Month: October 2012

Seattle Seahawks: Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#10)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Seahawks

Last week: 15 (+5)

Record: 4-2

Wow this team is tough at home. Since 2007, they are 15-4 ATS as home underdogs and this might be their most talented overall team ever in that stretch, having knocked off Dallas, Green Bay (sort of), and New England. They might not lose a single game at home this year (Minnesota, Jets, Arizona, St. Louis, and San Francisco) and even if they do, they already have a road win to compensate and as bad as they are on the road, they should get at least one more road win. They’ll be right in the middle of the playoff race in the NFC and could easily be one of this year’s 5 new playoff teams. I don’t know if they can win once there because of Russell Wilson’s limitations as a thrower, but their defense and running game can carry them to the playoffs.

Studs

QB Russell Wilson: 16 of 27 for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns, 2 drops, 116.5 adjusted QB rating, pressured on 10 of 31 drop backs (2 sacks, 2 sacks, 2 of 6, 2 drops), rushed for 17 yards (15 after contact) on 5 carries, 1 broken tackle

LT Russell Okung: Allowed 1 quarterback hurry on 34 pass block snaps, run blocked for 5 yards on 1 attempt

RT Breno Giacomini: Did not allow a pressure on 34 pass block snaps, 1 penalty, run blocked for 9 yards on 2 attempts

CB Richard Sherman: Allowed 2 catches for 32 yards on 7 attempts, 1 interception, 1 pass deflection, 3 solo tackles, 1 stop

MLB Bobby Wagner: 11 solo tackles, 3 assists, 7 stops, 1 missed tackle, allowed 4 catches for 30 yards on 5 attempts

RE Chris Clemons: 1 sack, 3 quarterback hurries, and 3 quarterback hits on 51 pass rush snaps, 3 solo tackles, 1 assist, 2 stops

P Jon Ryan: 4 punts for 240 yards, 0 inside 20, 4 returns for 68 yards, 43.0 net yards per punt

Duds

C Max Unger: Allowed 1 quarterback hit and 2 quarterback hurries on 34 pass block snaps, 1 penalty, run blocked 28 yards on 9 attempts

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Minnesota Vikings: Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#11)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Vikings

Last week: 11 (+0)

Record: 4-2

Was their loss to the Redskins a bump in the road or a sign that they weren’t for real? I think it’s more the latter. The Redskins are an underrated squad who hasn’t lost to anyone by more than a touchdown. It’s not an easy place to go into and win. Minnesota still ranks 8th and 7th respectively in yards per play differential and rate of sustaining drives differential and remains the favorite to be this year’s team that goes from 5 wins or fewer to the playoffs, though Washington, 16th and 14th respectively in those 2 important stats, is creeping up on them quickly.

Studs

RB Adrian Peterson: Rushed for 79 yards (56 after contact) on 17 carries, 4 broken tackles, caught 7 passes for 50 yards on 8 attempts

LT Matt Kalil: Allowed 1 quarterback hit and 1 quarterback hurry on 64 pass block snaps, run blocked for 1 yard on 1 attempt

C John Sullivan: Allowed 1 quarterback hurry on 64 pass block snaps, run blocked for 38 yards on 4 attempts, 1 penalty

RT Phil Loadholt: Allowed 1 sack and 2 quarterback hurries on 64 pass block snaps, run blocked for 24 yards on 6 attempts

WR Percy Harvin: Caught 11 passes for 133 yards on 14 attempts on 52 pass snaps, 8.9 YAC per catch, 1 interception when thrown to, rushed for 1 yard on 2 carries, 1 fumble, 3 kickoff returns for 100 yards

CB Antoine Winfield: Allowed 1 catch for 5 yards on 2 attempts, 1 interception, 8 solo tackles, 3 stops

DE Jared Allen: 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit, and 2 quarterback hurries on 29 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 3 stops

K Blair Walsh: 7 kickoffs, 7 touchbacks, 74.0 yards per kickoff, 20.0 opponent’s average starting distance, 4/4 FG (20, 27, 27, 37)

Duds

WR Devin Aromashodu: Caught 1 pass for 13 yards on 2 attempts on 49 pass snaps, 4.0 YAC per catch

MLB Jasper Brinkley: Allowed 1 catch for 30 yards on 1 attempt, 1 penalty, 2 solo tackle, 1 assist, 1 stop, 1 missed tackle

