Year: 2013

New Orleans Saints: 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#3)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Saints, Uncategorized

Last week: 3 (+0)

Record: 5-1

The Saints are no longer undefeated, but they lost in a game that was literally as close as could be and on to the road to another top-5 team. They should still finish with 12 or 13 wins and be this year’s team to goes from out of the playoffs to a first round bye. Because of the nature of the two team’s home field advantage, whether or not they get the top seed, and a home game against Seattle if they were to meet, determines whether or not they win the NFC, at least in my opinion.

Week 6 Studs

LE Tom Johnson

Week 6 Duds

MLB David Hawthorne

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New England Patriots: 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#4)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Patriots, Uncategorized

Last week: 4 (+0)

Record: 5-1

Yes, I’m aware the Patriots beat the Saints. Yes, I’m aware the Saints are higher than the Patriots here. And this is coming from a Patriots fan. The Patriots won that game by as small of a margin as possible and the game undoubtedly would have had a different outcome in New Orleans and probably if it were on a neutral field. I’m growing increasingly concerned about Rob Gronkowski’s return date and what kind of shape he’ll return in and the injuries continue to pile up, with Jerod Mayo going down for the season and Aqib Talib and Danny Amendola suffering injuries as well. Talib is expected to be fine, but it’s hard to imagine Amendola playing this week after taking that kind of blow to the head.

Week 6 Studs

QB Tom Brady

LT Nate Solder

RT Sebastian Vollmer

Week 6 Duds

WR Aaron Dobson

TE Michael Hoomanawanui

RG Marcus Cannon

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San Francisco 49ers: 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#5)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, 49ers, Uncategorized

Last week: 5 (+0)

Record: 4-2

Looking at the 49ers’ schedule, it’s easy to see how they could start ripping off wins. They face Tennessee and Jacksonville before a bye and then off of the bye they host the Panthers. They do play Seattle later in the season, but they play in San Francisco. A trip to New Orleans could be the only game in which they are underdogs remaining on their schedule. I had them winning 12 games before the season started, but starting 0-2 with losses to Green Bay and Seattle. They didn’t lose to Green Bay, but they lost to another solid team week 3, the Colts, to start 1-2. That’s why I didn’t panic. They’re definitely still in the mix.

Week 6 Studs

LT Joe Staley

RT Anthony Davis

TE Vernon Davis

ROLB Corey Lemonier

CB Carlos Rogers

FS Eric Reid

Week 6 Studs

LG Mike Iupati

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Green Bay Packers: 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#6)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Packers, Uncategorized

Last week: 6 (+0)

Record: 3-2

Last week I spoke about the Packers having disproportionally more injuries than most teams over the past few years. Things went from bad to worse in this aspect for the Packers against the Ravens. Randall Cobb was put on short-term injured reserve and will miss 8 weeks. James Jones suffered an injury of his own. And defensively, Nick Perry, who was in the middle of a brilliant game, picking up Clay Matthews’ slack, is out indefinitely with a broken foot. These injuries could prevent them from being an elite team, but if they can get healthy at the right time, look out.

Week 6 Studs

ROLB Nick Perry

MLB Jamari Lattimore

CB Micah Hyde

SS Morgan Burnett

Week 6 Duds

RT Don Barclay

RG TJ Lang

C Evan Dietrich-Smith

LOLB Mike Neal

FS Jerron McMillian

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Kansas City Chiefs: 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#7)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Chiefs, Uncategorized

Last week: 7 (+0)

Record: 6-0

The Chiefs are doing their best 2011 49ers impression, everything from the easy schedule and the unsustainable turnover margin to Alex Smith under center and a dominant stop unit (opponents are moving the chains against them at a 62% rate, which leads the NFL). Their schedule has obviously not been particularly tough to this point in this season, as their first 6 opponents have a combined 11-25 record. However, it doesn’t really get tougher going forward. Outside of two games with the Broncos, Indianapolis is the only other likely playoff team they play going forward. They could conceivably rip off 12 or 13 wins, but they are unlikely to win the division, which would prevent them from having a home playoff game. Between that and an easy schedule propping up their record, they are unlikely to make a deep playoff run with the physically limited Alex Smith under center (9 of 29 on throws 10+ yards downfield outside the hash marks). That’s why there are teams with losses ahead of them.

