Post-Week 11 Power Rankings

Cover photo taken from VSiN.

1 – Chiefs (8-2)

Death. Taxes. Patrick Mahomes beating division opponents on the road. Travis Kelce ripping the Chargers apart and breaking SoCal hearts. We all saw it coming, and it was still awesome. 15 and 87 are simply poetry in motion, and this is still the best team in the league. Sunday night’s game was a bit closer than I anticipated, and despite some heroics by the Chargers and Jerrick McKinnon’s best efforts to give the game away, there was no doubt who would win in the end. This offense is simply too dominant, and the defense is still playing well despite some hiccups on Sunday. The Chiefs are top of the league in total yards, passing yards, and scoring. Oh, and Mahomes has now won an impossible 25 straight games in November and December. So yeah, good luck stopping Kansas City.

2 – 49ers (6-4) 2

I know most of you think I’m insane for continuing to put the 49ers this high, but I don’t care. I feel so strongly about this team, and I think they’re the best in the NFC right now. It’s a pretty tight race between them and the two teams below them, but I feel the most confident in San Francisco at the moment. They are simply dominant on both sides of the ball, and when they are playing the way they want to, you aren’t going to get past them. The defense is obviously one of, if not the best in the league, but the offense is finally starting to get everyone involved, and it’s a beautiful sight. I’d wager that more Niners games down the stretch look like Monday night’s. And that is a terrifying thought.

3 – Eagles (9-1) 1

Philly’s cracks are starting to show. Losing Jordan Davis clearly has a massive impact on their defensive interior, and until newcomers Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh get more acclimated with this defense, their interior run-stopping ability will be hindered greatly. They did a solid job of containing Jonathan Taylor for the most part, but the weakness was clear. The bigger concern was the offense’s inability to move the ball on a Colts defense without its best player. The Raiders had a better offensive performance against Indy than the Eagles did. Perhaps the Commanders laid the blueprint of how to stop this team. They needed a wild JT fumble on a play that could’ve been blown dead to win on Sunday. It shouldn’t have been that close. Until they show us another complete performance, Philadelphia will keep on sliding.

4 – Cowboys (7-3) 3

The Cowboys are back after a single bad quarter/OT a week ago. All they did to respond was put together perhaps the single best performance of any team this year en route to the biggest road victory in franchise history. The defense was sensational, especially up front, as they destroyed the Vikings OL to the tune of 7 sacks. The offense was firing on all cylinders as everyone got involved, namely Tony Pollard, who has proven himself as one of the most dynamic and useful RBs in the league. Dak Prescott looked very comfortable, and the Cowboys looked like a complete juggernaut. They likely won’t have a better performance this year.

5 – Dolphins (7-3)

The Dolphins had the week off ahead of an absolute cupcake against Houston. I expect another offensive explosion out of them this week.

6 – Vikings (8-2) 4

That was as brutal as it gets in this league. I don’t want to throw in the towel and tell everyone who didn’t believe that the Vikings were legit at 8-1 that they were right, but they might have been onto something. I have no idea how you can come home after such a great win and get walloped so badly, but Minnesota didn’t have a semblance of a pulse on Sunday, and it was simply embarrassing. They should be ashamed of themselves. The good news is that they have nowhere to go but up. I don’t see them playing worse than that this season, and they get a shot at redemption in front of the nation on Thanksgiving. It’s going to be another tough one, but they can’t get any lower than this rock bottom.

7 – Bills (7-3) 1

The Bills are still not looking as good as they should be, but they’re back in the win column, and that’s all that matters. I will say that I like the way they’re running the ball lately, but other than that, I don’t see anything that stands out. Josh Allen has still been pretty average over the last month, and the defense continues to play below their standard. Buffalo is about to smack Detroit on Thanksgiving and the national media will start to fawn over them again, but I’d love to see them put together a complete, dominant performance against an actual team before giving them their flowers again.

8 – Titans (7-3) 2

The Titans just keep on winning. I don’t know if there’s a better culture in the league than the one Mike Vrabel has in Tennessee. They just play winning football week in and week out. Derrick Henry is still on a tear, Ryan Tannehill looks very comfortable off his injury, and this defense proved once again why they’re one of the best in the league, especially when fully healthy. Now, rookie WR Treylon Burks is getting involved offensively, which could give a huge boost to their virtually non-existent passing attack. Going into Lambeau and winning that convincingly in a primetime setting isn’t easy. But the Titans made it look like a walk in the park.

9 – Bengals (6-4) 2

Outside of getting thrashed by Cleveland on MNF a few weeks ago, the Bengals really weathered the storm while Ja’Marr Chase was out. They picked up two huge wins, albeit against pretty poor competition, and now sit in prime position to make a run at the division title with Chase returning to the lineup this week. Joe Burrow looked very comfortable without his top target, and even went Joe Mixon went down, Semaje Perine did a great job in relief. The defense did not play their best game by any means on Sunday, but they made all the plays they had to in order to lock it up in the fourth quarter. I feel great about this team now that their best player is returning and I’m super excited to see them make another push to the playoffs.

