Week 11 was home to multiple great matchups, and as the season starts to wind down, we might have received a few early playoff previews. With crazy games all over the place, there was no shortage of exciting games to watch on Sunday. While some teams are separating themselves, others continue to struggle to find consistency. It might be hard to believe, but with only seven games left in the regular season, the playoff picture in both conferences is starting to come into focus. Following the conclusion
of the 11th week of the season, let’s find out who is up and who is down in our weekly WCG Power Rankings heading into Week 12.
1. Los Angeles Rams (8-2) Previous Week: 1
It took until the final snap of the game for a missed field goal, but the Rams are on top of the NFC West with seven games to go. The Rams led for the majority of Sunday afternoon’s game, but they weren’t able to put it away on their final offensive drive. Instead, they relied on Seahawks kicker Jason Myers not being able to tie a career-long, and ultimately it worked out. Los Angeles might be the most well-rounded team in the league, with a high-flying offense and an excellent defense. They now find themselves in the driver’s seat, not only for the NFC West crown, but also for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Next up: vs Buccaneers (Sunday Night Football)
2. New England Patriots (9-2) Previous Week: 9
Mike Vrabel has this team humming. Even after a hot start, it would have been easy to doubt their credibility in a cramped AFC playoff picture. Somehow, all the Patriots keep doing is winning, and that continued in a 27-14 dominant win on Thursday night. The defense did lose defensive tackle Milton Williams to the Injured Reserve for the next four games, but with their upcoming schedule, it shouldn’t be a huge issue. Currently, all the focus is on Buffalo as the season winds down, with New England continuing to widen its lead in the AFC East.
Next up: At Bengals
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) Previous Week: 4
For a second straight week, the Eagles’ offense didn’t do much, but defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has his unit playing at an elite level. Philly is in complete control of the NFC East, and all that is left to do is to lock in the No. 1 seed. I’m not sure I’d classify this team as firing on all cylinders, but they are beating good teams and controlling them in the process. All is well in Philadelphia, even if receiver A.J. Brown isn’t overly happy. Losing All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson for 4-6 isn’t ideal, but if there’s one thing the Eagles have been great about, it’s establishing quality depth on the offensive line.
Next up: At Cowboys
4. Denver Broncos (9-2) Previous Week: 7
The Broncos are for real. Not only for that, they are well on their way to securing the first AFC West title in 10 years. Here’s the thing about comebacks – it’s one thing to have them against bad teams, but it’s another to do it against a division rival that has won the division for nine straight years. Denver’s defense is elite, and the offense comes through when it matters the most. I’m still not convinced that the top two projected seeds in the AFC will go far in the playoffs, but Broncos fans should enjoy the ride while they find out.
Next up: Bye Week
5. Indianapolis Colts (8-2) Previous Week: 5
The Colts are riding high as they go into their Week 12 bye. Not only are they atop the AFC South, but they have a commanding lead heading into the final seven games of the season. Quarterback Daniel Jones has started to come back down to earth a bit, but running back Jonathan Taylor is having an MVP-caliber season with a league-high 17 touchdowns from scrimmage, along with 1,169 yards on the ground. The Colts clearly feel they can make a run in the playoffs after trading a pair of first-round selections for cornerback Sauce Gardner. We’ll see if they can finish off the regular season strong and challenge for the top seed in the AFC.
Next up: At Chiefs
6. Seattle Seahawks (7-3) Previous Week: 2
Even when Seattle loses, it’s barely noticeable. It feels that way because that’s precisely how things have gone in all three of their losses. In those three games, they’ve lost by a combined nine points. That almost feels hard to believe, but that’s how consistent this team has been, even when losing. Ultimately, this game came down to quarterback Sam Darnold’s four interceptions. There should be no doubts that Seattle will bounce back, which should happen as soon as next weekend when they face the one-win Titans. Their schedule isn’t quite as favorable as the other two top teams in the division, but they are still in great shape heading into the final seven games of the season.
Next up: At Titans
7. Buffalo Bills (7-3) Previous Week: 6
The defense has continued to fail this team, but on the bright side, their offense got going on Sunday, scoring 44 points against a strong Buccaneers squad. Despite an early (and ugly) interception from quarterback Josh Allen, last year’s MVP came out of Sunday’s game with 317 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, two interceptions, and a whopping three rushing touchdowns. This group has shown some concerning weaknesses, but it’s best not to underestimate a team that knows how to get into the playoffs and achieve some success.
