NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Brett Favre Scandal Can't Eclipse Great Football Week
Headlines of the Week: The Brett Favre-Jenn Sterger sexting scandal stole the show of course, but it was a very exciting week of actual football.
Each prime time game went down to the wire as the New York Jets finished off the Minnesota Vikings, and the Philadelphia Eagles held off the San Francisco 49ers late.
Zeros are eliminated as the Kansas City Chiefs lost their first game of the season to the Indianapolis Colts, and the Detroit Lions won their first game of the season against the St. Louis Rams.
Upset special as the Oakland Raiders pulled out a win versus San Diego Chargers while the Arizona Cardinals shocked the New Orleans Saints.
The Dallas Cowboys are this season’s ultimate underachiever as they fell to 1-3 with a loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Climb of the Week: New York Giants (+11)
Fall of the Week: Dallas Cowboys (-7)
Here are the updated week six power rankings:
32. Buffalo Bills
1 of 32
Record: 0-5
Last Week’s Rank: 32
Ryan Fitzpatrick recorded 121.5 quarterback rating Sunday against the Jaguars. That has to be the best rating a Bills quarterback has had in a while. The Bills offense has had a couple of good games, but their defense has been consistently horrible.
Outcome: L(26-36) Jacksonville
At the Plate: Bye
On Deck: @Baltimore
In the Hole: @Kansas City
31. Carolina Panthers
2 of 32
Record: 0-5
Last Week’s Rank: 30
The Panthers defense isn’t actually that bad, but their offense is the worst in the league by far. Jimmie Clausen and Matt Moore have combined for nine interceptions and a beautiful 43.6 quarterback rating.
Outcome: L(6-23) Chicago
At the Plate: Bye
On Deck: San Francisco
In the Hole: @St. Louis
30. San Francisco 49ers
3 of 32
Record: 0-5
Last Week’s Rank: 29
Alex Smith turned the ball over three times in another 49ers loss. They gave up the ball a total of five times including two Frank Gore fumbles. Turnovers, as Mike Singletary would say, “Cannot play with em, cannot win with em, cannot coach with em, can’t do it.”
Outcome: L(24-27) Philadelphia
At the Plate: Oakland
On Deck: @Carolina
In the Hole: Denver
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29. Cleveland Browns
4 of 32
Record: 1-4
Last Week’s Rank: 28
With an unsuccessful rushing attack, Seneca Wallace played great in the first half and Cleveland was winning at halftime. Wallace got hurt, Jake Delhomme came in, and the rest is history. Delhomme has twice as many interceptions as Wallace this season even though Delhomme played in less than two games.
Outcome: L(10-20) Atlanta
At the Plate: @Pittsburgh
On Deck: @New Orleans
In the Hole: Bye
28. St. Louis Rams
5 of 32
Record: 2-3
Last Week’s Rank: 24
Steven Jackson rushed for 114 yards, but they didn’t help the Rams one bit as they were demolished by the Lions. Say that phrase out loud, “Demolished by the Lions.” Sam Bradford is only a rookie and even he knows that doesn’t sound right at all.
Outcome: L(6-44) @Detroit
At the Plate: San Diego
On Deck: @Tampa Bay
In the Hole: Carolina
27. Detroit Lions
6 of 32
Record: 1-4
Last Week’s Rank: 31
The Lions got their first win of the season and their largest win in 15 years against the Rams Sunday. Detroit dominated everything phase of the game as the defense forced three turnovers, Stefan Logan returned a kick 105 yards for a touchdown, and Shaun Hill didn’t throw an interception. It was Hill’s first start this year where he didn’t throw two picks.
Outcome: W(44-6) St. Louis
At the Plate: @New York Giants
On Deck: Bye
In the Hole: Washington
26. Seattle Seahawks
7 of 32
Record: 2-2
Last Week’s Rank: 25
The main use of the Seahawks bye week: recovery as about one third of the starting lineup is on injured list.
At the Plate: @Chicago
On Deck: Arizona
In the Hole: @Oakland
Key Injuries (As of 10/1):
OT Russell Okung – Day-to-Day (Right Ankle)
DT Brandon Mebane – Questionable (Calf)
OT Sean Locklear – Questionable (Knee)
OLB Aaron Curry – Probable (Hamstring)
DE Chris Clemons – Probable (Ankle)
OG Ben Hamilton – Probable (Knee)
WR Mike Williams – Probable (Shoulder)
CB Marcus Trufant – Questionable (Ankle)
25. Denver Broncos
8 of 32
Record: 2-3
Last Week’s Rank: 21
The Broncos unbalanced offense continued to be crooked as they passed for 307 yards and ran for 39. Even though they were unsuccessful, it’s still impressive to see what the offense can do with Kyle Orton throwing to Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney.
