Rk | Team | W-L | Last Wk | Unadjusted | Offense Rk | Defense Rk | Sp. Tms Rk |
1. | COLTS | 7-0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 29 |
Indianapolis sets a new all-time record for look-ahead letdown games: 15 days. NEXT: BYE, then at NE — A game that will be so over-hyped that we'll be sick of it three days before kickoff. The hype will be so pervasive that even peasant families in North Korea are going to be sick of it three days before kickoff. Iraqis have added "No Manning-Brady Debate" clause to their new constitution. Martians will land on Earth solely to tell us to shut up. | |||||||
2. | BENGALS | 5-2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 18 |
Current ranks: third in pass offense, sixth in rush offense, fifth in pass defense, and 29th in run defense. Doctor, can you diagnose the problem? NEXT: vs. GB. Fantasy stampede for Tony Fisher! | |||||||
3. | CHARGERS | 3-3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 11 |
San Diego has lost four games by a total of 12 points. Each of the teams that beat the Chargers is ranked number 13 or higher in our power rankings. The Chargers' three wins have each come by two touchdowns and the worst team they've played, at least according to our ratings, happens to be the defending Super Bowl champion. If that blocked field goal lands two feet closer to the line of scrimmage, Matt Ware gets tackled and the Eagles still have to drive down the field to try to win the game. Of course anybody in their right mind would prefer wins to a nice power ranking, but that doesn't mean that San Diego isn't one of the league's best teams. But we said before the season that San Diego would have the league's hardest schedule, and we weren't kidding. NEXT: vs. KC | |||||||
4. | JAGUARS | 4-2 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 7 |
Remove their defense from the Tommy Maddox game, and Jacksonville would drop to seventh in defense and ninth overall. More here. NEXT: at STL, where they will chomp on Jamie "Maddox of the West" Martin and spit out the bones. | |||||||
Rk | Team | W-L | Last Wk | 2005 Only | Offense Rk | Defense Rk | Sp. Tms Rk |
5. | STEELERS | 4-2 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 16 |
To read why one backup keeps Pittsburgh out of the top spot in the rankings, click here. The Ray Lewis dance is next up on the Hines Ward World Mimicry Tour 2005. NEXT: vs. BAL on Monday night. | |||||||
6. | SEAHAWKS | 5-2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 22 |
Seattle receives karmic payback for the loss to Washington. NEXT: BYE, then at ARI | |||||||
7. | REDSKINS | 4-2 | 17 | 15 | 6 | 12 | 25 |
Next week is a big battle in this year's best division, the NFC East, and DVOA has Washington (24.40%) and New York (24.33%) basically tied. The question of whether anyone should go up 10 spots because they stomped San Francisco is addressed here. NEXT: at NYG | |||||||
8. | GIANTS | 4-2 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 22 | 1 |
This ranking is less about the Giants dropping three spots and more about three teams passing them. Denver really pressured Manning with a series of blitzes where John Lynch or Al Wilson would wait for the initial blocks to set up and then sprint towards Eli unblocked. Giants need to solve that one before every opponent is doing the same thing. NEXT: vs. WAS | |||||||
Rk | Team | W-L | Last Wk | 2005 Only | Offense Rk | Defense Rk | Sp. Tms Rk |
9. | COWBOYS | 4-3 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 5 | 9 |
About the Bledsoe interception: I keep hearing people on television say, "That's not the kind of decision a veteran quarterback should make." Have you people never watched Drew Bledsoe before? Where have you all been the last 12 years? NEXT: vs. ARI | |||||||
10. | CHIEFS | 4-2 | 18 | 14 | 7 | 19 | 12 |
This rise in the rankings is only partly about their win against Miami. Their strength of schedule looks a lot better after Oakland and Washington win big. NEXT: at SD | |||||||
11. | BUCS | 5-1 | 8 | 3 | 18 | 4 | 14 |
For two years, DVOA has ranked Tampa Bay much higher than its record. We are now in the very strange position of ranking the Bucs much lower than their record. NEXT: at SF | |||||||
12. | EAGLES | 4-2 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 32 |
The Eagles stacked up to stop LaDainian Tomlinson. Denver likes to run (except, oddly, on third downs). Set up your Tivo for instant replay. NEXT: at DEN | |||||||
Rk | Team | W-L | Last Wk | 2005 Only | Offense Rk | Defense Rk | Sp. Tms Rk |
13. | BRONCOS | 5-2 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 24 |
Guess what: Denver got kinda shafted in this one. The refs called a number of phantom penalties, while "Plaxico" is apparently Spanish for "pushing off" (Plaxico, Plaxicas, Plaxica, Plaxicamos, Plaxicais, Plaxican). But with Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson and a great offensive line, why on earth does Denver keep calling for an empty backfield on third down? NEXT: vs. PHI | |||||||
14. | BEARS | 3-3 | 19 | 16 | 27 | 2 | 10 |
Not only is Chicago the league's best red zone defense, they are also the league's fourth-best red zone offense. You know, when they manage to get down there. On 13 possessions, they've got nine touchdowns, two field goals and zero turnovers. NEXT: at DET | |||||||
15. | RAIDERS | 2-4 | 20 | 17 | 5 | 25 | 28 |
From FO's Michael David Smith: "Derrick Burgess is really starting to look like one of the best pass rushers in the league. I think he's a great fit for the Rob Ryan defense, which is all attack and no read-and-react for the defensive ends. It helps that Ryan shuttles guys off the field a lot and splits his ends wider than Ted Washington's pants." NEXT: at TEN | |||||||
