No new teams pop into the bottom or top ten this week, but that didn’t stop there from being a little shuffling around in position. There are 2 new candidates re-entering the MVP race after being out of the running for a long while. To make room for them, Eli Manning and Adrian Peterson have seen their way out. Peterson isn’t lacking anything, but you can’t seriously consider a player on a 3-7 team for MVP. Eli Manning turned the ball over 4 times in the loss to Philadelphia, which sent him over the edge as he was barely hanging on in the 10th spot. For the most part, the top teams looked good and the worst teams looked bad. As for individual performances, one player took a major fall after easily his worst game of the season. Here are your ten best teams, ten worst teams, and ten top MVP candidates after 11 weeks in the NFL.

Bottom of the Barrel

  1. St. Louis (10) After a 34-17 loss to the Falcons, the wheels seem to be coming off a bit for the Rams. The sad thing is, they are only 1 game out of the division lead in the horrible NFC West. It’s a shame that a playoff spot is going to be wasted on whoever wins the division. Record: 4-6

  2. Dallas (7) Jon Kitna played outstanding against the weak defense of Detroit and the Cowboys are now on a 2-game winning streak since the firing of Wade Phillips. The bad news is they have to take on the Saints tomorrow and a loss could shake their confidence that would spark another downslide. Record: 3-7

  3. Denver (9) Suffered a big division loss to the Chargers on Monday night, giving up 4 touchdown passes by Philip Rivers. Their defense isn’t getting any better. We’ll see how they do Sunday at home against the slumping Rams. Record: 3-7

  4. Minnesota (8) Fired coach Brad Childress this week, but it’s too little too late. If it had been done a few weeks ago, there’s a chance the season could have been saved. On the bright side, the team morale might improve under Leslie Frazier much like Dallas under Jason Garrett. They need to come out and respond against Washington after being pummeled by Green Bay 31-3 last week. Record: 3-7

  5. Buffalo (2) Had a terrific comeback against Cincinnati. This team continues to play with heart and after losing their first 8, they’ve now won back-to-back games. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Steve Johnson are one of the league’s most underrated QB/WR combos. Record: 2-8

 5. Detroit (6) A 3rd straight loss, falling 35-19 vs. Dallas. This season could’ve been different if Matt Stafford had been healthy, but if it weren’t for bad luck, the Lions would have no luck at all. Record: 2-8

  1. San Francisco (5) They were held to no points at home for the first time since 1977 this past Sunday against Tampa Bay. Frank Gore was barely noticeable. Other than Patrick Willis showing up big, the Niners’ entire day was a wash. They face Arizona this coming Monday night, so there is a bright side. Record: 3-7

  2. Arizona (3) Predictably, their Kansas City opponents came out angry after being embarrassed the week before. The Cards were the perfect team to face for a rebound win. Losers of 5 in a row, there’s been no signs of improvement. Record: 3-7

  3. Cincinnati (4) Regardless of the secondary injuries they suffered, there’s just no excuse for the huge lead they blew against Buffalo. They led 31-14 at halftime, then gave up 35 unanswered points, losing by the final of 49-31 and making it 7 straight. Record: 2-8

  4. Carolina (1) Holding down the title of the NFL’s worst team very easily after a 37-13 loss to Baltimore, about exactly what you would expect from them. Next up, they head to Cleveland where they’ll face their old quarterback Jake Delhomme due to Colt McCoy’s injured ankle keeping him out. Delhomme is bad enough to let them score the upset, but if the Browns are smart they’ll give Carolina a huge dose of Peyton Hillis. Record: 1-9

Top of the Pops

  1. NY Giants (3) After 2 straight convincing losses to division rivals Dallas and Philadelphia, they’re just a loss to Jacksonville away from being out of the top 10 completely. Eli Manning threw 3 interceptions and lost 1 fumble. Their defense contained Mike Vick about as well as you can, only allowing 34 yards rushing and no touchdowns through the air, but their own turnovers killed them. Record: 6-4

  2. Indianapolis (7) A tough loss after a late-game interception by Peyton Manning on a forced throw. Down 31-28, they didn’t have to go for the endzone, but the fact that they even battled back from a 31-14 deficit shows you can still never count out Peyton and the crew. Record: 6-4

  3. Nawlins (10) Scored an easy 15-point win over Seattle and move up 2 spots thanks to the Manning brothers’ troubles. They’ll head to Dallas next on Thanksgiving and try to extend their win streak to 4. Record: 7-3

