NFL Week 11 Power Rankings

Five Quick Hits

* The Hall of Fame has announced this year's semifinalists. My preferences to advance: Steve Atwater, Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Don Coryell, Terrell Davis, Dermontti Dawson, Chris Doleman, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Will Shields, Paul Tagliabue, Steve Tasker, Aeneas Williams, Ron Wolf.

* My fantasy league is through Yahoo!. Does anyone else think it's bush league that a big corporation like that runs a pop-up ad on logout?

* The low quality of football broadcasts from, of all stations, NFL Network, is puzzling. Show some replays, will ya?

* The Thursday Night announcing team did a nice job this week, except that they have got to stop speaking over referee announcements. We want to hear those.

* Does any player ruin his own best plays more often than DeSean Jackson?

***

We've all seen the Colts fall apart without Peyton Manning this season. But I wonder if we aren't seeing similar, less dramatic, scenarios in San Diego and Jacksonville. Philip Rivers, for the last three years, has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, maybe the best. This year, he doesn't look like the same player, and the Chargers don't look like the same team.

The 2010 Jaguars went 8-8, ranking 15th in offensive yardage and 18th in scoring. This year's Jags, with Blaine Gabbert and Luke McCown instead of David Garrard, are 3-7, 31st in scoring and last — by a huge margin — in yards per game. The winless Colts out-gain Jacksonville by almost 30 yards per game, the punchless Rams by nearly 50. Teams can win without a good quarterback, but a sudden drop in quality at that position has been catastrophic for those teams. Good luck, Bears and Texans. On to this week's power rankings, brackets indicate previous rank.

1. Green Bay Packers [1] — Tramon Williams intercepted 2 passes, but the defense went soft at the end of the game. Josh Freeman in the first half: 132 yards, INT, 72.9 passer rating. Freeman in the second half: 210 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 113.8 rating. Aaron Rodgers is having a year for the ages, but some of the guys around him are pretty good, too. Jordy Nelson is now 2nd in the NFL in receiving touchdowns (9) and 11th in yards (756), basically the same as teammate Greg Jennings (761 yards, 7 TDs). Randall Cobb, who had a 55-yard punt return this weekend, is one of three players with a KR TD and a PR TD this year, the others being Devin Hester and Ted Ginn, Jr. Cobb is averaging 30 yards on KRs and 11.1 on punts.

2. San Francisco 49ers [2] — Lead the NFL in rushing defense and scoring defense, and — unbelievably — still haven't allowed a rushing TD this season. San Francisco also leads the NFL, by far, in turnover differential (+17). The 49ers can clinch the NFC West in Week 12, if they win in Baltimore and the Seahawks lose to Washington.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers [3] — Tied for the worst turnover differential in the NFL, -10. It is stunning that this team is 7-3 despite its failure to force turnovers. The other -10 teams: 0-10 Indianapolis, 3-7 Washington, 4-6 San Diego (combined .233). Last season, the worst turnover differential for any playoff team was -6 (Saints). The last team as bad as -10 to make the postseason was the 2004 Green Bay Packers (-13). Remember when the Packers had a QB who threw a bunch of interceptions?

4. New England Patriots [5] — Another big game from Rob Gronkowski, who gained 96 yards and scored 2 touchdowns, each featuring an impressive run after the catch. Gronkowski now has 20 touchdowns in his young career, 10 as a rookie and another 10 already this season. That stat led to this exchange on MNF:

Mike Tirico: "Now 20 touchdowns in his really just over a year and a half career, 26 games."
Jon Gruden: "Randy Moss didn't even do that."

Wait for it ... yes, he did. Moss scored 23 TDs in his first 26 games, including 17 as a rookie. Gruden's error was never corrected. For better or worse, Gruden is a journalist. ESPN has a responsibility to its viewers to correct mistakes. Look, this is trivial — literally, it's trivia. But this is a pattern for Gruden, making things up and stating them as fact. Every reputable news organization in the world corrects errors. If viewers can't trust everything you say, they can't trust anything you say. It would be awfully easy to set aside 10 seconds after the next commercial break so Gruden could correct the mistake.

