Week Six Power Rankings and Predictions

All change!

After last week, we sat down and decided that after nearly a third of the season, it is time to re-evaluate each team's chances. That means teams such as the Giants, the Titans, and the Redskins are worthy of their places in the top ten, and right now all three look comfortably on course for the playoffs.

At the bottom, the Texans are clearly a better team than their position suggests, but the fact is at 0-4 and with no bye week, it's hard to see them mounting a playoff run in a tough division. Similarly, the Eagles are falling out of contention in the East, and the Seahawks - although not out of it by any means - will need some luck to overhaul the Cards.

1) Pittsburgh Steelers - When the season started, we tipped the Steelers as dark horses. While there are more surprising teams at the top of their respective divisions, none was expected to fall harder than the Steelers. With a bye week upcoming, they have cemented themselves as the most consistent team in the league, and are one of the few teams who we'd stake the house on making the playoffs.

This week: bye

2) Dallas Cowboys - A gritty win against the Bengals, but it could be said that the Cowboys gave Cinci every opportunity to shock them, and the final score flattered to deceive. In a tough division, they will need to carry on their good (regular season...) form against the Giants to maintain this position at their expense.

This week: @ Arizona - Dallas win

3) Indianapolis Colts - People will say 'but the Titans are 5-0!', and they're right. Those people can certainly read numbers. What we feel is this: The Colts have an opportunity to finish in the playoffs, and this week will be looking to get within two games of Tennessee during their bye week. Put simply, if the Colts get into the playoffs, they have a better opportunity of winning the Superbowl.

This week: vs Baltimore - Indianapolis win

4) New York Giants - Warrant their place near the top after a convincing victory over Seattle. We still think they've had an easy schedule, and a lot will rest on their divisional matchups, but when it comes to beating the teams that are put in front of them, the Giants have proved themselves more than capable. An interesting banana skin this week in Cleveland, but realistically, the Giants have every chance of going deep into the playoffs again.

This week: @ Cleveland - NY Giants win

5) New England Patriots - The Pats are flying under the radar somewhat, but a win this week would see them draw level with Buffalo due to the latter's bye week. The blip against Miami has really given the Pats a great opportunity to keep their low profile and still maintain their divisional dominance. How will they fare in the post-season? Difficult call.

This week: @ San Diego - New England win

6) Tennessee Titans - The Titans are now in the luxurious position of having a record that will likely get them through to the playoffs with games to spare. On the other hand, the rival Colts are not out of the picture, and it's important that they take advantage of their easy game next week (@ KC) to keep the momentum going into the teams' Monday Night Football battle the following week. If one game decides a division, it is that one.

This week: bye

7) San Diego Chargers - We now enter as phase of the power rankings dominated by teams that have talented rosters, but are doing their best to squander their shot at the playoffs. It is only outrageous talent that keeps the Chargers in our conscious, but every game they slip behind the Broncos could be critical, as no team is guaranteed a wild card in the AFC, no matter how weak their division.

This week: vs New England - New England win

8) Washington Redskins - We have to admit, the Redskins are not what we would consider a strong team. Their Defence has huge holes that will be exploited as the season goes on. On the other hand, they've beaten two divisional rivals, and that in itself means they have a great shot at second place in the NFC East. We just have a little gut feeling this weekend that the Rams may have more impetus and energy, and could catch the 'skins cold.

This week: vs St. Louis - St. Louis win

9) Denver Broncos - The Broncos are a patchy team, and certainly not a lock to reach the post-season, but they have managed to get some crucial victories, and their position at the head of the AFC west is not a fluke. We'll admit that we had the Broncos wrong this year. They've managed to outpunch most of their opponents, even if they have taken some huge blows themselves. We're not sure where this boxing analogy is going, suffice to say that their aggressive style will likely yield some poor results down the line.

This week: vs Jacksonville - Jacksonville win

10) Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers must be frustrated. It's hard to knock him for what has been a solid start to his reign as Packers QB. At the current rate, you'd imagine that it is simply a matter of time before he is rewarded with his second long term deal with the team. Unfortunately, the team has contrived to lose some crucial games, and the worry has to be that their schedule will not get any easier (The NFC North teams play the strong AFC and NFC South teams as part of their schedules this year), and the team has perhaps put themselves behind Chicago as the best team in the division. A lot will come down to this week, where they have a golden opportunity to restore some confidence in Seattle.

