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NFL Power Rankings, Week 7: Who Dat? The Saints in the Top Spot

Posted Oct 20, 2009 3:00PM By Josh Alper (RSS feed)

Filed Under: NFL Power Rankings

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The Saints are a clear choice for the top spot after the beating they put on the Giants Sunday, but things are a bit murkier thereafter. How good are the Vikings if their defense can't put teams away? Was that the worst of the Giants, or just the tip of the iceberg for a team that didn't play anyone all that good for the first five weeks? How did everyone in the country not named Josh McDaniels miss so badly on a Broncos team that looks better and better every week?

The clarity isn't helped much by an increasingly muddy midsection in each league. You've got teams like the Jets and Eagles making a mockery of their supporters and teams like the Jaguars and Cardinals offering reminders that a bad week or two early doesn't mean that all is lost. We're coming up fast on midseason and, as it should be, there are more questions than answers in the NFL.
  • 1. Saints (5-0) Last Week: 2
    With their win over the Giants New Orleans learned that they aren't just big-dogs in the NFC South. This Drew Brees led offense is fantastic, but it's a defense that only gives up 18.6 points per game that makes this team one of the best in the NFL. -- Knox Bardeen
  • 2. Vikings (6-0) Last Week: 4
    There are creeping concerns about the defense and eternal concerns about Brad Childress's game management, but it's impossible to doubt this offense. Sidney Rice is breaking out, Brett Favre is hanging tough and Adrian Peterson is, as always, Purple Jesus.
  • 3. Colts (5-0) Last Week: 3
    There's a pretty good chance that they'll be 8-0 when the Patriots pay a visit to the Midwest on a November Sunday night, which will make that night feel like a throwback to the middle of the decade when the yearly meeting between the teams would determine homefield advantage in the AFC playoffs.
  • 4. Broncos (6-0) Last Week: 5
    Okay, enough already -- they're just good, they're winning the Super Bowl and Josh McDaniels looks like the smartest man alive. Maybe that's going too far, but, even with a really tough schedule after the bye week, the Broncos would need a collapse like last year to miss the playoffs. Fortunately they have BORN WINNER Kyle Orton (and not Jay Cutler) running the show, right?. -- Will Brinson
  • 5. Giants (5-1) Last Week: 1
    The loss to the Saints exposed some serious flaws in the Giants secondary, especially when it comes to safety C.C. Brown's ability to recognize the difference between running and passing plays. More troubling was new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan's complete inability to adapt as the game progressed. Even more is on Eli Manning's shoulders now.
  • 6. Falcons (4-1) Last Week: 8
    The Atlanta offensive line stymied a great Chicago pass-rush and proved to Matt Ryan that they are the best in the league at protecting their quarterback. That will pay dividends as Ryan continues to grow as a passer, but it would still be nice to see more from Michael Turner. -- KB
  • 7. Patriots (4-2) Last Week: 11
    In a 17-play stretch during their rout of the Titans, the Patriots threw three touchdown passes and forced three turnovers. That's what's called firing on all cylinders, now they need to keep it up against teams that aren't self-destructing.
  • 8. Steelers (4-2) Last Week: 10
    Why do the Patriots jump them even though they both won? Because they did to the Titans what the Steelers should have done to the Browns. There were enough signs that they were over their rough patch, however, to leap them ahead of a Bengals team that's already beaten them this season.
  • 9. Bengals (4-2) Last Week: 9
    Marvin Lewis should have told his team that the Texans were undefeated entering their game on Sunday. Perhaps they would have continued to play up to their level of competition instead of diving down to meet a team with a lesser record halfway. Hopefully Lewis is already posting signs trumpeting the Bears' winning record.
  • 10. Packers (3-2) Last Week: 17
    Impressive outing for the defense, but, oh, that offensive line. They're going to get Aaron Rodgers seriously injured unless they can figure out a way to slow down opposing pass rushers. It might help if Ryan Grant ever looked something like the back who took the league by storm in 2007, but even that shouldn't stop Rodgers from making sure his insurance premiums are paid up.
  • 11. Bears (3-2) Last Week: 7
    Maybe they just have problems in prime time? Their second appearance on Sunday Night Football was just as sloppy as their opening week game against the Packers, which is the reason why they wound up with their second loss.
  • 12. Eagles (3-2) Last Week: 6
    They've turned in their "Get Out of a Bad Performance Free" card so there will be no more excuses made if the Eagles flop again this season. The offensive line looked putrid, but at least they have Jason Peters's injury to use as a crutch. The rest of the team has no explanation for allowing the Raiders to push them around.
  • 13. 49ers (3-2) Last Week: 14
    First, the bad news: the Cardinals seem to be getting their, ahem, groove back. Or something. Now the good news: San Fran's still leading the division, they're likely getting Frank Gore back next week and Michael Crabtree is supposed to be starting (I think that's good), so they should probably still be favored. This could actually end up being an enjoyable division race. -- WB
  • 14. Ravens (3-3) Last Week: 12
    Is there some kind of municipal code in Baltimore that stipulates a football team can have a good offense or a good defense, but not both at the same time? Maybe ESPN's next documentary should be about the midnight departure of the Ravens defense.
  • 15. Cowboys (3-2) Last Week: 16
    This was the best week of the Cowboys season thus far. Every other team in the NFC East lost and they didn't have to hear a single thing about how awful Tony Romo played or how Wade Phillips coaches like a man unaware that he actually has some control over what his team does on the field.
  • 16. Cardinals (3-2) Last Week: 19
