2012 Week 6 NFL Power Rankings

Minnesota Vikings: Week 6 NFL Power Rankings (#11)

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Last week: 12 (+1)

Record: 4-1

Winning when no one expects you to win is one thing. Destroying a team you’re supposed to beat is another and the Vikings passed that test with flying colors last week, unlike the league’s other surprise team, the Cardinals, who failed that test in back to back weeks. The league’s 5th ranked team in yards per play differential, the Vikings are the overwhelming favorites to be this year’s team to goes from 5 wins or fewer to the playoffs, as no other candidate ranks above 22nd that category. At 4-1, they’ve already exceeded last year’s win total. In fact, the Colts, Rams, and Vikings, the three worst teams in the league last year, all have better records than the Packers, who led the league with 15 regular season wins.

Studs

C John Sullivan: Did not allow a pressure on 40 pass block snaps, run blocked for 89 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts

WR Percy Harvin: Caught 8 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts on 30 pass snaps, 10.8 YAC per catch, rushed for 8 yards and a touchdown on 2 carries

CB Antoine Winfield: Allowed 5 catches for 45 yards on 9 attempts, 1 interception, 6 solo tackles, 2 stops

LOLB Chad Greenway: Allowed 5 catches for 29 yards on 8 attempts, 1 pass deflection, 5 solo tackles, 1 assists, 3 stops, 1 missed tackle

FS Jamarca Sanford: Allowed 1 catch for 4 yards on 2 attempts, 2 pass deflections, 2 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 missed tackle

RE Jared Allen: 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit, and 3 quarterback hurries on 45 pass rush snaps, 1 batted pass, 1 assist, 1 stop

DT Kevin Williams: 1 quarterback hit and 2 quarterback hurries on 32 pass rush snaps, 2 batted passes, 3 solo tackles, 2 stops, 1 missed tackle

Duds

DT Letroy Guion: Did not record a pressure on 20 pass rush snaps, 3 solo tackle, 1 assist, 2 stops

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New York Giants: Week 6 NFL Power Rankings (#13)

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Last week: 14 (+1)

Record: 3-2

It was between the Cowboys and the Giants for the final playoff spot in the loaded NFC in these Power Rankings. I have Atlanta, San Francisco, Chicago, and Philadelphia winning the divisions, Minnesota making the playoffs as a Wild Card and being this year’s team that goes from 5 wins or fewer to the playoffs. I gave Dallas the edge because they have the Head-to-Head victory and because they have the superior yards per play differential. Also, the Cowboys would serve as the 5th new playoff team and there have been 5 new playoff teams every year for the past 16 years. The Giants have all the talent of a playoff team though and Eli Manning is behind only Matt Ryan and Tom Brady as the league’s MVP through 5 games. He’s holding together an injury plagued bunch and having as good of a year as he did last year.

Studs

RB Ahmad Bradshaw: Rushed for 200 yards (70 after contact) and a touchdown on 30 attempts, 4 broken tackles, 1 fumble, 1 penalty, 4 catches for 29 yards on 5 attempts

QB Eli Manning: 25 of 37 for 259 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 4 dropped passes, 1 hit as thrown, 101.9 adjusted QB rating, 7 drop backs on 37 drop backs (no sacks, 4 of 7, 1 drop, 1 hit as thrown)

LG Kevin Boothe: 1 quarterback hit on 41 pass block snaps, run blocked for 21 yards on 2 attempts

FS Stevie Brown: Was not thrown on, 1 interception, 1 solo tackle, 2 assists

TE Martellus Bennett: Run blocked for 92 yards on 5 attempts, caught 3 passes for 30 yards on 4 attempts

Duds

MLB Chase Blackburn: Allowed 3 catches for 86 yards and a touchdown on 5 attempts, 1 interception, 4 solo tackles, 1 stop, 3 missed tackles

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Green Bay Packers: Week 6 NFL Power Rankings (#14)

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Last week: 13 (-1)

Record: 2-3

You could argue they deserve to be 4-1, losing on the touchception in Seattle week 3 and then blowing a 21-3 lead in Indianapolis last week as they ran into the ChuckStrong train, but the fact is, this team is 2-3 and in a loaded NFC, that really hurts them. One team every year goes from a 1st round bye to out of the playoffs. Given how San Francisco, New England, and Baltimore are playing, Green Bay is by far the favorite to do so this year. Their even yards per play differential is hardly impressive and they might be a smart team to bet against going forward, especially if the odds makers continue to rate them on par with teams like Houston (they’re -3.5 in Houston this week).