LE Brian Robison: 1 quarterback hurry on 27 pass rush snaps, no tackles

DT Kevin Williams: Did not record a pressure on 23 pass rush snaps, 3 solo tackles, 2 stops

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Miami Dolphins: Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#12)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Dolphins

Last week: 18 (+6)

Record: 3-3

Are the Dolphins the 12th best team in the NFL? Maybe not, but someone has to grab that 6th seed in the AFC. After Houston, Baltimore, and New England, the AFC is really lacking good teams and I don’t even know how good those 3 teams mentioned are. The AFC is 9-19 against the NFC this year. San Diego, Denver, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Miami are basically fighting for the last 3 playoff spots and they have would probably miss the playoffs in the NFC. I give Miami the edge over Pittsburgh because the NFL is a parity league. Every year there are 5 new playoff teams and I’ve done my Power Rankings every week with that in mind. Miami is the 5th this week.

Really, what they’re doing isn’t that surprising. At 3-3, all Ryan Tannehill is really doing it continuing what Matt Moore, who went 6-6 last year, did. In fact, Moore was better, as he led this offense to 21.7 points per game and a point differential per game of 4.3. Tannehill has this offense at 20.0 points per game with a point differential of 0.5 per game. However, as long as the defense continues to play well (6th in scoring in 2011, 9th this year), the Dolphins can contend for a playoff spot.

Studs

QB Ryan Tannehill: 21 of 29 for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns, 3 drops, 2 batted passes, 98.8 adjusted QB rating, pressured on 8 of 34 drop backs (3 sacks, 1 scramble, 4 of 4, 1 touchdown)

RE Olivier Vernon: 2 sacks and 2 quarterback hits on 19 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 4 stops

MLB Kevin Burnett: 7 solo tackles, 3 stops, 1 quarterback hurry on 9 blitzes, allowed 3 catches for 51 yards on 5 attempts, 2 pass deflections

P Brandon Fields: 6 punts for 323 yards, 3 inside 20, 5 returns for 23 yards, 50.0 net yards per punt

Duds

RB Reggie Bush: Rushed for 17 yards (16 yards after contact) on 12 attempts, 1 broken tackle, allowed 2 quarterback hurries on 9 pass block snaps, 5 catches for 44 yards on 6 attempts, 1 drop

RG John Jerry: Allowed 1 sack and 1 quarterback hurry on 37 pass block snaps, 1 penalty, run blocked for 2 yards on 2 carries

WR Brian Hartline: Was not thrown to on 36 pass snaps

FS Chris Clemons: 6 solo tackles, 2 assists, 2 stops, 1 missed tackle, allowed 3 catches for 63 yards on 3 attempts

RE Jared Odrick: Did not record a pressure on 38 pass rush snaps, 1 batted pass, 2 solo tackles, 2 stops

DT Paul Soliai: Did not record a pressure on 18 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackle, 1 stop

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Green Bay Packers: Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#13)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Packers

Last week: 14 (+1)

Record: 3-3

I’m not saying the Packers are the 13th best team in the league. They didn’t deserve to lose to Seattle or Indianapolis. However, they did and I’m doing this based on what record I think a given team will finish with. Every year, one team goes from a 1st round bye to out of the playoffs and the Packers are essentially playing with a 2 game handicap in the loaded NFC (19-9 against AFC) because of those two losses. In order to make the playoffs in the NFC, you’re going to need at least 10 wins, maybe 11 to be safe and avoid any tiebreakers keeping you out. In order to go 10-6, they’ll need to finish 7-3 and in order to go 11-5, they’ll need to finish 8-2. That’s why they’re the most likely of the 4 teams who had a first round bye last year to miss the playoffs. They might not deserve to miss them, but they could anyway.

Studs

QB Aaron Rodgers: 24 of 37 for 338 yards and 6 touchdowns, 1 throw away, 2 batted passes, 4 drops, 120.7 adjusted QB rating, pressured on 9 of 40 drop backs (1 scramble, 2 sacks, 4 of 6, 2 touchdowns, 1 throw away)

C Jeff Saturday: Did not allow a pressure on 43 pass block snaps, run blocked for 13 yards on 6 attempts

RT Bryan Bulaga: Allowed 1 quarterback hurry on 43 pass block snaps, run blocked for 33 yards on 10 attempts

WR Jordy Nelson: Caught 9 passes for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns on 11 attempts on 41 pass snaps, 3.2 YAC per catch, 1 drop

