NFL Power Rankings Week 11: Vikings are for real, Eagles clipped as Chiefs stay steady

Three of the top five teams in our last edition of the Power Rankings fell in Week 10 which led to a major shake up at the top of the list. We have a new team sitting at number one after the Vikings stunning win in Buffalo while the Dolphins have returned to the top five with Tua back under center.

Here are our Power Rankings after Week 10 on the NFL regular season

1) Minnesota Vikings 8-1, last week 5

I do apologize. I did not think this Minnesota team was as good as their record suggested, and I definitely didn’t think they could go into Buffalo and beat what was once considered the best team in the league. Sunday’s 17 point fourth quarter comeback showed they aren’t just a lucky team that took advantage of an easy schedule, it showed they are a team that can beat anyone, anywhere in any situation. This team, right now, is the best team in the league.

2) Kansas City Chiefs 7-2, last week 2

It was business as usual for the Chiefs who cruised to a comfortable win at Arrowhead on Sunday. They had the game in their hands from the start, building a 20-0 first half lead, and then putting it on auto pilot in the second half. I know what you’re thinking KC fans, how can the Vikes jump from 5 to 1 when you guys are rolling, but it’s more of what they have done than what you guys haven’t.

3) Philadelphia Eagles 8-1, last week 1

Ironically, watching the Eagles lose to the Commanders was like watching Rocky cut Ivan Drago for the first time. Philly is human, and if you hit them hard enough they will bleed. For the first time this season, Hurts and the Eagles made mistakes that cost them the game. Two fourth quarter fumbles made it impossible to make a late come back against a division rival who were desperate for a win.

4) Miami Dolphins 7-3, last week 6

The pre-concussion Dolphins are back in South Beach. I don’t mean to be light-hearted about a very serious situation with Tua Tagovailoa and the handling of the QBs early season injuries. The Dolphins were rolling before Tua was sidelined, and there were serious doubts if Miami would ever look like the team they did to start the season. In their last three games they are averaging 35 points an outing, and maybe the best news came this weekend when the defense stepped up and held Nick Chubb to 63 yards rushing.

5) Buffalo Bills 6-3, last week 3

It was the game of the season, and once again in these games dubbed “The Best of the Season” Buffalo came out on the losing end. The Bills aura of invincibility has vanished in a matter of a couple weeks after consecutive losses to the Jets and the Vikings. Buffalo had every chance to win that game, and you can’t just chalk it up to Josh Allen’s mistakes, but they certainly didn’t help Buffalo win the game. A 4th quarter pick in the end zone, and one of the biggest blunders of the season on his own goal line allowed the Vikes to push it to OT, where Allen threw another pick to gift the game to Minnesota.

6) Baltimore Ravens 6-3, last week 7

The Ravens have had spells of explosive offense, and spells lock down defense, but have yet to see those to facets coincide. They will have plenty of opportunity to get the wheels rolling on all ends with seven of their last eight games against teams with current losing records.

7) Dallas Cowboys 6-3, last week 4

Byes are usually a good thing. It gives a chance for a team to rest, rehab, and regroup, but the Cowboys bye could not have come at a worse time. They went into their bye on the heels of their most complete performance of the season, and the week off seemed to interrupt everything that Dallas had built up. Dak threw two picks and the Cowboys committed nine penalties as the defense let a 14 point fourth quarter lead slip.

8) New York Giants 7-2, last week 8

The Giants could have sat and sulked about their disappointing loss to the Seahawks just before their bye week, but on Sunday they got back in the win column by getting back to basics. Saquon Barkley had 152 of the Giants 191 yards on the ground. New York’s secret to success is anchored around their RB1 getting a heavy dose of touches, on the ground and through the air. I wanted to know how the Giants respond after a loss, and they proved they have thick skin that can survive a January playoff run.

9) New York Jets 6-3, last week 10

The Jets jumped over the Bills in the AFC East from the comfort of their own living rooms. This is a group that is growing up in front of us on a week to week basis, so what do they have in store for us after their bye week?

10) San Francisco 49ers 5-4, last week 13

If you’re a Niners fan, you spent most of Sunday night questioning Jimmy G and Kyle Shanhan after another dodgy offensive performance. But again, the defense came to the rescue and shut the Chargers down in the second half. Will the offense ever start to gel? Maybe, maybe not but as long as the Niners have that defense, Jimmy G and the offense won’t have to be great. If they ever do straighten everything out on the offensive end, the Niners would turn into one of the Super Bowl favorites.

