value at the price point.
The Wasted Wager: Philadelphia Eagles (33/1)
The NFL hasn't seen a repeat Super Bowl champion since the Patriots went back-to-back in 2004 and 2005. That drought won't end this season.
Forget about consecutive championships; the Eagles haven't won consecutive games yet.
The offense can't get anything going on the ground with its patchwork running back group. Philadelphia sits 22nd in rushing yards per game and 23rd in rushing yards per attempt.
And the defense, while strong on paper (sixth in points allowed per game), may not be all that it seems. As NFL.com's Elliot Harrison explained, Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Cowboys was just the latest in a long line of troubling performances:
"It's a wonder how Philly's defense ranked so well in scoring defense entering the game, because it sure hasn't played like that brand of unit in several games. There was "Fitzmagic the Gathering" in Tampa in Week 2, the fourth-down disasters at Tennessee in Week 4, the myriad stumbles at home against the Vikings the following week and the three fourth-quarter touchdown marches by the Panthers in Week 7. Finally, there was letting the offensively stunted Cowboys move the ball at will in the second half the other night."
What's going to turn around the Eagles season? Losing cornerback Ronald Darby to a torn ACL won't help. Neither will closing with the league's toughest remaining schedule.
If you don't want to abandon hope just yet, that's fine. But don't bother putting your money where your optimism is.