NFL Power Rankings: Week 6 Standings Based on Latest 2014 Super Bowl Odds: They say that you can break an NFL season into quarters. Now that we are in the midst of the second quarter, the playoff picture at least has an outline. Its still a long way from coming into focus, but you can see the vague outlines of a few teams and some others in the distance ready to join the madness. Five weeks of play have also given the oddsmakers enough of a sample to put their skills to work. There is no longer a cluster of teams at the top of the Super Bowl chart but two overwhelming favorites and a lot of jockeying behind them. As our weekly look at the power rankings and Super Bowl odds continues, we want to point out the teams that have overcome a slow start to prove their worth this season. No. 32 Jacksonville Jaguars (2500-1) Unfortunately, there is still not a lot of good news for the Jaguars to talk about. They did play their best game of the year on defense against a good Pittsburgh offense, but the offense will be a work in progress all year with Blake Bortles playing behind a dreadful offensive line. No. 31 Tennessee Titans (1000-1) The Titans are the opposite of what we are discussing this week. They started out looking like a potential sleeper with a nice win over Kansas City in Week 1. In four games since, they have two losses by at least 24 points and blew a 25-point lead at home to Cleveland. Only the Jaguars have allowed more points than Tennessee so far in 2014. No. 30 Oakland Raiders (1000-1) The good news is Oaklands four-week losing streak came to an end. The bad news is that was only because the Raiders were on a bye and didnt have a chance to lose. Their reward for a week off is a home game against a San Diego team that might be the best in the AFC. Good luck. No. 29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (500-1) Lets talk about the Buccaneers, shall we? They are 1-4 and blew two different 11-point leads at New Orleans last week, yet they are showing signs of life. Its becoming clear that Mike Glennon deserves to be the starting quarterback; he led the offense to 58 points the last two weeks after the team scored 45 in the first three games. Another reason to stick with Glennon is Vincent Jackson, who continues to look more comfortable with the second-year signal caller leading Tampa Bays offense. Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus noted that Week 5 was something of a reboot for the speedy wide receiver: There’s the Vincent Jackson we’ve come to know and love. After five drops in his first four games, Jackson hauled in all eight catchable targets Sunday and broke a career high four tackles. It’s clear that when things break down, Mike Glennon likes to give Jackson a chance to make a play and Jackson rewarded that faith against the Saints. The Buccaneers still have work to do on defense and finding some kind of running game, but at least Glennon is giving them something to be excited about at the quarterback spot. No. 28 New York Jets (500-1) On the opposite end of the young quarterback spectrum lie the New York Jets. Rex Ryan stuck with Geno Smith as long as he possibly could against San Diego and plans to go back to the second-year player in Week 6. Considering the Jets are last in the league with 184 passing yards per game and Smith has six interceptions and four fumbles, what does that tell you about the teams evaluation of Michael Vick? Its unfortunate, too, because this defense deserves a lot better than its getting. No. 27 St. Louis Rams (500-1) There are no moral victories in sports, but the Rams deserve tremendous credit for playing as hard as they have this season. Austin Davis may not be the future at quarterback, but hes been a revelation so far with a completion percentage of 67.8, 1,129 yards and six touchdowns (all in the last two weeks). If the Rams could just figure out how to stop opponents from running on them, they might start winning some of these games. Unfortunately, their next four games are against run-heavy teams in San Francisco (twice), Seattle and Kansas City. No. 26 Washington (300-1) On Monday night, Washington was given every opportunity to get back in a game against Seattle. The Seahawks were running all over Jay Grudens defense, yet a number of ill-timed penalties cost Percy Harvin about three touchdowns. With the game on the line, that Washington defense couldnt get off the field. Thats been a problem for years and continues to plague the franchise. Kirk Cousins still isnt showing enough consistency to be a star quarterback, but posting 283 yards and two touchdowns against Seattles defense is nothing to scoff at. No. 25 Minnesota Vikings (200-1) Minnesota is the first team to appear on the list with multiple wins, though its the way this group loses that stands out more than anything. The Vikings have only beaten St. Louis and Atlanta, but their three losses have come by a combined score of 92-26. When things go bad, they go really bad. The good news is Teddy Bridgewater is expected back this week against Detroit after sitting out Week 5 with an ankle injury. He showed tremendous poise and awareness in defeating the Falcons two weeks ago. No. 24 Cleveland Browns (100-1) Looking at the Browns this season, they are doing everything backward compared to how we expected