Week Six NFL Power Rankings
Updated October 10, 2012
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4)
This is the Jags first appearance at the bottom of the power rankings and man do they deserve it. I am sorry, but you cannot get blown out three times in your home stadium and expect to not be called the worst team in football. I do not see this team improving much and I expect big changes, once again, in Jacksonville.
31. Cleveland Browns (0-5)
The Browns get a one spot bump, at least for a week, for two reasons. One, they at least put a competent few series together against the Giants. They showed that, while they do stink, they do have some young talent. Two, I really wanted to put the Jags at 32. The Browns are headed for a dismal season because, as I said, they stink. Another place where changes could be coming, again.
30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-4)
It has come to this. Brady Quinn. If the Chiefs fans who booed want to justify their cheering as they were excited to see Quinn trot on the field, then they REALLY need a reality check. The Matt Cassel trade has become a very dark spot for a franchise that does not lack for those.
29. Tennessee Titans (1-4)
Jake Locker, Matt Hassleback? Who cares? Either way the Titans are horrible. Between an awful defense, underachieving talent, and Chris Johnson not caring this team is just ripe for implosion. The artist formerly known as CJ2K says this team needs a spark. I agree. Someone needs to spark a stick of dynamite, because this team needs to be blown up.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)
The Bucaneers had a bye week so there is not much to dicuss here. They stayed in the same spot mostly because I feel better than ever about ranking them as a bottom five team since their only victory, agaisnt the Panthers, is looking worse than ever.
27. Carolina Panthers (1-4)
Things are getting bad in Carolina. We all knew this may some day come, but the Vince Young-Cam Newton comparisons are already being made. There are some valid points, as Newton seems to be following Young in regressing after a good rookie year and is a black quarterback who had great college success and can run with a tremendous skill set. However, that is about it and I say we need to temper these comparisons. Newton is not as stupid as Vince and seems to care much more about football.
26. New York Jets (2-3)
The Jets showed that they would not just roll over and die as many expected them to on Monday Night, but they also showed that they aren’t very good. I feel bad for Sanchez as he played with some of the most skeleton crew like players I have ever seen last night. He still is not a starting caliber player, but I do feel bad for him, because I have a soul.
25. Oakland Raiders (1-3)
The Raiders had a bye week this week. I hope they used I wisely as they are about to go against the undefeated Falcons. There just is not any justice in this world.
24. New Orleans Saints (1-4)
The Saints got that coveted first win and even Sean Payton got to be there to enjoy it! NBC felt the need to remind us of this about 100 times during the game. I said to my housemate right at the start of the broadcast “I just know we are going to have to see Sean Payton and his son’s ugly mugs so much during this game and I am going to be so annoyed”. My prediction came true as my head hurt I slapped it so much. Side note: after seeing Payton’s kid over and over again I began to notice he looked eerily similar to myself as a child. I wish the kid better luck for his looks in the future.
23. Buffalo Bills (2-3)
Even this feels too high for the Bills, but I am beginning to realize just how many bad teams there are in league right now. Bills’ GM Buddy Nix called out his defense for a lack of mental toughness. Everyone, except for precious defensive end Mario Williams. Way to coddle your $100 million dollar investment there Buddy. I hope Williams turns his season around. I always admired him for playing better than anyone expected when he was drafted.
22. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)
CHUCKSTRONG! Nothing is better than seeing an under-talented team win for a high purpose. Also cheers to Reggie Wayne. Chuck Pagano is the one who recruited Wayne to the University of Miami way back in the day and he is probably the biggest reason Reggie stayed with the Colts. You now he was thinking of the coach who gave him his start when he basically willed his way into the end zone at the end of the game. Great stuff.
21. Miami Dolphins (2-3)
The Dolphins are impressing me more and more. Especially since I thought they would be amongst the worst teams in the league. This defense is a tough bunch of guys and Tannehill is leaning on Reggie Bush and playing just well enough to keep this team competetive. Now just imagine when he really “gets it”.
