NFL Power Rankings Week 11: Can the Eagles' Offense Push Them to No. 1?
This week, a new addition of the power rankings is out and I know you were waiting for it to come from me, right? No? Well, I don't blame you.
Through 11 weeks of the season, the NFL is starting to take shape and a few teams might be coming back from the dead while one team at the top isn't as good as we first thought they were.
The Dallas Cowboys finally picked up just their second win of the season over rivals New York Giants. Apparently, the Cowboys played so well, it literally knocked the lights out at the New Meadowlands Stadium. Ok, not really, but the lights did go out.
The Chargers are starting to play like we all thought they were capable of and the Steelers aren't the team we thought they were.
It just goes to show that it's not how you start, but how you finish.
So, with all that being said, here are the power rankings after 11 weeks of the NFL football season.
The Cellar Dwellars
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Carolina Panthers - Without a legit quarterback that can carry them, this season can't end soon enough.
Buffalo Bills - Ryan Fitzpatrick is good, but he might be the only one that can carry this team.
Detroit Lions - Without Matthew Stafford, this could get ugly in the Motor City.
Dallas Cowboys - They picked up their second win, but I'm not convinced they're any better. Yet.
Cincinnati Bengals - This is the surprise of the season in my opinion. They're too talented to be here.
Arizona Cardinals - They have the same problem as the Panthers. Is it Derek Anderson or Max Hall?
Minnesota Vikings - Brett Favre hasn't been the savior that the Vikings were hoping for.
Denver Broncos - They're better than this, but getting blown out by Oakland showed something else.
Washington Redskins - Really Dan Snyder? A five-year extension for Donovan McNabb?
San Francisco 49ers - Troy Smith has the 49ers headed in the right direction. Who would have thunk it?
St. Louis Rams - It was too much to expect of Sam Bradford to take them to the top in his rookie year.
Cleveland Browns - Maybe they're going in the right direction, finally, with Colt McCoy?
20. Houston Texans
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The Houston Texans are going in the wrong direction far too quickly.
They've lost five of their last seven games including being in the middle of a three-game losing streak.
It's not that they're a bad team; it's their defense that's been lacking and it's creating a bigger problem for their offense.
Guys like quarterback Matt Schaub and running back Arian Foster are putting up points, but their defense is giving it right back.
Either fix that soon or this losing streak is going to continue.
19. Kansas City Chiefs
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When the Kansas City Chiefs started their season with three wins in their first three games, I wasn't sold on what I was seeing. There was no way they could continue this run.
Since that 3-0 start, the Chiefs are 2-4 over their last six games and are in the middle of their second two-game losing streak.
They can pick up wins in their next two but it's the rest of their schedule that might present some problems.
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18. Seattle Seahawks
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Over the first few games, it looked like Matt Hasselbeck was finally starting to look and feel his age. But, it looks like something has clicked because he's playing better through each game, especially this last one against Arizona.
After throwing six interceptions to just four touchdowns through his first five games, he's turned that around to throw just a single interception and added three to his touchdown total.
If they can get their running game going and keep Hasselbeck from trying to do it himself, the Seahawks could make a definite improvement.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars
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This could be the beginning of a run for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Though they picked up a win over a Houston team that isn't very good defensively, you have to start somewhere.
David Garrard and Maurice Jones-Drew lead this offense and it can be good if they can get on a roll.
They have a home game coming up against an improved Cleveland team. Get a win there and carry the momentum to New York.
16. Miami Dolphins
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After a 2-2 start to their first four games, the Miami Dolphins have been picking a loss to every win they grab.
A win over Green Bay led to a loss against Pittsburgh. They followed that with a win over Cincinnati and a loss to Baltimore.
So, if this pattern continues and they're coming off a win (against Tennessee), then maybe a loss is in order against Chicago.
However, this could be the start of a streak that could run the Dolphins up the rankings, especially against a weak Chicago Bears offensive line.
15. San Diego Chargers
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A 2-5 start for the San Diego Chargers came as a surprise to just about everyone in the NFL. A team with this kind of talent couldn't possibly be this bad, could they?
Well, it seems as if the Chargers are playing for their playoff lives and have looked like it as of late.
They've picked up two straight wins over Tennessee and Houston and not a moment too soon. The back side of their schedule will be their toughest and they'll need every win they can get.
14. Oakland Raiders
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Who would have ever thought the Oakland Raiders would lead the AFC West at this point? I sure didn't see this coming, though at 5-4, they're certainly not running away with the division.
