Cold, Hard Football Facts.com: Power Rankings: Week 8 2007

By Jonathan Comey

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The Patriots and Colts have a deadlock on the top two spots in the Cold, Hard Football Facts Power Rankings, and might stay right where they are into 2008.

But let's hear it for St. Louis and Miami, who are every bit as deserving of the Power Rankings cellar as the NFL’s Supermen are deserving of the penthouse.

Just as you could put either the Colts or Patriots in the No. 1 spot and make a good argument for it, so too could you debate the merits of the Rams or Dolphins as No. 32.

And because our readers appear firmly entrenched in their mother's basement, we thought we'd investigate their kindred cellar-dwelling spirits from the NFL.

Some Cold, Hard Football Facts:

Miami allows opposing passers a rating of 110.1, which is higher than Dan Marino’s rating during his legendary 48-TD season of 1984 (108.9).
St. Louis has no rushing touchdowns (13 in 2006)
Miami is on pace to allow 528 points, which would be the second most of all time (533, 1981 Baltimore Colts).
St. Louis is on pace to score 181 points, which would be sixth worst in the 16-game era.
Miami is 0-for-3 on onside kicks, and allows 29.6 yards per kick return (32nd).
St. Louis has scored as many offensive touchdowns in seven games (five) as New England scored in the first half vs. Miami on Sunday.
Miami has been within 10 points of all four of its road games, and lost all four.
St. Louis has lost its four road games by the following scores: 24-3, 35-7, 22-3 and 33-6.

The Dolphins and Rams have a few other things in common, not the least of which are key injuries and tough schedules. The Rams have played five Quality Teams and the Dolphins three, and both teams have used or will be forced to use backups at QB and RB.

Unfortunately, the Rams and Dolphins don’t go head-to-head as the Colts and Patriots will in two weeks. Now that would be a battle for the ages. The Dark Ages.

On to the rankings.

THE DOMINANT DOZEN

1. NEW ENGLAND (7-0, previous rank: 1)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-0, +21.0 PPG
Last week: Won 49-28 win at Miami in a game that re-defined the phrase “it wasn’t that close.” Patriots threw for 369 yards and added five rushing first downs to their NFL lead (63) in that category.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Fourteen different players have scored touchdowns for New England (Moss, 10; Watson, 5; Welker, 5; Morris, 3; Stallworth, 3; K. Brady, 2; Andrews, 1; Eckel, 1; Evans, 1; Gaffney, 1; Gay, 1; Hobbs, 1; Thomas, 1; Vrabel, 1). Even if all 14 players scored once each, the Patriots would still have more TDs than 13 entire NFL teams.
Next: vs. Washington. Redskins lead NFL in Defensive Passer Rating (67.7).

2. INDIANAPOLIS (6-0, previous rank: 2)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 3-0, +14.3 PPG
Last week: Strongly suggested that the Patriots aren’t the only NFL team that’s supercalifragilisticexpealadocious, leaving Jacksonville in a teal daze with a 29-7 road win.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Indy’s Cover 2 defense has allowed the opposition 66.5 percent completions, sixth-worst in the league, but has surrendered just seven passes of 20+ yards in six games, best in the league.
Next: at Carolina. Colts silenced a teal-colored crowd Monday night, look to silence fluorescent-blue crowd this week.

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

Record vs. Quality Teams: 2-0, +12.5 PPG
Last week: Brett Favre spent bye week wondering how good his numbers would have been with Randy Moss.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Four of Green Bay’s next six games are against Quality Teams, three of them on the road (at KC, at DAL, at DET).
Next: at Denver, Monday night. How do the 3-3 Broncos (9-7 last year) manage to get nationally televised night home games in back-to-back weeks?

4. DALLAS (6-1, previous rank: 6)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, -5.5 PPG
Last week: Dallas out-gained Minnesota 381-196 in 24-14 home win.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Cowboys are the only team in the league to have given up a punt-return TD, kick-return TD, interception-return TD and fumble-return TD. Did we mention they’re still 6-1?
Next: Bye. Tony Romo will use extra time to practice his impish grin in the mirror.

5. PITTSBURGH (4-2, previous rank: 3)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-0, +21.0 PPG
Last week: Steelers showed flashes of 2006 form in 31-28 loss at Denver.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Steelers famously won all of their games on the road en route to their Super Bowl XL win; since, they’re 4-7 away from Heinz Field.
Next: at Cincinnati. Three straight vs. the AFC North for the Steelers, with home games vs. CLE and BAL to follow.

6. N.Y. GIANTS (5-2, previous rank: 8)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -8.3 PPG
Last week: 33-15 win over San Francisco was fifth in a row for Giants, fourth straight by double digits. However, their last four opponents have a combined record of 6-20.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Tiki who? RBs Reuben Droughns, Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward have all cranked out 90 yards or more in a game this season; together they total 895 yards, 7 TDs and 29 catches in seven games.
Next: vs. Miami in London. Someone please do a documentary on Jeremy Shockey’s trip to England. Ratings!

7. JACKSONVILLE (4-2, previous rank: 5)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -5.0 PPG
Last week: Injured starter David Garrard and backup QB Quinn Gray combined to go 17-of-36 for 138 yards and two INTs in a demoralizing 29-7 home loss to Indy.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Jacksonville DE Paul Spicer sacked Peyton Manning twice on Monday; Manning had been sacked a total of five times in his previous 11 regular-season games.
Next: at Tampa Bay. The first of three straight on the road for the Jags.

