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The Ultimate Source for your Ph.D. in Pigskin |
Week Six Power Rankings So, none of the four games I told you to keep an eye on last week made much of a difference in the rankings. Fortunately, all of the favorites won, which means I didn't have to spend too much time moving teams around. I know, I know, I'm an incredible lazy ass when it comes right down to it. Instead, the biggest winners came from one expected result and another that was unexpected. The Giants moved from 13th to 8th, because I have the reaction time of a dinosaur at time (at least that's what my wife tells me). The three game stretch they're on has been impressive, to say the least. Then there's Seattle, who after beating Chicago, something Green Bay and Dallas couldn't do, moved from 25th to 20th and became the frontrunner for the NFC West (which seems to change from week to week). The biggest losers of the week are Atlanta and Green Bay. I moved Atlanta down because, as I point out below, they've beaten a weakened New Orleans' squad, and nobody else. Unfortunately for Packer fans, I think they're looking at a wasted year. Make no mistake, this team was going to win with offense, and without Ryan Grant, it just doesn't look the same. This week, I see three games that could really make a mess of things - Jacksonville/Kansas City, New England/San Diego, and New York Giants/Dallas. Let's see how it plays out and make sure to check out the weekly picks, which come out every Firday.
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| 1 |
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New York Jets |
5-1 |
Simply put, they've been the most consistent team over the first six weeks of the season. |
| 2 |
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Pittsburgh | 4-1 | They're the only team I will consider jumping ahead of the Jets if they continue to win. If Big Ben comes all the way back, they're better than New York. |
| 3 |
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New England | 4-1 | I know you've heard this too many times this week, but Brady and Branch didn't miss a beat. |
| 4 |
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Baltimore | 4-2 | Joe Flacco will be the undoing of this team. If that's the case, he may want to stay as far away as he can from Ray Lewis. |
| 5 |
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Indianapolis | 4-2 | Again, a underwhelming win, but it's still a win. Without Dallas Clark, though, things could get dicey quick. |
| 6 |
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New Orleans | 4-2 | Finally, they looked like the champs. And don't look now, but they're starting to get healthy. |
| 7 |
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Philadelphia | 4-2 | The Eagles are starting to grow on me. I'm not sure if they're strong enough defensively to stay here, but they sure can put up some points. |
| 8 |
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New York Giants | 4-2 | The defense looks eerily similar to the one that ran through the 2007 playoffs. If they keep it up, they'll be in the top five in no time. |
| 9 |
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Houston | 4-2 | The comeback over the Chiefs was very impressive, but the defense is really starting to crumble. They have to figure out a way to get off the filed. |
| 10 |
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Tennessee | 4-2 | If you look at the stats and most of the tape on this team, you have no idea how they're 4-2. Personally, I don't think it will last. |
| 11 |
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Miami | 3-2 | Hope they enjoyed the bye, because their next four are against the Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, and Titans. Yeah, good luck with that. |
| 12 |
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Atlanta | 4-2 | Why did they drop this far? Because they only have one quality win (New Orleans) and they've lost to the other two good teams they played - Pittsburgh and Philly. |
| 13 |
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Green Bay | 3-3 | Along with Dallas and San Diego, this may be the most frustrating team in the NFL. So much talent, so little discipline. |
| 14 |
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Kansas City | 3-2 | I didn't move them down, because they outplayed a better team (Houston) and should have claimed a huge road win. |
| 15 |
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Washington | 3-3 | Granted, they lost to the Colts, but Mike Shanahan has to love Ryan Torain's future in Washington. |
| 16 |
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Cincinnati | 2-3 | I keep waiting for this team to show me they're not just a bad reality show. They'll get their chance with Atlanta, Miami, Pittsburgh, and Indy on the horizon. |
| 17 |
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Minnesota | 2-3 | Oh boy, was that ugly. But, they survived the circus that was the Brett Favre-Jen Sterger week, and hopefully, can concentrate on football now. |
| 18 |
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Tampa Bay | 3-2 | Yes, they got manhandled by the Saints in their own place, but I sure like the fight in Josh Freeman. I'll take him over Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco anyday. |
| 19 |
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San Diego | 2-4 | I have no words for this team...I'm done. |
| 20 |
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Seattle | 3-2 | Mike Williams is a perfect example of why Pete Carroll will succeed in the NFL. The guy's been a bust in the NFL, but Carroll has him back to his USC form. |
| 21 |
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Chicago | 4-2 | Just like the Titans, I think the bottom's about to fall out on this team. They've been playing over their heads, and it's not going to be enough. |
| 22 |
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Dallas | 1-4 | Once again, they out played their opponent, but were done in by penalties (many of them completely stupid) and turnovers. |
| 23 |
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Jacksonville | 3-3 | Jack Del Rio thought he was having offensive problems before? Wait until he sees what his group looks like with Trent Edwards at the helm. |
| 24 |
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Denver | 2-4 | Yes, they kept it close against the Jets, but you're still relying on Kyle Orton to win games for you. That is all. |
| 25 |
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St. Louis | 3-3 | I know the NFC West is the butt of way too many jokes here, but the Rams winning this division would be the best story of the year. |
| 26 |
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Arizona | 3-2 | It's too long to list here, but I dare you to look at the rest of their schedule and tell me a game (other than Carolina) that you're confident they'll win. |
| 27 |
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Detroit | 1-5 | Their record doesn't show it, but next to Kansas City and St. Louis, they're the most improved team in the league. So far, the teams they've played are 20-15, combined. |
| 28 |
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San Francisco | 1-5 | Well, as awkward and ugly as it was, they finally won a game. Let's see if they get on a run with Carolina, Denver, and St. Louis coming up. |
| 29 |
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Oakland | 2-4 | I know that the 49ers have a good defense, but only 179 yards and nine points? Really? |
| 30 |
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Cleveland | 1-5 | I wasn't very popular when I ranked McCoy over Clausen in March. After looking good against the best defense in the league, let's just say I feel pretty good about it. |
| 31 |
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Carolina | 0-5 | Matt Moore will be the starter this week. Why, John Fox? You're going nowhere. You may as well prepare for a future that doesn't include you. Ummm...oh yeah. |
| 32 |
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Buffalo | 0-5 | Damn, I forgot the countdown would come to a halt for the bye. Can we please continue towards one of the greatest predictions of all time. 0-16, baby! |