CB Casey Hayward: Did not allow a catch on 4 attempts, 2 interceptions, 1 pass deflection, no tackles

ROLB Clay Matthews: 3 quarterback hits and 1 quarterback hurry on 31 pass rush snaps, 4 solo tackles, 4 stops, 1 penalty

Duds

TE Jermichael Finley: 2 catches for 12 yards on 4 attempts on 21 pass snaps, 1.5 YAC per catch, 1 drop

LOLB Erik Walden: Did not record a pressure on 27 pass rush snaps, 2 assists

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Philadelphia Eagles: Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#14)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Eagles

Last week: 7 (-7)

Record: 3-3

Firing defensive coordinator Juan Castillo and replacing him with underrated defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, previously the secondary coach, will make a difference. Bowles coordinated the league’s #6 defense in Miami last year and was named interim Head Coach after Tony Sparano was fired. The biggest issue is still Michael Vick, however. I don’t expect him to be brought back next season, with the team opting to save money and go forward with Nick Foles as the starter.

It also wouldn’t surprise me if Reid benched Vick just for a game or two for Nick Foles. It wouldn’t be a permanent benching, but it would teach him a lesson. He used to do this with Donovan McNabb and it generally worked well. Like McNabb, Vick could use some humility. Vick was recently quoted as saying “I don’t have a fumbling problem. I don’t normally fumble the ball. Everything happens for a reason. If it was meant to be, I wouldn’t have fumbled on the goal line.” He’s taking absolutely no responsibility and blaming it on a higher power.

Studs

RT Todd Herremans: Allowed 1 sack and 2 quarterback hurries on 60 pass block snaps, run blocked for 4 yards on 1 attempt

WR Jeremy Maclin: Caught 6 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown on 8 attempts on 58 pass snaps, 10.8 YAC per catch

MLB DeMeco Ryans: 8 solo tackles, 4 assists, 4 stops, allowed 4 catches for 15 yards on 8 attempts

CB Brandon Boykin: Allowed 3 catches for 10 yards on 7 attempts, 1 pass deflection, 4 solo tackles, 1 stop

CB Nnamdi Asomugha: Allowed 1 catch for 37 yards on 5 attempts, 2 pass deflections, 1 interception

Duds

LT Demetress Bell: Allowed 4 quarterback hits and 5 quarterback hurries on 60 pass block snaps, 1 penalty, run blocked for 5 yards on 1 attempt

RG Danny Watkins: Allowed 3 quarterback hits and 1 quarterback hurry on 60 pass block snaps, run blocked for 4 yards on 2 attempts

TE Brent Celek: Caught 4 passes for 33 yards on 7 attempts on 29 pass snaps, 4.5 YAC per catch, 3 drops, 1 penalty, allowed 1 sack and 1 quarterback hit on 21 pass block snaps

FS Kurt Coleman: 7 solo tackles, 2 assists, 1 stop, 1 missed tackle, allowed 3 catches for 60 yards on 4 attempts

SS Nate Allen: Allowed 1 catch for 20 yards on 3 attempts, 1 solo tackle, 1 assist, 1 stop, 2 missed tackles

DT Cullen Jenkins: 1 quarterback hurry on 36 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 1 stop

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Dallas Cowboys: Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#15)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Cowboys

Last week: 12 (-3)

Record: 2-3

Well, at least Jason Garrett didn’t ice his own kicker this time. However, he repeated one mistake from that infamous icing his own kicker game. In that game against Arizona, I would argue the biggest mistake was not making sure the Cowboys could run another play to at least try to get in better field position for the field goal, something they failed to do once again this week. They’ve got plenty of talent, but it seems like no matter who the Head Coach is, they can’t stop shooting themselves in the foot.

Studs

C Phil Costa: Did not allow a pressure on 42 pass block snaps, run blocked for 91 yards on 19 attempts

RB DeMarco Murray: Rushed for 93 yards (57 after contact) on 14 attempts, 4 broken tackles, 1 catch for 4 yards on 1 attempt

TE Jason Witten: Caught 6 passes for 88 yards on 7 attempts on 37 pass snaps, 5.5 YAC per catch

MLB Sean Lee: 4 solo tackles, 3 assist, 1 stop, 3 quarterback hits and 1 quarterback hurry on 9 blitzes, allowed 2 catches for 41 yards on 3 attempts

Duds

WR Kevin Ogletree: Did not catch a pass on 3 attempts on 24 pass snaps, 1 interception when thrown to, 4 penalties

