NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

WOW...what a week of games. 5 games determined in the last 10 seconds or overtime. Two of the teams that won in the last 10 seconds were teams that were winless. Titans like the Giants, Redskins and Patriots fall while nobodys like the Rams, Browns, and Texans find ways to win. All in all, another great Sunday in the NFL.

Before I go the power rankings, I think it is safe to say now that there is a power shift going on in the NFL. For the past few years or so, the AFC has been the better conference by far. But this season, the power seems to be shifting over to the NFC. The NFC East and South don't have one team under .500 while the AFC seems to just have a lot of mediocre teams. But we'll see. Just something to watch as we move on to week 7.

1. Tennessee (5-0) - So far, so good for the Titans. Coming off of a bye week may hurt them actually considering the start they were on. But at least they get the Chiefs to beat up on before the Monday matchup with Indy. (Next @ KC)
2. Jacksonville (3-3) - Yeah, they deserve this spot. This is a team to be scared of now. They've always had a good defense, special teams and running attack. but David Garrard can pass the ball now. And that means long drives all season. Yikes. (Next: Bye Week)
3. Pittsburgh (4-1) - If Willie Parker comes back healthy and Big Ben is just 75%, then this team will be just fine. The defense is strong enough to keep them in any game already but a more productive offense would make them tough. (Next @ CIN)
4. Denver (4-2) - They've beaten the likes of SD, NO, and TB already. And their loss against JAX is justified considering how good the Jags are and how beat up their receiving corps were. This is a good team. (Next Mon @ NE)
5. San Diego (3-3) - I think the Chargers are making their way back to prominence. LT and the Chargers are too good to struggle in the AFC like they were. But we'll find out how good they really are in the next two weeks. At BUF and NO in London. (Next @ BUF)
6. Buffalo (4-1) - Their record says they are a good team. But they still have just one quality win in mind (WK 2 vs. JAX). If they take down the Chargers this week, they'll really show me they are good. For now, just a gaudy record in a mediocre conference. (Next vs. SD)
7. Indianapolis (3-2) - Never bet against a Peyton Manning team. the only reason they are this low after the thrashing of the Ravens is their performances in prior weeks. Trips to GB and TEN will show just how tough this team is this season. (Next @ GB)
8. NY Jets (3-2) - Rather lame showing at home against a pathetic Cincinnati squad but a win is a win. No doubt in my mind that this offense will score points all year. It's the defense that will make this team a playoff threat or not. (Next @ OAK)
9. Miami (2-3) - Don't let the record fool you. This team has some players on it. Ronnie Brown is proving he was worth the big bucks. Chad Pennington looks like a great pick-up so far. And despite the loss, showed they will compete all year. Look out. (Next vs. BAL)
10. New England (3-2) - They have to erase that SD game from their minds. But consider this. The defense has given up a lot of points in the past 3 games, including 30+ in two games. They can't do that with a Matt Cassel-led offense. (Next Mon vs. DEN)
11. Baltimore (2-3) - Did Joe Flacco just have a bad game or is this the Flacco that we all expected all season? Well, if this week is a sign of things to come, it's a shame John Harbaugh named him the starter for the rest of the season. (Next @ MIA)
12. Houston (1-4) - Matt Schaub to Andre Johnson is gonna be a deadly combination for years to come. Now if this team could play some defense, they would finally meet some of those expectations the city of Houston has for them. (Next vs. DET)
13. Cleveland (2-3) - They have won 2 in a row, including beating the Giants. But was that win really the Browns or just a Monday night inspired victory? Time will tell but for now, I'm thinking this team has more downs than ups coming. (Next @ WAS)
14. Cincinnati (0-6) - Rough for this team to be 0-6. They have the talent to be 3-3 but no Carson Palmer is really killing them. Shame that they don't have a better backup than Ryan Fitzpatrick either. And Palmer already ruled out for next Sunday. (Next vs. PIT)
15. Kansas City (1-4) - Was the bye week good or bad for them? Probably doesn't matter. Their next 6 games are brutal. TEN, @ NYJ, TB, @ SD, NO and BUF. They did beat DEN already but if they just one of those games, it's big. (Next vs. TEN)
16. Oakland (1-4) - Lane Kiffin era is over and the (Tom) Cable guy is in. By the looks of last week, doesn't look like the coaching change did much in the motivation category. Al Davis is probably ready to fire this guy already. (Next vs. NYJ)

