We're more than halfway through the 2024 NFL season, into the double-digit weeks now. But it's worth a reminder that all might not be as it seems when you look at the actual NFL standings vis-à-vis this week's Power Rankings.
Several NFL teams kept impressive win streaks alive in their NFL Week 10 games on Sunday, setting the stage for big matchups on the NFL Week 11 schedule.
The most impressive streak? The Kansas City Chiefs are now 9-0 this season.
But several other teams have impressed as of late, with the Detroit Lions' win streak at seven games, the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills having each won five straight and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals each at four wins in a row.
What is the best team in the NFL? There are two that stand out. The Lions and the Chiefs. The NFL season is halfway and the path to the Super Bowl is underway. That means our NFL power rankings here for week 11, as we evaluate the best top 10 NFL teams.
1. Detroit (8-1)
Great teams find a way to persevere through adversity and claw their way to a win. Five interceptions from Jared Goff on the road might’ve been a death sentence for the Detroit Lions in previous years, or at least a “burn the tape” game where they have to just accept the loss. These Lions are just different. Detroit’s defense rose to the occasion in the second half, the Lions’ running backs took over and Jared Goff stepped up when it mattered. The Lions are the best NFL team this season.
2. Kansas City (9-0)
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, the Kansas City Chiefs are both. Sunday’s win over the Broncos – preserved by a blocked field goal as time expired – won’t do anything to shake the skepticism that the Chiefs aren’t quite as good as they used to be. With that said, let’s also acknowledge that the Chiefs and Broncos played plenty of close games in previous years when Kansas City went on to win the Super Bowl. What matters the most for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, the Chiefs are undefeated and hold a two-game lead for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
3. Baltimore (7-3)
The Baltimore Ravens offense is quite often competing against Justin Tucker, this defense and even John Harbaugh at times this season. Lamar Jackson, already a two-time NFL MVP, is having a career-best season by far and this Ravens offense looks unstoppable. This should conceivably be the team that could finally dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC, but the Ravens’ defense and missed kicks still haunt Baltimore.
4. Buffalo (8-2)
The best NFL teams find ways to win even when a few things go wrong. That’s precisely what happened with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, who overcame two Josh Allen interceptions and 8 total team penalties, all with Keon Coleman and Amari Cooper out, to beat the Colts by two scores. Buffalo’s record arguably warrants being higher in the NFL power rankings. If they can pull off the upset next Sunday at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, the No. 2 spot is theirs.
5. Pittsburgh (7-2)
There are statement wins and then there’s what the Pittsburgh Steelers did on Sunday afternoon. Not only did Pittsburgh overcome a pair of turnovers, it won despite gifting Washington a red-zone touchdown after a failed fake punt inside their own 20-yard line. Overcoming all that and still beating a very good Commanders team, that’s impressive. After moving to 7-2, Pittsburgh has demonstrated it is one of the best NFL teams right now and Russell Wilson is cooking.
6. Philadelphia (7-2)
Jalen Hurts probably made this game more interesting than it needed to be, with a pair of first-half turnovers only making it a one-score game at halftime. Credit to this Philadelphia Eagles locker room, though, because it flipped a switch in the second half and took complete control from there on. Plus, with the Commanders losing on Sunday, Philadelphia takes the pole position in the NFC South ahead of the head-to-head battle on Thursday Night Football.
7. Washington (7-3)
The Pittsburgh Steelers gave the Washington Commanders chances to win on Sunday – 2 turnovers and a failed fake punt at the 16-yard line – but this team just couldn’t take advantage. That’s fine, rookie Jayden Daniels can learn from some of the mistakes he made in Week 10 and still feel good about where things are headed. The loss only drops Washington to 7-3 and with matchups upcoming against the Cowboys (twice), Titans and Saints, the Commanders should still finish with 10-plus wins.
8. Green Bay (6-3)
The Week 10 bye came at an opportune time for the Green Bay Packers. Not only has it provided Jordan Love (groin and knee) with two weeks of rest, but it also allowed Josh Myers (wrist), Josh Jacobs (ankle), Jaire Alexander (knee) and Evan Williams (hamstring) time to heal up. Sitting at 6-3, the upcoming Packers schedule – at Bears, vs 49ers, vs Dolphins, at Lions – is a fantastic litmus test to determine if this is one of the best NFL teams moving forward.
9. Minnesota (7-2)
The old Sam Darnold is back and it has to be a significant concern for the Minnesota Vikings. In the last two weeks, against bottom-10 defenses, Darnold has thrown 5 interceptions and taken 5 sacks with a sub-53.0 ESPN QBR in both games. Minnesota barely survived his 3 interceptions in Sunday’s five-point win over the Jaguars. So, while the upcoming Vikings schedule – at Titans and Bears – is favorable, the quarterback position is now a Minnesota-sized question mark.
10. Arizona (6-4)
The Arizona Cardinals seem here to stay. Welcoming a New York Jets team that was playing with confidence and in a much-win situation, Kyler Murray stepped up and the Cardinals’ defense rose to the occasion. Arizona is now riding a four-game win streak, including victories over the Chargers and Bears. While this is the same team that got its doors blown off by the Green Bay Packers and Washington Commanders, the Cardinals look like a legit threat to win the NFC West and no one saw that coming before the season.
Teams on the Horizon
San Francisco (5-4)
LA Chargers (6-3)
Arizona (6-4)
Houston (6-4)
Atlanta (6-4)
Denver (5-5)