Here’s the deal with these Week 11 NFL Power Rankings. They are not predictions. If a team projects to have an easy or difficult schedule ahead of them, that matters not for this exercise. These are very simply a list of how good each team is right this minute. Here’s how all 32 teams rank in my Week 11 NFL Power Rankings.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 11
Before we get started with our Week 11 NFL Power Rankings, be sure to check out Mike Tanier’s NFL Week 10 Recap & Highlights after you take a look through this list of 32 teams. This week, Tanier kicks off it off by looking at Tua and the Dolphins, what Nick Chubb’s return means for the Browns, DeAndre Hopkins leading the Studs ‘n Duds, and more.
32) New York Jets (0-9)
The worst team in the league and these NFL Week 11 Power Rankings gets a much-needed break. It is only November, but it sure feels like the Jets and Jaguars will have the first two picks in the 2021 NFL Draft.
31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)
Jake Luton got his second start in Green Bay, where the weather was an issue, and he handled himself quite well. Jacksonville played a physical brand of football and leaned on James Robinson, who eclipsed 100 yards on the ground. The Jaguars have just one win this year and averaged just 4.3 yards per play on offense, but this was unquestionably a step in the right direction.
30) Dallas Cowboys (2-7)
After a much better performance against Pittsburgh than what we had seen lately, Dallas is on their bye. Presumably, Andy Dalton will take over as the starting quarterback when they return in Week 11. Who thought the Cowboys would start the season at 2-7?
29) Cincinnati Bengals (2-6-1)
On a very windy day in Pittsburgh against the undefeated Steelers, Cincinnati was overmatched in all phases. Until the final meaningless drives in this game, the Bengals really couldn’t move the football at all against a very good defense and didn’t convert a single third down all afternoon.
28) Houston Texans (2-7)
The Texans run defense once again really let this team down, as the Browns ran for 231 yards but threw for only 125. Houston’s offense never got going and averaged just 4.5 yards per play while losing the time of possession battle by a wide margin. Not long ago, the Texans – who are now ranked 28th in these NFL Week 11 Power Rankings – looked like a clearly better football team than their record indicated, but now this looks like a lowly two-win team.
27) Denver Broncos (3-6)
The Broncos are now 3-6, and Drew Lock threw four interceptions in this latest losing effort. While Denver’s defense limited the Raiders’ passing game, the reality is that Las Vegas really never had to test those waters as they controlled the game on the ground while holding the ball for well over 36 minutes.
26) Washington Football Team (2-7)
The Football Team got down early in Detroit but came back to really make it a game – much of it in catch up mode. Alex Smith threw for 390 yards and once again distributed the ball well, although it is very apparent that Terry McLaurin is the star of this group. In a way, this team is starting to figure it out.
25) Los Angeles Chargers (2-7)
The Chargers are now 2-7 despite having some excellent overall talent. They got down in Miami and could never recover. Looking at just the box score, this looked like an evenly played game, but it was clear that Los Angeles was the inferior team.
24) Philadelphia Eagles (3-5-1)
Philadelphia got down early against the Giants and never recovered. This is a devastating loss for the Eagles from a perception perspective, but amazingly enough, they are still in control of the awful NFC East. Miles Sanders’ return was encouraging, but the Eagles had a tough time creating offense overall, often because of penalties. They come in 24th in my NFL Week 11 Power Rankings.
23) New York Giants (3-7)
New York won this game by 10 points and was the better team pretty much from the start against the Eagles. The Giants are using Daniel Jones more as a runner, and that is proving to be a valuable weapon for this struggling offense. This is the second straight efficient showing by Jones overall, which is highly encouraging. New York also now has a very legitimate defense.
22) Chicago Bears (5-5)
The Bears offense is really hard to watch. Chicago attempted 31 passes, which produced just 108 yards as Chicago’s offense averaged an embarrassing 3.0 yards per play. Roquan Smith has been a big-time breakout player this year and was all over the field on Monday night, but losing Akiem Hicks in the second half hurt Chicago’s defense without question.
The Bears defense played great but were on the field far too long. Cordarrelle Patterson scored Chicago’s only touchdown on special teams and Nick Foles, unfortunately, left this game on a cart with just 36 seconds on the clock. At least the Bears have a bye next week.
