The biggest week of the 2024 NFL season is here, with three exciting games involving top-10 teams in the NFL Power Rankings.
On Thursday night, the Washington Commanders will play the Philadelphia Eagles. The Commanders are ranked ninth, and the Eagles are ranked sixth in our rankings, which reflect the votes of the team beat writers.
On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens will face the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens are ranked fifth, and the Steelers are ranked sixth.
On Sunday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills will host the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are ranked first, and the Bills are ranked third.
These three games make for a historic week: for the first time since the 1970 merger, there will be three Week 11 games featuring teams that each have seven or more wins.
Here are this week’s rankings:
32. Tennessee Titans (-6)
Things are not going well for the Titans, and as each week goes by, it’s hard not to wonder how low they will go this season. Will Levis showed improvement in his return from injury, but a 27-17 loss to the Chargers doesn’t leave much hope. — Jeremy Brener, Tennessee Titans
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (-3)
The Jaguars got a small taste of life without Trevor Lawrence, and it wasn’t pretty. The team posted the fifth-lowest total yards in franchise history, with Mac Jones struggling badly against Minnesota’s defense. Any thoughts of a QB controversy are now gone. — John Shipley, Jacksonville Jaguars
30. New York Giants (-1)
The Giants’ management team of general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll will have a lot to think about during the bye week after a tough overtime loss to Carolina.
The defeat revealed that the quarterback issue wasn’t the only problem for the team. The Giants have lost five straight and hold the worst record in the NFC. — Patricia Traina, New York Giants
29. Carolina Panthers (+3)
Don’t look now, but the Panthers are on a win streak going into their bye week. After upsetting the Saints and the Giants, there is finally some hope for this franchise.
Bryce Young has shown real improvement over the last three games, Chuba Hubbard has become a standout, and the activation of DJ Wonnum has given the defense a boost. Can they carry this momentum into their next game at home against the Chiefs in two weeks? — Tim Weaver, Carolina Panthers
28. Las Vegas Raiders (+2)
The Raiders made some changes on offense during their bye week, firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, quarterbacks coach Rick Scangerello, and offensive line coach James Cregg.
They added experienced coaches like Norv Turner, his son Scott, and Joe Philbin to their staff. The big question now is whether it’s too late to turn things around. Their first test will come on Sunday when they play the Dolphins. — Hondo S. Carpenter, Las Vegas Raiders
27. Cleveland Browns (-2)
The Browns were on a bye last week, which came at a critical time after several losses over the past six weeks. They traded Za’Darius Smith to the Lions but didn’t make any other moves before the trade deadline.
With a 2-7 record, they have a tough road ahead in the second half of the season, but their game on Sunday in New Orleans is winnable.
Questions about their future team continue to swirl, as the Browns are one of the oldest and most expensive teams in the NFL, and it seems like they may need to rebuild soon. — Brendan Gulick, Cleveland Browns
26. New England Patriots (+5)
The Patriots’ season might be nearly over, but they are picking up a few wins as they go. This week, they beat the Bears, with rookie quarterback Drake Maye earning a 1-0 record against No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. It wasn’t Maye’s performance that won the game, though—it was the defense, which sacked Williams eight times. — Noah Strackbein, New England Patriots
25. New York Jets (-2)
The Jets gave up four touchdowns and a field goal on Arizona’s first five drives and missed 20 tackles. Their offense couldn’t score a touchdown, and they lost 31-6, marking their fifth loss in six games. Their playoff hopes are now looking slim. They’ll play the Colts at home on Sunday. — Matthew Postins, New York Jets
24. New Orleans Saints (+3)
The Saints ended their seven-game losing streak under interim head coach Darren Rizzi by beating the NFC South-leading Falcons 20-17. Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught two touchdown passes in the win. Could they keep the momentum going as Jameis Winston returns to the Caesars Superdome for a game he really wants to win? — Kyle Mosley, New Orleans Saints
23. Indianapolis Colts (-1)
The Colts’ offense has run out of answers. Neither Anthony Richardson nor Joe Flacco has been able to spark things, but the defense has been playing well enough to win against good teams. They intercepted Josh Allen twice in a 30-20 loss to the Bills. Indy has lost three games in a row and will face the Jets next. — Jake Arthur, Indianapolis Colts
22. Miami Dolphins (+2)
After finally finding the right balance between their offense and defense, the Dolphins not only beat the Rams on Monday night but also gave themselves more hope for a playoff push in the second half of the season. They now have home games against the Raiders and Patriots, which give them a good chance to build a winning streak. — Alain Poupart, Miami Dolphins
21. Chicago Bears (-1)
The Bears have hit rock bottom after a bad loss to a team with a rookie quarterback and rookie coach at Soldier Field. Changing play-callers or making other changes won’t help much with tough games against all six NFC North teams, plus the 49ers and Seahawks still on their schedule.
