We would like to first of all welcome the new bloggers to the group.  We would also like to thank all the readers that have read and follow all our bloggers in the UFB.  Once again we are bringing you the latest and the most accurate power rankings.  So take a seat and see if your team made our list.

(1)  1. Green Bay Packers (9)  –  6 – 0   next at Minnesota Vikings

The Packers appear to have no flaws (despite their auspicious schedule so far), and any offensive line issues that were apparent last year have virtually vanished. Whether that’s the offensive line playing better or Aaron Rodgers improving his already-dangerous scrambling ability is debatable. Either way, the Packers look so unbeatable that “Can the Packers Run The Table?” already popped up on Numbers Never Lie today. It’s only week seven!!!

(2)  2. New England Patroits (1)  –  5 – 1   next bye

Who said Patriots have bad defense? Oh wait that was us… The defense deserves every credit for stepping up BIG time. We were really surprised how well the defense played against Jason Witten, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. As much as we would like to give Tom Brady a praise for the late comeback, offense looked sluggish as Cowboys indeed brought “kitchen sink” But hey win is a win and we will take it.

(4)  3. Baltimore Ravens  –  4 – 1   next at Jacksonville Jaguars

Baltimore looked a little shaky to start the season, but now they’re back to looking like the team we’ve seen over the past 2 years.  Flacco throws for 300+ but it was Ray Rice that led them to a solid win over Houston. Next 2 look like W’s for them too which could put them sitting pretty come Halloween…

(7)  4. San Fransisco 49ers  –  5 – 1   next bye

Harbaugh and his team will fight any opponent, including the Lions.  The 49ers proved last week they are up for any challenge.  Lets see how they do after they come out of the bye.  Will they be rested and ready to go or come out rusty and disorganized??

(3)  5. New Orleans Saints  –  4 – 2   next vs Indianapolis Colts

New Orleans got down early, and couldn’t climb back against a tough Tampa team. No shame in losing the to Bucs on the road.  Brees was baited into throwing 3 picks and a loss was the result…Look out Indy, someone is gonna wanna take there anger out next week…Sean Payton torn his MCL and Broke his Tibia when Jimmy Graham fell on him.

(5)  6. Detroit Lions  –  5 – 1   next vs Atlanta Falcons

This was first game where the opponent out-hustled the Lions. I believe this loss is actually good for them since they have two games coming up in which they can easily lose due to arrogance. They are still impressive team but some holes (run-defense) was exploited. How this squad rebound from their first loss will go a long way.

(9)  7. San Diego Chargers  –  4 – 1   next at NY Jets

We don’t know a whole lot about San Diego yet, they’ve beaten some crappy teams and just had a bye. Their game this week against the Jets will be huge for credibility.  A win in New York against the Jets with Rex Ryan’s defense, that would give them a great amount of creditability.

(6)  8.  Buffalo Bills  –  4 – 2   next bye

We all knew that Buffalo’s hot start wasn’t going to last forever, but how far back to earth they come will be the story. Will they totally collapse? Or regroup for a nice season?Fitzpatrick almost had a win there but a huge pick turned it around. They must bounce back against the Skins after the bye. 

  

(11)  9.  Oakland Raiders  –  4 – 2   next vs Kansas City Chiefs

We’ll see if Carson Palmer can keep this team here. As long as Hue Jackson keeps showing that he knows what he’s doing as much as he conveys it to the media, the Raiders should be fine.

(10) 10. Pittsburgh Steelers  –  4 – 2   next at Arizona Cardinals

The win against the Jaguars was not convincing but they won despite not playing their best.  Rashard Mendenhall had his best game in the season even though he was injured and defense seemed as if they have turned the clock back few years. They have easy matchup against the Cardinals but face Patriots at Heinz field a week after.

(NR) 11. New York Giants  –  4 – 2   next bye

So, the Giants lose straight up as 10-point home favorites against the Seahawks, and then beat the 4-1 Bills? How does that make any sense? I’m beginning to think that Eli Manning was the only one in his Survivor pool not to take the Giants, so he purposely tanked the Seattle game.

(NR) 12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers  –  4 – 2   next vs Chicago Bears

They were determined to win this game to stop the recent slide and they achieved that by winning against the Saints. The defense re-discovered its mojo and offense was more balanced, which suits Josh Freeman and rest of offense more. They can continue feeling good by winning against the Bears, which may turn out to be tough match up.

(13) 13. Dallas Cowboys  –  2 – 3   next vs St. Louis Rams

Granted they were up against Brady in New England, and they almost got the win, but still.  Romo had a shot to win it with a “Run the clock out punch em in the face” type drive…..And he couldn’t do it.

(NR) 14. New York Jets  –  3 – 3   next vs San Diego Chargers

The Jets are looking more and more average every week. The offensive line is really bad, especially from a run blocking perspective, and I think everybody is starting to see just how bad Mark Sanchez really is.

(NR) 15. Cincinnati Bengals  –  4 – 2   next bye

Cincinnati is getting 100% out of the talent they have on their roster. Andy Dalton is managing the game well, A.J Green is everything we expected, and the defense is playing out of their minds. Lets see if they can keep it up.

( ) left of rankings indicates previous weeks rankings

( ) next to teams indicates first place votes

UFB Power Rankers are:

Frank Hyun of Patriots Review

Ronnie Kohrt of Ronnie K’s Blog

Mr. Kangaroo of CJ Sports NFL Talk

Brandon Clark of Titan Sized

Steven Lourie of Football Fan Spot

Mr. C.J. Sports of CJ Sports NFL Talk

Adam Hughes of Naptown’s Finest

Walter Cherepinsky of Walter Football.com

Nolan Vasan of NFL Draft Geek

Ryan Mc Crystal of Draft Ace

Brian Goldsmith of Hair of the Dog Sports Blog

Clayton Terry of The Fan Experience

 

10/13/11 9 PM ET

USC at California

OT Matt Kalil (USC) #75

Simply put, a stud left tackle, the best since Joe Thomas and Jake Long and possibly better than them. Kalil has done an excellent job of protecting Matt Barkley’s blindside at USC for 3 years. He has NFL bloodlines, his brother Ryan is a Pro-Bowl center for the Carolina Panthers, and he’s so good that he kept Tyron Smith at right tackle for USC. Smith went 9^th in the 2011 NFL Draft. Kalil could go as high as #2, the first player after Andrew Luck. Athletic at 6-7 305, but also powerful, he’d be best fit in a zone blocking scheme like USC’s, but scheme versatile as well. He’s also an elite special teamer, blocking 4 kicks in his career.

MLB Chris Galippo (USC) #54

An elite high school prospect, Galippo had a solid redshirt sophomore year with 70 tackles, 2 picks, 8 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He was expected to improve further open those stats last year in his 2^nd year as a starter and follow in the shoes of Rey Maualuga, a former USC middle linebacker who went in the 2^nd round in 2009. However, he struggled with injuries and stayed for his senior year. So far, he seems to have put it all together with 28 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks in 5 games. He’s moving back into day 2 consideration.

10/8/11 3 PM ET (ESPN3 rewatch)

Boston College at Clemson

OLB Luke Kuechly (Boston College) #40

Luke Kuechly’s a statistician’s wet dream. He had 325 combined tackles in his first 2 seasons at BC and now he already has 83 this season through 5 games. He’s had 10+ tackles in 24 of his last 25 games (the other game he had 9) and if he were 10 pounds bigger and a little faster, he’d be a sure top 10 pick. Still, the 6-2 235 pounder is a top 15 pick at this point.

DE Andre Branch (Clemson) #40

Branch, a day 2 pick coming into this year as a 3-4 linebacker/4-3 end type, burst onto the scene last week with a huge 3 sack day against Virginia Tech in a win. Now he’s getting first round consideration. At 6-5 265 with good speed, he’s a fit for either scheme and has potential to move up if he can keep having good games. Through 5, he has 4 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, and 33 total tackles. Last year, he had 54 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, and 6 sacks.

10/15/11 12 PM ET

Baylor at Texas A&M

QB Robert Griffin (Baylor) #10

A solid player in 2010 with a completion percentage of 67.0% with an average of 7.7 yards per attempt and 22 touchdowns to 8 interceptions, Griffin has taken it to a whole new level in 2011. He is completing a whopping 80.3% of his passes for an average of 10.7 per attempt and 19 touchdowns to 1 pick, leading Division I with a quarterback rating of 212.9. He’s also a dual threat who has rushed for 173 yards through 5 games this season after 635 yards in 2010. He’s put himself into the Heisman race in a big way, but because of his early level of competition, opinions are as split on him as they were on Cam Newton last year. One side says he’s awesome, the other says, it’s just been 5 games against weak competition. A big game here against Texas A&M’s talented defense, his toughest test so far, will do a lot to help his stock.

QB Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M) #17

Tannehill, a former wide receiver turned quarterback, came out of nowhere last year after Texas A&M benched starting quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who didn’t fit the team’s new Pro Style offense. When Tannehill took over, they were 3-3. He took them to 9-4, with that one loss to LSU in the Cotton Bowl. He completed 65% of his passes for an average of 7.0 per and 13 touchdowns to 6 picks in the process and entered 2011 as a potential day 2 pick. However, he is slipping this year after blowing big leads to Oklahoma State and Arkansas in consecutive weeks and a lackluster performance against Texas Tech last week. He’ll need to have a strong game here against Baylor to avoid slipping out of the middle rounds. He’s completing 67.1% of his passes this year for an average of 7.7 per attempt, but only 7 touchdowns to 5 interceptions.

