NFL 2013 Power Rankings – Week 6
This was a good week of football. We got some instant classics, some big surprises and Rob Ryan’s expression at the end of Sunday Night Football will give anyone who isn’t a Saints fan lots of joy for the rest of the season. We also had a tough week as Adrian Peterson’s son was brutally beaten and killed. Its never easy to come to work after such a tragedy but Peterson is fortunate to have a great group of teammates, coaches and fans to fall back in such a trying time. On behalf of the entire Keeping It Real Sports family, we’re sending out our thoughts and prayers to him and his family. On to the rankings.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-6) (32) – If you were one of the few people that took the Jaguars and the points against Denver, congratulations. You may not have won big but hey you won. The Jags played relatively well. Chad Henne was able to move the ball, specifically to Justin Blackmon who had another monster game. Its almost like he’s trying to catch up to the rest of the league’s receivers after missing the first five games of the season. Next game: vs San Diego Chargers
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) (30) – The Bucs secondary came into the season with a lot of hype and if this game against the Eagles was any indication, they were clearly overhyped. Nick Foles and Riley Cooper torched the Buccaneers. The Eagles run defense isn’t very good so its curious to me that Doug Martin only had 16 carries. Next game: @ Atlanta Falcons
30. New York Giants (0-6) (29) – The Giants aren’t very good but thats not news, but there are signs of life. Despite Eli’s turnovers, the Giants were able to move the ball. Brandon Jacobs looks like he found a time machine and had a great day running the ball. Maybe facing a struggling team on prime time will do them some good. Next game: vs Minnesota Vikings (MNF)
29. Oakland Raiders (2-4) (24) – The Raiders defense should be commended. They played very well. Whats even more impressive is that a year ago, only Lamar Houston was a member of this Raider defense. 10 new starters and they’ve come together very well. The offense needs to do the same. Next game: Bye Week
28. Atlanta Falcons (1-4) (28) – Bye Week. Next game: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4) (31) – The Steelers needed a big win over the Jets and they got it. Ben Roethlisberger took a while to get going but once he did, he was able to find Emmanuel Sanders for a long touchdown and didn’t turn the ball over. The Steelers defense did a great job against Geno Smith. Give credit to Dick Lebeau for confusing Geno and turning his over twice. The Steelers run defense also held the the Jets running backs to 59 yards on 13 carries.
26. Buffalo Bills (2-4) (23) – The Buffalo Bills were very impressive with Thad Lewis under center. He played with a lot of poise and led the team very well late in the fourth quarter and in overtime. The Bengals were just a little bit better when it counted and they pulled out the win.Next game: @ Miami Dolphins
25. Washington Redskins (1-4) (21) – The Redskins were throttled by the Cowboys but it wasn’t necessarily the offense that did it. Dwayne Harris put up over 200 total return yards and Tony Romo hit Terrence Williams in the end zone to put the icing on the cake. RG3 continues to improve as he threw for 246 yards and ran for another 77. Next game: vs Chicago Bears
24. Minnesota Vikings (1-4) (20) – The Vikings need a coaching change. There’s no way anyone can properly explain to me how Adrian Peterson could only have had 10 carries against the Panthers. It doesn’t make any sense. What makes even less sense is that Matt Cassel threw the ball 44 times. His two interceptions should be clear that he took the ball out of the hands of the team’s best player, who was likely playing with a heavy heart. Next game: @ New York Giants
23. Tennessee Titans (3-3) (19) – I never thought I’d say this but the Titans miss Jake Locker in the worst way. Thats not to say that they would have won but I imagine Locker would have done better than Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 171 yards and two interceptions. Even more disappointing was that Fitzpatrick had as many rushing yards (in less carries) than Chris Johnson. Next game: vs San Francisco 49ers
