Week 5 Rankings (Last Week) 1. Pittsburgh Steelers 3-1 (1)
Ben Roethlisberger's suspension is up. This is terrible news for the rest of the league, as the Steelers were still one of the best teams in the league with a 4th string quarterback starting. Replace Charlie Batch with the pro bowler and 2-time Super Bowl champion and this team can do it all.
2. New York Jets 3-1 (9)
The Jets looked like the great team that has been hyped up all summer, but the Buffalo Bills tend to do that to almost everyone they play against. Mark Sanchez has been nearly perfect with 8 TD's and 0 INT's on the season, and the running game has been spectacular with a rejuvenated LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene producing the league's 2nd best rushing attack.
3. Baltimore Ravens 3-1 (8)
The Ravens stole one late from the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game they had to have to avoid falling 2 games behind a team playing the first 4 weeks without its star QB. This defense is still carrying them, with Ray Lewis and company sporting the #1 D against the pass on the season. The passing game appears to be heating up, but Baltimore really needs a healthy Ray Rice to return to form to spark what has been to this point a non-existent running game.
4. Green Bay Packers 3-1 (3)
I kept waiting for the Packers to put the Lions away, but Detroit hung around all game long and nearly stole a win in Lambeau. I expected this team to be much better at this point, but considering the relatively slow start by Aaron Rodgers and the loss of starting RB Ryan Grant, the fact that Green Bay is 3-1 and was very close to a 4-0 start is pretty good.
5. New Orleans Saints 3-1 (5)
Kind of the same deal for the Saints as the Packers. Every game has been decided by 5 points or less, but they are a short missed field goal away from starting 4-0. Injuries to the running backs have really held back the explosiveness of this offense, but Drew Brees and his plethora of receivers have done enough to carry the load and win games.
6. Indianapolis Colts (2)
I have to say I'm kind of shocked that the Jaguars were able to beat the Colts this weekend, but Jacksonville does seem to play their best against Indy so I guess it shouldn't be so surprising. The Colts are awful against the run and have no rushing attack of their own, so Peyton Manning is going to have to keep up this blistering pace all year. I think he will, and the Colts will be fine.
7. Houston Texans 3-1 (10)
Houston is playing some great football, and they kept it going with a road win against the Raiders without their star WR Andre Johnson. They have the best running attack in the league with Arian Foster having a breakout season, and their defense is 2nd in the league against the run. If Johnson can get back soon, this could be the year the Texans finally make the playoffs, and maybe even win the division.
8. Atlanta Falcons 3-1 (4)
The Falcons just barely escaped at home against the 49ers this week. Matt Ryan threw an interception with just over a minute to go with San Francisco leading 14-13, and if Nate Clements had just gone down the game would have essentially been over. However, Roddy White forced a fumble when Clements slowed down to set up the final block at the Falcons 7-yard line, and the Falcons took advantage. They drove right down the field, and Matt Bryant kicked a 43-yard field goal with 2 seconds left for the win.
9. Kansas City Chiefs 3-0 (15)
The Chiefs had the week off, and after watching many of the top teams struggle, I moved them into the top 10. The Chiefs have a great rushing attack and have been good against the run as well, and we will get to find out just how good they are this week when they travel to Indy to take on the Colts. With the Colts coming off a loss to the Jags, this game just got a little more difficult.
10. New England Patriots 3-1 (14)
The Patriots won 41-14 on Monday night against the Dolphins, but they weren't nearly as good as the score indicates. Miami really dominated the game, but were done in by 4 turnovers. The Patriots took advantage of every one, scoring touchdowns directly off of 3 of them. The Patriots' defense has been pretty bad so far, but were definitely opportunistic in this one. Randy Moss finished the game without a catch, and rumors of a trade to the Vikings have already started. Stay tuned...
11. Minnesota Vikings 1-2 (13)
The Vikings had the week off, and Minnesota fans have to be excited by the Randy Moss talk that has started up this week. He would certainly be a big help to a passing game that ranks 24th in the league, and with a trip to the Jets up next, they could definitely use him this week.
12. Tennessee Titans 2-2 (6)
Just when it looked like the Titans might be a contender to win their division after a huge win at the Giants, they drop one at home to the Broncos. That makes this week's trip to Dallas really big, as it will likely determine which direction this team's season is headed.
