NFL Power Rankings: Identifying the League's Cream of the Crop

Two teams have separated themselves from the pack in the NFL. Both happen to reside in the NFC and both have been playing at at historical level to open the season. As it stands right now, both squads could be headed for a showdown in the playoffs.

The NFL's best team is clearly the Green Bay Packers. Led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have raced to an 8-0 start entering tonight's matchup with the 2-6 Minnesota Vikings.

Not much can be said about Rodgers that hasn't already been expanded upon, as the Cal product is off to what could be the best start for a quarterback in NFL history. Heading into Monday night's game, the 27-year-old signal-caller has completed 192 of 265 passes for 2,619 yards, with 24 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He leads the NFL in touchdown passes, completion percentage (72.5), yards per attempt (9.88) and quarterback rating (129.1). In fact, his passer rating is a staggering 27.1 points higher than Tom Brady's second-place number of 102.0. That is insane.

Rodgers leads a Green Bay team that is averaging an NFL-best 34.4 points per game and is fourth in the league in total offense (416.4 yards per game). Until someone figures out a way to stop the Packers' ridiculous offense there is no reason to believe they will lose a game. Rodgers and the weapons at his disposal are simply too good right now.

The only other team in the same league as the Packers would be the 8-1 San Francisco 49ers. The Niners pulled off a very nice 27-20 home win over the New York Giants on Sunday and have proven they are more than just a flash in the pan. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has turned around the fortunes of the moribund franchise and it looks to be a lasting transformation.

While the Packers have reached the top of the league with their offense, the 49ers have used a suffocating defense to pull out wins. San Francisco currently tops the NFL in points allowed (15.3 per game) and boasts the league's best run defense, allowing just 73.2 yards per game. 

The 49ers have a stranglehold on the NFC West and now have set their sights on winning home-field advantage in the NFC. They'll need help from the Packers to accomplish that, but the fact that we are even discussing San Francisco in that capacity at this point in the season should be a shock to everyone.

NFL Power Rankings, Week 11*
 
1. Green Bay Packers (8-0)
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-1)
3. Houston Texans (7-3)
4. New Orleans Saints (7-3)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)
6. New England Patriots (6-3)
7. Cincinnati Bengals (6-3)
8. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
9. Chicago Bears (6-3)
10. Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
11. New York Jets (5-4)
12. Detroit Lions (6-3)
13. New York Giants (6-3)
14. Buffalo Bills (5-4)
15. Oakland Raiders (5-4)
16. Atlanta Falcons (5-4)
17. Tennessee Titans (5-4)
18. San Diego Chargers (4-5)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
20. Miami Dolphins (2-7)
21. Kansas City Chiefs (4-5)
22. Seattle Seahawks (3-6)
23. Jacksonville Jaguars  (3-6)
24. Denver Broncos (4-5)
25. Philadelphia Eagles (3-6)
26. Minnesota Vikings (2-6)
27. Arizona Cardinals (3-6)
28. Cleveland Browns (3-6)
29. St. Louis Rams (2-7)
30. Carolina Panthers (2-7)
31. Washington Redskins (3-6)
32. Indianapolis Colts (0-10)

*Subject to change pending results of Monday night's Packers-Vikings contest