Arizona Sports NFL Power Rankings Week 11: Cowboys rule the roost
Nov 15, 2016, 4:45 PM
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016. The Cowboys won 35-30. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
(AP Photo/Don Wright)
Apparently, it’s hard to stay atop the Arizona Sports NFL Power Rankings.
The New England Patriots, who lost Sunday night to the Seattle Seahawks, lost their perch for the second time heading into Week 11. The red-hot Dallas Cowboys, who scored a thrilling win over Pittsburgh last Sunday, are now the fifth different team to top our rankings, joining Arizona (Week 1), the Patriots (Weeks 2-4, 8-10), Denver (Week 5) and Minnesota (Weeks 6,7).
Dallas’ win gave them its first eight-game winning streak in a single season since 1977, which is somewhat hard to believe considering their unbelievable success in the early-to-mid-90s.
Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott continued his stellar play and now ranks fourth in the league in QB Rating, behind only Tom Brady, Matt Ryan and Drew Brees. Fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott scored three touchdowns against the Steelers and leads the league with 1,005 yards on the ground. And Tony Romo is healthy enough to play, so Jerry Jones has every opportunity in the world to screw up this terrific run, so all is good in “Big D.”
1. Dallas Cowboys (8-1)
High: 1 (Marotta, Grialou, Morgan, Dimakos)
Low: 2 (Green, Lapinski)
Movement: ▲ 1
Comment: “Wonder if Cowboys fans who hated taking Elliott at #4 still feel that way?” — Lapinski
Next: vs. Baltimore
2. Seattle Seahawks (6-2-1)
High: 2 (Grialou, Morgan, Dimakos, Burns)
Low: 4 (Lapinski)
Movement: ▲ 3
Comment: “Seahawks are living a charmed life here in 2016.” — Grialou
Next: vs. Philadelphia
3. New England Patriots (7-2)
High: 1 (Green, Lapinski)
Low: 5 (Marotta)
Movement: ▼ 2
Comment: “Now we can ask why the Pats didn’t run from the 1-yard line.” — Marotta
Next: at San Francisco
4. Oakland Raiders (7-2)
High: 3 (Lapinski)
Low: 6 (Burns)
Movement: ▼ 1
Comment: “Oakland has been a great road team. Time to make hay with three straight at home.” — Morgan
Next: vs. Houston
5. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
High: 2 (Marotta)
Low: 5 (Morgan, Green, Dimakos, Lapinski)
Movement: ▲ 1
Comment: “Impressive comeback win on the road at Carolina.” — Dimakos
Next: vs. Tampa Bay
6. Denver Broncos (7-3)
High: 5 (Burns)
Low: 7 (Marotta, Green)
Movement: ▲ 1
Comment: “Who cares if Will Parks was out of bounds? Anything goes in 2016!” — Lapinski
Next: Bye
7. New York Giants (6-3)
High: 6 (Marotta)
Low: 14 (Burns)
Movement: ▲ 1
Comment: “Team is -2 in point differential, but +3 in the win column. That makes sense.” — Green
Next: vs. Chicago
8. Atlanta Falcons (6-4)
High: 6 (Green)
Low: 11 (Grialou)
Movement: ▼ 4
Comment: “Julio Jones’ drops were costly vs. Eagles.” — Morgan
Next: Bye
9. Washington Redskins (5-3-1)
High: 8 (Grialou)
Low: 11 (Dimakos)
Movement: ▲ 5
Comment: “Kirk Cousins’ postgame singing needs to replace ‘you like that’ memes.” — Dimakos
Next: vs. Green Bay
10. Houston Texans (6-3)
High: 8 (Marotta)
Low: 18 (Green)
Movement: ▲ 3
Comment: “How do you complete 14 passes for 99 yards…and win?” — Marotta
Next: at Oakland
11. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)
High: 7 (Burns)
Low: 19 (Green)
Movement: ▲ 6
Comment: “Schedule is not easy the rest of the way for this plucky squad.” — Green
Next: at Seattle
12. Detroit Lions (5-4)
High: 8 (Dimakos)
Low: 16 (Marotta)
Movement: —
Comment: “Gained control of NFC North by sitting on their couch.” — Grialou
Next: vs. Jacksonville
13. Arizona Cardinals (4-4-1)
High: 10 (Lapinski)
Low: 16 (Grialou, Morgan)
Movement: ▲ 2