8. TENNESSEE (4-2, previous rank: 9)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -0.7 PPG
Last week: Titans registered remarkable 38-36 win at Houston behind kicker Rob Bironas, who set NFL records for field goals in a game (eight) and looking most uncomfortable in post-game interviews.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Tennessee is the most run-oriented team in the league (53.9 percent of offensive plays); only three other teams, Pittsburgh, Oakland and Washington, run more than pass this year.
Next: vs. Oakland. Good thing this game is being played in October. The Titans franchise (in Houston until 1996) has played Oakland four times in the postseason and lost all four by at least 17 points.

9. WASHINGTON (4-2, previous rank: 10)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, +7.0 PPG
Last week: Skins survived bold but ultimately fruitless effort by Cardiac Cardinals at home, 21-19.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Washington’s run game is in the tank; Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts average 3.59 YPA between them.
Next: at New England. Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is already hard at work installing the Wade Phillips “Make Brady Beat You” game plan.

10. TAMPA BAY (4-3, previous rank: 7)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 2-3, -4.8 PPG
Last week: One step forward, one step back, as the Bucs followed nice win over Tennessee with disappointing loss in Detroit.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: WR Ike Hilliard and Joey Galloway are both (barely) on pace for 1,000-yard seasons; Hilliard has never cracked the 1,000-yard mark, while Galloway has done it two straight years with the Bucs.
Next: vs. Jacksonville. If Tampa can make it to late November around .500, they have a pretty favorable closing stretch: at NO, at HOU, host ATL, at SF, host CAR.

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

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-1, -13.0 PPG
Last week: Bye. Carolina stuck with QB Vinny Testaverde after failing to reach agreement with Joe Namath and Sammy Baugh.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Panthers have as many sacks (four) as they do wins and quarterbacks who have seen action.
Next: vs. Indianapolis. Home-field advantage didn’t do much for Jaguars Monday night. Let’s see how Carolina does vs. Indy.

12. DETROIT (4-2, previous rank: 21)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, -12.0 PPG
Last week: Lions moved a step closer to fulfilling Jon Kitna’s 10-win prophecy, playing turnover-free ball in 23-16 win over Bucs at Ford Field.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Lions DE Dewayne White apparently wasn’t too happy with his former employers in Tampa Bay; he registered three sacks and seven solo tackles to lead his team to victory.
Next: at Chicago. The last two trips to Chicago for Lions: 38-6 loss in 2005, 34-7 loss in 2006. So at least they’re improving.

THE TEPID TWENTY

13. SAN DIEGO (3-3, previous rank: 13) – San Diego is 3-0 with a +63 point differential vs. teams .500 or worse; 0-3 with a -45 point differential vs. Quality Teams.

14. BALTIMORE (4-3, previous rank: 11) - The Ravens claim only 10 pass plays of 20+ yards (last in NFL on per-game basis) and zero pass plays of 40+ yards.

15. CLEVELAND (3-3, previous rank: 14) – Browns QB Derek Anderson converts 57.1-percent on 3rd-and-8 or more, best in the NFL.

16. SEATTLE (4-3, previous rank: 18) – RB Shaun Alexander has cranked out pedestrian 1,318 yards on 372 carries (3.54 YP) in 16 games since returning from injury midway through 2006.

17. KANSAS CITY (4-3, previous rank: 19) – Chiefs have been stuffed for a loss on 17.6 percent of their run plays, worst in the league.

18. DENVER (3-3, previous rank: 25) – Broncos’ last-place rush defense is on pace to allow 2,819 yards on the ground this season (176.2 YPG).

19. ARIZONA (3-4, previous rank: 17) – If they can make a sitcom about the Geico cavemen, why not one about the Cardinals?

20. HOUSTON (3-4, previous rank: 16) – Thanks to Tennessee kicker Rob Bironas’ big day in Houston Sunday, opponents are on pace to kick 48 field goals against the Texans this year.

21. CHICAGO (3-4, previous rank: 23) – Things you’re not used to hearing in the same sentence: “Brian Griese” and “93-yard drive to win the game.”

22. PHILADELPHIA (2-4, previous rank: 15) – According to SI.com stats, the Eagles average 6.5 YPA on 64 rushes to the left or right, but just 2.8 YPA on 45 carries up the middle.

23. MINNESOTA (2-4, previous rank: 20) –.The Vikings rush for 87.2 yards per game more than their opponents (163.7 to 76.5).

24. CINCINNATI (2-4, previous rank: 26) – WRs Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are on pace to combine for 3,275 receiving yards, which would break tandem record of 3,106 by Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt with 2000 Rams.

25. BUFFALO (2-4, previous rank: 27) – Bills play six of their last 10 on the road.

26. OAKLAND (2-4, previous rank: 22) – RB LaMont Jordan has cooled significantly; 140 YPG, 5.2 YPA in first two games; 53.8 YPG, 3.6 YPA in four games since.

27. NEW ORLEANS (2-4, previous rank: 29) – In 2006, WR Marques Colston averaged 9.03 yards on every pass thrown to him; this year it’s 6.12.

28. SAN FRANCISCO (2-4, previous rank: 24) – 49ers are last in the NFL converting third downs by the pass (23.0 percent)

29. N.Y. JETS (1-6, previous rank: 28) – Amazingly enough for a one-win team, the longest run the Jets have allowed all season is 22 yards.

30. ATLANTA (1-6, previous rank: 30) –.Falcons are being out-sacked 25-9.

31. MIAMI (0-7, previous rank: 31) – Just what the Dolphins wanted: a trans-Atlantic plane flight in the middle of the season to face the 5-2 Giants.

32. ST. LOUIS (0-7, previous rank: 32) – Another loss will secure Rams’ fifth non-winning season in six years since 2001 Super Bowl loss to NE.