Their next game is against the Packers, who have beaten them 10 times in a row. — Gene Chamberlain, Chicago Bears
20. Dallas Cowboys (+1)
Just when it seemed things couldn’t get worse for the Cowboys, we saw Cooper Rush replace Dak Prescott and throw nothing but short 4-yard passes, many of which he missed. They ended up with only six points, and their one chance at a touchdown was ruined by the sun.
After the loss to the Eagles, Jerry Jones got upset with reporters asking about the glare in his stadium and strongly denied it was a problem. CeeDee Lamb, who plays on the field, said the glare was an issue.
The situation became even more ridiculous when Mike McCarthy had to block out the sun just to finish his press conference. At this point, the Cowboys aren’t looking good, but at least they are giving us something to laugh about. — Josh Sanchez, Dallas Cowboys
19. Cincinnati Bengals (-)
The Bengals lost 35-34 to the Ravens on Sunday, which hurt, especially since Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase played at an elite level. If they keep playing well, they can beat any team. With a 4-6 record, the Bengals desperately need to win their game at the Chargers on Sunday to stay in the playoff race before their Week 12 bye. — James Rapien, Cincinnati Bengals
18. Los Angeles Rams (-1)
The Rams’ three-game winning streak was snapped with a tough loss at home to the Dolphins on Monday, a game that could decide the rest of their season. They are now 1 1/2 games behind Arizona for first place in the NFC West and are in 10th place in the NFC. — Tom Cavanaugh, Los Angeles Rams
17. Denver Broncos (+1)
The Broncos almost pulled off a win against the undefeated Chiefs, but a blocking mistake on a last-second field-goal attempt cost them the game. Despite the loss, the Broncos outplayed the Chiefs, and confidence is high as they head into the final seven games of the season, which should be easier. — Chad Jensen, Denver Broncos
16. Seattle Seahawks (-)
During their bye week, the Seahawks have had to do some serious self-reflection. Unfortunately, the 49ers and Cardinals both won on Sunday, making things even tougher.
After losing five out of their last six games, they need to fix things quickly to have a chance at climbing back into the NFC West race. They’ll face a tough challenge with a game against San Francisco on Sunday. — Corbin Smith, Seattle Seahawks
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2)
The Buccaneers lost another heartbreaking game to the 49ers on Sunday, dropping to 4-6 after starting the season 3-1. They’ve now lost four straight, with the last three games being decided by just one score.
Tampa Bay’s defense is still a big issue heading into their bye week, but getting key players like receiver Mike Evans and cornerback Jamel Dean back could help. — River Wells, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Atlanta Falcons (-2)
The Falcons had a rough week, losing 20-17 to the Saints in New Orleans. The Saints were coming off an embarrassing loss to the Panthers and playing under a new coach, yet the Falcons still felt like they should have won.
Now, they face a tough challenge when they play the Broncos, their biggest defensive test since their loss to the Chiefs in Week 3. — Scott Kennedy, Atlanta Falcons
13. San Francisco 49ers (-2)
Christian McCaffrey returned to the field and gained 107 yards in his season debut, but the 49ers’ problems before their bye week didn’t go away.
Their offense struggled in the red zone, the defense couldn’t finish the game, and special teams missed three field goals and muffed a punt. The 49ers have a lot of work to do to get back to their level from last season. — Grant Cohn, San Francisco 49ers
12. Los Angeles Chargers (+2)
The Chargers are starting to look like a real threat in the AFC. They’ve won four out of five games since their Week 5 bye. While none of those wins came against teams with winning records, the offense has improved, and Justin Herbert’s ankle injury is getting better.