CB Brandon Carr: Allowed 5 catches for 79 yards on 6 attempts, 3 solo tackles, 1 missed tackle

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Pittsburgh Steelers: Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#16)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Steelers

Last week: 10 (-6)

Record: 2-3

Since 2009, the Steelers are 7-9 in games without Troy Polamalu and allowed 21.9 points per game. With him, they are 27-8, allowing 14.4 points per game, with him. That’s not all him, but a lot of that is him. He’s their only irreplaceable defensive player and his mere presence can disrupt passing plays and running plays. He’s been ruled out for a critical divisional contest in Cincinnati this week already and they need him to return as soon as possible or they could miss the playoffs for the 3rd time in the Ben Roethlisberger era. Not so coincidentally, those two seasons in which they missed the playoffs have been the only two times in the Ben Roethlisberger era they haven’t had a top-3 scoring defense. Right now, they rank 17th in points per game, but 5th in yards per game allowed.

Studs

LG Willie Colon: Did not allow a pressure on 43 pass block snaps, run blocked for 22 yards on 6 attempts

RB Isaac Redman: Rushed for 14 yards (11 after contact) on 5 carries, 1 broken tackle, caught 4 passes for 105 yards on 4 attempts

CB Cortez Allen: Allowed 3 catches for 9 yards on 7 attempts, 1 pass deflection, 3 solo tackles, 2 stops, 1 quarterback hit and 1 quarterback hurry on 4 blitzes

FS Ryan Clark: 11 solo tackles, 3 stops, allowed 1 catch for 6 yards on 2 attempts, 1 pass deflection

Duds

LT Max Starks: Allowed 8 quarterback hurries on 43 pass block snaps, run blocked for 4 yards on 2 attempts

WR Antonio Brown: Caught 4 passes for 20 yards on 9 attempts on 36 pass snaps, 1 interception when thrown to

CB Ike Taylor: Allowed 8 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, 1 pass deflection, 3 penalties, 6 solo tackles

LE Ziggy Hood: 1 quarterback hit and 1 quarterback hurry on 43 pass rush snaps, no tackles

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Washington Redskins: Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#17)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Commanders

Last week: 17 (+5)

Record: 3-3

The Redskins might be a little underrated right now. They haven’t lost any of their 3 games by more than a touchdown and in all 3 losses, they lost a significant player to injury mid game who is now healthy. Against St. Louis, they lost top cornerback Josh Wilson. Against Cincinnati, they lost top offensive lineman Trent Williams. Against Atlanta, they lost starting quarterback Robert Griffin. With the exception of maybe Cincinnati, none of those are bad teams either.

They could definitely go in New York and beat the Giants in a bad spot for the Giants next week, which would guarantee them at least a share of the division lead 7 weeks into the season. The Giants are the best team in the division, for now, but it’s incredibly wide open. One team every year goes from 5 wins or fewer to the playoffs and the Redskins are definitely a candidate after knocking off Minnesota, previously the favorite to be that team. Robert Griffin has really revitalized this team.

Studs

QB Robert Griffin: 17 of 22 for 182 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, 2 drops, 98.9 adjusted QB rating, pressured on 8 of 30 drop backs (1 sack, 2 scrambles, 4 of 5, 1 interception), rushed for 143 yards (96 after contact) and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries

RG Chris Chester: Did not allow a pressure on 30 pass block snaps, run blocked for 24 yards on 3 attempts

LT Trent Williams: Allowed 1 quarterback hurry on 30 pass block snaps, run blocked for -3 yards on 1 attempt

LG Kory Lichtensteiger: Did not allow a pressure on 30 pass block snaps, run blocked for 13 yards on 4 attempts

FS Madieu Williams: Allowed 3 catches for 19 yards on 4 attempts, 1 interception, 10 solo tackles, 5 assists, 3 stops, 2 missed tackles

ROLB Lorenzo Alexander: 2 sacks and 2 quarterback hits on 20 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 2 stops, 1 missed tackle

MLB Perry Riley: Allowed 6 catches for 48 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts, 1 pass deflection, 8 solo tackles, 2 assists, 3 stops, 1 quarterback hit and 1 quarterback hurry on 14 blitzes

Duds

TE Logan Paulsen: Allowed 1 sack and 2 quarterback hurries on 5 pass block snaps, did not catch a pass on 2 pass snaps

