2011 NFL Power Rankings: Week 11
Was the New England Patriots' demise greatly exaggerated? Judging by the latest results, the answer is an emphatic yes.
A week after tumbling out of the top 10, the Patriots regained their swagger in a 37-16 pummeling of the rival New York Jets on Sunday night. The victory sprung Tom Brady and Co. up four spots to No. 8. Not a bad one-week turnaround.
New England isn't the only traditional power on solid ground with our voters (ESPN.com's John Clayton, ESPN.com's Ashley Fox, AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky, NFC West blogger Mike Sando and AFC East blogger James Walker). The Chicago Bears (No. 5) and Dallas Cowboys (No. 12) are both rising in the rankings, while the New York Giants (No. 7) are holding steady after a narrow loss to the No. 2 San Francisco 49ers. Few teams have it going like Chicago, which has won four straight; the Bears have gained 13 spots since Week 6.
So which of the four has the most upside in the big picture? The Patriots have resided as high as No. 2, but a lot would have to happen for them to regain that lofty standing. The Cowboys have been out of the top 10 all season, but a favorable schedule could help them make headway over the next three weeks.
The Giants easily have the toughest remaining schedule of the bunch, and they've been battling the injury bug since training camp. Can they keep things together for a strong stretch run? Can the Bears stay stout on defense and continue to keep QB Jay Cutler clean in the pocket? Stay tuned.
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Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking in the Week 10 edition of the 2011 Power Rankings.
| 2011 Power Rankings: Week 11 | ||||
| RANK | TEAM / RECORD | TRENDING | COMMENTS | |
| 1 |  | -- Last Week: 1 | If they survive a tough game in Detroit on Thanksgiving, the Packers have a real chance to go undefeated. (Clayton) | |
| 2 |  | -- Last Week: 2 | Alex Smith's performance against the Giants shows the 49ers can beat good teams without Frank Gore carrying the offense. (Sando) | |
| 3 |  | 1 Last Week: 4 | Bye week gives the Saints a chance to regroup before welcoming the Giants and Lions to the Superdome for likely shootouts. (Sando) | |
| 4 |  | 1 Last Week: 5 | Pittsburgh's defense showed against Cincinnati that it still can close out games. (Walker) | |
| 5 |  | 4 Last Week: 9 | Whenever Devin Hester returns a kick for a score, this team is basically unbeatable. (Clayton) | |
| 6 |  | 3 Last Week: 3 | There's no excuse for RB Ray Rice to get five carries and QB Joe Flacco to throw 52 times. (Walker) | |
| 7 |  | 1 Last Week: 6 | Eli Manning almost led the Giants back against San Francisco. That it was a surprise he didn't says something about Manning's progress. (Fox) | |
| 8 |  | 4 Last Week: 12 | Why would anyone write off a Patriots team led by QB Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick? (Walker) | |
| 9 |  | 1 Last Week: 8 | The Texans have an extra week to get Matt Leinart ready to quarterback them the rest of the way. (Kuharsky) | |
| 10 |  | 3 Last Week: 7 | The fracture in QB Matthew Stafford's right index finger is a concern, but the Lions can make the playoffs. (Clayton) | |
| 11 |  | 1 Last Week: 10 | The Bengals aren't interested in moral victories. But Cincinnati impressed in a tough loss to Pittsburgh. (Walker) | |
| 12 |  | 3 Last Week: 15 | In rookie DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys finally seem to have found a reliable running back. (Fox) | |
| 13 |  | -- Last Week: 13 | Statistical analysis showed coach Mike Smith made the percentage play with that controversial fourth-and-1 decision Sunday. (Sando) | |
| 14 |  | 3 Last Week: 11 | After being swept by New England, the Jets are aiming for a wild card. (Walker) | |
| 15 |  | 5 Last Week: 20 | Chris Johnson finally broke free against the Panthers, but the Falcons are a much stronger run defense. (Kuharsky) | |
| 16 |  | 5 Last Week: 21 | Their long week against Minnesota off a short week doesn't seem quite fair, does it? (Kuharsky) | |
| 17 |  | 3 Last Week: 14 | The free-falling Bills are 2-4 in their past six games. (Walker) | |
| 18 |  | 1 Last Week: 17 | The Chargers have managed to undo the 4-1 start that was going to make this season different. (Kuharsky) | |
| 19 |  | 4 Last Week: 23 | We have to credit the Broncos for finding a way to win with Tim Tebow, even if it sets back the modern game. (Kuharsky) | |
| 20 |  | 2 Last Week: 18 | Good luck to the Bucs, who have lost four of five and now play road games against the Packers and Titans. (Sando) | |
| 21 |  | 2 Last Week: 19 | After back-to-back losses against bad teams, the Chiefs must move forward without QB Matt Cassel. (Kuharsky) | |
| 22 |  | 6 Last Week: 16 | The Dream Team has become Team Turmoil. A season of such promise is now over. (Fox) | |
| 23 |  | 6 Last Week: 29 | The QB situation will get interesting if backup John Skelton, 2-0 versus Rams and Eagles, can manage an upset victory at San Francisco. (Sando) | |
| 24 |  | 4 Last Week: 28 | A hard-nosed defense has company now that Seattle's offensive line is making significant progress in the running game. (Sando) | |
| 25 |  | 2 Last Week: 27 | The loss of cornerback Rashean Mathis to a knee injury is a potential killer for a team reliant on its defense. (Kuharsky) | |
| 26 |  | 4 Last Week: 22 | Rex Grossman. John Beck. Rex Grossman. It doesn't really matter who plays quarterback for Washington, does it? (Fox) | |
| 27 |  | 3 Last Week: 24 | While the Vikings ponder their stadium offers, coach Leslie Frazier continues to develop his young quarterback, Christian Ponder. (Clayton) | |
| 28 |  | 3 Last Week: 25 | It looks as though the game is moving way too fast for rookie coach Pat Shurmur. (Walker) | |
| 29 |  | 2 Last Week: 31 | The suddenly hot Dolphins are embracing the spoiler role. (Walker) | |
| 30 |  | -- Last Week: 30 | Not that anyone will offer sympathy, but the Rams already were severely depleted before their latest wave of injuries. (Sando) | |
| 31 |  | 5 Last Week: 26 | Cam Newton's struggles against the Titans came as a great surprise and disappointment to spoiled fantasy GMs around the globe. (Sando) | |
| 32 |  | -- Last Week: 32 | They get to escape for a bit with a bye before returning to see whether they can upset the Panthers in Indy. (Kuharsky) | |
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| Glossary |
| The rankings were determined by ESPN's Power Panel, a group of more than 80 writers, editors and television personalities. |
