NFL Week 6 Power Rankings: New York Jets Take Top Honors

Here we are, six weeks into the NFL season and it has been a wild ride. It’s been a week to week roller coaster with the majority of the league’s teams playing very inconsistently. Let’s not waste any time and cut straight to the chase.

Before taking a look at this week’s Power Rankings, take a peek at the record breakdowns for the entire league.

4-1 = 4 teams, 3-1 = 4 teams, 3-2 = 10 teams, 2-2 = 2 teams, 2-3 = 5 teams, 1-3 = 2 teams, 1-4 = 2 teams, 0-5 = 3 teams

Notice that 17 of the 32 teams are anywhere from 2-3 to 3-2. That’s not a lot of games separating the middle of the pack, leaving the possibilities wide open.

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Week 6 NFL Power Rankings

 1. New York Jets (4-1) -  Jets fans were holding their breath after a lackluster Week 1 performance against the Baltimore Ravens. Since then, they’ve backed up Rex Ryan’s offseason talk and showed that they really should be on the short list for Super Bowl contenders. They have the highest point differential in the league, beating their opponents by an average of just over 10 points per game.

2. Baltimore Ravens (4-1) – Ravens fans might not like this, but your team hasn’t been better than the Jets, despite beating them in Week 1. After beating the Jets, the Ravens lost to the Cincinnati Bengals and had a very tough time against the Cleveland Browns. Nonetheless, they’ve found ways to win games and are currently the second-best team in football.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) – The Steelers played exceptionally well in the absence of their QB, Ben Rothlisberger. The Ravens narrowly out-battled them in a defensive game to give them their first loss, but with Big Ben returning, the Steelers belong in the top three. They have the NFL’s best scoring defense, only allowing 12.5 points per game.

4. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) – The Falcons have quietly became the NFC’s top team. They lost a field goal war in Week 1 to the Steelers, but since then they have been flawless. They are running the ball really well and their defense is putting in respectable efforts week in and week out. Their remaining schedule isn’t overly tough, so don’t be surprised to see the Falcons earn the top seed in the playoffs.

5. New York Giants (3-2) - I probably have the Giants higher than most, but they’re playing great football. After opening up the season strong in Week 1, they didn’t look so good in Weeks 2 and 3. Now, in their last two games, they seem to have things figured out. Their defense has been stout and their offense is starting to click.

In the last two weeks, the Giants have outscored the (then undefeated) Chicago Bears and the (we are supposed to be good) Houston Texans by a combined score of 51-13. Don’t sleep on the Giants!

6. Chicago Bears (4-1) – Things got scary when Jay Cutler went down and then they got scarier when Todd Collins went down too. Luckily, or unluckily, depending on which way you look at it, Collins was okay to fill in for Cutler. Any team that can win with Collins at QB has to be pretty good. Forte and the defense did their jobs in Cutler’s absence and the Bears rebounded nicely from their atrocious loss to the Giants.

7. New England Patriots (3-1) – I really wanted to put the Patriots higher, but we just don’t have enough to go by yet. Their only loss is to the Jets, but their three wins have come against opponents with a combined record of 4-10. We also don’t know the impact that losing Randy Moss will have. Brandon Tate and Deion Branch just aren’t viable replacements.

8. Indianapolis Colts (3-2) – Although the Colts have had their share of problems so far this year, they’re always going to be ranked high based on what Peyton Manning can do. I fully expect to see the Colts win the AFC South and be near the top of the AFC when all 17 weeks of play are complete.

9. Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) - The Chiefs made it into Week 5 as the last undefeated team. They played tough, but just couldn’t get any offense going to keep up. It would help if Dwayne Bowe would stop dropping the ball. However, the Chiefs are still playing very well in most aspects of the game and should continue to prove to everyone that their 3-0 start was no fluke.

10. Tennessee Titans (3-2) - If it wasn’t for the Denver Broncos loss, the Titans would possibly be a top five team. Instead, they find themselves here, with a lot of opportunity in their future. They’re currently playing in the most competitive division in the NFL, and their schedule is about to tell us a lot about them.

