NFL Power Rankings: Contenders with Self-Destructive Tendencies

The playoff picture continues flesh itself out and there are some major league question marks surrounding a number of teams.

Just two weeks ago the New York Giants held a two-game lead in the NFC East. Now they're tied with a Dallas Cowboys team they still have to play two times.

The Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers were once leaders of their respective divisions a few weeks ago. The Bills are now riding a three-game losing streak on their way out of the playoff picture while the Chargers' slide grows to five straight losses.

While the Packers and 49ers look like the best two teams in the league week in and week out, there are several other contenders that are their own worst enemies.

Here are contending teams dealing more than just the opposition on a weekly basis.

New York Giants

The Giants continue to battle injuries, but that is no excuse for the way they expect to win football games.

Big Blue hasn't played a complete game all year. They cannot run the football and trust themselves far too much to be just good enough to hang around until the fourth quarter.

At that point they change up their offense and let Eli Manning do what he does best.

Why offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride cannot get it right in the early portion of games is mind-boggling.

Why the Giants have execution issues on the simplest of plays is inexcusable.

This team has the toughest schedule in the league down the stretch. The Giants won't survive if they're playing against themselves in addition to the team on the other side of the line.

New York Jets

The worry is now real for Jets fans.

Unlike the Giants, who still have the opportunity to play the team they are directly contending with, the Jets have already been swept by the New England Patriots.

Every loss is damaging to the Jets and their inept offense continues to be their Achilles' heel.

They not only find a way to not score points, but they put the opposition in position to score points instead.

The Jets need to figure out what they really have with Mark Sanchez if they want a shot at postseason success.

This isn't the team it was the previous two years.

Baltimore Ravens

The birds of Baltimore have already swept the Pittsburgh Steelers this season and have now beaten the Cincinnati Bengals once as well.

They are 7-3 and in the thick of the division and wild-card races.

However, the Ravens fall victim to let down games as bad as any team in the league. Their three losses this year—all on the road—have come against Tennessee, Seattle and Jacksonville. All three losses came after big-time home wins as well.

This team is good, but it continues to play down to inferior opponents on the road.

This is a damaging trend that could cost the Ravens more than a just high seed in the postseason.

Wes O'Donnell’s Week 11 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. Atlanta Falcons

11. New York Giants

12. Dallas Cowboys

13. Cincinnati Bengals

14. Denver Broncos

15. Oakland Raiders  

16. New York Jets

17. San Diego Chargers  

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

19. Philadelphia Eagles

20. Tennessee Titans

21. Buffalo Bills

22. Miami Dolphins 

23. Kansas City Chiefs 

24. Minnesota Vikings 

25. Arizona Cardinals

26. Carolina Panthers

27. Seattle Seahawks

28. Washington Redskins

29. St. Louis Rams

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

31. Cleveland Browns

32. Indianapolis Colts