We had a couple of exciting "near upsets", a thrilling last second Hail Mary, and a surprising Ravens loss. The Bears curse on Monday Night, and a pathetic offense, was stronger than Kurt Cousins record of futility on Monday Night Football, and he gained his first victory in ten tries.
Team Power Rankings [Last week's position]
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0) [1] : The Steelers remain the only unbeaten team in the league, and they have some easy games coming up. They definitely seem poised to retain this rank.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (8-1) [2] : The Chiefs have the best offense in the league, and are making a strong case to repeat as Super Bowl Champions, a feat we haven't seen since the Patriots in 2005.
3 (tie). Green Bay Packers (7-2) [4] : The Pack continue to be the strongest team in the NFC, although they had to prevent an upset against Jacksonville this week. Cracks are starting to appear in the Packers lineup.
3 (tie). New Orleans Saints (7-2) [6] : Just when this team was on the rise, Drew Brees will be out for at least two weeks. How will that affect their Power Ranking? We'll have to see.
5. Baltimore Ravens (6-3) [3] : The Patriots pulled off a surprise, and now the Ravens need to rebound
6. Indianapolis Colts (6-3) [8] : The Colts beat the Titans, and may have silenced their critics. This team is solid!
7. Tampa Bay Bucs (7-3) [9] : The Bucs rebounded strongly and had their best offensive output
8. Miami Dolphins (6-3) [5] : A team falls three position after a win? Well, it was a rather pedestrian performance. I think this area is more appropriate for the Dolphins, as the novelty of Tua is wearing off and teams are starting to learn how to deal with him.
9. Arizona Cardinals (6-3) [7] : The Cards almost lost to the Bills, and had to rely on an unpredictable Hail Mary. Their defense needs some work.
10. Los Angeles Rams (6-3) [12] : The Rams beat the Seahawks as they continue to improve. They are streaking at a good time.
11. Seattle Seahawks (6-3) [10] : The NFL West takes over this section of the Power Rankings with their third consecutive position. The Seahawks seem to having some struggles, though, so they might be dropping further.
12 (tie). Tennessee Titans (6-3) [10] : The Titans really couldn't get it rolling against the Colts. Their offense has lost some spark, and they to recover that.
12 (tie). Las Vegas Raiders (6-3) [16] : The Raiders are getting better, but they still rely a little too much on trick plays for me to be comfortable with labeling them a real "Power Team".
14. Buffalo Bills (7-3) [13] : The Bills really SHOULD have won that game, and Josh Allen is certainly going a great job. The defense needs to improve their field sense a bit.
15. San Francisco 49ers (4-6) [14] : Wiped out by the Saints
16. Cleveland Browns (6-3) [17] : Don't count out the Browns! The latest incarnation of the "Cardiac Kids" will often find ways to win.
Division Power Rankings [Last week's position]
1. NFC West [1] : The top division all season regains their solo dominance with all four teams in the upper half of the Power Rankings
2. AFC North [1] : Trailing only slightly, the AFC North has two powerhouse teams and a highly competitive Browns team.
3. NFC South [3] : The Saints and Bucs continue to dominate, but we'll have to see what happens to this division while Brees is out
4. NFC North [5] : Minnesota and Detroit have been quietly winning games and rising up. While the entire division has only one team with a winning record, the division, overall, HAS a winning record! If Chicago doesn't get their offense fixed, the one-time division leaders, who started 5-1, could find themselves in the bottom of the division.
5. AFC West [4] : The Chiefs are a powerhouse, and the Raiders are always a threat, but it doesn't look like we'll get much from Denver or the Chargers
6. AFC East [6] : The Bills played well, despite a loss, and the Patriots showed that you can't ignore them. Miami triumphed as well, so even having the only winless team doesn't bring this division down too much.
7. AFC South [7] : Houston generated a little excitement recently, but that's fading. The Colts and Titans remain the only strengths in this division.
8. NFC East [8]
Week 11 picks
Thursday night
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks : The Seahawks are usually strong at home, but without the crowd there, will they have the same spark? The Seahawks have seemed a little "off" the past couple of weeks, and I think that will hurt them, especially against a team that knows them so well. CARDINALS, 27-23
Sunday early games
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints : Even without Drew Brees, the Saints should be able to beat the floundering Falcons. SAINTS, 23-17
Cincinnati Bengals at Washington ...[?]... : Pathetic v ridiculous. This almost doesn't deserve a pick, but I am a completist. WASHINGTON, 24-17
Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers : Detroit is on an upswing, but the Panthers still have a few tricks up their sleeves. This should be a close game, and the Lions might pull off the win, but I'm not sure I can see it. PANTHERS, 27-23
New England Patriots at Houston Texans : The Patriots proved they still have punch, but I would have picked them to beat the terrible Texans even if they had lost last week. PATRIOTS, 23-17
Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns : The Eagles just cannot seem to find an offensive groove, which the Browns defense will be sure to exploit. BROWNS, 24-16
Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Jags may have used all of their energy against Green Bay last week. Certainly it won't take the Steelers defense long to deflate them. STEELERS, 27-13
Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens : Both teams want to bounce back from tough losses last week. The Ravens are better tooled for that. RAVENS, 27-20
Sunday late games
Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings : Look out, here come the Vikings! Although Kurt Cousins still makes some mistakes (two interceptions against the Bears), his accuracy is improving and he's making better decisions. With Dalvin Cook churning out the yards, they will leave Dallas in the dust. VIKINGS, 27-17
Green Bay Packers at Indianapolis Colts : Okay, I have to pick the upset here! The Colts are on a roll, and the Pack has seemed to reach the tipping point on injuries, where it is affecting their performance on the field. The Pack could win this game, but I'm going to go for the obvious upset. COLTS, 27-23
Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos : Tua will shine in this game, as the Broncos defense isn't that great. DOLPHINS, 27-17
New York Jets at Los Angeles Chargers : The Chargers are struggling, so is a game where the Jets might actually stay close, but their offense is so atrocious that they won't even be able to outscore the Chargers. CHARGERS, 17-10
Sunday night
Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders : Whoa, here's a game ripe for upset! The Raiders are traditionally tough against divisional opponents, traditionally do well on the nationally televised evening games, and have a potently sneaky offense this season. However, I'm not sure their defense is quite up to the task of stalling Patrick Mahomes and company, especially since the Chiefs know what they are facing and will likely come up with some sneaky plays of their own. CHIEFS, 27-20
Monday Night Football
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Rams are looking strong, but the Bucs have the offensive tools to get the job done. That Rams defense won't make it easy, though. BUCS, 24-17
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