CB DeAngelo Hall: Allowed 6 catches for 102 yards on 9 attempts, 1 interception, 4 solo tackles, 1 stop, 5 missed tackles

NT Barry Cofield: 1 quarterback hurry on 45 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackle, 1 stop

RE Stephen Bowen: 1 sack on 52 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackle, 1 stop, 1 missed tackle

LOLB Ryan Kerrigan: 2 quarterback hurry on 47 pass rush snaps, 1 penalty, 3 solo tackles, 3 stops, 1 missed tackle

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St. Louis Rams: Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#18)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Rams

Last week: 18 (+1)

Record: 3-3

I’m moving the Rams up despite their loss because I think I underrated them last week. I thought Sam Bradford would struggle without several starting offensive linemen and without Danny Amendola like he did last year. It sure looked like he would after he finished 2 of 9 against Arizona after the Amendola injury. However, Bradford seems much more mature and much better coached this season and has just moved right alone to the next man up in the receiving corps, which appears to be Brandon Gibson, who caught 7 passes for 91 yards. He completed 26 of 39 for 315 yards and rushed for another 34 yards and a touchdown on 4 carries against a tough defense. The Rams have to be happy with the progress of their 3rd year quarterback.

Studs

RG Harvey Dahl: Did not allow a pressure on 48 pass block snaps, 1 penalty, run blocked for 13 yards on 2 attempts

C Robert Turner: Did not allow a pressure on 48 pass block snaps, run blocked for 25 yards on 8 attempts

WR Brandon Gibson: Caught 7 passes for 91 yards on 9 attempts on 31 snaps, 2.6 YAC per catch

LOLB JoLonn Dunbar: 4 solo tackles, 3 stops, 1 missed tackle, allowed 4 catches for 30 yards on 5 attempts, 2 sacks and 1 quarterback hit on 12 blitzes

SS Quentin Mikell: Allowed 1 catch for 6 yards on 2 attempts, 4 solo tackles, 1 assist, 3 stops, 1 missed tackle, 2 quarterback hurries on 4 blitzes, 1 batted pass

Duds

LT Wayne Hunter: Allowed 3 sacks and 2 quarterback hits on 48 pass block snaps, run blocked for 6 yards on 2 attempts

LG Quinn Ojinnaka: Allowed 2 quarterback hits and 1 quarterback hurry on 48 pass block snaps, 2 penalties, run blocked for 9 yards on 3 attempts

CB Janoris Jenkins: Allowed 9 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown on 9 attempts, 4 solo tackles, 1 stop, 3 missed tackles

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Indianapolis Colts: Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#19)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Colts

Last week: 17 (-2)

Record: 2-3

The Colts are incredibly banged up defensively and that was clearly evident against the Jets as they couldn’t stop the mediocre Shonn Greene, who rushed for 161 yards and 3 touchdowns on 32 attempts, after combined for 217 yards and a touchdown on 76 attempts in his previous 5 games. Dwight Freeney has returned, but his return coincided with Robert Mathis getting hurt. Pat Angerer and Vontae Davis, meanwhile, have yet to return, and they also lost Cory Redding last week, which was huge as he’s probably their best run stopper. I think believe this is a decent team, but they’ll have to get healthy first. The good news is that Angerer had a limited practice on Wednesday and Davis practiced in full, normally a sign that both will be back this week for a home game against the Browns.

Studs

RG Mike McGlynn: Did not allow a pressure on 54 pass block snaps, run blocked for 10 yards on 3 attempts

RT Winston Justice: Did not allow a pressure on 54 pass block snaps, run blocked for 8 yards on 4 attempts

ROLB Jerry Hughes: 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit, and 2 quarterback hurries on 15 pass rush snaps, 7 solo tackles, 6 stops, 1 missed tackle, 1 penalty

Duds

C Samson Satele: Allowed 1 sack, 2 quarterback hits, and 1 quarterback hurry on 54 pass block snaps, run blocked for 8 yards on 4 attempts

LOLB Dwight Freeney: 1 quarterback hurry on 14 pass rush snaps, 1 batted pass, 1 solo tackle, 1 missed tackle

NT Antonio Johnson: Did not record a pressure on 5 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 1 snap

RE Ricardo Mathews: Did not record a pressure on 9 pass rush snaps, 1 assist, 1 missed tackle

RE Drake Nevis: Did not record a pressure on 16 pass rush snaps, 4 assists

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