Week 11 of the NFL season was littered with big-time matchups that did not disappoint. Some teams proved themselves to be legit, while others faltered under the pressure and into obscurity.
Let’s take a look at how all 32 teams stack up ahead of Week 12, as opposed to last week’s power rankings.
1. Detroit Lions (9-1) ↑1
There’s a new number one team in town and they hail from the Motor City. The Lions throttled the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars by an unreal score of 52-6. Detroit has now won eight straight games and the subtraction of Aiden Hutchinson is not showing signs of regression as a team. Jared Goff was sensational on Sunday, completing 24 of 29 passes for 412 yards and four touchdowns. Goff also obtained a perfect QBR rating of 158.3. It was a perfect day on the field for Goff and the Lions as a whole. Amon-Ra St. Brown also had a perfect day, accounting for 11 catches off 11 targets for 161 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season total to nine on the season, best for second overall in the league. If you didn’t think the Lions were for real then, you better think so now, as the city of Detroit is witnessing a historic season that could very well end with them holding up the Lombardi Trophy.
2. Buffalo Bills (9-2) ↑1
This is a different Bills team yet still, they remain the defending Super Bowl Champions’ biggest threat in repeating. Can this finally be the year the Bills get over the hump in the playoffs? Well if the regular season isn’t any indication, it may very well be the year. The Bills exercised their demons once again over the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a highly competitive 30-21 game. Josh Allen was great through the air and on the run, registering both a passing and game-clinching rushing touchdown on Sunday. The Bills stayed composed for all 60 minutes of the game. One of the biggest factors in the Bills’ success was the offensive line, which gave up zero sacks on the day, protecting Allen as much as possible despite the scrambling. The Bills have given up only four sacks in the past four games. Buffalo will now head into their bye week off the heels of this huge victory.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) ↓2
There are officially no more undefeated teams this season, as the Chiefs fell victim at Buffalo. There was no real shock here as not only have the Bills consistently gotten the better hand of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs during their regular season matchups but because the Chiefs were on the road in a hostile environment, as well as coming off an improbable win against the Denver Broncos last week. Mahomes continued his turnover troubles on Sunday, throwing two more alongside three touchdowns. So far, Mahomes has 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on the season, which is on pace for his most turnovers in a season since his historic career started. Mahomes is unhuman in the postseason, but this may very well be a major storyline to note as the season progresses. Another star that hasn’t been himself is Travis Kelce, who only had two catches for eight yards, in what has been a slow season for the star tight end. The dynamic duo have a very winnable game to get them back on track next week against the Carolina Panthers.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) ↔
Last week’s headline proved to be no joke. It is time to take the Steelers seriously. Pittsburgh has racked off five straight wins and more importantly, expanding their gap as the division leader over the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers beat the Ravens in a low-scoring bout on Sunday, 18-16, a game in which the Steelers didn’t even score a touchdown. Pittsburgh has shown they can win on the field in many different ways, which makes them such a tough team to prepare for. Russell Wilson is proving he still has a lot left in the tank and is pacing this squad into a comfortable contender when the playoffs come around. Up next for the Steelers is another divisional matchup with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) ↔
The Eagles are rolling at the perfect time. After a slew of wins against lesser teams, the Eagles beat the Commanders, 26-18, in a key division matchup on Thursday. Despite the solid play of Jalen Hurts, it’s been Saquon Barkley who deserves most of the limelight. The former Giant had another 100+ yard game with 146 on the ground and reached the end zone twice. He also added 52 yards receiving. Barkley has been a powerhouse, leading the league in carries at 197. When healthy, Barkley might be the best back in the league and is someone you can rely on to push a team forward when it matters most. The Eagles have another primetime matchup coming up on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Rams.
6. Minnesota Vikings (8-2) ↑1
After a string of average performances, Sam Darnold was turnover-free in the Viking’s win over the Tennessee Titans, passing for 246 yards and two touchdowns. The Vikings started out the season at 5-0 but since their first defeat, they haven’t looked themselves, barely beating teams like the Indianapolis Colts and the Jaguars. Despite that, Minnesota is still in position for the division crown, just a game out from the first-place Lions. On the bright side, the defense is still as good as ever, placing in the top 10 in yards allowed, third in sacks, and first in turnovers forced. Next, the Vikings go on the road against the reeling Chicago Bears this week.