10/15/11 3:30 PM ET

Oklahoma State at Texas

QB Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State) #3

A former minor league baseball pitcher, the strong armed Weeden completed 66.9% of his passes for an average of 8.4 per attempt and 34 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in 2010. He has himself in the Heisman race now for undefeated Oklahoma State, completing 75.8% of his passes for an average of 8.6 yards per attempt and 15 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, but concerns about the stat bloating offense he plays in, as well as his age, have him in day 3 right now. He’s 27 and will be 28 by draft day because of his time in the minors. For comparison, he’s older than Aaron Rodgers.

S Markelle Martin (Oklahoma State) #10

Martin is having a strong season and could be poised to take advantage of a weak safety class if he keeps this up. He could sneak into the first round. The 6-1 200 pound safety has 29 tackles, 2 for a loss, and 5 pass deflections this season, after 55 tackles, 2 for a loss, and 10 deflections last year.

 

10/15/11 7:30 PM ET

Stanford at Colorado

OT Jonathan Martin (Stanford) #55

The #2 offensive tackle in this class, behind Matt Kalil, Martin is part of an excellent offensive line that has done a great job protecting Andrew Luck. Even more impressive, Martin has helped keep Andrew Luck protected this year despite the fact that Stanford lost 3 starting offensive linemen in the offseason, including an All-American center. He looks like a top 10 pick.

G Ryan Miller (Colorado) #73

A big tackle offensive guard, Miller is 6-8 310 and projects to be a day 2 pick. He has done a good job keeping Colorado’s offensive line playing well this year even without Nate Solder.

10/8/11 7 PM ET (ESPN3 replay)

Vanderbilt at Alabama

CB Casey Hayward (Vanderbilt) #19

When last I saw Casey Hayward, he was doing an admirable job on Alshon Jeffery against South Carolina. He limited Jeffery, a potential top 10 pick, to 2 catches, though poor quarterback play by South Carolina’s Stephen Garcia had a lot to do with that as well. He also had 2 picks in that game, though again, that has a lot to do with Garcia. Alabama’s passing attack is a little better so this should be a better test for Hayward, who has 12 career interceptions and is gaining some buzz as a potential late first round pick.

MLB Dont’a Hightower (Alabama) #30

Hightower is finally healthy and putting it all together. The big 6-4 260 pound linebacker has 29 tackles through 5 games in the middle of Alabama’s 3-4 defense and could end up a first round pick if he keeps this up and continues to prove his health. He was a popular name as a potential first rounder before his injuries, taking over for Rolando McClain inside for Alabama and now that he’s healthy again, he’s starting to get mocked in that range again.

ESPN3 Replays

10/15/11 12:30 PM ET

Miami at North Carolina

OLB Zach Brown (North Carolina) #47

The 6-2 230 Brown is rumored to have run a 4.28 40 before and should run at least in the 4.4s at The Combine. Part of a North Carolina defense loaded with future NFL players, Brown has 42 tackles, 5 for a loss, 2.5 sacks, a pick, and 3 pass deflections in 6 games this year and should be a first rounder in April. If he does run in the 4.3s or even 4.2s, he could be a top 15 pick and one of the first linebackers off the board in a loaded linebacker class (Vontaze Burflict, Manti Te’o, Luke Kuechly, Courtney Upshaw, Travis Lewis, and Dont’a Hightower could all go in the first round).

S Ray Ray Armstrong (Miami) #26

Armstrong, a potential 2^nd round pick at safety, missed the first 4 games of the season with a stupid suspension, but returned last week against Virginia Tech to record 7 tackles. In 2010, he had 79 tackles, 4.5 for a loss, 3 picks, and 3 deflections. The big 6-4 220 safety is very fast for his size and could challenge Markelle Martin to be the top safety in this class with Robert Lester and TJ McDonald struggling so far this season. Mark Barron is also in the mix.

10/15/11 6 PM ET

Alabama at Mississippi

OT Barrett Jones (Alabama) #75

A left tackle at Alabama, Jones, a much better run blocker than a pass protector, projects as a guard at the next level. He’s got great technique, but he’s not very athletic and he doesn’t have the size (6-5 305) to make up for it. However, in Alabama’s run heavy offense, he’s a beast and part of the reason why Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson have had so much success in recent years.

OLB Courtney Upshaw (Alabama) #41

One of the most versatile linebackers in the country, the 6-2 260 pound Upshaw played inside and outside in Alabama’s 3-4 last season, compiling 52 tackles and 7 sacks. He’s best fit in a 3-4, but theoretically he could play outside linebacker and defensive end in a 4-3. This season, he has 18 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and a pick in 6 games for undefeated Alabama. He had a huge game against Florida when I last watched Florida.

 

32. Buffalo Bills 0-5

Bye

31. Cleveland Browns 1-5

Tough to tell a lot about Colt McCoy from his first start. His stats, 23 for 33 for 281 yards, a touchdown, and 2 picks, as well as 22 yards on the ground on 4 carries, looked good, but at the same time, he only led his team into the end zone once. However, at the same time, he was facing Pittsburgh who made Matt Ryan look silly earlier this season. However, at the same time, it’s a Pittsburgh defense that might have no longer been trying at 100% with Big Ben back. However, he definitely earned another start. They need to see what he’s got, even if it’s only so I can start making more definitive statements in my Power Rankings.

30. Carolina Panthers 0-5

Bye

29. Detroit Lions 1-5

The Lions are 1-5, but at the same time they have a positive point differential (+6) and they are 2nd in the NFC in total points, all without having their starting quarterback for more than 2 quarters. Backup quarterback Shaun Hill is the 2nd quarterback to go down this season, breaking his arm last week against the Giants, but with the bye week coming up and Matt Stafford (shoulder) coming back for week 8 after the bye, that doesn’t matter a lot to the Lions. It’ll be interesting to see how they play with him out there. He’s definitely more talented and got more upside than Shaun Hill, but there’s always a chance he doesn’t capitalize on that upside. He could just as easily lead this team to a 3-13 finish as he could a 6-10 and put them in position, with a high draft pick coming up, to make a run in 2011. They’re not going to make the playoffs this season, but they still should be a very interesting watch the rest of the way, provided Jeff Backus doesn’t allow some big guy to destroy an injury prone Stafford again.

28. Oakland Raiders 2-4

After JaMarcus Russell was cut this offseason, I posted something about how sad I was that he was cut and listing potential replacements for most hillariously bad quarterback in the NFL. In there I said the following about Jason Campbell. “Why not? I happen to think Campbell will do awesome in Oakland (assuming we’re grading on a curve). He hasn’t been anywhere near as bad as people think he is and the Raiders’ scheme fits his arm well. However, maybe the Raiders’ will suck the life right out of him. Maybe they’ll let him do whatever he wants and he’ll gain 50 pounds. Plus, the Raiders are probably the only team on this list that would start an awful quarterback for long enough for it to be true comedy.” I don’t want to call myself a psychic or anything, but after Campbell went 8 for 21 for 83 yards and 2 picks in a loss to the previously winless 49ers, I’m looking pretty smart. Campbell is 51 for 91 for 509 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 4 picks this season. It could be that he’s been battling injuries, but it could also just be that Oakland sucks the life out of quarterbacks. I mean watching him this season, it’s like watching a skinnier JaMarcus Russell. And speaking of Campbell’s injuries, his knee injury this week could force Kyle Boller to start. Good times.

27. San Francisco 49ers 1-5

Time for them to beat up on crappy teams, after beating Oakland last week, they face Carolina this week. After that, they face Denver, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and Arizona, before facing Seattle (in San Fran), Arizona, and St. Louis weeks 15-17. There’s actually still a possibility they could win this division. Or maybe, because the NFC West no longer looks like it can be won by a 6 win team, they just win enough games to take them out of the running for a quarterback in the draft and have to start Alex Smith again. How sad.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-3

Once again, the Jacksonville Jaguars could not stop a quarterback. Vince young was very good in limited action before getting hurt, but he did his work in such limited action that we can not even mention him here. Kerry Collins, coming in off the bench cold, threw for 110 yards and a touchdown on 11 for 16, looking like he was 27 instead of 37. No one in this Jacksonville secondary can cover and they’ve alternated starters every game, so many times that they are really out of options. I don’t know how this team has three wins, but if they can’t stop anyone through the air, and they can’t get any better production out of David Garrard, they won’t get more than 3 more wins the rest of the way.

25. St. Louis Rams 3-3

The Rams beat the Chargers, but it’s the early season Chargers on the road and everyone else in the division won this weekend. Seattle definitely looked more impressive winning in Chicago than St. Louis did at home against the Chargers. This division might not be as bad as it originally seemed, meaning it might take more than 6 or 7 games for them to win this division. I’m still not sure this is a team that can do that.

