2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings

Houston Texans: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings (#1)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Texans

Record: 4-0

Last week: 1 (+0)

Teams this year are 2-2 as 10+ point favorites. The Texans are 2-0. As 7+ road favorites, teams are 1-2. The Texans are 1-0. As road favorites in general, teams are 9-14. The Texans are 1-0. They’ve convincing beaten every team they’ve faced so far and they look like by far the most complete team in the NFL. They had some questions coming into the season, but they appear to be as good as anyone thought they could be.

Studs

LT Duane Brown: Did not allow a pressure on 29 pass block snaps, run blocked for 16 yards on 1 attempt

LG Wade Smith: Did not allow a pressure on 29 pass block snaps, run blocked for 13 yards on 3 attempts

C Chris Myers: Did not allow a pressure on 29 pass block snaps, run blocked for 12 yards on 6 attempts

TE Owen Daniels: Caught 6 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown on 6 attempts on 22 pass plays, 5.7 YAC per play

CB Kareem Jackson: Allowed 3 catches for 33 yards on 7 attempts, 1 pass deflection, and 1 interception

LE JJ Watt: 2 sacks and 1 quarterback hurry on 24 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 2 assists, 4 stops

Duds

RG Ben Jones: Allowed 1 quarterback hit and 2 quarterback hurries on 21 pass block snaps, 1 penalty, run blocked for 4 yards and a touchdown on 3 attempts

ROLB Connor Barwin: 1 quarterback hit on 24 pass rush snaps, no tackles

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Atlanta Falcons: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings (#2)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Falcons

Last week: 2 (+0)

Record: 4-0

Well, it wasn’t pretty, but the Falcons got their 4th win to become the NFL’s 3rd 4-0 team this season. Arizona is think is a complete fluke, but both Houston and Atlanta are for real and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see these two teams in the Super Bowl. Houston has the edge right now because none of their games have been really close. Plus, they have the yards per play differential edge and I think they’re more well rounded. Atlanta’s defense looked awfully leaky last week. That could eventually be their downfall.

Studs

RB Michael Turner: Rushed for 103 yards (52 after contact) on 13 carries, 11 broken tackles, allowed 1 quarterback hurry on 4 pass block snaps, caught 3 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown on 5 attempts, 1 drop

WR Roddy White: Caught 8 passes for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11 attempts on 49 pass snaps, 1.0 YAC per catch, 1 drop

RE John Abraham: Allowed 1 sack and 3 quarterback hurries on 28 pass rush snaps, 3 solo tackles, 3 stops, 1 missed tackle

Duds

RT Tyson Clabo: Allowed 3 sacks, 1 quarterback hit, and 5 quarterback hurries on 50 pass block snaps, run blocked for 25 yards on 4 attempts

WR Julio Jones: Caught 1 pass for 30 yards on 8 attempts on 45 pass plays, 1 interception when thrown to

CB Dunta Robinson: Allowed 7 catches for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns on 7 attempts, 5 solo tackles, 2 stops, 1 missed tackle

SS William Moore: Allowed 4 catches for 61 yards on 4 attempts, 5 solo tackles, 3 stops, 2 missed tackles, 1 quarterback hurry on 4 blitzes

DT Peria Jerry: Did not record a pressure on 17 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackle

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Baltimore Ravens: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings (#3)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Ravens

Last week: 3 (+0)

Record: 3-1

The Ravens are the 2nd best team in the AFC, by virtue of their 3-1 record, their head-to-head victory over the Patriots, and a point per play differential that ranks tied for 2nd in the league. However, they really left me disappointed against the Browns last week. This team really needs to kick their inconsistency habit. They’ll have a great chance to prove themselves this week as big road favorites in Kansas City. They were just 1-4 as road favorites outside of the division last year, losing in Seattle, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and San Diego, all games they should have won.

