NFL Power Rankings 2014: Predicting Post Week 6 Standings

We already provided you with some NFL power rankings heading into Week 6, which means it’s time to turn our attention to what the rankings will look like after the next set of games are in the books.

The only way to do that is by offering predicted winners for every Week 6 contest and suggesting how that will shape the power rankings compared to the most recent ones.

Let’s get to it (point spreads are courtesy of Odds Shark, as of Tuesday afternoon).

Matchup	Point Spread	Predicted Winner
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans	IND -2.5	Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans	Unlisted	Jaguars
Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	BAL -3	Ravens
Denver Broncos at New York Jets	DEN -10	Broncos
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings	Unlisted	Vikings
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills	NE -3	Bills
Carolina Panthers at Cincinnati Bengals	CIN -8.5	Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns	CLE -1	Browns
Green Bay Packers at Miami Dolphins	GB -3	Packers
Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons	ATL -3	Falcons
San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders	SD -8	Chargers
Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks	SEA -9.5	Seahawks
Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals	Unlisted	Cardinals
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles	PHI -2.5	Eagles
San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams	SF -3	49ers

32. Oakland Raiders (no change)

We are projecting a loss to the San Diego Chargers for the Oakland Raiders, which means there is no change. 

The Raiders are going to be among the league’s worst teams all year, but Derek Carr should dig them out of that hole in the near future.

31. New York Jets (no change)

The New York Jets are going to lose to the Denver Broncos and remain among the league’s worst couple of teams. 

Michael Vick didn’t look like a much better option than Geno Smith in limited action in Week 5, and the defense looked much worse against the Chargers than it had for most of the early going. This team is headed in the wrong direction.

30. Tennessee Titans (down one)

As if blowing a 25-point lead to the Cleveland Browns isn’t bad enough, the Tennessee Titans are going to lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6.

That means a move down in the power rankings, after consecutive losses to teams that won’t rack up a lot of wins this season.

29. Washington Redskins (down one)

Washington is going to lose to the Arizona Cardinals, which is nothing to hang its head about. 

Still, it moves down the power rankings largely because the Jaguars are going to move up after their first win of the season. Washington at least looked better Monday against the Seattle Seahawks than it did the previous game, and DeSean Jackson added to his impressive totals, via NFL on ESPN:

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (down one)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be much higher had they held on to their lead against the New Orleans Saints. Alas, that loss and another projected defeat to the Baltimore Ravens has Tampa Bay down to the No. 28 spot. 

Mike Glennon is probably the long-term answer here, but the power rankings need to see some wins before moving Tampa Bay up.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (up three)

The Jaguars are finally going to get on the board in Week 6 with their first victory of the year over the Titans. 

That, along with the fact that Jacksonville almost knocked off Pittsburgh in Week 5, is enough to move the Jaguars up three spots. Blake Bortles will have fans excited by the end of the season.

26. St. Louis Rams (no change)

There is little shame in losing to the San Francisco 49ers if you are the St. Louis Rams, which is why they stay put at No. 26.

Austin Davis has impressed, but the defense needs to play much better moving forward. It’s beginning to feel like a lost season for the Rams, although they are still good enough to stay in the mid-20s for now.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers (down one)

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

The Pittsburgh Steelers nearly lost to the Jaguars the last time out, and they will lose to the Browns in Week 6.

That is enough to move them down in the power rankings yet again. This may be uncharted territory for Pittsburgh in terms of power rankings, but this is the same team that nearly collapsed at home against the Browns earlier in the year.

This time it will lose in Cleveland.

24. Miami Dolphins (down one)

The Miami Dolphins will lose to the Green Bay Packers, which is enough to warrant a small drop in the power rankings. 

Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno have the talent to be a solid one-two punch in the backfield, but Miami needs more consistency before it is seen as a legitimate contender in the AFC East.

23. Chicago Bears (down four)

It is easy to look at the talent the Chicago Bears have on paper and scoff at this ranking, but we are projecting a third consecutive loss, this time at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons.

