NFL Power Rankings: Week 6
Don Denkinger
Oct 8, 2008
This week's NFL Power Rankings is going to be a little bit shorter than the others because the debate was on while I was writing it. The top two teams are the same as last week, but there are a few major shakeups in store. Here we go...
Super Bowl Caliber Teams
1. New York Giants
(4-0)
Last week:
#1
Another week and the Giants are still at the top of the Rankings. This week, they clobbered the Seahawks like the Hawks were a bunch of baby seals. Even David Carr threw a TD pass! The Giants are actually managing the most yards per game in the NFL, and their defense is 3rd in the NFL in yards allowed. You are not going to lose many games when you play like that.
Game ball: Suspending Plexico for this game was an easy way to send a strong message to the team without blowing a game.
2. Tennessee Titans
(5-0)
Last week:
#2
The Titans were able to overcome a rock solid Ravens defense to score the game winning TD to stay undefeated. Give props to KFC for the final drive, but he had a terrible game up to that point. The running game only mustered about 50 yards against the Ravens. Finnegan and Griffin are the only two players in the NFL with four INTs.
Game ball: Someone noticed that Boller pt. 2 couldn’t throw the ball when he rolls right. The defense adjusted for this, and those rollouts accounted for all of Flacco’s INTs.
3. Washington Redskins
(4-1)
Last week:
#6
In the first quarter, the Redskins were 14 points behind the Eagles. They ended up winning on the strength of Clinton Portis, who gained well over 100 yards. Chris Cooley also chipped in 100 yards receiving, and no wardrobe malfunctions.
Game Ball:
Adam Schein named Portis his MVP thus far in the season. That is a bit far, but he has largely carried the Redskins through a very tough portion of their schedule.
4. Carolina Panthers
(4-1)
Last week:
#5
DeAngelo Williams scored three TDs against the Chiefs pitiful defense. The challenge posed by Stewart seems to have motivated him to become a big time RB. The Panthers’ have the fourth ranked defense by yards, including the third best passing defense. However, they have not played a team that can air it out. They’ll get their chance when they play the Saints twice this season.
Game Ball: DeAngelo Williams is taking the pressure off Delhomme and the passing game, and solidifying his hold on the starting position.
Potential Super Bowl Teams
5. Dallas Cowboys (4-1)
Last week:
#3
The Cowboys continue to fall down the rankings in increments of two. This week they won, but they struggled to beat the Bengals. They have not looked good the past couple of weeks against the Redskins and the Bengals.
Game Ball: Jason Witten is fourth in the NFL with 442 receiving yards. He’s taking the catches that used to go to TO.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
(4-1)
Last week:
#8
The Steelers survived a tough test against the Jags on Sunday night. Even though their offensive line is depleted, they found ways to put 27 points on the Jags. So far in the season, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley have combined for 12 sacks.
Game Ball: Big Ben is playing inspired football right now. Despite the injuries to the skill players, and the depletion of an already weak offensive line he makes plays to win nearly every game.
7. Buffalo Bills
(4-1)
Last week:
#4
Trent Edwards was knocked out of the Bills first loss by a nasty hit from Adrian Wilson. Losman will start if he cannot go which is not necessarily a bad thing. Losman has always had a rapport with Lee Evans, who is fifth in the NFL in receiving yards.
8. Baltimore Ravens
(2-2)
Last week:
#18
The Ravens jump 10 spots after a loss. It’s not ideal, but they have shown that they can shut down any offense. They have the #1 defense in the league in total yards allowed, in passing yards allowed, and in rushing yards allowed.
Teams One Step Away
9. Denver Broncos
(4-1)
Last week:
#10
The Broncos won another game, despite their lack of a defense. They beat the Bucs by three at home in a game in which Cutler only threw for about 225 yards.
Game Ball: Matt Prater kicked FGs of 55, 40, and 27 yards to help the Broncos eek out a win.
10. Chicago Bears
(3-2)
Last week:
#13
Kyle Orton looked like a great QB last week. Of course playing the Lions will do that for most QBs. I still don’t think the offense can muster much against a good defense, but the defense will be tough to match.
Game Ball:
How many fantasy owners thought ahead to start Kyle Orton? One? Two?
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(3-2)
Last week:
#9
The Bucs can’t get in a groove with a QB. First, it was Garcia, then Griese came in, and now Garcia might have start again because of the injury to Griese. Dunn ran for 74 yards, but the Bucs were not able to get anything going in the thin air of Denver.
12. Philadelphia Eagles
(2-3)
Last week:
#7
The Eagles have the talent to be the best team in the NFL, but they are dealing with several major injuries. In particular, Westbrook’s injury hurts the whole team, although DeSean Jackson has made several plays to take the pressure off him.
Stuck in the Middle
13. Arizona Cardinals
(3-2)
Last week:
#22
When is the last time the Cardinals were ahead of the Colts and the Patriots in a Power Rankings? Hightower looks like a steal in the fifth round, and has been compared to Marion Barber.
