NFL Power Rankings: 10 Teams That Could Rise After Week 6 Games
It's only Week 6 of the NFL season, and several teams appear to have established themselves as Super Bowl contenders.
But if man learns anything from history, it's that man learns nothing from history.
Take the Giants for example. They were written off two weeks ago, but have rebounded to become one of the better teams in the NFC.
So despite some teams already being crowned champions of their respective divisions, there's still a whole lot of football left to play.
Though no Week 6 win guarantees a playoff appearance, a victory for these 10 teams could put them on the right track for the rest of the regular season.
No.10: Indianapolis Colts (3-2)
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I can’t tell what’s wrong with the Colts. Peyton Manning has only had one bad game, but Indianapolis is just 3-2 and 0-2 in the division.
Manning gets a good opportunity this week to turn the team around against a horrific Redskins pass defense that gets shredded weekly.
The Colts need a statement game, and this week’s matchup with Washington certainly provides that.
No. 9: Tennessee Titans (3-2)
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The Titans got a big win at Dallas in Week 5, but have a pivotal divisional matchup against the Jaguars.Every AFC south team has a 3-2 record, so divisional games will be incredibly important.
Notice that as Chris Johnson goes, so do the Titans. When Johnson tops 100 yards rushing, Tennessee is 3-0. When he doesn’t, Tennessee is 0-2.
Johnson needs to have a big game for the Titans to establish themselves as legitimate threats in a crowded AFC.
No. 8: Houston Texans (3-2)
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If you want to know how a team can have a top 10 offense but get destroyed by the Giants and Cowboys, just look at the Texans.
Houston may have two of the league’s best offensive weapons, but the defense gives up 409 yards and 27 points per game.
The good thing for Houston is that the team has a decent run defense, which the team will certainly need against the Chiefs rushing attack in Week 6.
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No. 7: Miami Dolphins (2-2)
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After a hot start, the Dolphins have lost two divisional games and there are already rumors that the team will pull Chad Henne as the starter.
Miami hasn’t scored much, but the Dolphins have the league’s No. 12 passing attack and should stay the course with Henne, especially against a mediocre Green Bay pass defense in Week 6.
Though the Packers were a popular preseason pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, they have struggled so far. Miami can send Green Bay into panic mode by handing the team its third loss in four games.
No. 6: Washington Redskins
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Does any team in the league fear the Redskins? Probably not.
Washington doesn’t do anything particularly well on offense or defense, has virtually no homerun threats in the receiving game, and can’t stop any team’s passing attack.
With a Week 5 matchup against Indianapolis, Washington has to show that they can win by more than six points, which they haven’t done all season.
No. 5: Atlanta Falcons (4-1)
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Atlanta hasn’t looked overly impressive since the team’s Week 3 victory over New Orleans, but the Falcons benefited from playing the 49ers and the Browns and sit at 4-1 on the season.
The Falcons, however, seem to have the two ingredients that most teams who play in January have: a good running game and an adequate defense.
Michael Turner leads the league’s second ranked rushing attack, and the Atlanta defense allows just thirteen points per game. An impressive win over the Philadelphia Eagles could solidify the Falcons as the early favorite in the NFC.
No. 4: Dallas Cowboys (1-3)
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The Cowboys’ win against the Houston Texans doesn’t look nearly as good now as it did just a few short weeks ago, and Dallas sits at just 1-3 after a Week 5 loss against Tennessee.
Though the team still throws the ball too much—Tomy Romo threw 46 passes against the Titans—the Cowboys seem to have found a remedy: Felix Jones.
Dallas plays a stingy Minnesota run defense in Week 6, but the team isn’t going to win if Romo has to pass the ball 40-plus times again. It’s time for Jones to step up.
No. 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)
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Tampa Bay may not be great at anything, but the Buccaneers continue to find a way to get it done.
Even though Michael Spurlock did not catch that pass, the Bucs still sit at 3-1 and have a big statement game against New Orleans in Week 6. The Saints haven’t looked good all season while Josh Freeman to Mike Williams is quickly becoming a potent combination.
A Tampa Bay “upset” over the Saints would do wonders for the team’s credibility.
No. 2: New England Patriots (3-1)
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The Patriots had a bye in Week 5, but start life without Randy Moss in Week 6 against Baltimore.
New England will learn whether the team made the right move by shipping the controversial wide receiver to Minnesota. Brandon Tate should benefit the most from the departure of Moss, but it remains to be seen how good he actually is.
Tom Brady will have his first game in three years with an inexperienced receiving corps against a good Baltimore defense. And a win against a 4-1 Ravens squad would put the Patriots in the conversation with the best teams in the league.
No. 1: Denver Broncos (2-3)
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Kyle Orton continues to boggle my mind every week. Denver’s passing attack looks like a video game offense, and Brandon Lloyd continues to blur the line between himself and Jerry Rice
But despite the prowess of the Broncos offense, the team is just 2-3. What better way for a quiet organization with very few well-known players to shock the world than by beating a Jets team that has big names at virtually every position?
The Broncos can make the biggest splash by bringing the Jets down from cloud nine.
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