    Great couple of weeks if you're one of the 42 people that care for the Cardinals; Kurt Warner looks fantastic, Arizona spanked division "rival" Seattle when they were completely healthy, and they're now right behind the 49ers in the standings. Next week's game against the Giants will be nothing if not interesting, because we'll really be able to gauge where these two teams stand. 2 outta the next 3 is a requirement for AZ's legitimacy though. -- WB
  • 17. Jaguars (3-3) Last Week: 21
    The Jaguars had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and two 100-yard receivers against the Rams this week. That's a good sign for a team that had been criticized for their offensive shortcomings for the entire week leading up to the game. They're schizophrenic, they're flawed and they're in the same spot they were before tanking last season, but they're in the thick of the AFC playoff race with tiebreaker edges on the Bengals and Texans. Not too shabby when you put it all together.
  • 18. Texans (3-3) Last Week: 22
    Brian Cushing is looking like a serious contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, a good which could be the reason why rumors of their defense's existence are gaining some currency. We've seen flashes from the Texans before, though, so we'll stick with myth until they do it several weeks in a row.
  • 19. Dolphins (3-2) Last Week: 18
    Is the Wildcat the thing that will burst the Saints' bubble? Or will it be the little-known fact that Drew Brees turns to mush every time he hears Marc Anthony sing?
  • 20. Jets (3-3) Last Week: 13
    There aren't enough negative superlatives to express how poorly the Jets played and coached against the Bills on Sunday, so we'll just say that given the choice between watching a Pauly Shore film festival or a replay of that game we'd choose suicide.
  • 21. Panthers (2-3) Last Week: 23
    Two straight wins give the Panthers a bit of a boost but this offense still needs to define itself. Steve Smith wants more passing but DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both gaining over four yards per carry. -- KB
  • 22. Chargers (2-3) Last Week: 15
    Philip Rivers can only do so much. But when the defense isn't good, the special teams are playing like poopy and the running game is non-existent because it features a combination of an over-the-hill Hall of Famer (LaDainian Tomlinson) and a guy who everyone gave way too much "legit RB" credit to (Darren Sproles), well, there are going to be problems. Norv Turner deserves credit for helping Phil progress, but how long can San Diego management let these guys stink early in the season and late in games. -- WB
  • 23. Seahawks (2-4) Last Week: 20
    What a miserable, miserable performance that was. It's easy to just glance at the numbers and blame Matt Hasselbeck, because he was awful, but that's not entirely fair: Seattle was basically down 17-0 having only touched the ball once and there wasn't ever any recovering from that deficit. Still, the only "statement" that came out of that game from Seattle was "we still suck, thanks for asking." -- WB
  • 24. Raiders (2-4) Last Week: 26
    I have no earthly idea what got into Richard Seymour on Sunday, but it was basically the exact opposite of whatever got into the Eagles offensive line, who were so collectively horrible that they allowed Philly to drop a game in Oakland. Seriously, people, the Eagles jumped two spots last week (on a bye!) based on their studs returning and an easy schedule and then just, well, WTF. -- WB
  • 25. Bills (2-4) Last Week: 28
    Yes, they won a game and kept the rapidly disintegrating Dick Jauron employed for another week. But don't be fooled into thinking anything much about this team. They were gifted six interceptions and still needed overtime to come through.
  • 26. Chiefs (1-5) Last Week: 30
    Don't look now, but they won a game! Of course, what does it say that non-rebuilding (in theory) Redskins are vastly inferior to this team? However, any good will they generated with the win and the obvious +6.5 cover (thanks, Vegas!) was immediately erased when they threw Gatorade on Todd Haley for getting his first win ... six weeks into the season. This cooler-tossing stuff is getting worse than storming the floor in college basketball.-- WB
  • 27. Redskins (2-4) Last Week: 25
    Why is it that Al Davis remains the go-to for media members looking for quick jokes about owners? At least Davis has a history that ranks alongside the greatest in the game's history. Daniel Snyder has taken what was a proud franchise, used it as toilet paper and then slipped the toilet paper into a public restroom so that everyone else can see what a mess he made of it.
  • 28. Browns (1-5) Last Week: 27
    The bright side of their latest loss is that they may have actually found a quarterback. Unfortunately Joshua Cribbs is also needed to play wide receiver, run the ball, return kicks, drive the team bus, stroke Eric Mangini's hair until he falls asleep and play the role of trade bait.
  • 29. Lions (1-5) Last Week: 24
    No Calvin Johnson spells no chance for this bunch, so they'd better get him back quickly if they want to put a crooked number in that win column. The best news of the weekend was that there was a Julian Peterson sighting, quelling rumors that he floated away in a balloon of his own design.
  • 30. Titans (0-6) Last Week: 30
    Jeff Fisher may be a proud man with a proud moustache, but it's time to start worrying about 2010 and beyond. Dumping Jevon Kearse was the right move, Kerry Collins should be the next to go and then work your way down the list of veterans until you figure out what the foundation is for the next good Titans team.
  • 31. Rams (0-5) Last Week: 30
    After missing a pretty good opportunity to pick up a win against the Jags (overtime, Jacksonville? Really? REALLY?), the Rams have, by my count, two more chances to pick up a win this season, and both are on the road: Week 8 at Detroit and Week 14 at Tennessee. I suppose they could randomly grab one along the way, but, man, even Rush Limbaugh would be a welcome distraction for this awful squad. -- WB
  • 32. Buccaneers (0-5) Last Week: 31
    I'm still scouring the Bucs schedule to find a possible first victory for the 0-6 basement-dwellers. Another quarterback controversy between Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson is looming which won't help morale at all. -- KB

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