Studs

RG Marshal Yanda: Did not allow a pressure on 55 pass snaps, run blocked for 1 yard on 3 attempts

WR Anquan Boldin: Caught 9 passes for 131 yards on 11 targets on 54 pass plays, 4.0 YAC per catch, 1 interception when thrown to

CB Lardarius Webb: Allowed 2 catches for 14 yards on 10 attempts, 2 pass deflections, 5 solo tackles, 2 stops, 3 missed tackles

RE Haloti Ngata: 2 quarterback hits and 3 quarterback hurries on 47 pass rush snaps, 3 solo tackles, 2 stops

FS Ed Reed: Allowed 3 catches for 42 yards on 8 attempts, 2 pass deflections, 1 solo tackle, 1 stop

Duds

TE Dennis Pitta: Did not catch a pass on 2 targets, 2 penalties

NT Ma’ake Kemoeatu: Did not record a pressure on 18 pass rush snaps, no tackles

SS Bernard Pollard: Allowed 4 catches for 51 yards on 4 attempts, 3 solo tackles, 1 stop, 2 missed tackles, 1 penalty, 1 quarterback hit and 1 quarterback hurry on 3 blitzes

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Philadelphia Eagles: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings (#4)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Eagles

Record: 3-1

Last week: 4 (+0)

The Eagles were -10 in turnovers through the first 3 games and then didn’t commit a single turnover against the Giants last week in a win. A lot of people are surprised, but I’m not. Turnovers are incredibly inconsistent on a week to week basis. No matter what a team’s turnover differential in a previous week, teams tend to average a turnover differential of 0.0 the following week. This team is incredibly talented and sits at 3-1, while ranking tied for 2nd in the league in yards per play differential, and is a legitimate threat to be this year’s team that goes from out of the playoffs to a first round bye. They’re the 2nd best team in the NFC, in my opinion.

Studs

QB Michael Vick: 19 of 30 for 241 yards and a touchdown, 2 throw aways, 1 batted pass, 2 drops, 99.8 adjusted QB rating, pressured on 18 of 36 drop backs (2 sacks, 3 scrambles, 6 of 13, 2 throw aways, 1 drop)

Duds

RT Todd Herremans: Allowed 2 quarterback hits and 2 quarterback hurries on 36 pass block snaps, 2 penalties, run blocked for 5 yards on 2 attempts

LT Demetress Bell: Allowed 1 quarterback hit and 3 quarterback hurries on 36 pass block snaps, run blocked for 4 yards on 2 attempts

WR Jeremy Maclin: Caught 1 pass for 7 yards on 3 attempts on 35 pass snaps, 3.0 YAC per catch, 1 drop

LE Jason Babin: 1 quarterback hit on 36 pass rush snaps, 1 penalty, 1 assist

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New England Patriots: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings (#5)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Patriots

Last week: 5 (+0)

Record: 2-2

In spite of their incredibly impressive win over the Buffalo Bills, I still think there are two better teams in the AFC. Houston is the obvious one and Baltimore is less obvious, more arguable, but I give Baltimore the advantage because they won the head to head matchup (albeit at home and barely) and because they have the lead in yards per play differential. Assuming Houston gets the #1 seed, I think Baltimore and New England could both end up with about 12 wins and tie for the #2 seed, with Baltimore getting the tiebreaker because they won the Head to Head matchup. That would set up a rematch in the AFC divisional round and I think since it’s in Baltimore, Baltimore would have the edge. Still, anyone who doubted the Patriots after two close losses is an idiot. There was never any doubt they would beat the Bills, just a question of how long it would take to become apparent and how big the margin of victory would be.

Studs

RB Brandon Bolden: Rushed for 137 yards (72 after contact) and a touchdown on 16 carries, 4 broken tackles, caught 1 pass for 11 yards on 1 attempt

QB Tom Brady: 22 of 36 for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns, 2 batted passes, 2 throw aways, 3 drops, 113.8 adjusted QB rating, pressured on 13 of 38 drop backs (1 sack, 1 scramble, 6 of 11, 1 touchdown, 1 throw away, 1 drop)

RT Sebastian Vollmer: Allowed 1 quarterback hurry on 38 pass block snaps, run blocked for 4 yards on 1 attempt

CB Devin McCourty: Allowed 2 catches for 23 yards on 6 attempts, 2 interceptions, 4 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 stop, 1 missed tackle

WR Wes Welker: Caught 9 passes for 129 yards on 10 attempts on 36 pass snaps, 7.3 YAC per catch

Duds

DT Kyle Love: Did not record a pressure on 23 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackle

CB Kyle Arrington: Allowed 3 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown on 4 attempts, 4 solo tackles, 1 stop

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Chicago Bears: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings (#6)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Bears

Record: 3-1

Last week: 6 (+0)

This team really reminds me of the 2010 version. In 2010, they won 11 games and got a first round bye, but you never really felt like you could trust them to go all the way and win the Super Bowl. This year is similar. They stand at 3-1 with that one loss coming against the Packers on a Thursday Night game that they weren’t prepared for. However, they have an even yards per play differential of +0.0 and you know their offensive line or quarterback could combust at any time. They’ll win a bunch of games, but there are 5 teams in the NFL that I think have a better chance to win the Super Bowl than them, at least.