20. Detroit Lions (1-3)
The Lions were also on a bye this week. Lets hope they fixed their defense a little and found out why Calvin Johnson only has one freaking touchdown this year. If he and Stafford can get back on the same page, maybe they can get back into contention.
19. Washington Redskins (2-3)
Message to Robert Griffin: I know you have heart and you want to win so badly you will sacrifice your body for it. However, I hope you see that when you do that, you get hurt, and when you get hurt, Kirk Cousins comes in the game, and when Kirk Cousins comes in the game, your team loses. So I hope you see by my little equation that you need to protect yourself better. You have been unbelievable so far. Don’t be an irresponsible knucklehead like that other running quarterback in your division.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2)
I said I was not moving this team until they beat a good team for once. Well, they moved, but they didn’t beat a good team. They moved back because they lost to a below average team. Way to go Bengals, I just love when I am actually right for a change. This team is still learning to win and they will be good eventually. They just need more time and need to not believe how good people thought they were.
17. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
Dallas was on a bye this week. Just like I said the Lions needed to do a little game of hide and seek, I hope the Cowboys did the same. I just hope they found some mental toughness. I have never seen a less accountable group of players in a long time. They are not a playoff team.
16. St. Louis Rams (3-2)
Jeff Fisher’s boys continue to surprise me. They have a totally new attitude and a nasty defense filled with bullies. Their offense still is not very good and they are sport a winning record for the first time in years regardless. Imagine what they will be in a few years with all those first round picks courtesy of Washington.
15. Denver Broncos (2-3)
Denver’s three losses have all come at the hands of teams in my top-5. While this shows that they are not a bad team, it shows they are not a very good one either. Peyton Manning is playing very well, but the rest of the team is not caught up yet, particularly the defense. It looks like Denver will be good enough to throttle bad teams, beat good ones, but fail to vanquish elite ones. Their upcoming contest with San Diego will show us a lot, about both teams.
14. San Diego Chargers (3-2)
I have been saying San Diego is overrated and they showed us a bit of that on Sunday night. If they had gone out and beat the Saints I may be buying them a lot more than I am today. Also, Norv needs to cut this whole Ryan Mathews thing out. I think you got your point across to him, but he is way too dynamic of a playmaker to not be featured late in the game when you need him. He was one of the best players on the field that night and it was irresponsible to keep him on the sidelines for so long. To repeat myself: Their upcoming contest with Denver will show us a lot, about both teams.
13. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2)
Not to beat a dead horse (probably shouldn’t make an animal cruelty joke with Mike Vick involved), but turnovers killed the Eagles once again. Vick seemed to think these were out of his control as he said after the game "Everything happens for a reason, and if it was meant to be, I wouldn't have fumbled the ball at the goal line. But I have no explanation for it." I have an explanation Mike, you do not do a good enough job holding onto the ball and making sure it goes to the other dudes in green on your team. As for the reason, you are not playing well enough. Pretty simple. What a stupid thing to say.
12. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)*
Seattle showed once again that they can overcome the passing game’s deficiencies because their defense is legendarily good. With that being said, against a better team they are going to need Russell Wilson to step up and play with better results. I think we will learn a lot about this team when they face the Patriots and 49ers in the next two weeks. If Wilson struggles in those games maybe they consider a switch to Flynn. This team is good enough to make some noise.
11. Minnesota Vikings (4-1)
I really never would have guessed this was coming. I had Minnesota a ful 18 spots below this to start the season as they only had two star players (Jared Allen and Adrian Peterson) and one was returning from a major injury. Well with plenty of young talent, this team is not only playing well this year, but is set up to be good for years to come. They may or may not be a playoff team this year, but they will be in the mix for plenty of the next few seasons.