Players with 20+ receiving TDs, first 26 games: Bill Groman, Lance Alworth, Bob Hayes, John Jefferson, Daryl Turner, Randy Moss, Gronkowski.

5. New Orleans Saints [6] — Lead the NFL in yards per game, 436.9. The difference between this year's Saints and the '09 Super Bowl team? Turnovers. Two years ago, the champs were 2nd in the NFL in takeaways, with a +11 differential and 7 defensive touchdowns. Last year they were -6, and this year they're -5, mostly because the defense doesn't generate takeaways (9, tied for 29th). It's okay to give up a lot of yards if you have an aggressive defense that forces mistakes, but not if you're just getting burned.

6. Houston Texans [7] — Won their last four games by double-digits, but how much different will the team be with Matt Leinart at QB? Matt Schaub was having a Pro Bowl season before his foot injury. Speaking of which, who's left to represent the AFC in Hawaii? Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger, sure. But then who? Joe Flacco? Matt Hasselbeck? Philip Rivers? Heaven forbid, Greg Landry Tim Tebow?

7. Baltimore Ravens [8] — Intercepted Andy Dalton three times and got a big game from wildly inconsistent rookie receiver Torrey Smith (165 rec yds). In Weeks 3 and 11, Smith had 317 yards and 4 TDs. In the other eight games combined, 273 yards and 1 TD. NBC's highlight show featured two separate shots of Ray Lewis, who didn't play in this game. So did ESPN's Fastest Three Minutes, which showed four plays and two shots of Lewis. Why not skip the shots of Ray and show another play instead? Am I watching sports highlights or Spot-the-Celebrity?

8. Chicago Bears [4] — Devin Hester's leaping attempt to block a long field goal came up short, which was fortunate, since the kick failed anyway and that sort of "field-goal-tending" apparently is illegal. When did that happen? The Colts' R.C. Owens, a former basketball player known for his jumping ability, once blocked a field goal that way. Why prohibit something so cool? Jay Cutler broke his thumb in the game, and reportedly will be out 6-8 weeks — the rest of the regular season. This ranking reflects my lower confidence in Caleb Hanie.

9. Atlanta Falcons [9] — Big games from their stars. Matt Ryan (316 yds, 110.9 rating), Michael Turner (100 yds, TD), and Roddy White (7 rec, 147 yds) all showed up against Tennessee. But head coach Mike Smith still had a hangover from Week 10: you'll go for it from your own 29 against the Saints, but not from the opponent's goal line against the Titans? Cowardice, an overreaction to last week's overwrought criticism. The Falcons have won four of their last five.

10. Dallas Cowboys [12] — Won a back-and-forth overtime thriller on the road against their biggest rival. The game featured a tying touchdown with :14 left in the fourth quarter, a missed field goal to win in overtime, and a strange sequence just before Dan Bailey's game-winning kick. With the play clock down to three seconds, Dallas wasn't ready, so Tony Romo stood up to call timeout. But Dallas was out of timeouts, so the Cowboys were looking at either a delay of game penalty, or a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for calling a timeout they didn't have. Either one might have pushed the team out of field goal range. Instead, Mike Shanahan, in an attempt to waste everyone's time ice the kicker, called his own timeout, and very possibly cost his team the game. Icing the kicker is stupid.

11. New York Giants [10] — The Giants' average yards per rush, by season, in the Tom Coughlin era:

2004: 4.5
2005: 4.7
2006: 4.7
2007: 4.6
2008: 5.0
2009: 4.1
2010: 4.6
2011: 3.2

Ahmad Bradshaw actually has been okay (4.0), but Brandon Jacobs and D.J. Ware are averaging 3.0 each, with 123 carries for just 373 yards. The revamped offensive line, minus Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert, has not been effective. Rushing average is down 30% from last year, and Eli Manning has already been sacked more times (19) than all of last season (16).

