Week Five NFL Power Rankings
Updated October 2, 2012
32. Cleveland Browns (0-4)
That was by far the best performance we have seen out of the Browns this season. It still was not enough to win however. I feel like we are not going to see much good from this team for awhile now, because they clearly put all they had into trying to beat the Ravens, and that still did not happen.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)
Hey, Jacksonville Jaguars, did you ever think that maybe the reason you have trouble getting people to come to your home games is that you go out and get beat like that on your own turf? Especially after just letting the Texans do you even worse not long ago. Hey, it’s just a thought.
30. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
The Colts were on a bye this week, but did receive some horrible news, as head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia. It is said to be a treatable form and we here at Backyard Banter wish him the speediest and fullest of recoveries and the Colts luck in his absence.
29. New Orleans Saints (0-4)
I gave the Saints a one spot bump, and it was probably just to be nice. No, in all seriousness, this team finally played a complete game but fell just short of winning at the end. I will tell you that I am growing tired of Interim Interim Head Coach, Aaron Kromer’s whole “we are an improving team” bit. You are not improving you are still losing. Reality.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)
We are seeing more and more of who this team actually is…I think. This team was horrid in the first half but seemingly turned it on in the second half to make it competitive until the end. Josh Freeman did nothing to quell the questions about his consistency.
27. New York Jets (2-2)
This team is in an all out free fall. The question is, is it Tebow time? I think you really cannot make the move this week as it will reek of desperation and this team is still .500 at the moment. However, after what is sure to be a Monday night thrashing of this team, and the horrible Mark Sanchez, at the hands of the top ranked Texans, the calls for Tebow will be deafening. One more loss and it really may be Tebow time. Oh boy.
26. Miami Dolphins (1-3)
I gave the Dolphins a nice bump up because they showed me some toughness and skill that I did not see when they lost last week. They have been competitive this year and Ryan Tannehill has been much better than expected thus far. The future looks bright for Miami.
25. Oakland Raiders (1-3)
Embarrassing effort all around from this team and big surprise the Raiders stink once again. They have some talent to occasionally upset a team like the Steelers, but have plenty of bad players to get blown out on the regular like Sunday against Denver.
24. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)
The Chiefs have had three out of four games end in embarrassing losses. At this moment they cannot be considered even an average team, despite having a lot of nice talent. Matt Cassel was a liability Sunday, but there is no one to replace him on the roster. Now that is poor planning.
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3)
Carolina gave the Falcons about everything that they had but in the end could not pull out the win. This is just what Carolina is right now. Talented but inconsistent team with some big holes that will not allow them to beat many, if any at all, good teams.
22. Tennessee Titans (1-3)
Chris Johnson finally had himself a good statistical game. I still wouldn’t trust him and I really hate how he seemed almost happy with the loss just because he had a nice day rushing against the Texans’ backups. He will need to continue to step up, as Matt Hassleback looks simply done.
21. St. Louis Rams (2-2)
The Rams are rising up the rankings. I do not think that will be much of threat in the long run, but you have to love how they are competing and beating up on teams with their physical play. This is the type of scrappy team that good teams should not look pass or look forward to playing.
20. Buffalo Bills (2-2)
Mario Williams, where are you? These are the type of games that he was signed to produce big in and he was completely absent this weekend. Is Williams the next Albert Haynesworth, a big defensive lineman that signs a $100 million contract with a mediocre team and then just disappears? Time will tell, but the early returns are not great.
19. Detroit Lions (1-3)
Detroit is free falling as well. They started this year a top-10 squad, but are now a massive disappointment. Mental mistakes are now combined with porous special teams to make a nasty combination. Jim Schwartz needs to get control of this team or we likely will not see back-to-back play off appearances.
18. Washington Redskins (2-2)
Gutsy win by RG3 and the Redskins. I want to talk about the other rookie in the Skins backfield though. Sixth round rookie has impressed me more and more every time I get to watch him. It is a big comparison, but he reminds me so much of Terrell Davis, the former Bronco great under Shanahan. Shanny would be wise to not pull any runningback switches and stick with this powerful young player.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)
Nope, sorry Bengals I will not buy it. I am sick and tired of this team beating up on bad teams and then getting boosted into other publications’ top-10s. I will not move the Bengals a single spot higher until they beat a good team. Seeing as their nest two games are against the Browns and Dolphins, before battling the Steelers in week 7, they should get used to spot 17.
16. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
I was not comfortable with this team in my top-10 last week and Monday night showed me just why. You just cannot trust this Dallas team to ever string together consistently good performances. Honestly, I think they are better than last year, but right now, I think that they should target next year for a playoff appearance.
15. Minnesota Vikings (3-1)
Minnesota continues to surprise people, including me. One thing to notice here is that the return of thug4life Jerome Simpson did indeed have a big impact. He caught four passes for 50 yards and drew two big pass interference penalties. He adds another dimension to an offense that has played pretty well so far.
14. Seattle Seahawks (2-2)*
Similar to the Cowboys I had this team high in the rankings and I did not feel too good about it. They also showed me I felt that way on Sunday. I am beginning to wonder if Russell Wilson is ready to lead this team. Maybe a switch back to Matt Flynn is in the future for this team. Pete Carroll has said he is not healthy, but we know not to trust him.
13. Denver Broncos (2-2)
A complete thrashing of Oakland is just what we needed to see from Denver. Where I have this team indicates about what I think they could be. I think Denver will be one of the last seeded teams in the AFC, but they will probably just be getting comfortable with Manning by then. They could do damage once they are in.
12. San Diego Chargers (3-1)
Yet another team I am still not yet convinced of who they are just yet. They have beaten up on some pretty bad teams, and when they faced a good team in the Falcons they were beaten quite convincingly. They face the Saints next, and frankly, it wouldn’t surprise me if they give the Saints their first win.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)
The Steelers had a bye this wee, but the good news is they may be getting some injured guys back soon. What remains to be seen is if those players can boost them back to top-10 status or not.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)
The Eagles finally got past their turnover problem and beat the Giants. Do I think they are truly over their problems? No I do not. I think that the nine teams I have ahead of them are truly better than them and if these rankings held true they would be outside the playoffs.
9. Chicago Bears (3-1)
Chicago put together a full effort on Monday night. Frankly if Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler are playing to their potential and the defense is wreaking havoc this team could be as good as anyone. The trouble is will they maintain that level of play.
8. New York Giants (2-2)
The Giants could not pull out the win and many people have begun to say that they just rely on Manning to bail them out on every occasion. That may be true, but on most cases Eli is up to the challenge. However, on Sunday he was sub-human and that will get them beat.
7. New England Patriots (2-2)
45 points in a single half is quite an amazing feat. This is really the Brady offense that we need to see week in and week out. If they can keep feeding their many weapons then they can get back closer to the top of the rankings.
6. Arizona Cardinals (4-0)
Things are beginning to feel like a storybook season in Arizona. There is always the potential this team could crash down to Earth. However, it sure felt that was coming on Sunday, as the defense was not stellar. Kevin Kolb came out and put the team on his back and willed them to victory. That could end up being a defining moment for his career.
5. Green Bay Packers (2-2)*
On Sunday it seemed that the Packers finally got their offense going on full throttle. Their defense did not play up to its early season standard, but it still held the Saints under 30 points and there was still a ton of shady calls even with the real officials back.
4. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)
From here on out all my teams are in the same spot. I did not overreact to one loss by the Niners and they showed me to be correct when they trashed the Jets on Sunday. I am still stunned that they had nine players that carried the ball against the Jets. This was without Brandon Jacobs and LaMichael James. Talk about a tough bunch of guys.
3. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
Baltimore kept it a little to close for my liking agaisnt the Browns, but division games never rarely end in blowouts. It is not like the end result was ever in doubt anyways.
2. Atlanta Falcons (4-0)
Another team that showed a lot of resolve in their win on Sunday. Beating a division rival in such an improbable manner has to be a huge confidence boost for this team. I am excited to see them play against some more talented squads. This is the class of the NFC.
1. Houston Texans (4-0)
Houston has now pretty much thrashed each team they have faced. Of course I want to see them up against a good team, but nonetheless it is clear that this is the best team in the NFL.
