NFL Power Rankings after Week 11: Chiefs go down, Lions in top spot, Bills in second spot

Three games featuring teams with 7 or more wins were played over the weekend and all of them lived up to the hype. The Eagles soared over the Washington to take command of the NFC East. The Steelers defense locked down two-time MVP Lamar Jackson as Chris Boswell kicked the Steelers into a cushy two game lead in the AFC North. The Chiefs and Bills played another instant classic that was decided with a super human 4th down conversion turned touchdown by Josh Allen to leave the race for the top seed in the AFC wide open. It’s a different league than it was last Tuesday. We have no more undefeated teams, a new No. 1 and some seismic shifts have taken place in our Power Rankings after a wild Week 11.

1) Detroit Lions 9-1, last week 2

They may not have lost last Sunday against the Texans, but the Lions needed a bit of a pick me up after Jared Goff threw 5 picks and almost had their win streak snapped by a Houston team that was in the midst of a midseason crisis. A game against Jacksonville was just what the doctor ordered. They had their way with the Jags. Goff got back on track with a 400 yard, 4 TD game, Jahmyr Gibbs had 123 all purpose yards and the defense allowed just two field goals all game. My favorite part of the win was when coach Campbell went for it on 4th and 2 up 35-6 midway through the third quarter, flipping the figurative bird to the rest of the league as they take the top spot in the rankings. The Lions have looked like the best team in the league for a long time, and now that the Chiefs lost, we can finally put Detroit where they have deserve to be for quite some time.

2) Buffalo Bills 9-2, last week 4

What was the most important thing to come out of Sunday’s game of the year from Orchard Park? Was it the Bills offense over coming the absence of two of their top targets? The Bills showing the rest of the league the Chiefs are beatable? Or was it Buffalo closing the gap in the race to the one seed in the AFC to just a game? It’s a mix of everything, but the most important play at the most important moment of the most important game of the regular season was made by Josh Allen. Allen has always played second fiddle to Patrick Mahomes, but finally he made the play that buried the Chiefs as the Bills went for the jugular on a 4th and 2 with just over two minutes to go. This won’t be the last time we see these two teams play, and obviously this win will mean nothing if the Bills can’t do it in January, but this is a step in the right direction.

3) Kansas City Chiefs 9-1, last week 1

After weeks of hanging on by a thread the Chiefs finally met their match. If it was going to be anyone it was going to be the Bills who hand them their first defeat of the season. It was a lot like most of their games they have played this year. They didn’t play great, but they did enough to stay in the game until the end. The only difference was, the Bills had a kill or be killed mentality that many teams are scared to have against the two-time defending champs. Mahomes had a calming, mature, experienced disposition in the presser after the loss saying the undefeated thing was cool, but that’s not the ultimate goal. This team knows how to win games more than any other team, and more importantly they know how win to games in late January and February. This loss shouldn’t raise any questions about this team’s chances for a three peat.

4) Philadelphia Eagles 8-2, last week 5

Philly solidified their spot in the elite conversation with their win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday night. On a short week after blowing out the Cowboys on Sunday night they eased past the Commanders and stretched their cushion in the NFC East with a win over the only possible contenders for their division crown. Saquon Barkley is for the Eagles what Derrick Henry is for the Ravens. He’s a punishing running back that may not be as powerful as Henry, but late in the game he is going to hurt you just like Henry does and that’s what he did against the Commanders on Thursday night.

5) Pittsburgh Steelers 8-2, last week 6

Defense. Defense. Defense. Is there anything more we need to say? This Steelers team seemed to have things worked out on the offensive end, but Sunday’s game reminded us that Pittsburgh has been, still is, and forever will be a defensive power house that needs very little from their offense to win games. For the second time this season the offense failed to score a touchdown, but the Steelers still won the game. They set the tone in the first series of the day by forcing Derrick Henry to fumble for the first time in 538 touches. The Steelers showed us it’s not just the superstars like TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith who make timely, game winning plays. Patrick Queen forced a fumble and recovered the ball right before halftime and Payton Wilson bailed out his QB with what might have been a game winning play by ripping the ball out of Justice Hill’s hands just seconds after Russell Wilson threw up a terrible pass that got picked off in the end zone.

6) Baltimore Ravens 7-4, last week 3

The Ravens are too good of a team to have four losses, but playing complete football has been a problem for this team. On Sunday in Pittsburgh the league’s top offense sputtered for the first time really all season. The one day they needed a little boost from maybe the best kicker to ever play in the NFL, the future Hall of Famer Justin Tucker was 1/3 in a game that was decided by 2 points. The Steelers are the Ravens black beast. They don’t make life easy for Lamar Jackson, on a game that called for a bit of grounding and pounding Derrick Henry only got 13 carries. Does this team have what it takes to get to the Super Bowl? Yes. Do they show that on a week to week basis? No.