11) Tennessee Titans 6-3, last week 14

Ryan Tannehill returned under center for the Titans after sitting on the sidelines for the last two weeks. It didn’t cure Tennessee’s ails on the offensive end, but Mike Vrable’s team responded after a Week 9 loss and not surprisingly they did it with defense. They forced the Broncos to punt the ball ten times, and came up with the game winning interception late in the fourth quarter to keep a comfortable lead in the AFC South.

12) Cincinnati Bengals 5-4, last week 12

The Bengals had some ups and plenty of downs in the first half of the season. It was around this time last year where Cincy turned it on as they made their Super Bowl run. They’ve proved they can do it, but when you look at their schedule it’s not going to get any easier for Burrow and the Bengals.

13) Seattle Seahawks 6-4, last week 9

The journey from Seattle to Munich was a long one. That may be one excuse for the Seahawks loss to the Bucs on Sunday, but it had more to do with Seattle’s inability to run the ball against Tampa’s defense. Kenneth Walker had been the spark for the Seahawks in their four game win streak, but he ran for just 17 yards as the streak came to an end.

14) Los Angeles Chargers 5-4, last week 11

The battered Chargers gave the Niners all they had on Sunday night, but in the end the shortage of offensive weapons took it’s toll on LA. They came out and looked great on their opening drive, but against the San Fran D, you have to be that good all game long and without Keenan Allen and Mike Williams there wasn’t much Justin Herbert could do. LA was shut out in the second half, and are now two games back of the Chiefs in the AFC West.

15) Washington Commanders 5-5, last week 17

What else does Taylor Heinicke have to do to secure the starting job in the capital? He is four and five since taking over and he just handed the Eagles their first loss of the season by turning Philly over four times. Heinicke wasn’t outstanding, going for 211 yards and throwing a pick, but the game plan was perfect as they had the ball for 20 more minutes than Philadelphia on Monday night.

16) New England Patriots 5-4, last week 15

Every AFC East game is gong game is going to be a battle from here until the end of the season, and the Pats will need to be at the top of their game for their final five division games that remain, starting with the Jets next week.

17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-5, last week 19

The Bucs won their second straight game, and it seems like maybe, just maybe things might just be turning around in Tampa Bay. We have no reason to doubt Tom Brady, but if this team can come together like the crowd in Munich did when Take Me Home, Country Roads came on in Allianz Arena then we might start talking about the Bucs winning more than just the NFC South.

18) Indianapolis Colts 4-5-1, last week 26

The Jeff Saturday empire commenced on Sunday, and if you are a neutral fan or someone looking for a second team to root for, how could it not be Indy after appointing a coach with zero experience, and a sincerity in front of the microphone that’s going to make his players leave everything they have on the field for him. The new era started with a win over the Raiders, which isn’t all too impressive but their late TD to take the lead with five minutes left in the fourth quarter will give a team needing something to believe a bit of hope heading into the final stretch of the season.

19) Green Bay Packers 4-6, last 25

It’s no coincidence the Green Bay Packers start to win as soon as one of Aaron Rodgers’ receivers steps up and has a big day. Christian Watson had 107 yards and three TDs on four catches, while the running game came to life on a night Aaron Jones went for 138 yards with a TD on the ground. The five game losing streak is finally over, but is it too late for the Packers to rally for a playoff spot in the last half of the season?

20) Atlanta Falcons 4-6, last week 16

The Falcons met the Panthers for the second time in less than three weeks, and couldn’t have looked like a more different team than the one that beat Carolina in Mercedes Benz Stadium in Week 8. The team who usually dominates the running game got dominated, allowing the Panthers 232 yards and two TDs on the ground.

21) Arizona Cardinals, 4-6, last week 21

Kliff Kingsbury looks like he’s going to hold on to his job for another week, and all it took was Colt McCoy coming in under center to relieve an injured Kyler Murray. Remember last year when Colt McCoy came in to an already hot team and led them to a few mid season wins during the Cardinals hot start to last season? Since he got yanked as soon as Murray came back, Arizona has not been the same team. If he can continue to win, will Kingsbury have a choice to make?