32. Cleveland Browns (0-4)
That was by far the best performance we have seen out of the Browns this season. It still was not enough to win however. I feel like we are not going to see much good from this team for awhile now, because they clearly put all they had into trying to beat the Ravens, and that still did not happen.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)
Hey, Jacksonville Jaguars, did you ever think that maybe the reason you have trouble getting people to come to your home games is that you go out and get beat like that on your own turf? Especially after just letting the Texans do you even worse not long ago. Hey, it’s just a thought.
30. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
The Colts were on a bye this week, but did receive some horrible news, as head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia. It is said to be a treatable form and we here at Backyard Banter wish him the speediest and fullest of recoveries and the Colts luck in his absence.
29. New Orleans Saints (0-4)
I gave the Saints a one spot bump, and it was probably just to be nice. No, in all seriousness, this team finally played a complete game but fell just short of winning at the end. I will tell you that I am growing tired of Interim Interim Head Coach, Aaron Kromer’s whole “we are an improving team” bit. You are not improving you are still losing. Reality.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)
We are seeing more and more of who this team actually is…I think. This team was horrid in the first half but seemingly turned it on in the second half to make it competitive until the end. Josh Freeman did nothing to quell the questions about his consistency.
27. New York Jets (2-2)
This team is in an all out free fall. The question is, is it Tebow time? I think you really cannot make the move this week as it will reek of desperation and this team is still .500 at the moment. However, after what is sure to be a Monday night thrashing of this team, and the horrible Mark Sanchez, at the hands of the top ranked Texans, the calls for Tebow will be deafening. One more loss and it really may be Tebow time. Oh boy.
26. Miami Dolphins (1-3)
I gave the Dolphins a nice bump up because they showed me some toughness and skill that I did not see when they lost last week. They have been competitive this year and Ryan Tannehill has been much better than expected thus far. The future looks bright for Miami.
25. Oakland Raiders (1-3)
Embarrassing effort all around from this team and big surprise the Raiders stink once again. They have some talent to occasionally upset a team like the Steelers, but have plenty of bad players to get blown out on the regular like Sunday against Denver.
24. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)
The Chiefs have had three out of four games end in embarrassing losses. At this moment they cannot be considered even an average team, despite having a lot of nice talent. Matt Cassel was a liability Sunday, but there is no one to replace him on the roster. Now that is poor planning.
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3)
Carolina gave the Falcons about everything that they had but in the end could not pull out the win. This is just what Carolina is right now. Talented but inconsistent team with some big holes that will not allow them to beat many, if any at all, good teams.
22. Tennessee Titans (1-3)
Chris Johnson finally had himself a good statistical game. I still wouldn’t trust him and I really hate how he seemed almost happy with the loss just because he had a nice day rushing against the Texans’ backups. He will need to continue to step up, as Matt Hassleback looks simply done.
21. St. Louis Rams (2-2)
The Rams are rising up the rankings. I do not think that will be much of threat in the long run, but you have to love how they are competing and beating up on teams with their physical play. This is the type of scrappy team that good teams should not look pass or look forward to playing.
20. Buffalo Bills (2-2)
Mario Williams, where are you? These are the type of games that he was signed to produce big in and he was completely absent this weekend. Is Williams the next Albert Haynesworth, a big defensive lineman that signs a $100 million contract with a mediocre team and then just disappears? Time will tell, but the early returns are not great.
19. Detroit Lions (1-3)
Detroit is free falling as well. They started this year a top-10 squad, but are now a massive disappointment. Mental mistakes are now combined with porous special teams to make a nasty combination. Jim Schwartz needs to get control of this team or we likely will not see back-to-back play off appearances.
18. Washington Redskins (2-2)
Gutsy win by RG3 and the Redskins. I want to talk about the other rookie in the Skins backfield though. Sixth round rookie has impressed me more and more every time I get to watch him. It is a big comparison, but he reminds me so much of Terrell Davis, the former Bronco great under Shanahan. Shanny would be wise to not pull any runningback switches and stick with this powerful young player.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)
Nope, sorry Bengals I will not buy it. I am sick and tired of this team beating up on bad teams and then getting boosted into other publications’ top-10s. I will not move the Bengals a single spot higher until they beat a good team. Seeing as their nest two games are against the Browns and Dolphins, before battling the Steelers in week 7, they should get used to spot 17.
16. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
I was not comfortable with this team in my top-10 last week and Monday night showed me just why. You just cannot trust this Dallas team to ever string together consistently good performances. Honestly, I think they are better than last year, but right now, I think that they should target next year for a playoff appearance.
15. Minnesota Vikings (3-1)
Minnesota continues to surprise people, including me. One thing to notice here is that the return of thug4life Jerome Simpson did indeed have a big impact. He caught four passes for 50 yards and drew two big pass interference penalties. He adds another dimension to an offense that has played pretty well so far.
14. Seattle Seahawks (2-2)*
Similar to the Cowboys I had this team high in the rankings and I did not feel too good about it. They also showed me I felt that way on Sunday. I am beginning to wonder if Russell Wilson is ready to lead this team. Maybe a switch back to Matt Flynn is in the future for this team. Pete Carroll has said he is not healthy, but we know not to trust him.
13. Denver Broncos (2-2)
A complete thrashing of Oakland is just what we needed to see from Denver. Where I have this team indicates about what I think they could be. I think Denver will be one of the last seeded teams in the AFC, but they will probably just be getting comfortable with Manning by then. They could do damage once they are in.
12. San Diego Chargers (3-1)
Yet another team I am still not yet convinced of who they are just yet. They have beaten up on some pretty bad teams, and when they faced a good team in the Falcons they were beaten quite convincingly. They face the Saints next, and frankly, it wouldn’t surprise me if they give the Saints their first win.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)
The Steelers had a bye this wee, but the good news is they may be getting some injured guys back soon. What remains to be seen is if those players can boost them back to top-10 status or not.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)
The Eagles finally got past their turnover problem and beat the Giants. Do I think they are truly over their problems? No I do not. I think that the nine teams I have ahead of them are truly better than them and if these rankings held true they would be outside the playoffs.
9. Chicago Bears (3-1)
Chicago put together a full effort on Monday night. Frankly if Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler are playing to their potential and the defense is wreaking havoc this team could be as good as anyone. The trouble is will they maintain that level of play.
8. New York Giants (2-2)
The Giants could not pull out the win and many people have begun to say that they just rely on Manning to bail them out on every occasion. That may be true, but on most cases Eli is up to the challenge. However, on Sunday he was sub-human and that will get them beat.
7. New England Patriots (2-2)
45 points in a single half is quite an amazing feat. This is really the Brady offense that we need to see week in and week out. If they can keep feeding their many weapons then they can get back closer to the top of the rankings.
6. Arizona Cardinals (4-0)
Things are beginning to feel like a storybook season in Arizona. There is always the potential this team could crash down to Earth. However, it sure felt that was coming on Sunday, as the defense was not stellar. Kevin Kolb came out and put the team on his back and willed them to victory. That could end up being a defining moment for his career.
5. Green Bay Packers (2-2)*
On Sunday it seemed that the Packers finally got their offense going on full throttle. Their defense did not play up to its early season standard, but it still held the Saints under 30 points and there was still a ton of shady calls even with the real officials back.
4. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)
From here on out all my teams are in the same spot. I did not overreact to one loss by the Niners and they showed me to be correct when they trashed the Jets on Sunday. I am still stunned that they had nine players that carried the ball against the Jets. This was without Brandon Jacobs and LaMichael James. Talk about a tough bunch of guys.
3. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
Baltimore kept it a little to close for my liking agaisnt the Browns, but division games never rarely end in blowouts. It is not like the end result was ever in doubt anyways.
2. Atlanta Falcons (4-0)
Another team that showed a lot of resolve in their win on Sunday. Beating a division rival in such an improbable manner has to be a huge confidence boost for this team. I am excited to see them play against some more talented squads. This is the class of the NFC.
1. Houston Texans (4-0)
Houston has now pretty much thrashed each team they have faced. Of course I want to see them up against a good team, but nonetheless it is clear that this is the best team in the NFL.