7. Green Bay Packers (7-3) ↑1
Call it a miracle or call it luck, but for the second week in a row, a game ended on a blocking field goal. This time, the winners came in the form of the Packers. In a game they had virtually no business being so close in, Green Bay edged the Bears 20-19. Despite being overpowered in time of possession, having the ball 13 minutes less than the Bears, Jordan Love impressively commanded a game-winning drive in just four plays worth, capped off by a one-yard touchdown by Love himself. In what has been a disappointing season for Christian Watson, the young receiver grabbed four balls for 150 yards, accounting for nearly half of Love’s passing yards. Josh Jacobs also had a good day on the ground, carrying 18 times for 76 yards and a score. The Packers have a big-time matchup coming up at Lambeau Field against the San Francisco 49ers.
8. Baltimore Ravens (7-4) ↓2
The number one offense in the league could not muster any momentum on Sunday, falling to the Steelers in a game that once again showed more of the Ravens’ weaknesses. Lamar Jackson has forever struggled against the Steelers, and as a team, this is another one-possession game that did not go Baltimore’s way. Additionally, the absence of Derrick Henry for the game-tying two-point conversion and the inconsistencies they have faced with using one of the premier threats in the game is startling. Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken must do a better job at lifting up this offense to the best of its ability and he has to figure it out quickly, as the Ravens are faced with a difficult next stretch of games.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) ↑5
At one point, the Chargers were rolling to a 27-6 lead over the Cincinnati Bengals. That lead eventually squandered to a 27-27 tie, but still, unlike in previous years, the Chargers rebounded and picked up the 34-27 win. Even though the Bengals have underperformed this season, a win over a strong offensive squad was the perfect indicator of where the Chargers are as we hit week 12. The Chargers have not been the crispest on offense this season, mostly relying on the run and defense. But this win was different. It solidified the Chargers as a capable team and under Jim Harbaugh, it’s a team that not many teams want to face. With Justin Herbert also under center, Los Angeles can count on a quarterback who is trustworthy, turnover-free, and comes up big in big-time situations.
10. Washington Commanders (7-4) ↓1
Are the Commanders overrated? Maybe a smidge, but it’s not time to count them out just yet. The Commanders’ loss to the Eagles isn’t a shock or anything, but it does tighten the grip the Eagles are starting to hold in the NFC East. Jayden Daniels is starting to look a bit more human and when dissecting the schedule, Washington hasn’t really beaten anyone of particular note. They do have nice road wins over the Bengals and Cardinals, but their four losses do come from teams that are either higher than them on this list, or against a healthy Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luckily for Washington, the schedule opens up a bit, with two games against the Dallas Cowboys and a meeting with the Titans.
11. Houston Texans (7-4) ↓1
Defeating the Cowboys isn’t anything to ride home about, but the hope is this easy win gets the Texans back on track, after suffering two losses in a row, including three of four. Joe Mixon had himself a night, reaching the end zone three times and totaling 109 yards on the ground. Out of his eight available games, Mixon has recorded six 100+ yard performances. On the flip side, even though the Texans won and are in a good position for the playoffs, C.J. Stroud has not had the sophomore season that many expected he would. He’s turned the ball over more times this season than last and hasn’t had a multi-touchdown game since October 13. To be successful, the Texans need Stroud to be as sharp as he was in his first year. He thankfully has a good weapon to go to in Nico Collins.
12. Denver Broncos (6-5) ↑1
Beating the Atlanta Falcons wasn’t a shock, but the way in which it happened was, especially considering the heartbreaking loss suffered the week before. The Broncos destroyed Atlanta by an eye-popping score of 38-6. Rookie Bo Nix had the best game of the season, tossing four touchdowns for 307 yards and only incompleted five passes off 33 attempts. The offense was balanced all around the field and the defense pressured Atlanta all day long. Denver is proving to be a worthwhile team that can be a tough out when the postseason comes around. The Broncos go on the road for a divisional battle at Las Vegas on Sunday.
13. Arizona Cardinals (6-4) ↓2
The Cardinals dropped a couple of spots not because of their own doing, as they were on a bye, but because of the impressive performances by the Chargers and Broncos. Arizona entered week 12 on a four-game winning streak and has not given up a touchdown in their past two contests. A crucial stretch faces the Cardinals if they want to win the division and secure a sport in the playoffs. They visit the Seattle Seahawks next, followed by a road matchup with the Vikings , and then at home against Seattle once more.
