NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio.
It is a week before Thanksgiving.
We're officially now in the second half of the season, and we are thankful that you were here.
With us for the week eleven already edition of.
The NFL Power Rankings, presented by Energizer. That man on the other side of the screen as Eric Get Home. He does these every week from his home in Chicago. My name is Andrew Siciliano in the studio.
In Los Angeles.
Not a lot of movement Eric at the top of the rankings this week. We had some big names that had the week off and really nothing to juicy here.
Man.
I try to give you something. I can only drop the Jaguars four spots. They stay in the top eight for now. But wait until you get to that bottom twenty four. There's all kinds of movement.
Wait for me to start the show. By the way, there's nothing in interesting here. No, there is something interesting here, I promise, because one and two are playing each other this week. Philadelphia is one coming off the by Kansas City also off a by moving up. The Ravens are moving down, followed by the Lions. At four, the Niners at five, the Dolphins, the Cowboys, and the Jaguars.
One of the reasons there isn't a lot of movement here in.
The top ten, at least in these top eight, is because a lot of those teams had buys. The Jaguars came off thereby they got punched in the mouth by the Niners.
We'll get to that in a second.
But the game of the week, and what a primetime week we have, oh by the way, is Monday night in Arrowhead a rematch eric of the last Super Bowl, maybe a preview of the next Super Bowl.
Will James Bradbury be called for holding.
Yet to be determined? Right, that's the key factor I think.
But yeah, I mean I think a lot of people remember that game and say, Eagles could have won this thing, right, they outplayed the The Chiefs are a big portion of that game. Seem to let things slip away, obviously, And it's fascinating as we talk about kind of the whole league this year and people sort of bemoaning the fact there isn't, you know, that elite group at the top.
There may not be that one superstar team right now, everyone has at least one question but these are two pretty darn good teams and maybe a little different from what we saw in February. I mean, this Chiefs defense has gotten better. I'd argue the Eagles defense has taken a step back at least in terms of covering receivers and giving up pass play. So you know, those could be two huge factors right there, and I think the Chiefs maybe come in with a tiny edge even though the Eagles.
Are a top our rankings this week. How do you see it?
I never thought I would say that maybe this is the week the Chiefs pass game finally gets going with MVP Patrick Mahomes because they're facing the Eagle secondary. But after getting out to the twenty one to nothing lead over the Dolphins at halftime in Germany, that offense Eric kinda went to sleep. As absurd as it sounds, maybe facing the Eagles is what this team needs.
Does that sound silly? It's possible.
No, I don't think so at all. Right, I mean, I think they have.
To gain trust in their receivers, right, it can't just be the Kelsey show. You know, they can't lean too much on one guy as we've seen in the past, So you know, I mean there have been a few teams that have been able to slow Kelsey down, and so you can get Rashi Rice going, if you can get some of those secondary weapons going a little bit, I think that just opens up all kinds of possibilities for them.
All Right, so it's one and two, it's Philadelphia and Kansas City. I'm assuming the winner of this game is number one next week. If it's the Eagles, they clearly hang on to number one at number three right now.
The Baltimore Ravens.
They dropped only one, and a lot of people I pressed you last week, Eric thought that this team was it maybe still is the best team in football through ten weeks, but they could not close out the Browns in one of the games of the year. Cleveland steals one. You're still bullish. I would have to think on the Ravens if they're.
I thought about do I move them down to four? Do I keep them at three? What do I do with them?
And I've had that, you know, the kind of debate all season long.
When teams have these kind of I don't say unexpected losses or shocking losses, but losses that there were games that they were in control of.
Right if the defense.
Stops the Browns one time in the second half, they probably win this game. And really it's come down to there's almost been a pattern history now of the Ravens giving up these kinds of games in the past. Right, the defense can't get off the field, can't get that one stop. You know, Lamar Jackson's passing proficiency in the fourth quarter the last two years, by the way, has been lower in the fourth than in the other any
of the other three quarters. So you know, look, they've a've allowed as almost as many points in the fourth quarter and overtime this season as they have in the previous three combined. So you know, often it comes down to depth, you know, the ability to finish off games.
It's not that one key thing you could point to.
You I'm not sure there's a common denominator between these losses, but you know, Drew Beffert and they haven't been able to do it. So that's kind of their achilles heeal until proven otherwise.