That loss would push the Bears’ record to 2-4, which means it is time to plummet in these rankings.

22. Houston Texans (down two)

The Houston Texans are going to lose to the Indianapolis Colts, largely because Ryan Fitzpatrick will not be able to make enough plays with his arm. 

At least Arian Foster is healthy again, but it is incredibly difficult to win in the NFL without some measure of consistency from the quarterback position.

21. New Orleans Saints (no change) 

Bill Haber/Associated Press

The New Orleans Saints have a bye week on the docket, which means there is no projected movement here.

20. Minnesota Vikings (up five)

The Minnesota Vikings will shoot up the power rankings for Week 6 after they beat the 3-2 Detroit Lions. 

Teddy Bridgewater will return and lead his team to victory with his ability to make plays with his feet and arm. What’s more, the defense should look much better against the Calvin Johnson-less Lions than it did against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

19. Cleveland Browns (up three)

The Cleveland Browns have some momentum on their side after an incredible 25-point comeback against the Titans, and that will continue in Week 6 after they beat the Steelers. 

Two straight impressive performances from Brian Hoyer will be more than enough to move Cleveland up the rankings, especially if the defense finally plays up to its potential on Sunday.

18. Carolina Panthers (down three)

The Carolina Panthers impressed in a comeback victory against the Bears, largely because of Cam Newton and Greg Olsen, but they will come back down to Earth in Week 6 against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The offensive line and lack of reliable wide receiver options behind Kelvin Benjamin will be a problem against Cincinnati, and Carolina could lose by multiple scores. After all, the talented Bengals are looking to bounce back from an embarrassing loss to New England and will take out their frustrations on the Panthers.

17. Detroit Lions (down four)

The combination of Johnson’s injury, a projected loss to the Vikings and the latest setback against the Buffalo Bills mean the Lions drop four spots in these rankings.

The defense has played well, but the offense has struggled to get anything going. That will be exacerbated without Johnson on the field, even if he was just a decoy. 

ESPN Stats & Info also noted that Johnson’s injury is far from Detroit’s only problem:

16. New England Patriots (down four)

Get ready for an up-and-down type of season from the New England Patriots.

We saw how talented they can be against the Bengals, but we also saw their vulnerabilities in a blowout loss to the Chiefs and a narrow win against the Raiders. The win over Cincinnati was driven largely by emotion, which will be difficult to replicate on a consistent basis. 

That means the Buffalo Bills pick up the Week 6 victory, knocking the Patriots back in these rankings and the actual standings.

15. New York Giants (down one)

The New York Giants are on a roll right now, which is why they will drop one spot after a projected loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Eli Manning has the offense rolling, and Andre Williams will pick up the slack for the injured Rashad Jennings. Unfortunately for New York, the defense won’t be able to do enough to contain the Eagles offense.

14. Buffalo Bills (up four) 

We already noted that we think the Bills will beat the Patriots, but the fact that Kyle Orton and Sammy Watkins made enough plays through the air in the win over Detroit should have fans excited for the immediate future this year.

The defense and running game are both solid, so even a mediocre performance from the passing game will be enough to keep Buffalo in contention in the wide-open AFC East all year.

13. Kansas City Chiefs (up three) 

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

The Kansas City Chiefs have a bye week, but they will actually move up in the rankings because of the attrition around them from other teams losing.

12. Dallas Cowboys (down two) 

The Dallas Cowboys are 4-1 and rolling, largely because of DeMarco Murray, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

Still, Murray’s dominance will end against the stout Seattle defense, which just so happens to be the league’s best unit against the run.

Losing on the road at Seattle is nothing to worry about if you are a Cowboys fan. It will be more telling how this squad bounces back the following week as it attempts to compete in the NFC East against the Eagles and company.

11. Atlanta Falcons (up six)

The Atlanta Falcons make the biggest move in the entire power rankings; the thought is that the battle with Chicago is something of a crossroads for both squads.