7) Green Bay Packers 7-3, last week 7

By the hairs of their chinny chin chin. For the second straight week a team wins with a blocked field goal as the clock expires. The second straight “block off” win came by another team that didn’t necessarily deserve to win the game. Last week it was the Chiefs, this week is was the Packers. Jordan Love was out played by Caleb Williams for most of the game, but Love and more importantly Christian Watkins showed up when it mattered most and willed their team into the lead late in the 4th quarter. The Packers making the game winning play on the last second field goal is a product of the Bears not being ready to win these kinds of games. Even more than that, is the fact that the Packers have beaten their NFC North rivals 11 straight times, and when history is on your side, the scales tend to tilt in your favor.

8) Los Angeles Chargers 7-3, last week 14

We were calling for it. Pleading for it. Begging for it. Sunday night the Chargers offense finally gave it to us. Justin Herbert looked like the QB we have seen shades of over his short career, and for the first time we saw him turn loose under coach John Harbaugh who has to be winning a lot of fans in his second stint in the NFL. The leagues best pass defense got toasted by Joe Burrow in the second half, but Herbert and J.K. Dobbins came through to save their team and rattle off their fourth straight win. Don’t look now, but the Chargers have the fourth best record in the AFC, and they will put it to the test next Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens in the latest edition of the Harbowl.

9) Minnesota Vikings 8-2, last week 9

I know they are 8-2, but I have my doubts about this team. Luckily for the Vikings they have played three of the worst teams in the league and just barely escaped from each of those games. If they continue to play the way they have in the last three weeks there will be a storm brewing in Minnesota before the winter even arrives. Luckily for them the defense has been a constant all season and has given up just 11 ppg in the last three games. Four of their final seven games are NFC North matchups and how they do in those tough division games is going to determine the Vikings playoff chances. The fact that we are talking about playoff chances for a team that has just two losses tells you the little faith I have in this Vikings side. I hope they prove me wrong, because I love the comeback story that Sam Darnold was writing at the beginning of the season.

10) Houston Texans 7-4, last week 13

Houston desperately needed a night like they had on Monday night against a terrible team like the Dallas Cowboys. After losing three of their previous four and showing their most fragile moment since CJ Stroud and DeMeco Ryans took over in the Rocket City, they came out swinging from the start. Stroud got his top target back and they wasted no time going to him. He took a pass to the flat 77 yards to the house on the first play of the game to remind Texans fans what they have been missing, and gave a warning to the rest of the league of what’s to come. The play got called back because of a penalty, but Collins had a nice return, Mixon had a huge game, and the offensive line looked like they were back to their best form. Let’s not overreact. They played the Cowboys, but the bottom line is Houston had a problem and they might have sorted it out in the battle of the Lone Star State.

11) Washington Commanders 7-4, last week 8

While questions might be hovering over the nation’s capital after the Commanders have lost their last two and still haven’t had a signature win against a good team, let’s remember something. If Dan Quinn goes for the field goal and the Commanders take a 13-12 lead midway through the fourth quarter, that Thursday night game turns out much different. I’m not saying they win it, but not getting the first down seemed to deflate the Commanders and Saquon Barkley put them to the sword with two late TDs in the aftermath of the failed 4th down conversion. Their last three losses to some of the NFL’s best teams have all come by one possession. They may not be winning those games, but they are giving themselves a chance which is more than anyone expected from this team this early in the Jayden Daniels/Dan Quinn era.

12) Denver Broncos 6-5, last week 16

Forget about rookie quarterbacks, Bo Nix is having an insatiable run over the last month and a half and had the best game of his rookie campaign on Sunday in Denver. He had his first 300 yard game and his first four TD game against the Falcons, but this has been a long time coming. He had 1 TD and four INTs in the first four games of the season. Since then he has 13 TDs and 2 INTs and the rookie has the Broncos in the playoff race for the first time in way too long. Enough about the rookie QB, this defense is the real reason this team is in the Wild Card spot with seven weeks to go. Aside from their blow out loss to the Ravens, they have given up 20+ points just once. That came all the way back in Week 1.

