NFL Week 11 power rankings: Steelers, Cardinals, 49ers rise as Bears, Falcons drop

That’s embarrassing for the New York Giants. Facing arguably the worst NFL defense in the last three years, Daniel Jones failed to even land on the same continent for competent quarterback play. If Drew Lock is so bad that the Giants feel like they can’t pull the plug on Jones, that’s an awful reflection on this front office. But hey, at least Tyrone Tracy Jr, Malik Nabers and Theo Johnson are emerging.

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Mac Jones demonstrated on Sunday why he should probably never be a starting NFL quarterback for a team trying to be competitive. Unfortunately for the Jacksonville Jaguars, it might not matter following NFL news on Sunday morning that Trevor Lawrence’s shoulder injury might be season-ending. There’s one positive for Jaguars fans, we’re one week closer to the Jaguars firing Doug Pederson and Press Taylor. Although, if we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that GM Trent Baalke survives everything and his sticking around in 2025 would be terrible news for this Jaguars roster.

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Well, well, well, if it isn’t the consequences of someone’s actions. Maxx Crosby made it pretty clear this offseason that he wanted Antonio Pierce to remain the Las Vegas Raiders coach or he might demand a trade. The organization caved to the demands of Crosby and Raider Nation, giving Pierce the full-time gig. Fast forward to November, Crosby and other Raiders players are no longer happy with the head coach they picked. If you want to know why the Raiders have been bad for so long, let this be another reminder for you.

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Drake Maye is the next franchise quarterback of the New England Patriots. He already made incredible strides to become the starter earlier in the regular season than expected. Now, against one of the best defenses in football, Maye helped deliver a win. The Patriots’ third victory of the year certainly hurts their draft position, but you’ll gladly take that since it also means the most important position in pro sports is figured out for years to come.

Chuba Hubbard earned every dollar of that contract extension and it’s fitting he immediately rewarded the Carolina Panthers with a monster performance (53 yards and 1 TD), leading the way to a win. While Bryce Young still isn’t showing nearly enough right now to believe he can be the long-term starter, at least he played a positive role in the Panthers winning consecutive games for the first time since December 2022.

While Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis avoided the dumbfounding mistakes and turnovers that have defined his 2024 season, it still didn’t translate into a win for the Titans. Even with his improved play on Sunday, nothing Levis has shown this year warrants being the Tians starting quarterback in 2025. He’ll remain the starter moving forward, but barring a miraculous turnaround, Tennessee will be in the quarterback market next offseason. The good news? This is a fairly solid situation for the next guy.

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The Cleveland Browns have put themselves in a fascinating spot. Coming out of the bye, the organization has refused to commit to Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback in 2025. Not making Watson the starter is certainly smart, he’s no longer a starting-caliber player, but it does raise questions about whether the Browns bite an unprecedented financial bullet and cut Watson or just use what little cap space they have to find someone who can take the job from them. The draft capital this team will have in 2025 will certainly be beneficial, but the cap limitations mean this roster could be even more bare-bones next season.

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It’s a classic, a team that fires their head coach immediately comes out playing with energy and more discipline. The New Orleans Saints still aren’t very healthy, but interim coach Darren Rizzi lit a fire in these players and it was evident in Sunday’s 20-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Maybe this spark continues for another week (vs Cleveland Browns), but the Marshon Lattimore trade and the existing injuries still prevent New Orleans from truly turning things around.

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The Indianapolis Colts can go back to Anthony Richardson now. After the infamous moment where Anthony Richardson pulled himself from the game, the Colts seemingly made a quarterback change to appease the locker room and attempt to see if this team could compete for a playoff spot. In two starts, Flacco has been just as bad as Richardson if not worse. At 4-6, it’s time for Indianapolis to focus on the future and let Richardson work through his issues.

We can officially stick a fork in the New York Jets’ season and this era of Jets football. In a must-win spot, the Jets offense didn’t make the trip to Arizona nor did the defense. It’s just the latest instance of this club coming up short in a big spot. Now, it’s time to look ahead. Woody Johnson won’t be around for the next four years, Aaron Rodgers is probably going to retire and general manager Joe Dougglas will likely be fired. Where New York goes from there will be one of the most fascinating offseason storylines in the NFL.

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If there’s anything good that will come out of Sunday’s loss for the Dallas Cowboys, it will be that whatever members of Cowboys Nation who believe Cooper Rusher could replace Dak Prescott will stop now. Rush was awful and his very presence put severe limitations on a Cowboys offense that already had big problems. It’s time for Dallas to turn its focus to what moves it will make in the offseason, a spring that could define the next five years for the Cowboys.

