1)Atlanta Falcons (6-0) Previous Rank 2 - Facing a well prepared Oakland defense, Atlanta failed to turn this game into a laugher. The Falcons found themselves ahead after Asante Samuel took a Carson Palmer interception to the house to give them a 20-13 lead. If not for that interception the game could have definitely gone the other way. Oakland gave Atlanta problems but nonetheless the Falcons are the only undefeated team left in the league.Matt Ryan has done an exceptional job at distributing the football. Roddy White has 37 receptions for 533 yards, Tony Gonzalez 43 receptions for 430 yards, and Julio Jones 30 receptions for 376 yards. Each receiver has four touchdowns and average over 10.0 yard per catch. They travel to Philadelphia this week to face the Eagles who have dropped two straight to lesser opponents.*Editor's note* If Philadelphia beats Atlanta next week, the Eagles deserve to be number one the following week.
2)Houston Texans (5-1) Previous Rank 1 - Were they past due for a bad game? Or is this what happens when you face a good team? Not having linebacker Brian Cushing had a definite impact on the Texans defense this past Sunday night. The Texans suffered their first lost of the season. Arian Foster had his worst game this season two TDs with only 29 rushing yards. Matt Schaub threw two INTs and no TDs. The Texans defense looked sluggish and confused all night as they gave up six passing TDs to Aaron Rodgers and his receivers. The Texans failed their first test against stiffer competition and will now have to prepare for the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday.
3)Baltimore Ravens (5-1) Previous Rank 4 - The Ravens have won four straight after surviving a 481 yard performance by the Dallas Cowboys. The banged up Ravens' defense could not stop Dallas' running backs as they gave up over 90 yards to each back. Cowboys' kicker Dan Bailey missed a would be game winner in the final seconds giving the Ravens the victory. The Ravens benefited greatly from Jacoby Jones's 108 yard kick return in the third quarter. Baltimore heads to Houston this week without Ray Lewis and will need more of the luck they had this past week to beat the Texans.
*Editor's note* Which team is responsible for Baltimore's only loss? That would be the "lowly" ranked Eagles.
4)New York Giants (4-2) Previous Rank 6 - The best performance of the weekend goes to the Giants for their absolute dominance over the 49ers. The Giants held the 49ers out of the end-zone and allowed only a David Akers 42 yard field goal in the first quarter. The Giants host RG3 and the Redskins this Sunday looking to keep the pace in the NFC East.
*Editor's note* Again. Who is responsible for dishing New York one of their losses? If you guessed the Eagles, you're correct.
5)San Francisco 49ers (4-2) Previous Rank 3 - Even after the 80 yard rushing game against the Giants this week the 49ers still rank first in rushing. Alex Smith threw three INTs and Frank Gore was held to 36 rushing yards on only eight rushing attempts. The 49ers just played the worst game of their season and will now have a chance to redeem themselves when they host the Seahawks tonight in a match up between the best teams in the NFC West.
6)New England Patriots (3-3) Previous Rank 5 - Tough luck has plagued the New England's season. The Patriots could easily have a record of 6-0 as they have yet to be beaten by more that two points. The Patriots secondary clearly has some issues that need to be addressed now more than ever after being lit up by a Rookie QB with QBR of 43.8. Even in a loss like this, the Patriots offense still managed to get 475 yards of total offensive yardage. New England hosts Mark Sanchez and the Jets this Sunday and will look to avoid falling below .500 in a favorable division match up.
7)Chicago Bears (4-1) Previous Rank 7 - The Bears are coming off a bye week with an opportunity to display how prepared they are for the Lions. Jay Cutler has seven TDs and seven INTs and will need to be more focused for the rest of the season as the Bears could be legit contenders in their division.
8)Green Bay Packers (3-3) Previous Rank 11 - They beat the Texans last week, a team that was believed to be a better team. Green Bay's offense did what its always been capable of doing and that's light up the score board and make it all but impossible for more balanced teams like the Texans to catch up. Aaron Rodgers tied a franchise record with six TDs and 338 yards for a passer rating of 133.8. Jordy Nelson was the recipient on three of Rodgers' TD passes and now has gotten a bit of a confidence boost after only having one TD prior. Green Bay travels to St. Louis to face the sixth ranked pass defense in the league.