22) Chicago Bears 3-7, last week 18

The Bears and their fans must be the most excited franchise in the midst of a three game losing streak in NFL history. While the last three weeks haven’t translated to wins for Chicago, Justin Fields has exploded onto the scene, and it looks like the Bears finally have a solution at the QB position for the first time since the Jay Cutler days (even longer than that if we are being honest).

23) Los Angeles Rams 3-6, last week 20

The Rams looked like they had hit rock bottom before Week 10, but Sunday’s performance plummeted them even farther into the depths of despair. Matt Stafford missed Sunday’s game in concussion protocol, and Cooper Kupp was helped off the field after suffering an ankle injury. With three wins through 10 Weeks, and if Kupp can’t come back, the Rams might think about shelving Stafford until next year, because this season is looking more and more like a lost cause.

24) Cleveland Browns 3-6, last week 22

The question coming into the Browns Week 10 matchup with the Dolphins was if the Cleveland running game could hang with the high powered offense of Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle. It became very clear very quickly that they couldn’t. Nick Chubb was held to 63 yards, and when he has an off day the Browns have an off day. It’s looking less and less likely that the Browns will be in the hunt when Deshaun Watson is finally able to make his long awaited debut.

25) Pittsburgh Steelers 3-6, last week 27

The bye week was just what the doctor ordered for the Pittsburgh Steelers and it showed on Sunday. After a treacherous start to his NFL career, Kenny Pickett came in fully prepared and with a defense that saw T.J. Watt return from a pec and knee injury. The Steelers probably don’t have enough time to turn things around, but these next eight weeks will be important for the future of the franchise.

26) Carolina Panthers 3-7, last week 31

P.J. Walker got the start on Thursday, after a debate-filled week concerning the Carolina starting QB. After the Panthers got waxed by the Bengals the week before, Walker kept his starting job despite Baker Mayfield finishing the second half of the game. Walker completed just 10 passes, but the run game went wild at Bank of America Stadium and somehow the Panthers are still in the NFC South race at 3-7.

27) Detroit Lions 3-6, last week 28

How long has it been since the Lions have put together a win streak? The answer, is 25 months. More than two years ago they beat the Falcons and Jaguars in back to back weeks in October of 2020. The front office showed complete trust in Dan Campbell and it’s starting to pay off. Overcoming a 14 point deficit in the final 15 minutes is only going to give this team more confidence to continue to build on this mid season momentum.

28) New Orleans Saints 3-7, last week 24

The Saints offense flatlined again on Sunday in Pittsburgh as New Orleans dropped their fourth in five games. They went up against a Steelers defense that was revamped by the return of T.J. Watt and kept the Andy Dalton and the Saints to under 200 total yards. The Saints look like a lost team right now. They don’t want Jameis Winston as their QB, but Andy Dalton doesn’t seem like the answer either. If the Saints are going to keep losing, they might as well lose with Winston under center consider he is making almost five times what Daltons is making this year.

29) Denver Broncos 3-6, last week 23

The Denver Broncos stink. The end. Nathaniel Hackett’s team has had nightmares in the red zone this year, but on Sunday they found a solution to that problem. If you don’t enter the red zone, you won’t have red zone problems.

30) Jacksonville Jaguars 3-7, last week 27

Jacksonville may have ended their five game losing streak with a win over the Raiders in Week 9, but the Chiefs sent them back to their losing ways with a comfortable win in Aarowhead. The Jags had a chance to get back in the game at the end of the first half and beginning of the second half, but the Chiefs are too good of a team to not punish the Jags for leaving points on the field like they did in KC.

31) Las Vegas Raiders 2-7, last week 30

The Raiders are in a free fall that is difficult to watch, but even harder to take your eyes off. Their season has been inexplicably disastrous. This team has so much talent on both sides of the ball. The problem is coming from the sidelines, as Josh McDaniels has not proven he is capable of leading this team. Former Raiders owner Al Davis would not have put up with this pitiful of a season without a change at the helm, let’s see how long his son Mark to shake things up on the sidelines.

32) Houston Texans 1-7-1, last week 32

Give credit to the Texans. They go into to essentially every game over matched, and out classed but Davis Mills and Houston have hung around until the end in their last two games against two of the top teams in the NFC. They followed their narrow loss to the Eagles with a one possession loss to Saquon Barkley and the Giants.