Week 6 Studs

FB Anthony Sherman

CB Marcus Cooper

Week 6 Duds

QB Alex Smith

WR Donnie Avery

LG Jeff Allen

RT Eric Fisher

TE Sean McGrath

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Indianapolis Colts: 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#8)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Colts, Uncategorized

Last week: 8 (+0)

Record: 4-2

The Colts’ defense got exposed by a suddenly dynamic San Diego offense, but I’m not holding that loss against them much. It was an obvious trap game between a home win over the Seahawks and an impending reunion with Peyton Manning and the undefeated Broncos in Indianapolis the following week. They are still moving the chains at an 81% rate, as opposed to 74% for their opponents, a differential that is 5th best in the NFL. They can give a suddenly vulnerable Denver team a run for their money at home.

Week 6 Studs

RT Gosder Cherilus

Week 6 Duds

MLB Pat Angerer

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Detroit Lions: 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#9)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Lions, Uncategorized

Last week: 9 (+0)

Record: 4-2

The Lions are 4-2 despite playing on the road in 4 of their first 6 games. Looking at their schedule going forward, it’s conceivable they could only be underdogs two more times (home for Green Bay, @ Chicago). They host Cincinnati, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and the Giants in their other 5 home games and their other 3 road games are in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Minnesota. They have the inside track at a playoff spot, but probably need to beat Green Bay once to win the division, something that has eluded them (to put it nicely) over the past few years.

Week 6 Studs

QB Matt Stafford

TE Joseph Fauria

Week 6 Duds

None

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Cincinnati Bengals: 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#10)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Bengals, Uncategorized

Last week: 11 (+1)

Record: 4-2

First the Bengals beat the Packers. Then they lost to the Browns. Then they beat the Patriots. Then they beat the Bills. They seem to be having let down games after every big win. For that reason, we don’t really know that much about them, especially since they generally beat bad teams and lost to good teams in 2011 and 2012. My guess is they are the best team in their division, but the two games they play against Baltimore will decide that.

Week 6 Studs

RB Giovani Bernard

WR Marvin Jones

LT Andrew Whitworth

DT Geno Atkins

Week 6 Duds

TE Jermaine Gresham

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Dallas Cowboys: 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#11)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Cowboys, Uncategorized

Last week: 10 (-1)

Record: 3-3

The Cowboys would be higher on this list if it wasn’t for the sheer volume of injuries they’ve suffered. DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, and Anthony Spencer were supposed to be their starters on the defensive line this season. Spencer is out for the season. Ratliff has yet to play this season and has all but been ruled out for the remainder of the season. DeMarcus Ware, meanwhile, is now dealing with an injury that could cost him anywhere from a week to a month. Offensively, DeMarco Murray is now hurt (surprise) and will miss multiple weeks probably, which threatens to ruin a ground game that had thus far been one of the best in the NFL.

Week 6 Studs

DT Jason Hatcher

MLB Sean Lee

CB Brandon Carr

Week 6 Duds

QB Tony Romo

TE James Hanna

LE Caeser Rayford

FS Barry Church

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Baltimore Ravens: 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (#12)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, Ravens, Uncategorized

Last week: 12 (+0)

Record: 3-3

Despite the loss of veteran leaders Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, the Ravens have not missed a beat defensively. The value of Lewis and Reed was mostly intangible towards the end of their time with the Ravens, as they became ineffective on the field. Guys like Daryl Smith and James Ihedigbo have filled their voids very well and the return to full health for Lardarius Webb and Terrell Suggs, as well as the addition of Elvis Dumveril, have made this one of the best stop units in the NFL, allowing opponents to move the chains on 65% of opportunities and stifling Aaron Rodgers and the Packers last week. Unfortunately, they lost last week because their offense remains incompetent. They move the chains on 67% of chances on the season and there was a point against the Packers where they had 4 first downs, 9 punts, 1 turnover, and a failed 4th down. Ray Rice and the running game have randomly become awful, forcing Joe Flacco to do more of the work, despite missing 2 of his best receivers from last year.

Week 6 Studs

LE Arthur Jones

LOLB Elvis Dumervil

Week 6 Duds

RB Ray Rice

SS James Ihedigbo

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