1. Tampa Bay (4-2) - Alright, I am sold. This team is for real. No matter how is at QB, their running game will carry the offense. And of course, the defense will carry this whole team. Reminds of the Super Bowl winning team already. (Next vs. SEA)
2. NY Giants (4-1) - I almost hesitate to put the G-Men this high because they looked flat against the Browns. But the NFC teams are so even up top and I am gonna give them a mulligan. But really, they looked terrible. (Next vs. SF)
3. Washington (4-2) - Right when I thought this team may be the class of the NFC East, they fall to the Rams. Still impressed though with Jason Campbell and his ball security. Another game with no INT. Tough loss at home but they'll rebound. (Next vs. CLE)
4. Arizona (4-2) - Great win versus the Cowboys. Great chance for them to gain some confidence and pull off a string a wins. Unfortunately, the bye week will sap some of that energy but 4 wins in 6 games has to feel good. (Next: Bye Week)
5. Carolina (4-2) - Rough game against the Bucs but a lot of teams have played poorly against TB. Still a good team. Reason for the lopsided loss against the Bucs was the lack of a running game. Get that revived and they'll be just fine. (Next vs. NO)
6. Philadelphia (3-3) - Slowly coming back to life. Donovan McNabb looks great so far and that is the most important thing. Andy Reid won't let this team get too derailed, especially since the NFC East race opened up a little with Romo's injury. (Next: Bye Week)
7. Dallas (4-2) - Tony Romo's injury is huge. Brad Johnson just does not have the playmaking qualities Romo has. And he's 40 and has not played in a full-speed game in a while. Not to mention this team has struggled the past 3 weeks on defense. (Next @ STL)
8. Atlanta (4-2) - Hard to say they don't belong here. They have 4 wins. But more importantly, they have confidence they haven't had in a while. If they continue to believe they can win, they just might do it against some of the good teams they have to play. (Next: Bye Week)
9. New Orleans (3-3) - Hard to believe that this team is last in their own division. They might be the best team in the division. The offense is playing great without Colston and Shockey. Key to this team is still the defense bending and not breaking. (Next @ CAR)
10. Green Bay (3-3) - Good win for the Packers on the road in Seattle, which is one of the toughest places to play. Aaron Rodgers needs to get healthy this week and the running game needs to help him more though for them to beat Indy. (Next vs. IND)
11. Minnesota (3-3) - It shows just how bad Detroit is when the Vikings can play as bad as they did and still win. Adrian Peterson may be one of the best runningbacks in the NFL but if he can't hold on to the ball, he'll have a short career. (Next @ CHI)
12. Chicago (3-3) - Mad props to Kyle Orton. He is playing like a man possessed right now on offense. His receiving corps isn't great either. Their defense is a bit shoddy right now. If they tighten up, this team will move up the rankings quick. (Next vs. MIN)
13. San Francisco (2-4) - Already hearing rumors of Mike Nolan losing his job. Seems a bit ludicrous considering he's stuck with a QB like J.T. O'Sullivan to lead this team to victory. If this team just gets to .500, it's a miracle. (Next @ NYG)
14. St. Louis (1-4) - I said it two weeks ago that Jim Haslett is a great coach. he led a great turnaround in New Orleans. Not saying he will do the same in St. Louis but he will, and maybe already has, make this team competitive every week. (Next vs. DAL)
15. Seattle (1-4) - No Matt Hasselbeck in the next game @ Tampa Bay. Wow, talk about bad news. As if traveling from the northwest to the southeast wasn't bad enough, how about playing with Charlie Frye as your starting QB? (Next @ TB)
16. Detroit (0-5) - The Rod Marinelli firing countdown is on. But he's another coach who's been given nothing but been expected to make it into something. Matt Millen screwed this team up. Not Marinelli. They may not win a game this season. (Next @ HOU)