I stopped writing NFL Power Rankings a couple of seasons ago ’cause nobody was reading ’em. You know – every sports media website in the world has some form of these power rankings up, so there’s a lot of competition, and the little guys like us lose out in those scenarios. It makes it somewhat pointless to do stuff like this, but whatever happened with Google’s core web vitals update back in May seems to have kicked our traffic into another gear. I guess they like us? Anyway, it made me think that maybe it was worth giving these bad boys another try. So, like I said before I stopped writing these, my NFL Power Rankings are based solely on what has happened on the field so far. I’m not taking preseason expectations or projections into consideration. These rankings are based strictly on what I’ve seen so far this season. Let’s get to it.
NFL POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 11, 2021
1. Arizona Cardinals (9-2) – Panthers loss aside, this has been the most consistent team in the NFL this season. What’s most impressive is how they’ve been able to keep the train rolling without Kyler Murray in the lineup. That defense is underrated. They get to their bye week with the best record in football.
2. Green Bay Packers (8-3) – The Vikings always seem to play the Packers well at home, and it’s hard to knock the Packers down too far after losing a close game to a quality opponent. It doesn’t undo all of the good they’ve done prior to it. They have the chance to get right in a massive NFC showdown, hosting the Rams on Sunday.
3. Tennessee Titans (8-3) – On a bizarre day in which everything that could go wrong did, the Texans had a solid play-it-safe-and-let-the-Titans-implode game plan that pulled through for them. It was difficult to imagine that the Titans would be able to keep winning games despite all the little things that were wrong with this team, and it finally caught up to ’em. But, we can’t let it erase what they did on that six-game winning streak. This is a team that will be back among the contenders once it starts getting healthy. They have a huge test on Sunday in traveling to New England.
4. Los Angeles Rams (7-3) – The Rams were off this week – I still like the makeup of this team. Rested, they’ll return to action in a huge game against the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday.
5. Dallas Cowboys (7-3) – Tough loss for the Cowboys, but i thought this was a bad spot for ’em. The Chiefs are heating up right now, and Dallas just hasn’t been the same on the road as they been at home all season long. That’s an issue that this team has to clean up if it wants to make a run at a Super Bowl. They still have the talent to get there. They host the Raiders in what should be a fireworks show on Thanksgiving day.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) – There’s nothing like a game against the New York Giants to get things right, and the G-Men proved to be the cure for what was ailing the reeling Bucs. The Bucs stomped ’em 30-10, and Tom Brady was back in MVP form. The scary thing about this team is that no matter what their record is, you can’t help but feel like they’re capable of going on another run at another Super Bowl. They travel to Indianapolis to play the red hot Colts on Sunday.
7. New England Patriots (7-4) – I love the way this Patriots team is playing right now because it’s the type of football that wins in January. They’re one of if not the best defense in football, they run the ball well, and Mac Jones isn’t making mistakes. They rise to the top of the AFC East after smacking around the Falcons on Thursday Night Football, but will face a big time measuring stick game in hosting the Titans on Sunday.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) – We talked about the Chiefs offense getting right last week, and it would appear that the defense is catching up, too. This team is red hot right now after stifling a Super Bowl contender in the Cowboys on Sunday.
9. Baltimore Ravens (7-3) – The last two performances by this Ravens team have been a bit underwhelming to say the least, but you know this is a well-coached and talented team that can get hot at any moment. They host the Browns in a massive game in the AFC North race on Sunday Night Football.
10. Indianapolis Colts (6-5) – The Colts are playing some damn good physical football right now, going 6-2 after an 0-3 start. Both of their losses over that span came in overtime, so this team could realistically be 8-0 during that stretch, too. They just rocked the Bills on Sunday, and host the Buccaneers on Sunday.
IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY…
AFC
- (1) Tennessee Titans (BYE)
- (7) Buffalo Bills @ (2) Baltimore Ravens
- (6) Los Angeles Chargers @ (3) New England Patriots
- (5) Cincinnati Bengals @ (4) Kansas City Chiefs
NFC
- (1) Arizona Cardinals (BYE)
- (7) New Orleans Saints @ (2) Green Bay Packers
- (6) Minnesota Vikings @ (3) Dallas Cowboys
- (5) Los Angeles Rams @ (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
PREDICTIONS
- Top 5 NFL Draft order: 1. Lions, 2. Jets, 3. Texans, 4. Jaguars, 5. Giants
- AFC Championship: Chiefs @ Titans
- NFC Championship: Packers @ Cardinals
- Super Bowl: Titans vs. Cardinals
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
