JOHN McCLAIN’S
NFL POWER RANKINGS
New Orleans 9-1 (last week’s ranking: 1):
After bombarding Philadelphia 48-7, the Saints have a nine-game winning streak.
L.A. Rams 10-1 (2):
The Rams defeated Kansas City 54-51 in the highest-scoring Monday night game in history. They are off this week.
Kansas City 9-2 (2):
Even though Patrick Mahomes threw six TD passes, the Chiefs lost to the Rams in what could be a Super Bowl preview.
Pittsburgh 7-2-1 (5):
They escaped Jacksonville with a six-game winning streak and have a comfortable lead in the AFC North.
New England 7-3 (6):
The Patriots are coming off their off week after their six-game winning streak ended at Tennessee.
Chicago 7-3 (7):
The Bears dominated Minnesota on Sunday night. They lead the Vikings by 1½ games in the NFC North.
Houston 7-3 (9):
The Texans have a seven-game winning streak entering their Monday night game at home against Tennessee.
L.A. Chargers 7-3 (4):
Even though they lost at home to Denver, the Chargers still have the inside track to the first wild-card berth.
Indianapolis 5-5 (14):
If the Colts win at home against Miami, they’ll have a five-game winning streak after beginning the season 1-5.
Dallas 5-5 (15):
The Cowboys have won road games over Philadelphia and Atlanta. A win over Washington will tie them for first place.
Minnesota 5-4-1 (8):
The Vikings lost at Chicago, and Kirk Cousins has failed to ignite the offense. They can’t afford to lose to Green Bay.
Carolina 6-4 (10):
The Panthers were one game behind New Orleans until they lost their last two to Pittsburgh and Detroit.
Seattle 5-5 (18):
After defeating Green Bay, the Seahawks are trying to win a wild-card spot. They visit Carolina, another wild-card contender.
Washington 6-4 (11):
QB Colt McCoy replaces the injured Alex Smith. His first start is a crucial assignment at Dallas on Thanksgiving.
Tennessee 5-5 (12):
One week after blasting New England by 24, they lost at Indianapolis by 28.
Green Bay 4-5-1 (13):
The Packers play at Minnesota in an NFC North game that’s important for both teams.
Baltimore 5-5 (20):
With rookie Lamar Jackson starting at quarterback, the Ravens beat the Bengals to end their three-game losing streak.
Miami 5-5 (17):
The Dolphins entered their off week with two consecutive defeats. They return to play the white-hot Colts in Indianapolis.
Denver 4-6 (23):
The Broncos had lost six of seven when they went to Los Angeles to play the Chargers. They escaped with a one-point victory.
Detroit 4-6 (24):
Just when fans were ready to write them off after a three-game losing streak, the Lions beat Carolina by a point.
Atlanta 4-6 (21):
The Falcons were on a roll with a three-game winning streak before losing to Cleveland and Dallas.
Cincinnati 5-5 (16):
The Bengals have lost three of four games. They’ve allowed the second-most points in the NFL.
Cleveland 3-6-1 (22):
The Browns are coming off their off week. They return at Cincinnati. They have a chance to go 2-1 under Gregg Williams.
Philadelphia 4-6 (19):
The defending Super Bowl champions lost at home to Dallas and were blown out at New Orleans.
N.Y. Giants 3-7 (28):
The NFC East is so bad the Giants are talking about winning the division after wins over San Francisco and Tampa Bay.
Jacksonville 3-7 (26):
The Jaguars take a sixgame losing streak to Buffalo after blowing what could have been a victory over Pittsburgh.
Buffalo 3-7 (27):
The Bills had the weekend off after their remarkable victory over the Jets behind Matt Barkley.
Tampa Bay 3-7 (25):
Jameis Winston is back in place of Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bucs have surrendered more points than any team in the NFL.
N.Y. Jets 3-7 (29):
After suffering their embarrassing home loss to Buffalo, the Jets had their off week. Rest won’t help against New England.
San Francisco 2-8 (31):
After suffering a home loss to the Giants, the 49ers had the weekend off to lick their wounds.
Oakland 2-8 (32):
The Raiders broke their fivegame losing streak by winning a two-point game at Arizona.
Arizona 2-8 (30):