NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Which Teams Did ESPN Rank Too High?

When ESPN says something about sports, you're supposed to listen. When ESPN says something about football, you're supposed to listen, and then smile and nod.

But when it comes to NFL Power Rankings, any and all polite gestures must be forsaken. For those who bother to come up with their own week in and week out, this stuff is serious business. And in this business, ESPN is by no means the ultimate authority.

If you don't believe me, go ahead and take a look at their Week 6 rankings. If you disagree with the placement of one or more teams, that means you and I are on the same page.

Personally, there are five teams that I think ESPN ranked too high.

Miami Dolphins (ESPN No. 30)

The folks at the worldwide leader must be huge fans of the Sage Rosenfels signing, because they bumped Miami up from No. 31 in Week 5 to No. 30 in Week 6.

This despite the fact the Dolphins had a bye.

That in and of itself doesn't make sense, and it makes even less sense once you realize how truly awful the Dolphins are. I have them at No. 32 in my own power rankings, and I foresee them staying there for a long while.

Philadelphia Eagles (ESPN No. 21)

The Eagles were dreadful once again in losing to the Buffalo Bills this past weekend, and for that, they deserve to be punished.

ESPN let the Eagles off with a slap on the wrist, as they dropped them down one spot for No. 20 to No. 21. They must be holding out hope that the Eagles will turn it around.

So am I, for that matter. But right now, even I can recognize that the Eagles are one of the worst teams in the league. That's why I have them at No. 25, and they're lucky they're not lower.

Dallas Cowboys (ESPN No. 15)

I have nothing to complain about concerning the Cowboys that I wasn't already complaining about last week. That's because they also had a bye.

But somehow, the Cowboys moved up two spots from No. 17 to No. 15 in ESPN's rankings. That puts them ahead of not one, but two 3-2 teams.

I have the Cowboys at No. 16 in my rankings, but the difference is that I have them ahead of just one 3-2 team. I like to think that's a reasonable gesture.

Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN No. 8)

I admit, the Steelers looked pretty damn good against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. They might not be so bad after all.

But are they a top 10 team right now? I don't think so. They're good, but the Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins are all better.

At least that's what my power rankings would lead you to believe.

New Orleans Saints (ESPN No. 3)

When it comes to the top of the rankings, the only thing everyone can agree on is that the Green Bay Packers are No. 1. After them, it's a toss-up.

I don't have a problem with ESPN having the New England Patriots at No. 2, but I'm not so sure about the Saints at No. 3. The Detroit Lions are more deserving, and you could argue that the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens are as well.

Thus concludes my rant against ESPN. If they want to avoid any more rants, it's going to cost them.

Maybe they can siphon me some money from Rick Reilly's contract.

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 6 Power Rankings

Rank	Team	Record
1	Green Bay Packers	5-0
2	Detroit Lions	5-0
3	New England Patriots	4-1
4	Baltimore Ravens	3-1
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	Tennessee Titans	3-2
14	Cincinnati Bengals	3-2
15	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3-2
16	Dallas Cowboys	2-2
17	New York Giants	3-2
18	Chicago Bears	2-3
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