Next up: At Texans (Thursday Night Football)
8. San Francisco 49ers (7-4) Previous Week: 11
Brock Purdy is back, and so is the 49ers’ offense. After a tough loss last weekend, they came back with vengeance and hung 41 on the struggling Cardinals’ defense. San Francisco has plenty of talent and one of the better coaching staffs in the league, but injuries have continued to play a big part in their season. Despite that, they are just a game and a half out of first place, and right in the mix for a Wild Card spot. A favorable schedule down the stretch should help their chances, but a strong finish in the division might be needed.
Next up: Vs Panthers (Monday Night Football)
9. Green Bay Packers (6-3-1) Previous Week: 12
Is there some trouble brewing in Green Bay? If you pay attention to the local media, you’d sure think so. In reality, this is a talented team that is still finding its footing. In the process, they are firmly in the mix for a playoff spot and even the NFC North title. It wasn’t a pretty one against the Giants, but as most teams have found out previously to Sunday, New York is a gritty team that doesn’t make any game easy. Quarterback Jordan Love was hurt, but returned to the game. The same can’t be said for running back Josh Jacobs, who is expected to miss a few weeks. Next up is an essential divisional matchup at home against the Vikings.
Next up: Vs Vikings
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) Previous Week: 14
It hasn’t been a super impressive season in Pittsburgh, but with Sunday’s 34-12 blowout victory against the Bengals, the Steelers hold onto their slim lead in the AFC North. There’s plenty of talent on this roster, but their inconsistency has been maddening. The most significant focus coming out of Sunday’s win is the health of both quarterback Aaron Rodgers (who left and did not return with a left wrist injury) and running back Jaylen Warren. They’ll head on the road for a crucial road matchup against the red-hot Bears, and it appears they’ll be doing it without their starting quarterback, who has a fractured left wrist.
Next up: At Bears
11. Chicago Bears (7-3) Previous Week: 15
Are there any Bears fans still alive out there? Sunday’s 19-17 victory in Minnesota became their third straight comeback win in the final 20 seconds of the game. Similar to the barn-burner in Cincinnati, the Bears blew a comfortable lead, yet willed their way to a last-second win. It’s hard to believe this team is (7-3), the same way that it’s ridiculous to think that they’ve played just one team that is currently over the .500 mark. That changes in Week 12 when the Steelers come to town.
Next up: Vs Steelers
12. Detroit Lions (6-4) Previous Week: 8
2025 has been quite the whirlwind in Detroit. After losing both coordinators, some wondered if they would be able to pick up where they left off over the past few seasons. Following a bad Week 1 loss to the Packers, it seemed like the Lions had figured it out. Since their (4-1) start, they’ve gone just (2-3), and their offense really hasn’t looked the same in the process. Head coach Dan Campbell has taken over playcalling, but if not for their defense, many people would be much more worried about this team. There’s still plenty of reason to believe they’ll figure it out, and it’s worth noting (for Jared Goff purposes) that their next outdoor game won’t be until Week 18 against the Bears in Chicago.
Next up: Vs Giants
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) Previous Week: 9
Following the Bucs’ hot start, they’ve lost two in a row and three of their last four. This is still a good team with plenty of talent, but similar to their Week 11 opponent, the cracks are starting to show in different areas. With the Panthers’ thrilling overtime win, they are just a half-game up in the NFC South after holding a commanding lead in the division for most of the season. Having 44 points hung on a defense is never a great thing, so we’ll have to see how they rebound in a tough matchup against a red-hot Rams team next Sunday night.
Next up: At Rams (Sunday Night Football)
14. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) Previous Week: 10
Injuries have taken their toll on the Chargers this year, and it caught up to them on Sunday. They were thoroughly dominated en route to a blowout loss in Jacksonville. The win keeps the Jaguars alive in the playoff race, while knocking the Chargers down a peg, without their franchise tackles, for the remainder of the season. With their bye week in Week 12, this is a team that needs to regroup and make sure they don’t lose their grip on a playoff spot down the stretch.
Next up: Bye Week
15. Baltimore Ravens (5-5) Previous Week 16
Despite trailing for the majority of an ugly game that saw two rookie quarterbacks playing on the opposing side of the ball, the Ravens extended their winning streak to four games. More importantly, they keep pace with the Steelers to remain just one game back of the pace in the AFC North. With games against the Jets and Bengals upcoming before their matchup against the Steelers, things have a chance to get really interesting within the division. As a bonus, they still have both remaining matchups against the Steelers, which should ultimately decide the division.