21) Detroit Lions (4-5)
The Lions squandered yet another double-digit lead to allow Washington back into this game. However, Matt Prater hit a long field goal at the end of regulation to win it for Detroit. Meanwhile, it looks like D’Andre Swift could develop into a star in this league. He ended the day with 149 total yards and a touchdown in a very impressive fashion as both a runner and receiver. Still, it is concerning that Detroit could only hold onto the ball for a little over 24 minutes. But, they are now sitting at 4-5.
NFL Power Rankings, Week 11: Teams ranked 20-11
20) New England Patriots (4-5)
This is a tough team to place for these NFL Power Rankings, but you have to give the Patriots an awful lot of credit for manhandling Baltimore on Sunday night. Rex Burkhead was a big contributor in this game, but clearly, Damien Harris is New England’s best runner by a wide margin. The Patriots are very light on receivers, but their offensive line is excellent, and this is a power-based offense. No one plays to their strengths like New England.
19) Carolina Panthers (3-7)
The Panthers couldn’t run the ball or throw it with any consistency. They averaged just four yards per play and only accumulated 187 yards in this game. The defense really wasn’t any better as they allowed Tampa Bay to churn out 7.1 yards per play. Keep an eye on Teddy Bridgewater’s injury situation, as he went to the locker room late in this game, giving way to PJ Walker.
18) Minnesota Vikings (4-5)
Kirk Cousins got his first-ever win on Monday Night Football, but the Vikings offense had a tough go of it. Dalvin Cook had rushed for 369 yards over the last two games, but in Chicago on Monday night, he was held to 96 hard-earned yards on 30 carries. But that was enough against a dreadful Bears offense. Minnesota started the season 1-5, are now 4-5 and are ranked 18th in the NFL Week 11 Power Rankings. They have extremely favorable games on the schedule over the next three weeks.
17) San Francisco 49ers (4-6)
The Niners – ranked 17th in my NFL Week 11 Power Rankings – started this game strong and basically had the ball the entire first quarter. Their defense deserves a lot of credit for pretty much shutting down the Saints offense, but San Francisco turned the ball over four times and produced a measly 4.3 yards per play. Special teams were a real problem as well. At 4-6, the playoffs look like a real longshot.
16) Cleveland Browns (6-3)
The start of this game was delayed because of weather, and points were tough to come by against Houston. Nick Chubb had a big day on his return and broke free late in this game to ice it for the Browns, even though he chose not to score. Chubb and Kareem Hunt both ran for over 100 yards, which is exactly Cleveland’s formula for success, while Baker Mayfield only threw for 132 yards through the air. This game set up perfectly for Cleveland, and they took advantage.
15) Atlanta Falcons (3-6)
If Todd Gurley could have restrained himself from falling into the end zone a few weeks ago, the Falcons would be 4-0 since making their coaching change. They are on bye and could very well finish up the season strong just as they did last year. But they do have a challenging remaining schedule.
14) Tennessee Titans (6-3)
The Titans special teams unit failed them yet again on Thursday night as the Colts blocked a punt for a touchdown. After losing to the Colts in Week 10 and relinquishing their lead in the AFC South, Tennessee now has Baltimore and Indianapolis again on the slate with their next two games. Could the Titans fall to 6-5 two weeks from now?
13) Las Vegas Raiders (6-3)
Josh Jacobs was the foundation of Las Vegas’ offense and looked like one of the NFL’s better ball carriers against a good Broncos defense as the Raiders won the turnover battle 5-0. At 6-3, the playoffs are very much in reach for this team, and Jon Gruden deserves some consideration for Coach of the Year. The Raiders have been climbing up the board in my NFL Power Rankings, and it’s no different heading into Week 11.
12) Miami Dolphins (6-3)
The Dolphins blocked a punt on Los Angeles’ opening drive and then immediately scored right after. They controlled the game from that point on. This was Miami’s fifth win in a row, and their rookie quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa very much looks like he belongs. Brian Flores is a frontrunner for Coach of the Year honors. Remember where the Dolphins were just a year ago?
11) Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
Is the MVP award slipping through Russell Wilson’s fingers? It sure feels that way after he threw two more interceptions while struggling to consistently move the ball through the air against the Rams. Wilson deserves little blame compared to Seattle’s defense for this team’s recent troubles, however. Seattle and the Rams are now tied at 6-3.
