NFL Pecking Order : Week 6

By Charlie Portelli


NFL Pecking Order. Week 6.

After each week in the NFL I will do a segment called “NFL Pecking Order” breaking down what I view as the top ten teams in the NFL at that time. Unlike most other sites or blog lists ranking NFL teams on a week by week basis, I look at the big picture. Most other lists are flawed because they only look at wins and losses, more specifically on recent wins and losses. For example, if a team is 1-2 with two road losses to tough teams, it isn’t always correct to rank them behind a 2-1 or even a 3-0 team with less impressive teams. Like I said, I will look at the teams with a big picture perspective in mind. This should be a very interesting segment this year because the teams in the league are so close. To me, there isn’t an enormous gap between the teams I rank 3-5 and the teams I rank 8-10, and even the teams I leave outside the top 10. With that said, lets rank the top ten NFL teams heading into week 6 starting with number 10.

10. Baltimore Ravens (3-2, AFC NORTH) Last week: Unranked

            Coming off an awful loss to the Buffalo Bills on the road in week 4, the Ravens were able go down south and beat an improved Dolphins team in their own house. This team had gone through enormous changes after their Super Bowl winning team, having to replace skill players as well as the identity of their defense for the better part of a decade in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Their leader, John Harbaugh knows how to keep his team’s emotions under control. Sitting at 3-2, they are tied atop their division with the Browns and Bengals, with the Browns likely to fade, the Ravens and Bengals should have a battle to win the AFC North crown.

9. New England Patriots (4-1, AFC EAST) Last week: 7

            After last nights game on MNF, we all had a look at just how unimpressive the Falcons are this year with the lowly Jets defeating them on their own field. If the win over the Falcons is the Patriots big win, then why are we all excited about the Patriots 4-1 start? I rank the Pats at 9 this week because although they haven’t done much to impress, they are 4-1 nonetheless. Their defense does a lot of thing right, including shut down what opposing teams do well and forcing the opposing offense’s weaker hand thanks to CB Aqib Talib who is playing at an all-pro level. They shut AJ Green down last week and Julio Jones the week before that. Bill Belichick has the Pats looking about as unimpressive as a 4-1 Belichick coached team could look but the fact of the matter is he is the greatest coach in the history of the game at making adjustments and while figuring his team out on the fly, they have compiled 4 wins and should only get better as the season goes on.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2, AFC NORTH) Last week: 10

            The Bengals jump up 2 spots on this weeks pecking order following a home win over the undefeated Patriots where they broke Tom Brady’s unbelievable 52 game streak in which he has thrown at least 1 TD pass. Their defense held the Pats to just 6 points and while their offense is still sputtering they have a ton of weapons. I expect the Bengals to fade but given their talent, they should be able to squeak into the playoffs and eventually face the same fate of their last two seasons; a first round playoff loss. Then it will be up to the Bengals front office to decide to retain Marvin Lewis or not.

7. Green Bay Packers (2-2, NFC NORTH) Last week: 7

            The Packers did exactly what they needed to do last week by defeating the Lions at Lambeau. Their offense did not exactly look as efficient as it normally does behind Rodgers but I will credit the Lions defense for doing a nice job. The Packers defense stepped up and made the Lions offense one dimensional by taking away the run by winning the battle up front and clogging the running lanes. The Packers were lucky that the Lions were without the services of their best player, Calvin Johnson, which made an already unlikely victory become nearly impossible for the Lions. Eddie Lacy returned and made a nice contribution in the run game and formed a more balanced attack for the Packers offense. Unfortunately for the Packers it is looking like their star pass rushing LB Clay Matthews will be out for about a month. Next week’s matchup in Baltimore with the Ravens looms large.

6. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0, AFC WEST) Last week: 6

            The Chiefs came back last week to beat an upstart Titans team on the road which should certainly not be overlooked because if you can win games on the road in the NFL, you can probably make the playoffs. That is basically the difference in this league between teams that make the playoffs, and teams that do not. With that said, the Chiefs are 5-0 with wins over the Jaguars, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, and Titans. Those five teams combined have only five wins. Kudos to Andy Reid for turning this team around overnight, but the work is far from over. This team will probably be limited when it comes to the point where they have to push the ball down the field with Alex Smith and that is going to be the difference between the Chiefs and Broncos in this division. With all of this said, I love this team and they will be making the playoffs thanks an active franchise making the correct moves and not being afraid to make those bold moves in order to move their team in the right direction.

5. San Fransisco 49ers (3-2, NFC WEST) Last week: 4

            The 49ers move down in the pecking order this week at no fault of their own but simply because other teams have looked more impressive. They blew out the struggling Texans at home in front of a packed house at Candlestick. Although the Texans look like a bad team this year, I assure you that they are not, so you can put as much stock into that win for the 49ers as you want. The Texans have a real defense and they will make a push to make the playoffs. However, the 49ers have a lot to iron out if they want to return to the Super Bowl this year, namely their young QB, Colin Kaepernick. He is obviously supremely talented and possibly suffered from an enlarged ego when he was looking like an unsolvable puzzle for opposing defenses over his first few starts in the NFL. The 49ers need to treat him like the QB he is, one that is making one of his first 12 starts in the league and build him back up from there.

4. Indianapolis Colts (4-1, AFC SOUTH) Last week: 5

            You can mark this one down. This division is over with, the Colts at 4-1 have wrapped up the AFC South over the 3-2 Titans and the 2-3 Texans. I love this Colts team and they will go as far Andrew Luck can take them and something is telling me that could possibly the Super Bowl although that won’t be easy with the Broncos standing in their way.

3. New Orleans Saints (5-0, NFC SOUTH) Last week: 3

            The Saints had a very tough text in week 5 traveling to Chicago to take on the Bears who were coming off a loss to the Lions the week prior. I’ve said it before, winning on the road in the NFL is tough and the Saints took care of business in Chicago. The defense is vastly improved and perhaps the best thing about this Saints team thus far is that they are flying under the radar with Manning and the Broncos grabbing most of the headlines. Believe me; you want to fly under the radar in pro sports if at all possible.

2. Seattle Seahawks (4-1, NFC WEST) Last week: 1

            I don’t care that the Seahawks lost last week to the Colts. That doesn’t change how good this team is. In fact, the Seahawks played better than I thought that they would have in Indy and very nearly won that game on the road. The Seahawks are of course a different team on the road than they are at home whereas on the road, this defense is going to give up some points, at home, they do not. This team is the most well rounded squad in the league.

1. Denver Broncos (5-0, AFC WEST) Last week: 2

The Broncos move up to the top spot in the NFL Pecking order this week after an incredible game against the Cowboys that was one for the ages. Manning and Romo exchanged punches for 60 minutes and Manning was the last one standing. With all this said, I feel like I have to bring everyone back down to earth when it comes to this Broncos team. Nearly every year, there is a team that looks unbeatable, and this year it is obviously the Broncos. But watching that defense get absolutely shredded for 48 points by Tony Romo wasn’t impressive. You certainly don’t want to get into a shootout with Peyton Manning because you are probably going to come up short just as Romo did, but there are different ways to beat this Bronco team. I will go on record predicting that in one of the two Broncos vs. Chiefs games, I think the Chiefs will win one (most likely the home game for the Chiefs). I think the Chiefs match up fairly well with the Broncos and if they can eat clock and sustain long drives, they could very well pull off the upset.