Next up: Vs Jets
16. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5) Previous Week: 13
Houston, we have a problem. What once felt like a slow start to the Chiefs’ season now feels like something more concerning. From the eye test alone, they simply don’t look like the same team. The challenging part about evaluating a team like this is that they can suddenly surge forward and then quickly regain their footing at any time. Unfortunately for them, their odds of winning a 10th straight division title took a serious hit on Sunday with their 22-19 loss in Denver. With the Colts on the horizon, Kansas City is in grave danger of falling below .500 with the regular season winding down. We’ll see if they can pull themselves out of the hole they created or if this will end up as a Super Bowl appearance hangover.
Next up: Vs Colts
17. Houston Texans (5-5) Previous Week: 17
With quarterback C.J. Stroud out for a second straight week, the Texans were able to pull off yet another big win. The fact that they’ve been able to keep themselves afloat after a bad start is impressive. The division is probably out of reach, but with any luck, they’ll get Stroud back next weekend, which could be an explosive Thursday Night Football matchup against the Bills. For now, they’ll enjoy the fact that they were able to go (2-0) without Stroud under center.
Next up: Vs Bills (Thursday Night Football)
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) Previous Week: 18
Following a disappointing loss against a depleted Texans team in Week 10, the Jaguars came out on Sunday with a statement blowout win at home against a good team in the Chargers. Although the offense still isn’t firing on all cylinders, the defense stepped up in a big way, limiting the Chargers’ offense to almost nothing. This is a growing team with plenty of inconsistencies, but this win keeps them right in the thick of the playoff race.
Next up: At Cardinals
19. Carolina Panthers (6-5) Previous Week: 20
I’m going to continue to say it every week until something starts making sense… I don’t understand this Panthers team at all. One week, they look like a playoff contender, and the next, they look no different than they have in the three years prior. In the end, they’ve found a way to get themselves within a half-game of first place, with a chance to compete down the stretch. In many ways, this was a season-saving win; in others, it’s hard to predict which Panthers team comes out next week. The next two games could very well decide their season with tough matchups against the 49ers and Rams.
Next up: At 49ers (Monday Night Football)
20. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1) Previous Week: 22
I’m sure when the NFL schedule makers deemed this as the Monday night game back in May, they thought both teams would have better records. Luckily for them, both the Cowboys’ and Raiders’ fan bases are large enough to compensate for the lack of national interest. For Dallas, their season has been on the brink most of the year. Following the blockbuster trade of Micah Parsons, this felt more like a retooling season than anything else, but owner Jerry Jones had different ideas at the trade deadline. Monday night was a step in the right direction for this team, but they still have a long way to go to get themselves back into contention for one of the final Wild Card spots. Their schedule won’t be easy, so they’ll have to earn it.
Next up: Vs Eagles
21. Minnesota Vikings (4-6) Previous Week: 19
On paper, the Vikings have a Top 15 roster in the league. They’ve got plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but their lackluster record has all come down to quarterback play. JJ McCarthy was able to will them to big wins against the Bears in Week 1 and the Lions in Week 9, but the product in between has been pretty tough to watch. Sunday was more of the same, and in a must-win game, McCarthy and the offense couldn’t do enough to close out the game. Although they aren’t entirely out of the playoff chase, their season is in dire straits heading into the final seven games of the season.
Next up: At Packers
22. Atlanta Falcons (3-7) Previous Week: 21
The Falcons went from a potential playoff contender to being all but out of the race in the matter of a few weeks. Similar to the Panthers, they’ve been one of the more confounding teams in the league throughout the regular season. Sunday’s loss was a fun back-and-forth game that ultimately saw both quarterback Michael Penix and top receiver Drake London leave the game with knee injuries. It appears that Penix was lost for the year, while London is expected to miss at least the next few games. As if their record wasn’t enough to put a nail in the coffin, two key offensive injuries should be—another tough end for the Falcons for what feels like the 20th straight season.
Next up: At Saints
23. Miami Dolphins (4-7) Previous Week: 25
All of a sudden, the Dolphins have won three of their last four games. Could head coach Mike McDaniel save his job? I’m still skeptical, especially with his end-of-regular decision-making, as he bypassed the field goal for a failed fourth-down attempt. Ultimately, they won, but there’s still a lot to be desired. There’s not much to be said about their final six games of the season, but they’ll be an interesting team to monitor once the offseason rolls around.
Next up: Bye Week
24. Arizona Cardinals (3-7) Previous Week: 23
After starting (2-0), I thought 2025 was finally the year that the Cardinals put it all together to get into the playoffs. A (1-7) record later, and their season is all but over. Life in the NFL comes at you fast, and it’s worth wondering about the future of this franchise moving forward. Does this regime get another year? How about Kyler Murray? There are far more unanswered questions than solutions, which is not a great place to be in Year 3 of a rebuild that was supposed to be much further along by now. The only thing Cardinal fans can hope for at this point is for them to play spoiler to a team or two within the division.