This week: @ Seattle - Green Bay win

11) Carolina Panthers - One team has set themselves apart in the highly competitive NFC South, and their overall play means that the Panthers deserve more credit than they have received this year. The big problem is that the Saints - arguably the strongest team in the division on paper - are only two games back, and they're the team with the worst record in the division! Can the Panthers maintain their good form? We think so, but the South could be turned on it's head by a couple of divisional results.

This week: @ Tampa Bay - Carolina win

12) Chicago Bears - What can you say? The team gets wins, one way or another. You can certainly never say the team is dull to watch - though perhaps the number of people with heart problems in Chicago could be traced back to a steady diet of Pizza and Bears. Either way, the team is in the box seat, and confidence is growing in QB Kyle Orton, who is proving himself more than a game manager every week. The play of rookie Matt Forte has been a pleasant surprise, and the one word that springs to mind regarding the running back is 'playmaker'. Sadly, the team does not have enough of these to contend for the big one this year.

This week: @ Atlanta - Chicago win

13) Buffalo Bills - WHAT DID WE SAY? Ok, no more bragging, but it is true that we have been saying for a couple of weeks that the Bills being at the top of the pile was due to their schedule as much as anything, and last week's implosion in Arizona was on the Cards (yes, we just did that) long before Trent Edwards was knocked out of the game. They have a bye this week, and it couldn't come at a better time, as the Bills need to regroup fast to avoid freefalling. What the Patriots and Jets do this weekend could be more important than Buffalo's result next week.

This week: bye

14) Arizona Cardinals - Ok breath... breath... breath... Yes, the Cards are in the top half of the power rankings. It's on merit, and you have to feel that in a division where the other teams are amongst the three worst in the league, the Cardinals have a huge opportunity to make the playoffs this season. Kurt Warner is always going to rack up yards, and even with his fumblitis, he can keep the team in contention against the biggest of deficits. The big question will come if Warner goes down with an injury, but Matt Leinart is no scrub, and can likely hold the team together down the stretch.

This week: vs Dallas - Dallas win

15) Philadelphia Eagles - Not quite out of the hunt yet, but in need of some help to regain lost ground against the rest of the division. Don't count them out though, especially considering that the Redskins and Giants are perhaps shakier than their records suggest. Unfortunately, the injury sustained to Brian Westbrook could deal the final blow to this team's hopes, but a game against the 49ers and a bye week next week could see them right back in the mix.

This week: @ San Francisco - Philadelphia win

16) New York Jets - Just scraping in are the Jets, who are technically bottom of the AFC East, but could be right back in the playoff chase if results go their way. Brett Favre is finding the New York Groove, but the danger is that with the Dolphins making progress, the Jets could also slip the other way. Their schedule is favourable in the next few weeks, and they must make the most of that before their tough divisional games come up, as it's make or break time in week 11 as they travel to New England for a crucial Thursday night matchup.

This week: vs Cincinnati - NY Jets win

The rest (In one word or phrase):

17) Jacksonville Jaguars - Inconsistent
This week: @ Denver - Jacksonville win

18) New Orleans Saints - Lacking a dominant running back

This week: vs Oakland - Oakland win

19) Baltimore Ravens - Best of a bad bunch

This week: @ Indianapolis - Indianapolis win

20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Still in the hunt

This week - vs Carolina - Carolina win

21) Atlanta Falcons - Improving all the time

This week: vs Chicago - Chicago win

22) Miami Dolphins - Intelligent football team

This week: @ Houston - Houston win

23) Minnesota Vikings - Internal strife is never a good sign

This week: vs Detroit - Minnesota win

24) Houston Texans - Better than their record

This week: vs Miami - Houston win

25) Cleveland Browns - Recovery does not look imminent

This week: vs NY Giants - NY Giants win

26) Seattle Seahawks - Time zones, no Receivers, no Quarterback...

This week: vs Green Bay - Green Bay win

27) Cincinnati Bengals - Falling apart

This week: @ NY Jets - NY Jets win

28) Oakland Raiders - Potentially the surprise team of the next few weeks

This week: @ New Orleans - Oakland win

29) San Francisco 49ers - Poor despite their record

This week vs Philadelphia - Philadelphia win

30) Kansas City Chiefs - Poor coaching, unable to use their best weapons

This week: bye

31) Detroit Lions - Embarrassing - and that's in their own words

This week: @ Minnesota - Minnesota win

32) St. Louis Rams - New coach, new beginning? Just an outside shot at a victory this week.

This week: @ Washington - St. Louis win