Caleb Williams' heroics send Bears vaulting up 2025 NFL Week 11 power rankings

What a difference a year makes in the NFL. Last season, it took until Week 18 for Caleb Williams to finally lead a game-winning drive. In 2025, he's already up to four on the season, tied with Baker Mayfield and Drake Maye for the most in the league. Williams overcame some duds that almost sunk the Bears in Week 10, carrying in the game-winning touchdown himself.

The whole league is beginning to take notice of Williams and the Bears now, with one former NFL head coach raving about Williams in a powerful message to Bears fans. They're moving up power rankings around the NFL world, and they're moving up from their spot in my Week 10 NFL power rankings, too.

Where do the Bears land ahead of Week 11? Let's take a look.

1. Los Angeles Rams (Last week: 2)

Matt Stafford should be leading the MVP conversation right now. He's turned back the clock on this Rams team to its 2021 version.

2. Detroit Lions (Last week: 5)

Trouble in paradise? The Lions got back on track with a dominant win over the Commanders, but head coach Dan Campbell took over playcalling from offensive coordinator John Morton. That's a situation worth monitoring.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 3)

The Chiefs stay put during their bye.

4. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 4)

The Colts won, but the fans had better hope they snap out of this funk quickly. After the blockbuster Sauce Gardner trade, expectations are through the roof, and no one in that locker room can afford to stumble into the playoffs.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 7)

An unimpressive 10-7 win over the struggling Packers won't bump the Eagles any higher than this. There are serious question marks around this team, especially on offense.

6. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 8)

Seattle's Week 11 showdown with the Rams is going to be appointment viewing. Either one of these 7-2 teams could represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

7. New England Patriots (Last week: 9)

Beating the Buccaneers was crucial for the Patriots to make a case as the best team in the AFC. That's a quality win, and it's time to stop doubting this team.

8. Los Angeles Chargers (Last week: 11)

The Chargers kept pace with the Broncos, but they'll need to be more consistent if they want to claim the AFC West crown this year.

Justin Herber — Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 6)

After a hot start to the season, the Bucs have cooled off somewhat and have dropped two of their last three. Lucky for them, the rest of the NFC South is just awful.

10. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 1)

If you'd told me on Saturday that the final score of the Bills-Dolphins game would be 30-13, I would have assumed that the Bills had a field day. Instead, the Dolphins shellacked their division rival, and my confidence in the Bills is shattered. There's just been too many bad losses this year.

11. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 13)

If Lamar Jackson can take the Ravens from 1-5 to the playoffs, conversations need to be had about a third MVP award.

12. Denver Broncos (Last week: 10)

Yes, I'm moving the Broncos down two spots after a win. The defense is elite, and they have a Super Bowl-winning head coach, but this offense is an unmitigated disaster. For that reason, I have to move them to the middle of the crowd.

13. Chicago Bears (Last week: 15)

The stats won't show it, but this may have been the best game of Caleb Williams' career. He was calm, decisive, in command of the offense, and proved once again to be clutch. He has the Bears rolling right now and have drawn to a tie with the Lions for first place in the NFC North.

14. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 14)

Trading for Micah Parsons convinced much of the NFL world that the Packers would be a title contender, but at 5-3-1, it's time for people to adjust their projections. Jordan Love is fumbling this team right out of the playoff conversation.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 12)

After falling to 5-4, the Steelers' season is in danger of going completely off the rails. A loss against the Bengals in Week 11 would be the last nail in the coffin.

16. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 16)

I dropped the 49ers to No. 16 in my Week 10 NFL power rankings, and that felt unfair. So despite a heinous 42-26 loss to the Rams, I'll leave the 49ers here for the week.

Christian McCaffre — Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

17. Houston Texans (Last week: 19)

An epic fourth-quarter comeback victory earns the Texans a bump up the standings, but this remains a deeply flawed team.

18. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 17)

The Vikings went from beating a dominant Lions team to a flop against the Ravens. In other words, they're getting the rookie quarterback experience. A matchup with the Bears in Week 11 will tell us a lot about this team.

19. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 18)

Bryce Young may not be a complete disaster anymore, but he is clearly not Carolina's franchise quarterback. The fans need to be prepared for a genuine quarterback competition in the offseason.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 20)

After another pathetic performance from the former No. 1 overall pick, the Jaguars need to start making some phone calls around the league and see what kind of offseason offers they might get for Trevor Lawrence. He is not their quarterback of the future.

Trevor Lawrenc — Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

21. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 21)

The Cowboys stay put during their bye.

22. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 22)

The Falcons showed a lot of fight against arguably the best team in the AFC, but couldn't finish the job. Hat's off to them for making it an exciting game.

23. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 23)

I should probably drop the Cardinals after getting absolutely clobbered by Seattle, but I can't justify putting them below the following teams just yet.

24. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 28)

Where has that Miami Dolphins team been all year? Drumming the Bills 30-13 is no easy feat, but it remains to be seen whether this was a fluke divisional game or a turning point for this team.

Tua Tagovailoa — Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

25. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 30)

How about Tyler Shough? The rookie looked poised and played a terrific game against a Panthers defense that just beat the Green Bay Packers. Shough's development could be an intriguing storyline, indeed.

26. New York Giants (Last week: 24)

Brian Daboll is out as the Giants' head coach after that incredible loss to the Bears. The Giants may be a disaster for the rest of the season, but with several exciting young playmakers on offense, this figures to be an attractive job in the coming offseason.

27. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 27)

Joe Burrow is returning to practice as his 21-day window opens, and people around the league are excited about what that means for the Bengals. They shouldn't be. This team has proven that it doesn't matter how many points the offense puts on the board; the defense will still find a way to lose the game.

28. New York Jets (Last week: 31)

The Jets made history on Sunday when they returned both a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in consecutive drives, fueling their 27-20 victory over the Browns. Good for them for getting back-to-back wins, but that's obviously not sustainable.

Kene Nwangwu — Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

29. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 29)

The Titans stay put during their bye week.

30. Washington Commanders (Last week: 25)

Whether Jayden Daniels comes back or not, the Commanders might very well lose all of their remaining games.

31. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 26)

The Browns lost a game in which the opposing quarterback completed just six passes, and that's all I have to say about this putrid team.

32. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: 32)

It's starting to look like every choice the Raiders made this offseason was a disastrous one. From trading for Geno Smith to hiring Pete Carroll and drafting a running back when the offensive line desperately needed reinforcements, the Raiders have taken a step back in every way possible.

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