Cold, Hard Football Facts.com: Power Rankings: Week 7 2007

By Jonathan Comey

Cold, Hard Football Facts stat cruncher

(Comment here ... write to us here)

Election season is heating up, and it seems to be having a mild effect on the Cold, Hard Football Facts.

We’ve flip-flopped the top of our Power Rankings like a candidate flip-flops on issues during a presidential run. But while the political types do it for shameless vote-mongering, we're simply adhering to the direction provided by the most recent Cold, Hard Football Facts.

But they're not always clear. After all, how do you choose between two undefeated power franchises playing at the peak of their game? College football – and the American voting public – can only dream that it had two such greats atop the power polls.

New England replaces Indy in the top spot this week, just as Indy replaced New England after Week 5, just as New England replaced Indy after Week 2.

We couldn’t keep the Patriots out of the top spot after they went to undefeated Dallas and put a second-half smack-down on the 'Boys to win their sixth straight game by 17 points or more. They are off to the greatest start in modern NFL history, a generally meaningless distinction that is still something to behold.

So we’re flip-flopping, like a bad coach with two bad quarterbacks, like a little kid at an ice-cream counter, like feet on a hot summer day, like … you get the point.

But Nov. 4, when the Patriots and Colts meet in Indiana, is going to put end all of that waffling for a good long time.

Anybody got a good campaign slogan for the big game? A sticker? A button? A catchy jingle?

Until then, on to the rankings.

THE DOMINANT DOZEN

1. NEW ENGLAND (6-0, previous rank: 2)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-0, +21.0 PPG
Last week: Patriots passed first test of the season without having to spy on neighbors’ answers, rolling 48-27 in Dallas.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Patriots don’t run the ball? Guess that’s why they’re leading the league in most rushing yards on 1st and 10 (457). Balanced New England has attempted 204 passes and 202 rushes this year.
Next: at Miami. New England proved the existence of “trap games” last year with a 21-0 road loss to mediocre Fish.

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

Record vs. Quality Teams: 2-0, +10.5 PPG
Last week: Spent bye week reflecting on their success – 35-7 (.833) since the start of the 2005 season.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Peyton Manning’s passer rating is 113.5 from three-receiver sets, 87.2 from two-receiver sets.
Next: at Jacksonville, Monday night. Colts are 3-2 in their last five trips to Jacksonville, with all three wins by seven points or fewer, and got smoked, 44-17, in their last visit.

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

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-0
Last week: Spent bye week producing Steely McBeam dolls by the truckload in response to intense customer demand.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Steelers started 4-1 or 5-0 nine times prior to 2007; they made the playoffs in eight of those seasons and won at least one playoff game in six of them.
Next: at Denver, Sunday night. Pittsburgh is just 6-12-1 (.342) against Denver all-time, second lowest winning percentage against any franchise (Chicago, 7-16-1; .313).

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

Record vs. Quality Teams: 2-0, +12.5 PPG
Last week: Packers took advantage of +3 performance on Big Plays to hold off Redskins in Green Bay, 17-14.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Green Bay's throw-first mentality is nothing new. Since 2004, the Pack has ranked 1st, 2nd, 1st and 1st (2007) in passing attempts.
Next: Bye. Packers play six of their last 10 on the road.

5. JACKSONVILLE (4-1, previous rank: 6)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-1, -3.0 PPG
Last week: Jaguars ripped off eight Big Plays – one less than they had in their first four games combined – in a 37-17 home romp over Houston.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: In 2006, RB Maurice Jones-Drew carried 166 times for 941 yards (5.67 YPA). This year he's on pace for 173 carries for 982 yards (5.68 YPA).
Next: vs. Indianapolis, Monday night.

6. DALLAS (5-1, previous rank: 3)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, -5.5 PPG
Last week: Cowboys allowed 448 yards and 48 points in home loss to New England.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Tony Romo’s first 16 regular season starts are in the books, and he’s 11-5 with 4,358 yards passing, 31 TDs, 19 INTs and a rating of 93.57. Not bad for a former street free agent.
Next: vss Minnesota. The Vikings are one of six franchises with a winning record all-time vs. Dallas (10-9-1).

7. TAMPA BAY (4-2, previous rank: 12)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 2-1, -1.0 PPG
Last week: Defense held Titans to one TD despite massive time-of-possession disadvantage (37:37 to 22:23) and won 13-10 at home.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Tampa’s improved offense is still just 23rd in scoring this year (No. 31 in 2006). Bucs have been better than average in scoring offense just four times in the franchise’s 31-year history.
Next: at Detroit. Bucs have won four straight against their former bottom-of-the-former-NFC-Central rival.

8. N.Y. GIANTS (4-2, previous rank: 14)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -8.3 PPG
Last week: Eli Manning turned it over three times but still pasted the Falcons in Atlanta, 31-10.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Third-year DE Justin Tuck has come out of nowhere with 5.5 sacks (tied for 6th in NFL) and 5.5 run stuffs (fourth).
Next: vs. San Francisco.