14. Seattle Seahawks (5-5) ↑4
A game-winning drive by Geno Smith may have just saved the Seahawks once dire season. In 11 plays, 80 yards from the endzone, Smith marched his team down the field for the win. Smith’s feet did the trick, as the quarterback ran 13 yards in for the score. Coming off a bye, Seattle looked rejuvenated on all fronts, especially Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Njigba has been one of the more underrated players this season, as he corralled 10 balls for 110 yards. The second-year receiver now sits in the top 10 in receptions and just outside the top 10 in yards. We’ll see if the Seahawks can retain this momentum and inch closer to the front seat of the NFC West.
15. San Francisco 49ers (5-5) ↓3
The 49ers are no longer the same intimidating team we once thought. 10 games in, many thought the 49ers would be a Stallworth. Now, the only thing being talked about them is how disappointing they’ve been. Brock Purdy has not majorly helped San Francisco to win games and the injuries are just becoming a tired excuse. The offense isn’t as effective as it used to be, and the defense is falling short in late-game scenarios. To start looking like a credible threat, the 49ers must go on some type of run, maybe even to save their season. To make matters worse, they have a difficult schedule remaining, starting with back-to-back road games against the Packers and Bills.
16. Los Angeles Rams (5-5) ↑1
The Rams did right in a prime bounce-back game against the New England Patriots, taking home a 28-22 road win. Matthew Stafford had another four-touchdown game and the wide receiver duo of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp combined for 229 yards and three touchdowns. The Rams’ offensive line also held their own against a typically good New England defense. Los Angeles has been inconsistent for much of the season, but when healthy, this is a team that has beaten the likes of Minnesota, and Seattle and a team that also hung tough with the Lions in the opening week. Time will tell if the Rams can gain ground and become a solid contender.
17. Atlanta Falcons (6-5) ↓2
It was an abysmal performance all around for the Falcons. Getting laid on 38 points by a rookie quarterback is never a good look. Even though the Falcons have now dropped two games in a row, they still hold a nearly two-game lead in the NFC South. However, to keep that separation they need Kirk Cousins to play up to his level all the time on the field. There’s been way too many instances this season (and career), where Cousins has been the culprit in his team not winning. Thankfully, the Falcons have the bye week to rest up and figure out what is going wrong behind the last stretch of the season.
18. Indianapolis Colts (5-6) ↑2
Anthony Richardson is back in the lineup and man did he have one of the best games in his early career. The former No. 4 overall pick ran in two scores, including a game-winning touchdown, and also threw a touchdown through the air. Richardson showed flashes of what we saw at the University of Florida. His ability to scramble out of the pocket and make magic is what made him so electrifying. Now granted, it was against the Jets, but if Richardson can keep this up, he may never see the bench again and would give Indianapolis the shot in the arm they need to make a playoff push. The Colts have a tough matchup against the Lions coming up.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) ↔
The Bucs had their bye week and with that, comes some positive news. Star wide receiver Mike Evans is practicing again and looks to be on track to play in their week 12 game against the New York Giants. While Tampa Bay may be pushed aside as a quality team, their upcoming schedule ranks as one of the easiest in the league, with two matches against the Panthers, one with the Raiders, the Cowboys, and the aforementioned Giants. There’s still plenty of football left to be played.
20. Miami Dolphins (4-6) ↑1
Similarly to the Bucs, the Dolphins have gotten healthier and have a slight window to make up some ground. The division race is realistically out of reach, but the wild card is still up for grabs. Wins in games they should win is a good way to start, as the Dolphins beat the struggling Raiders 34-19 this past Sunday. Tua Tagovailoa had just about as good of a game as you can ask for and tight end Jonnu Smith exploded with six receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns. The Dolphins head back to Miami for a division clash with the Patriots.
21. Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) ↓5
The Bengals season is perplexing, to say the least. Joe Burrow has been sensational, leading the league in yards and touchdowns. Over the past three games, Burrow has thrown 12 touchdowns with only one interception. In that span though, the Bengals are 1-2 and now sit in a challenging predicament. It’s increasingly more likely that Cincinnati will miss the playoffs, something that realistically shouldn’t be probable thanks to all the talent surrounding them. Things don’t get easier as the Bengals face a must-win situation against the surging Steelers.
22. Chicago Bears (4-6) ↔
For 59 minutes and 57 seconds, the Bears tested the Packers with all they could, even setting themselves up for a game-winning field goal. As mentioned earlier, that was not the case as the Packers blocked Cairo Santos’ kick and stole the win from a desperate Chicago squad. Ever since the Hail Mary loss to the Commanders, the Bears have been a shell of their former selves. Caleb Williams is getting beaten around like a drum, the offense is not moving the ball efficiently and the defense is not good enough to carry a team. Bad news, the Bears final seven games are against teams with at least a .500 record.
