NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

It's interesting starting Power Rankings after a few weeks have already played out. I have done Power Rankings before, but I started out at the beginning of the season. There's a lot of unknowns, which creates a lot of surprises, which leads to a lot of shakeups in the rankings in those first few weeks.

I didn't start at Week 5 intentionally, I just didn't think to do it before then, mostly because I lacked this venue. Starting in Week 1, you progress every week as you get a better understanding of the teams. But with the Week 5 start, that first one seems a lot like a rough draft to a paper that might need a bit of work to be ready. Then, after the Week 5 games, you see the glaring mistakes and you can make the necessary corrections.

Interestingly, the one I thought was the most glaring mistake, the San Francisco 49ers, turned out not so wrong after all, with the embarrassing loss to the Falcons. So now, I present my Week 6 Power Rankings, which should be much more solidified after the Week 5 rough draft (now with more bold!). The numbers in the brackets represents their spot in the previous weeks' rankings.

1. New Orleans Saints (4-0) [1] - No movement here with the bye week. The three teams behind them were all very impressive last week, but I can't penalize the Saints just because they had the week off. I still think this is the most dynamic team in the league.

2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) [2] - No reason to move them down at all either. They faced a Titans team which has been pretty poor this year, but it was still a tough divisional road game that the Colts dominated.

3. New York Giants (5-0) [3] - The Giants had the most dominating performance last week, and it would've been even bigger if the referees didn't blow a call that should have went for a Giants' fumble recovery for a touchdown, but it kept the drive alive for the Raiders which eventually ended in a touchdown for their only score of the game. Then again, it was the Raiders, and the game was in the Meadowlands, so such a blowout was to be expected, even with a hobbling Eli Manning who thankfully did not even need to finish out the first half.

4. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) [4] - The Vikings round out the unchanged top four after their blowout victory over the Rams. Jared Allen brought back a fumble for a touchdown, and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite players in the league. Another solid day for their receivers, which I meant to talk about last week, but I forgot; of course Adrian Peterson had been the focus of the offense before Brett Favre arrived, and Favre can get the ball to anyone, but these Vikings WRs may be an underrated group of guys. Favre spreads the ball around, and it seems like they can all go and get it.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) [10] - My 5 through 8 last week all either lost or only beat the Lions by eight. Someone had to move up, and while the undefeated Broncos were at #9 last week, I'm going with the Eagles ahead of them. Their one loss was against the Saints while Donovan McNabb was out with an injury. McNabb showed that he's still got it in his return last week as the Eagles beat up on the Buccaneers. They still seem to be lacking in the running game, but their defense and passing game is enough to beat most teams.

6. Denver Broncos (5-0) [9] - The Broncos proved their worth last week with the big overtime win at home against the Patriots. I still find it near impossible to say that Kyle Orton is a good quarterback, but he's doing well with this team. After the questionable start, Brandon Marshall continues to get back to top form, and Eddie Royal finally had a big game. Knowshon Moreno also ran the ball well. Their defense allowed a season high 17 points (wow), but Tom Brady was off on some throws that he should have made, which would have turned this game around. Still, this is a team you better start believing in.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) [14] - I'm not sure how I feel about putting this team here. I still wouldn't have much confidence in picking them to beat some of these teams directly below them in the rankings, but the Bengals have simply done more this season, with wins against the Packers, Steelers, and Ravens, with a fluke loss to the Broncos in Week 1. Weeks 9 and 10 will be huge for them when they play the Steelers and Ravens again, but they will be coming off a Week 8 bye. Cedric Benson is no joke anymore.

8. New England Patriots (3-2) [8] - I wanted to put the Patriots at #7, but I'm having a hard time moving them up after the loss to the Broncos. Sure, a loss to a good team doesn't have to hurt, but the Patriots probably should have won that game. Tom Brady left a lot to be desired, as perhaps he still has not fully recovered from last season's injury. This team still has the talent to get it done though.

9. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) [11] - So much for Roddy White's disappointing start. After getting just 119 receiving yards and one touchdown in the first three games, he came back with a 210 yard, two touchdown performance in the 45-10 road victory over the 49ers, who were supposed to be pretty good. This is one of the most dangerous offenses in the league with Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, White, and Tony Gonzalez.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) [6] - It's hard to drop them four spots following a victory, but an eight point victory over the Lions doesn't look all that good. They host the Browns this week to boost their confidence, but they face a 14-1 combined record in their following three games against the Vikings, Broncos, and Bengals. They will be tested, and I'm not sure if they are up to it.

11. New York Jets (3-2) [7] - Coach Rex Ryan was embarrassed by his defense's performance last week, but the Dolphins may be better than expected. I was worried about the road trip to Miami, and indeed the Dolphins pulled off the victory. Huge debut in green for Braylon Edwards, but it wasn't enough as their defense got stopped. Ryan is taking this one personally though, and I expect their defense to be ready. They have a couple easy games against the Bills and Raiders before their rematch with the Dolphins at the Meadowlands.

12. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) [5] - After coming up short against the Patriots and Bengals, the Ravens fall to 3-2, with two of their wins coming against the Chiefs and Browns. Beating the Chargers in San Diego was nice, but not enough to warrant a top ten position. They also have a huge test in the upcoming weeks, facing a 19-1 combined record in four of their next five games. Their true colors will be shown, good or bad.

13. San Diego Chargers (2-2) [12] - Coming out of the bye week to host the Broncos on Monday Night, this might be the biggest game of the season for the Chargers. If they lose this one, they fall four wins behind Denver in the AFC West, and with their remaining schedule, that will be very difficult to come back from, especially giving a big advantage to the Broncos in the tiebreaker.

14. Chicago Bears (3-1) [13] - The Bears now face two very tough road games in Atlanta and Cincinnati. They could win, but they should be the underdog in both games. They still get to face Cleveland, St. Louis, and Detroit this season, but other than that, it's a pretty rough schedule.

15. Green Bay Packers (2-2) [15] - Third straight Week 5 bye team. The rough draft theory doesn't work too well if the teams don't play. They should easily win three of their next four games, but I'm still not convinced the Packers are that good of a team.

16. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) [17] - Dallas should probably fall in the rankings after needing overtime to beat the Chiefs, but they were already pretty low by their standards. That was an embarrassing win. I like the term "moral defeat" that Bill Simmons' reader Scott H. came up with in last week's mailbag on ESPN.com; the opposite of the popular phrase "moral victory," it certainly applies here. The Cowboys are 3-0 against teams with a combined record of 1-13, and 0-2 against eams with a combined record of 10-0. They have a week off to think about things, then they need to prove something against the Falcons.

17. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) [16] - After a 3-1 start with just a three point loss in Minnesota got almost everyone buzzing about this team (not me), but a 45-10 loss at home to the Falcons quieted that down. They head into their bye this week and will see the return of Frank Gore, though.

18. Arizona Cardinals (2-2) [18] - The Cardinals got off to a 21-0 lead in the first half, but then fell apart in the second half, getting just one first down against the lowly Texans defense as Houston came back to tie. An interception returned for a touchdown by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie saved the Cardinals from embarrassment.

19. Miami Dolphins (2-3) [24] - After an 0-3 start and the loss of quarterback Chad Pennington, the 2008 AFC East division winners looked pretty dead. I don't care much for the Wildcat offense, but this team is not afraid to use it often and at any time, and it is effective almost every time. Mixing traditional runs and Wildcat runs between both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, Miami's running game is enough to make them contenders in just about every game. And new quarterback Chad Henne has quite an arm; amazing deep touchdown pass to Ted Ginn last night in the 31-27 victory over the Jets. The Dolphins host the Saints next, then leave Miami for the first time in over a month to travel to New York and New England for two tough divisional games, so it can all come crashing down after this two-game win streak, but this is still a good football team.

20. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) [22] - The Seahawks have outscored their opponents 69-0 in two games at home with Matt Hasselbeck. So, they were facing the Rams and Jaguars, but those wins were still very impressive. I can't commit to them winning any road games except against the Rams (although they certainly can win some of them), but Qwest Field in Seattle has historically been a huge home field advantage for them. This team can still be pretty good with Hasselbeck as their quarterback. It will be an important test this week hosting the Cardinals.