Yeah, they couldn't close out the Steelers below a ten point lead there, they couldn't close out the Colts either, eventually lost that game in overtime. There is a theme, and they also have a huge game coming up this week. I mentioned the great primetime schedule. How about the Bengals and the Ravens to open up Week eleven on Thursday Night Football in Baltimore. Both of these teams are banged up. Cincinnati maybe without its two ends, without Hendrickson and without
Sam Hubbard. Baltimore's got a long list of injuries. The two quarterbacks are gonna play, though, which is significant. Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow. They are good to go. It is a great start to Week eleven. Right behind the Ravens, you have the Lions who came into La well rested and basically got into a punch out, a shootout with Brandon Staley and Justin Herbert and Dan Campbell threw his guts on the able, let's put it that way, and they pulled this thing out.
Nice self editing there, good job. I appreciate it, Yeah, I do.
It was clever.
But I mean, look at this point, everything we've seen from Dan Campbell fourth and two tie game. You know, minute forty five left Chargers, what twenty six yard line? I think that's a green light for him. Right, They're gonna go, And I.
Think a lot of people thought we'll just kick the field goal and play defense.
But if you had seen the Lions defense, which had allowed five straight touchdowns in their previous five drives, I don't think Campbell had that thought anywhere close to his mind. They played it right, got the Chargers to use their final timeout.
Kicked the game winner.
It's a great road victory, you know, gets the Chargers team that you know, at least nominally speaking, is talented. So look, it's probably their worst defensive half of football this season.
Is it a concern? Maybe? Maybe not. I'm not sure. I mean, look, I just this Detroit team.
Obviously, we saw the Baltimore game, you know, a couple of weeks ago, we've seen this one.
They're starting to show some cracks.
But they have an offensive line andrew that completely dominated that came outside a handful of plays. It was really impressive pass blocking and run blocking. That was the engine that made this victory possible.
In my opinion.
The five on that offensive line, as you point out left to right, from Decker to Sool, they were fantastic, had almost a perfect day, and this team found a
way to win again. And if you think, if you open your mind to the opportunity or the possibility rather of the Chiefs beating the Lions, and then I'm sorry, the Chiefs beating the Eagles and the Lions beating the Bears this week, and we could be sitting here next week on Tuesday taping the show Eric and the Lions and Eagles could be sitting there with the same record. Atop the NFC as it stands now, the Lions are number four. Right behind them we find the San Francisco
forty nine Ers. They are our team of the Week, presented by Truest. We asked last week, which of these teams in Jacksonville, the Niners of the Jaguars, is going to come out of thereby looking better? This thing was over early. You throw Chase Young in there, you bring back Deebo and Trent Williams. That battle station is fully operational.
That's a great way to put it right.
And I think we had this bye week to sit there and say, how many things are going wrong with the forty nine ers. Three straight losses start pulling our hair out. Well, whatever boxes they had, they checked them pretty much all. Like you said, pass rush, not just Young and Bosa, but also the interior guys that They were a little more freed up in this game, but Purdy was spectacular, arguably his best performance start to finish.
It really reminded me a lot in.
Terms of how they took over the game so early as that Week one win in Pittsburgh. They went in there that was expected to be a tight contest, maybe low scoring. They dominated from start to finish, really put their foot down earlier, and this could.
Have been a bigger margin.
I guess for the Jaguars, you say, what does this mean for them? But for the forty nine ers, it's really a case of that looked like the team that started the year five and zero and not the one that dropped three straight.
And I cannot emphasize again what kind of a steel Chase Young was. I mean, you give up a compensatory three, which is basically a fourth round pick, and if you lose them in free agency, you get back a compensatory three. In all likelihood, they're getting Chase Young for free. His first snap, he's basically standing up like Miles Garrett was
at middle linebacker. They're playing a five man front. Trevor Lawrence had no idea what to do, and that defense dominated and look, hey, the Niners are back as if they had ever left. Hey, look, the Cowboys are back, you know, one week after us again questioning their late game clock and everything management against the Eagles. They just roll all over the New York Giants. And I'll be honest, Eric, I don't know that I learned.
Anything about the Cowboys this week.
It's almost like, you know, it's an early season SEC school paying some multi directional school from wherever to come in.