12. Detroit Lions [13] — Third 17-point comeback of the season. Kevin Smith (remember him?) came up huge, with 201 yards from scrimmage and 3 TDs, while Matthew Stafford played well enough in the last three quarters that people forgot about his interceptions on the first two drives. The Lions are 5-0 against teams with losing records.

13. Cincinnati Bengals [14] — Lost CB Leon Hall last week, and immediately got torched by Torrey Smith on Sunday. The rule that nullified Jermaine Gresham's touchdown is stupid, but everyone knows about it at this point, so my outrage is fairly muted. Good news: four of the last six games are in Cincinnati. The Bengals have lost consecutive games to division opponents, but they're still in position for a wild card berth to the playoffs, a game ahead of the Jets, Bills, Broncos, and Titans.

14. Philadelphia Eagles [18] — Missing Michael Vick, Jeremy Maclin, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, they went into the New Meadowlands and beat the Giants, highlighted by an 18-play, 80-yard drive for the winning touchdown. Vince Young threw three interceptions, but he never got rattled and he created some positive plays. Eagles QBs, 2009-11:

The "Rec" category indicates each player's regular-season record as starter. The yardage figure is gross passing, and does not include sacks or rushing. Vick is a dynamic player, but it's not at all obvious to me that he deserves to be regarded as a standout quarterback. Lots of guys look good compared to Kevin Kolb.

15. New York Jets [11] — Much-hyped defense ranks 17th against the run and 18th in points allowed. Much-hyped "ground and pound" rushing attack ranks 29th in yards per carry (3.59). Joe McKnight struggled in pass packages after the Jets lost both starting RBs, and contrary to the hype, McKnight is averaging just 3.2 yds/att, even worse than Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson. Mark Sanchez contributed his third pick-six of the season to the losing effort. The Jets' next three games are all against teams with losing streaks of at least three games (Buffalo, Washington, KC), so a rebound to 8-5 is very much within reach.

16. Tennessee Titans [16] — First-round draft pick Jake Locker (8th overall) led two touchdown drives after Matt Hasselbeck's elbow injury, while Chris Johnson lapsed back into suckdom (12 att, 13 yds). The Titans rank 31st in yards per carry (3.4). Locker's fellow rookie, fourth-rounder Colin McCarthy, had 10 solo tackles, including three for a loss, and a forced fumble filling in for banged-up Barrett Ruud.

17. Denver Broncos [24] — Punter Britton Colquitt downed two punts inside the 10-yard line on Thursday. In a close game, that sort of thing is just huge. Especially when you only gain 11 first downs. Denver's defense, atrocious early in the season, has played better recently. In their first five games, the Broncos allowed 28 points and 386 yards per game. Since the bye, they've improved to 21 points and 327 yards. Von Miller is up to 9.5 sacks, and Andre Goodman's interception return for a touchdown was the critical play in Thursday's game.

18. Miami Dolphins [28] — First three-game winning streak since 2008. Over the last three games, the Dolphins held all three opponents under 10 points, and Matt Moore had 6 TDs, 1 INT, and a 118.6 passer rating. Punter Brandon Fields dropped five punts inside the 20-yard line against Buffalo, with no touchbacks.

19. Oakland Raiders [17] — Twelve penalties for 117 yards and seven first downs. Wait, what? I can't remember another game in which a team gave away seven first downs by penalty. Big game by Tommy Kelly this weekend: 2 sacks, a batted pass, and an interception. Darrius Heyward-Bey left the game with a scary injury, but early indications are that he should be okay.

20. Arizona Cardinals [19] — Loss in San Francisco could have been worse: the 49ers missed three field goals and the Cardinals scored a garbage-time touchdown to spoil the shutout. They were outgained by over 200 yards and their time of possession was just 15:44. Since the bye, though, Arizona is 2-3 and hasn't lost to anyone worse than 7-3, with both of the other losses pretty close. This isn't a good team, but it could be a lot worse.