Their defense is also allowing only 13.1 points per game, the best in the NFL by more than three points. The next two games against the Bengals and Ravens will reveal a lot about what these Chargers are capable of. — Chris Roling, Los Angeles Chargers
11. Arizona Cardinals (+4)
The Cardinals have been tough to beat at home, not allowing a touchdown in their last three home games, including a 31-6 win over the Jets.
Kyler Murray is playing well, the defense is stepping up, and head coach Jonathan Gannon is increasing his chances of being named Coach of the Year after winning four straight games before the bye week. — Donnie Druin, Arizona Cardinals
10. Green Bay Packers (-)
Last year, through nine games, Jordan Love had 14 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. This year, through the same number of games, he has 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The Packers are coming out of their bye week with a 6-3 record, and the question is whether Love can replicate the strong finish from last season, when he threw 18 touchdowns and just one interception in the final eight games. — Bill Huber, Green Bay Packers
9. Washington Commanders (-3)
The Commanders made mistakes on offense, defense, and special teams in their 28-27 loss to the Steelers. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had his least accurate game yet. Up next is a crucial game at Philadelphia on Thursday. The winner of this game will take the lead in the NFC East. — David Harrison, Washington Commanders
8. Houston Texans (-1)
The Texans showed they can compete with the best by dominating the first half against the powerful Lions. But they couldn’t keep it up and lost 26-23 after being outscored 19-0 in the second half.
Despite the loss, they still have a two-game lead in the AFC South, which has been the weakest division in the NFL this season. — Jeremy Brener, Houston Texans
7. Philadelphia Eagles (+2)
The Eagles are on a five-game winning streak and continue to look like serious Super Bowl contenders after a convincing 34-6 win over the Cowboys, led by Cooper Rush.
Most of Philadelphia’s key players didn’t play much in the fourth quarter as they prepare for a big Thursday night NFC East matchup against the 7-3 Washington Commanders at home. — Scott Neville, Philadelphia Eagles
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (+2)
The Steelers may be real contenders. After a hard-fought win against the Commanders, Pittsburgh is starting to get more attention, looking like a well-rounded team. They’ve won four straight games and now face a big rivalry game against the Ravens. The winner will take the lead in the AFC North. — Noah Strackbein, Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Baltimore Ravens (-2)
A one-point win over the 4-6 Bengals may not be impressive to some, but in the AFC North, anything can happen on any given week. The Ravens showed they can win when it matters most, and now they have a chance to take the division lead from the Steelers. To do so, their defense will need to play much better. — Jonathan Alfano, Baltimore Ravens
4. Minnesota Vikings (+1)
The Vikings beat the Jaguars, as expected, but it wasn’t the dominant performance people were hoping for. The game ended 12-7, which was frustratingly close, similar to their 3-0 win over the Raiders last season. The Vikings’ potential is high when Sam Darnold plays well, but the team struggles when he turns the ball over, as he has lately. — Joe Nelson, Minnesota Vikings
3. Buffalo Bills (+1)
The Bills’ game against the Colts was seen as a potential trap, but they got the job done and moved to an 8-2 record, their best start since 1993.
Quarterback Josh Allen didn’t have his best game, throwing two interceptions, but he still made big plays, including long passes to Dawson Knox and Mack Hollins, showing why he’s one of the most exciting players in the league.
The Bills are set to face the undefeated Chiefs this week, and all eyes will be on that game. But it’s just the start of a tough stretch that includes the 49ers and Lions. — Kyle Silagyi, Buffalo Bills
2. Detroit Lions (-)
The Lions’ offense struggled in the first half against the Texans, but as head coach Dan Campbell said during halftime, once the defense started creating turnovers, the Lions were able to get back in the game and eventually win. Jake Bates looks like the long-term answer as their kicker. — John Maakaron, Detroit Lions
1. Kansas City Chiefs (-)
The Chiefs continue to make games close, winning 19-18 over the Broncos after blocking a last-second field goal. Patrick Mahomes missed a couple of potential touchdown passes, and the offense had issues, especially when rookie second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia had to fill in at left tackle.
Starter Wanya Morris returned in the fourth quarter, but concerns about Mahomes’s protection on his blindside will remain. — Joshua Brisco, Kansas City Chiefs
