NFL Power Rankings Week 11: How Major Injuries Affect Division-Contending Teams

Injuries are unfortunately a big part of the NFL, and this year more than ever, a few contending teams have been hit hard by the injury bug. 

It's something teams have to deal with, and if management has properly put a team together with solid depth then some can survive.

However, that isn't the case with some teams, and they will greatly suffer in the coming weeks. 

Here are a few division contending teams that will take a major hit because of injuries. 

Houston Texans

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Matt Schaub is done for the year. 

Matt Leinart hasn't started an NFL game since 2009, and now he must maintain an AFC South lead for the Texans. 

With Arian Foster and Ben Tate in the backfield, life will be easier for Leinart, but he still has to make big throws and be a team leader. 

The Texans will hope that Leinart can come through, but it shouldn't be too difficult with the talent around him. Houston's defense is playing immensely better this year, and the only team that could catch the Texans in the division would be the Tennessee Titans. 

Houston has already beaten the Titans once this year, and they can easily do it again considering Foster and Tate both rushed for over 100 yards that game and Schaub did very little. 

Kansas City Chiefs 

The AFC West is wide open right now, and despite an 0-3 start, the Chiefs are still in contention to win the division. 

Unfortunately, injuries seem to hit the Chiefs almost every week. In the first half of the season they lost their top defensive player, Eric Berry, for the season, as well as their top running back, Jamaal Charles. 

Now, the Chiefs have more devastating news, as Adam Schefter took to Twitter once again to crush the spirits in Kansas City. 

Tyler Palko will now start for the Chiefs, and any hopes they had of winning the division are now out the window. Cassel wasn't an elite quarterback, but he was doing enough to keep the Chiefs in the division. 

Kansas City is already on a two-game losing streak, and it's likely to continue now that Cassel is out. 

Detroit Lions 

After a fantastic and surprising 5-0 start, the Lions have lost three of their last four games, and the hits keep coming. 

Jahvid Best is still recovering from a concussion, and without him the Lions run game is depleting. This makes Detroit one dimensional, which means Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson must be on their A-game every week.

However, those two happen to be a banged up right now as well. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press is reporting that Stafford "had a splint on the tip of his finger in the game" against the Bears on Sunday. It's minor, but it has to be an annoyance for him. 

Birkett tweeted some news about Johnson, and thankfully it is good. 

The coaching staff may decide to hold Johnson back just a precaution, but the Lions need every win they can get. 

Catching the Packers in the NFC North will be very difficult, especially if Detroit keeps losing.

Eric Bowman’s 2011 NFL Power Rankings  

1. Green Bay Packers

2. San Francisco 49ers 

3. New Orleans Saints

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

5. New England Patriots

6. Baltimore Ravens

7. Houston Texans

8. Chicago Bears

9.  Detroit Lions 

10. New York Giants

11. Atlanta Falcons

12. New York Jets

13. Dallas Cowboys

14. Cincinnati Bengals

15. Oakland Raiders  

16. Buffalo Bills

17. San Diego Chargers  

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

19. Philadelphia Eagles

20. Tennessee Titans

21.  Denver Broncos

22. Arizona Cardinals  

23. Kansas City Chiefs 

24. Minnesota Vikings 

25. Washington Redskins

26. Carolina Panthers

27. Seattle Seahawks

28. Miami Dolphins

29. St. Louis Rams

30.  Jacksonville Jaguars

31. Cleveland Browns

32. Indianapolis Colts