  4. Baltimore (9) Also moving up 2 after a blowout victory over Carolina. They take on Tampa next in a battle of 7-3 teams, but we all know Tampa’s record is a result of their weak 1st half schedule. It gets a lot worse for them in the 2nd half. The Ravens should win handedly again. Record: 7-3

  5. Pittsburgh (8) I was expecting Oakland to put up a much better fight, but Pittsburgh gave them the knockout blow with a 35-3 win. Their defense also held Darren McFadden to just 14 yards. They’ll head to Buffalo next and hope to avoid the trap game. Record: 7-3

  6. Philadelphia (6) Winners of 3 straight after defeating the Giants on Sunday night, they’ll have their hands full with Chicago next. The Bears could be the next team to break into the top 10. We’ll see how Brian Urlacher and the Bears defense match up against Michael Vick. Record: 7-3

  7. Green Bay (5) Just took Minnesota to the woodshed in a 31-3 win. I picked Green Bay, but didn’t think the Vikes would just lay down like that. Aaron Rodgers had 4 touchdowns and 300 yards, 3 of his TDs to Greg Jennings. Their game against Atlanta on Sunday could be the best matchup of Week 12. Record: 7-3

  8. NY Jets (2) I understand 8-2 is 8-2, but it took a last-minute drive against the league-worst Houston secondary to pull off a 3rd straight thriller. They had the game well in hand and let Houston back into it, even with Andre Johnson being shut down by Revis. Record: 8-2

  9. Atlanta (4) Ryan, White and Turner had themselves a game at St. Louis in a 34-17 win and when Green Bay comes to the Georgia Dome next, they’ll have their chance to influence us that they truly are the best team in the NFC. Record: 8-2

  10. New England (1) Led 31-14 over Indy, then allowed Peyton to work his magic and make it a 3-point game late before picking him off for the 3rd time. It was impressive watching their young secondary rattle Manning at certain times in the game. Next opponent is Detroit tomorrow, so their position at #1 should be safe. Record: 8-2

MVP Race

  1. Darren McFadden (5) His great play came to a screeching hault when he met the Steel Curtain defense and gained just 14 yards on 10 carries. Granted, they were down big so he didn’t a chance to carry it much, but he’ll need more production when he’s on a 5-5 team if he’s going to stay on this list.

  2. Arian Foster (8) Still the league’s leader in rushing yards and TD’s, Foster gained 84 yards and scored 2 TDs against the tough Jets defense.

  3. Matt Ryan (NR) Yes, it’s probably long overdue that he returns to the top ten. However, I believe Roddy White deserves just as much credit (if not more) for the passing success that Atlanta has had. Still definitely worthy of making the list after leading his team to an 8-2 mark.

  4. Roddy White (7) Caught 9 passes for 83 yards but failed to score against St. Louis. He still easily leads the league in receptions, is one of only two receivers to break 1,000 yards and has reeled in 7 TDs on the season.

  5. Aaron Rodgers (NR) Played lights out against arch rival Minnesota, throwing 4 TDs and 300 yards. Rodgers ranks in the top ten in all major qb statistical categories. 

  6. Chris Johnson (4) He averaged over 6 yards a carry against Washington, carrying the ball 21 times for 130 yards. It’s the Titans record that’s holding him back, or he would probably still be 4th. 

  7. Michael Vick (3) Had to drop him a spot, and not because I was expecting another 6 touchdown Madden-like performance out of him Sunday night. I think I got a little too carried away ranking him as high as I did last week. He is top 5, but the next 3 deserve to be where they are. 

  8. Philip Rivers (6) Lit the Broncos up Monday night, throwing 4 scores and 233 yards. Again, doing more with less is what keeps him moving up the list.

  9. Peyton Manning (2) After holding onto the top spot for what seemed like an eternity, he’s now holding onto the 2nd position by a thread. Looking as rattled against the young secondary of New England as he did when they first became playoff rivals is inexcusable. He’s much more experienced, has won a Super Bowl, and should be making better reads than what he did against the Patriots.

  10. Tom Brady (1) He came out smoking early on against Indy, but didn’t do much after throwing 2 scores and putting them up 14-3. He did complete 19 of 25, but only threw for 186 yards. The key is though, he’s doing more with less much like the previous 2 QBs listed. It’s a close race, but right now Brady would win over Manning and Rivers by the slimmest of margins in my book. 

And those are your Week 11 rankings. Feel free to comment or post your own.