NFL power rankings Week 11: Steelers, Eagles enjoying stealthy rises

NFL power rankings entering Week 11 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):

1. Kansas City Chiefs (1): Their +58 point differential is the smallest ever for a 9-0 team. They'll take it. They'd also take a win at Buffalo on Sunday, which would effectively give them a four-game lead over the Bills, Ravens and Chargers in the race for the AFC's top seed given a K.C. triumph in Western New York would mean wins over all those clubs.

2. Detroit Lions (2): Add resilience to their special sauce now that they've notched their first win under HC Dan Campbell after trailing by double digits at halftime … while becoming the first team in 12 years to prevail despite its quarterback serving up five INTs.

3. Baltimore Ravens (3): How badly are things going? A kneel-down in Thursday's victory dropped them to 99 rushing yards and ended a streak of 42 consecutive games surpassing the century mark – one shy of the league record. It'll be fine, fellas.

4. Buffalo Bills (4): A team on a five-game roll – and 8-2 for the first time in three decades – is close to getting LB Matt Milano back from a torn biceps and might be able to bring back LB Tyrel Dodson, too, after he was waived Monday by Seattle.

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5. Philadelphia Eagles (10): QB Jalen Hurts has caught fire simultaneously with a team back atop the NFC East. His lowest passer rating during Philly's five-game win streak is 115.0, a stretch during which Hurts became the first quarterback ever to rush for at least 10 TDs in four seasons (all consecutively incidentally).

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (8): Sunday, they'll become the final AFC team to play a divisional game this season – and good chance QB Russell Wilson throws a TD pass for a league-best 23rd consecutive game while taking aim at a Baltimore pass defense ranked dead last in the NFL.

7. Washington Commanders (5): Local excitement around QB Jayden Daniels and this team remains palpable … yet still hasn't prevented teams like the Steelers from enjoying home games at Northwest Stadium.

8. Minnesota Vikings (6): Per NFL Media, they're the first team in 18 years to win despite turning the ball over three times and failing to score a touchdown. Too bad the Vikes don't reside in the AFC South, whose teams they've beaten by an average of 13.3 points. They can complete a divisional season sweep Sunday in Nashville.

9. Green Bay Packers (7): Following the somewhat surprising trade of OLB Preston Smith, time for 2023 first-rounder Lukas Van Ness to deliver given he has yet to start in the NFL and has played fewer than 50% of the team's snaps in both of his seasons.

10. Arizona Cardinals (11): Few recognizable names on this defense, but it hasn't allowed a touchdown in three consecutive home games – meaning all of October and November.

11. San Francisco 49ers (16): Their post-bye record in 2024 (with RB Christian McCaffrey) is 1-0. Their post-bye record since 2021 is 31-9.

12. Houston Texans (12): Their ongoing struggles continue to coincide with a depleted receiver corps. Yet how cool was it to see WR John Metchie III score his first NFL TD more than two years after his career was interrupted by a battle with leukemia?

13. Los Angeles Chargers (17): The league's stingiest defense – it hasn't allowed more than 20 points in a game – is about to get stern tests with the high-powered Bengals and Ravens headed to SoCal the next two weeks for prime-time showcases.

14. Atlanta Falcons (9): A team that's struggled mightily to generate a pass rush in recent years remains in its rut – not a single Atlanta defender with 20 pressures this season, per PFF.

15. Cincinnati Bengals (18): WR Ja'Marr Chase is the only player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to have multiple games with at least 250 receiving yards and two TDs. Cincy is 1-1 in those contests.

16. Denver Broncos (19): Keep an eye on rookie Audric Estime, whose 5.1 yards-per-carry average – remember, he ran a 4.7 40-yard dash at the scouting combine earlier this year – has apparently earned him the RB1 role moving forward.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13): They've dropped four straight, all against likely playoff teams. But Baker Mayfield's completion Sunday while stiff-arming Niners DE Nick Bosa on the run is as good a play as you'll see a quarterback make.

18. Miami Dolphins (23): Though certainly modest by his standards, WR3 Odell Beckham Jr. is slowly integrating into this offense, snaring all five of his targets the past two games for a team suddenly sniffing the fringes of the wild-card race.

19. Los Angeles Rams (15): Over the next six weeks, they have four road games – two on the East Coast – with two contests in prime time. A playoff recovery won't be easy.

20. Seattle Seahawks (22): A team struggling to dial in rookie HC Mike Macdonald's defense closes with seven of its final eight games against NFC North or NFC West opposition. Woof.

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21. Indianapolis Colts (21): Little to be excited about here, especially with CB Kenny Moore II calling out his teammates' effort. But one who's providing more output is rookie WR Adonai Mitchell, whose six-catch, 71-yard day Sunday was his best yet.

22. New England Patriots (27): With their next three contests against sub-.500 opposition, could the Pats actually make the playoffs?

23. Chicago Bears (14): Taken down 15 times the past two weeks, rookie QB Caleb Williams has now been sacked a league-high 38. (Memo to next OC: Give. Swift. The. Ball.)

24. New York Jets (20): Wouldn't it reduce pressure on deteriorating QB Aaron Rodgers – literally and figuratively – to run more than their league-low 21.5 attempts per game? Moot, of course.

25. Carolina Panthers (28): The latest in their series of incremental steps? Sophomore QB Bryce Young notching consecutive wins for the first time in his career.

26. Cleveland Browns (24): Not a single player here is on pace to accrue 800 yards from scrimmage this season.

27. New Orleans Saints (31): Is RB Alvin Kamara a future Hall of Famer? Now this franchise's all-time leading rusher, he has more games (24) with 50 yards rushing and receiving than anyone aside from HOFer Marshall Faulk (41) and McCaffrey (30).

28. Jacksonville Jaguars (25): Defensively, they're surrendering the most yards in the league. Offensively, they have eight turnovers the past three weeks. And that's before they head to Detroit on Sunday.

29. Dallas Cowboys (26): It's rare when a team gets rid of the same player a year too early and a year too late. But these are the Cowboys, who never should've re-signed washed-up RB Ezekiel Elliott, now averaging 3.2 yards per carry … when he's actually active.

30. Tennessee Titans (30): No team in league history has allowed this many points (26.7 per game) despite ranking first in total defense.

31. New York Giants (29): Sunday's defeat in Germany marked their first loss on foreign soil, though the G-Men remain 3-0 in Great Britain – which may be where QB Daniel Jones should apply for citizenship.

32. Las Vegas Raiders (32): Can the Turners turn around this offense? Given the Silver and Black lead the league in turnovers while managing the fewest rushing yards – only one way to go. Right?

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.