coming into the year. They felt like a sleeper playoff team if the offense clicked, specifically the quarterback, because the defense was stacked after adding Donte Whitner and Karlos Dansby in the offseason. Through four games, Hoyer and the offense have been very good with at least 21 points scored in every contest. They are running the ball well with the fourth-most yards per game. Defensively, the Browns cant get out of their own way. They are 24th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed per game. Joe Haden wants to be thought of as an elite cornerback, but when Clevelands defensive coordinator Jim ONeil talks about his practice sessions to defend the player, its a problem (via WKYC Sports): A glass-half-full thinker will point out that theres no way this talented defense can play this bad all year, so things are going to get better. Still, it would be nice to have some proof that the tide is going to turn. No. 23 Miami Dolphins (75-1) Is there another team with a .500 record (2-2) that feels as volatile as the Dolphins? Ryan Tannehill is fighting to keep his job, and the wide receivers cant catch anything that hits them in the hands. Now they have to face Aaron Rodgers. At least they can say they are better than Oakland. No. 22 Kansas City Chiefs (75-1) The Chiefs continue to hold their own against good teams after putting forth a valiant effort in San Francisco, but they havent been able to find a way to win close games yet. They are 2-1 in games decided by more than 10 points and 0-2 in games decided by a touchdown or less. A week off will do this team some good before heading to San Diego for a crucial midseason matchup in the AFC West. The Chiefs need a win to avoid falling too far behind the Chargers and Broncos in the division and wild-card races. No. 21 Houston Texans (75-1) OK, Texans, you proved something by hanging around a good Dallas team into overtime. Now, lets see what you have in store on a short week hosting Indianapolis on Thursday night. The winner moves atop the AFC South. At the very least, Houstons offense can take comfort in knowing that Arian Foster appears to have a lot left in the tank. The veteran running back was on fire with 157 yards and two touchdowns against Dallas, sitting in third place with 404 rushing yards this season, via NFL on ESPN: As long as Ryan Fitzpatrick isnt making mistakes in the passing game, the Texans will be playing a lot of close games this season. No. 20 Buffalo Bills (75-1) Just as we wait to see what Houston has in store for the AFC South this week, the Buffalo Bills have their chance to move atop the AFC East standings with a home game against New England. Head coach Doug Marrone made the decision to go with Kyle Orton as his starting quarterback last week, and it worked out. The most encouraging part about the Bills win over Detroit in Week 5 is the continued growth and importance for Sammy Watkins in the offense. The rookie wideout was targeted a career-high 12 times and caught seven passes for 87 yards. As Bleacher Reports NFL Draft Writer Matt Miller wrote, if the Bills want to be successful, using Watkins is the best path to take: Orton has the ability to open up plays down the field, so dont be surprised to see the Bills take a few chances deep with Watkins against a good New England secondary. No. 19 Chicago Bears (66-1) In the immortal words of Dennis Green, the Bears are who we thought they were! When Jay Cutler isnt turning the ball over, the Bears are 2-0. His six interceptions have come in all three of the teams losses. When the defense forces more than one turnover, the Bears are 2-1. When they have one or fewer, they are 0-2. Its hard to be a successful team when the quarterbacks only consistent attribute is his inconsistency and the defense has to rely on turnovers instead of being able to get stops. The Bears have enough talent on offense to put up points, but that will only get them so far with the bigger problems on the roster. No. 18 Atlanta Falcons (66-1) One thing we can say about the Falcons is their games will never be boring. With their offensive firepower and complete lack of defensive ability, points will be plentiful. It wont produce great results in the win column but will be thrilling to watch. No. 17 Carolina Panthers (50-1) Lets set the scene. Cam Newton still isnt fully recovered from the rib injury suffered in preseason. The defense is allowing 368.4 yards per game, and the running game is virtually non-existent due to all the injured running backs, yet the Panthers are 3-2 and leading the NFC South. Some of this speaks to the mediocrity of the division overall, but credit the Panthers for finding ways to win when so many things have gone wrong for them early in the season. The next three weeks at Cincinnati, at Green Bay and home versus Seattle will tell us where this team really is. No. 16 Pittsburgh Steelers (40-1) It seems the team that is going to cause more headaches than any other this year will be the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are so Jekyll and Hyde—at times in the same game—that you dont know what you are going to see coming out of the tunnel. They went eight quarters without a touchdown from halftime in Week 1 to the third quarter in Week 3 and then exploded for 28 points in 30 minutes