Power Rankings, Week 11

[BwareDWare94 723]

1. Patriots (9-0)

A sub-par Giants squad nearly stole this game from Brady and crew, so I expect this to be the worst game New England will play all year. Now, somebody has to pick them off unexpectedly, and with the loss of Edelman and Dion Lewis these past two weeks, I wonder if Buffalo is ready to pull off the upset of the millennium, so far. Buffalo Never wins in New England, so expect the Pats to be back at #1 next week.

2. Panthers (9-0)

I'm hesitant to do this, but Cam Newton is essentially getting 16 games to gel with his targets thanks to a dominant defense. I wonder how the Panthers WRs will fare come playoff time, but having an elite dual threat quarterback will help. The Panthers aren't necessary rolling every week, but learning how to grind out wins is invaluable.

3. Bengals (8-1)

What can I say, I just don't think Monday Night's game is going to carry over, this year. Maybe Dalton will continue to fold in prime time. Maybe he'll throw picks galore against Arizona this Sunday. We shall find out. The Bengals still have a damn nice defense, and Dalton simply can't suck with all of these weapons at his disposal. They're all healthy--if he continues to fold, the Bengals simply HAVE To move on from him.

4. Cardinals (7-2)

This was a dogfight between Arizona and Minnesota, but I will always lean toward the team that's more likely to be explosive on offense. Minnesota's defense is clearly better, but on any given Sunday, they can struggle to move the ball. Arizona shouldn't have to worry about that, moving forward. It sure is great to see Michael Floyd rising up.

5. Vikings (7-2)

Derek Carr who? Meet Terence Newman, young fella. The Vikings defense continues to shine in ways it hasn't in years, decades maybe. The Zfense is a lot of fun to watch--Harrison Smith and Anthony Barr are in constant headhunt mode, and Eric Kendricks, once he returns, adds one more devastatingly fast player behind the DLine for Minnesota. The offense is still a work in progress, but Stefon Diggs has emerged as the cog that turns everything. Adrian Peterson might be running the ball well, but it's Diggs who shows up when a completion is needed. Minnesota is also targeting rookie tight end MyCole Pruitt more, of late, so watch out for this kid from Southern Illinois as he takes over for the inconsistent and frustrating Kyle Rudolph.

6. Steelers (6-4)

Who knew Ben would be able to play so soon after his injury? Perhaps the turning of Landry Jones' ankle was a blessing in disguise for the Steelers, because it forced Ben to stay comfortable out there so he isn't rusty come the next game. The defense has its bad days, but overall I'd say it's better than expected, and with an offense that can drop 40 on any given Sunday, the Steelers are perhaps the most interesting team in the league, this year.

7. Packers (6-3)

The Packers are reeling as defenses have figured out how lost they are without Jordy Nelson. Eddie Lacy can't get going, and James Starks has never been the answer at #1 on the depth chart. The Packers simply don't know what they're going to get from their skill players each and every week, and perhaps Rodgers should focus on continuing the development of DaVante Adams above all else. Nobody has stepped into Jordy's role, so perhaps it's time to adjust the offense a bit, but when has Mike McCarthy ever swallowed his pride and changed things up? Boy, it sure is crazy to think about how many offensive deficiencies can be hidden by an elite QB/WR combo. You take one away, and you've got this current 3 game losing streak for Green Bay, or Dallas' unexpected 7 game pants-pissing. Wow.

8. Broncos (7-2)

We know the defense is great--let's see if Lurch can keep them afloat.

9. Bills (5-4)

They're starting to get healthy on offense, so now we'll get to see if that turns the tide at all. I'm not sold on this team going 5-1 on the way out if they lose to New England this week, so I think you can call this game in New England a must-win. Good luck, Buffalo. As of right now, the sheer mediocrity of the league has Buffalo sitting pretty in the rankings. We'll have to see how far they rise or fall depending on the outcome of this week's game.

10. Giants (5-5)

It's hard to believe that this team isn't something like 3-7 but Eli Manning is playing like a man ready to re-write the end of his career. He's older, and we thought we'd seen the last of his greatness after several turnover-plagued seasons, but I think it's safe to say that Eli Manning has re-established himself as one of the better quarterbacks in the league this season, and because of that this injury riddled Giants roster is hanging on by short and curlies.

11. Falcons (6-3)

I've been a little hard on the dirty birds in recent rankings, even if I have been justified. Nevertheless, 6 wins is good so far this season, but don't be surprised if this team continues to drop 'em. Matt Ryan looked great to start the year, but has since revealed himself to be a quarterback dependent on great pieces around him. Teams are loading up on Julio Jones, and the Falcons are suffering because of it. Could it have killed the FO to go find a TE in the offseason? A safety blanket would do this offense wonders.

12. Texans (4-5)

An impressive win against Cincinnati and an excuse to bench Brian Hoyer has the Texans climbing the ranks pretty drastically from last time around. Unfortunately for them, they're only here for 2 reasons: 1. Andrew Luck's kidney and 2. The league is mired in mediocrity, this season. I hope they can continue to win and keep that Stanford gomer out of the playoffs so we don't have to hear about his "greatness" all through January.

13. Jets (5-4)

What the hell is going on with this squad? The secondary is getting torched--it's time to bench Antonio "9 kids, 8 mamas" Cromartie in favor of younger corners who are playing far superior ball. If they can right the ship defensively, they'll continue to compete. If they don't, it'll become glaringly obvious that Ryan Fitzpatrick is their quarterback because the turnovers will pile up.