Studs

QB Jay Cutler: 18 of 24 for 275 yards and 2 touchdowns, 2 drops, 121.7 adjusted QB rating, pressured on 9 of 27 drop backs (2 sacks, 1 scramble, 5 of 6, 1 touchdown)

WR Brandon Marshall: Caught 7 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown on 8 attempts on 28 pass plays

CB Charles Tillman: Allowed 3 catches for 28 yards on 8 attempts, 1 interception, 4 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 stop

LOLB Lance Briggs: Allowed 6 catches for 50 yards on 7 attempts, 1 interception, 6 solo tackles, 4 stops, 1 quarterback hurry on 6 pass rush snaps

SS Major Wright: Did not allow a completion on 1 attempt, 2 interceptions, 3 solo tackles, 3 assists, 2 stops

DT Henry Melton: 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit, and 1 quarterback hurry on 33 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 2 stops

K Robbie Gould: 7 kickoffs, 5 touchbacks, 73.7 yards per kickoff, 18.9 opponent’s average starting distance, 2/2 FG (21, 43)

Duds

FS Chris Conte: Allowed 5 catches for 67 yards on 5 attempts, 9 solo tackles, 1 assist

MLB Brian Urlacher: Allowed 5 catches for 40 yards on 5 attempts, 4 solo tackles, 3 stops, 3 missed tackles

DT Stephen Paea: Did not record a pressure on 33 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackles, 1 stop

RE Julius Peppers: 1 quarterback hurry on 31 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 1 stop

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

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, 49ers

Last week: 8 (+1)

Record: 3-1

Through 4 games, the 49ers lead the league in yards per play differential. I still don’t trust Alex Smith to lead this team deep into the playoffs, but this was one of my preseason disappointing teams and I’ve definitely come around on them. They haven’t had to dominate the turnover battle like they did last year (only +4 through 4 games). The one issue is that this team has strangely had no injuries since the start of last year on either side of the ball. Can they still play at this level if they lose a couple starters to injury? I think the jury is still out on this team.

Studs

LG Mike Iupati: Did not allow a pressure on 27 pass block snaps, run blocked for 30 yards on 5 attempts

C Jonathan Goodwin: Did not allow a pressure on 28 pass block snaps, run blocked for 26 yards on 8 touchdowns

RG Alex Boone: Did not allow a pressure on 28 pass block snaps, run blocked for 7 yards on 1 attempt

MLB NaVorro Bowman: Allowed 1 catch for 9 yards on 6 attempts, 1 pass deflection, 4 solo tackles, 1 assist, 2 stops

MLB Patrick Willis: Allowed 1 catch for 6 yards on 5 attempts, 1 interception, 4 solo tackles, 1 assist, 3 stops, 1 missed tackle

FS Dashon Goldson: Allowed 1 catch for 9 yards on 3 attempts, 2 pass deflections, 3 solo tackles, 1 stop

RE Justin Smith: 3 quarterback hurries on 34 pass rush snaps, 1 batted pass, 3 solo tackles, 1 assist, 2 stops

Duds

WR Michael Crabtree: Caught 2 passes for 15 yards on 6 attempts on 24 pass play, 0.5 YAC per catch, 1 drop

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San Diego Chargers: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings (#8)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Chargers

Last week: 8 (-1)

Record: 3-1

The Chargers finish September with a 3-1 record for the 2nd year in a row, something they hadn’t done in the Norv Turner era prior to last year. However, much like last year, they beat up on crappy teams in September and got blown out against the only good team they faced. They started last year 4-1 before losing 6 straight and eventually barely making it to .500. They also rank just 20th in yards per play differential. There are certainly plenty of concerns with this team, but for now, they’re the favorite in the AFC West, in my opinion. Those two those games against the Broncos are going to be key though because I think this is the tightest division race in the NFL.

