2023 NFL Power Rankings, Week 11: 49ers, Browns Move Up; Jags Plummet 5 Spots -

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As messy as the NFL hierarchy looks right now, we can count on some turmoil in the coming days.

There may only be a few games between winning teams this coming weekend, but those few games carry big consequences. There are two huge matchups in the NFC North, where everyone has a winning record. Two of the longest win streaks in the league face off — in the Denver/Minnesota game, of all places.

And oh, by the way, the top two teams in this week’s power rankings square off next Monday night.

Let’s get into the Week 11 power rankings now:

NFL Power Rankings

Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) no change

Baltimore’s loss in Week 10 further emphasizes how hard it is to stay consistent in this league. It hasn’t always been perfect, but the Eagles have been more stable than any other team all season long. With the schedule that’s ahead of them after the bye, they can’t afford to let up.

Kansas City Chiefs (7-2) +1

Fresh off of each team’s bye week, the Chiefs and Eagles meet in a Super Bowl rematch that’s also a meeting of the best two teams in the league. On the off chance we aren’t giving the Chiefs enough credit, they could change that soon.

Baltimore Ravens (7-3) -1

I’m officially worried about the Ravens’ ability to close. When they’re on, they can blow teams out as well as anyone in the league. But Sunday’s loss to Cleveland dropped them to a 3-3 record in one-score games, and they’ve surrendered a fourth-quarter lead in all of them. It’s not a reason to panic just yet, but I expect a team this good not to squander a 31-17 lead.

4.Detroit Lions (7-2) +1

The 38-6 loss to Baltimore still feels too fresh for me to bump the Lions over Baltimore, but Detroit just came up with a very nice road win. I can’t say enough how much I loved the way Dan Campbell read the situation he was in, realized his defense wasn’t getting stops and put the game on his offense. By trusting them to pick up a crucial fourth down, he saved his defense from itself.

San Francisco 49ers (6-3) +3

Looks like they’re back. All it took was getting Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel back from injury, as well as adding another blue-chip pass rusher in Chase Young, and the 49ers are back to wrecking shop again. They dominated Jacksonville so thoroughly on both sides of the ball, you’d never guess they entered the game on a long losing streak.

6.Miami Dolphins (6-3) no change

We all want to see how the Dolphins stack up against top-tier competition, but it’s just not going to be a problem for a while. Miami doesn’t have a game against a team that’s currently above .500 until Christmas Eve. It could give them a chance to take command of the division.

Cleveland Browns (6-3) +3

This was arguably the Browns’ best offensive performance of the season — and they still turned the ball over twice, including a pick-six. Plenty to improve upon, but it was a glimpse of how good Cleveland could be if their offense continues to meet their defense halfway.

Dallas Cowboys (6-3) +1

Dallas did what it was supposed to do, which was crushing the Tommy DeVito-led Giants. This is not a game that’s going to win over many doubters, but at least they did it with style. More importantly, they also got all their offensive playmakers involved.

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3) -5

Jacksonville took about as humbling a loss as you can imagine in a big spot like that. The 49ers ran roughshod over the Jags. And while the defensive performance might not have been great, Jacksonville’s ineptitude on offense was as disappointing as anything that happened in the league this week.

Seattle Seahawks (6-3) +2

The end of the Washington win featured the Seahawks at their best. Geno Smith was a big, brave dog, guiding Seattle for points on their last three drives. I still can’t ignore how inconsistent it’s looked for a lot of the last month, however. Hopefully, getting Abe Lucas back into the starting lineup soon will help.

Houston Texans (5-4) +2

Never wrong — only early. A few weeks ago, it felt a bit silly to have the Texans ranked this high up in the league hierarchy. Not anymore. We can officially stop putting qualifiers on C.J. Stroud’s performance. I think he’s one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the NFL today, and the Texans are feeding off his energy.

Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) -5

The loss to Houston isn’t a big deal in a vacuum. What’s troubling is that now the Bengals have to turn around and play a division road game against a pissed-off Ravens team. If you’re trying to keep pace in the toughest division in the league, you can’t afford a losing streak. There’s no time to dwell on missed opportunities.

Minnesota Vikings (6-4) +3

All of a sudden, Minnesota owns a two-game grip on the NFC’s final wild-card spot. And when you remember that Justin Jefferson has missed most of this improbable win streak, it’s easy to get excited about this story. Worry about the future later; what’s happening with Josh Dobbs and everyone else is simply too fun.

Buffalo Bills (5-5) -3

If the Bills could avoid turning the ball over, they’d probably be a pretty good team. But at what point should we lose faith in their ability to play clean football? It’s not as if the schedule gets easier in the coming weeks. Can they rise to the occasion against the likes of the Eagles and Chiefs?

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) no change

They were outgained again in Week 10. Their point differential is still a startling negative-26. Their average margin of victory is just 5.2 points. Is any of this sustainable? It doesn’t feel like it. But who am I to argue with Mike Tomlin continuing to get results?

