NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Green Bay Packers and 3 Top Teams Guaranteed To Win
No stinkers here, folks. Just great teams taking ownership of the NFL. Week 5 of the 2011 season is full of mismatches, ones that these three powerhouses should be ready, willing and able to take advantage of.
The Packers are off to a roaring start in the defense of their Super Bowl title. Aaron Rodgers has orchestrated Mike McCarthy's offense to perfection, connecting on 73.1 percent of his passes while spreading the love amongst the most talented receiving corps in all of football.
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The defense has bent plenty and even broken a few times—Green Bay ranks 28th in yards allowed and 18th in points—but has also contributed with 11 takeaways, good enough for second-best in the NFL.
Next up, the Cheeseheads will take their show on the road to the Georgia Dome to face the 2-2 Falcons and relive the glory (and, for Atlanta, the pain) of the 48-21 trouncing the Packers administered on the way to the NFC Championship Game.
The Pack isn't the only bunch making noise out of the NFC North these days. You've probably heard plenty about the Cowboys' 24-point collapse on Sunday, with little indication as to who benefited from the embarrassment.
Well, friends, it just so happened to be the Motor City's most miserable sons, the Detroit Lions, who, for the first time since Barry Sanders last suited up, look like a legitimate threat to win on any given Sunday. Having Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson healthy has made all the difference for Detroit, especially with the two combining for eight touchdowns already this season.
Meanwhile, Ndamukong Suh has brought a definite swagger to the team's defense, with rookie tackle Nick Fairley soon to join him on the line.
Jay Cutler can only hope that Fairley's debut will have to wait another week, as he and the Bears will be next in line to get mauled by the resilient Lions. Be sure to tune in to Monday Night Football next week, when Detroit brings its act to national TV for all to see, much to the chagrin of fans in Chicago.
Like the Lions, the Texans are finally enjoying the sweet taste of success on a weekly basis. Wade Phillips has helped to turn a talented but moribund defense into a unit capable of competing with the contributions of one of the NFL's best offenses.
With that improvement, the Texans have nabbed three wins in four games, and the lone loss, at New Orleans, is hardly something about which to be ashamed.
Houston will continue its climb up the league hierarchy when Oakland comes to town on Sunday. Matt Schaub will miss throwing to Andre Johnson, who is expected to sit out the game with a hamstring injury, , but will still have the dynamic duo of Arian Foster and Ben Tate on which to lean to tear up the Raiders' suspect defense.
Josh Martin's Week 4 NFL Power Rankings |
1. Green Bay Packers |
3. Detroit Lions |
5. Houston Texans |
11. Tennessee Titans |
13. Dallas Cowboys |
16. Oakland Raiders |
17. New York Jets |
18. Atlanta Falcons |
19. Cleveland Browns |
20. Chicago Bears |
24. Denver Broncos |
25. Seattle Seahawks |
30. Miami Dolphins |
31. St. Louis Rams |
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