16. | DOLPHINS | 2-4 | 11 | 20 | 21 | 11 | 8 |
Zach Thomas is the only player in the league to be involved in more than 25% of his team's plays (tackles, passes defensed and takeaways). NEXT: vs. NO in Baton Rouge | |||||||
Rk | Team | W-L | Last Wk | 2005 Only | Offense Rk | Defense Rk | Sp. Tms Rk |
17. | PANTHERS | 4-2 | 15 | 13 | 23 | 9 | 19 |
According to Charlotte Observer, head coach John Fox attended Friday night's Rolling Stones concert. Earth to Fox: Everyone knows that Super Bowl winning coaches prefer Bon Jovi. NEXT: vs. MIN | |||||||
18. | FALCONS | 5-2 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 24 | 13 |
Leading the league in both rushing yards and cell phone minutes. NEXT: BYE, then at MIA | |||||||
19. | PATRIOTS | 3-3 | 16 | 23 | 9 | 29 | 15 |
We all make fun of the NFC North, but that division currently has more teams at .500 (Chicago and Detroit) than the AFC East does (New England). Patriots are also the only AFC East team to win on the road this year. NEXT: vs. BUF | |||||||
20. | BILLS | 3-4 | 14 | 18 | 26 | 20 | 2 |
Buffalo's problems against the run aren't just about the front seven; they're also having serious tackling problems in the secondary. 30% of the opposition's rushing yards have come more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, the highest percentage in the league. NEXT: at NE | |||||||
Rk | Team | W-L | Last Wk | 2005 Only | Offense Rk | Defense Rk | Sp. Tms Rk |
21. | LIONS | 3-3 | 26 | 24 | 31 | 3 | 26 |
During the first half, Jeff Garcia burned two timeouts and took a delay of game. The announcer said, "Garcia is not afraid to burn timeouts today." I bet you know what comes next: the first half ended with the Lions in field goal range but unable to get the field goal team on the field because they were out of timeouts. NEXT: vs. CHI | |||||||
22. | TITANS | 2-5 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 26 | 3 |
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz prides himself on emphasizing third downs, and it seems to be working even though the Teen Titans defense is struggling otherwise. Tennessee's defensive DVOA is ranked 30th in first downs, 26th on second downs, but ninth on third downs. NEXT: vs. OAK | |||||||
23. | BROWNS | 2-4 | 21 | 27 | 20 | 23 | 6 |
I've read the complaints across the Web, and I want Cleveland fans to know I have asked for the Browns helmet logo. Your wish is my command. NEXT: at HOU | |||||||
24. | RAVENS | 2-4 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 15 | 23 |
Although Jamal Lewis looks like a shell of his former self and the offensive line is having major troubles in run blocking, both are doing one important thing well: Baltimore is 8-for-9 on what we call "power runs" (1-2 yards needed on third down, fourth down, or the goal line). NEXT: at PIT on Monday night | |||||||
Rk | Team | W-L | Last Wk | 2005 Only | Offense Rk | Defense Rk | Sp. Tms Rk |
25. | PACKERS | 1-5 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 28 | 30 |
Are you a male between the ages of 21 and 35? Can you run? When you shake hands, do you hold on tightly? Do you like cold weather? If you answered "yes" to all these questions, you could be the next starting running back for the Green Bay Packers. Operators are standing by, so call now. NEXT: at CIN | |||||||
26. | VIKINGS | 2-4 | 29 | 30 | 25 | 21 | 20 |
Packers-Vikings is game that always has something on the line. This year, that something was "which team is less pathetic." Since home field is worth three points, and the Vikings won by three points, the answer seems to be a tie. NEXT: at CAR | |||||||
27. | JETS | 2-5 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 13 | 27 |
Angry fans anxiously debate which offensive lineman will be taken with 2006 first-round pick, only to discover Jets have already decided to take a long snapper in the first round. NEXT: BYE, then vs. SD | |||||||
28. | CARDINALS | 2-4 | 25 | 22 | 28 | 18 | 17 |
According to DVOA, Arizona is one of the league's five most consistent teams. Consistently boring. NEXT: at DAL | |||||||
Rk | Team | W-L | Last Wk | 2005 Only | Offense Rk | Defense Rk | Sp. Tms Rk |
29. | RAMS | 3-4 | 30 | 26 | 18 | 30 | 21 |
To paraphrase Tricky Dick: "You won't have Mike Martz to kick around anymore." Here's a mind-blowing stat for those of you who have not yet bought our book Pro Football Prospectus 2005: Since 1970, Mike Martz has the highest winning percentage of any NFL head coach in games where his team had a lead sometime in the fourth quarter. Red Miller is second, Joe Gibbs third. NEXT: vs. JAC | |||||||
30. | SAINTS | 2-5 | 28 | 29 | 22 | 27 | 31 |
When Saints challenge a call, will the announcers say, "It's the drapeau rouge in Baton Rouge"? NEXT: vs. MIA in Baton Rouge. With Nick Saban coaching the other team, does this even count as a home game? | |||||||
31. | TEXANS | 0-6 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 4 |
"Yes, Houston Chronicle? My name is D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Can you please send me a copy of your real estate section? Only the really expensive cribs, please." NEXT: vs. CLE | |||||||
32. | 49ERS | 1-5 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 5 |
San Francisco currently has -83.9% DVOA. Our stats are available going back to 1998, and the current record for worst team is the 2000 Arizona Cardinals at -46.9%. NEXT: vs. TB |
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