NFL Power Rankings Week 11: Patriots, Falcons Rising, but Who's on Top?
NFL Power Rankings Week 11 see the Falcons and Patriots jump in the standings, but who's number one?
Last weekend's games brought us some serious changes to the NFL power rankings Week 11. As has been the case seemingly every week of the season, the top spot in the rankings is up for grabs, and there are several teams who are staking their claim.
The Eagles looked awfully good on Monday night, routing the Redskins, while the Falcons knocked off the previous top spot holder in the Baltimore Ravens. The New England Patriots also scored a big win, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Who did enough to snag the top spot in the polls? Read on to find out!
Yeesh: 32-27
1 of 22
32. Carolina Panthers- Now that the Bills have won a game, and the Cowboys beat the Giants last week, Carolina is bringing up the rear. Can someone explain why on Earth John Fox's name is in the mix in Dallas?
31. Dallas Cowboys: Well, that's was more like it. But I'm still not convinced this team isn't a lost cause this year. One good game doesn't make up for eight terrible ones.
30. Buffalo Bills: Woohoo! The Bills won a game! Yeah! Next up, winning two in a row!
29. Arizona Cardinals: How this team won three games is beyond me. Their quarterback situation might be even worse than the one in Carolina.
28. Cincinnati Bengals: And the hits just keep coming. Even when the Bengals keep Peyton Manning from throwing touchdown passes, they can't get the win.
27. Minnesota Vikings: The "Fire Chilly" movement is picking up steam after losing momentum in Week 9.
On the Outside Looking in: 26-21
2 of 22
26. Washington Redskins: Jeez. We knew the defense was an issue, but 59 points? They're a mess right now.
25. Detroit Lions: I still like the Lions in the future, but when you hand a winless team victory number one, your ranking takes a hit.
24. Denver Broncos: Wow. So that's what this team is capable of. Now they just have to do it for the rest of the season.
23. St. Louis Rams: A tough loss to the Niners sees the Rams slip out of the top 20, but not the playoff hunt.
22. San Francisco 49ers: This team is starting to look more like what people expected coming into 2010. They're not there yet, but San Fran looks better every week.
21. Seattle Seahawks: A nice win on the road against Arizona keeps the Seahawks in the driver's seat in the NFC West. Can they stay there?
20. Cleveland Browns
3 of 22
Where They Stood: 22
Why The Change: The Browns pushed the New York Jets to the brink of defeat before succumbing in the final moments of overtime. For that, they merit a top 20 spot this week.
Why They Could Be Higher: Beat the Patriots and Saints, and have played almost everyone close this season. The defense is getting to be pretty good.
Why They Could Be Lower: They're still 3-6, and the offense isn't quite at its potential yet.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
19. San Diego Chargers
4 of 22
Where They Stood: 19
Why The Change: The Chargers had a bye, so no change in San Diego.
Why They Could Be Higher: Their offense is explosive, their defense has ranked among the league's best statistically, and they're only a game out of their division lead.
Why They Could Be Lower: They're 4-5. Norv Turner is still their coach.
18. Houston Texans
5 of 22
Where They Stood: 13
Why The Change: The Texans lost a heartbreaker to the Jags on Sunday, and have dropped five of seven to fall into the AFC South cellar.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense is still explosive, and the Texans are still definitely a part of the AFC South race.
Why They Could Be Lower: That defense is worse than ever. They've dropped three straight games to fall under .500 for the first time all season.
17. Kansas City Chiefs
6 of 22
Where They Stood: 13
Why The Change: The Chiefs were given a major reality check Sunday against the Denver Broncos, who routed them out of Mile High Stadium.
Why They Could Be Higher: They're still tied for the division lead, and one game can't drop a team out of the top 20. The offense looks to be clicking.
Why They Could Be Lower: The defense just got smoked by the Broncos. The offense isn't a high-powered unit at its best, and they still haven't beaten anyone of consequence outside of Kansas City.
16. Tennessee Titans
7 of 22
Where They Stood: 12
Why The Change: A nasty loss to Miami in Week 10 sees the Titans ranking take a pretty sizable hit.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense is loaded, and led by running back Chris Johnson. The defense looks good still, and the Titans are still just a game behind division leading Indianapolis.
Why They Could Be Lower: Another disappointing loss shows that Tennessee still has work to do to be seen as legit contenders. Until they can win consistently, they won't get out of the middle of the pack.
15. Miami Dolphins
8 of 22
Where They Stood: 23
Why The Change: The Dolphins knocked off the Tennessee Titans in Week 10 to move to 5-4 on the season, and stay in the AFC East race.
Why They Could Be Higher: Their losses have all come to the NFL's best, and they've shown themselves capable of winning high scoring and low scoring games. The defense is solid.
Why They Could Be Lower: The offense could be trouble if quarterback Chad Henne is too hurt to play Thursday against the Bears.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars
9 of 22
Where They Stood: 18
Why The Change: A nice win over a decent Houston team on the road propels the Jags up four spots from last week.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense is capable of scoring points on anyone, and is balanced, behind quarterback David Garrard and running back Maurice Jones-Drew.
Why They Could Be Lower: The defense is atrocious, and it remains to be seen whether Jacksonville's offense can perform against the league's best defenses.
13. Chicago Bears
10 of 22
Where They Stood: 15
Why The Change: The Bears defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10, and looked fairly strong in the process.
