NFL Week 11 power rankings

Week 10 provided two of the best games of the season. First the Cowboys shocked the Steelers with a touchdown in the final seconds after both teams exchanged blows in the fourth quarter. The Sunday primetime encore to that game was equally exciting, with the Seahawks holding off the Patriots with a goal line stand.

As a result, the power rankings shifted at the top a bit, particularly after Atlanta’s disappointing loss to the Eagles and the Vikings’ continued tailspin. The biggest change came at No. 1, where a new team holds that top ranking.

Here are the power rankings heading into Week 11.

After six weeks, it was hard to imagine the Browns going winless. Now 10 weeks in, it’s a very real possibility they go 0-16 and lock up the top overall pick in the draft. At this point, winning games isn’t nearly as important as figuring out the quarterback situation, so losing might not be the worst idea.

The Jaguars held Brock Osweiler to 99 passing yards … and still lost. That shows just how bad the offense is. Blake Bortles threw for just 265 yards on 49 attempts as he continues to regress. His stat line looks better than it really was thanks to the fact that his second interception off the foot of T.J. Yeldon was ruled a fumble. The Jaguars need to seriously think about whether he’s their future at quarterback.

Get this: Colin Kaepernick actually played well for the second straight week. It wasn’t enough to earn San Francisco the win, but he’s proving Chip Kelly right for making him the starting quarterback. Sadly, the 49ers have an abundance of needs on both sides of the ball, beginning with the receiving corps and front seven.

After putting on a show against the Vikings, Jay Cutler regressed to his mistake-prone ways against one of the worst defenses in football. He turned it over four times as the Bears were blown out by Tampa Bay. Now Alshon Jeffery is suspended, Kyle Long is hurt and Jordan Howard is dealing with a potential Achilles' injury. Things are about to get much, much worse for Chicago.

Jameis Winston made one of the best plays of the season when he retreated 25 yards back into his own end zone, only to heave it downfield for a first down. The Buccaneers took advantage of a depleted Bears team and bullied them offensively. But beating Chicago isn’t an accomplishment unless you’re playing baseball.

Playing Bryce Petty for the remainder of the season might be New York’s best option. Not because he gives the Jets hope to make the playoffs – those dreams are long gone – but because he might just be their starter next season whether they like it or not. He wasn’t great against the Rams, but, hey, he didn’t throw six interceptions, either.

The Bengals aren’t all that different from the Giants: star receiver, turnover-prone quarterback, underachieving pass rush. The Bengals don't finish games the way the Giants do, though. The offense flat-lined late in Monday's game, and the defense couldn’t contain Odell Beckham Jr. when it mattered most. Their season is close to being over as it’ll take a division title for them to make the postseason.

The Rams beat the Jets after traveling across the country, but even with the long distance and time change, it wasn’t an impressive win by any means. Jets QB Bryce Petty was making his first career start yet Los Angeles barely outscored him, 9-6.

Cam Newton giftwrapped a pick-six for Eric Berry a month before Christmas. His decision-making has been shaky at times, and it’s one reason the Panthers blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter to the Chiefs. They’re not out of it yet, but time is running out on their season.

The Colts have alternated wins and losses every week since starting 0-2. Coming off of a victory over the Packers at Lambeau, their bye couldn’t have come at a worse time as it killed their momentum. They’ll look to finally win back-to-back games this weekend against the Titans.

The Bills entered their bye week following three straight losses, dropping their record to 4-5. The offense is patiently awaiting Sammy Watkins’ return, but that’s not certain to happen any time soon. Until he comes back, they’ll need to continue with Robert Woods as their top target.

You won’t see a bigger heartbreak this season than the Saints losing a game on a blocked PAT return. They were an extra point away from a one-point lead with under two minutes to play against the Broncos, but it was snatched from their grasp in shocking fashion. On the bright side, the Falcons also lost and looked a bit vulnerable at the top of the NFC South. There’s still hope for New Orleans.

Philip Rivers began the year playing like a Pro Bowler, but he’s thrown seven interceptions in his past three games and cost the Chargers a win on Sunday. A team riddled with injuries can’t afford to have its best offensive player perform the way he has in recent weeks.

Marcus Mariota outplayed Aaron Rodgers and put on a stellar performance in Tennessee’s win over the Packers. The Titans are surging in the AFC South, which has no real dominant force in it. Seeing the Titans overtake the Texans in the division wouldn’t be a surprise given the way their respective quarterbacks are playing.

The Steelers aren’t as undisciplined and inconsistent as the Bengals, but they’re getting close. Facemasks, late hits and a lack of awareness on defense cost the Steelers a crucial win over the Cowboys and sunk their playoff hopes a bit. If they want to make it to the postseason, they’ll need to win the division because the wild card will likely come down to two AFC West teams.

The Ravens looked shaky in the first half against the Browns, but they turned on the jets after halftime to blow out Cleveland. The running game is still a trouble spot that needs to be addressed, but at least they’re in first place in the division.