22. Carolina Panthers (2-3) (27) – If the Panthers were in another division, I’d say they have a chance to make a playoff run with the way Cam Newton has played the last few weeks. Unfortunately they play in the NFC South with the Saints so their best hope is to grab a wildcard spot. Luckily, the Falcons are hurt and struggling so they do actually have a chance to make some noise. Next game: vs St Louis Rams
21. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) (26) – The Eagles didn’t look like they missed Michael Vick much at all. Chip Kelly wants a more mobile quarterback to run his offense but Nick Foles should be a viable option going forward when Vick isn’t available. Philly fans shouldn’t get too overexcited because they played an 0-6 Tampa team that suddenly forgot how to defend. Next game: vs Dallas Cowboys
20. St Louis Rams (3-3) (25) – Just when the Rams looked like they needed an entirely new offense, they go out and put up 38 points on the road against the Texans. Sam Bradford managed the game and played a very accurate game and Zac Stacy ran the ball well and kept the defense honest. Give credit to the Rams defense for keeping the Texans in check for the most part. I’m curious to know if the game would have been any different if Matt Shaub hadn’t gotten hurt. Next game: @ Carolina Panthers
19. San Diego Chargers (3-3) (22) – Phillip Rivers didn’t have another 300 or 400 yard game but he played well, throwing a touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. Most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over. Its unfortunate that Phillip Rivers is having such a good season in a year when the division is so tough. In almost any other year, the Chargers might be the favorite to win the AFC West and go to the playoffs but Phillip Rivers’ window of opportunity might have closed already. Ryan Mathews had a great game. It’ll be interesting to see how he progresses. Next game: @ Jacksonville Jaguars
18. New York Jets (3-3) (16) – The Jets came back down to earth after a big Monday Night Football win over the Falcons. Geno Smith’s inconsistency showed as he threw two interceptions to a defense that hadn’t had any takeaways all season. Early on, the game looked like it was going to stay close and boring but Big Ben and the offense broke it up in the second half..if scoring 10 points is breaking it open. Next game: vs New England Patriots
17. Cleveland Browns (3-3) (15) – I don’t think the Browns would have won this game even with Brian Hoyer at quarterback and to be fair, Brandon Weeden didn’t play a terrible game. His two interceptions obviously weren’t great for the team, especially late in the game, but there’s hope on the horizon. The AFC North is still up for grabs. Next game: @ Green Bay Packers
16. Arizona Cardinals (3-3) (14) – The Cardinals didn’t really play a bad game. Carson Palmer was able to move the ball on the ground and through the air but the defense couldn’t stop Colin Kaepernick and Vernon Davis. Larry Fitzgerald looked good despite having a hamstring injury that had everyone concerned prior to the game. The NFC West continues to be a tough division as every team’s record is .500 or better. Next game: vs Seattle Seahawks (TNF)
15. Houston Texans (2-4) (13) – A Texans quarterback threw a pick six in their sixth consecutive game. This time, however, is was TJ Yates, not Matt Shaub. Shaub injured his ankle and will likely miss some time. Texans fans in attendance didn’t seem to care as they cheered after Shaub went down. Thats a bad job by the fans there. No matter how bad Eli Manning plays, I’d never cheer for him to get hurt. Mostly because I know the backups are Curtis Painter and Ryan Nassib. Next game: @ Kansas City Chiefs
14. Indianapolis Colts (4-2) (11) – The Colts couldn’t seem to get into the end zone against the Chargers defense. Andrew Luck tried his best but in the end, three field goals was all they could muster. Trent Richardson showed flashes of what he could be but only tallied 40 rushing yards. The AFC South is basically theirs to lose. I think they’ll be fine. Next game: vs Denver Broncos (SNF)
13. Dallas Cowboys (3-3) (18) – The Cowboys offense was good enough to take care of business against the Redskins. Going forward, they’re going to have a tough task replacing DeMarco Murray and DeMarcus Ware. The Cowboys special teams stepped up and paced them in this victory. Next game: @ Philadelphia Eagles