The Falcons and Bears are both loaded with offensive talent on paper (Julio Jones, Roddy White and Matt Ryan for Atlanta and Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte, Martellus Bennett and Jay Cutler for Chicago) but have been inconsistent at best this year.

The Falcons will take advantage of their home field on Sunday and take off with their eyes on a wild-card spot.

10. Baltimore Ravens (up one) 

The Baltimore Ravens lost a close game against the Colts in Week 5 but will bounce back with a win over Tampa Bay on Sunday.

This is a solid playoff contender with a formidable defense and passing attack. The offensive line had some issues against Indianapolis, but it will play much better against the Buccaneers' vulnerable front.

9. San Francisco 49ers (down one)

The San Francisco 49ers will beat the Rams in Week 6, but they actually move down a spot only because the Eagles beating the red-hot Giants will be more impressive. Philadelphia will deserve to be rewarded in that situation.

Still, the 49ers are a serious threat yet again in the NFC if they continue to ride the running game behind Frank Gore and Colin Kaepernick.

8. Philadelphia Eagles (up one)

The Eagles are projected to beat the Giants here, which will be a critical step in the NFC East. 

We still believe in LeSean McCoy and the offense, but the defense is a major concern. Until the secondary can find a way to consistently stop opponents, it is difficult to see the Eagles as anything more than the best team in their own division.

7. Arizona Cardinals (no change)

Matt York/Associated Press

The Arizona Cardinals need a win after dropping their first game of the year to the Denver Broncos, and they will get just that against Washington. 

If nothing else, that win will be important for the team’s confidence moving forward and re-establish the fact that the loss was more about Denver’s brilliance than Arizona’s shortcomings. For now, the Cardinals just need to worry about locking down the quarterback situation.

6. Green Bay Packers (no change)

The Packers look ready to take over the NFC North, and they will take another step in that direction with a win over the Dolphins. 

Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are talented enough to beat half the teams in the league by themselves, but the goal of a Super Bowl may be out of reach if the defense doesn’t improve against the run. Offenses become much more reliant on the rushing attack in the cold of January than during the regular season, so the Packers could be in some trouble.

5. Cincinnati Bengals (no change)

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

We aren’t putting too much stock in the Bengals’ loss to the Patriots because the crowd was on fire and New England badly needed a win. 

Cincinnati will bounce back in Week 6 with a win against the Panthers, especially if the linebacker corps gets fully healthy again. For now, A.J. Green, a solid rushing attack and a formidable defense is enough to keep Cincinnati in the top five of these rankings.

4. Indianapolis Colts (no change)

The Indianapolis Colts are going to beat the Texans on Thursday night, but the play of the defense should have fans excited about the long-term future as well.

In fact, the defense has forced nine turnovers and posted 11 sacks the past three games, which is scary considering Andrew Luck is directing the offense with his league-leading 1,617 passing yards.

Defensive end Cory Redding discussed the defense, according to Stats LLC, via ESPN.com, “It’s the tip of the iceberg. We have so much more to gain, to improve and still get better at.” 

The rest of the AFC is officially on notice.

3. San Diego Chargers (no change)

The San Diego Chargers will continue to roll when they beat the Raiders on Sunday.

Philip Rivers is turning in the start of what could be one of the best seasons of his career, and Branden Oliver looks ready to pick up the slack in the rushing game after destroying the New York Jets in Week 5.

2. Denver Broncos (no change)

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

The Denver Broncos are going to crush the reeling Jets behind what is arguably the league’s most talented offense. 

Peyton Manning will distribute the ball to Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas yet again, and the New York secondary won’t be able to do a thing about it.

1. Seattle Seahawks (no change) 

The Seattle Seahawks are going to beat the Cowboys and continue to flex their muscles with the NFL’s best rushing offense and NFL’s best defense against the run. Russell Wilson will join some solid company in the process, via ESPN Stats & Info and Elias Sports:

Establishing the run and stopping the other team is a winning formula, and Seattle has it mastered.

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