Studs

C Nick Hardwick: Did not allow a pressure on 30 pass block snaps, run blocked for 34 yards on 14 attempts

RG Louis Vasquez: Did not allow a pressure on 30 pass block snaps, run blocked for 21 yards and a touchdown on 5 attempts

RT Jeromey Clary: Did not allow a pressure on 30 pass block snaps, run blocked for 4 yards on 2 attempts

FS Eric Weedle: Did not allow a completion on 1 attempt, 1 interception, 5 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 stop

Duds

WR Robert Meachem: Did not catch a pass on 2 attempts on 28 pass snaps, 1 interception when thrown to

CB Antoine Cason: Allowed 6 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown on 8 attempts, 1 interception, 1 pass deflection, 1 solo tackle

LOLB Jarret Johnson: Did not allow a completion on 1 attempt, 2 missed tackles

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Denver Broncos: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings (#9)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Broncos

Last week: 9 (+0)

Record 2-2

See, Peyton Manning wasn’t done. He just needed to face the Raiders. After 3 less than stellar performances in his first 3 games against tough defenses (Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Houston), Manning exploded for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns on 30 of 38 passing against the Raiders’ lowly defense. He’s not the player he once was, but he’s still pretty good. Next up for the Broncos is another tough test as they head to New England, but New England’s defense isn’t great so Manning should be able to post good numbers in a shoot out.

Studs

RB Willis McGahee: Rushed for 112 yards (54 after contact) and a touchdown on 19 carries, 3 broken tackles, caught 6 passes for 23 yards on 6 attempts

QB Peyton Manning: 30 of 38 for 338 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 batted passes, 1 dropped pass, 99.2 adjusted QB rating, pressured on 7 of 38 drop backs (0 sacks, 4 of 7, 1 drop)

LT Ryan Clady: Did not allow a pressure on 39 pass block snaps

RG Manuel Ramirez: Did not allow a pressure on 39 pass block snaps, run blocked for 20 yards on 4 attempts

CB Champ Bailey: Allowed 3 catches for 26 yards on 7 attempts, 5 solo tackles, 2 stops

LE Elvis Dumervil: 2 sacks, 2 quarterback hits, and 5 quarterback hurries on 30 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 3 stops

ROLB Von Miller: 3 quarterback hits and 2 quarterback hurries on 29 pass rush snaps, 5 solo tackles, 5 stops

K Matt Prater: 8 kickoffs, 8 touchbacks, 74.8 yards per kickoff, 20.0 opponent’s average starting distance, 3/3 FG (21, 43, 53)

Duds

CB Tracy Porter: Allowed 4 catches for 76 yards on 7 attempts, 1 solo tackle, 1 stop

RE Derek Wolfe: Did not record a pressure on 28 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackle, 1 stop

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Dallas Cowboys: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings (#10)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Cowboys

Last week: 10 (+0)

Record: 2-2

Believe it or not, the Cowboys actually rank tied for 2nd in the league in yards per play differential with Baltimore and Philadelphia, behind only San Francisco. Turnovers are a huge issue for them as they rank dead last in the NFL at -7 and are coming off a game in which they were -4 in turnovers. However, turnovers are incredibly inconsistent on a week to week basis. Teams that lose the turnover battle by 4 actually WIN it by an average of 0.4 in their next game. The Panthers were in a similar situation last week, facing a team that dominated the turnover battle up to that point, Atlanta, and they almost beat them. The Cowboys have a bye to get things straightened out and to get guys like Jay Ratliff, Anthony Spencer, and Phil Costa back from injury. I think this is an underrated team.

Studs

LG Nate Livings: Allowed 1 quarterback hit on 56 pass block snaps, run blocked for 11 yards on 1 carry

TE Jason Witten: Caught 13 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts on 53 pass snaps, 3.0 YAC per catch, 1 interception when thrown to

MLB Sean Lee: 10 solo tackles, 2 assists, 7 stops, allowed 1 catch for -3 yards on 1 attempt

NT Josh Price-Brent: 1 sack and 17 pass rush snaps, 4 solo tackles and 4 stops

ROLB DeMarcus Ware: 1 sack and 3 quarterback hurries on 23 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles and 3 stops

Duds

RT Doug Free: Allowed 6 quarterback hurries on 56 pass block snaps, run blocked for -2 yards on 2 carries

WR Dez Bryant: Caught 8 passes for 105 yards on 13 attempts on 56 pass snaps, 4.4 YAC per catch, 1 interception when thrown to, 2 drops

WR Kevin Ogletree: Caught 3 passes for 24 yards on 39 pass snaps, 1.7 YAC per catch, 2 interceptions when thrown to, 1 drop

CB Brandon Carr: Allowed 3 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown on 4 attempts, 1 penalty, 3 solo tackles

RE Jason Hatcher: Did not record a pressure on 21 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackle, 1 assist, 1 stop

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