NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Jets Rise, Saints and Packers Fall
With NFL Week 5 coming to a close, it's time to put out the latest NFL power rankings for the upcoming Week 6.
There were some movers and shakers, teams moving positions and even some staying put. I'll tease you with that, then let you take a look at where we have each respective team.
I know there are some of you out there that won't agree with this list and that's all well and good. We always encourage debate, it's what sports is for.
With that being said, here are the NFL power rankings for Week 6.
Teams 32-21
1 of 21
Bills—Unimpressive, uninspired. They got close but not close enough this past week. When is that first win coming?
Panthers—I could ask the same question about the Panthers that I did about the Bills. When is that first win coming?
49ers—Cat fight between coach and quarterback on the sidelines and in view of the cameras. The team needs a new direction.
Browns—Jake Delhomme wasn't the answer from the start and still isn't.
Lions—A good win and a good performance from Shaun Hill. He made the 49ers wonder why they gave him up.
Raiders—They kept from losing their 14th straight game to the San Diego Chargers.
Seahawks—Just like the Chargers. 2-0 at home, 0-2 on the road.
Rams—They looked good for two games but got brought back to earth by the Lions in a big way.
Cardinals—Got a big win over the Saints. Are they finally figuring things out under new QB Max Hall?
Cowboys—They don't look good at all. A lot of talent wasted on this roster.
Bengals—Carson Palmer, Chad Ocho Cinco, Terrell Owens, Tank Johnson, Pac Man Jones. You didn't think this was going to have a happy ending did you?
No. 20: Minnesota Vikings
2 of 21
Even with Randy Moss now in the fold, it still wasn't good enough to pick up a win over the New York Jets on Monday night.
The Vikings fall to 1-3 on the year, a record that no one thought they would see, especially with Brett Favre in the mix.
Was the controversy over his pictures sent to Jenn Sterger more of a distraction than he thought?
No. 19: Denver Broncos
3 of 21
I like what Kyle Orton has brought to this team and I like the fact that they can put it up in the air with reckless abandon.
Orton is averaging 346.6 yards per game and one of his targets is wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, who's averaging 117.8 yards per game.
Losing five players to injury against the Baltimore Ravens is going to do a number on any team. They have to hope this doesn't haunt them the rest of the season.
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No. 18: Jacksonville Jaguars
4 of 21
David Garrard hasn't been the most efficient quarterback for the Jaguars but he's done enough to get them by, not to mention he's had help from running back Maurice Jones-Drew.
Garrard has thrown for 789 yards on the season to go along with nine touchdowns. However, he has been intercepted six times so far this season.
As for Drew, he's averaging 81.2 yards per game for the Jags but has found the end zone just once. If they're going to get stronger, they'll need Drew to be more of a factor.
No. 17: New York Giants
5 of 21
After dropping two straight to Indianapolis and Tennessee, the Giants have come back to win back-to-back games over Chicago and Houston.
Eli Manning hasn't had the kind of season he was hoping he would have to this point. Though he's averaging 260.4 yards per game through the air, he's been intercepted as many times as he as touchdowns (eight).
Another problem the Giants are having is finding ways to get Ahmad Bradshaw to hang on to the ball. He's fumbled three times so far this season, losing all three.
No. 16: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6 of 21
Don't let the Bucs' 3-1 start fool you, those three wins have come against Cleveland, Carolina and Cincinnati, teams with a combined 3-12 record through five weeks of the season. Their lone loss was to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Since Tampa Bay doesn't have a run game to speak of, young quarterback Josh Freeman has had to carry the load and, so far, he's done alright.
Freeman is averaging 206 yards per game and has five touchdown passes to just three interceptions so far this season.
No. 15: Tennessee Titans
7 of 21
The Tennessee Titans went into Dallas and got an impressive win over the Dallas Cowboys at Jerry World, keeping the Cowboys winless at home so far this season.
Quarterback Vince Young hasn't lit up the scoreboard yet this season, though he does have six touchdown passes on the season.
The workhorse has been running back Chris Johnson, who celebrated on the Dallas star at midfield after scoring what would be the winning touchdown this past Sunday. He's averaging 97 yards per game and has put it in the end zone six times already this season.
No. 14: Philadelphia Eagles
8 of 21
The Philadelphia Eagles, and head coach Andy Reid, couldn't decide on what to do. After Kevin Kolb went down with a concussion, Michael Vick came in and looked like his old self. When Kolb was ready to come back, Vick still got the starting job until an injury in Week 4 gave the job right back to Kolb.
Question is now, will Vick get the job back once he's back and ready to go or will Kolb do enough to keep it?