13) Arizona Cardinals 6-4, last week 11

BYE

14) Los Angeles Rams 5-5, last week 17

The worst kept secret in the NFL: the Rams are a much better team with their two top WRs healthy and on the field. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua won the game for the Rams on a tricky day from Foxborough. Nacua is a gamer, and doesn’t shy away from putting his body on the line. That’s admirable, but sometimes he has to realize that is health is more important than making a play. That became a concern on his diving TD catch in the second quarter, but he was able to come back and Cooper Kupp’s 69 yard TD catch and run to start the 2nd half set the tone on a day that Matthew Stafford threw for four TDs.

15) Atlanta Falcons 6-5, last week 10

Oh boy. You know the different levels of weather alerts? You can have a tornado watch or a flood watch or a hurricane watch. That means there is a potential for something to occur. That was the Falcons last week after their loss to the Saints. Then you have a warning, which indicates the tornado or flood or hurricane is here and you should take cover. That’s what the Falcons need to do after getting their butts handed to them by the Denver Broncos. There was a point where they looked like they threw in the towel and gave up in Mile High. They need to watch out. Their one time certain division title has now been thrown into question after a couple of bad losses. The are spiraling and the rest of the division is getting healthy.

16) Seattle Seahawks 5-5, last week 20

Geno Smith might have saved the Seahawks season with his game winning TD run to down the Niners and stop a stretch of five losses in their previous six games. The win not only stops the bleeding but gets them back to .500 with a victory against a decent team. That’s their last game against the Niners, but they have three more games against NFC West teams, two against the Cardinals and one against the Rams. The cup cake part of the schedule is long gone. Now it’s time to earn your keep in the playoff race.

17) San Francisco 49ers 5-5, last week 12

Nothing about this Niners team should remind you of the Niners team we have seen over the last few years. Their offense isn’t gelling like they used to, and maybe that’s because Christian McCaffery still needs time working himself into “game shape” although he had 100 total yards on a day that Brock Purdy only passed for 159 yards. The real trouble on this Niners team is their defense. This is a defense that we got used to seeing make deciding plays late in the game, like they had a chance to do against Geno Smith and the Seahawks with under 20 seconds to go. That’s not the case anymore and that’s why the Niners are currently at the bottom of the NFC West. Let’s not over exaggerate. They are just a game back of the division leading Cardinals and tied with the Seahawks and the Rams at 5-5, but it’s unusual to be talking about them fighting for their division and not for a one seed at this time of the season.

18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-6, last week 18

BYE

19) Miami Dolphins 4-6, last week 19

There is still a chance for this Dolphins team to make the playoffs. It’s a long shot, but with Tua back under center, this team has a new found belief. It wasn’t the prettiest game that Miami has played since Tua came back, but they got the job done and outlasted the Raiders from Hard Rock Stadium. This team has the weapons to make a run. There are some tough games to come and the Dolphins can only afford one, maybe two losses, but they have a gimme game against the Pats next week and their Thanksgiving showdown against the Packers could be a turning point in their season that could springboard them to a shocking late season playoff run.

20) Cincinnati Bengals 4-7, last week 15

Poor Joe Burrow. By the time these Power Rankings are published you are sure to have heard that over and over and over again. What else can he do? He has 3,028 yards, 27 TDs and just 4 INTs. He might be the same quarterback as he was when the Bengals went to the Super Bowl, but this team isn’t the same. The defense that has allowed 69 points over the last two games should tell you all you need to know, but if you need more proof just look at Evan McPherson. McPherson was the most clutch kicker in the game a few years ago, but he missed two fourth quarter field goals that would have helped the Bengals win the game and keep their season alive. According to Joe Burrow’s prediction of 10 win teams getting a playoff spot, the Bengals need to win their remaining six games. With a defense like theirs, they can wave white flag now.

21) Indianapolis Colts 5-6, last week 21

Indy fans rejoice, it looks like there is going to be a bit of stability at the quarterback position at least for the next week. Anthony Richardson was named the starter again after losing his job earlier this season, and did what they expected the former No. 4 overall pick to do when they drafted him. He ran in two TDs and hit a couple big passes late in the game to close out Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. I’m not sure how long Richardson is going to hold up taking shots like he took on his first TD run, but it might work out for the short term and that might be huge for the Colts who aren’t far from Wild Card position.

22) Chicago Bears 4-6, last week 22

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears offense responded just days after the offensive coordinator was let go and replaced by Thomas Brown. They should have beaten the Packers. They played better than Green Bay and were in position to snap their three game losing skid, but like we have said on these Power Rankings before. Good teams find ways to win and bad teams find ways to lose. The Bears are still not a good team, and now they are in danger of falling out of the playoff race.