24. Cincinnati Bengals 2-3

Bye

23. Seattle Seahawks 3-2

So much for being a bad road team, the Seahawks broke the trend and went into Chicago and beat the previously 4-1 Bears. Now, this could be just because the Bears are worse than their record shows, but with Marshawn Lynch out there running and Russell Okung out there keeping the pressure off of an almost immobile Matt Hasselbeck, this team looks like a completely different offensive bunch. Also let’s not forget that run defense, once seen as one of the worst defensive lines in football, their run defense is 2nd only to the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 2.9 YPC allowed. That defensive line also, despite it’s big size and ability against the run has 17 sacks to aid a very weak secondary.

22. Denver Broncos 2-4

This team is simply way too one dimensional to win games against good teams. They can beat up on bad teams all they want with Kyle Orton leading this high powered offense charge, but against teams like the Jets and the Ravens, they need to be able to play defense and run the ball to win. However, because of their weak schedule, they’ll have plenty of chances to beat up on bad teams (starting with Oakland this week) with their amazing passing game and get some wins. If San Diego never rebounds and Kansas City continues losing, that could win this team the division with about 8 or 9 wins, so they’re not completely out of it.

21. Arizona Cardinals 3-2

Bye

20. Dallas Cowboys 1-4

Poor red zone conversion rate, poor takeaway to turnover rate, high level of penalties, that’s how a talented team like the Cowboys can be 1-4 even when on paper their players are playing pretty well. This team just continues to shoot itself in the foot and Wade Phillips is the reason why. Sloppy defense also always stems from a lack of leadership and discipline in the locker room and the fingers must be pointed to Wade Phillips for that. And it’s not like he has a strong track record to keep him in there. He has one playoff win in 5 years with one of the most talented teams in the league.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-2

The question around this team going into this week was were they ready to take on the Saints and beat them in a game that mattered (with potential playoff implications) and the answer was a fairly resounding no, after they lost 31-6. They just aren’t on that level yet with all the holes in their defense, especially missing Tanard Jackson at safety. The Saints beat them deep all game. Josh Freeman is a good quarterback, but with no defense and no running game, they aren’t going to beat good teams (similar to the Broncos). Cadillac Williams has rushed for 190 yards and 0 scores on 75 carries this season (2.5 YPC), just like Larry Johnson for the Chiefs last year, but just like Todd Haley with Johnson, Raheem Morris refuses to see what any of their backups can do in a starting role.

18. Kansas City Chiefs 3-2

I’m moving the Chiefs up even after their loss to the Texans because they really showed me a lot in that game. In fact, betwen their 10 points loss to the Colts and their 4 point last second loss to the Texans, they showed me more that suggests they can win their division than anything in their first 3 wins, all against crappy teams (combined record 4-14). They played both the Colts and Texans tough. They showed good defense in the Indy game and pretty good offense in the Houston game until the 4th quarter and they showed they can exploit bad secondaries against Houston. San Diego is playing badly still and if they lose to the Patriots, it might be time to make Kansas City the favorite in that division.

17. Chicago Bears 4-2

I definitely think their 3-0 start was a fluke, almost as much as the Chiefs’ was. They beat Detroit on a stupid call. They beat Dallas who is much worse than we thought they were. They also beat Green Bay, who was 2-0 at the time, but they committed 18 penalties and effectively started their slide, which is still in progress. Now teams have adjusted and figured out how to beat Jay Cutler and Mike Martz, blitz them. Cutler can’t get the ball out quickly out of a 7 step drop because he takes so long to make reads. Martz has to adjust, something he has never been willing to do, and go to more 3 and 5 step drops to limit the amount of time, or run more with Matt Forte and Chester Taylor. Cutler has been sacked 15 times in his last 6 quarters. That can’t happen. 

 

16. Miami Dolphins 3-2

This team is 3-0 on the road. That’s the good news. The bad news, they’ve yet to win at home. It might be just because the combined record of their home opponents is 9-2 and their road opponents are a combined 5-12, but that’s not a good sign either. They have to be able to beat good teams. They get Pittsburgh at home this week, giving them a chance to beat their first team at home and beat a good team.

15. Houston Texans 4-2

They won last week, but I’m moving them down. They really looked bad defensively. Their offense was amazing once again leading yet another comeback win, but they gave up 31 points to the Chiefs and made Matt Cassel look like Joe Montana, 20 for 29 for 201 yards 3 touchdowns and no picks. They may be 4-2, but they have the 2nd most points allowed this season, only behind Jacksonville. Their pass defense is also 2nd worst only to Jacksonville with a YPA allowed of 8.2. Good teams don’t do that.

14. Washington Redskins 3-3

I’m not sure if this team is for real as a contender, but I am sure they play a lot of close games. They have only played one game that was decided by more than 6 points this season and they’ve gone into overtime twice. At least unlike last season, when they went 3-10 in games decided by 10 or less. Having a legitimate quarterback like Donovan McNabb certainly helps you with that.

13. Minnesota Vikings 2-3

They’re not all the way back into it, but if they beat Green Bay this week, something they did 2 times last season, they’re 3-3 and right back into the mix of things in the NFC North with two slumping teams, Chicago and Green Bay.

12. San Diego Chargers 2-4

Still waiting to see if they’re going to start playing better or not. They do every year, but I think they could be running out of time. They need to beat New England this weekend at home, somewhere they’re played very well this season, or else I think they’re done, or at least no longer the favorites.

11. Tennessee Titans 4-2

They Titans looked very good last week winning their first back-to-back games of the season and looking very good in all facets of the game, even with their backup quarterback in there. It might have just been because the Jaguars absolutely stink, but they do have the makings of a team that could be a very good team this season. We’ll learn a lot more about them this week against the Eagles, who are also 4-2.

10. New York Giants 4-2

The Giants have an opportunity to but the dagger in the Dallas Cowboys this week. If they win, the Cowboys, who are probably already dead, but just to be sure, would be 1-5 and 3.5 games back of the division, losing the tiebreaker. If they win, they could be only 1.5 back with a tiebreaker over the Giants and only 1-1 in the division, in position to potentially go on a run with some luck.

9. Philadelphia Eagles 4-2

I really hope this team sticks with Kevin Kolb the rest of the way. Kolb and Vick are both 2-0 in games they’ve both started and finished, but Kolb beat San Francisco and Atlanta. Vick beat Detroit and Jacksonville. Their stats, Vick is 38-65 for 575 yards, 5 touchdowns, no picks. Kolb is 44-60 for 579 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. Very similar stats, very similar records, but Kolb is younger, Kolb was though more highly of before the season, and Kolb is under contract for longer.

8. Green Bay Packers 3-3

The Packers really missed Clay Matthews last week. They didn’t get a single sack on Miami, who conversely had 5 sacks on Green Bay’s suddenly crumbling offensive front. Matthews, who has 8.5 on the season already, has only 4 fewer than the rest of the team and most of teams are because defenses are so occupied “trying” to stop him. Once he’s back and healthy, they’ll be a different team. If they get other key players back, they could still make a run at it if they can click late in the season. They’re still a talented team.

7. Atlanta Falcons 4-2

In his career, Matt Ryan is 8-12 on the road and 14-1 at home, including post season, with that one loss coming in 2008 by 4 in Atlanta. He needs to become a better road quarterback before this team can go all the way, but you see how good of a team they are at home and if they can get a high seed, either 1 or 2, very possible with the way the NFC is turning out right now, they could win it all. They’re definitely still in it, even after a loss to Philly in Philly.

6. Baltimore Ravens 4-2

In the AFC, the Jets have beaten the Patriots who have beaten the Ravens who have beaten the Jets. The Ravens have also beaten Pittsburgh, the other top AFC team, but that was at home without Big Ben and Baltimore does have 2 losses (New England and lowly Cincinnati). They make a lot of mental mistakes, though they are built like a champion with their amazing defense.

5. New Orleans Saints 4-2

It appears that loss to Arizona was the wake up call they needed. After playing it close in all 4 of their first 3 games, going 3-1, still respectable, the lowly Cardinals beat them. After that, they woke up and realized that had to play much better, scoirng 31 without Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, and holding Josh Freeman and the Bucs to 6 points, even without Tracy Porter.

4. New England Patriots 4-1

Deion Branch’s 9 catches against the Ravens were the most by him since the last time he was with the Patriots. He definitely is comfortable in this scheme with Tom Brady throwing to him. They may not have Randy Moss as a deep threat anymore, but their intermediate game is as good, if not better than it’s ever been with Welker, Branch, Hernandez, Edelman, Tate, etc. That’s going to allow Brady to be conservative and not have to force it deep to Moss, part of the reason he struggled last season.

3. New York Jets 5-1

The Jets goal this season was the have the best record in the league. Right now, they do, going on a 5 game winning streak after that pitiful 1 point loss to open the season against the Ravens. However, I still need to see more out of Mark Sanchez before I can declare them favorites. He’s getting close though, even though he did throw his first 2 interceptions of the year against Denver last week, in a win. He did lead the game winning drive, but a penalty helped him in a huge way. 