9)Minnesota Vikings (4-2) Previous Rank 9 - Minnesota was within five points before a 76-yard TD run by RG3 sealed the Redskins' victory. Minnesota's offense settled for field goals early failing to find the end-zone on three red-zone trips in the first quarter. Christian Ponder had 352 yards, two TDs, and two INTs and his lowest QBR of the season at 37.3. Minnesota's stingy rushing defense gave up 183 yards on the ground which is the most they have given up in a single game all season. Vikings host the Cardinals this Sunday an will look to bounce back as they are a game back of the Bears in the NFC North.
10)Denver Broncos (3-3) Previous Rank 13 - Peyton Manning did it again he led the Broncos into another come from behind victory. Denver's defense stepped it up big. They buckled down in the second half shutting down the Chargers offense. This team can be dangerous when both the defense and offense click like they did in the second half against San Diego. The Broncos get a much needed bye week before hosting the Saints.
11)Arizona Cardinals (4-2) Previous Rank 10 - Another loss for the Cardinals, this time in overtime to the Bills. Larry Fitzgerald caught 93 of Kevin Kolbs 128 total passing yards for the game. Arizona stalled offensively numerous times and got a 61 yard Jay Feely field goal just to send the game into overtime. Arizona ranks 28th in total offense and face a stingy Vikings' defense this Sunday.
12)Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) Previous Rank 9 - The bye week couldn't come at a better time as the Eagles have dropped two straight. Philadelphia continues to turn the ball over. Michael Vick added another two INTs to his total. For every TD pass Vick has thrown he has thrown an INT, he has eight passing TDs and eight INTs. With the firing of defensive coordinator Juan Castillo this week, Philadelphia will look for improvement on defense. The Eagles face Atlanta and New Orleans in the next weeks to come.*Editor's note* This is preposterous! Philly has beat two of the top four teams and they are ranked 11th? Oh the humanity!
13)San Diego Chargers (3-3) Previous Rank 12 - Antonio Gates and Phillip Rivers came out swinging giving San Diego a 24-0 lead entering the second half against Denver. Then they fell apart defensively as Manning picked them apart. Rivers turned the ball over a total of five times in the second half, three interceptions and two lost fumbles. San Diego enters their bye week and will travel to Cleveland when they return to action.
14)Seattle Seahawks (4-2) Previous Rank 18 - Seattle took advantage of New England's weak secondary last week. Russell Wilson had his first three TD passing game of his young career and was just seven yards shy of having his first 300 yard passing game. Seattle now owns a 4-2 record and will face another tough test tonight against the 49ers.
15)Washington Redskins (3-3) Previous Rank 23 - RG3 did it with his legs piling up 138 rushing yards and two TDs to add to his 182 passing yards and a passing TD. The rookie kept Minnesota's defense at bay all day resulting in Washington's first home victory of the season. RG3 coming back from a concussion injury had his best passing day of his young career with a near perfect QBR of 97.6. The Redskins face the first place New York Giants.
16)New Orleans Saints (1-4) Previous Rank 16 - Coming off a bye week, Drew Brees and company get to face the 31st ranked pass defense in the league. Very interesting to see what the Saints do against Tampa Bay's weak secondary.
17)Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3) Previous Rank 15 - The Steelers are now 0-3 on the road after their loss to Tennessee last Thursday night. The defense continues to look sluggish. Safety Troy Polamalu has been sidelined due to a calf injury and the Steelers defense is no longer forcing turnovers at the rate they once did. Big Ben continues to make big plays while on the run and is having a much better TD to Interception ratio currently 10-2 while ranking fourth in QBR. The Steelers will look for their first road win of the season as they travel to Cincinnati for a Sunday night showdown.
18)Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) Previous Rank 14 - Andy Dalton had three INTs in the Bengals' loss to the Browns. Dalton now has 11 turnovers to go along with his 12 touchdowns on the season. Facing the Steelers this week, Cincinnati will need a victory before heading into their bye week to get above .500.
19)Dallas Cowboys (2-3) Previous Rank 17 - Cowboys fans question did your boys really have this one as you all have claimed. Let's look at the stats. Dallas rushed for a total of 227 yards and one TD. Romo threw for 261 yards, two TDs, and one INT. Not great but could have been worse, it is Romo after all. So the Cowboys played one of their best games all season and still managed to lose. Failing to tie things up on a two-point conversion pass to Dez Bryant followed by a recovered onside kick. Dallas had one last chance at it but Dan Bailey missed a 51-yard field goal attempt in the final minute. No, Dallas fans they never had it. The Cowboys will travel to Carolina to face Cam Newton and the Panthers.20)Detroit Lions (2-3) Previous Rank 20 - Coming out of their bye to face the Eagles, the Lions found themselves down 10 with five minutes to go. Matthew Stafford threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Nate Burleson. The Lions capped off regulation time with Jason Hansen's 19-yard field goal to tie things up and force OT. Detroit sacked Vick twice and forced a punt. Matthew Stafford took over at the 50-yard line and five plays later, the Lions found themselves victorious after a Hansen 45-yard field goal. Detroit possesses the weapons to wins games like this on a more consistent basis. Why they are 2-3? That's beyond me!They head to Chicago to face the Bears Monday night.