10 – Ravens (7-3) 2

I’m not going to try to guess or even make sense of Baltimore’s complete dud of a performance on Sunday. It was sloppy, it was ugly, it was lifeless, and it was straight up weird. But, they won, which is all that matters. I still don’t really know what to make of the Ravens at this point, but they keep on winning and still sit atop the division. I just have a feeling that won’t last very long.

11 – Seahawks (6-4) 2

Seattle had their bye this week ahead of a relatively easy matchup with Vegas on Sunday in the desert. It could turn into a shootout, so they should be thankful they got some rest in this week. I’m interested to see if they can keep up their dominance as the season winds down.

12 – Buccaneers (5-5) 3

The Bucs had the week off after the international trip last week. They head to Cleveland for a tough matchup with the Browns on Sunday, but if their defense keeps playing like they did going into the bye, they should be able to get back above .500.

13 – Commanders (6-5) 2

The winning ways are continuing in DC, and the formula keeps on being executed to perfection. It was the defense that stood out above everyone else in Houston, using an absolute dominant performance from start to finish highlighted by a handful of sacks and a pick six by Kendall Fuller to suffocate the Texans all game long. The offense also did its thing, as Taylor Heinicke played a very solid game and the run game continued to dominate. It was as complete of a performance as you could ask for. Now, Chase Young finally returns to give the defense another huge lift. I can’t wait to see what the next few weeks have in store.

14 – Patriots (6-4) 2

It wasn’t pretty by any means (in fact it was nothing short of miraculous), but the Patriots continued their win streak on Sunday thanks to a dominant defensive performance and one of the most clutch punt return touchdowns in recent memory. Mac Jones actually played quite well against a solid Jets defense, but a combination of wind blowing kicks and passes all over the field left the offense with virtually nothing to show for it. Still, the Patriots showed plenty to like on Sunday, and now sit in a playoff spot with seven games to go. The remaining schedule is tough, but at this rate, I like their chances.

15 – Jets (6-4) 3

I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. Zach Wilson is by far the worst starting QB in the NFL, and his team is finally starting to agree with me. Robert Saleh knows it, and his teammates are taking notice of the narratives online. It’s only a matter of time before he’s rightfully shoved on the bench. And the Jets will be infinitely better off for it.

16 – Giants (7-3) 3

Is the Giants fugazi run finally coming to a merciful end? It just might be. Getting housed by the Lions in your own stadium is not exactly a promising sight. The offense has finally hit a wall, and the defense got torched, especially on the ground. The remaining schedule isn’t much prettier. New York has a massive Thanksgiving showdown in Dallas on Thursday, then the Commanders and Eagles twice each with tough matchups with Minnesota and Indianapolis sprinkled in. Are we positive that they can win any of those games? Let’s find out.

17 – Chargers (5-5)

I’ll give the Chargers credit: they were a lot more competitive than I imagined they would be on Sunday night. Getting Keenan Allen and Mike Williams back clearly did wonders for Justin Herbert, who was launching the ball all over the joint all game long and looked like his old self again. Even Josh Palmer made huge contributions. At the end of the day, they just couldn’t overcome Patrick Mahomes. So, I won’t be mean to the Chargers. For once, they don’t really deserve it.

18 – Cardinals (4-7)

I realistically should be dropping the Cardinals for Monday night’s absolute stinker, but it’s hard to beat elite teams with a backup QB. I really don’t have much else to say. They should be better when Kyler Murray returns to the lineup, but they’ll still be the same old mid Cardinals they’ve been all year long. They probably won’t look as bad as they did on Monday again, but we know this team is nothing special. Just keep on giving me Nuk fantasy points, and we’re chilling.

19 – Packers (4-7)

I had a lot more faith in the Packers to do literally anything on Thursday night, but they reminded us all that they still don’t do anything particularly well. The comeback against the Cowboys was nothing short of a fluke. The defense was porous once again as Derrick Henry absolutely manhandled them for sixty minutes, and they became the only secondary to allow Treylon Burks to do anything in his career. The offense really couldn’t get going either, despite two more touchdown catches by Christian Watson. Overall, it was just another bad Packers performance, one that we should all come to expect.

20 – Falcons (5-6) 2

The Falcons overcame the Justin Fields freight train in a pretty solid home win on Sunday. It did come at a cost, as Kyle Pitts is now likely out for the year with a knee injury, but he could never get involved enough offensively for me to believe that’s some sort of debilitating hit to that side of the ball. They did get Drake London involved, which is a great sign. And Cordarrelle Patterson broke the record for most kick return touchdowns in a career. On top of that, the defense finally came through and won them a game. It was just a solid afternoon all around in Atlanta.