12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) (17) – What an entertaining game against the Buffalo Bills. Andy Dalton and AJ Green did their best to get a huge lead against the Bills but the secondary was torched late in the game by Thad Lewis and Scott Chandler. Giovani Bernard continues to impress and make a name for himself in the league. Next game: @ Detroit Lions
11. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) (7) – Ray Rice has looked very pedestrian since his hip flexor injury and that has made the Ravens offense even more one dimensional than usual. The Ravens can’t seem to move the ball unless its with long passes to Torrey Smith. Unfortunately, Torrey Smith was held to only one catch for 12 yards. Flacco managed to target Tandon Doss and Dallas Clark six times each. Next game: @ Pittsburgh Steelers
10. New Orleans Saints (5-1) (2) -The Saints had this game. The Saints lost this game. Rob Ryan knows it, the fans know it and the Patriots know they lucked out. The Saints will bounce back after their week off. Next game: Bye Week
9. Green Bay Packers (3-2) (12) – Aaron Rodgers did a great job putting this injury riddled team on his back and carrying them to the win over the Ravens. Going forward, they won’t have Randall Cobb and James Jones so Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley will have to pick up the slack. Eddie Lacy also had a pretty good game and provided some balance for the offense.Next game: vs Cleveland Browns
8. Miami Dolphins (3-2) (8) – Bye Week. Next game: vs Buffalo Bills
7. Chicago Bears (4-2) (10) – The Bears defense is the reason they won this game. Better yet, the Giants inability to play without turning the ball over is the reason the Bears won this game. Even without Peanut Tillman, the Bears turned the Giants over three times, including a Jennings pick six. They couldn’t seem to stop Brandon Jacobs and gave up a few big plays to Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Next game: @ Washington Redskins
6. Detroit Lions (4-2) (9) – Megatron’s comeback into the lineup was a welcome one but this game was more about the coming out party for tight end Joseph Fauria. Down 17-7 at halftime, Matthew Stafford rallied the Lions and put together a great win against a pretty good defense.Next game: vs Cincinnati Bengals
5. New England Patriots (5-1) (6) – Like I mentioned before, the Saints lost this game more than the Pats won it. Sean Payton’s play calling was more conservative than usual late in the game and it seemed like they relied too much on the defense to stop Tom Brady and the offense. I will say this- Tom Brady’s pass to Kenbrell Thompkins was really similar to the pass that Eli Manning threw to Plaxico Burress in Super Bowl XLII. Perfect placement toward the back shoulder, one on one coverage, back of the end zone. Probably the best pass Tom Brady has thrown all season. Ironic, huh? Next game: vs New York Jets
4. Seattle Seahawks (4-2) (5) – Russell Wilson played a decent game despite not getting into the end zone. He didn’t turn the ball over and managed the game well. Marshawn Lynch did a good job running the ball and scored two touchdowns. Next game: @ Arizona Cardinals
3. San Francisco 49ers (4-2) (4) – The 49ers did everything right. The ran well, the passed well, they defended well. Good all around game. They’ve played very well since dropping two games in a row. Next game: @ Tennessee Titans
2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-0) (3) – The Chiefs didn’t play a very good game offensively outside of Jamaal Charles. The defense however, played spectacularly. They had 10 sacks and three interceptions. This impending showdown between the Chiefs and the Broncos should be epic. The league’s best defense against the league’s best offense. Next game: vs Houston Texans
1. Denver Broncos (6-0) (1) – The Broncos had a down game by their standards. They still beat the Jaguars, but only by 16. Peyton Manning only had two touchdowns and threw a pick six. Knowshon Moreno had a great game, finding the end zone three times. I still think the Broncos are a machine that has a great chance to go undefeated but it won’t easy. Next week, Peyton Manning goes back home for the first time…and its a prime time game. Next game: @ Indianapolis Colts (SNF)
As always, questions or comments can be emailed to me at s_talouis@yahoo.com or follow me on twitter @FunnyManStan