13. San Diego Chargers 2-2 (19)
The Chargers absolutely annihilated the Cardinals this week, and in the process looked like a serious contender. Unfortunately, they only look like that every other week, with a tough loss caught in between. So far this has been directly correlated to the location of the game, with two blowout wins at home and two 7 point losses on the road. They will have another chance to break the pattern on the road in Oakland this week.
14. Denver Broncos 2-2 (22)
The Broncos are a strange team, but may be finding their stride. They pulled off a huge road win in Tennessee, shutting down stud RB Chris Johnson by dominating time of possession and keeping the ball away from him. They have the league's worst rushing game, but the #1 passing game. Kyle Orton is playing great, and the emergence of receivers Brandon Lloyd and Eddie Royal make this team dangerous. They have a big challenge up next with a game in Baltimore against the league's best pass defense.
15. New York Giants 2-2 (18)
Great performance from the Giants this week. They set a record with 9 sacks in the first half, knocking Jay Cutler out of the game with a concussion in the process. This is the team I expected to see, as the Giants dominated the Bears in every facet of the game. They will need to bring this same kind of intensity with a trip to Houston up next.
16. Dallas Cowboys 1-2 (16)
The Cowboys are coming off their bye week after a much needed victory against the Houston Texans in week 3. They have a chance to recover from their bad start to the season if they can beat the Titans at home this week.
17. Miami Dolphins 2-2 (11)
I would love to put the Dolphins higher, as I think they are actually pretty good, but they have a few glaring weaknesses that are keeping them down. The special teams game was atrocious on Monday against the Patriots, and Miami took the first step in fixing that problem by firing the special teams coordinator. Chad Henne's lack of experience showed up on the big stage, as he made several crucial mistakes that turned a close game into a blowout. The Dolphins will have to clean up these errors if they expect to have any chance to beat the Packers in Green Bay in week 6.
18. Chicago Bears 3-1 (12)
The Bears were totally shut down by the Giants this week, and they lost their perfect record and their starting QB to a concussion in the process. Cutler is questionable for this week's game against the Panthers, kind of like the Bears running game, which ranks 31st in the league. I'm still not a believer in this team despite the 3-1 record, and I'm hoping my Panthers can take advantage of the woozy QB and get their first win on Sunday.
19. Washington Redskins 2-2 (21)
The Redskins are getting quite a reputation for hurting the opponents best player. They knocked out Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy, and in the process really damaged what was looking like a great season for the Eagles. Washington still really isn't very good in any part of the game, and is really bad against the pass, ranking 31st in the league.
20. Philadelphia Eagles 2-2 (7)
What a horrible game for the Eagles in week 4. They lost both Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy to rib injuries, and both could be out for an extended period of time. This is really bad news for the Eagles as rib injuries often linger, and if they lose 2 of their best 3 players for a large chunk of the season, they have no chance to make the playoffs.
21. Cincinnati Bengals 2-2 (17)
I don't really know what to think about the Cincinnati Bengals. They really haven't looked great in any game this year, and they just lost to the hapless Cleveland Browns. On the flip side they did get a win against the Ravens, so you never know what you're going to get from the Bengals.
22. St. Louis Rams 2-2 (23)
I'm really starting to think this Rams team might make the playoffs. They have an extremely favorable schedule, and Sam Bradford is looking like a great #1 pick. If Steven Jackson can stay healthy, the Rams have a real chance to win the NFC West in Bradford's rookie season.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (29)
The Jaguars are another very strange team. Kicker Josh Scobee kicked a 59-yard field goal as time expired to give Jacksonville a huge win against the Colts. The Jags always seem to get up to play the Colts, but they might want to think about showing up against the other teams if they hope to contend for a playoff spot. They have a very winnable game in Buffalo this week, but it wouldn't shock me at all if they lost.
24. Seattle Seahawks 2-2 (20)
The Seahawks continued their trend of getting shelled on the road with a 20-3 loss to the Rams in St. Louis. Luckily for Seattle, another trend of theirs is winning at home, and 8-8 will probably win the division. The Seahawks have the league's 3rd best run defense, and are definitely in the mix for the automatic playoff berth that comes with winning the NFC West. Acquiring RB Marshawn Lynch should improve a rushing attack that ranks 27th in the NFL.