2. Indianapolis Colts 4-2

Remember the Colts were 2-2 and everyone thought they were dead. 2 games later, they look like potential favorites in the AFC. It’s funny how much 2 wins can change things early in the season, even two wins they were supposed to win. Or maybe most media members just overreact to records and don’t think about facts. They’re now one of the best teams in the AFC record wise and do you really want to bet against Peyton Manning. I didn’t think so.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 4-1

Their defense didn’t look 100% last week, but that just could have been because they played their hearts out for 4 games without Big Ben and saw last week, with Ben back, and the Browns in town, as a nice rest. We’ll see how everything clicks, defense, running game, Big Ben, this week in Miami, against a Dolphins team they shouldn’t overlook.

 

WR Deion Branch- New England

Percent owned (ESPN): 12.4%

Branch’s 9 receptions in his Patriots debut (take 2) was more than he ever had in a single game with the Seahawks. In fact, his last 9+ reception game was his rookie year with New England. Branch seems to have taken off right back where he left off when he left New England, showing a good understanding of the Patriots playbook and scheme and great chemistry with Tom Brady. Expect him to continue to produce at a high level and be start worthy the rest of the way after his 9 catch, 98 yard, 1 touchdown performance against the stingy Baltimore defense.

WR Mike Thomas- Jacksonville

Percent owned (ESPN): 11.0%

Thomas continues to produce with 29 catches for 346 yards this season and Mike Sims Walker continues to be invisible. I’d drop MSW and pick up Thomas. In fact, Thomas should be owned in most leagues.

TE Brandon Pettigrew- Detroit

Percent owned (ESPN): 8.8%

Pettigrew’s 336 receiving yards and only 12 behind Vernon Davis for 3rd most by a tight end this season. His 33 receptions rank him 2nd to Dallas Clark. He also has a touchdown. In his second season, it appears the 2009 1st round pick is playing up to his potential. 

 

TE Ben Watson- Cleveland

Percent owned (ESPN): 4.6%

Watson’s not too far behind Pettigrew with 29 catches for 318 yards and 2 scores this season. With a rookie quarterback in Colt McCoy under center, Watson, who had 6 catches for 88 yards and a score in McCoy’s debut, could see his stock go even higher. Rookie QBs + Tight Ends = ❤

RB Danny Woodhead- New England

Percent owned (ESPN): 6.1%

Kevin Faulk who? The Patriots, as they always do, showed that no player in their offense, except Brady, is irreplacable. When Faulk went down, Woodhead, a former wide receiver and Jets practice squadder, came in. Though he looks like a 16 year old white kid, Woodhead rushed for 63 yards on a team leading 11 carries last week and for PPR purposes, he had 5 catches for 52 yards and is a former wide receiver.

WR Anthony Armstrong- Washington

Percent owned (ESPN): 2.0%

Armstrong has 9 catches for 187 yards and a score in the last 3 weeks and is looking like someone you at least want to stash on your bench. He is showing good big play ability as a rookie.

 

 

 

Last week overall: 9-5

Last week ATS: 6-7-1 (-740/-17%)

Overall picks: 53-37 (.579)

ATS Picks: 43-43-4 (-$310)

Lock picks: 5-1

Upset picks: 7-7

Sports Betting FAQ 

Pittsburgh Steelers 27 Miami Dolphins 16

Spread: Pittsburgh -3

Pick against spread: Pittsburgh 4 units

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense didn’t look amazing last week, they looked human, allowing Colt McCoy to have a fairly solid debut. My theory, this defense played its heart out for 4 games with Big Ben out. Last week, with Big Ben back and a rookie in McCoy coming to town, they took a bit of a break. I expect them to be better this week. Chad Henne has not won at home this season. I don’t think Henne is a better quarterback than Roethlisberger and a certainly don’t think the Dolphins defense, even with the emergence of Cameron Wake, is anywhere near as good as Pittsburgh’s. Pittsburgh’s is just so much better overall as a team. I don’t see how Henne can outthrow Roethlisberger against Pittsburgh’s defense, without the benefit of his much needed running game against Pittsburgh #1 ranked run defense.

Atlanta Falcons 31 Cincinnati Bengals 13

Spread: Atlanta -3.5

Pick against spread: Atlanta 4 units

The Falcons’ weakness as a team is their pass defense. They ranked 27th in the league in YPA allowed. However, Carson Palmer is not the type of quarterback who can take advantage of that. He stinks. He struggled against Tampa Bay, who is playing horrible without Tanard Jackson against the pass. Palmer threw 3 picks in that game and the Falcons defense actually leads the league in interceptions. They should pick him off a few times and set up nice field position for their offense. Cincinnati’s defense is good, but they’ll be missing Antawn Odom for 4 game thanks to a PED suspension. They already struggled to pressure the quarterback before that. Their cornerbacks are amazing, but pass rush is more important than shut down corners for the most part. Also remember Matt Ryan is 14-1 in his career at home and with a 3.5 point spread, all he really needs to do is win. That spread is not very big at all.

Washington Redskins 26 Chicago Bears 16 Upset Pick

Spread: Chicago -3

Pick against spread: Washington 3 units

Jay Cutler has been sacked 15 times in the last 6 quarters he’s played and Mike Martz is refusing to make adjustments, like running more or switching to more 5 step drops. The Redskins have 13 sacks on the season and can create good pressure when they blitz. The Redskins are a good team and the Bears have yet to beat a team that has more than 1 win other than the Packers, who shot themselves in the shot with 18 penalties. I think they are very overrated and should not be getting points here with the way they’ve been playing lately, failing to complete 50% of their passes in 3 straight games. The Redskins are 5-1 against the spread this season and are very underrated. Also keep in mind, they also beat the Packers, who are the Bears’ best victory.

New Orleans Saints 26 Cleveland Browns 20

Spread: -13 New Orleans

Pick against spread: Cleveland 3 units

The Saints have covered once this season, despite being 4-2. I have no idea why they are getting 13 points here, even at home. They play well when they can run, but unlike the Buccaneers, who they ran all over last week in a 25 point win, the Browns are decent against the run, 18th. It’s not amazing but it should be enough to contain Chris Ivory. I just don’t think the Saints should be favored by this many after just one game, when a week ago they were 3-2 and coming off a loss to the Cardinals.

Baltimore Ravens 31 Buffalo Bills 10 Lock Pick

Spread: -13 Baltimore

Pick against spread: Baltimore 1 unit

Big spreads are iffy a lot of the time, but the Bills are really bad so I can feel safe picking the Ravens here, but I almost never put more than 1 unit on a 12+ point spread. Still, I think the Ravens should be able to dominate the lowly Bills here. I don’t even think this needs much explanation.

 

Carolina Panthers 16 San Francisco 10 Upset pick

Spread: -2 49ers

Pick against spread: Carolina 2 units

The 49ers just won so they could get complacent and start feeling like their problems are fixed, especially with 0-5 Carolina on tap. San Francisco is not a good team. They couldn’t do anything against the Raiders until that last drive. The Panthers defense is better than the Raiders. They actually rank 6th in the league in yards allowed, but no one notices because their offense is so bad. They’re also 12th in points allowed. I expect Alex Smith to struggle slightly more on the road, traveling across 3 time zones against Carolina’s defense, than Matt Moore against a San Francisco pass defense that made Matt Cassel look good a few weeks ago. Matt Moore is starting this week and he has more experience than Clausen so he can deal with the lack of supporting cast better. John Fox is also coaching to pad his resume, as evidence by his switch to Matt Moore, the veteran. I expect him to coach well and lead this team to victory at home, their first of the season. All this being said, I’d have to be insane to put more than 2 units on the Panthers against a fairly even spread.

Philadelphia Eagles 24 Tennessee Titans 21 Upset pick

Spread: -3 Tennessee

Pick against spread: Philadelphia 1 unit

This is a tough one. The Titans have looked great at times this season, but we’ve seen them struggle after a win before this season and it’s tough to tell how good they truely after because of how bad Jacksonville played last week. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is on the road, but has the better quarterback and the better pass defense. However, the Titans amazing pass rush could be in the backfield a lot because of how bad the Eagles line is and that could force the young Kolb to struggle even against Tennessee’s weak secondary. I’m leaning towards Philadelphia to win because I think they’re a better team, but the Titans often play better than they’re expected to. That’s just how Jeff Fisher rolls. I’m taking Philly because they are underdogs and I think they’re the better team, but I’m not putting a lot on this.

Kansas City Chiefs 24 Jacksonville Jaguars 20

Spread: -9.5 Kansas City Chiefs

Pick against spread: Jacksonville 1 unit

Another tough one. Matt Cassel plays well against bad secondaries, but so does David Garrard. The Jaguars secondary is worse, but not by a lot. Kansas City’s also a more talented overall team, but also not a lot. They are favored by a ton, 9.5, and I don’t think they cover that, but I’ve learned by lesson about putting more than 2 units on Jacksonville. They could fairly easily come in and lay a stinker here. But I’m taking the Jaguars to win against the spread. The Chiefs are coming off two heart breaking losses and were not very good to begin with to start the season at 3-0. They could be very flat after two heartbreaking losses with a bad team that just lost by 27 on Monday Night Football at home coming to town.

St. Louis Rams 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 Upset pick

Spread: -2.5 Tampa Bay

Pick against spread: St. Louis 3 units

I’m not understanding why the Buccaneers are favored here. They are 1-9 against the spread at home under Raheem Morris. Their defense is playing terrible right now and they just lost by 25 at home to a team that just lost to the Cardinals on the road. This defense of Tampa’s is terrible and I think the Rams have the better offense. They can at least run the ball and I think Bradford is the better quarterback right now. The Rams have issues on the road, but they did win one on the road this season and I think they can do it again against a team that’s not playing very well.