21)Miami Dolphins (3-3) Previous Rank 21 - Ryan Tannehill had two TDs and 0 INTs in the victory over St. Louis. Tannehill now has a total of four TDs. Miami isn't exactly destroying teams but they are grinding out victories, being careful with the football, and not forcing Tannehill to do to much. The Dolphins get a bye this week before their matchup with the Jets.
22)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) Previous Rank 22 - The Buccaneers finally get a victory after dropping three straight. Josh Freeman came out of the bye week much sharper completing 15 passes for 328 yards and 12.62 yard per completion average. Mike Williams got the big play he had been lacking all season catching a 62-yard touchdown pass. Now with some momentum going forward, the Bucs will need to keep their foot on the gas as now they host New Orleans.
23)St. Louis Rams (3-3) Previous Rank 19 - The Rams needed a victory badly against the Dolphins last week. St. Louis takes on Green Bay, New England, and the 49ers over the next four weeks. A brutal stretch that can easily cripple their season.
24)Buffalo Bills (3-3) Previous Rank 24 - Buffalo picks up a win to bring them back to .500 and surprisingly they didn't give up 40+ points in the process. After the overtime win, Buffalo now ranks 32nd in allowed rushing and 20th in passing defense. Fitzpatrick got his first victory without having a 100+ passer rating. With both C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson splitting carries, Buffalo's ground game is carrying the team and is helping maintain the pace.
25)New York Jets (3-3) Previous Rank 25 - The reigns are beginning to pull Mark Sanchez back as he only attempted 18 passes for a total of 82 yards and two TDs. The offense is clearly going back to the ground game and the Jets are no longer asking Sanchez to win games but are doing everything they can to keep him from losing them. Shonn Greene had a great game rushing for 161 yards and three TDs. The Jets are much better when they try to control the tempo by running and keeping their banged up defense off the field. Despite facing a weak secondary in the New England Patriots this week don't expect Sanchez to be having a shootout with Tom Brady.
26)Tennessee Titans (2-4) Previous Rank 26 - Did the Titans beat the Steelers or did the Steelers beat themselves? I've been asking myself that question all week aside from me second guessing Chris Johnson every week. The Titans took advantage of the Steelers banged up defense allowing Johnson to carry the ball 19 times for 91 yards and played a more balanced game for a change. It worked! The Titans head to Buffalo this week and if both defenses play as bad as they have all year look for someone to have a 200 yard ground game.
27)Carolina Panthers (1-4) Previous Rank 27 - Carolina looks to get a victory coming out of their bye week after losing three straight. Panthers are currently 1-2 at home and need a big game from Cam Newton.
29)Indianapolis Colts (2-3) Previous Rank 30 - Andrew Luck is only a rookie and the Colts are asking a lot out of him. At times he has shown glimpses of being able to make the transition into the NFL look easy but like any other rookie he can regress just as easily. The Colts rank third in passing defense and host the Browns with a chance to get to .500.
30) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) Previous Rank 31 - Blaine Gabbert currently has 796 passing yards and continues to fail at making big plays. The Jaguars' passing offense is awful ranking 32nd and their ground is not much better ranking 22nd. The Jaguars had a bye week to figure things out on both sides of the ball.
31) Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) Previous Rank 28 - Brady Quinn's first shot at the starting job may be his only shot. Quinn finished the day with a 15.7 QBR, not much of an improvement over Matt Cassel. Why don't the Chiefs just give Ricky Stanzi a chance? Anything over a 20 QBR will be a big step up for them at the QB position. The Chiefs are in a bad situation and will really need this bye week to get back on track if they ever were on track to begin with.
32)Cleveland Browns (1-5) Previous Rank 32 - The Browns didn't get to 0-6 as I thought they would. This isn't a bad team it's clearly a work in progress team and wins aren't to be expected. Cleveland benefited from three INTs from Dalton to help split the season series with the Bengals. Can traveling to Indianapolis this week can be what the Browns make it two straight wins?
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