23. New Orleans Saints (4-7) ↑3
Understandably, beating the Browns isn’t groundbreaking but it does mark two wins in a row for a team that had lost seven consecutive games prior. But a win’s a win and for a team that also just fired their head coach, they are changing course quite well after weeks and weeks of turmoil. There is talent on this roster. Derek Carr is back and he’s been effective and Marquez Valdes-Scantling has led the team in receiving for back-to-back games. Saints will now enter their bye week.
24. Dallas Cowboys (3-7) ↓1
As anticipated, the Cowboys dropped their fifth home game of the season to the overpowered Texans. The undermanned Cowboys have nothing positive going for them. Cooper Rush tried his damnedest on Monday night, but couldn’t get the job done in the second half. It’s a lost season in Dallas and now the only question is if Mike McCarthy will be losing a job in due time.
25. New York Jets (3-8) ↓1
In a game that was in their hands, the Jets somehow managed to let Richardson and the Colts burst right through their defense in a game-winning drive. To be frank, the Jets season is over, with many even in the locker room just wanting the season to end. It’s been a disaster and Aaron Rodgers is a huge reason why. Father time is undefeated for a reason and it’s finally caught up to Rodgers. Not just on the field, but now off the field as the Jets’ general manager has also been relieved of his duties. As for the Jets fanbase, you finally get a week off from their miserable play, as New York heads into a bye.
26. New England Patriots (3-8) ↓1
Give credit to the Patriots for hanging tough in a lot of games this season. Three wins is a stat that many expected to be their season total, period. They have three going into week 12. First-year head coach Jerod Mayo has done a solid job with this team and even though they aren’t expected to make a jaw-dropping run that lands them in the playoffs, there’s hope for this young team, something that can’t be said for plenty of teams.
27. Cleveland Browns (2-8) ↔
The Browns are just not a good team right now. Whether it’s injuries or lack of stars on offense, they can’t score which you obviously need to win games. Still, though, the Browns are going to have an important role to play down the stretch, with four division games still to come, as well as dates with playoff hopefuls like the Chiefs, Broncos, and Dolphins.
28. Carolina Panthers (3-7) ↔
The Panthers had the week off to prepare for what will be a huge task in pulling off…beating the Chiefs. On the bright side, Bryce Young has been playing well enough since rejoining the lineup, going 2-0 in his past two starts. In order to stun the league with an upset of Kansas City, they have to feed the rock to Chuba Hubbard who continues his star-making campaign.
29. Tennessee Titans (2-8) ↑1
The Titans tried to get over the hump in the second half against the Vikings but couldn’t get the job done, dropping their fifth game in their last six contests. Still, the Titans rank at the top of most defense statistics. Their problem is just offense and not having enough weapons to garner any real hope. That’s an off-season question though for the franchise. In the meantime, a road date with the Texans awaits them.
30. New York Giants (2-8) ↑1
Despite having the week off, the Giants made some noise this week by benching starting quarterback Daniel Jones and replacing him with Tommy DeVito. Deja vu isn’t it? The Giants are a mess and DeVito is not the answer. The Giants must draft a quarterback when the 2025 draft comes around and hopefully, that can solve things as there is legitimate talent on this roster. Or maybe the franchise is just cursed with bad luck. Remain positive though, the season’s almost over.
31. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) ↑1
A 34-19 loss against the Dolphins isn’t the worst thing in the world for a team that has used multiple quarterbacks this season. It’s a transition year for Las Vegas but their effort is admirable. The Raiders have remained relatively competitive for most of their games this season. That’s a plus. It’s also important to once again mention the standout play by rookie Brock Bowers, who added another touchdown along with 126 yards. He now ranks second in catches and tenth in yards.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9) ↓3
Talk about embarrassing. The Jaguars are an unfortunate team to watch. It’s becoming laughable at this point. Jacksonville was blown out by the Lions 52-6. Now yes, Trevor Lawrence wasn’t there. But that’s not an excuse to lose by 46 points, considering Lawrence has not been a major factor in the Jaguars winning anything to begin with this season. There is nowhere else to play Jacksonville than dead last in this week’s power rankings. Doug Pederson‘s job is scorching hot and in all likelihood, his third season at the helm in Duval County may end before the last week is even played. The Jaguars have the week off to lick their wounds, get healthy, and maybe try to look somewhat competitive.