Teams ranked 10-6
10) Indianapolis Colts (6-3)
We kick off the top 10 of these NFL Week 11 Power Rankings with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts scored two touchdowns in under a minute in this game and got a gigantic win in Tennessee on Thursday night. Offensively, it was a group effort, but it was somewhat of a coming-out party for Michael Pittman. Plus, Nyheim Hines had a really big night with 115 combined yards as the Colts’ leading rusher. Indianapolis’ defense faced a pretty easy slate before this game but was certainly up to the challenge of shutting down the Titans, particularly their passing game. Ryan Tannehill finished this game with just 147 passing yards.
9) Buffalo Bills (7-3)
Wow, what a game! The Bills ended up on the losing end, and their run game (and run defense) remains a concern. But Buffalo is a strong team and playing quite well right now. While Buffalo is 7-3, Miami is now nipping on their heels in the AFC East.
8) Arizona Cardinals (6-3)
This was a really good game in the desert with the Bills scoring a dramatic late touchdown and then Arizona doing the exact same moments later on a Hail Mary to DeAndre Hopkins to get the win! This is a huge win to keep Arizona in the thick of the playoff hunt in the NFC, and it further shows that they can play with any team in the league.
7) Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
This team has issues. The run defense was horrid, and they lost Brandon Williams on Sunday night. Baltimore’s offensive line is a shell of what it was last year. Lamar Jackson clearly isn’t the difference-maker he was in 2019. The weather was obviously a massive issue in New England, but you would think that wouldn’t affect Baltimore with their style of play as much as most teams. But if any team can rebound, it is the Ravens, and they did improve as the game went on. However, Baltimore is not in a great place right now.
6) Green Bay Packers (7-2)
Against the lowly Jaguars, Green Bay once again had trouble stopping the run, and they allowed a long punt return for a touchdown. But their defense was able to limit Jacksonville to just 4.3 yards per play while Aaron Rodgers once again played a great game. The Packers – ranked sixth in these NFL Week 11 Power Rankings – were able to hold on and win this game at home.
The top 5 NFL teams
5) Los Angeles Rams (6-3)
We kick off the top five of our Week 11 NFL Power Rankings with the Los Angeles Rams. This was a huge win for Los Angeles over the Seahawks. Los Angeles’ defense kept Russell Wilson under wraps and didn’t respect Seattle’s running game. The Rams were able to possess the football and dictate the flow of this game as they got their sixth win of the year.
4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
This was a big and convincing win for the Buccaneers in Carolina. Tom Brady missed some throws in this game but still led an offense that racked up 544 yards. Ronald Jones had a 98-yard touchdown run that broke this game open, and Tampa Bay held the football for over 36 minutes as they dominated their divisional rival. All that being said, it is really hard to place the fourth-best team in football right now behind Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and New Orleans…who blew the Bucs’ doors off a week ago.
3) New Orleans Saints (6-2)
The Saints are rolling and come in third in my NFL Week 11 Power Rankings. They started slowly against San Francisco, but it didn’t take long before they took this game over. We have to monitor Drew Brees’ injury situation, however. If he can’t play, it will be extremely interesting to see how New Orleans rations snaps between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. The Saints only produced 237 yards and just 4.2 yards per play in this game, which is far from the acceptable offensive output for a big-time contender like New Orleans. But, Alvin Kamara performed like the Offensive Player of the Year candidate that he is yet again.
2) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0)
The weather, particularly the wind, was very rough early on in Pittsburgh with the Bengals coming to town. But Ben Roethlisberger, without any practice time this week, dominated this game and was in total control with Pittsburgh’s quick passing game. It didn’t matter against the Bengals, but Pittsburgh’s running game is becoming a real concern, and it will certainly be something they will need going forward and into the playoffs.
1) Kansas City Chiefs (8-1)
The top team in the Week 11 Power Rankings and the NFL gets a week off. They shouldn’t have a lot that needs addressing, but maybe Kansas City can figure out how to improve their offensive line a little.
Matt Williamson is a Senior NFL Analyst for Pro Football Network. You can follow him on Twitter: @WilliamsonNFL.