NFL Power Rankings Week 11: Looking at Which Wins Lifted Teams Most

One big win is all it takes for a team to see a jump in the power rankings from one week to the next, and such is the case for three squads headed into Week 11.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears, hamstrung for much of the season by poor protection for quarterback Jay Cutler, slow play-calling and poor returns from their usually-dominant defense, sat at No. 12 in my power rankings in Week 10 but have made their way into the top 10, at No. 9, on the merit of their win over the rival Detroit Lions.

Chicago dominated the fearsome team on defense and special teams, defeating Detroit 37-13 despite gaining just 12 first downs to the Lions' 22 and being out-gained on offense by 177 total yards.

The Bears picked off Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford four times, with two returned for touchdowns. Returner and wide receiver Devin Hester ran a punt back for another score, while Matt Forte ran in a touchdown of his own. Three field goals by kicker Robbie Gould added to the total.

Though Chicago still has kinks to work out in their passing game, which produced no scores, the team's other components proved impressive and drove them to an extremely important win with guaranteed playoff implications.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys had an impressive win of their own, defeating the Buffalo Bills 44-7 and stifling what has been one of the NFL's most productive offenses.

Both Dallas' defense and offense were stellar in the win, out-gaining Buffalo 433-271 and intercepting Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick three times, returning one for a touchdown.

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, in contrast, threw three touchdowns, and sensational running back DeMarco Murray added a score of his own. The performance was enough to lift the Cowboys from No. 16 in my Week 10 rankings to No. 10 headed into Week 11.

Seattle Seahawks

Looking lower in the standings, the Seattle Seahawks, ranked No. 27 in Week 10, rose to No. 22 after handing the Baltimore Ravens an embarrassing road loss last Sunday.

Offensive production wasn't the reason why the Seahawks won—the 22-17 victory hinged mainly on five made field goals by kicker Steven Hauschka and one touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch.

But the Seahawks' defense (and special teams) proved stronger than the Ravens had anticipated, picking off quarterback Joe Flacco once and forcing two fumbles out of kick returner David Reed (who has since lost that responsibility).

Those momentum-shifting plays were the reason why the Seahawks pulled off the upset win and in turn resulted in the team jumping five spots in the power rankings from Weeks 10 to 11.

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