11. Washington Redskins (3-2) - The Redskins were a completely different team in wins in Weeks 1, 4, and 5 than they were in losses in Weeks 2 and 3. It’s hard to tell which team they will be more consistently, but most recently they have showed some potential. Week 6 and 7 should tell us a lot about this team as they host the Colts and then travel to Chicago. Stay tuned for a couple weeks for a more accurate diagnosis.

12. New Orleans Saints (3-2) – It was very hard for me to put them this high, and the coming weeks will tell me if my gut is right. I’m about to give you a shocking stat: The Saints have given up more points than they have scored this year! The combined record of their opponents: 8-17! Let’s take it a step further; the teams they’ve beaten are a dismal 1-13. The teams they’ve lost to: 7-4. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not the same team you saw a year ago.

13. Green Bay Packers (3-2) – The Packers are sliding down the board as fast as the Saints after losing two of their last three games. Two of their three wins came over the Lions and the Bills, so that doesn’t tell us much. Their two losses were only by a combined six points to the Bears and Redskins. We’ll see what they’re really made of in Week 8 against the Jets. Keep an eye on Aaron Rodgers as well, because if he doesn’t play, things could get ugly.

14. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) -The Eagles have lost to two respectable NFC opponents and beat the three teams they should beat. Right now, they’re cruising along at a comfortable pace, with or without Michael Vick. However, things are going to get tough as their next six opponents all have a winning record. We’re going to find out really quick if they’re legit or not. 

15. Houston Texans (3-2) – The Texans got off to a 2-0 start and looked like they were in a prime position to top their in-state rival, the Dallas Cowboys. Instead, they lost that game, barely beat the Raiders, and got clobbered by the Giants. Their wins over the Colts and Redskins were impressive, so we’ll have to wait and see which team shows up more down the stretch. For now, they’re right where they belong, in the middle.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2) – The Jags have been just a bit above average, but at this point they’re one of the many wait-and-see teams. Upcoming weeks will tell us a lot more. For now, they’re running the ball very well and if David Garrard can improve the passing game, they could be a dangerous team.

17. Denver Broncos (2-3) – Don’t let their record completely fool you; this is a team that has a lot of opportunity to climb the rankings. They’ve had one of the toughest schedules with all five of their opponents having a .500 record or better. They’ll probably fall to 2-4 next week after they play the Jets, but they have a chance to make a run down the stretch.

18. San Diego Chargers (2-3) - This team is entirely different at home and on the road. At home, they’re 2-0 with a combined winning margin of 79-26. On the road, they’re 0-3. They’ve got to find a way to pull off some road victories. All three losses came by just one score.

Currently they’re first in passing, 12th in rushing, third in passing defense, and seventh in rushing defense. That shows they have talent on both sides of the ball, they just have to get the outcomes to start going their way. There have been a lot of teams this year that haven’t performed well, but found a way to win the game. The Chargers are the opposite. They’re performing well; they just can’t win.

19. Miami Dolphins (2-2) – The Dolphins opened the season 2-0 on the road against two teams with a combined 1-8 record. Since then, they’ve dropped two at home to teams with a combined 7-2 record. All that’s showed us is that they’re better than the worst teams and worse than the best teams. We need more time to see where they truly rank.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) – If records meant more in power rankings, the the Bucs would be much higher. I’m just not ready to admit that they’re a .750 team, but who is? They got dominated by one of the leagues top teams at home, the Steelers. They handled the 0-5 Panthers pretty easy, but they narrowly beat two 2-3 teams by three points each.

They’re at the bottom the league in run defense and they’re below average in both passing and rushing, so don’t expect this team to continue winning. An 8-8 season would be a good finish.

21. Arizona Cardinals (3-2)  – Just like the Bucs, don’t let the Cardinals' record fool you. They beat the Rams by four and the Raiders by one. Those wins weren’t very impressive. Although they did beat the Saints, that was all defense as they didn’t score an offensive touchdown. Don’t expect the defense to play that well every week.