21. Houston Texans (2-3) [20] - The Texans were looking at further humiliation after a 21-0 halftime defecit to the Cardinals, but showed they still have some life in them after coming back to tie in the second half before eventually losing on the pick six. Andre Johnson reminded us that he's one of the top receivers in the league, but Steve Slaton continues to suffer from a sophomore slump.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) [19] - After averaging 34 points in their previous two games, the Jaguars were shut out in Seattle last week, and their defense was no better in a 41-0 loss. They now have three consecutive games against 0-5 teams, however.

23. Carolina Panthers (1-3) [21] - I really want to drop the Panthers down even further, but the teams below them are so bad, I can't do it. Putting them at 21 last week was a generous benefit of the doubt. That game against the Redskins was the game that they were supposed to come out and prove they are better than their record. Sure they won the game, but just barely. I'm not even convinced they can beat the Buccaneers in Tampa next week anymore.

24. Washington Redskins (2-3) [25] - The Redskins move up a spot despite yet another loss. They'll have a chance to move back to .500 again hosting the Chiefs this week, but it is so undeserving. This team could be 5-1 after the Chiefs game with the schedule they've had, but instead they'll be 3-3 at best. After the Chiefs this week, the Raiders in Week 14 are the only bad team left on their schedule though.

25. Tennessee Titans (0-5) [23] - This is just a talent-based ranking here. They haven't really looked any better than the teams below them, but they have the players, and it's only a matter of time before they get a win.

26. Detroit Lions (1-4) [30] - The Lions are scoring some points this year, even after Calvin Johnson left the game last week against the Steelers, but it's still hard for them to pull off victories besides facing the awful Redskins. They have some potential though, you cannot just expect it to be an easy victory against them, or they will surprise you. It was Daunte Culpepper playing this week at quarterback though, who right now is an improvement over Matthew Stafford, but I would bet on them returning to their future quarterback when he's healthy again.

27. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) [27] - They were able to push the Cowboys to overtime last week, and while I like to put that on the Cowboys' deficiencies, part of that was certainly the play of the Chiefs. Matt Cassel threw for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in the loss. Dwayne Bowe is an excellent receiver, and Bobby Wade could have some potential as well. However, Larry Johnson and that running game is absolutely horrendous.

28. Buffalo Bills (1-4) [26] - That 6-3 loss against the Browns was horrendous. But they still have talent on this team, it's just not coming together right now. They're probably held back more by Coach Dick Jauron more than anything; I'm amazed he's lasted this long. And they need to find some return guys who won't turn the ball over late in the game.

29. Cleveland Browns (1-4) [29] - Derek Anderson: 2/17, 23 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT. A quarterback rating of 15.1. And he won. How is that even possible? Jamal Lewis running for 117 yards helps. So does facing the Bills. Roscoe Parrish fumbling a punt with three minutes remaining in a 3-3 game helped the most, as the Bills' special teams gift-wrapped another victory for the opposition. And they just traded away their best offensive player. Even though they finally won, this was their third game of the season scoring six or less points.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) [31] - The Buccaneers need to figure out something with this running game. They have three talented running backs, but it's just been a mix of up and downs so far this year. Quarterback Josh Johnson was their leading rusher with 40 yards last week against the Eagles. They do not have a rushing touchdown since Week 1. The potential is there for a big day running the ball, and they have a great receiver in Antonio Bryant, who has been slowed by injury this year, but they need to start doing better.

31. Oakland Raiders (1-4) [28] - Watching them last week against the Giants, the Raiders just looked like they have to be the worst team in the league. Then I remembered the Rams exist.

32. St. Louis Rams (0-5) [32] - I'm having a hard time coming up with a way to describe how bad the Rams are. I feel bad for Coach Steve Spagnuolo, who had great success as the Giants' defensive coordinator the past two seasons, including their Super Bowl victory in which he should get a lot of credit for the pressure his defense put on Tom Brady. I expected them to at least play better defense with Spagnuolo, but they have allowed at least 35 points in three straight games. There's just nothing he can do with this team right now.