Game Ball:
Kurt Warner has spearheaded a passing attack that is third in the NFL in yards.
14. New England Patriots
(3-1)
Last week:
#14
Sure, the Pats won, but they only beat a weak 49rs squad by nine. The Patriots really need to overhaul their defense over the off-season because they are too old to play well consistently.
Game Ball:
Maybe Moss won’t become a cancer if Brady is gone. He had five catches for 111 yards.
15. Atlanta Falcons
(3-2)
Last week:
#21
The Falcons won a big road game over the Packers. Matt Ryan was a little one-sided in his passing, as 132 of his 194 yards went to Roddy White. John Abraham, who leads the NFL in sacks, and Michael Turner, who leads the NFL in rushing, helped him pull off the big upset.
Game Ball:
Roddy White is a force at WR. He is a great security blanket for Matt Ryan and is third in receiving yards.
16. Green Bay Packers
(2-3)
Last week:
#11
Losing a home game to the Falcons is a blow to this aspiring playoff team. Greg Jennings leads the NFL in receiving yards by more than a 100. Nick Collins is tied for second in the NFL with three INTs, but this team finds ways to blow games.
17. San Diego Chargers
(2-3)
Last week:
#12
Last week I sang Tomlinson’s praises. He repaid me by stinking it up against the Dolphins. My former #1 team has fallen all the way to the bottom half of the rankings. Norv Turner is a few bad games away from a pink slip.
18. Indianapolis Colts
(2-2)
Last week:
#16
The Colts have yet to get in a groove. Peyton is the 20th ranked QB, and Marvin Harrison is done. This team is a couple of lucky breaks away from being zero and four. This defense is dying without Bob Sanders.
Game Ball:
Sage Rosenfels seemed determined to ruin the game in any way possible. I can’t find anyone else to give the Game Ball to, so why not him?
19. Minnesota Vikings
(2-3)
Last week:
#17
Childress continues to confirm he is not cut out to be a head coach. He called out his punter after Reggie Bush returned two (should have been three) punts for TDs. The Vikings only won this game because the Saints missed a FG that would have put them up in the closing minute.
Game Ball:
Ed Hocculi continued to screw up games, this time missing a blatant facemask penalty that caused a fumble. I not giving out a game ball in silent (well, not so much) protest.
20. Miami Dolphins
(2-2)
Last week:
#25
Last week I talked about how the Dolphins could not put everything together. This week, they did. The offense played very well, and the defense held the Chargers to 10 points. If they can do it again, they will get a big boost in the rankings.
Game Ball:
Ronnie Brown has blossomed into a running back that can run the ball very well. Weird to think he almost got benched for Ricky Williams.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars
(2-3)
Last week:
#15
The Jags could not contain Big Ben or Mewelde Moore. They really miss Stroud, and they have no semblance of a pass rush. They could not afford a holdout from Harvey, but that is what they got.
22. New York Jets
(2-2)
Last week:
#20
The Jets are a team I can’t quite figure out. Sometimes they have a huge performance, like the game against the Cardinals, and sometimes they don’t show up, like the Patriots game.
23. New Orleans Saints
(2-3)
Last week:
#20
The Saints are first in passing yards by far. They have Reggie Bush, who is a playmaker anywhere on the field, except out of the backfield. What they don’t have is a good kicker or a good defense. The lack of a good kicker has already cost them two games.
24. San Francisco 49ers
(2-3)
Last week:
#24
Martz has plenty of weapons to work with (Vernon Davis, J.T. O’Sullivan, and Frank Gore) but he is going to need time to get his scheme installed. Patrick Willis continues to play well. He is second in the NFL in tackles with 46.
Possibly Mediocre
25. Cleveland Browns
(1-3)
Last week:
#23
Root, root for the Cavs… root, root for LeBron…What are the odds that Brady Quinn starts six games this year? 2:1?
26. Oakland Raiders
(1-3)
Last week:
#29
You know things are screwed up when there are six teams worse than the Raiders. They are third in the NFL in rushing, and they are the only team in the Top 5 of rushing to be below .500.
27. Seattle Seahawks
(1-3)
Last week:
#26
The Seahawks got blown out. The only team they have beaten so far are the Rams, and they have been ravaged by injuries. I would not be surprised if Holmgren decided to come back for one year to try and end on a high note.
28. Houston Texans
(0-4)
Last week:
#28
The Texans were well on their way to upsetting the Colts, when Sage Rosenfels got the Superman syndrome. Unfortunately, he cost them the game with two turnovers, one of which was returned for a TD. Steve Slaton looks to be the real deal however, as he continues to make his mark for the lowly Texans.
Hope for the #1 Pick
29. Kansas City Chiefs
(1-4)
Last week:
#27
Last week the Chiefs looked like a real football team. Not this week, as they got slaughtered by the Panthers. Larry Johnson is fifth in the NFL with 417 rushing yards, but that is because he got 198 against the Broncos. Take that game out and he has 55 rushing yards per game.
30. Cincinnati Bengals
| |