21. Buffalo Bills [15] — Three straight losses, by a combined margin of 106-26, since their 5-2 start. Ryan Fitzpatrick's passer ratings during the losing streak: 51.9, 46.6, 45.8. The Bills went 0/12 on third downs in Week 11. Already missing standout safety George Wilson, the team also lost starting CB Terrence McGee, who on Monday underwent season-ending knee surgery. Fred Jackson also left with an injury, and his status for Week 12 is uncertain.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [20] — Four straight losses, all against good teams (combined 31-9). The Bucs have actually played six in a row, and eight out of 10, against teams with winning records. LeGarrette Blount has averaged more than 5.0 or less than 3.5 yards per carry in every game this season. Overall, he's a solid 4.6. You'd like to see the Bucs do a better job of keeping him involved. He's only had more than 13 carries three times this season.

23. San Diego Chargers [23] — Still missing offensive linemen Marcus McNeill (who may be out for the season) and Louis Vasquez. Vincent Jackson rebounded from last week's underwhelming performance with 7 catches, 165 yards, and a touchdown, but none of that came in the fourth quarter, when the Chargers ran four offensive plays and gained zero yards. San Diego is 0-5 since the bye, the third-longest losing streak in the NFL.

24. Seattle Seahawks [26] — Have now lost both of their first two draft picks, with James Carpenter (ACL) likely to join fellow offensive lineman John Moffitt on injured reserve. The Seahawks recovered from a slow start in Week 11 to easily defeat the Rams, thanks mostly to a strong defensive performance led by Chris Clemons (3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, batted pass). Seattle's next three games are all at home.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars [22] — Still haven't scored 20 points in any game this season. The '09 Rams and Raiders topped 20 only once apiece, but the only team ever to go 0/16 was the 1992 Seattle Seahawks.

26. Minnesota Vikings [21] — Adrian Peterson left Sunday's game with a high ankle sprain, and it seems unlikely he'll be able to go in Week 12. QB Christian Ponder led the team in rushing (71 yards). Ponder got Percy Harvin involved, Kevin Williams played a nice game, and the Raiders were flagged for 1,000 penalties, but it wasn't enough.

27. Carolina Panthers [27] — Last week I criticized the return units. This week they scored on a 101-yard kickoff return. The Panthers, who boast a 12-game road losing streak, have only two home games left this season. Both of the next two, and four of the last six, are on the road.

28. Cleveland Browns [30] — Rank 5th in fewest yards allowed and 7th in fewest points allowed. That's mostly against a schedule full of cupcakes, though, and the one time they played a top-10 offense, Houston dropped 30 on them. Still, the defense has been doing something right. D'Qwell Jackson is the standout. Cleveland's next three games are all against division opponents.

29. Kansas City Chiefs [25] — False hope from an early 3-0 lead, in an eventual 34-3 defeat. This was the fourth time this season Kansas City has lost by 28 or more. Statistically, the Chiefs have the hardest remaining schedule of any team in the NFL, with every opponent at or above .500. Matt Cassel is done for the season; I hope you liked what you saw of Tyler Palko, Chiefs fans.

30. Washington Redskins [31] — After a 3-1 start, they're 0-6 since the bye. No one's going to be successful behind this offensive line, but Shanahan needs to stop rotating running backs. Commit to someone (probably Roy Helu) and give him a chance to get in a groove. You know who's having a great year, though? Sav Rocca. He's had 20 punts downed inside the 20, with no touchbacks, and he's rocking a career-high 41.3 net average.

31. St. Louis Rams [29] — Remember when the media was raving about what a great quarterback Sam Bradford was? He ranks 29th in the NFL in passer rating (72.6) and the Rams are dead last in scoring. They have scored multiple touchdowns only once all season.

32. Indianapolis Colts [32] — Merciful bye this week. The Colts have been outscored 300-131. They're on pace for a worse point differential, -270, than the winless 2008 Detroit Lions (-249).