Los Angeles Chargers (4-5) -2

Clearly, the Chargers are a talented team and a tough one to beat. Their five losses were by a combined 25 points, and four of those five losses came by a field goal or less. It’s not that they’re bad, but should we ever have hope that they’ll close out a tight game? Where’s the proof that they can?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) +4

God bless the NFC South. The Bucs’ win against Tennessee snapped a four-game losing streak, and they are still below .500. But they were also the only team in the division that won last week, and it’s easy to make the argument that they’re the most complete team of the four.

Indianapolis Colts (5-5) +5

I feel very good about my opinion that the Colts are the best of the league’s bad teams. They are in the thick of the wild-card hunt, but I’m just not sold that they’re going anywhere meaningful. Still, you’d be silly to write them off as an easy win.

Washington Commanders (4-6) +1

Ron Rivera might not agree with my assessment, since he could be coaching for his job. But this season looks like a rousing success for Washington. The Commanders have been competitive, they’ve acquired draft capital, and most importantly, they seem to have a quarterback they can build around in Sam Howell. It feels weird to type this, but the future seems bright.

New Orleans Saints (5-5) -3

The Saints averaged an awful 4.2 yards per play before Derek Carr got hurt. And sure, the box score will tell you Jameis Winston led them on two touchdown drives. But the Saints still averaged just 4.4 yards per play with Winston at the helm, and he threw two interceptions. New Orleans’ offense is an issue the Saints have yet to consistently overcome.

New York Jets (4-5) -3

Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas would probably say something lame like “hindsight is 20/20,” but everyone was telling them to do something about their quarterback depth the moment Aaron Rodgers got hurt. Even if Rodgers does miraculously return in December, it feels like it’ll be too late and the Jets will have wasted an incredible defense.

Denver Broncos (4-5) +2

Coming up with three straight wins is impressive. Two of those wins coming against the Chiefs and Bills is even better. But do you want to know the most impressive part? Denver is allowing just 16.7 points per game to its last four opponents. Not bad for the guys that allowed 70 in Week 3 and 28-plus points in four of their first five games.

Atlanta Falcons (4-6) -4

The Falcons were famously slow to pull the trigger on a quarterback, and the hope is that it doesn’t bite them now. Atlanta seems to have the issue of employing two equally flawed signal-callers, and it just might cost them a shot at a home playoff game. Three straight losses to teams with a combined record of 11-18 feels like it’s going to come back to haunt them.

Las Vegas Raiders (5-5) +3

It’s hard to buy into the Raiders’ upside when they’re starting a rookie quarterback, but they have talent in a lot of important places and they’re playing hard for interim head coach Antonio Pierce. I don’t buy them as a playoff team, but I do buy that they’re going to be a pain in the neck for every team they play.

Green Bay Packers (3-6) -3

Jordan Love hasn’t been great, but there are so many bigger issues for the Packers in my eyes. For starters, his receivers don’t do him a ton of favors. His offensive line has been inconsistent all year. And perhaps worst of all, the Packers defense allowed six yards per carry to Pittsburgh’s running backs on Sunday. It just feels like there’s way more to worry about than the quarterback.

Los Angeles Rams (3-6) -1

Hopefully, Matthew Stafford’s thumb is on the mend, because this is a very fun offense when he’s healthy and slinging it. Although you can’t tell me you’re not at least slightly curious to see what newly-signed Carson Wentz can do.

Tennessee Titans (3-6) -1

Will Levis wasn’t going to light the league up every time he played – apparently, only C.J. Stroud can do that. Jokes aside, growing pains are to be expected. It’s still better to get Levis the reps and the experience, regardless of what the final record is.

Arizona Cardinals (2-8) +2

This was not an amazing game for Kyler Murray in his return, but he had some vintage Kyler scrambles and led his team to a come-from-behind win. What else could you want? The big question for Cardinals fans is: are you excited about seeing what Kyler can do down the stretch, or would you rather lose out for draft purposes?

Chicago Bears (3-7) no change

The Bears are a bad team, but they’re about to get more interesting. With any luck, Justin Fields will be back from his thumb injury this week, just in time to play the division-leading Lions. How he plays over the last two months is going to have major ramifications — not just on the Bears, but potentially on the league, as the Bears hold the Panthers’ pick, which currently slots at No. 1 overall.

New England Patriots (2-8) -1

Is it bad when you bench your starting quarterback for a last-gasp opportunity to win a one-score game? It feels bad. The Patriots left a cornerback home from their trip to Germany, then cut another one after benching him. And yeah, Mac Jones is clearly falling out of favor. The win against Buffalo rescued the vibes for the briefest moment, but they are once again in the tank.

Carolina Panthers (1-8) no change

This team is brutal to watch. There’s no coherent plan on offense. The talent around Bryce Young isn’t good enough. And if we’re being brutally honest, Young isn’t talented enough in his own right to elevate what is there. At least the Panthers have the silver lining of getting to watch how Young continues to develop, but it all feels pretty bad in Charlotte right now.

New York Giants (2-8) no change

We knew what was going to happen to the Giants in Texas, but that didn’t make it any easier to watch. The Giants are in the tough spot of being a bad team with no one to evaluate. Daniel Jones isn’t coming back this year, Tommy DeVito isn’t the answer. All that’s left is to wait and see how good their draft pick will be.

Source: Fox Sports