Week 11 NFL Power Rankings: Where the 49ers stand after beating the Jaguars originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The NFL never stops surprising. Just as the playoff picture is taking shape, a would-be contender fails or a team on the brink of death revives its season.
Sunday’s action began with the San Francisco 49ers re-asserting themselves as top title contenders with a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Duval.
The 49ers dominated the Jaguars with a 34-3 victory on Sunday, resembling the team that topped most NFL power rankings through the first five weeks of the season. However, this 5-0 start was followed by a three-game losing streak.
That has now been wiped out after Brock Purdy regained his early season form, the 49ers ran the ball efficiently and the defense forced turnovers.
Here’s where the 49ers stand after Sunday’s Week 10 action:
32. Carolina Panthers (1-8): Can we relegate the Panthers? The number of football atrocities they committed on Thursday night warrants an investigation.
31. New York Giants (2-8): With every snap Tommy Devito takes, he gets one step closer to Caleb Williams or Drake Maye for the Giants. Not a bad consolation prize for a hellish season.
30. New England Patriots (2-8): Mac Jones’ redemption era as the 49ers’ backup will be a good story, but McCorkle’s time in New England is over. The former first-round pick is a broken, defeated signal-caller, and Bill Belichick should take most of the blame.
29. Atlanta Falcons (4-6): The Falcons went 4-3 and promptly lost to Will Levis, freshman Josh Dobbs and the Cardinals. They are who we thought they were.
28. Arizona Cardinals (2-8): Ryan Poles and the Bears team may have been Kyler Murray’s biggest fans on Sunday. The Cardinals’ star quarterback returned and led Arizona to its second win of the season, giving Carolina its worst record in the NFL in 10 weeks. The Bears are in pole position for the No. 1 pick as we enter the home stretch.
27. Tennessee Titans (3-6): Will Levis has shown promise, but the rookie and his Mayo coffee won’t be a panacea for Tennessee’s broken roster.
26. Green Bay Packers (3-6): After three decades with a Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm, the Packers now find themselves in a place most franchises visit all too often: quarterback purgatory.
25. Chicago Bears (3-7): There are a lot of bad teams in the NFL and the Bears are undoubtedly one of them. But while we analyze the mass of bad players, the Bears can at least tout a better-playing defense and the expected return of Justin Fields. The arrow points up…for now.
24. Los Angeles Rams (3-6): Thanks to Sean McVay, who did a lot with Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Puka Nacua and not much else. The Rams competed for three quarters before their lack of talent caught up with them.
23. Denver Broncos (3-5): Despite all the jokes, Russell Wilson has quietly been playing efficient football this season. He’s no longer the star he once was, but he and Sean Payton seem to have found their rhythm halfway through the first year of their arranged marriage.
22. New York Jets (4-5): Imagine being a member of the Jets’ front office and watching Josh Dobbs fly out while publicly supporting Zach Wilson. Embarrassing way to wash a championship defense season into the abyss.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5): As a result, the Bucs are just half a game out of first place in the NFC South. All things being equal, I’d rather watch Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans on Wild Card Weekend than Derek Carr and the remnants of what Sean Payton left in New Orleans.
20. New Orleans Saints (5-5): Are we sure Jameis Winston isn’t a better quarterback than Derek Carr?
19. Las Vegas Raiders (5-5): These rankings only reflect my feelings about the Antonio Pierce Raiders. It cannot be overstated how much this locker room hated Josh McDaniels.
18. Washington Commanders (4-6): Anyone who thinks Sam Howell isn’t the guy in Washington hasn’t been paying attention. The former Tar Heel can sling the rock. Washington is in a good rebuilding position with the quarterback of the future already in place.
17. Indianapolis Colts (5-5): I don’t know how high the Colts are at .500, but I know playing Mac Jones on Sunday helped.
16. Seattle Seahawks (6-3): Boye Mafe is one of the most underrated players in the NFL. The second-year linebacker has now recorded a sack in seven consecutive games for the Seahawks. Another design find for John Schneider and Pete Carroll.
15. Los Angeles Chargers (4-5): I can’t wait to hear that the Chargers’ 41-38 loss to the Lions was Justin Herbert’s fault.
14. Minnesota Vikings (6-4): The Vikings have won five games in a row, Josh Dobbs is playing crazy, and they’re on the verge of getting Justin Jefferson back. Avoid the renovation. What an unlikely turn of events in the Twin Cities.
13. Buffalo Bills (5-4): I worry that the bills are broken beyond repair. At least for this season.
12. Cleveland Browns (6-3): Deshaun Watson went 14-for-14 for 139 yards and a touchdown in the second half of the Browns’ comeback win over the Ravens. It’s the best he’s ever looked in a Browns uniform. I need to see more of this before I can elevate Cleveland from “Frisky Team With A Good Defense” to the “Legitimate Contender” category. However, it is a positive development.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3): Pittsburgh has been outscored in every game this season, and yet Mike Tomlin has them 6-3. You can’t fight fate.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3): Trevor Lawrence has more turnovers than touchdowns this season. The Jags need the “generational talent” to play like this if they want to reach their limits.
9.Cincinnati Bengals (5-4): A loss to the red-hot CJ Stroud won’t shake my faith in the Bengals. This is the third straight season they have started 5-4. I expect a similar ending to the last two.
8. Houston Texans (5-4): After the win over the Bengals, there’s no good argument that CJ Stroud shouldn’t be included in the middle of the MVP discussion. I’m buying all shares of Stroud-DeMeco Ryans.
7. Dallas Cowboys (6-3): Dallas has beaten the Giants (twice), the Jets, the Patriots, the Rams and the Chargers. The Cowboys have lost to the Eagles, 49ers and Cardinals. Not a great resume for a team that sees itself as a Super Bowl contender.
6. Baltimore Ravens (7-3): The Ravens have lost seven games over the last two seasons with Lamar Jackson as the starter. According to ESPN’s win probability, they had at least a 75 percent chance of winning in each of those games. This can’t stay a trend in Charm City.
5. Miami Dolphins (6-3): The Dolphins are plus-109 in their six wins against teams under .500. They are minus-49 in their three losses against teams with more than 500 players. “Fins are electric, but they need to show that they can beat the best to be taken seriously as title contenders.”
4. Detroit Lions (7-2): Dan Campbell and the Lions might have single-handedly ended Brandon Staley’s run with the Chargers. At the very least, Detroit’s 41-point, 533-yard performance should be the final nail in his LA coffin. The Motor City Kitties are real and they’re live to secure the top spot in the NFC.
3. San Francisco 49ers (6-3): The 49ers defense looked like their defense again as the red-hot Jaguars throttled back. Announce that the 49ers are back.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2): The Ravens, Bengals and Jaguars all lost in Week 10. Even with a bye, Patrick Mahomes can’t stop winning.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1): Philadelphia lost the Super Bowl, the World Series and Taylor Swift last year. It’s a difficult scene, but the birds are in a good position to redeem the City of Brotherly Love if they stay healthy.
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