NFL Power Rankings Week 11: Identifying the League's Most Impressive Teams

It should come as no surprise that after Sunday of Week 10, the two most impressive teams in the NFL just happen to have the two best records in the league. The 8-0 Green Bay Packers and the 8-1 San Francisco 49ers are as good as it gets in all of football right now, and frankly, I don't see that changing any time soon.

The 49ers are easily the NFL's biggest shock of the 2011 season. Their incredible start (which includes their current seven-game win streak) has taken the league completely by surprise.

How have they done it? It's relatively simple, actually; the Niners have focused on toughness and defense, most importantly, stopping the run.

San Francisco knocked off the New York Giants, 27-20, on Sunday, solidifying its place among the league's best. So far this year, the 49ers are allowing the fewest points per game in the NFL (15.3) and have by far the NFL's best run defense, as they are allowing just 73.2 yards per game on the ground.

San Francisco is far ahead at the top of the NFC West and is now in a position to battle for home-field advantage over the rest of the season. Head coach Jim Harbaugh should be given full credit for turning around this franchise, and he essentially has Coach of the Year honors locked up.

The Packers are really the only team who can boast a more impressive resume than the 49ers. For Green Bay, it all starts with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. 

Rodgers has had arguably the best start to a season by any player in NFL history. Through eight games he has completed 192 of 265 passes for 2,619 yards, with a league-high 24 touchdowns and has thrown just three interceptions. He also leads the NFL in completion percentage (72.5 percent), yards per attempt (9.88) and quarterback rating (129.1). In fact, his passer rating is actually 27.1 points higher than Tom Brady's second-place total of 102.0. That is simply insane.

When a team's quarterback dominates to that level it makes an offense almost impossible to stop. And so far this season, the Packers have, indeed, been almost impossible to stop. They are averaging a league-best 34.4 points per game and are currently fourth in total offense (416.4 yards per game). 

Until an opponent figures out a way to slow down Rodgers and his offense, Green Bay will continue to be the NFL's top team.

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