NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Teams with Something to Prove

How about a brand-spanking new batch of NFL Power Rankings?

We’re just four games into this post-lockout NFL season, and already we’ve plenty of ups, downs, surprises and disappointments. Some of those squads have proven to be better than expected, some worse than expected and some still have something to prove.

This article is about that last group.

Minnesota Vikings

Two years ago, the Minnesota Vikings were a penalty away from a Super Bowl berth. Today, they look like they are a decade away.

They’re now 0-4 after last week’s loss to the abysmal Kansas City Chiefs, which is probably due to the fact that they are dead last in the NFL in passing yards per game and rank 24^th in points per game. Compound that with giving up 286 passing yards per game, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for a bad team.

There is light somewhere in the Vikings’ tunnel, though. Adrian Peterson is having a solid year so far, averaging 94 yards on the ground per game and helping the Vikings to have the third-best ground attack in the NFL. They also have the fifth-best run defense.

The truth is this: This team has too much talent to be 0-4. They need to get back to their roots and be a run-the-ball-down-your-throat type team that plays solid defense and controls the clock. They have to prove they can be that team and win some games.

Otherwise, it may be time to scrap the whole thing and begin rebuilding.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are 1-3 after losing extremely winnable games to New York, Atlanta and San Francisco. Their lone win came against the lowly Rams, who are winless. This alleged Dream Team is going down the tubes.

Many have pointed to their vaunted defense as being overrated, but that isn’t entirely true. The Eagles' passing defense has played fairly well, giving up just 218 yards per game through the air (11th in the NFL). Defending against the pass is where their offseason acquisitions were really geared toward, and they have done their job as well as possible.

The big problem is the Eagles' rushing defense, which ranks 30th in the NFL. When teams can run the ball on you, it weakens your pass defense significantly because you have to commit more guys to the run.

The Eagles' offense is great (ninth in total yards), and they are too good to be losing this much. The Eagles must prove they can play tough defense against the run. It’s the only way they’ll start winning again.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys gave up the biggest lead in their history Sunday against the Lions (24 points), and how well they perform this week will show just how strong this team’s resolve really is.

Their offense has been strong thus far. They rank fourth in the NFL in total offensive yards, but they are just 25th in the league in rushing yards. Tony Romo has also been inconsistent, and that inconsistency was a big part of last week’s loss (three INTs). Their offense is talented, but they must become more consistent and more balanced.

The addition of Rob Ryan to that Cowboy staff has been tremendous. Their defense is ranked first against the run (61.8 yards per game) and 15th against the pass. In fact, they have given up just seven touchdowns in four games. This defense will only get better the longer they are under Ryan.

The Cowboys have to prove that they are a team that can bounce back. They have plenty of time to do it with a bye week this week. But it will be tough, as they must play at New England in their next game.

Houston Texans

For years, the Houston Texans have been that team that is going to be good next year. We’ve heard it over and over, that the Texans are coming, that they’re almost there and that they have a lot of talent. But then, each year, Houston demonstrates that that year isn’t the one, and people start the whole process over for the next year.

Is this year different? It’s time to prove that it is.

Houston is now 3-1, and with the Colts being way, way down without Peyton Manning, this year appears to be their year. A win over perennial playoff contender Pittsburgh this past week makes it look like Houston has finally arrived.

However, Tennessee is also at 3-1 in that division, with Matt Hasselbeck appearing to have breathed new life into a team that has had tremendous personnel issues in the last year.

If Houston is ever going to be the team they should be, they must do it now. They must prove they are that team by continuing to win. They need to leave Tennessee behind. They need to make the playoffs. They need to be one of the best teams in the AFC.

Otherwise, people may stop pointing to “next year” and start pointing to another team.

Indianapolis Colts

We all knew that Peyton Manning was a Hall of Fame-caliber player. What we did not know is just how valuable he is to this team. Apparently, the Indianapolis Colts are a terrible team without him.

They are now in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, and things don’t look to be getting any better. They are ranked 20th or worse in passing yards, rushing yards, passing yards given up and rushing yards given up.

If ever there was a one-man team, it appears that this one is it.

And that is exactly what the Colts must prove wrong. Despite the growing support toward the Andrew Luck-to-the-Colts movement, the Colts need to dig down and find that pride they’ve had for the last 10 years.

They’ve lost each of their last three games by just one score and aren’t that far off. They must prove that they aren’t just a one-man team. If they can, they’ll be even better than before when Manning comes back.