10. Green Bay Packers (2-3)*
I have given them a pass, but I am starting to hit the panic button here. Injuries are mounting, the receivers can’t beat man coverage without Jennings, and the offensive line is getting Aaron Rodgers killed. The Packers are showing serious chinks in the armor. There is certainly still time for them, but you have to be worried if you’re a cheesehead. Maybe they ought to sign that fat guy from the discount double-check commercials. Maybe he can block better than Marshall Newhouse.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
The Steelers may be old and beat up on defense, but so what? They have Ben Roethlisberger and a great group of playmakers. Those old uneducated Steelers fans and NFL analysts who always want this team to return to the glory days of “Steeler football” (run the ball and play great defense) should just be quite. You have an elite quarterback and he kind of wins you a lot of games basically all on his own. Enjoy this guy because he is awesome and plenty of lesser teams with great defenses and running games would trade them in a second for Big Ben. Wake up and get out of the 1900’s please.
8. Arizona Cardinals (4-1)
I am not killing the Cardinals for a pitiful showing last week. However, this team could be headed for a drop. The line was already a huge liability and Kolb is struggling behind it, but now Ryan Williams just joined fellow runningback Beanie Wells on injured reserve. There is not enough talent at offensive tackle or quarterback to be a one-dimensional team. Arizona should be banging down the Saint’s door for one of those five good runningbacks on their roster.
7. New York Giants (3-2)
What an offensive explosion by the Giants. It seemed they woke up midway through the first half and realized “holy crap, we are letting the BROWNS beat us by 14?”. They got it together and eventually stomped a very inferior team. The Giants need two things to happen. They need to find a little consistency and they need ot figure out why their defensive line, filled with stars, is underachieving and get it in gear. Maybe fixing the latter will help out the former.
6. Chicago Bears (4-1)
The Bears are playing great football right now. They may have the best defense in football and the offense seems to be jelling finally. If they keep winning no one will really care if Jay Cutler is a jerk or not. Playing the Jaguars and all two of their sacks really seemed to help him not scream at his offensive line.
5. New England Patriots (3-2)
Matt Williamson of ESPN just wrote a great article describing why the Pats have the best offense in the league (http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4731715/williamson-pats-have-nfls-best-offense). As is often the case, I agree whole heartedly with Mr. Williamson. The Patriots have a tough and pounding running game they can beat you with. However, if you would like to sell out to stop budding star Stevan Ridley, then youre just allowing Tom Brady and his arsenal of weapons to tear you apart. The offensive line is not exaclty a strength, but when you have a great running game that can often help take pressure off those guys. The Patriots could be back on top of these rankings soon.
4. Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
I know that the Ravens scored only nine points against the lowly Chiefs, but lets not forget that Arrowhead Stadium is a tough place to play and the Ravens did win the game. That’s what good teams do. They will need more than nine points in the future though, because that defense is not very good. I have been telling friends for two years Ray Lewis has lost step, and now the rest of the world seems to have caught up. He is still one of the best ever, but he is not above criticism. He is a liability right now and part of me hopes the Ravens win a Superbowl so Ray can ride off into the sunset. He is one of my favorite players ever, mostly because of stuff like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0ysMOV8TYU)
3. Atlanta Falcons (5-0)
Please do not cry because I dropped the Falcons a spot. I promise I still think they are an elite team, but right now at this very moment I think that the Niners are a better team. Recall my power rankings methodology. I think that they would beat the Falcons in a series played at a neutral field. The Falcons are clutch and they find ways to win, and because of that I really do think they are having a special season. So no freaking out over them being at number three in the power rankings.
2. San Francisco 49ers (4-1)
Want to know why I put the Niners at three even with a loss on the record? Well they have won their last two games by a combined score of 79-3! Wow! Now that is a deserving resume for a top two team. I expect San Fran to be here in the top three until the end. It may just be time that we accept that Alex Smith is the answer at quarterback. With this new revamped supporting cast we have seen a new dominating Smith. Speaking of that cast here is another one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmJcUlrkMNg&feature=fvwrel) . Classic.
1. Houston Texans (5-0)
The Texans showed that they are an elite team by disposing of the Jets even when the Jets pulled out all of the stops to try to win that game. However, there are two concerns for me. One, there were times that the coaching staff seemed to outthink itself. They seemed to stray away from their deadly playaction game. It was working so well but they seemed to try to get to tricky. Also, they lost one of their best players in linebacker Brian Cushing for the season. There is a big hole in the middle of their defense now. They better hope people do not expose it.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4)
This is the Jags first appearance at the bottom of the power rankings and man do they deserve it. I am sorry, but you cannot get blown out three times in your home stadium and expect to not be called the worst team in football. I do not see this team improving much and I expect big changes, once again, in Jacksonville.
