POWER RANKINGS
Week 11 saw plenty of rookie quarterbacks making news. Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa got benched, LA’s Justin Herbert continued to shine, while Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow had his season end after suffering a torn ACL and MCL.
The unbeaten Steelers had an easy time with the Jaguars, while the Chiefs avoided being swept by the Raiders in a terrific Sunday night game.
Five top-ten teams (Packers, Buccaneers, Ravens, Cardinals, Raiders) were beaten, prompting some movement in the top ten.
As for the Patriots, what little postseason hopes they had were extinguished by the Texans. Not a good showing for Bill Belichick’s team.
Here’s our NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 12.
1.
Steelers (10-0): They were able to coast against the Jaguars, which should bode well for their Thanksgiving showdown with the Ravens.
2.
Chiefs (9-1): There was 1:43 left on the clock, 75 yards to go. A field goal would tie the game. A touchdown would win it. Was there really any doubt what Patrick Mahomes was going to do in that situation against the Raiders?
3.
Saints (8-2): A possible glimpse into the future? Taysom Hill, the surprise starter in place of the injured Drew Brees, didn’t disappoint in his first NFL start. Sean Payton’s pet project merely stoked the Brees successor talk.
4.
Rams (7-3): Impressive stat of the week — Sean McVay’s team is now 32-0 after being up at halftime. They merely added the Bucs to the list.
5.
Packers (7-3): Four turnovers isn’t going to cut it against a good team like the Colts. It might not even cut it against bad teams.
6.
Bills (7-3): They return from a bye with a much better outlook. The Dolphins lost, giving them some breathing room in the AFC East, and they have the best possible opponent on deck — the winless Jets.
7.
Colts (7-3): Their defense has been getting all the press clippings. But Philip Rivers has to be doing something right. The Colts have scored 30 or more points in four of their last five games.
8.
Seahawks (7-3): Amazing what Russell Wilson can do if he has a semblance of a running game. He got that against the Cardinals and ditched the turnoveritis (4 interceptions) that had gripped him the previous two games.
9.
Buccaneers (7-4): Tom Brady used to thrive in primetime games. Not so much with Tampa in 2020. Even night time practices during the week didn’t change the narrative.
10.
Titans (7-3): They have the ultimate ace up their sleeve with Derrick Henry. They can outmuscle and outphysical any team behind his outrageous power. The Ravens have no answer, that’s for sure.
11.
Ravens (6-4): Look out below. The Ravens have lost sight of first place in the division, and for now, the playoffs. They dropped to third place in the AFC North, and slipped down into the AFC’s eighth seed, which won’t make the postseason.
12.
Cardinals (6-4): They had some extra time to lick their wounds after getting popped in Seattle and losing pace in the NFC West.
13.
Raiders (6-4):
Their first mistake came weeks ago taking a victory lap at Arrowhead Stadium. Their second mistake was leaving Patrick Mahomes time on the clock after taking a lead with less than two minutes to go.
14.
Browns (7-3):
Will they be able to snap the NFL’s longest playoff drought? Beating the Eagles gets them a step closer. Ugly football is getting the job done.
15.
Dolphins (6-4):
Vic Fangio’s Broncos defense knocked around Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched by Brian Flores. Next up? Testing Tua’s ability to bounce back.
16.
Vikings (4-6):
The offense continues to roll, but the defense continues to hold them back as their playoff chances take a hit.
17.
49ers (4-6):
After a much-needed bye week, they’re hopeful to get some of their host of injured players back for Week 12. Cornerback Richard Sherman, running backs Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert and receiver Deebo Samuel could return.
18.
Patriots (4-6):
Earth to Josh McDaniels: Cam Newton is now 0-10 in the last 10 games he’s thrown 40 or more passes.
19.
Panthers (4-7):
Not bad when P.J. Walker, a former XFL quarterback, can outduel Matthew Stafford for the win.
20.
Broncos (4-6):
Ground and pound with Phillip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon worked quite well against the Dolphins.
21.
Chargers (3-7):
The only reason to tune in to the Chargers is to see Justin Herbert, who continues to play lights out at quarterback. He lit up the Jets for 366 yards with three touchdowns.
22.
Bears (5-5):
They had a bye week to try and figure out their quarterback situation. But no matter who they choose really won’t make a difference. Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky aren’t getting the job done.
23.
Eagles (3-6-1):
They lose, look terrible once again, and stay in first place in the NFC East with three wins. Talk about a charmed existence.
24.
Falcons (3-7):
They thought they could make a playoff push, but those were pretty much buried under Matt Ryan, who was sacked eight times by the Saints. Time to stick a fork in the Falcons, who have one of the toughest remaining schedules down the stretch.
25.
Lions (4-6):
They faced a team that had lost five straight, was playing without their starting quarterback and top running back. And, they still got smoked by the Panthers. Beyond embarrassing.
26.
Giants (3-7):
Now that Joe Judge and Marc Columbo have been ushered into their separate corners, the Giants can get back to trying to be the best of the terrible teams in the NFC East.
27.
Texans
(3-7): They may only have three wins. But most teams would rather avoid having to face the Deshaun Watson, who ripped apart the Patriots secondary.
28.
Washington
(3-7): Nice to see Alex Smith play, and now, win. He secured his first victory since suffering a devastating leg injury two years ago.
29.
Cowboys
(3-7): They have a paltry three wins and Ezekiel Elliott said the Cowboys were “right where we need to be.” Sad, but true, as the Cowboys have the same number of wins as the woeful division-leading Eagles.
30.
Bengals (2-7-1):
Hard to find a silver lining with rookie Joe Burrow being out for the rest of 2020 and perhaps beyond with a major knee injury.
31.
Jaguars (1-9):
The Jake Luton bubble burst in a big way. The rookie was woeful against the Steelers, throwing four picks. Luton Lunacy just got grounded.
32.
Jets (0-10):
They’re now mathematically eliminated, and it’s gotten so bad even the few fans in the stadium are pleading with the Jets to tank for Trevor Lawrence.