NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Dallas Cowboys and 3 Teams Continuing to Disappoint

The 2011 NFL season is still in its infancy. However, after five weeks of games, some teams are starting to pull in one way or another, either surprising their fan base or making their fan base want to put paper bags over their faces.

The Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins are playing at a winning level previously unknown to their fans. These fans have seen their team in previous years fall flat on their faces, with their season already over, heading into the sixth week of the season. 

However, as those fans celebrate a turnaround season, there are fans who dread another week of football with their disappointing team. These fans thought their team was going to contend to win the division, make the playoffs or have a chance at the Super Bowl. 

These three teams head into Week 6 with a chance at turning their season around but will fail to do so, thus continuing to disappoint their fans. 

If you’re a fan of these teams, it’s okay to jump off their band wagon and jump to another wagon.

Dallas Cowboys (2-2)

The Cowboys come into this game against the New England Patriots fresh off of their bye week. Dallas has been a disappointing team after the first quarter of this season. They are 2-2, with each game somehow resting on a good Tony Romo or a horrific Tony Romo. 

The good Tony Romo led Dallas to their comeback wins against San Francisco and Washington. The bad Tony Romo has been the scapegoat for their losses. 

Which Tony Romo shows up in New England will not determine the outcome of this game. Instead when the Cowboys lose to the Pats this week, it will be because of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady tearing up their defense.

Philadelphia Eagles (1-4)

The Eagles season has done a 180-degree turn from where they were in the preseason. The “Dream Team” has lost their last three games, all because of turnovers and a porous defense that isn’t stopping anything. 

This week the Eagles face a Redskins team that is a surprising 3-1 on the season after having a quiet offseason. 

The ‘Skins come into this game against the turnover-prone Eagles with the eighth and sixth-ranked defense in passing yards and rushing yards per game, respectively. 

Atlanta Falcons (2-3) 

Just like the Eagles, the Falcons came into this season as a preseason favorite to play in the Super Bowl. They won their division last year but were blown out at home against the eventual Super Bowl champion. 

This year, the Falcons have gotten off to a slow start, losing to good teams like Green Bay and Tampa Bay. 

This week, the Falcons and their 28th-ranked passing defense face a Carolina Panthers team that ranks fifth in passing yards per game. The Panthers have played each team this year that they’ve faced tough, with chances in each game to come out with a win. 

The Falcons will be forced to keep up with this Panthers offense led by Cam Newton. 

The season still has a long way to go before teams start to fall out of playoff contention. But these teams need a win soon, before their entire fan base turns on the team. 

Twitter: @tjmcaloon