Why They Could Be Higher: The defense is strong, the offense has the potential to be great, and the Bears are tied for the NFC North lead.
Why They Could Be Lower: The offense is inconsistent, and the defense isn't nearly as impenetrable as the units from the early 2000's.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11 of 22
Where They Stood: 14.
Why The Change: The Bucs beat the snot out of the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, 31-16. Things weren't as close as the score would lead you to believe.
Why They Could Be Higher: Tampa's offense is firing on all cylinders, and quarterback Josh Freeman is looking more and more like a franchise quarterback with each passing game.
Why They Could Be Lower: The defense still has a ways to go before they can be considered solid, much less excellent.
11. New York Giants
12 of 22
Where They Stood: 5
Why The Change: The Giants got caught napping against the Cowboys, falling 33-20 to the Dallas club.
Why They Could Be Higher: They're still one of the better teams in the NFL. One bad loss doesn't change that. The offense is balanced and potent, and the defense has been good all season long.
Why They Could Be Lower: That loss to Dallas was brutal. If the Giants want to be a top 10 team, they can't lose to teams like the Cowboys.
10. Oakland Raiders
13 of 22
Where They Stood: 10
Why The Change: The Raiders didn't play in Week 10, so they stay put.
Why They Could Be Higher: The Raiders offense appears to be clicking behind the running back tandem of Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. There might be hope for quarterback Jason Campbell yet, and the pass defense is strong.
Why They Could Be Lower: They're 5-4, have a terrible run defense, and aren't unassailable through the air.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers
14 of 22
Where They Stood: 4
Why The Change: The Steelers managed to make a game of it late, but were smoked for three quarters against the New England Patriots.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense has the potential to be fantastic, as does the defense. This team is still easily a top 10 club even with the loss to the Pats.
Why They Could Be Lower: The defense just got smoked and the offense looks a little out of sorts still. They had a chance to knock off New England in Pittsburgh and couldn't get the job done.
8. New York Jets
15 of 22
Where They Stood: 9
Why The Change: The Jets managed to escape with a win for the second week in a row, and they're tied for the AFC East lead with New England.
Why They Could Be Higher: They share the best record in football with the Pats and Falcons, and have the potential to be dominant on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they're balanced, behind quarterback Mark Sanchez and running back LaDanian Tomlinson, and defensively, they can be dominant.
Why They Could Be Lower: Now, if only they could do both. Their last two wins were true escapes, and they probably should have lost at least one of those games. The offense is still inconsistent, the defense has had its share of struggles, and they just don't feel like a top five team.
7. Philadelphia Eagles
16 of 22
Where They Stood: 11
Why The Change: The Eagles put a whoopin' on the Redskins in Week 10, running up 59 points on them to move into a tie with New York in the NFC East.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense is clicking, they've beaten two of the NFL's better teams in the last two weeks, and the defense is getting better by the week.
Why They Could Be Lower: The defense still has work to do, and it remains to be seen whether Michael Vick can maintain his level of play all season. The Eagles are rising, but we'll know more after this week's game with the Giants.
6. New Orleans Saints
17 of 22
Where They Stood: 6
Why The Change: The Saints had a bye in Week 10, so no change here.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense looks to be back on track, and the defense is flat out dominant against the pass.
Why They Could Be Lower: The Saints run defense is still pretty terrible, and they struggle to win ballgames away from the Superdome. They're second in the NFC South, and need a win over Atlanta to justify being any higher than this.
5. Baltimore Ravens
18 of 22
Where They Stood: 1
Why The Change: The Ravens fell to the Falcons in Week 10, and thus they lose the top spot this week.
Why They Could Be Higher: The defense can still shut down opponents on occasion. The offense is getting more and more potent each week, and Joe Flacco is developing into a strong quarterback.
Why They Could Be Lower: The pass defense is shaky, and has been all year, and the offense, while potent, can be contained.
4. Indianapolis Colts
19 of 22
Where They Stood: 8
Why The Move: The Colts took out the Bengals 23-17 on Sunday, and improved to 6-3 on the year, taking sole possession of first place.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense should get healthier soon, and when it does, there's no one in the league who can stop them. The defense locked down Cincinnati last week, and has shown signs of coming out of its early season funk.
Why They Could Be Lower: Funk or not, the Colts run defense just lacks enough big players to be effective game in and game out. They have three losses, and all those injuries have to take their toll sometime, right?
3. Green Bay Packers
20 of 22
Where They Stood: 3
Why The Move: The Packers were off in Week 10, so no change.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense is getting better each week, and the defense is dominant. The Packers are winning games with defense and wideout Greg Jennings, and are tied for the lead in the NFC North.
Why They Could Be Lower: The offense has struggled to find a rhythm at times, and they do have three losses.
2. New England Patriots
21 of 22
Where They Stood: 7
Why The Move: The Patriots beat up on the Steelers on Sunday, and showed that rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense is balanced and clicking, and if Sunday was any indicator, it looks as though the defense could be starting to come around, too.
Why They Could Be Lower: The defense still isn't great, and the offense has moments of inconsistency without a proven star anywhere other than quarterback.
1. Atlanta Falcons
22 of 22
Where They Stood: 2
Why The Move: By knocking off the top team in last week's rankings, the Falcons take over the top spot in this week's rankings.
Why They Could Be Higher: They couldn't.
Why They Could Be Lower: The defense is shaky at times, and the offense struggles with inconsistency on occasion. But for now, they're the best team in the NFL.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")