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The events culminating in the Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders were the proverbial final straws breaking that showed why Matt Eberflus needs to be fired after the season. It’s the effort, or lack thereof, in the Week 10 loss to the Patriots that should get Eberflus fired this week. The Bears might not have one of the more talented NFL rosters this season, but they should be so much better than this. These losses are a reflection on the Bears coaching staff and it’s time for Chicago to make a change immediately.

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The win on Monday Night Football could be a turning point for the Miami Dolphins, even at 3-6. There are two very winnable games upcoming on the Dolphins schedule (vs Patriots and vs Raiders), with victories putting them just a game behind .500. While there would still be an uphill climb after that to a Wild Card spot, the way the Dolphins played in Week 10 suggests it could be done.

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In the last six games, Joe Burrow is responsible for a 17-3 TD-INT ratio with a 67.4 percent completion rating, averaging 282.3 passing yards per game with a 109.5 QB rating. The Cincinnati Bengals are just 3-3 during that MVP-caliber stretch from their quarterback. It’s an indictment of Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and this front office, who are equally responsible for wasting Burrow’s excellence.

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The Denver Broncos had their chance but fell victim to whatever is fueling this undefeated season for the Kansas City Chiefs. While this team is now on a two-game losing streak, rookie quarterback Bo Nix played very well in this one against a top-10 defense, excelling on third downs. Denver might be kicking itself after dropping back to .500, but there’s plenty from this game and season to feel good about right now.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, took the Kansas City Chiefs to the wire last Monday. In Week 10, after losing standout left tackle Tristan Wirfs (MCL sprain), Baker Mayfield nearly rallied Tampa Bay to a win over the San Francisco 49ers. We can’t drop the Bucs in the NFL power rankings after performances like this, they are playing competitive against some of the best NFL teams in 2024. Besides, after the Week 11 bye, the Buccaneers schedule features the Carolina Panthers (twice), the Raiders, the Cowboys and the Giants.

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The Seattle Seahawks offensive line, much like last season, is preventing this offense from being very good. Geno Smith is playing like a top-12 quarterback when he’s protected and the weapons he’s working with (Kenneth Walker III, DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba) and Tyler Lockett) could make this one of the most dangerous offenses in football. Unfortunately, the upcoming Seahawks schedule includes several matchups (at 49ers, vs Cardinals, at Jets) that could expose the line and prevent wins.

The Monday Night Football loss falls on Sean McVay, whose play-calling and decision-making left a lot to be desired. That should’ve been a win for the Los Angeles Rams, pushing them above .500 on the season. Instead, assuming they beat New England in Week 11, the Rams will be sitting at the .500 line with a second-half schedule that includes the Eagles, Bills, 49ers, Cardinals and Seahawks. Not exactly a great position to be in.

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Coming into Sunday’s game with a 6-3 record, the Atlanta Falcons were still looking for that national recognition that has eluded them for much of the season. Week 10 demonstrated why everyone has such a difficult time buying stock in Atlanta. Kirk Cousins finished with a sub-80 QB rating for the fourth time this season, playing a significant role in Atlanta going just 5-for-14 on third-down attempts. The Falcons are still in the driver’s seat for the NFC South, but this feels like another team from the division that is destined for a first-round playoff exit.

The Los Angeles Chargers only led Tennessee 13-10 late in the third quarter, at least raising the possibility of another big surprise in this exciting 2024 NFL season. Instead, the Chargers offense put its foot on the gas and extinguished any hope Tennessee had for the upset. Los Angeles is 6-3 under Jim Harbaugh, a remarkable accomplishment considering many thought this was one of the 10 worst NFL rosters entering the season.

The Arizona Cardinals seem here to stay. Welcoming a New York Jets team that was playing with confidence and in a much-win situation, Kyler Murray stepped up and the Cardinals’ defense rose to the occasion. Arizona is now riding a four-game win streak, including victories over the Chargers and Bears. While this is the same team that got its doors blown off by the Green Bay Packers and Washington Commanders, the Cardinals look like a legit threat to win the NFC West and no one saw that coming before the season.

The opportunities to win a game like that are rare and the Houston Texans blew it. Issues obviously start up front with the abysmal offensive line, but more weight for the woes also has to start falling on the shoulders of C.J. Stroud and play-caller Bobby Slowik. Houston has now lost three of its last four games, dropping from 5-1 to 6-4. Fortunately for the Texans, Nico Collins and Will Anderson Jr. should be back in Week 11 and that aligns with a light upcoming schedule against the Cowboys, Titans, Jaguars and Dolphins.