against Carolina. They came back the next week and let the previously winless Buccaneers get a last-second touchdown to steal a win. If thats not enough, the Steelers offense could muster only 17 points on four red-zone trips against Jacksonville. You dont get style points for winning ugly, but it would be nice to know this teams identity after five games. No. 15 Detroit Lions (40-1) The Lions are like that girl in high school you have a crush on from afar because you see the majesty on the outside. Then when you actually go on a date with her, it becomes clear shes all surface and no substance. If I were to ask you which NFC team has allowed the fewest points, would you know its the Lions? The pieces are there for this team to be great in a winnable division, but you are always going to get baffling performances like the one in Week 5 against Buffalo. To make matters worse, Calvin Johnson could be out up to two weeks with an ankle injury, according to Peter King of The MMQB. Until we see the Lions start winning consistently, dont talk about how much talent they have. No. 14 Baltimore Ravens (40-1) The Ravens played their first terrible game of the 2014 season in Week 5 against Indianapolis. They had 287 yards of total offense and turned the ball over three times, and Joe Flacco was sacked four times. Despite those struggles, they were still in the game at the end because the Colts had four turnovers of their own. This isnt an elite team that will challenge for a Super Bowl, but its good enough to be a playoff team in a division that opened up with Cincinnatis loss. No. 13 New York Giants (33-1) Before we declare the Giants all the way back, lets remember their three wins have come against Houston, Washington and Atlanta. The Texans cant score and didnt have Arian Foster; Washington and Atlanta have two of the worst defenses in football. Its a cheap way of putting New Yorks three-game winning streak in perspective. We are going to find out more about where Tom Coughlins team is in its next six games (Philadelphia, Dallas twice, Indianapolis, Seattle, San Francisco). One pleasant surprise is the turnaround of Eli Manning, who looked washed up through the first two weeks. He has eight touchdowns, one interception and 734 passing yards during this three-game winning streak but still has those frustrating moments, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News pointed out: Lets ease up on declaring the Giants as one of the best teams in the NFC because this is still a team waiting to be challenged. No. 12 Arizona Cardinals (33-1) Losing Carson Palmer was bad enough, but Drew Stanton going down in Week 5 against Denver has the Cardinals crying for help. Logan Thomas has tremendous raw talent but needs years of work before being ready to lead an NFL offense. Despite Arizonas 3-1 start, the numbers dont add up. The team has an even point differential and ranks tied for 17th in touchdown passes allowed, 22nd in passing offense, 26th in rushing yards and 31st in pass defense. A favorable schedule against Washington and Oakland sets the team up to be 5-1, but sustaining it for the next two months doesnt look good. No. 11 Dallas Cowboys (28-1) The Cowboys win over Houston was eye-opening because it was a tough, low-scoring, physical game that they had to grind out yards to win. The defense bends but doesnt break, which is all you need when DeMarco Murray is averaging 134 rushing yards per game. If Murrays performance continues and Tony Romo keeps avoiding those mistakes we always wait for, the Cowboys are going to be a playoff team. Lets see how physical this team really is in a Week 6 matchup at Seattle. No. 10 New Orleans Saints (25-1) Whatever the oddsmakers are seeing in the Saints to keep them a top 10 Super Bowl contender, would they be so kind as to show it to the rest of us? They arent doing anything well even when they win, as evidenced in last weeks 37-31 victory over Tampa Bay. B/Rs Matt Miller made a great point on Twitter during the game that no one seems to be talking about the regression of Drew Brees: Brees has always thrown a lot of interceptions by taking chances deep down the field, but hes turned the ball over at least once in four of five games this season. You cant make that many mistakes with a defense thats allowing 379.6 yards and 28.2 points per game. No. 9 Philadelphia Eagles (18-1) Another team with issues on defense, the Eagles keep finding ways to win games even though it looks like they want to keep giving them away. Their latest round of defensive ineptitude came against St. Louis, with Austin Davis lighting them up for 375 yards and three touchdowns. LeSean McCoy may not have much of an offensive line to run behind, but that doesnt entirely explain why hes averaging 2.9 yards per carry when Darren Sproles averages 6.9 yards per carry playing behind the same line. No. 8 Indianapolis Colts (18-1) Indianapolis victory over Baltimore in Week 5 was the kind of game you want to see this team win. The Ravens are a quality opponent, and the Colts didnt play a crisp game with four turnovers. Their defense stepped up to make plays when necessary, and there is a commitment to run the ball despite not having great yards-per-carry totals. Andrew Luck isnt going to throw two interceptions in a lot of games, so for everyone