Comment: “Should’ve blown out San Francisco. Win one of next two, still have a chance.” — Green
Next: at Minnesota
14. Minnesota Vikings (5-4)
High: 12 (Grialou)
Low: 16 (Dimakos)
Movement: ▼ 4
Comment: “The Vikings have gone from best team in the NFC to non-playoff team in four weeks.” — Morgan
Next: vs. Arizona
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-5)
High: 9 (Burns)
Low: 20 (Morgan)
Movement: ▼ 6
Comment: “James Harrison said the Pittsburgh defense is ‘quite terrible.’ He ain’t lying.” — Marotta
Next: at Cleveland
16. Baltimore Ravens (5-4)
High: 12 (Marotta, Morgan)
Low: 21 (Green)
Movement: ▲ 4
Comment: “Couldn’t let the Browns win one? Guess not.” — Dimakos
Next: at Dallas
17. Tennessee Titans (5-5)
High: 9 (Green)
Low: 19 (Grialou, Lapinski)
Movement: ▲ 8
Comment: “Pairing Murray’s corpse with Mariota has proven to be a good thing.” — Green
Next: at Indianapolis
18. Miami Dolphins (5-4)
High: 15 (Morgan)
Low: 24 (Dimakos)
Movement: ▲ 4
Comment: “They’re 5-4, but I’m not buying into them yet.” — Dimakos
Next: at Los Angeles
19. New Orleans Saints (4-5)
High: 14 (Green)
Low: 21 (Marotta, Grialou)
Movement: ▼ 3
Comment: “Kind of a brutal way to start the second half of the season.” — Lapinski
Next: at Carolina
20. Green Bay Packers (4-5)
High: 14 (Grialou)
Low: 22 (Morgan)
Movement: ▼ 9
Comment: “The Packers are 8-11 since Nov. 1, 2015 — and one of those wins came on a Hail Mary.” — Morgan
Next: at Washington
21. Buffalo Bills (4-5)
High: 17 (Grialou)
Low: 26 (Green)
Movement: ▼ 3
Comment: “Streaky team is on a bad one right now.” — Green
Next: at Cincinnati
22. San Diego Chargers (4-6)
High: 17 (Green)
Low: 27 (Grialou)
Movement: ▲ 1
Comment: “They lost twice — the stadium vote and then to the Dolphins.” — Grialou
Next: Bye
23. Indianapolis Colts (4-5)
High: 21 (Morgan)
Low: 27 (Burns)
Movement: ▲ 1
Comment: “So meh.” — Dimakos
Next: vs. Tennessee
24. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5-1)
High: 19 (Burns)
Low: 26 (Morgan, Dimakos)
Movement: ▼ 5
Comment: “Annual tradition of losing first-round playoff game is in jeopardy now.” — Lapinski
Next: vs. Buffalo
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
High: 20 (Dimakos)
Low: 27 (Marotta)
Movement: ▲ 1
Comment: “Jameis can play. The rest of the team? Not so much.” — Green
Next: at Kansas City
26. Carolina Panthers (3-6)
High: 22 (Lapinski)
Low: 27 (Morgan, Dimakos)
Movement: ▼ 5
Comment: “I think this ship has sailed. A loss on TNF will cap their season.” — Dimakos
Next: vs. New Orleans
27. Los Angeles Rams (4-5)
High: 22 (Marotta)
Low: 27 (Green, Lapinski)
Movement: —
Comment: “Jeff Fisher sounds like a parent whose kid is bad at sports when defending Keenum.” — Lapinski
Next: vs. Miami
28. New York Jets (3-7)
High: 28 (unanimous)
Low: 28 (unanimous)
Movement: —
Comment: “Todd Bowles won’t name a QB until next week. Maybe because he doesn’t have one?” — Morgan
Next: Bye
29. Chicago Bears (2-7)
High: 29 (Marotta, Grialou, Morgan, Dimakos, Burns)
Low: 31 (Green)
Movement: —
Comment: “CUTLER SUCKS.” — Dimakos
Next: at NY Giants
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7)
High: 29 (Lapinski)
Low: 31 (Dimakos)
Movement: —
Comment: “Considering their free-agent spending spree, there might not be a more disappointing team in the NFL.” — Grialou
Next: at Detroit
31. San Francisco 49ers (1-8)
High: 29 (Green)
Low: 31 (Everyone else)
Movement: —
Comment: “Let’s focus on the positive. DeForest Buckner. That is all.” — Lapinski
Next: vs. New England
32. Cleveland Browns (0-9)
High: 32 (unanimous)
Low: 32 (unanimous)
Movement: —
Comment: “Only six more games to immortality. You can do it, guys!” — Green
Next: vs. Pittsburgh
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