31. Cleveland Browns (0-5)
The Browns get a one spot bump, at least for a week, for two reasons. One, they at least put a competent few series together against the Giants. They showed that, while they do stink, they do have some young talent. Two, I really wanted to put the Jags at 32. The Browns are headed for a dismal season because, as I said, they stink. Another place where changes could be coming, again.
30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-4)
It has come to this. Brady Quinn. If the Chiefs fans who booed want to justify their cheering as they were excited to see Quinn trot on the field, then they REALLY need a reality check. The Matt Cassel trade has become a very dark spot for a franchise that does not lack for those.
29. Tennessee Titans (1-4)
Jake Locker, Matt Hassleback? Who cares? Either way the Titans are horrible. Between an awful defense, underachieving talent, and Chris Johnson not caring this team is just ripe for implosion. The artist formerly known as CJ2K says this team needs a spark. I agree. Someone needs to spark a stick of dynamite, because this team needs to be blown up.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)
The Bucaneers had a bye week so there is not much to dicuss here. They stayed in the same spot mostly because I feel better than ever about ranking them as a bottom five team since their only victory, agaisnt the Panthers, is looking worse than ever.
27. Carolina Panthers (1-4)
Things are getting bad in Carolina. We all knew this may some day come, but the Vince Young-Cam Newton comparisons are already being made. There are some valid points, as Newton seems to be following Young in regressing after a good rookie year and is a black quarterback who had great college success and can run with a tremendous skill set. However, that is about it and I say we need to temper these comparisons. Newton is not as stupid as Vince and seems to care much more about football.
26. New York Jets (2-3)
The Jets showed that they would not just roll over and die as many expected them to on Monday Night, but they also showed that they aren’t very good. I feel bad for Sanchez as he played with some of the most skeleton crew like players I have ever seen last night. He still is not a starting caliber player, but I do feel bad for him, because I have a soul.
25. Oakland Raiders (1-3)
The Raiders had a bye week this week. I hope they used I wisely as they are about to go against the undefeated Falcons. There just is not any justice in this world.
24. New Orleans Saints (1-4)
The Saints got that coveted first win and even Sean Payton got to be there to enjoy it! NBC felt the need to remind us of this about 100 times during the game. I said to my housemate right at the start of the broadcast “I just know we are going to have to see Sean Payton and his son’s ugly mugs so much during this game and I am going to be so annoyed”. My prediction came true as my head hurt I slapped it so much. Side note: after seeing Payton’s kid over and over again I began to notice he looked eerily similar to myself as a child. I wish the kid better luck for his looks in the future.
23. Buffalo Bills (2-3)
Even this feels too high for the Bills, but I am beginning to realize just how many bad teams there are in league right now. Bills’ GM Buddy Nix called out his defense for a lack of mental toughness. Everyone, except for precious defensive end Mario Williams. Way to coddle your $100 million dollar investment there Buddy. I hope Williams turns his season around. I always admired him for playing better than anyone expected when he was drafted.
22. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)
CHUCKSTRONG! Nothing is better than seeing an under-talented team win for a high purpose. Also cheers to Reggie Wayne. Chuck Pagano is the one who recruited Wayne to the University of Miami way back in the day and he is probably the biggest reason Reggie stayed with the Colts. You now he was thinking of the coach who gave him his start when he basically willed his way into the end zone at the end of the game. Great stuff.
21. Miami Dolphins (2-3)
The Dolphins are impressing me more and more. Especially since I thought they would be amongst the worst teams in the league. This defense is a tough bunch of guys and Tannehill is leaning on Reggie Bush and playing just well enough to keep this team competetive. Now just imagine when he really “gets it”.