And give them a game, and they could play the bench in the second half.
Yeah, I don't I'm with you. I don't know how much we can glean. I think there are a couple of things that came out of this game. One, Cowboys are pretty good at home. That's now twelve straight they won. They've dominated every single opponent they've played in Dallas this year. The question is whether it matters, right, can they win the division and get that home playoff game? That's obviously
their best hope to take advantage of that. Tough games down the stretch too, But you might be able to take something away from what the Cowboys offense did against the Giants defense. There were some times during this season where the Giants defense acquitted itself.
Well, we know they liked the pressure. Dak was terrific.
Ceedee Lamb has been his guy for a while now, but obviously in the last six weeks or so, he's been terrific. But Brandon Cook's development that was the breakout game.
I think they needed.
His confidence, their confidence in him really impressive to see him coming out of the slot and performing the way he did.
I'm a big Tommy DeVito fan Syracuse. Never thought I would see Tommy Vetos starting on the road in Dallas as a rookie NFLT bad form. If only they have let him throw the ball on that fourth and three, down seven to nothing, maybe the momentum would have swung the other way.
We are all Tommy DeVito's dad. Coming up next.
There was a team that six weeks ago we thought might have two top ten picks. That team is now in the top ten in the power rankings.
We reveal that team coming up next.
It's the NFL Power Ranking show for that I Energizer. Nine through sixteen. The Cleveland Browns won in Baltimore. They're up one from ten to nine out. The Houston Texans up five into the top end. The Seahawks at eleven, followed by the Bengals, the Steelers, the Build, the Vikings, and the New Orleans Saints are number sixteen. Eric Aholme puts these rankings together. He as the Browns as a top ten team after beating Eric the team that last week we argued the Ravens could be the best team
in football. They won it with defense, and they won it with a fourteen for fourteen second half performance from Deshaun Watson.
Yeah.
I mean, there's probably got to be what a thousand ways to win a football game. It feels like the Browns are trying to discover every single one of them, right, and how they're doing it.
Is is pretty remarkable.
Right.
Watson was six and.
Twenty with the interception, the pick six early on in the first half, and as you mentioned, perfect in the second half, they had that one long drive that was absolutely crucial, but down twenty four to nine, had to have it. They score the two point conversion, Watson gets in.
There, and they score on their final two as well, and get the takeaway.
On defense, I mean it, you know, it's rarely pretty, it's rarely clean, but this is a tough team. You know that all too well. But sometimes that quotion, that factor, you have to consider it. Maybe it often outweighs yards and things like that, some of the more tangible numbers. But you got to give Watson credit, and you certainly have to give the defense credit after you know, giving up some plays.
Yeah, and let's give the Ravens credit. I know we did that about ten minutes ago. They are still a very good team. But John harbots team could not close, and Kevin Stefanski's team could. They closed against the Niners, they closed against the Colts, they could not close against the Seahawks. But here they beat the Ravens. And there are a lot of ifs here. I'm about to say.
But if the Bengals went on Thursday night and they are Owen thirteen on the road in primetime of late Owen thirteen, consider that, and the Browns beat the Steelers and the Eagles beat the Chiefs. We're sitting here next week with the Browns and the Chiefs with the same record, which is just bonkers. I know, there's a lot of ifs there, So let's just save that, okay until next week. Let's talk about the Houston Texas because they're really, really good.
They're making Power Moves Eric presented by Energizer. The Houston Texans went into Cincinnati with half their roster injured and one again. We talked about the MVP last week for CJ.
Stroud.
He's shown it weekend week out. They are legit. I think they can win this division.
I do too right and look, I mean, as you pointed out through out his MVP's case gets stronger. I think Nick Cassio has to be up there for executive the year. The free agency moves were smart. The draft class is going to be a franchise changer. Demico Ryan's probably in the Coach of the Year discussion for all
the reasons you slaid out all the big wins. Now they may regret the fact that they lost a close one to Atlanta, they lost a close one to Carolina, even the early season loss to the Bolts, but boy, it's hard not to get excited, especially when Nico out Noah Brown steps up and has two big games. The run game struggles early in the year, Devin's singletary comes to life.
They made a change there.