Seattle Seahawks 31 Arizona Cardinals 21

Spread: -5.5 Seattle

Pick against spread: Seattle 2 units

Max Hall makes his first road start here and he’s going into Seattle, a very tough place to win. The Seahawks haven’t even been that good since 2009 and they’re 6-4 at home. They’re playing their best football now since 2007, when they went 7-1 at home. With Russell Okung healthy and Marshawn Lynch in there, this team is looking like a legitimate playoff team, like they could possibly make the playoffs even in any other division. Hall’s not beating this team in Seattle.

Denver Broncos 24 Oakland Raiders 20 

Spread: -8 Denver

Pick against spread: Oakland 2 units

Kyle Boller is expected to start, but remember JaMarcus Russell and JP Losman combined to beat this team last year 20-19. The Broncos strength is their passing game and that’s the strength of the Raiders defense. The Raiders can’t stop the run, but the Broncos can’t run and don’t even do it that much. The Broncos, meanwhile, can’t stop the run either, but the Raiders run well. The matchups are in favor of Oakland, definitely. Oakland is also an annoying team. They are 4-2 under Tom Cable as road underdogs of 7 or more. They do well when no one expects it. I think they can do it this week, even with Kyle Boller. I also just don’t think the Broncos are good enough to be favored by more than a touchdown, unless they were facing the Bills or someone. I’m not putting a lot of Kyle Boller, but I’m picking him and the Raiders against a team against whome they are 6-2 against the spread in their last 8 meetings. The Raiders did beat the Chargers this season. They play well against big rivals.

New England Patriots 34 San Diego Chargers 21 Upset pick

Spread: -3 San Diego

Pick against spread: New England 3 units

Call me crazy, but I actually think this Chargers team is bad this year. Even if they aren’t, they are expected to be missing their top 2 receivers, which is going to help the Patriots’ defense. The Patriots defense isn’t good, but they are opportunistic. They capitalize on mistakes, which the Chargers have been making a lot of lately. The Patriots always come to play against the Chargers and they always seem to beat them. Even on the road, I expect them to do the same this week. There’s no reason why they should be field goal underdogs here.

Minnesota Vikings 28 Green Bay Packers 21 Upset Pick

Spread: -2.5 Green Bay

Pick against spread: Minnesota 2 units

This just seems like the type of game where Brett Favre goes off and shows the world why he’s Brett Favre. He’s playing in Lambeau, against his old team. He’s got the sexual assualt allegations. He’s got the bad elbow. This is a must win game. Those circumstances make most quarterbacks crumble. It makes Favre better. Favre was 41 for 59 for 515 yards and 7 touchdowns to no sacks last season against the Packers. The Packers are banged up now and I expect Favre to play extremely well in a victory.

New York Giants 24 Dallas Cowboys 20 Upset pick

Spread: -3 Dallas

Pick against spread: New York 2 units

I’m going to keep betting against the Cowboys until they start playing to their potential. The fact that they’re favorites here just makes it an even better play. The Cowboys could win. We’ve seen the Giants play bad at times this season, but I’m not going to take the Cowboys until they give me reason to. They haven’t done that yet.

 

 

Week 7 Pickups 

What is this? Well, in addition to our own Power Rankings, we are going to post this top 15 called the Ultimate Football Rankings (UFB Rankings). It’s compiled of a bunch of rankings of a bunch of good sites, including ours (see bottom) and adds a contrast to our regular Power Rankings. More sites will be added as the weeks go on.

(1) 1. Green Bay Packers (9)  –  5 – 0   next vs St. Louis Rams

The win over Atlanta on prime time football ranks as their second best effort this season (behind season opener to the Saints). Isn’t that scary? Atlanta’s offense walked all over the Packers at the beginning of the game, while the Falcons D stuffed the Packers. Things changed in the second half, despite Rodgers playing without his top-two offensive tackles. The game against Falcons was more lopsided than the score indicates. Packer defense constantly pressured Matt Ryan to the point that he didn’t look like Matty Ice. Their defense is fierce and offense is on season long hot streak. Unless they suffer major injury issues, they are the favorite to win the Super Bowl again.

(3) 2. New England Patriots (1)  –  4 – 1   next vs Dallas Cowboys

 Still very little D in New England, but the offense can’t be stopped.  It was good game against the Jets. Patriots were able to mask their weakness (defense) and play their strength (offense) Tom Brady wasn’t stellar but he did enough job to dissolve Jets’ defense.  This weeks game against Cowboys will be interesting as the defense will be exposed by Cowboy’s explosive offense.

(2) 3. New Orleans Saints  –  4 – 1   next at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

They had some trouble against the Panthers, but the Panthers has a dangerous offense even though Cam Newton, their quarterback, is only a rookie. However, Saints’ defense has not had a good game in this season except against the Bears. Saints look like they will win the NFC South as Falcons and Buccaneers all have underachieved this season. They’re cruising into the easiest part of the schedule and should easily extend their win streak to 7 or 8 games.

(5) 4. Baltimore Ravens  –  3 – 1   next vs Houston Texans

Sure they had a bye week and Lions just beat Bears, but if we have to guess who would win if Ravens and Lions play, we would pick Ravens any day, any where. They have been inconsistent this season and offense is still somewhat struggling, but Ravens were always about defense and its defense is still strong. Look for them to dominate Texans this week.  Every one is so looking forward to Thanksgiving match-up with Green Bay.  Will be the must see game of the regular season!! 

(4) 5. Detroit Lions  –  5 – 0   next vs San Fransisco 49ers

 Matthew Stafford to Megatron……….Best QB/WR Duo in the league….Hands down.  Still looking for this team to have quality wins, schedule starts getting harder this week, lets see what they are really about.

(12) 6. Buffalo Bills  –  4 – 1   next at New York Giants

Bills held off a strong comeback attempt by Michael Vick.  With Fred Jackson approaching 500 yards rushing and 350 yards receiving, he’s turning in to a true MVP candidate. Next up is an inconsistent New York team, depends on which Eli shows up on whether they can go into New York and steal another or not.

(14) 7. San Fransisco 49ers  –  4 – 1   next at Detroit Lions

49ers are the most surprising team in the league, hands down. Everyone always picked Lions to be a good team ever since Mathew Stafford was drafted and now they are but no one and we mean no one picked 49ers to be 4-1 at this point of the season. We are still not sold on them yet but win against the Lions in Detroit will definitely help convince us that they are for real.

 

(6) 8. Houston Texans  –  3 -2   next at Baltimore Ravens

Last week was close, losing on the last play. However, the Texans have a propensity to do this. Derrick Mason isn’t the answer.  Matt Schaub threw for a lot of yards, but this was a bad game made worse by the loss of Mario Williams.  Andre Johnson needs to return and Arian Foster needs to return as leagues top rusher for this team to be contenders. 

(8) 9. San Diego Chargers  –  4 – 1   next bye

No more slow starts for Chargers. Even though Phillip Rivers isn’t playing as well as he has last few seasons, entire team has stepped up. Running game, despite slowing start, has picked up and defense is playing very well. However, Chargers had fairly easy schedule but it gets harder with 6 games against possible playoff contenders.  We will start to see if they are a top ten team, can they keep their momentum?

(11) 10. Pittsburgh Steelers  3 – 2   next vs Jacksonville Jaguars

 Amazing how good Ben Roethlisburger plays when hes hurt…..Must be a “testosterone” thing.   Led by Big Ben’s 5 TDs, that could be the win that gets the Steelers back on track.  This weeks game should give them the chance to flex and build confidence.

(NR) 11. Oakland Raiders  3 – 2   next vs Cleveland Browns

 Sure, the Raiders’ win in Houston was spun as a tribute to Al Davis, but this is not a bad team.  Cleveland Browns should provide Oakland with a good close game, but the Silver and Black will show us why they are deserving of being in the top 15.

(13) 12. Washington Redskins  3 – 1  next vs Philadelphia Eagles

Gained ground in the power rankings by not playing.  Their schedule has helped them begin with a 3-1 record and sole possession of first place in their division.  Their schedule gets harder and we will see them soon slip to the bottom, where we all predicted at beginning of the season.

(NR) 13. Dallas Cowboys  2 – 2   next at New England Patriots

Romo and Company get Brady and Company right outta the bye….Talk about tough luck.
Huge test for Romo and Co. in New England this week.  Lets see if the bye is enough to help Dallas get their act together or will they let Tom Brady have his way.

(9) 14. Tennessee Titans  3 – 2   next bye

Are the Titans overrated after all?  After looking good against the likes of Cleveland and Denver, Tennessee got absolutely clubbed by the same Pittsburgh team that lost to Tennessee’s division rival Houston the week prior. Tennessee now has a bye to prepare for a home game against a banged up Houston team. That’s easily their biggest game of the season.

