Near enough to mid season Power Rankings.
Top Ten
1. New England: Undefeated, balanced and well coached. Second best scoring offense and eighth best defense against points. Tom is playing about as well as he ever has entering week six. Upcoming victim? My Colts. Right now I think there are only a handful of teams that could match or beat the Pats and most of them are in the NFC. Vulnerability? They're below the league average in yards per rush and they're soft against the run.
2. Green Bay: Fifth best scoring offense and the third best defense. Lacy is a beast of a running back and Rodgers is as good as anyone at his position. Vulnerability? They give up plays downfield in the passing game.
3. Arizona: I know they have a loss, but they're still this good. Palmer is playing at a top five level, but what has me paying attention is their running game, which is averaging more per carry than any other team. That's offensive balance in a scary way. Defensively? Fifth in pts allowed and a top five against the pass. Vulnerability? They're a little better than average against the run.
4. Denver: rounds out the top tier. This kills me. They're slightly below average on offense. Their running game is weak on average, with only Detroit being less effective. Their passing game is only a little better. The good news is that most of the woes appear to be driven by the new offense and poor line play, both of which can be addressed. The good news? Best defense in the league. Best against the pass and fifth against the run. If Denver can give them anything on offense they're built to win with that defense.
5. Cincinnati: Dalton hasn't self destructed yet and, top to bottom, this is a solid football team, winning on the road and at home. 4th most productive offense and 10th in defense, with the separation between it and three of the teams ranked above being a point or less. Vulnerability? Traditionally? The playoffs.
6. Atlanta: about as talented through the air as you could hope for with a great aging superstar and an up and coming superstar at one and two. Add a decent running game and a weak division and their record makes sense. The defense isn't awful, about middle of the pack, but needs to improve or this is strictly a puncher's chance team.
7. Seattle: yes, they're 2-3, but this isn't "top ten records". Yes, on the whole the offense is weaker, below average, but within a fg of the top ten to twelve, so it's correctable. They're still third best in yards per run. Wilson is simply having a Peyton streak, if for less discernible reasons. Defensively Seattle remains a top ten team, strong against the run and top ten against the pass. If Wilson can get his game going they're right back in this thing.
8. Carolina: because you have to give them some credit for beating everyone put in front of them and maturing as a team beyond what I honestly thought they could manage. Quietly, this team has put together the 6th best offense in the league. A top ten yards per pass and a decent rushing average, augmented by their qb has them stretching defenses. Defensively? 4th. 8th against the rush and, more importantly, 3rd against the pass. Some of this is weak sister inflation, but they're worth notice.
At this point there are simply a number of teams. If Pit had their qb they'd be higher and Carolina would round out. If the Giants could be consistent...
9. Giants: 7th best scoring offense. That alone will keep you in games. Defensively, as good as all but the top ten. Okay against the pass, hard to run against. This is a team that should be better than their record indicates.
10. Pittsburgh: if Ben is under center they're much higher. Without him I'm nervous putting them here, but you can't overlook the talent and determination they're displaying. This is no brittle Dallas. 7th against scoring, defensively, with only three teams having a fg advantage in that category. Offensively it's hard to tell, given how their averages were compiled. On paper they're just outside the top ten. Encouragingly, they're 5th in rushing average, which should take some of the pressure off of Vick. And Vick, rust and a little age notwithstanding, can find a way to beat you.