Next up: Vs Jaguars
25. Cincinnati Bengals (3-7) Previous Week: 24
Joe Burrow or Joe Flacco, this team is going nowhere fast. At this point, the Bengals should shelve Burrow for the rest of the year and let the chips fall where they may with Flacco under center. Sunday’s loss was all but the final dagger in their season. Frankly, the bigger discussion needs to revolve around whether or not they need to clean house or give this group one more year to figure it out. For now, Bengals fans will just have to stew in the reality that, despite their (2-0) start, their season ended once Burrow was ruled out for three months.
Next up: Vs Patriots
26. Washington Commanders (3-8) Previous Week: 26
The disaster that has been 2025 continued in Spain on Sunday morning with a 16-13 overtime loss. Their season has been all but lost for a few weeks now, but this loss all but seals the deal. With Jayden Daniels’ dislocated elbow, Marcus Mariota is expected to see the majority of starts down the stretch. Following a strong start, he threw a crippling interception on the first play of overtime, which ultimately led to their loss. At this point, Washington would be smart to focus on the draft and start gameplanning on how to get younger (and better) starting next offseason.
Next up: Bye Week
27. New Orleans Saints (2-8) Previous Week: 27
The Saints headed into their bye week coming off an impressive win over the inconsistent Panthers. There’s still plenty to be figured out over the final seven games of the season, but for now, it appears they have their quarterback of the future under center in rookie Tyler Shough. Similar to teams like the Jets, Raiders, and Giants, draft position in an up-and-down quarterback class will be key, but if Shough proves that he can perform at a consistent level, it might be smart for New Orleans to bypass the position in the early rounds for another year.
Next up: Vs Falcons
28. New York Giants (2-9) Previous Week: 30
It was a valiant effort from the Giants against a strong team, but in the end, Jameis Winston’s interception troubles ultimately proved to be the difference in the game. There’s plenty to like about the Giants’ young core; it’s just a shame that they aren’t on the field gaining valuable experience. Even if I disagree with the idea of retaining general manager Joe Schoen, this might be the most attractive job opening when January rolls around, especially with another Top 5 selection in April’s draft.
Next up: At Lions
29. New York Jets (2-7) Previous Week: 28
Following a two-game winning streak, reality hit hard on Thursday Night Football against the NFL’s first nine-win team in the Patriots. The fact is quite simple- The Jets would be better off losing in terms of draft positioning, but following an (0-7) start, building the right culture with a new regime also needs to be factored in. At some point, a change at quarterback should be coming, and that might be in Week 12. Justin Fields continually struggles to eclipse 100 yards passing, which is an obvious issue that can’t continue if they expect to have any offensive success.
Next up: At Ravens
30. Cleveland Browns (2-8) Previous Week: 31
For the better part of Sunday afternoon, the Browns led the red-hot Ravens. Unfortunately, everything fell apart in the final quarter, a feeling that has become all too familiar for Browns fans. Dillon Gabriel left the third quarter with a concussion, which allowed Shadeur Sanders to see his first regular-season action of his young career. It was a mixed bag, but considering how much this offense has struggled with Gabriel under center, maybe it’s worth seeing what Sanders can do for a game or two? Either way, Cleveland is a likely team to be in the quarterback sweepstakes come the offseason.
Next up: At Raiders
31. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) Previous Week 29
Although it’s easy to see why Pete Carroll longed for one more NFL head coaching opportunity, I find it hard to believe he took the Raiders job thinking it would be this rough of a Year 1. If Vegas is smart, they’ll spend the majority of their offseason focus on the trenches. It never made much sense to bypass Armand Membou for Ashton Jeanty, but the Raiders fell into the trap of flashiness, and it has come back to haunt them multiple times so far in 2025. With playoffs out of consideration, the rest of this season should be all about evaluating who is worth keeping in 2026 and beyond. Currently, that list is likely to be relatively short.
Next up: Vs Browns
32. Tennessee Titans (1-9) Previous Week: 32
Facing a short-handed Texans squad was a scenario where the Titans could escape with a victory if they just played decent football. In the end, they couldn’t get it done, and their forgettable 2025 campaign continues. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward had a solid outing, despite taking three sacks. Against this defense, no turnovers, and a completion percentage over 60% is about all anyone can ask for, especially considering his supporting staff. Don’t worry, Titans fans, the regular season is inching closer to being over.
Next up: Vs Seahawks