14. Bears (4-5)

Just when you think these Bears are dead in the water, they march into St. Louis and lay a beatdown on the Rams, even managing to control Todd Gurley while they're at it. They might not be playoff material, but Chicago has the potential to ruin some playoff hopes down the road. Don't be surprised if this team daggers Minnesota or Green Bay later in the season.

15. Rams (4-5)

They're still breathing, but just barely so. Nick Foles being benched does not help their cause, because while he was terrible this past Sunday, he's always had games like that sprinkled in to otherwise mostly solid, turnover-free play. You can't convince me that Case Keenum gives them a better chance to win, and benching Foles may backfire and cause them to lose to a hapless Ravens squad this week.

16. Colts (4-5)

Can a 40 year old QB continue his magical play after sitting out for a few weeks? We shall find out as the Colts move into December. Here's to hoping he sucks so we can have a playoff season free of Andrew Luck knob-slobbering from the media.

17. Redskins (4-5)

I can't believe I'm putting them here, but a stomping of the Saints bodes well for a team that is trying to claw its way out of a hole. I still don't believe in Kirk Cousins, and seriously wonder if he can throw the ball 40 yards in the air, but to say he hasn't been mostly serviceable would be to lie. I still think Jay Gruden is passing up a chance to make a run by not re-inserting Griffin, but perhaps Cousins will get it done....ah shit, I can't even pretend I seriously think that. Enjoy your miracle win and nice ranking for a week, Washington.

18. Saints (4-6)

If the Saints fare better on defense with Dennis Allen running the show, the possibilities are endless. If they continue to suck, which they will because they don't have enough pieces, nothing will change. The Saints had a nice run of wins, but my instincts say that's over.

19. Seahawks (4-5)

ROFL. This team has no excuses for how poorly it's playing right now, and they likely will climb to 5-5 because of a visit from lolSanFrancisco, but if this team wants to be in the playoffs, it has to win out after losing at Minnesota in a couple of weeks, because Mike Zimmer isn't going to allow this pathetic offense to do shit at the Bank. The Seahawks are cooked, folks. Enjoy it. Russell Wilson will not be in the postseason this year. Imagine a playoffs where we don't have to hear about Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson the entire time--wouldn't it be glorious?

20. Eagles (4-5)

The Eagles are going to start Mark Sanchez at quarterback again. LOL

21. Chiefs (4-5)

The Chiefs look drastically improved but a favorable schedule will do that. It will soon become apparent that they don't have Jamaal Charles.

22. Oakland Raiders (4-5)

You know what? This team did not look like they'd progressed as much as advertised this past Sunday. They are better, but it's not nearly as much as we thought. They'll probably finish something like 7-9, but they have a bright future in the coming seasons.

23. Bucs (4-5)

What can't a team with a good young quarterback do? Even when Winston struggled, he engineered a nice drive (with the help of a penalty committed by the same guy who'd picked him off twice) to lead the Bucs to a win. There's no reason this team can't be in most games on the way out, so watch out if they can string a few wins together.

24. Jaguars (3-6)

I can't believe I'm saying this, but there's no reason to think the Jaguars aren't a threat in the AFC South. If they can pick up a nice division win tonight, it throws them right into the thick of things. The offense is finally showing progression, and Blake Bortles is far and away the best of the second year quarterbacks in this league. What it comes down to is Gus Bradley figuring out how to improve the defense. The offense will keep them in games.

25. Dolphins (4-5)

This team is so bad. I just can't wrap my head around it. Oh wait, yes I can--Ryan Tannehill blows most of the time. The flashes in the pan have to become the substance, at some point, or they'll have to move on.

26. Lions (2-7)

Again, this team isn't nearly as bad as their record indicates. I'm glad the Vikings don't have to play them again. With the stable of weapons at their disposal, and a defense that is capable of playing well every single week, the Lions are not an easy win.

27. Titans (2-7)

A young quarterback who can keep them in any game is very valuable. The Titans WILL wreck the playoff hopes of either Indianapolis or Houston.

28. Cowboys (2-7)

Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel should just retire after their pathetic performances in place of Tony Romo. What a fucking shit show the Cowboys become without #9

29. Chargers (2-7)

With Rivers, the Chargers can win on any given week and play spoiler. That doesn't mean they will, and they probably won't. I can't tell of this is coaching or lack of pieces out in San Diego, but something is very wrong outside of the beat up OL.

30. 49ers

I'm excited to see how Gabbert progresses...or regresses. Either way, it'll be top flight entertainment.

31. Ravens

They're just bad.

32. Browns

They are who we thought they were.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Ravens back where they belong, thanks Dumbassvil.

[oochymp 2,393]

Ravens back where they belong, thanks Dumbassvil.

I really hope that catches on

[BwareDWare94 723]

Ravens back where they belong, thanks Dumbassvil.

 

What'd he do?

[oochymp 2,393]

 

What'd he do?

handed the Jags the opportunity to kick the game winning field goal last week with a blatant facemask on a play the Jags barely got snapped:

 

I also felt pretty confident the Ravens could beat the Jags, and they did until Dumbassvil gave them 15 yards and an extra play

[BJORN 679]

Bware, to answer your question about the Chargers...it's a bit of both. Our good defensive players have underperformed and have been injured...insufficient depth..coaching is uninspiring at best.