23) New Orleans Saints 4-7, last week 26

The Saints gave us a reminder of just how good a team this used to be when they had a full arsenal of weapons surrounding Derek Carr. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been one of the top WRs in the league over the last two weeks and Tysom Hill had one of those games that makes you wonder why he isn’t featured in way more of the offense for a team that is this banged up. It looked like their season was done and dusted, but with the Falcons recent struggles, they still have an outside chance at the division title. They get a much needed BYE that will give this team a chance to get healthy for the final stretch of the season.

24) Cleveland Browns 2-8, last week 23

You look at Jameis Winston’s stat line on Sunday in New Orleans and you think, wow he must have had a great game and the Browns must have won. But the stats don’t tell the whole story. His near 400 yard, two TD game was like the new Gladiator movie. Yes, I have seen it already. A whole lot of bang but not much buck. The Browns scored just 14 points and got in the red zone just once on a day that they gained 443 yards. The win over the Ravens is long in the rear view and Jameis-mania is over.

25) New England Patriots 3-8, last week 31

The Pats fans have suffered long enough that even though they are losing games, they should leave the stadium or turn off the TV extatic about what is to come. This season is a wash, and it was always going to be with a sub par squad set around a rookie QB, but that rookie QB is giving them a reason to look towards the future with an optimism that hasn’t been felt in Foxborough since the dying days of the Pats dynasty. Drake Maye had his best game of his debut season, going 30/40 for 282 yards and two TDs. He kept the Pats in the game on a day that Matt Stafford threw for four TDs. Surprisingly, it’s not the offense that has been the weak link of this team, it’s been Jerrod Mayo’s defense.

26) New York Jets 3-8, last week 25

There was talk about the Jets winning out and grabbing one of the last Wild Card spots in the AFC after their win over the Texans a couple weeks ago. That dream is long gone, and now they might be lucky to avoid losing each of their final six games. They go into their BYE week out of contention and with nothing to play for. They have an aging quarterback who may or may want to return next year and a coaching situation that is just as uncertain, if not more so. If there was an eject button available for the Jets, I’m thinking this would be the time to press it. Unfortunately, for Jets fans they are going to have to sit back and suffer for another end of the regular season stretch without any possibility of a playoff push.

27) Las Vegas Raiders 2-8, last week 27

Vegas went on the road and gave the Dolphins a run for their money, but they ran out of steam late in the game. They have a QB that isn’t capable of running an offense, and what do they do? They let him throw it 43 times while running the ball just 16 times against one of the NFL’s most electric offenses. The only way to limit Tua and Miami is to keep them off the field but when you don’t establish a run game teams tend to run away with wins late in the game. That’s what Miami did in the final 15 minutes.

28) Carolina Panthers 3-7, last week 29

BYE

29) Dallas Cowboys 3-7, last week 28

Let’s thank the heavens nothing terrible happened to anyone when the piece of roof came crashing to the ground in the pregame from AT&T Stadium on Monday night. Honestly this is Jerry Jones’ perfect excuse to shut the doors and make the Cowboys play their games behind closed doors for the rest of the season. Put your fans out of misery. Black out the games. Keep them off the airways, because I don’t think the prideful pack of nationwide Cowboys fans can take this anymore. My suspicions of the Cowboys protecting Dak Prescott were all but confirmed on Monday night when they refused to put Trey Lance in the game against the Texans. If he were to come in and play well for the rest of the season, that would create an awful big headache for Jerry Jones and who ever is coach next year, and Jones has had a full serving of headaches in what’s been the Cowboys worst season since Troy Aikman’s rookie year.

30) Jacksonville Jaguars 2-9, last week 24

You had to know the 13.5 points that Jacksonville were getting against the Lions was a fraction of what it really should have been, but this is the NFL not college football. Spreads don’t usually get higher than two TDs, because in the end these guys are professionals or at least that’s what we thought. The Jags looked like a college team against the Lions, and a bad college team at that. Mac Jones is proving that he has no business in the league, and the fact that Doug Pederson still hasn’t lost his job yet would suggest that there is systematic cluelessness from the top to the bottom in Jacksonville.

31) New York Giants 2-8, last week 30

BYE

32) Tennessee Titans 2-8, last week 32

The Titans continue to look like the worst team in the league, but it’s hard to put all the blame on the shoulders of Will Levis who had his best game of the season and the longest pass play of the NFL this season. That still wasn’t enough to keep the Vikings in punching distance, and they can attribute that a non existent run game and the constant barrage of self inflicted wounds they committed in a game that they could have won. They committed 13 penalties for 91 yards and had just 11 first downs all day. We have been saying it all year. This is the worst team in the league, and they showed that again on Sunday against the Vikings.