It was a tough one, but he's a better schematic fit, so you know, look, they're really pulling all the strings. Bobby Slowich has really kind of formed this offense around Stroud's powers, and he's making it work without a full cast of of amazing receivers or an incredible offensive line or running backs.
I mean, this is a good group now, but reflectively.
It's not like there are tons of stars and standouts that are making him look better than he is. So impressive all the way around, and to win in that environment, it's the biggest win they've had as a franchise in sometime.
I think they had seventeen explosives against lou Anarumo's defense without all those playmakers you just listed, which is just bonkers. And they get Arizona and Kyler Murray this week, hopefully with a camera above his head the entire time, the Steelers found a way to win again.
They've been out.
Gained in all nine this week, or rather this year, Eric, all nine games.
Get their six and three and your thirteenth team.
They are the team that confounds me on a weekly basis. As I wrote in the power rankings, this week, another game they get out gained, another key.
Defensive injury, another win. Right, It's just like automatic at this point.
I mean, Mike Tomlin, I think has done a really good job. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of this team very well. It is frustrating to see a lack of progress out of that pass game. You never really know what to expect out of pickings on a weekly basis, whoever else is at receiver. They do get Friar Muth back pretty soon here, and the run game was terrific. I don't want to negate that, but you know, the slow starting has obviously put them in some tough spots.
They have a defense that can close out games. In fact, you could argue that five of their six wins this year the Rams game they finished on offense, but the other five they were able to get a key defensive stop somewhere in the last three four minutes of the game, and they got two in this one. So it was a tremendous performance when they had to have it.
But how long can this formulas? How can they make this work time after time? That's the question I keep, you know, being left with, Yeah.
Yep, they're down two middle linebackers. They've lost both green dot guys in consecutive weeks, and they win both of those games with interceptions. In the end zone where the other team had a chance to win if they complete that pass.
Crazy two consecutive games, which is not bonkers.
And then you get to the Buffalo Bills, who had the opposite of luck. Whatever the Steelers have, the Bills do not have right now when it comes to fourth quarter luck because they had that Bonker's loss on Monday night when it looked as if they won, and then they had twelve men on the field, and then Will Lutz had a second shot and they can field goal.
Then they fired Ken Dorsey.
You have them at fourteen, Eric, does that mean you think they're still making the playoffs?
You know it's right on the cusp obviously. I mean record wise, they're still in the race at five and five. But they have a ton of work to do and a ton to fix, right, I think you know you just firing Ken Dorsey is not going to be the magic elixir.
Right.
Maybe Joe Brady brings some innovative ideas and frees up Josh Allen. Maybe they design more runs for him, what have you.
I don't know what the magic formula is, but they've got to find it. And the turnovers are a problem.
Obviously, those two late penalties were a massive thing. One on defense on special teams, and you know that defense was put in an uncomfortable spot being on the field for thirty seven plus minutes I think almost twenty in the second half, constantly being asked to make stops after the offense has quick drives, either a score or a punt. I don't think they've They've gone like three games without consecutive scoring drives the Bills have. So this is not
the same unit we've seen in the past. Some of it's Allen, some of it's play calling, some of its other spots as well. But they have to fix this thing if they want, if they have any designs of making the playoffs.
Right now, I'm not blindly defending Ken Dorsey, but if Gabe Davis catches that ball in the red zone first half and it doesn't get picked by Justin Simmons, does he have a job. If Josh Allen doesn't drop the exchange, does he still.
Have a job.
And hey, I'm all for Joe Brady getting a shot here, but when last we saw him, Colin plays Matt Ruhle fired him in Carolina. He deserves a second shot. Now he is going to get one. Speaking of second shots, I think for Josh Shabbs, it's like his eighteenth shot.
We're so happy for him.
He's now winning with the Minnesota Vikings, and they right now are our future champions.
Presented by Fan Duel.
If the playoffs were to begin right now, we'd all be surprised, but we wouldn't be surprised because the Vikings would be in. Look at these odds for them making the playoffs. They may sneak in as a wild card. They have the longest active winning streak, longest active winning streak eric in the NFL. The Vikings are your fifteenth best team in football.
And coming way up.
