NFL Power Poll: Week 11

All teams have played past their bye weeks, and the season is in its stretch run. Here are my picks for Shaun Ahmad's Bleacher Report NFL Power Poll, starting on page one with the contenders; page two has the pretenders, and page three has the teams playing for next year.

1. New York Giants: This team just exerted its will on a very good defense and made them look very bad. If they show up with their "A" game, they will beat anybody.
2. Tennessee Titans: Collins is showing they have a passing game that's good enough to keep you honest, and their running game and defense are superb.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers: They have had a couple of bad weeks and are struggling with injuries, but this team has balance and experience, and they are being battle-tested.
4. Carolina Panthers: Mostly by default, because while the Panthers are the only other team in the league that doesn't have holes, they are not outstanding anywhere either.
5. Dallas Cowboys: If they have their act together now, they could be as dangerous as they looked in the preseason.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Think Jon Gruden has finally accepted that Jeff Garcia gives him the best chance to win?
7. Arizona Cardinals: Defense is a bit shaky and they have benefited from a weak division, but they do have the best offense and some quality wins.
8. New York Jets: I cannot keep them off the top any longer—Favre may still throw too many picks, but they have potential to beat you with all phases of the game.
9. Washington Offensively Named Ones: They need to be more consistent if they are going to make the playoffs, but they avoid turnovers, run the ball, and play defense, so they can win if they get there.
10. Baltimore Ravens: More inconsistent than Washington, with less experience under center.
11. Indianapolis Colts: How good is Bob Sanders? Two years ago, the Colts have one of the worst run defenses in the league, he comes back for the playoffs and their defense leads them to a title; now they get him back and it happens again.
12. Philadelphia Eagles: How can you not know there are ties when you were in the league when the last one happened?
13. New England Patriots: They still know how to win and have enough talent to do it against all but the best.
14. Atlanta Falcons: Teams may be starting to figure them out.
15. Miami Dolphins: This squad is learning how to win one year after losing almost every game last season.
16. Green Bay Packers: An NFC North teams cracks the top half after a dominating performance.
17. San Diego Chargers: I still have to put them above the Broncos since by all rights THEY WON IN DENVER and should have the same record, but they are not going to make the playoffs.
18. Denver Broncos: They are starting to show mettle and learn how to win...If they can just learn to play defense.
19. New Orleans Saints: This team is as predictable as the weather in the Midwest, but they have the offense to beat anyone.
20. Minnesota Vikings: Their one huge hole (quarterback) is too big to let them win the division.
21. Chicago Bears: With no pass defense and no receiving corps, they are in jeopardy of being relegated to another top pick.
22. Cleveland Browns: Monday's win keeps their season alive, but barely. They have had a difficult schedule, but are in too big a hole.
23. Buffalo Bills: Why is this 5-5 team in the "playing for next year" when they are still only one game out of the playoffs? After four straight losses, three to division foes and one to a team with a losing record at home, they can no longer be taken seriously.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars: They would be in the playoff picture if they hadn't lost to the otherwise-winless Bengals.
25. Houston Texans: Horrible record, but only two of their seven losses were to teams currently not in my top 11, and both of them were on the road.
26. San Francisco 49ers: After losing to Seattle, they have played two strong games under new coach Mike Singletary.
27. Seattle Seahawks: Getting healthy and coming off a stretch of four games in which they played three solid games.
28. Oakland Raiders: A franchise in chaos, you never know what their focus level will be—high like Sunday against Miami, or low like two weeks earlier against Atlanta.
29. St. Louis Rams: Coach Haslett seems to have quit on his team after publicly saying he doesn't believe in them...I know it would be unprecedented, but I would fire him and hire a second interim coach.
30. Kansas City Chiefs: Their defense causes turnovers and their offense is doing well under Thigpen, but they cannot get a win.
31. Cincinnati Bengals: They might as well have "Keyshawned" or "Larry'ed" Chad Johnson to send a message if they couldn't compete with him...the moral of the story is be careful with your Johnsons! (And don't get a Jones either, such as Matt and Pacman.)
32. Detroit Lions: They don't have a single game remaining against anyone who currently has a losing record...0-16 is a real possibility!