Outcome: L(17-31) @Baltimore
At the Plate: New York Jets
On Deck: Oakland
In the Hole: @San Francisco
24. Oakland Raiders
9 of 32
Record: 2-3
Last Week’s Rank: 27
The Raiders defeated the Chargers for the first time since 2003, like Rich Gannon 2003. Two blocked punts and three fumble recoveries sparked the miracle win.
Outcome: W(35-27) San Diego
At the Plate: @San Francisco
On Deck: @Denver
In the Hole: Seattle
23. Minnesota Vikings
10 of 32
Record: 1-3
Last Week’s Rank: 18
Brett Favre threw three touchdown passes and kind of looked like he put the hole sexting scandal behind him. Like last year though, he choked come crunch time. The Vikings are now in a serious hole in the NFC North.
Outcome: L(20-29) @New York Jets
At the Plate: Dallas
On Deck: @Green Bay
In the Hole: @New England
22. Dallas Cowboys
11 of 32
Record: 1-3
Last Week’s Rank: 16
Fantasy wise, the Cowboys had a great week with Tony Romo, Felix Jones, and Miles Austin putting up huge numbers. Of course, Dallas always seems to be “just names” as they fall to 1-3 despite preseason Super Bowl hype.
Outcome: L(27-34) Tennessee
At the Plate: @Minnesota
On Deck: New York Giants
In the Hole: Jacksonville
21. Miami Dolphins
12 of 32
Record: 2-2
Last Week’s Rank: 22
The Dolphins must regroup after back-to-back losses at they head into a brutal six game stretch which includes Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Tennessee, and Chicago.
At the Plate: @Green Bay
On Deck: Pittsburgh
In the Hole: @Cincinnati
Key Injuries (As of 10/1):
OT Jake Long – Probable (Knee)
ILB Channing Crowder – Doubtful (Groin)
OG John Jerry – Out (Illness)
DE Jared Odrick – Out (Ankle)
20. Cincinnati Bengals
13 of 32
Record: 2-3
Last Week’s Rank: 15
The Bengals have now lost their second straight game and are in danger of falling out of the brutal AFC North title race. Four turnovers cost Cincinnati the three point game against Tampa Bay.
Outcome: L(21-24) Tampa Bay
At the Plate: Bye
On Deck: @Atlanta
In the Hole: Miami
19. San Diego Chargers
14 of 32
Record: 2-3
Last Week’s Rank: 12
Again?! The Chargers lost their third game of the season because of their inability to do one thing and one thing only: not give up the big play. San Diego and a dominant Philip Rivers could easily be undefeated right now.
Outcome: L(27-35) @Oakland
At the Plate: @St. Louis
On Deck: New England
In the Hole: Tennessee
18. Arizona Cardinals
15 of 32
Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Rank: 26
How do you score three touchdowns without an offensive skill player getting into the end zone? The Cardinals had as many defensive touchdowns as the Saints offense did. Offensive lineman Levi Brown also pounced on a fumble in the end zone.
Outcome: W(30-20) New Orleans
At the Plate: Bye
On Deck: @Seattle
In the Hole: Tampa Bay
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16 of 32
Record: 3-1
Last Week’s Rank: 23
The Buccaneers, projected to finish last in their division, are currently in the race for first. That miraculous turnaround is largely in thanks to a rapid maturation of second-year quarterback Josh Freeman.
Outcome: W(24-21) @Cincinnati
At the Plate: New Orleans
On Deck: St. Louis
In the Hole: @Arizona
16. Tennessee Titans
17 of 32
Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Rank: 20
Chris Johnson averaged 6.9 yards a pop and scored twice in his best performance of the year. Despite being heavily criticized, Vince Young is 10th in the NFL in passer rating with 97.6. Defensively, Tennessee is number one in the league in sacks.
Outcome: W(34-27) @Dallas
At the Plate: @Jacksonville
On Deck: Philadelphia
In the Hole: @San Diego
15. Jacksonville Jaguars
18 of 32
Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Rank: 19
So far this year, David Garrard has either played great or horrible, no in-between. Against the Bills he played great, but of course who doesn’t against the Bills? He’ll have to bring his “A” game this week against division rival Tennessee who is tied with them in the standings along with the rest of the AFC South.
Outcome: W(36-26) @Buffalo
At the Plate: Tennessee
On Deck: @Kansas City
In the Hole: @Dallas
14. Kansas City Chiefs
19 of 32
Record: 3-1
Last Week’s Rank: 11
The last of the NFL’s unbeatens was defeated by the Colts Sunday. The Chiefs offense only managed to put up field goals as none of their ticking time bombs were able to explode into the end zone. A bright spot for their defense, Kansas City forced Peyton Manning into his worst outing of the year.
Outcome: L(9-19) @Indianapolis
At the Plate: @Houston
On Deck: Jacksonville
In the Hole: Buffalo
13. Philadelphia Eagles
20 of 32
Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Rank: 14
Kevin Kolb was back in under center with Michael Vick out. Kolb ignored the haters and led the Eagles to their third win of the season. LeSean McCoy also had a big Sunday night even though he reportedly had a rib injury.