else to step up when he has a bad game was a positive step in the right direction for an ascending team. No. 7 San Francisco 49ers (12-1) Its amazing what happens when the 49ers remember what they are built to be. They have run the ball 82 times for 389 yards the last two weeks and are 2-0. Frank Gore remains Mr. Reliable when he touches the ball, racking up 226 yards in wins over Philadelphia and Kansas City. There are still problems on offense, notably in the red zone. Paul Gutierrez of ESPN noted they havent scored in half of their trips inside the opponents 20-yard line: Coming into the game, the 49ers had scored touchdowns on 50 percent of their red-zone attempts, which ranked tied for 20th in the 32-team NFL. This a year after the Niners were 11th in red-zone offense and 21st in 2012. That will have to change if they want to make another deep playoff run, but with the rushing attack back and the defense starting to hit its rhythm after an early-season lull, the 49ers are slowly moving back up the rankings. No. 6 Cincinnati Bengals (12-1) After three weeks of experts singing their praises, the Bengals came crashing down to earth with a 43-17 prime-time loss at New England. The silver lining, if you want to see it, is that Andy Dalton wasnt the problem. He played well with 204 yards and two touchdowns. The team committed three turnovers, and one got returned for a touchdown. Marvin Lewis defense held up fairly well, as New England had to kick five field goals. The problem is this is the kind of game we need to see the Bengals win before declaring them one of the best teams in football. No. 5 San Diego Chargers (10-1) If you havent done so already, its time to go all-in on San Diego. Even before the blowout win against the Jets, this team was playing as well as anyone in the NFL. You cant say the Chargers havent been challenged because they beat Seattle. The much-maligned secondary has held up better than expected with the second-fewest passing yards allowed per game. Philip Rivers has taken his game to another level with 1,443 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. The Chargers are the team that no one will pay attention to until the postseason, which could run through San Diego with the way this group is built and how well it is playing as a whole. No. 4 New England Patriots (10-1) The Patriots are a perfect example of how we overreact and overanalyze everything in the NFL. One week after we declared the dynasty dead, they scored 43 points against one of the best teams in the league. Tom Brady used that two-tight end set to great success with 292 yards and two touchdowns. At this point, who knows what the Patriots are going to be on a week-to-week basis? They are the most talented team in the AFC East—not exactly high praise—and will win the division by default. All you need is a chance to win the Super Bowl, but this New England team still doesnt scream title contender. No. 3 Green Bay Packers (10-1) Packers fans and fantasy owners were thrilled to see that Eddie Lacy didnt forget how to run the ball, at least for one week. Ever since Aaron Rodgers told everyone to R-E-L-A-X, the Packers have racked up 678 yards and 80 points. Like the AFC East, the NFC North looks so mediocre that nine wins could be good enough to get a team in the playoffs. Rodgers has the ability to carry a team, so the trajectory for Green Bay seems to be moving upward right now. No. 2 Denver Broncos (17-4) It was a refreshing reminder to see that the Broncos are better than just Peyton Manning. Despite throwing his 500th touchdown pass in the game, Manning didnt play well (by his standards) against Arizona. He had two interceptions, including one terrible throw to Patrick Peterson, but still managed to score 40 points and get a win. This week should go a lot smoother for Manning and the Broncos. They play the Jets, whose quarterbacks need to go back nearly 30 years to match Mannings production, according to ESPNs Trey Wingo: After this weeks game, which the Broncos can sleepwalk their way through, the schedule gets tough again with games against San Francisco and San Diego. If they want to prove their physical toughness after the Seattle game, its hard to find a better two-game stretch to do it. No. 1 Seattle Seahawks (4-1) Since the Seahawks knew they were exponentially better than Washington, it was nice to see them throw Jay Grudens team a bone by committing so many penalties. Russell Wilson is a freak who will never get all the credit he deserves because his stats arent going to be in the Manning-Rodgers-Brees category. An untold story from this season is that Wilson has had to be better because Seattles pass defense is getting lit up. The Seahawks are 22nd in pass yards allowed and tied for 17th in touchdown passes allowed. Their secondary is still the best unit in football, but for the first time in three years its possible to move the ball on them. Whatever shortcomings they have—and its grasping at straws to say the defense is susceptible in spots—the Seahawks remain the best and most complete team in the NFL. Note: Updated odds via Odds Shark. If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #NFL #Opinion
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 16:36:28 +0000
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