(NR) 15. Atlanta Falcons  2 – 3   next vs Carolina Panthers

Anyone who watched the Falcons’ loss to Green Bay knows how frustrated that loss had to be for them. They jumped out to an early 14-0 1st quarter lead, scoring in their first 2 possessions, and held a 14-6 halftime lead, limited Green Bay to 2 mere field goals. On top of all that, Green Bay’s top offensive lineman, Chad Clifton, got hurt and was done for the night. However, Matt Ryan completed less than 50% of his passes after the first 2 drives, while Aaron Rodgers threw for nearly 400 yards in a 25-14 comeback win. Now the Falcons have the feisty Panthers coming to town before they have to head to Detroit. Their season is definitely in danger.

( ) left of rankings indicates previous weeks rankings

( ) next to teams indicates first place votes 

UFB Power Rankers are:

Frank Hyun of Patriots Review

Ronnie Kohrt of Ronnie K’s Blog

David Calagis of CJ Sports NFL Talk

Mr. Kangaroo of CJ Sports NFL Talk

Brandon Clark of Titan Sized

Steven Lourie of Football Fan Spot

Mr. C.J. Sports of CJ Sports NFL Talk

Adam Hughes of Naptown’s Finest

Walter Cherepinsky of Walter Football.com

Nolan Vasan of NFL Draft Geek

Ryan Mc Crystal of Draft Ace

Brian Goldsmith of Hair of the Dog Sports Blog

 

 

 

10/6/11 9 PM ET

California at Oregon

CB Cliff Harris (Oregon) #13

Cliff Harris has top 15 talent, but got into some of the field trouble in the offseason. He was pulled over for going 118 MPH when the cops smelled weed. He also failed an intelligence test. When asked who had the weed, he said “we smoked it all.” He was suspended for the opener, but will be back for this game. He’s still got a chance to go in the first round, but last year Christian Ballard and Justin Houston each fell about 2 rounds from where they were projected to go after failing drug tests at the Combine. At the same time, Aqib Talib went 20^th in 2008 despite a drug arrest so we’ll see. He’s definitely got talent.

RB LaMichael James (Oregon) #21

If this were 2006, LaMichael James might be being talked about as a top 3 pick. James’ 2010 season (1939 total yards and 24 total touchdowns) mirrors Reggie Bush’s 2005 season (2218 total yards, 18 total touchdowns) and both have similar games. However, small running backs are not popular in the NFL right now and neither is taking running backs with premium picks (no one told the Bills this however). Plus, having the tag of “the next Reggie Bush” attached to him is not exactly a good thing. He should still be a 2^nd round pick with another good season and he’s at 613 yards and 7 score on 65 carries with 11 catches through 4 games, but he’s hurt by his frame (5-9 185).

10/7/11 9 PM ET

Boise State at Fresno State

RB Doug Martin (Boise State) #22

Martin put himself into day 2 consideration with 201 carries for 1260 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2010, with 28 receptions for another 338 yards and another 2 scores. He’s gotten off to a rocky start this season, but he looked good against Toledo, better than his stats would suggest, when I spotlighted Kellen Moore in that game. He’s got 325 yards and 4 scores on 85 carries this season, with 13 catches for 158 and another score. He had 126 rushing yards and 2 scores in his last game against Nevada so there’s definitely hope. He’s a physical runner, who refuses to go down on first contact, and he’s got decent speed, athleticism, and pass catching ability to boot. I’m excited to watch a Boise game, spotlighting him this time.

DT Billy Winn (Boise State) #90

Winn is having a disappointing year with just 11 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, and .5 sacks and it appears the once potential day 2 pick is falling more into day 3 range. However, in his past two seasons, he has a combined 24 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks so he’s been better. At 6-4 290, he’s best suited to be a 3-4 end, but he can also play the 4-3 as an under tackle.

10/8/11 12 PM ET

QB Landry Jones (Oklahoma) #12

Following in the footsteps of Sam Bradford, Jones has put up really nice numbers over 2 years as a starter (remember, Bradford missed most of his final year with injuries). In 2009, he completed 58.1% of his passes for an average of 7.1 per attempt and 26 touchdowns to 14 picks as a redshirt freshman. In 2010, he completed 65.6% of his passes for an average of 7.6 per attempt and 38 touchdowns to 12 picks. This year, he leads the undefeated Oklahoma Sooners and completing 71.6% of his passes for an average of 9.3 yards per attempt with 10 touchdowns to 5 picks, including a tough road win against Florida State. He and Matt Barkley are currently the best two quarterbacks after Andrew Luck.

OLB Travis Lewis (Oklahoma) #28

A stat sheet filler since he became a starter in 2008 as a redshirt freshman, Lewis had 343 career tackles, 5.5 career sacks, and 8 career picks coming into this season. He amazingly only missed 1 game after breaking his foot before the season and he already has 25 tackles in 3 games this season. He’s a fringe first round prospect. 

 

10/8/11 3:30 PM ET

Florida at LSU

CB Morris Claiborne (LSU) #17

A rapidly rising prospect, Morris Claiborne has shined in the absence of Patrick Peterson, the 5th overall pick in last year’s draft, and with Dre Kirkpatrick and Stephon Gilmore both slipping a bit early this season, Claiborne has a chance to become the top cornerback in this class if he keeps this up. He has 22 tackles, 2 picks, and a kick return touchdown on the year and will be matched up with the same speed receivers that gave Dre Kirkpatrick trouble last week. 

DT Jaye Howard (Florida) #6

Howard had 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks this year, but the projected mid rounder is the type of player who has value beyond the stat sheet. At 6-3 305, Howard is the nose tackle in Florida’s 4-3 defense and frequently takes on multiple blockers, opening things up for his teammates.

Georgia at Tennessee

10/8/11 7 PM ET

CB Brandon Boykin (Georgia) #2

After 3 picks in each of the last 2 years, Boykin, a mid rounder, has 1 so far this season, along with 3 pass break ups. A former stud return man as well, Boykin showed his amazing athleticism and speed on a 80 yard run from scrimmage in their week 1 loss to Boise State. 

G Cordy Glenn (Georgia) #71

Glenn, a former guard, is lining up at left tackle for Georgia this year. The big 330 pounder is doing an excellent job and is gaining momentum as a potential first round either at guard, right tackle, or even staying at left tackle. With his size and lack of foot speed, right tackle or guard makes the most sense for him long term. 

10/8/11 10:30 PM ET

TCU at San Diego State

QB Ryan Lindley (San Diego State) #14

One of the highest rated small school quarterbacks, Lindley has all the tools you like in a quarterback, but he seems to be regressing this season. After completing 57.7% of his passes for an average of 9.1 yards per attempt and 28 touchdowns to 14 interceptions last year, he’s completed just 51.5% of his passes for an average of 6.7 yards per attempt this season and 8 touchdowns to 1 pick. He struggled mightily against Michigan and doesn’t get a lot of chances to prove himself against highly ranked defenses. He’ll get one here against TCU.

OLB Miles Burris (San Diego State) #9

Miles Burris plays the outside linebacker in SDSU’s 3-3-5 defense, so he essentially is a rush linebacker. However, at 6-3 235, there are questions about his ability to play that position in the NFL. He might be just a situational player in a 4-3. He had 79 tackles, 18 for loss, and 7.5 sacks last year, and he has 26 tackles, 5 for a loss, and 2 sacks this season, but his level of competition and his size make him a day 3 prospect.

ESPN3 Replays

10/8/11 12 PM ET

Louisville at North Carolina

DE Quinton Coples (North Carolina) #90

Robert Quinn was a candidate for the #1 overall pick in 2011, before a season long suspension. He eventually went 14th. Quinn’s replacement at end at North Carolina was Quinton Coples. Coples, who had 5 sacks as a rotational player in 2009, burst onto the scene with 10 sacks in his first year as a starter in 2010. At 6-6 280 with 4.7 speed, Coples figures to be the first defensive player off the board in this April’s NFL draft and could challenge Matt Kalil to be the first non-quarterback taken if he keeps this up. He has 2.5 sacks in 4 games so far this season, all while providing a huge force against the run.

WR Dwight Jones (North Carolina) #83

The massive Dwight Jones has not yet become a popular projected first round pick, but after 62 catches for 946 yards and 4 scores in 2010, the 6-5 Jones already has 33 catches for 514 yards and 6 scores in 3 games this season. Even more impressive, he’s doing this with inconsistent play at the quarterback position. He has 6 of his school’s 11 receiving touchdowns and almost half of their receiving yards. If he keeps this up, he’ll be a first rounder.

Florida State at Wake Forest 

10/8/11 12:30 PM ET 

DE Brandon Jenkins (Florida State) #49

Jenkins burst onto the scene with 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss last season and has bulked up to 6-3 265 for the 2011 season, in an effort to remain a 4-3 player as he heads to the NFL after this season. Jenkins will need to pick up it if he wants to remain a first rounder. he has just 2 sacks and 4 tackles for loss in his first 4 this year. 

OT Andrew Datko (Florida State) #67

After Matt Kalil, Jonathan Martin, and Riley Reiff, this is a very thin offensive tackle class. For this reason, the athletic 320 pound Datko has a good chance to move into the mid-to-late first round range and go to a tackle needy team. He plays on Florida State’s left side.