Let me tell you right, I mean obviously five in a row, six out of seven, winning three straight games with three different starting quarterbacks Andrew doesn't happen too often in this Because you know, I want to give credit to this defense too. I think it's come a long long way, really since early in the season. Turnovers forced are way up, yards allowed way down. I think Brian
Flora has done a tremendous job. Remember how much we beat up this group, you know, put all the blame on Ed Donotel last year said this was going to be there, Achilles, heel it was. They've taken virtually the same group, or even a lesser talent version of it, and made it very good. But as you said, right now, it's the Dobs story. He's been tremendous. They get Justin Jefferson back soon. I can't wait to see what this.
Team can be. Can they pull an up set? Can they get in the playoffs? First of all?
But can they pull an up set if they do get there? I mean, boy, everything seems in front of him. It's such a strange departure from last year when they were favorites at thirteen and four.
Despite the strange point differential. I don't know. This is the funniest team in football.
To me, I can't figure him out, but I do enjoy watching them the play lately.
I am happy for Josh Tobbs truly. I just don't know how long this is sustainable. But who am I to say that he and they can't keep winning. They are undefeated without Justin Jefferson. Go ahead, I mean say that again out loud. They are undefeated without Justin Jefferson, and he's due back soon. They're the fifteenth team right now, in the brand new Week eleven Power Rankings coming up next Here on the show, the Broncos one on Monday Night.
What does that mean for their ranking as they get ready for Josh Dobbs and the Vikings coming up on Sunday night. That's naxt, You're watching the NFL Power Ranking Show presented by Energizer. The countdown continues with the Indianapolis Colts up two to seventeen.
The Chargers drop two.
They do everything in two's win to in a row, lose to in a row, so on and so forth, followed by the Bucks, the Broncos, the Raiders are at twenty one, Jets, the Commanders, and the Atlanta Falcons. All right, let's talk about the Denver Broncos here, Eric, they are sitting at number twenty. Don't look now, they've won three in a row. They won in Buffalo. What if they beat the Vikings on Sunday Night football? They're a five and five team.
I mean, not too long ago we looked at this game and kind of maybe rolled our eyes or grown. But now it's all of a sudden, a fascinating matchup. The Broncos have played great.
The Vikings are incredibly hot.
It's gonna, really, I think, come down to Josh Dobbs in that offense against.
What Denver's defense has been able to do.
I know they gave up a ton of rush yards last night, but you could see the improvement forget Miami, right really since that Kansas City game is when they've started kind of turning the corner. Thought Russ played a really nice game, but the defense forcing four turnovers really was the key, I think.
And so you know, look, we killed Vance Joseph early in the year.
We've got to give him credit for the improvements they've made on that side of the ball.
I think defense they gave up seventy in September to the Miami Dolphins is the defense that seem to be the final straw with a Josh Allen offense to lead to an O seed change in Buffalo winning wild season. Here, as the Denver Broncos are sitting at number twenty, let's see the rest of the rankings if we could. Heading into week number eleven, the Titans are down three, the Packers are down three. They're a twenty five and twenty six. The Rams, the Bears, the Cardinals, the Patriots, the Giants
of the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals are fascinating, Eric. They now have two wins. They go to Houston this week. I could see them winning that one. Are they gonna mess up the hole we want to pick number one thing?
Yeah?
I think so.
And at this point, look, I'm alright with it.
Right.
You have to get the quarterback position right.
And you have to use these final games, which I think they're gonna win some of them, as you pointed out, I don't know about Houston, but some of the other ones, Yes, But getting the answer on Kyler Murray is the most important part. Times he was spectacular Sunday. Third down could have been better. Still, some ross, some stuff to clean up, but I don't know. You could have asked for much more out of him in his first outing. Back showed the legs, showed.
The arm won the game in the end.
So to me, figuring that position out and knowing or not knowing that Kyler Murray is your guy going forward is more important than two or three draft slots or whatever it ends up being.
So I'm fine with it.
I hope they go all out. I hope we see the best of Kyler Murray down the stretch.
It'd be fun. It'll change the arc of their season.
Just think about it. In August, we thought, because remember they have the Texans pick, They're.
Going to be picking one in next year.
Now, they may win a couple of games, fall out of the top ten. Houston may win the AFC South. They may not be picking one and two. They might be picking like ten and seventeen, which nobody could have seen. That's Eric Hhall and Andrews Siciliano enjoy Week eleven. Every one, thanks for watching the NFL Power Ranking show.
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