The one thing that has stood out for the Eagles so far this season is their passing defense, which is currently eighth in the NFL (192.4 ypg).
No. 13: Washington Redskins
9 of 21
After starting the season losing two of their first three, the Washington Redskins have come back with wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers in the previous two weeks.
Bringing in Donovan McNabb has been a brilliant move so far for the Redskins. He's averaging 263 yards per game but the one glaring problem is he's been sacked 11 times already this season.
Picking up wins over divisional foes Philadelphia and Dallas is definitely going to help them down the line.
No. 12: Miami Dolphins
10 of 21
After back-to-back wins over Minnesota and Buffalo to start the season, the Miami Dolphins have dropped two straight at home to the Jets and Patriots to fall to 2-2 on the year.
Chad Henne has been sacked nine times and the Dolphins don't have much of a run game to speak of.
No. 11: Houston Texans
11 of 21
After a blowout win over Indianapolis to start the season, everyone raised their eyebrows and wondered just how good this Texans team was going to be in 2010.
Since then, they've split their last four with wins over Washington and Oakland while dropping games to the Dallas Cowboys and a lopsided 34-10 loss to the Giants.
No. 10: Kansas City Chiefs
12 of 21
It was just a matter of time before the Kansas City Chiefs came back down to earth, it just took playing at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis against the Colts to end that unbeaten streak at three games.
While there might have been hype here or there surrounding the Chiefs, they hadn't really been tested by a good team, unless you want to count the San Diego Chargers.
Maybe this isn't the end of the losses we'll see in the loss column.
No. 9: New Orleans Saints
13 of 21
The New Orleans Saints, the defending Super Bowl champions, sure aren't playing like they were even in the game this past January.
Most of the NFL was stunned when the Saints dropped a 30-20 decision to the same Arizona Cardinals team that was blown out by San Diego the week prior.
No. 8: Indianapolis Colts
14 of 21
Speaking of the Indianapolis Colts, they haven't quite looked like the dominant team they've been in the past and it's certainly surprising to some that they sit at 3-2 after five weeks of the season.
Peyton Manning is certainly doing his job, averaging 321.8 yards per game and has put the ball in the end zone 11 times to just two interceptions.
No. 7: New England Patriots
15 of 21
With Randy Moss now out of the picture, maybe Tom Brady can finally settle in and not feel like he's forced to look for the diva wide receiver on every play.
They will have their 3-1 record as they face off against the Baltimore Ravens and the stingy Raven defense. This will be a true test to see just how good the Patriots are.
No. 6: Chicago Bears
16 of 21
The Chicago Bears might be surprising everyone, or no one, with their 4-1 start to the season.
They've picked up wins against Detroit, Dallas, Green Bay and Carolina, with their lone loss coming on the road against New York over a week ago.
Without Jay Cutler last week due to a concussion, running back Matt Forte put the team on his shoulders and carried them to a win. They're hoping to get Cutler back in time for this Sunday's game.
No. 5: Green Bay Packers
17 of 21
Say what you want about Green Bay losing to the Redskins this past Sunday, but when you lose your starting quarterback to a concussion and a few other key pieces to the puzzle, you're going to end up losing a game like this.
The Packers hope to have Aaron Rodgers back this coming Sunday after the quarterback sustained a concussion this past weekend.
If not, the Pack could be in trouble.
No. 4: Baltimore Ravens
18 of 21
The Ravens used to be all defense and not a lot of offense.
But now that they have both, this could be a dangerous team to be reckoned with as the season progresses.
Quarterback Joe Flacco has been intercepted more times (six) than he's put in the end zone, but they've gotten solid production from running back Ray Rice, who had 133 yards and two scores against Denver this past Sunday.
No. 3: Atlanta Falcons
19 of 21
The Atlanta Falcons continue to win games and it's not always the same person that comes up big.
If Matt Ryan isn't having a good day, running back Michael Turner picks him up. If Turner is a little bit off, Ryan steps up.
When the offense can't put points on the board, the defense makes sure they do just enough to hold the opposition down or they make a big play to get the win (see the game against the 49ers).
No. 2: New York Jets
20 of 21
The New York Jets didn't look like the self-proclaimed "Super Bowl contenders" after their first game of the season, a loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Since then, they haven't lost a game and look as good as any team in the NFL. If this keeps up, they could definitely be a threat come playoff time.
No. 1: Pittsburgh Steelers
21 of 21
Even without their star quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers have found a way to hold things together through five weeks of the season.
They'll welcome their star back this coming Sunday, just in time to face the oh so dangerous Baltimore Ravens.
Even though they had a bye week, they still stay at the top of my list.
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