Around the NFL Week 11: Who are the top five teams in the league?

Week 11 of the 2019 regular season has concluded. We kicked off with the wild matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns on Thursday night. Cleveland got the win, but lost their best defensive player Myles Garrett for the season.

On Sunday, the schedule was headlined by matchups between the Texans and Ravens and the Patriots at Philadelphia.

In case you missed any of the action, check out the list of final scores below.

Final Scores

Steelers 7 Browns 21

Cowboys 35 Lions 27

Jaguars 13 Colts 33

Bills 37 Dolphins 20

Broncos 23 Vikings 27

Saints 34 Buccaneers 17

Jets 34 Redskins 17

Falcons 29 Panthers 3

Texans 7 Ravens 41

Cardinals 26 49ers 36

Bengals 10 Raiders 17

Patriots 17 Eagles 10

Bears 7 Rams 17

Chiefs 24 Chargers 17

Week Eleven - Top Five Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots (9-1)

Many people may question The Patriots being ahead of the one team they lost to in the Baltimore Ravens, but New England is still the best team in the NFL. The Patriots’ offense scores almost 29 points a game, third best in the NFL, and their defense has allowed just 10.8 points a game, the best in the NFL. On Sunday against Philadelphia, the Patriots’ defense held the Eagles to just 255 yards of total offense. Carson Wentz went 20 of 40 for just 214 yards and a QBR of 74.4. New England put pressure on Wentz all afternoon, sacking him five times on the day. Tom Brady didn’t have a huge day, but he didn’t turn over the football and was only sacked one time. New England continued to be the best coached team in the league, using an extremely creative play-call where Julian Edelman threw a touchdown pass that ended up being the deciding score. New England is going to get the one seed in the AFC playoffs, and having to go to Foxborough will not be a good matchup for any AFC team. Even if Tom Brady is showing signs of slowing down, this Patriots’ defense is dominant enough to carry this team to a Super Bowl.

2. Baltimore Ravens (8-2)

Every week the Baltimore Ravens continue to impress more and more. This weekend they absolutely dominated a very solid Texans team 41-7. Lamar Jackson continued to build his MVP resume, throwing for 222 yards and four touchdowns to go with 86 rushing yards. Jackson continues to do something every game that surpasses what he did the previous week, and at this point in time looks like the clear MVP frontrunner. The Ravens’ offense leads the league averaging 34 points per game, and 203 rushing yards a game. On the defensive side of the ball, Baltimore has improved exponentially from the beginning of the season. In the last five games, Baltimore has allowed 20 points just one time, a game they won against the Patriots. They sacked Deshaun Watson six times on Sunday, two coming by Matthew Judon, their team leader in sacks. Baltimore is now 8-2 on the season, but still has tough matchups against the Rams, 49ers, and Bills left on their schedule. The Ravens are an outstanding team, but if they do not get home field in the playoffs, it is hard to see them going into New England and defeating the Patriots for a second time this season.

3. Green Bay Packers (8-2)

Despite having a bye week this weekend, the Green Bay Packers are still my best team in the NFC. What team wants to go into Green Bay and face Aaron Rodgers when he is playing at this MVP level? This season the Packers have finally given Rodgers a running back, and Aaron Jones has 11 touchdowns through 10 games this season. Rodgers has thrown 17 touchdowns to just two interceptions, and his best target, Devante Adams, has played in just six of their games. The Packers’ defense has given up tons of yards, but they buckle down well in the red zone, allowing just 20.5 points per game. They have allowed 25 points just one time since Week 5, and they are 5-1 in their last six games. The NFC has no clear favorite, but when teams are this closely matched I think it comes down to taking the team with the best quarterback. Aaron Rodgers is still that guy.

4. Seattle Seahawks (8-2)

Seattle is just a small notch behind the Packers for the best team in the NFC spot. The Seahawks also had a bye this weekend, but their last game was a huge win in San Francisco over the 49ers. If Lamar Jackson is number one in the MVP race, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson is a close number two. Wilson has been outstanding this season, throwing for 2,737 yards to go with 22 touchdown passes with just two interceptions. Chris Carson has added solid production on the ground, rushing for 853 yards and four touchdowns. Seattle averages 27.5 points per game, seventh best in the NFL. The Seahawks’ offense has scored 27 or more points in five of their last six games. During this span their record as a team is 5-1 and their only loss is to the Baltimore Ravens. The Seahawks’ defense still has room for improvement, giving up 34 points to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just two weeks ago. Jadeveon Clowney is starting to heat up leading the defense, and they still have Bobby Wagner, but overall the Seattle defense is average at best. This team is going to ultimately go as far as Russell Wilson will carry them. He has done it through 10 week, can he do it for the last six?

5. San Francisco 49ers (9-1)

The San Francisco 49ers have a better record than the two NFC teams listed above them, but their quarterback hasn’t yet proven to be on the level of the other two NFC teams. Jimmy Garoppolo did have a great game on Sunday, throwing for 424 yards and four touchdowns in the comeback win. Despite their offense averaging the second-most points in the NFL, they really have not played many playoff-contending teams. Out of their nine wins, just four are against teams who have a realistic shot of qualifying for the postseason. Garoppolo is extremely talented, but does not have any postseason experience while Rodgers, Wilson, and Brees have about as much as you can get. There is no doubt the 49ers’ defense is for real. Nick Bosa is looking like one of the best picks of the draft, and they lead the league allowing just 142 passing yards a game. San Francisco will be able to slow down even the best offense, but will Jimmy Garoppolo be able to take care of the football and make enough plays to take advantage?

Elsewhere around the NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles

Record: 5-5

Outcome: Loss 17-10 at New England Patriots

Next Game: VS Seattle Seahawks (8-2)

New York Giants

Record: 2-8

Outcome: BYE WEEK

Next Game: AT Chicago Bears (4-6)

Washington Redskins

Record: 1-9

Outcome: Loss 34-17 vs New York Jets

Next Game: VS Detroit Lions (3-6-1)