They’re ranked in the bottom five in the league in passing and rushing as well as passing defense and rushing defense. That’s not a recipe for a playoff run. Max Hall is not the savior for this organization.

22. Seattle Seahawks (2-2)  – They’ve been a different team at home than they have been on the road. They beat the 49ers and Chargers at home but lost to the Rams and Broncos on the road. Although they're second best in the league in run defense, they’re second worst in pass D. Their offense is pretty weak and eight of their remaining 12 opponents have winning records. Don’t expect to see the first year of the Pete Carroll era end in a playoff bid.

23. Minnesota Vikings (1-3) - Who would have thought we would see the Vikings this low, this early in the season? The Vikings showed a lot of promise against the Jets in the second half. This could be signs of good things to come in Minnesota now that the Moss era is underway. The Vikings are the one team that I expect to make the biggest jump throughout the rest of the season.

They’ve got the recipe for success in an above-average pass game, exceptional run game, and a pretty stout defense.

24. Dallas Cowboys (1-3) – Unlike most teams, the Cowboys have played all four games against teams that currently have a winning record. The only problem is that they were the favorite in all four games. They’ve got a lot of work left to do and if they’re going to have any chance, they’ve got to stop shooting themselves in the foot.

Things aren’t going to get easier for the Cowboys as their next four games as well as 11 of their last 12 games are against teams with winning records. I wouldn’t be surprised if they finished 10-6 or 5-11. We’ll just have to wait and see.

25. Oakland Raiders (2-3) – I have to admit that the Raiders are a little better than I expected. Beating the Chargers last Sunday was a huge win for the struggling franchise. If they can get better against the run, a .500 season would be a good outcome and a step in the right direction for this team.

26. Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) - Their Week 2 win against the Ravens is a distant memory. Through three weeks they looked pretty good, but after dropping back to back games against the Browns and Bucs, things aren’t looking so good. Things aren’t going to get easier either as their next four opponents have a combined 12-6 record. Look for the Bengals to stay right where they are for a while unless they can find their identity on offense, and fast!

27. Detroit Lions (1-4) – If you haven’t noticed this team is improving, it’s time to take note. Although they're 1-4, they could just as easily be 4-1. They’ve lost three games to teams with winning records by a combined 10 points. They are one of only two teams with a losing record who have actually outscored their opponents this season and one of only six teams in the NFC to do so. Stafford should be back soon and there is only room for improvement for this team.

28. St. Louis Rams (2-3) – This team has surprised nearly everyone to be at 2-3 right now. Sam Bradford is looking like an excellent pick and should be a long-term franchise quarterback. They have a bad taste in their mouths after getting beaten by 38 points by the Lions. Their next four opponents are a combined 5-14, so there’s opportunity for the Rams.

29. Cleveland Browns (1-4) - The Browns have actually been somewhat competitive in all of their games, but they've only pulled off one victory. Their next four opponents are brutal: Pittsburgh, New Orleans, New England, and New York (Jets). It will be a miracle if they're at 2-7 after that stretch.

30. San Francisco 49ers (0-5) – Can you believe people picked the 49ers to go to the Super Bowl? Although every team they’ve played has been .500 or better, they just haven’t been the team anyone expected them to be. Their owner still thinks they’re going to make the playoffs, but that’s going to be a big, uphill feat. They’ve got the Raiders and the Panthers in the next two weeks in must-win games.

31. Carolina Panthers (0-5) – The only thing that ranks this team above the Bills is the fact that they almost beat the Saints. Every other loss has been by double digits and things aren’t going to be looking up at any point this season. With both of their quarterbacks completing less than 50% of their passes, they rank dead last in passing, which doesn’t bode well for their above average running attack.

32. Buffalo Bills (0-5) – They’re bad, but they’re as bad as expected. They’ve given up 34+ points in four of their five games. Teams just load up and run the ball against their putrid run D and that’s enough to pound them into submission week in and week out. Things are just going to get worse as their next three opponents are the Ravens, Chiefs, and Bears.