20. Detroit Lions (1-3)
The Lions were also on a bye this week. Lets hope they fixed their defense a little and found out why Calvin Johnson only has one freaking touchdown this year. If he and Stafford can get back on the same page, maybe they can get back into contention.
19. Washington Redskins (2-3)
Message to Robert Griffin: I know you have heart and you want to win so badly you will sacrifice your body for it. However, I hope you see that when you do that, you get hurt, and when you get hurt, Kirk Cousins comes in the game, and when Kirk Cousins comes in the game, your team loses. So I hope you see by my little equation that you need to protect yourself better. You have been unbelievable so far. Don’t be an irresponsible knucklehead like that other running quarterback in your division.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2)
I said I was not moving this team until they beat a good team for once. Well, they moved, but they didn’t beat a good team. They moved back because they lost to a below average team. Way to go Bengals, I just love when I am actually right for a change. This team is still learning to win and they will be good eventually. They just need more time and need to not believe how good people thought they were.
17. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
Dallas was on a bye this week. Just like I said the Lions needed to do a little game of hide and seek, I hope the Cowboys did the same. I just hope they found some mental toughness. I have never seen a less accountable group of players in a long time. They are not a playoff team.
16. St. Louis Rams (3-2)
Jeff Fisher’s boys continue to surprise me. They have a totally new attitude and a nasty defense filled with bullies. Their offense still is not very good and they are sport a winning record for the first time in years regardless. Imagine what they will be in a few years with all those first round picks courtesy of Washington.
15. Denver Broncos (2-3)
Denver’s three losses have all come at the hands of teams in my top-5. While this shows that they are not a bad team, it shows they are not a very good one either. Peyton Manning is playing very well, but the rest of the team is not caught up yet, particularly the defense. It looks like Denver will be good enough to throttle bad teams, beat good ones, but fail to vanquish elite ones. Their upcoming contest with San Diego will show us a lot, about both teams.
14. San Diego Chargers (3-2)
I have been saying San Diego is overrated and they showed us a bit of that on Sunday night. If they had gone out and beat the Saints I may be buying them a lot more than I am today. Also, Norv needs to cut this whole Ryan Mathews thing out. I think you got your point across to him, but he is way too dynamic of a playmaker to not be featured late in the game when you need him. He was one of the best players on the field that night and it was irresponsible to keep him on the sidelines for so long. To repeat myself: Their upcoming contest with Denver will show us a lot, about both teams.
13. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2)
Not to beat a dead horse (probably shouldn’t make an animal cruelty joke with Mike Vick involved), but turnovers killed the Eagles once again. Vick seemed to think these were out of his control as he said after the game "Everything happens for a reason, and if it was meant to be, I wouldn't have fumbled the ball at the goal line. But I have no explanation for it." I have an explanation Mike, you do not do a good enough job holding onto the ball and making sure it goes to the other dudes in green on your team. As for the reason, you are not playing well enough. Pretty simple. What a stupid thing to say.
12. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)*
Seattle showed once again that they can overcome the passing game’s deficiencies because their defense is legendarily good. With that being said, against a better team they are going to need Russell Wilson to step up and play with better results. I think we will learn a lot about this team when they face the Patriots and 49ers in the next two weeks. If Wilson struggles in those games maybe they consider a switch to Flynn. This team is good enough to make some noise.
11. Minnesota Vikings (4-1)
I really never would have guessed this was coming. I had Minnesota a ful 18 spots below this to start the season as they only had two star players (Jared Allen and Adrian Peterson) and one was returning from a major injury. Well with plenty of young talent, this team is not only playing well this year, but is set up to be good for years to come. They may or may not be a playoff team this year, but they will be in the mix for plenty of the next few seasons.