Outcome: W(27-24) @San Francisco
At the Plate: Atlanta
On Deck: @Tennessee
In the Hole: Bye
12. Houston Texans
21 of 32
Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Rank: 7
Arian Foster was held to only 25 yards on the ground Sunday by the hot Giants. It was harder to imagine Foster rushing for 25 yards than 250. The Texans no longer have full control of the AFC South.
Outcome: L(34-10) New York Giants
At the Plate: Kansas City
On Deck: Bye
In the Hole: @Indianapolis
11. Green Bay Packers
22 of 32
Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Rank: 5
The Packers not only blew a 10 point fourth quarter lead, their kicker missed what could’ve been the game winning field goal in regulation. A great day for running back Brandon Jackson turned into an overtime loss. Clay Matthews sack count: 8.5
Outcome: L(13-16) @Washington
At the Plate: Miami
On Deck: Minnesota
In the Hole: @New York Jets
10. Washington Redskins
23 of 32
Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Rank: 13
Laron Landry wins the Beast of the Week award as he recorded 13 tackles, a forced fumble, and intercepted the ball that set up Graham Gano’s game winning field goal. Without Clinton Portis, Donovan McNabb was forced to throw a season high 49 times.
Outcome: W(16-13) Green Bay
At the Plate: Indianapolis
On Deck: @Chicago
In the Hole: @Detroit
9. Chicago Bears
24 of 32
Record: 4-1
Last Week’s Rank: 10
Todd Collins nearly threw more balls to the Panthers than to his own teammates as he threw four interceptions to six completions. Luckily for the Bears, the entire defense, along with Matt Forte, played lights out all day.
Outcome: W(23-6) @Carolina
At the Plate: Seattle
On Deck: Washington
In the Hole: Bye
8. Indianapolis Colts
25 of 32
Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Rank: 9
Peyton Manning is human? What? The Colts running backs actually combined for 100 yards even though Manning threw 44 times.
Outcome: W(19-9) Kansas City
At the Plate: @Washington
On Deck: Bye
In the Hole: Houston
7. New Orleans Saints
26 of 32
Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Rank: 2
The Saints already have two losses going into week six and they didn’t lose a game until week 15 last year. Drew Brees threw three interceptions as it seems apparent New Orleans misses Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.
Outcome: L(20-30) @Arizona
At the Plate: @Tampa Bay
On Deck: Cleveland
In the Hole: Pittsburgh
6. New York Giants
27 of 32
Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Rank: 17
The Giants followed up a dominant Monday night performance with another against the Texans. Hakeem Nicks had two touchdown catches and now leads all receivers with six.
Outcome: W(34-10) @Houston
At the Plate: Detroit
On Deck: @Dallas
In the Hole: Bye
5. Atlanta Falcons
28 of 32
Record: 4-1
Last Week’s Rank: 8
Michael Turner tears up and Roddy White follows suit as the Falcons win their fourth game of the year. The Falcons now have sole possession of the NFC South.
Outcome: W(20-10) @Cleveland
At the Plate: @Philadelphia
On Deck: Cincinnati
In the Hole: Bye
4. New England Patriots
29 of 32
Record: 3-1
Last Week's Rank: 4
The Patriots can use the bye week to work a new receiver into the starting lineup, or use the extra time to look for a new one.
At the Plate: Baltimore
On Deck: @San Diego
In the Hole: Minnesota
Key Injuries (As of 10/1):
OT Nick Kaczur – Out (Back)
HB Fred Taylor - Out (Toe)
CB Terrence Wheatley – Out (Foot)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
30 of 32
Record: 3-1
Last Week’s Rank: 6
It's perfect timing for the bye week as the Steelers get a whole extra week for Ben Roethlisberger to get back in rhythm with the starters.
At the Plate: Cleveland
On Deck: @Miami
In the Hole: @New Orleans
Key Injuries (As of 10/1):
OT Trai Essex – Out (Ankle)
NT Chris Hoke – Out (Knee)
2. New York Jets
31 of 32
Record: 4-1
Last Week’s Rank: 3
The Jets beat Randy Moss in a Patriots uniform, and then they went and beat him in a Vikings uniform. New York sacked Brett Favre four times and forced three turnovers including a Dwight Lowery game clinching pick six with under two minutes to go.
Outcome: W(29-20) Minnesota
At the Plate: @Denver
On Deck: Bye
In the Hole: Green Bay
1. Baltimore Ravens
32 of 32
Record: 4-1
Last Week’s Rank: 1
Ray Rice had his best game of the season against the Broncos rushing for his first 100 yard game of the year and scoring his first touchdowns as well. The Ravens rushed for four touchdowns on the day. If they defeat New England next week, they will be the early favorite to win the Super Bowl.
Outcome: W(31-17) Denver
At the Plate: @New England
On Deck: Buffalo
In the Hole: Bye
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