NFL Power Rankings - Week 11: Every team's reason for hope
NFL Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's football editors.
This week, we're looking at reasons for every team to be hopeful.
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1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0)
Previous rank: 1
Isiah Pacheco is nearing a return. Kansas City is 21st in rushing yards per game, and Pacheco can help take the offense to another level.
2. Detroit Lions (8-1)
Previous rank: 2
The Lions can win ugly. Detroit battled through turnovers and an inefficient rushing performance to pick up its eighth win of the season against the Texans.
3. Baltimore Ravens (7-3)
Previous rank: 3
Lamar Jackson is the MVP of the league through 10 weeks. He's playing the best football of his career, and the Ravens' offense ranks first in EPA/play and success rate.
4. Buffalo Bills (8-2)
Previous rank: 4
Matt Milano's 21-day practice window was opened Monday. The veteran will help stabilize the linebacker position and raise the ceiling of a defense that's played well heading into Week 11.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2)
Previous rank: 6
Philly's young corners are playing well. Rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean haven't allowed a touchdown in coverage this season.
6. Minnesota Vikings (7-2)
Previous rank: 5
T.J. Hockenson is back. The tight end already has over half as many receiving yards (99) in two games as Josh Oliver (182) has in nine.
7. Green Bay Packers (6-3)
Previous rank: 7
Jayden Reed's emergence. The 2023 second-rounder is averaging 17.2 yards per reception and 68.9 yards per game after averaging 12.4 and 49.6, respectively, as a rookie.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2)
Previous rank: 11
Russell Wilson has played at a high level since taking over as the starting quarterback. Wilson ranks sixth in EPA/play among 39 signal-callers who've played at least 100 snaps this season.
9. Washington Commanders (7-3)
Previous rank: 8
Marshon Lattimore's pending debut. Adding a four-time Pro Bowler to the roster will only help down the stretch.
10. Houston Texans (6-4)
Previous rank: 10
Nico Collins is set to return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for five games. He was leading the league in receiving yards before suffering the ailment.
11. Arizona Cardinals (6-4)
Previous rank: 12
Winning is becoming a habit. Only the Chiefs (nine), Lions (seven), Bills (five), and Eagles (five) have longer active winning streaks than the Cardinals (four).
12. San Francisco 49ers (5-4)
Previous rank: 13
Christian McCaffrey tallied over 100 scrimmage yards in his return from injury. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year averaged 5.6 yards per touch in his season debut.
13. Atlanta Falcons (6-4)
Previous rank: 9
Kirk Cousins can lead late wins. The free-agent acquisition's three fourth-quarter comebacks pace the league.
14. Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)
Previous rank: 15
Jim Harbaugh has the Chargers in a playoff spot in his first year as head coach. Los Angeles is finding success before the new head boss can make significant roster changes.
15. Los Angeles Rams (4-5)
Previous rank: 14
Jared Verse is the Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite. The first-round edge rusher has 4.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery to lead the chase for the top defensive rookie.
16. Denver Broncos (5-5)
Previous rank: 16
Denver is competing earlier than expected. Sean Payton has this team playing competitive football in Bo Nix's first year as a starter.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)
Previous rank: 17
Mike Evans hopes to return after the team's Week 11 bye. Baker Mayfield will appreciate having Evans back on the field as the Bucs get ready for a soft remaining schedule.
18. Seattle Seahawks (4-5)
Previous rank: 18
The NFC West crown is still within reach. Seattle is only a few games back of the division-leading Arizona Cardinals despite sitting last in the division.
19. Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)
Previous rank: 20
Joe Burrow is playing at an All-Pro level. He leads the league in completions, passing yards, and touchdowns heading into Week 11.
20. Miami Dolphins (3-6)
Previous rank: 23
Miami has the third-easiest schedule remaining in the NFL based on opponent win percentage. The Dolphins are only two games back of the Broncos, who currently own the seventh seed in the AFC.
21. New York Jets (3-7)
Previous rank: 19
Garrett Wilson is fourth in receiving yards. If the Rodgers-Adams era doesn't work out, the Jets have a stud receiver for the next quarterback to work with.
22. New England Patriots (3-7)
Previous rank: 27
New England's offense has looked much better with Drake Maye over the last few weeks. The 2024 third overall pick looks like he'll be the signal-caller of the future.
23. Chicago Bears (4-5)
Previous rank: 21
Offensive changes appear imminent. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is likely to be fired after head coach Matt Eberflus vowed to make changes.
Editor's note: Waldron was fired Tuesday morning after this article was published.
24. Indianapolis Colts (4-6)
Previous rank: 22
Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, and Adonai Mitchell look to be a solid wide receiver trio for the future. Whoever is the starting quarterback for the Colts next season will have weapons at his disposal.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8)
Previous rank: 26
Jacksonville will likely fire Doug Pederson after another disappointing season. With the quarterback and other talented offensive players already in place, Jaguars fans can hope a new head coach will turn their fortunes around.
26. Dallas Cowboys (3-6)
Previous rank: 24
Jerry Jones could finally make changes. The Cowboys owner did nothing to improve the team last offseason after claiming to be "all-in" on 2024. A season like this should force his hand.
27. Carolina Panthers (3-7)
Previous rank: 30
Bryce Young has won some games. The Panthers have recorded back-to-back victories for the first time since the beginning of the 2021 campaign with Young under center.
28. New Orleans Saints (3-7)
Previous rank: 32
The Marshon Lattimore trade. It'll be a long and painful process, but the Saints appear to have accepted that it's time to start recovering from continually trying (and failing) to extend a competitive window.
29. New York Giants (2-8)
Previous rank: 25
The Daniel Jones era is likely nearing its conclusion. Giants fans can look forward to starting over at the game's most important position, potentially as soon as New York's next game.
30. Cleveland Browns (2-7)
Previous rank: 28
The Deshaun Watson era is likely over. That albatross of a contract remains, but the Browns will likely look to go in a different direction at quarterback next season with an early first-round pick.
31. Tennessee Titans (2-7)
Previous rank: 29
Tennessee would have the third overall pick in the 2025 draft if the season ended today. The organization can select a new quarterback after the Will Levis experiment, which is trending toward being a failure.
32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7)
Previous rank: 31
Las Vegas is in prime position to select one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 draft. A new offensive coordinator with a young, talented signal-caller could help propel this organization to relevancy.