9. TENNESSEE (3-2, previous rank: 7)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -0.7 PPG
Last week: Titans lost 13-10 in Tampa. Vince Young left early with quad injury.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Kerry Collins = kryptonite. Since 2003, Collins’ teams have a record of 12-31 (.279) when he’s either started at QB or seen significant action.
Next: at Houston. Another AFC South blood match; Titans will need a win to keep up with victor in Colts-Jags bloodbath.

10. WASHINGTON (3-2, previous rank: 8)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, +7.0 PPG
Last week: Redskins outplayed Packers but got Lambeaued, 17-14.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: RB Ladell Betts was excellent in 2006, with 1,154 yards and 4.7 YPA replacing Clinton Portis, starting an RB controversy in the process. But Betts is averaging just 2.8 YPA this year (Portis 4.2) and hasn’t reached the 10-carry mark since Week 1.
Next: vs. Arizona. Redskins are 72-44 (.621) lifetime against their old NFC East patsies.

11. BALTIMORE (4-2, previous rank: 13)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-0
Last week: TD-challenged Ravens had a classic five-field-goal game from Matt Stover, beating St. Louis 22-3 in Baltimore.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Willis McGahee has been the game’s leading rusher in all six Baltimore battles this year.
Next: at Buffalo. Enjoy the Dominant Dozen while it lasts, Baltimore. The Ravens still have to play Pittsburgh (twice), Indianapolis, New England and San Diego.

12. CAROLINA (4-2, previous rank: 15)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-1, -13.0 PPG
Last week: Vin-NY! Vin-NY! Vin-NY!
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Panthers have the distinction of boasting two No. 1 overall draft picks on their QB depth chart in Vinny Testaverde (No. 1 in 1987) and David Carr (2002).
Next: Bye. Panthers to spend down time considering putting a little less fluorescent blue in their unis.

THE TEPID TWENTY

13. SAN DIEGO (3-3, previous rank: 16) – Despite all the attention he gets from defenses, TE Antonio Gates has caught 79.6 percent of passes thrown his way (No. 4 among non-RBs).

14. CLEVELAND (3-3, previous rank: 18) – Between them, Browns tailbacks Jamal Lewis, Jason Wright and Jerome Harrison average an even 100 YPG and 4.84 YPA, but have scored just TDs.

15. PHILADELPHIA (2-3, previous rank: 21) – Eagles are on pace to record 61 sacks ... and give up 70.

16. HOUSTON (3-3, previous rank: 10) – Despite an unheralded receiving crew playing without injured Andre Johnson most of the season, Texans are last in the NFL in drops (3, tied with Tennessee).

17. ARIZONA (3-3, previous rank: 9) – Cards are the epitome of averagetasticness: 110 first downs to 112 for opponents; 1,997 yards for to 1,968 yards against; 128 points for to 136 points against; and a perfectly average 3-3 record.

18. SEATTLE (3-3, previous rank: 11) – The Seahawks are the worst 3rd-and-short running team in the NFL(25 percent success; league average is 49 percent)

19. KANSAS CITY (3-3, previous rank: 23) – Chiefs are 27th in third-down conversions (35 percent), and one of two teams in the NFL who have failed to convert a fourth-down try (0-for-5)

20. MINNESOTA (2-3, previous rank: 26) – Adrian Peterson has more yards rushing over the last two games (336) than the Vikings defense has allowed over all five games this year (331).

21. DETROIT (3-2, previous rank: 19) – Lions spent bye week developing new and exciting ways to get poor Jon Kitna killed (on pace to be sacked 90 times)

22. OAKLAND (2-3, previous rank: 17) – The Raiders’ longest punt return this year is six yards.

23. CHICAGO (2-4, previous rank: 20) – Bears allow a whopping 5.7 yards per play (4.6 in 2006)

24. SAN FRANCISCO (2-3, previous rank: 22) – Andy Lee is third in punting average (50.06), No. 1 in net average (43.8) and No. 1 in punts downed inside the 10 (5).

25. DENVER (2-3, previous rank: 25) – Broncos ballcarriers average 6.0 YPA on turf, 3.9 YPA on grass.

26. CINCINNATI (1-4, previous rank: 24) – Third down is a major problem for Bengals' offense – 33.3 percent success this year (28th), 36 percent in 2006 (25th)

27. BUFFALO (1-4, previous rank: 27) – It will be the job of rookie Trent Edwards to improve upon an offense that has connected on just one pass play of 25+ yards.

28. N.Y. JETS (1-5, previous rank: 28) – Chain-moving WR Jerricho Cotchery is on pace for 1,293 yards but has no TDs.

29. NEW ORLEANS (1-4, previous rank: 32) – Reggie Bush averaged 5.38 yards per offensive touch in 2006; it’s 4.1 per touch in 2007.

30. ATLANTA (1-5, previous rank: 29) – QB Joey Harrington is only 23-48 (.377) as a starter. But in the 14 games he hasn’t started over five-plus seasons his lousy teams have gone just 2-12 (.142)

31. MIAMI (0-6, previous rank: 30) – Dolphins average a robust 5.5 yards per play (tied with Pittsburgh and San Diego), but can’t get the ball enough (29th in time of possession)

32. ST. LOUIS (0-6, previous rank: 31) – “Greatest Blow on Turf” has scored five offensive TDs (only team with 0 on the ground) in six games.