Don’t look now, but the Dolphins are 5-4 after winning four straight. Their schedule is mostly favorable in the coming weeks, which could vault them squarely into the playoff race. If Ryan Tannehill continues to play the way he has (zero interceptions in four games), the Dolphins will be a team no one wants to play.

The Cardinals allowed the lowly 49ers to stick around on Sunday, which is not a good sign for their chances of going anywhere in the future. It’s baffling to see an offense so talented struggle the way Arizona’s has, but feeding David Johnson the ball remains a must for the Cardinals.

The Packers, like the Vikings, are a bit of a mess. Aaron Rodgers is pointing fingers, Mike McCarthy is getting defensive and nothing seems to fix the offense – not even the return of running back James Starks. Making the playoffs isn’t a certainty as it’s been in years past, and that’s shocking for the Packers. Their schedule doesn’t get any easier going forward.

The Vikings are officially in a freefall as they’ve now lost four straight and look lethargic on offense. Even the defense has been underwhelming in recent weeks. The Vikings have to get back on track if they hope to make the playoffs. They need production out of someone not named Stefon Diggs.

Carson Wentz has become reliant on the checkdown (10 of 25 completions to running backs), but he got the job done against the Falcons. If the Eagles are going to make the playoffs, they’ll need Wentz to make more throws downfield and utilize his wide receivers more than he has (eight receptions on Sunday). The defense, on the other hand, has been outstanding.

The Redskins contributed to the Vikings’ tailspin on Sunday, laying 26 points on Minnesota’s once-elite defense. They’ve kept pace with the rest of the NFC East (outside of Dallas) behind Kirk Cousins’ recent hot streak. Rob Kelley has provided a spark at running back and helped to balance out the offense.

The Texans won Sunday’s game against the Jaguars with Brock Osweiler throwing for only 99 yards. They’ve been fortunate to have an easy schedule in a soft division, which is part of the reason they’re 6-3. Given their record, it’s hard to not give them some credit, though.

The Lions didn’t get a win Sunday (because they were off), but they were huge bye-week beneficiaries. Every team in the NFC North lost, bumping them into first place in the division.

The Giants are among the hottest teams in the NFL having won four in a row. Their recent run has kept the NFC East race tight -- even the 8-1 Cowboys are just two games up in the division. The Giants are getting better each week on both offense and defense with the rushing attack coming to life a bit on Monday night.

The Falcons lost their third game in the past five weeks Sunday, dropping their record to 6-4. Not having Tevin Coleman hurt the offense a bit, but the Eagles put together a perfect game plan for limiting Atlanta. Pass-rushing defensive tackles can get pressure on Matt Ryan up the middle and throw off his rhythm. The Falcons still boast one of the most explosive offenses in the league, but adjustments need to be made.

Trevor Siemian was shaky once again, but his struggles were bailed out by the Broncos’ miraculous blocked extra point in the final minutes to seal an unlikely victory against New Orleans. Denver probably loses that game if the PAT isn’t blocked as it would have put the Saints up one with 1:22 remaining. I don’t trust Siemian to lead the Broncos to victory in that situation, but that’s moot. They got the win and moved to 7-3.

The Raiders got no help from the division during their bye week as both the Chiefs and Broncos won in dramatic fashion Sunday. Despite that fact, the Raiders are still in great position in the AFC West.

The Chiefs have won 17 of their last 19 regular-season games dating back to last year. They’re the most underrated team in the league and can win in multiple ways – namely on defense. The Chiefs are currently the top team in the AFC West, but with the Raiders and Broncos close behind, that’s likely to change from week to week. Right now, Kansas City is one of the five best teams in the NFL.

The Patriots have a better record than the Seahawks, but it's hard to say they're better than Seattle right now. If not for inexplicably conservative play-calling at the end of Sunday's game, the Patriots likely take that game to overtime and have a good shot at winning. That’s not to say it wasn’t an impressive victory for the Seahawks. It was, especially on a short week traveling across the country. If the Seahawks are 2, the Patriots are 2A -- it's that close.

Seattle marched into Foxborough and beat the Patriots at home, where they rarely lose when Tom Brady plays. It was one of the most impressive victories of the season, and it was just enough to move them past the always-consistent Patriots. At 6-2-1, the Seahawks are just slightly behind New England record-wise, but they proved to be the better team Sunday. As long as Russell Wilson remains healthy and the running backs continue to play well as a group, Seattle will remain near the top.

There’s nothing left to be said other than the Cowboys are the best team in the league right now. They’ve won eight straight and beaten teams like the Packers, Eagles and Steelers in recent weeks. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are playing like MVP candidates, and the offensive line isn’t letting any defender get near them. Sunday’s game showed that the loss of Barry Church and Morris Claiborne hurts, but Dallas has the depth to overcome those injuries.