10/8/11 3 PM ET

Boston College at Clemson

OLB Luke Kuechly (Boston College) #40

Luke Kuechly’s a statistician’s wet dream. He had 325 combined tackles in his first 2 seasons at BC and now he already has 83 this season through 5 games. He’s had 10+ tackles in 24 of his last 25 games (the other game he had 9) and if he were 10 pounds bigger and a little faster, he’d be a sure top 10 pick. Still, the 6-2 235 pounder is a top 15 pick at this point.

DE Andre Branch (Clemson) #40

Branch, a day 2 pick coming into this year as a 3-4 linebacker/4-3 end type, burst onto the scene last week with a huge 3 sack day against Virginia Tech in a win. Now he’s getting first round consideration. At 6-5 265 with good speed, he’s a fit for either scheme and has potential to move up if he can keep having good games. Through 5, he has 4 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, and 33 total tackles. Last year, he had 54 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, and 6 sacks.

 

 

32. Buffalo Bills 0-5

The Bills had a good chance to win this week, with the Jaguars coming to town, worn out after giving Indy everything they had the week before. The Bills led, but they blew it. It could be a while before they get a legitimate chance to win a game again. They do face Cleveland, Kansas City, and Detroit this year, but those are the only three teams they play the rest of the way that had worse than .500 records in 2009. All 3 of those teams, Detroit, Kansas City, and Cleveland are better than them, and if they lose all three, getting a single win is going to be tough for them to do, unless they surprise a team like Cincinnati or Miami.

31. Cleveland Browns 1-4

Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme are both expected out this week, so Colt McCoy will make his NFL debut. The timing isn’t great as he has to go into Pittsburgh. McCoy was listed as 3rd on the depth chart this season for a reason. They didn’t feel he was NFL ready and didn’t want to throw him out there before he was ready. He really struggled in the preseason and was almost cut, despite being drafted as a supposed savior in the 3rd round in 2010. If McCoy struggles against Pittsburgh and in any starts he may have after that (New Orleans, New England) this team might finally have no choice but to go quarterback in the first round yet again, even though the last two (Brady Quinn, Tim Couch) didn’t turn out too well.

30. Carolina Panthers 0-5

Carolina quarterbacks have a 43.6 QB rating this season. For comparison, Derek Anderson in 2009 had a 42.1 QB rating and JaMarcus Russell in 2009 had a 50.0. Hell, even Jake Delhomme had a 59.4 last year. A lot of the blame for that has to be put on the offensive line. Once one of the best in the league, their line has given up 17 sacks on 150 passing attempts this season. Their wide receivers can also be blamed, but of course some of the blame has to fall on Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen themselves. The two of them couldn’t even beat Todd Collins, who threw 6 completions to 4 interceptions last week for the Bears. While Matt Moore is likely never going to become a solid NFL signal caller, Jimmy Clausen, being only a rookie, still has some potential, but they need to improve around him if they still feel he is the future

In order to build around him, I think the Panthers should trade DeAngelo Williams. They could probably, at worst, get a 2nd rounder and a mid rounder for him. He’s a free agent after the season anyway and they do have Jonathan Stewart. Those picks would be necessary to rebuilding this team because it’s going to take a lot. They need an elite wide receiver, some major help on the defensive line, help in the secondary, and help on the offensive line. 

29. San Francisco 49ers 0-5

San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York says the 49ers will win the NFC West. That could actually happen. The NFC West is that bad. But, they should probably win a game before they make big proclamations. However, they still face Arizona twice, St. Louis twice, Seattle once, as well as Carolina and Oakland. They’ve shown flashes of good things. Alex Smith looks great out of the no huddle spread and I believe they should go to that full time. He’s simply so much more comfortable in it than their normal offense. His best work has come in the 2 minute drill, leading late drives in losses to Philadelphia and New Orleans.

28. Oakland Raiders 2-3

The Oakland Raiders have won the Super Bowl!!! Well, not THE Super Bowl, but THEIR Super Bowl. They played their hearts out against San Diego and beat the team they hadn’t beaten in 7 years. In the scheme of things, it probably won’t matter. This team is probably still going to end up with double digit losses for the 7th straight year, but don’t try to tell them or their wins that this week. To them, they just won their Super Bowl.

27. Detroit Lions 1-4

I can’t remember the last time an 0-4 blew out a team as badly as the Lions blew out the Rams, winning by 38. Because of all their close losses earlier this season, they actually now have a differiental of +14, despite being 1-4. Imagine if Matt Stafford was healthy. As long as Stafford heals from his injury well and doesn’t get re-injured, they finally have a bright future, especially with what seems like another top 10 pick on the way. Speaking of injuries, the Lions stupidly left their starters out in a blow out and Calvin Johnson got hurt as could miss this week’s game. The Lions averaged 5 points a game with Johnson out last year and now they have to face the Giants. Bad timing. 

26. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-2

At 3-2, with a win over the Colts, the Jaguars are actually in position to be in first place after this weekend, if they beat the Titans at home on Monday Night and if the Texans lose to the Chiefs. However, that doesn’t mean they are good. They’re 3rd in the league in points allowed, behind Buffalo and Arizona and have a differential of -30. They don’t play good defense at all and can’t stop anyone, especially through the air, and its not like their quarterback is that great either. They’re still going to finish with about 6 or 7 wins.

25. St. Louis Rams 2-3

Maybe everyone overrated the Rams. After winning two in a row and looking to be in prime position to take over the division going to Detroit to play the winless Lions with Arizona playing New Orleans and Seattle on bye, the Rams lost by 38 in Detroit. I guess the Rams couldn’t possibly win 3 in a row without the world imploding in on itself. The Rams look to get back on track with the road sick San Diego Chargers coming to town. The Chargers have already lost to Seattle, Oakland, and Kansas City on the road this season.

24. Seattle Seahawks 2-2

Bye

23. Arizona Cardinals 3-2

If I were a team in the NFC West other than the Rams, I think I’d rather lose the division than win it. I’d rather lose it and get a top 10 pick to use on one of the top 3 quarterbacks than win it and make the playoffs win 6 or 7 wins and get my ass handed to me and have to look forward to starting Matt Hasselbeck/Charlie Whitehurst, Alex Smith/David Carr, or Max Hall/Derek Anderson in 2011.

Speaking of Max Hall, everyone is singing his praises after he “outplayed” Drew Brees to beat the defending Super Bowl champs. Hall for 17 for 28 for 168 yards and didn’t even throw a touchdown. He also threw a pick. The rest of the team played amazing and unlike Derek Anderson, Hall didn’t mess anything up. That the type of quarterback he is. If everything goes right, he won’t get in your way.

22. Cincinnati Bengals 2-3

I guess their poor play at the end of last season was no fluke. This team just really isn’t that good. I don’t think they can be until Carson Palmer is no longer their quarterback. This is a talented team and Palmer still isn’t taking them anywhere. He’s never won a playoff game. If they get a chance in the first to take a quarterback that they view as a guy who they can win the Super Bowl with, they have to take him. If not, they have to at least take a developmental guy in the mid rounds. The answer isn’t on their roster.

21. Denver Broncos 2-3

The Broncos got their asses handed to them against Baltimore, but that was to be expected. Just goes to show, one dimensional teams that are “soft” don’t do very well against Baltimore. As notable from that game, Kyle Orton threw for 314 yards against a Baltimore pass defense that was #1 in the league and hadn’t given up more than 167 yards to a quarterback all season. Granted most of that was in garbage time, and it didn’t matter because Denver couldn’t run, and because Denver stinks in the red zone, but in Kyle Orton’s pursuit of Dan Marino, it definitely helps. Orton is on pace for 5536 yards, which would break Marino’s record of 5084. Baltimore was easily his toughest test. I would find it hillarious to see Kyle Orton holding the record for most passing yards in a season. Imagine if Denver could run, or stop anyone, or do anything in the red zone. They’re only averaging 20.4 points per game thanks to their red zone “offense.” In fact, quarterbacks this year are 1-8 when throwing for 400 yards. Reason why, if you have to throw that much, it normally means you’re trailing. Orton is also on pace for 682 passing attempt, 9 back of Drew Bledsoe’s record from 1994.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-1

The Buccaneers got their win over Cincinnati this week, to improve to 3-1. Cincinnati, believe it or not, was probably their best win so far, because their first two wins were against Cleveland and Carolina, who are a combined 1-9. This week they have the defending Super Bowl champs coming into town, their biggest game in years. If they can win that one, they’re a legit playoff contender, as they would have a 1.5 game lead over New Orleans and own the tiebreaker. More importantly, a win over the Super Bowl champs, however reeling they are, would be the best way for them to say, we are here and we have arrived. Huge game for Josh Freeman and company. Huge game for Drew Brees and his company too as a loss to Tampa Bay would be crushing to any remaining hopes of repeating they may have.

19. Kansas City Chiefs 3-1

The Chiefs may have lost to the Colts, but everyone knew they would. What I didn’t expect was how legit their defense would look. Peyton Manning was held to no touchdowns, something that rarely happens for him, and the Colts were held under 20 points, another rarity. However, they still lost thanks to their offense. The Colts defense isn’t even that good and Matt Cassel still couldn’t lead a touchdown drive as the Chiefs scored a mere 9 points. Good news though, for the first time this season, Todd Haley gave more carries to Jamaal Charles than Thomas Jones. Charles had 109 more yards than Jones on 15 fewer carries going into week 4 and than rushed for 87 yards on 16 carries and caught 3 balls for 14 yards week 4. It’s clear he is the better back by far and it looks like Todd Haley may have finally realized it. Charles fantasy owners may rejoice, including one of the workers at CBS, who posted the following on screen during the Colts game (real screen shot). Said worker was likely fired, but he’s still my hero.