If they're not careful, they'll watch the Chargers or Broncos run right past them.
They survived this part of their schedule, but what's remaining could put the Raiders out of the race for good.
We'll see what they're made of.
13. Tennessee Titans
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The Randy Moss era didn't get started quite way the Tennessee Titans hoped it would. The outcast, the guy that has been dumped by two different teams in one season, had just one catch for 26 yards in his debut.
After rolling off three straight wins over Dallas, Jacksonville and Philadelphia, two of those three coming on the road, the Titans have dropped two straight against San Diego and Miami.
This week, it's the Washington Redskins followed by the weak defense of the Houston Texans.
Two wins in these two games is certainly not out of the question.
12. New York Giants
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If there was a game that the New York Giants thought they had without an issue, it was the one-win Dallas Cowboys. There was no way they were going to lose their first game in six tries against their rivals.
Well, it didn't exactly go as planned and not only did they lose the game, they were beaten thoroughly by the Cowboys. However, losing the game wasn't quite as comical as losing the lights in a stadium that's less than a year old.
I can't remember the last time I saw the lights go out at a stadium during a game.
The rest of their schedule sets up nicely. Come back from this one, and they'll be just fine.
11. Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears got out of the gate fast, winning their first three games.
Since then, they've split their next six, going 3-3 but are currently on a two-game win streak. What they have in front of them isn't impossible but it's either going to keep them on a ride or knock them for a loop.
With Miami coming followed by a much improved Philadelphia team, it shows how much they need to improve before their schedule catches up with them.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Tampa Bay is on the right track and they look to be headed in the right direction.
They have won four of their last six but head into a stretch that will show whether they are a team that can hang around the top 10 or start a free fall.
Are they good enough? We'll see.
9. New Orleans Saints
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The New Orleans Saints have had their bumps along the way but as long as they have Drew Brees as their quarterback, they're going to be just fine.
Sure they don't look like their Super Bowl selves, but as long as they can make the playoffs and continue to improve, they're still a dangerous team.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
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It's not how you start, it's how you finish.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are showing what that phrase means at this point in the season. Even without Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers were looking like a Super Bowl favorite.
When he came back, they kept winning. However, they've hit a few bumps in the road and have fallen from the top spot. There has to be a comeback in there somewhere.
7. Baltimore Ravens
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The Baltimore Ravens have always been known to have a solid defense, but this season, it's been their offense that's been the one to keep them around in games.
Only three times this season have the Ravens scored less than 20 points and six times they've scored more than 20.
The Ravens are a good team who can keep improving.
6. Indianapolis Colts
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Any team with Peyton Manning is a team that is dangerous in the NFL. This is a guy who can and will do anything with a football in his hands.
The Colts stand at 6-3 through nine games in the season but they have the potential to catch fire and create problems in the AFC.
5. New York Jets
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Even though the New York Jets sit at 7-2 through nine games, for whatever reason, I'm still not sold that this team is as dangerous as some say.
Mark Sanchez has played well to this point and the Jets have one of the best defensive teams in the NFL, but I'm going to wait a few more weeks before I believe they're for real.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
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With Michael Vick back under center, this Philadelphia Eagle team is going to become even more dangerous.
They stayed afloat while he was out with injuries, but if he can get back to where he is and become the dangerous quarterback the Eagles know he can be, they will be at the top of the rankings in no time.
3. Green Bay Packers
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The Green Bay Packers are slowly becoming the team that everyone thought they would be but losing Ryan Grant at the beginning of the season wasn't something they would ever hope for.
With Aaron Rodgers, anything is possible so be careful with this Green Bay Packers team. Before you know it, they'll be making their way up the rankings and passing up who's on top this week.
2. Atlanta Falcons
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The Atlanta Falcons continue to hang around the top of the power rankings each and every week. They may slip one week but they continue to pick up a win when they need one.
Quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner lead the offense and it's gotten them to three straight wins after a 3-3 start to the season.
With St. Louis, Green Bay and Tampa Bay coming up, the Falcons may not be far away from leading the NFL.
1. New England Patriots
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The New England Patriots, since they rid themselves of Randy Moss, have been a team to be reckoned with.
Call it feeling lighter or calling it feeling better, whatever it is has the Patriots on top of the NFL world and looking like the Super Bowl contenders of old.
Can they be stopped?
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