21 – Browns (3-7)

The Browns keep on losing, but at least they showed some fight on Sunday in Detroit. Having the game moved on short notice didn’t seem to affect them, as they had a bit of a pulse. Amari Cooper continued to feast on opposing secondaries, but it just wasn’t enough as the defense laid a dud and the run game couldn’t really get going. I do think the Browns are going to look a lot better after Deshaun Watson comes back, but they still have one more game to go.

22 – Lions (4-6) 4

Look at the Lions stringing together impressive wins. Sunday’s might have been the best yet, as they smothered the Giants defensively and ran circles around them on the other side of the ball. Jamaal Williams poured in three touchdowns to take the NFL lead, Aidan Hutchinson continued his dominant ways, and the Lions have now won three in a row. They’re getting their groove, and are actually playing good football in outdoor environments. Plus, they should be getting Jameson Williams back soon, and the rookie is primed to make a huge splash. Thanksgiving’s showdown with Buffalo should be a lot of fun.

23 – Colts (4-6-1) 2

By all means, the Colts should have won on Sunday. They controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and outplayed the Eagles for 58+ minutes. But, an unfortunate Jonathan Taylor fumble and the greatness of Jalen Hurts prevented Indy from returning to .500. Still, it’s hard not to feel good about what Jeff Saturday is doing with this team. They’re playing solid, winning football, and using their bread and butter of a running attack as the backbone of their team. I think we’ll see the Colts be a lot more competitive down the stretch with their newfound formula.

24 – Bears (3-8) 4

The Bears finally returned to Earth on Sunday in a tough loss in Atlanta. They simply folded in all three phases, with special teams and the offensive line folding the most. I don’t really think the result of the game or anything that happened in it matters as much as Justin Fields’ shoulder, which got injured in the waning stages of the game. He should be good to go this week, but shoulder injuries always plague QBs, so hopefully he’s able to make a full recovery soon.

25 – Saints (4-7) 5

Good for the Saints to look like a real team again. It’s about time. Andy Dalton looked like a real QB, spreading the ball around and getting everyone involved. Chris Olave had perhaps the best game of his rookie season, highlighted by a long touchdown catch in which he absolutely torched perhaps the league’s best corner in Jalen Ramsey. The defense wasn’t great, bu they did what they had to do down the stretch. It helped that Matthew Stafford left the game with an injury.

26 – Jaguars (3-7) 1

The Jaguars had their bye this week ahead of a really intriguing matchup with the Ravens on Sunday. Believe it or not, I think Jacksonville might have a real shot in that one. But we’ll dive more into that on Thursday.

27 – Raiders (3-7) 5

The Raiders must have heard my slander (and must’ve known I took them +2.5), because their last few minutes in Denver on Sunday displayed more life than I’ve seen from them all year long. The Broncos defense was giving them fits all game long, but Derek Carr put on his big boy pants and led a fantastic drive to tie the game and send it to OT, then hit two huge passes to win it on a beautiful deep ball to Davante Adams. Adams had another big game, and Josh Jacobs got back to his productive ways as well. I’m not going to give this defense props for shutting down the worst offense in football, but that’s always a positive as well.

28 – Steelers (3-7) 1

I have one major takeaway from the Steelers’ performance on Sunday. That takeaway is that Najee Harris might not be completely cooked. He had a great game against a solid defensive front, and finally looked like he did in 2021. I’m not saying that he’s back by any means, but it was promising to see that. Kenny Pickett wasn’t awful either, especially when he was targeting George Pickens, who is easily Pittsburgh’s WR1 at this point. The defense got some key takeaways, but it wasn’t enough to stop the potent Bengals offense. I thought it would be closer, but I still like what the Steelers showed me.

29 – Broncos (3-7) 6

There is no reason to talk about the Denver Broncos in any context. Next!

30 – Rams (3-7) 6

I told you this team would look dreadful without Cooper Kupp. Outside of a long touchdown and maybe one other nice drive, this offense was stuck in quicksand against a Saints defense that isn’t very good. It didn’t help that Matthew Stafford got hurt again, but come on. This team doesn’t do anything well, and they looked completely lifeless, just as I predicted.

31 – Panthers (3-8) 3

You know, at least the Panthers were competitive for most of the game on Sunday. That’s a lot more than I can say for the team below them. Baker Mayfield was pretty bad, but so was the rest of the team, and so was the team across from them. It was just an ugly mess, and the inferior team always loses those kinds of games.

32 – Texans (1-8-1) 1

Yeah, this is way worse than I thought. The Texans are cooked in every aspect, as they can’t get anything going on either side of the ball anymore. Dameon Pierce has disappeared, Davis Mills is a statue in the pocket, and the defense might as well not even be there. Houston is on the fast track to the #1 overall pick, and they better pray they don’t mess it up. They have a plethora of picks and can turn this around pretty quickly. Cleaning house and starting over with a new star QB could do wonders for this franchise. Lord knows they need it.

All stats taken from ESPN.