18. Miami Dolphins 2-2

Bye

17. Philadelphia Eagles 3-2

Kevin Kolb gets hurt, Michael Vick comes in goes 16 for 24 for 175 yards and a touchdown, rushes for 103 yards, and then goes 21 for 34 for 284 yards, 2 touchdowns and 34 rushing yards the next week against a bad Detroit defense and gets the starting job. Michael Vick gets hurt, Kolb comes in goes 22 for 35 for 201 yards, a touchdown, and interception, with 21 rushing yards and then goes 21 for 31 for 253 yards, a score, and 17 rushing yards and Vick’s still the starter? Huh? Keep in mind that Kolb, is younger, isn’t a free agent after the season, was the starter to begin the year, and didn’t kill dogs.  Huh?

 

16. Dallas Cowboys 1-3

This team needs to get themselves together. This week’s game against the Vikings is essentially a win or go home game. They aren’t going to make the playoffs if they fall to 1-4 and the Vikings are playing better than them right now. The Cowboys looked disfunctional against the Titans, while the Vikings showed some good chemistry offensively late once the rain cleared up, with Brett Favre and Randy Moss playing like they were old teammates.

15. Tennessee Titans 3-2

When Chris Johnson goes over 100 yards, this team is 3-0. In fact, in Johnson’s career, the Titans are 15-4 when Chris Johnson goes over 100 yards. This team’s offense relies on the run first, especially Vince Young (11-2 when CJ goes over 100) Unfortunately, unlike last year, CJ2K no longer goes over 100 yards every week and the Titans have yet to win back-to-back games. They’ll aim to do that this week against the Jaguars, who don’t have a great run defense normally, but will be fired up taking on a divisional opponent at home on Monday Night Football.

14. Minnesota Vikings 1-3

The Vikings really seemed to click in the 2nd half last week after the end of the world esque rains stopped and the football was actually able to be gripped. Brett Favre and Randy Moss clicked like they were old teammates and this wasn’t some cupcake defense they were doing this against. It was the New York Jets in the Meadowlands. Favre’s injuries and possible sexual harassment allegations should be concerning for this team, but their play in the 2nd half last week has to have them feeling good going with Dallas coming into town in a must win for both teams.

13. Washington Redskins 3-2

The Redskins won last week in overtime against the extremely banged up Green Bay Packers, their 2nd overtime game and 1st overtime win after they blew it at home against Houston week 2.  The NFC East has not been as beastly as it was projected at the beginning of the season so the Redskins, who was everyone’s favorite pick to come in last in this division, could end up winning the whole thing. Dallas is underacheiving, Philly can’t stop anyway one keep anyone out of the backfield, and the Giants are inconsisnent.

12. Houston Texans 3-2

The Texans looked really bad this week. They won’t be that bad every week, obviously, but they aren’t an elite team anymore and they really have to be to win 10+ games against their schedule. They still have games against Indy, San Diego (midseason form), Tennessee (twice), Philly, The Jets, and Baltimore this season. In the tough AFC, I am starting to think that my early season projection that this is not a playoff team, at least not this year against this schedule, is correct.

11. New York Giants 3-2

The Giants have looked great in the past two weeks against Houston and Chicago, but I just get the feeling with this team that they could just start underachieving again at any time. They are an extremely talented team capable of being one of the best teams in the NFC when right, and with no clear favorite in the NFC right now with Green Bay hurt and New Orleans hungover, they could win this league, but at the same time, I saw how bad they looked against Indy and Tennessee.

10. Chicago Bears 4-1

Has a worse quarterbacking performance ever led to a 17 point win before? Todd Collins threw 6 completions to 4 interceptions on 23 throws against Carolina in a 23-6 victory. Luckily for him, Matt Forte ran crazy on Carolina’s defense and both Jimmy Clausen and Matt Moore played ever worse for the Panthers. Ugh, what’s with all these bad quarterbacks.

9. New Orleans Saints 3-2

I’m really interested to see if last week’s loss was a wakeup call for this team. In their first 4 games, they didn’t play well. They were favored in all 4 games and failed to cover all 4 times, but they were still 3-1 and that one loss was against the Falcons, who are a very good team in their own right, so on paper they didn’t look like they were having a bad season. Having lost to the Kurt Warner less Cardinals, who by the way they beat last week when they did have Kurt Warner, you can no longer say they look good on paper. They obviously have a Super Bowl hangover. They are a talented team, however, so that loss to Arizona could be the cold water to the face that they needed to snap them out of their hangover. Big game this week against Tampa Bay. If they lose this one, I think they can kiss repeating goodbye.

8. San Diego Chargers 2-3

I almost don’t want to write anything here. We need to see what they look like in midseason form before we can determine whether or not this is really a bad team. They’ve shown flashes, but they’re still 2-3 at the same time with their 3 losses coming against Kansas City, Oakland, and Seattle. If they lose this week in St. Louis, what would be their 4th straight loss on the road, they are in trouble. I hope they realize that and play like it because this has been one of the sloppiest, if not the sloppiest team in the league this year. Philip Rivers is outthrowing Kyle Orton, yet like the Broncos they are 2-3.

7. New England Patriots 3-1

The Patriots had a bye last week, but I do want to say something about the Deion Branch trade. The price was a bit head scratching. We got a 3rd rounder only for Moss, but then give up a 4th for Deion Branch. Is Moss only one round better than Branch? However, We did have 2 4th rounders and got one in a steal for Laurence Maroney, so that makes it a little better. I love the fit in New England for Branch. Branch is still talented if he can stay healthy and he knows Brady and this scheme well. It also shows a switch to a more spreading the ball around approach. Brady would often force the Moss to ball when he had Moss because Moss was so good. Brady’s at his best when he doesn’t play favorites, when he can spread the ball around to a bunch of different receivers. That’s how they won 3 Super Bowls. Branch was one of those many receivers who were productive catching from Brady in Brady’s Super Bowl years and while they’ll miss Moss’ deep threat ability, I do like their switch in philosophy back to something that worked. Expect them to spread the ball around to Wes Welker, and Branch, and Brandon Tate, and Aaron Hernandez, and Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman and all those guys. 

6. Green Bay Packers 3-2

I don’t understand this. First I pick the Red Sox to go all the way in Spring Training and their whole team gets hurt. Then I pick the Packers to go all the way in the preseason and their whole team gets hurt. Jermichael Finley is probably done for the year. Ryan Grant, Justin Harrell, and Morgan Burnett are done for the season, as is Derrick Martin. Mark Tauscher’s hurt. Donald Lee’s hurt. Clay Matthews’ hurt (don’t tell him that though, or he might eat you). Ryan Pickett’s hurt. Nick Barnett’s hurt. Even Aaron Rodgers could miss this week’s game due to a concussion sustained in overtime last week, marking the first time a Green Bay backup has had to start a game at quarterback since 1991. If they can avoid more long term injuries, they could still go far this season, but it’s certainly not looking as good as it was before the season.

5. New York Jets 4-1

I still say Mark Sanchez has an elite quarterback is what’s keeping this from being a Super Bowl team. Despite excellent protection, Sanchez couldn’t complete more than 50% of his passes against the Vikings last week. I would blame the rain, but he didn’t look all that much better in the second half and it’s not like Minnesota’s pass defense is that amazing. Everything else is there though on this team and they’re very efficient. Sanchez hasn’t thrown a pick all season and they haven’t committed a turnover since week 1. 

4. Baltimore Ravens 4-1

Like the Jets, this team has all the pieces. They’re just waiting on the quarterback. Could Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez win a Super Bowl for their respective teams. Yeah, they could with the talent around them. Are they likely going to? I’m going to say no. Flacco has certainly looked better since that Cincinnati game, but he struggled against Pittsburgh until that last drive (though everyone struggles against Pittsburgh) and the other two games were against Cleveland and Denver, so let’s not get too excited. I need to see more out of Flacco.

3. Atlanta Falcons 4-1

Like the Jets and Ravens, this team is on the verge of being elite. They are all young at the quarterback position, but I’d take Ryan over Flacco and Sanchez right now and that’s why they’re ranked higher. Atlanta’s defense isn’t elite like Baltimore or the Jets, but they are playing much, much better than I expected. The running game is certainly there too with Michael Turner and Jason Snelling.

2. Indianapolis Colts 3-2

After a 3-2 start, all the talk is about how the Colts just aren’t as good as they normally are. Their two losses were against teams that were playing their hearts out to beat them, and one of those was only because the other team’s kicker nailed an amazing shot at the end of regulation. They didn’t throw for a touchdown against Kansas City, but that’s because Kansas City’s stop unit has suddenly become good, especially through the air. No need to worry in Indy. Much like when they started 3-4 in 2008, they’ll be okay. I expect them to win 12-4 once again and have an advantage going into the playoffs over all these young, up and coming teams, in that they’ve been there before.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 3-1

Bye