Cold, Hard Football Facts.com: Power Rankings: Week 6 2007

By Jonathan Comey

Cold, Hard Football Facts stat cruncher

The AFC South has been a pretty predictable place since the league broke into eight four-team divisions in 2002.

The Colts have been the Big Cheese, the Texans have been at the bottom, and the Titans and Jaguars have taken turns being alternately second fiddle or also-ran.

But this year has been different. The AFC South is a remarkable place in 2007, with all four teams at 3-2 or better – and all four are in the top 10 of our fearless Power Rankings – including our new/old No. 1, the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts replace the Patriots (who replaced the Colts in Week 2), who will get a chance to re-earn the top spot by beating Dallas this weekend. It’s all splitting hairs, really, the Colts and Patriots are more 1 and 1A than anything else. Choosing between the two is like choosing between a free trip to Paris or a free trip to Rome: they’re both pretty friggin great.

But the fact is, the Colts have three wins over Quality Opponents (Houston, Tennessee and Tampa), and have crushed two preseason favorites in New Orleans and Denver. The Patriots have yet to even play a single Quality Opponent, let alone beat one.

And while you can’t choose who you play in the NFL, you can’t deny that the Colts have already beaten two members of their very tough division twice while the Pats have beaten nothing but Patsies.

So it’s the Colts going back to the top … for now, at least.

On to the rankings:

THE DOMINANT DOZEN

1. INDIANAPOLIS (5-0, previous rank: 2)

Record vs. Quality Teams (teams with winning records: 3-0, +9.0 PPG
Last week: Indy ran 77 offensive plays to Tampa’s 40, crushing the Bucs’ spirit in a 33-14 home victory.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Colts’ coaching staff clearly hammers it home to their running backs – always keep going forward. Joseph Addai and backup Kenton Keith are 1-2 in the NFL in getting positive yardage on carries (combined four negative runs in 135 attampts).
Next: Bye. Peyton Manning scheduled to shoot 31 commercials during the break.

2. NEW ENGLAND (5-0, previous rank: 1)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-0
Last week: Patriots covered the spread (-15.5) for the fifth time in five games. But this time it took a last-minute defensive score by Randall Gay in a 34-17 win over Cleveland.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: In their last 16 games including playoffs, the Patriots have scored 34 points or more 10 times (total of 475 points, average 29.69 PPG)
Next: at Dallas. The Patriots are 2-7 all time against the Cowboys and have never won in Dallas.

3. DALLAS (5-0, previous rank: 3)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-0, +10.0 PPG
Last week: Just another night at the office for Cowboys, who beat Buffalo 25-24 despite Tony Romo's six turnovers and three return scores by Bills.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Can’t blame the offensive line for this one. Romo threw five INTs but was not sacked once by Buffalo.
Next: New England. Safe to say Cowboys will need to cut down on the mistakes for this one.

4. PITTSBURGH (4-1, previous rank: 5)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, +6.0 PPG
Last week: Steelers held the ball for a ridiculous 40 minutes, 45 seconds in 21-0 demolition of Seahawks in Pittsburgh.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Steelers are 10-3 in their last 13 games, and Ben Roethlisberger has 20 TD passes against 12 INTs over that span.
Next: Bye.

5. GREEN BAY (4-1, previous rank: 4)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-0, +22.0 PPG
Last week: In 27-20 home loss to Chicago, Packers gave up 119 receiving yards to Bears tight ends, got flagged for 12 penalties and committed five turnovers.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Brett Favre has had more passing yards than his opponent in his last nine games and 13 of his last 15; the only two QBs to outgain him over that span were Tom Brady and Chad Pennington.
Next: Washington. Redskins are one of two teams in Dominant Dozen left on Packers’ schedule (at Dallas, Week 13).

6. JACKSONVILLE (3-1, previous rank: 9)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-1, -3.0 PPG
Last week: Jags lost a shutout on the final play of the game when Kansas City threw a garbage TD to make it a 17-7 final; Jacksonville posted two shutouts in 2006.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The 2007 Jaguars have already managed something the 2006 version could not: a three-game winning streak.
Next: Houston. Jags are a surprising 4-6 all time against the Texans.

7. TENNESSEE (3-1, previous rank: 7)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, +0.5 PPG
Last week: Titans overcame a bad game by Vince Young (34.5 rating) to beat lowly Falcons 20-13.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Young’s passer rating is right back to rookie form (67.2 in 2007, after 66.7 in 2006), but the Titans continue to win (11-6 with Young as a starter).
Next: at Tampa Bay. Titans/Oilers have beaten up on Tampa over the years with seven wins in eight games.

8. WASHINGTON (3-1, previous rank: 13)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, +12.0 PPG
Last week: Redskins mauled the Lions 34-3, their biggest win since a 52-17 destruction of San Francisco in October 2005.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: QB Jason Campbell's 125.3 passer rating in win over Detroit was the first 100-plus performance of his career.
Next: at Green Bay. Five of Washington’s next seven games are on the road.