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The San Francisco 49ers narrowly escaped with a win over the Buccaneers on Sunday, needing a walk-ff field goal to do it. However, it’s worth noting that Jake Moody also missed three field goals in this one and the 49ers had a turnover. The little things nearly cost them and Christian McCaffrey (39 yards, 3.0 ypc) wasn’t quite as effective on the ground in his first game back. San Francisco still leaves with a cross-country road win, improving to 5-4 and this team should get better from here with a healthy CMC and Deebo Samuel.

The old Sam Darnold is back and it has to be a significant concern for the Minnesota Vikings. In the last two weeks, against bottom-10 defenses, Darnold has thrown 5 interceptions and taken 5 sacks with a sub-53.0 ESPN QBR in both games. Minnesota barely survived his 3 interceptions in Sunday’s five-point win over the Jaguars. So, while the upcoming Vikings schedule – at Titans and Bears – is favorable, the quarterback position is now a Minnesota-sized question mark.

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The Week 10 bye came at an opportune time for the Green Bay Packers. Not only has it provided Jordan Love (groin and knee) with two weeks of rest, but it also allowed Josh Myers (wrist), Josh Jacobs (ankle), Jaire Alexander (knee) and Evan Williams (hamstring) time to heal up. Sitting at 6-3, the upcoming Packers schedule – at Bears, vs 49ers, vs Dolphins, at Lions – is a fantastic litmus test to determine if this is one of the best NFL teams moving forward.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers gave the Washington Commanders chances to win on Sunday – 2 turnovers and a failed fake punt at the 16-yard line – but this team just couldn’t take advantage. That’s fine, rookie Jayden Daniels can learn from some of the mistakes he made in Week 10 and still feel good about where things are headed. The loss only drops Washington to 7-3 and with matchups upcoming against the Cowboys (twice), Titans and Saints, the Commanders should still finish with 10-plus wins.

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Jalen Hurts probably made this game more interesting than it needed to be, with a pair of first-half turnovers only making it a one-score game at halftime. Credit to this Philadelphia Eagles locker room, though, because it flipped a switch in the second half and took complete control from there on. Plus, with the Commanders losing on Sunday, Philadelphia takes the pole position in the NFC South ahead of the head-to-head battle on Thursday Night Football.

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There are statement wins and then there’s what the Pittsburgh Steelers did on Sunday afternoon. Not only did Pittsburgh overcome a pair of turnovers, it won despite gifting Washington a red-zone touchdown after a failed fake punt inside their own 20-yard line. Overcoming all that and still beating a very good Commanders team, that’s impressive. After moving to 7-2, Pittsburgh has demonstrated it is one of the best NFL teams right now and Russell Wilson is cooking.

The best NFL teams find ways to win even when a few things go wrong. That’s precisely what happened with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, who overcame two Josh Allen interceptions and 8 total team penalties, all with Keon Coleman and Amari Cooper out, to beat the Colts by two scores. Buffalo’s record arguably warrants being higher in the NFL power rankings. If they can pull off the upset next Sunday at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, the No. 2 spot is theirs.

The Baltimore Ravens offense is quite often competing against Justin Tucker, this defense and even John Harbaugh at times this season. Lamar Jackson, already a two-time NFL MVP, is having a career-best season by far and this Ravens offense looks unstoppable. This should conceivably be the team that could finally dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC, but the Ravens’ defense and missed kicks still haunt Baltimore.

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Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, the Kansas City Chiefs are both. Sunday’s win over the Broncos – preserved by a blocked field goal as time expired – won’t do anything to shake the skepticism that the Chiefs aren’t quite as good as they used to be. With that said, let’s also acknowledge that the Chiefs and Broncos played plenty of close games in previous years when Kansas City went on to win the Super Bowl. What matters the most for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, the Chiefs are undefeated and hold a two-game lead for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

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Great teams find a way to persevere through adversity and claw their way to a win. Five interceptions from Jared Goff on the road might’ve been a death sentence for the Detroit Lions in previous years, or at least a “burn the tape” game where they have to just accept the loss. These Lions are just different. Detroit’s defense rose to the occasion in the second half, the Lions’ running backs took over and Jared Goff stepped up when it mattered. The Lions are the best NFL team this season.