10. Green Bay Packers (2-3)*
I have given them a pass, but I am starting to hit the panic button here. Injuries are mounting, the receivers can’t beat man coverage without Jennings, and the offensive line is getting Aaron Rodgers killed. The Packers are showing serious chinks in the armor. There is certainly still time for them, but you have to be worried if you’re a cheesehead. Maybe they ought to sign that fat guy from the discount double-check commercials. Maybe he can block better than Marshall Newhouse.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
The Steelers may be old and beat up on defense, but so what? They have Ben Roethlisberger and a great group of playmakers. Those old uneducated Steelers fans and NFL analysts who always want this team to return to the glory days of “Steeler football” (run the ball and play great defense) should just be quite. You have an elite quarterback and he kind of wins you a lot of games basically all on his own. Enjoy this guy because he is awesome and plenty of lesser teams with great defenses and running games would trade them in a second for Big Ben. Wake up and get out of the 1900’s please.
8. Arizona Cardinals (4-1)
I am not killing the Cardinals for a pitiful showing last week. However, this team could be headed for a drop. The line was already a huge liability and Kolb is struggling behind it, but now Ryan Williams just joined fellow runningback Beanie Wells on injured reserve. There is not enough talent at offensive tackle or quarterback to be a one-dimensional team. Arizona should be banging down the Saint’s door for one of those five good runningbacks on their roster.
7. New York Giants (3-2)
What an offensive explosion by the Giants. It seemed they woke up midway through the first half and realized “holy crap, we are letting the BROWNS beat us by 14?”. They got it together and eventually stomped a very inferior team. The Giants need two things to happen. They need to find a little consistency and they need ot figure out why their defensive line, filled with stars, is underachieving and get it in gear. Maybe fixing the latter will help out the former.
6. Chicago Bears (4-1)
The Bears are playing great football right now. They may have the best defense in football and the offense seems to be jelling finally. If they keep winning no one will really care if Jay Cutler is a jerk or not. Playing the Jaguars and all two of their sacks really seemed to help him not scream at his offensive line.
5. New England Patriots (3-2)
Matt Williamson of ESPN just wrote a great article describing why the Pats have the best offense in the league (http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4731715/williamson-pats-have-nfls-best-offense). As is often the case, I agree whole heartedly with Mr. Williamson. The Patriots have a tough and pounding running game they can beat you with. However, if you would like to sell out to stop budding star Stevan Ridley, then youre just allowing Tom Brady and his arsenal of weapons to tear you apart. The offensive line is not exaclty a strength, but when you have a great running game that can often help take pressure off those guys. The Patriots could be back on top of these rankings soon.
4. Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
I know that the Ravens scored only nine points against the lowly Chiefs, but lets not forget that Arrowhead Stadium is a tough place to play and the Ravens did win the game. That’s what good teams do. They will need more than nine points in the future though, because that defense is not very good. I have been telling friends for two years Ray Lewis has lost step, and now the rest of the world seems to have caught up. He is still one of the best ever, but he is not above criticism. He is a liability right now and part of me hopes the Ravens win a Superbowl so Ray can ride off into the sunset. He is one of my favorite players ever, mostly because of stuff like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0ysMOV8TYU)
3. Atlanta Falcons (5-0)
Please do not cry because I dropped the Falcons a spot. I promise I still think they are an elite team, but right now at this very moment I think that the Niners are a better team. Recall my power rankings methodology. I think that they would beat the Falcons in a series played at a neutral field. The Falcons are clutch and they find ways to win, and because of that I really do think they are having a special season. So no freaking out over them being at number three in the power rankings.
2. San Francisco 49ers (4-1)
Want to know why I put the Niners at three even with a loss on the record? Well they have won their last two games by a combined score of 79-3! Wow! Now that is a deserving resume for a top two team. I expect San Fran to be here in the top three until the end. It may just be time that we accept that Alex Smith is the answer at quarterback. With this new revamped supporting cast we have seen a new dominating Smith. Speaking of that cast here is another one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmJcUlrkMNg&feature=fvwrel) . Classic.
1. Houston Texans (5-0)
The Texans showed that they are an elite team by disposing of the Jets even when the Jets pulled out all of the stops to try to win that game. However, there are two concerns for me. One, there were times that the coaching staff seemed to outthink itself. They seemed to stray away from their deadly playaction game. It was working so well but they seemed to try to get to tricky. Also, they lost one of their best players in linebacker Brian Cushing for the season. There is a big hole in the middle of their defense now. They better hope people do not expose it.