25. Detroit Lions 0-4 (27)
I really feel sorry for the Lions. Shaun Hill has done a great job filling in for Matthew Stafford, and Detroit has been competitive in every game this year. Unfortunately for them, they haven't won any of them, and are sitting in a familiar spot at 0-4. Big chance for a win this week at home against St. Louis.
26. Oakland Raiders 1-3 (24)
What can you say about the Oakland Raiders? I think they are definitely better than they have been in the last few years, but they still keep losing and are 2 points from being 0-4, so not much has changed. On the plus side, Darren McFadden looks like a player that could be great in this league for years to come, and the pass defense ranks 3rd in the league, so there are signs of hope here.
27. Cleveland Browns 1-3 (30)
I really hate watching this team. They are extremely boring, and rarely do you see anything exciting happen out of their offense. Peyton Hillis has been pretty solid for them the past few weeks, and they got a big win against their rival Cincinnati last week. Despite being out-gained significantly by the Bengals, the Browns found a way to win, and to their credit they've been competitive in every game this year. If they can beat the Falcons this week I'll be impressed.
28. San Francisco 49ers 0-4 (26)
It would be really hard to be a 49ers fan right now. They put themselves in position to finally get a win against the Falcons last week, only to have Roddy White make a spectacular play and strip the ball from Nate Clements after he intercepted a Matt Ryan pass with just over a minute to go. If Clements had just gone down the 49ers likely would have run out the clock and won the game, but you can't really blame him as it looked like he was only one block away from scoring a touchdown. Unfortunately he had to slow down to wait on that block, which gave White enough time to make the play. Naturally the Falcons capitalized and took the ball right down the field, kicking the game winner with 2 seconds to go. Maybe San Francisco can take advantage of the absence of Vick and McCoy and get their first win against the Eagles this week.
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-1 (28)
Tampa had the week off after getting beat up by the Steelers, and returns to action with a game at Cincinnati this week. Despite their 2-0 start, I still think this team is awful and was simply the beneficiary of an easy early season schedule. I fully expect the losses to start piling up in bunches, starting last week and continuing this week against a Bengals team coming off a tough loss.
30. Arizona Cardinals 2-2 (25)
The Cardinals are terrible. I don't care if they are 2-2, they are still one of the worst teams in the league. They lost 41-10 against the Chargers, and their lone touchdown was a fumble return. The offense is bad, the defense is worse, and it looks like another change at QB is coming. It appears the Cardinals are going to turn to rookie Max Hall, who I've never heard of but Arizona apparently likes. They better hope this guy is really good, because this defense is incredibly awful. They do have some weapons to work with on the offensive side of the ball, but have yet to find someone who can consistently get them the ball.
31. Carolina Panthers 0-4 (32)
The Panthers are tough to watch. Despite being a Panthers fan, I found myself watching other games at the sports bar, even while Carolina held the lead against the Saints for nearly all of the 2nd half. I just knew the Panthers would find a way to lose, and sure enough Carney kicked the game winner with just under 4 minutes to go, and a last ditch attempt to win the game came up just short. On top of that, Steve Smith left the game with an ankle sprain, and my guess is it was a pretty bad one. The way he was writhing in pain gave me flashbacks to my two 3rd degree ankle sprains, and with the season already gone, Steve should definitely take his time getting back on the field. The Panthers need to make a trade for a receiver soon, because after Steve Smith I'm not sure we have anyone else that can catch the ball consistently. Dwayne Jarrett just got released after getting a DUI, so it's time to bring in someone else. A few suggestions would be T.J. Houshma-however you-spell-his-name (Ravens), Derrick Mason (Ravens), Kevin Walter (Texans), James Jones (Packers), Jerricho Cotchery (Jets), or Robert Meachem (Saints). All these guys are spending a lot of time on the pine considering their talent, for the most part because they are on great teams that are loaded with receivers, and each one would be a significant upgrade to anyone on the Panthers roster. Any of these players would immediately become the #1 option in the passing game, which might be attractive to at least one of them. It's worth a shot.
32. Buffalo Bills 0-4 (31)
The Bills emphatically took back the bottom spot in the power rankings after taking a vicious beating at the hands of the Jets. Buffalo boasts the leagues worst passing offense, as well as the most dreadful rushing defense, and anyone who loses to them should be ashamed of themselves.
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