9. ARIZONA (3-2, previous rank: 10)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 2-1, +2.3 PPG
Last week: Bettors everywhere cursed Cardinals (-3.5 point favorites) when they surrendered TD & 2-point conversion with 13 seconds left in 34-31 road win at St. Louis.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: All five Arizona games have been decided by seven points or fewer.
Next: Carolina. If the Cardinals can get to Week 12 with a winning record, watch out; four of their last six are at home.

10. HOUSTON (3-2, previous rank: 12)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, +3.5 PPG
Last week: Kaptain Kris Brown hit three 50-yard-plus field goals, including game-winning 57-yarder, in a 22-19 win over Miami.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Journeyman WR Andre Davis has hauled in 13 passes for 266 yards in the three games the Texans have played without WR Andre Johnson.
Next: at Jacksonville. Then it’s home against Tennessee, at San Diego.

11. SEATTLE (3-2, previous rank: 6)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -3.4 PPG
Last week: Seafrauds got blanked 21-0 in Pittsburgh, failing miserably to avenge Super Bowl XL loss.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Seahawks definitely haven’t regretted their switch to the NFC in 2002. Since then, they’re 40-23 (.635) vs. the NFC, 11-11 vs. the AFC (.500).
Next: New Orleans. The Seahawks have only one more game against a team currently in the Dominant Dozen (host Arizona, Week 14).

12. TAMPA BAY (3-2, previous rank: 8)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -6.7 PPG
Last week: Bucs stomped like grapes in France, losing 33-14 to the Colts.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: LB Derrick Brooks started his 181th straight game for Tampa; he’s netted 100 or more tackles each of the last 10 seasons and is on pace for 128 this year.
Next: Tennessee. After Indy debacle, Bucs can’t be pleased to see another AFC South foe on the schedule; at least Tampa has three home games and a bye over next five weeks.

THE TEPID TWENTY

13. BALTIMORE (3-2, previous rank: 15) – WR Derrick Mason is on pace for an NFL record 141 catches.

14. N.Y. GIANTS (3-2, previous rank: 14) – In his last 16 games including playoffs, WR Plaxico Burress has scored 16 touchdowns.

15. CAROLINA (3-2, previous rank: 17) – Wondering how the Panthers are winning games? They lead the NFL with a red-zone passer rating of 126.0. But now Jake Delhomme is out for the season.

16. SAN DIEGO (2-3, previous rank: 23) – TE Antonio Gates has more catches (40) than San Diego's wide receivers combined (31).

17. OAKLAND (2-2, previous rank: 18) – Just Lead The Division, Baby!

18. CLEVELAND (2-3, previous rank: 16) –. Browns QB Derek Anderson has thrown at least one INT all eight of his NFL starts, and a total of 15 in those eight games.

19. DETROIT (3-2, previous rank: 11) – The Lions sure know how to lose with gusto; their two defeats in 2007 are by 35 and 31 points.

20. CHICAGO (2-3, previous rank: 27) –.RB Cedric Benson is 6th in the NFL in carries (101), 18th in yards (303).

21. PHILADELPHIA (1-3, previous rank: 21) – If coach Andy Reid is really on his way out, it’s no cause for Philly celebration; Reid’s career winning percentage of .614 in the regular season is six-thousandths of a percentage point behind Bill Belichick's (.620).

22. SAN FRANCISCO (2-3, previous rank: 22) – QB Alex Smith has ripped off more runs of 20+ yards (2) than RB Frank Gore (1)

23. KANSAS CITY (2-3, previous rank: 19) – Chiefs netted 17 rushing touchdowns in 2006, zero in 2007

24. CINCINNATI (1-3, previous rank: 24) – Bengals with an impressive zero arrests during bye week

25. DENVER (2-3, previous rank: 20) – Broncos are the Soviet economy of the NFL: shining models of inefficiency. The Denver offense ranks No. 5 in yards, No. 24 in points scored.

26. MINNESOTA (1-3, previous rank: 26) – Rookie RB Adrian Peterson on pace for 2,196 yards from scrimmage.

27. BUFFALO (1-4, previous rank: 29) – Why are the Bills 1-4? Their defense allows an average of 10 more first downs per game than their offense generates (118 allowed, 68 made).

28. N.Y. JETS (1-4, previous rank: 28) – RB Thomas Jones is not the answer (3.3 YPA, 0 TDs)

29. ATLANTA (1-4 previous rank: 25) – T Wayne Gandy had started 195 of 196 career games before being lost for the season to injury.

30. MIAMI (0-5, previous rank: 30) – The Dolphins have lost eight straight dating back to last year. Five losses were by five points or fewer.

31. ST. LOUIS (0-5, previous rank: 31) – And it gets worse: Four of next five games are on the road.

32. NEW ORLEANS (0-4, previous rank: 32) – Reggie Bush touched the ball 30 times against Carolina. The longest of the 30 went for 13 yards.

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