NFL Power Rankings 2015: Predicting Post-Week 6 Standings

Ahead of Week 6, it's not hard to see one detail about future NFL power rankings—the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers aren't going anywhere.

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers seem destined for a head-on collision. It sounds anticlimactic to perhaps already know where things are going, but the action on the field would be anything but.

The landscape of the league post-Week 6 otherwise won't be so predictable. Below, let's take a look at how things project to shake out from a rankings standpoint once the proverbial dust settles and analyze some of the notable teams about to be on the move.

Projected Post-Week 6 NFL Power Rankings

Rank	Team
1	New England Patriots
2	Green Bay Packers
3	Cincinnati Bengals
4	Arizona Cardinals
5	Carolina Panthers
6	Atlanta Falcons
7	New York Jets
8	Dallas Cowboys
9	Denver Broncos
10	Seattle Seahawks
11	Minnesota Vikings
12	Buffalo Bills
13	New York Giants
14	Indianapolis Colts
15	San Diego Chargers
16	Philadelphia Eagles
17	St. Louis Rams
18	Chicago Bears
19	Kansas City Chiefs
20	Pittsburgh Steelers
21	Miami Dolphins
22	Oakland Raiders
23	Cleveland Browns
24	Baltimore Ravens
25	Jacksonville Jaguars
26	Houston Texans
27	Tennessee Titans
28	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
29	New Orleans Saints
30	San Francisco 49ers
31	Washington
32	Detroit Lions

Biggest Projected Movers 

Indianapolis Colts

Patric Schneider/Associated Press

Is it all downhill from here for the Indianapolis Colts? 

It certainly feels like it. The Colts sit at 3-2, but wins against the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans aren't anything to boast over, Andrew Luck or not.

This notion applies to the team's game against the Patriots. The past four games in this series haven't even been close, and not just because Tom Brady continues to outduel Luck, either. Doug Kyed of NESN provided some staggering numbers:

The Indianapolis defense hasn't been able to stop much of anything this year. Considering Brady has 1,387 yards with 11 scores and no picks on the year, not to mention a chip on his shoulder over Deflategate, this one could get ugly.

This is a roundabout way of saying the Colts will take one of the biggest dips in the rankings after Week 6. The good news? The team already has three wins in the division, and no other team in it has more than a single victory.

Silver linings, folks.

New York Giants 

Most were ready to write off Eli Manning and the New York Giants after an 0-2 start, a silly thing considering the losses came at the hands of healthy Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons teams—and by a combined five points. 

New York has since rattled off three consecutive victories to claim first place in the NFC East, where the three teams below the Giants have two wins apiece.

Manning won't get the hype he deserves, but he's completing 66.5 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns to two interceptions.

Coach Tom Coughlin has his players buying into the team approach, as ESPN.com captured: "I told them in the locker room it took every guy, people were playing and pushed into roles that maybe they hadn't been in before. That's a real sign of a team."

Up next for the Giants is a divisional clash against the Philadelphia Eagles, a winnable affair with the way Manning continues to play, not to mention the erratic nature of the opposition. A road win there will open a few eyes, to say the least. 

Carolina Panthers

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Cam Newton would be one of the reasons most haven't realized Manning's elite season just yet. 

The Carolina Panthers signal-caller has played at an MVP level through four games, throwing for 809 yards and seven scores with another two rushing touchdowns on the ground despite Ted Ginn as his No. 1 wideout.

Part of the reason for Carolina's success? Coach Ron Rivera says Newton continues to play smarter as he matures, per ESPN.com's David Newton:

"

He’s going to play to his ability. He’s going to do everything he can to win. The thing I like is he’s been smart about it. You see him sliding a little more. You see him running out of bounds a little bit more, which I think is huge.

"

Believe it or not, Carolina sits as one of the league's undefeated teams and comes out of a Week 5 bye poised to take down a reeling Seattle Seahawks team. Road contest or not, the Seahawks cannot stop opposing offenses and continue to allow late comebacks, hence the 2-3 start.

The Carolina defense has yet to allow more than 23 points in a game thus far and had a bye week to prepare for the trip to Seattle. It's a chance for the Panthers to make a serious statement, which Newton can do if he continues to play at his current level against a struggling defense.

The team most forget continues to stand undefeated won't hold such a status much longer once it pulls off the upset in Seattle and moves further up the board.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of October 14. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.