NFL power rankings, Week 11: The Cowboys ascend to their rightful spot atop the throne

Week 10 may have given us the best Sunday of NFL action 2016 had to offer, and with that excitement came a change at the top of the league’s power rankings. The Dallas Cowboys, riding an eight-game winning streak and the only one-loss team in the land, are now your football overlords.

Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott each stamped their place in the league MVP race in a nailbiting win over the Steelers in a game that featured seven lead changes -- and three in the final 1:55. The victory gave them prominence over the Patriots, who played a game with seven lead changes of its own, but ultimately lost on a technically correct no-call on a possible pass interference in the fourth quarter.

New England is still in fine shape, but will have to fight to keep its spot atop the AFC thanks to a rising tide of strong teams. The Kansas City Chiefs took over the top spot in the AFC West by virtue of a comeback win over the Carolina Panthers. Now, the Chiefs, Patriots, and Oakland Raiders all share the league’s best record at 7-2, and the race for home-field advantage will be absolutely lit.

The pecking order in the NFC is a bit clearer. Sunday night’s win alone would have been enough to secure the Seahawks’ spot at No. 2, but Atlanta’s loss to the Eagles made Seattle’s path to a first-round bye a bit easier. The Falcons fell back to a pack of conference contenders that includes Washington, Philadelphia, the New York Giants, and Detroit.

That list doesn’t include Minnesota, however. The Vikings have been in a freefall after starting the season 5-0. A ragged offense, currently missing its starting quarterback, running back, and both tackles, has contributed to a four-game losing streak in which the team has scored only 14 points per game.

The rankings were more stable at the bottom. Cleveland, at 0-10, remains locked in at No. 32. The 1-8 49ers aren’t too far ahead, however. Since Week 1, these two teams have combined to lose 17 games in a race to the top for the 2017 NFL draft order.

Around the internet, there’s more or less a consensus about the top six teams and the bottom six teams in the Week 11 power rankings. The rest, though, is tough to sort out.