Windy City Gridiron
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...
