NFL Power Rankings: Teams Facing Desperate Must-Win Situations

Week 11 of the 2011 NFL season has many implications, but for teams like the New York Jets, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons, it may mean more than most.

I'm not saying that one game is more important than another in the NFL. The truth is, every win or loss matters.

That being said, there is no doubt that some weeks carry far more weight than others, and that's why the term "must-win" was coined.

At this point of the season, playoff implications are around every corner. Like it or not, these teams are facing desperate must-win situations.

They may continue to plummet down the power rankings if they can't pick one up this weekend.

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

New York Jets

In the AFC East, every win or loss is extremely important. This is especially the case this season with the resurgent 5-4 Buffalo Bills.

The Jets are coming off a huge loss at the hands of the rival New England Patriots, which has vaulted Tom Brady and company to the undisputed top of the division and left Rex Ryan and crew behind the Bills in the standings.

They've got a big Thursday night matchup at Denver to play Tim Tebow and the unorthodox Broncos offense. While it may not seem like a huge task, the Broncos are somehow on a hot streak and the Jets can't afford a loss to take them to .500 on the year.

Detroit Lions

The Lions look like a completely different team in the second half of the season, and it leaves many questioning if they are able to handle the playoff-like atmosphere and implications that come along with being a good team.

After getting destroyed by division rival Chicago on the road, they have a home game against the Carolina Panthers.

While the Panthers may be a 2-7 team, there is no doubting that Cam Newton and the Carolina offense is highly explosive. The Lions have to avoid a letdown.

This is a game the Lions can't lose if they want to be legitimate playoff contenders.

Atlanta Falcons

It seems like the Falcons' season may be at a turning point, and their overtime loss to the Saints may come back to haunt them.

The reality of the Falcons' season is that they need to start focusing on the wild-card race at this point. At 5-4, they are still in a good position, especially with a very beatable Tennessee Titans team coming into town this week.