NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Seattle Seahawks and 3 Losers in the Playoff Hunt

We are now (almost) five whole weeks into the 2011 NFL season, and this far in, we know which teams are good and which are not so good.

But things are going to change as the season goes along. A couple weeks from now, a team that was not so good after Week 5 could very well find itself in the playoff hunt—this team will then qualify as being good.

This happens every season of course, and there's usually more than one team doing the honors. If I had to take a guess, there are three losing teams out there right now that are more likely to show up in the playoff hunt than all the others.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (No. 25)

Including the Eagles on this list goes against every fiber in my mortal being, as well as a few in my immortal being. When I look at them, I see a team that is totally deserving of a 1-4 record.

Despite my best efforts, I also see a team that has more than enough talent to turn things around. I think they are more likely to end up with a Top 10 pick in the 2012 draft, but I'm not ready to count them out of the playoff hunt.

Part of the reason I say this is because I'm just not entirely sold on the Washington Redskins as the best team in the NFC East. In fact, I really don't know who the best team in the NFC East is just yet. All four have their issues, and I think any of the four could end up winning the division when all is said and done.

That includes the Eagles; all they need is a dream-like turnaround.

2. New York Jets (No. 20)

Ah, the Jets.

They've lost three games in a row and have essentially gone from being overrated to being a bunch of underachievers.

Nevertheless, don't mistake the Jets for being dead just yet. They've lost three in a row, yes, but these losses have each come on the road, and they have come against three of the best teams in the NFL.

So the Jets could be a bad team, or they could just be a good team that ran into a really tough stretch.

To be totally honest, neither would surprise me. But given the Jets' track record, I think it's safe to assume that they are not about to go quietly into the night.

You can expect ESPN to obsess over them either way, of course.

1. Seattle Seahawks (No. 22)

Contrary to popular belief, the Seahawks are not that dreadful.

As a matter of fact, the Seahawks have been pretty decent in the last three weeks, winning twice. They're 2-3 now, and that's good enough for second place in the NFC West behind the 4-1 San Francisco 49ers.

At this point, the 49ers do indeed look like the class of the West. Nevertheless, the Seahawks seem to be hitting a stride of sorts, and it's certainly worth noting that they nearly beat the 49ers way back in Week 1.

So, as strange as it may seem, we may actually be in for a playoff race worth watching in the NFC West. The 49ers have the edge now, but the Seahawks are not going to make it easy for them.

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 6 Power Rankings

Rank	Team	Record
1	Green Bay Packers	5-0
2	New England Patriots	4-1
3	Baltimore Ravens	3-1
4	Detroit Lions	4-0
5	New Orleans Saints	4-1
6	Buffalo Bills	4-1
7	San Diego Chargers	4-1
8	Washington Redskins	3-1
9	Oakland Raiders	3-2
10	San Francisco 49ers	4-1
11	Houston Texans	3-2
12	Pittsburgh Steelers	3-2
13	Chicago Bears	2-2
14	Tennessee Titans	3-2
15	Cincinnati Bengals	3-2
16	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3-2
17	Dallas Cowboys	2-2
18	New York Giants	3-2
19	Atlanta Falcons	2-3
20	New York Jets	2-3
21	Cleveland Browns	2-2
22	Seattle Seahawks	2-3
23	Carolina Panthers	1-4
24	Kansas City Chiefs	2-3
25	Philadelphia Eagles	1-4
26	Jacksonville Jaguars	1-4
27	Minnesota Vikings	1-4
28	Denver Broncos	1-4
29	Arizona Cardinals	1-4
30	St. Louis Rams	0-4
31	Indianapolis Colts	0-5
32	Miami Dolphins	0-4