Studs

LG TJ Ward: Allowed 1 quarterback hurry on 49 pass block snaps, run blocked for 55 yards on 5 attempts

RG Josh Sitton: Allowed 1 quarterback hurry on 49 pass block snaps, run blocked for 12 yards on 2 attempts

LT Marshall Newhouse: Allowed 1 sack on 49 pass block snaps, run blocked for 3 yards and a touchdown on 2 attempts

CB Tramon Williams: Allowed 8 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts, 5 pass deflections, 8 solo tackles, 1 stop, 1 missed tackle

CB Casey Hayward: Allowed 1 catch for 12 yards on 3 attempts, 1 interception, 3 solo tackles, 1 stop, 1 quarterback hurry on 5 blitzes

LOLB Erik Walden: 2 quarterback hits and 3 quarterback hurries on 24 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 1 assist, 2 stops

MLB AJ Hawk: 6 solo tackles, 2 assists, 5 stops, was not thrown on

Duds

TE Jermichael Finley: Caught 3 passes for 11 yards on 5 attempts on 22 pass snaps, 2.0 YAC per catch, 1 drop, 1 penalty

WR Jordy Nelson: Caught 2 catches for 29 yards on 5 attempts on 47 pass snaps, 1.5 YAC per catch, 1 drop

LE Ryan Pickett: Did not record a pressure on 24 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackles, 1 stop

LE Jerel Worthy: 1 quarterback hurry on 46 pass rush snaps, 2 penalties, 1 solo tackles, 1 stop

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Seattle Seahawks: Week 6 NFL Power Rankings (#15)

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Last week: 16 (+1)

Record: 3-2

I know the Seahawks lost to the Cardinals and have a worse record, but I’m putting the Seahawks one spot ahead of the Cardinals. That was a close game (and is the difference in these two teams’ records) and it would have had a different result in Seattle. These are similar constructed teams (great defense, one good offensive player), but I was impressed with the Seahawks going on the road to Carolina on the East Coast at 1PM ET and winning. As good as they are at home, road victories are going to be what decides this team’s playoff fate in a loaded NFC.

Studs

CB Richard Sherman: Allowed 1 catch for 7 yards on 3 attempts, 1 pass deflection, 4 solo tackle, 1 assist, 2 stops, 1 missed tackle

FS Earl Thomas: 2 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 stop, did not allow a completion on 1 attempt

MLB Bobby Wagner: 5 solo tackles, 5 stops, 1 missed tackle, 2 sacks on 7 blitzes, was not thrown on

RE Chris Clemons: 1 sack and 2 quarterback hurries on 34 pass rush snaps, 1 batted pass, 3 solo tackles, 2 assists, 3 stops

Duds

LG James Carpenter: Allowed 1 quarterback hit and 1 quarterback hurry on 31 pass block snaps, 1 penalty, run blocked for 9 yards on 2 attempts

LE Red Bryant: Did not record a pressure on 19 pass rush snaps, no tackles

ROLB KJ Wright: 3 solo tackles, 2 assists, allowed 4 catches for 47 yards on 5 attempts, 1 quarterback hurry on 7 blitzes

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Arizona Cardinals: Week 6 NFL Power Rankings (#16)

stevenlourie 2012 NFL Power Rankings, 2012 Week 6 NFL Power Rankings, Cardinals

Last week: 15 (-1)

Record: 4-1

Last week, I called the Arizona Cardinals one of the worst 4-0 teams ever. With Kevin Kolb as their quarterback, no offensive line, and no running game, last week’s offensive catastrophe was inevitable and I don’t think it’s the last one. There’s a reason I frequently ranked them lower than their record and picked against them. For as good as their defense is, their offense is equally bad. They actually rank just 28th in the league in yards per play differential, thanks to a last place ranking in yards per play. They’ll still be in the playoff race with a nice head start, but expect this team to finish somewhere around .500 once again this year. Continue to ride the correction as a bettor.

Studs

FS Kerry Rhodes: Did not allow a catch on 1 attempt, 2 solo tackles, 2 stops

MLB Daryl Washington: Did not allow a catch on 1 attempt, 5 solo tackles, 1 assist, 4 stops, 1 sack, 2 quarterback hits, and 3 quarterback hurries on 11 blitzes

LOLB O’Brien Schofield: 2 quarterback hits and 1 quarterback hurry on 18 pass rush snaps, 5 solo tackles, 1 assist, 3 stops

Duds

LT D’Anthony Baptiste: Allowed 3 sacks and 5 quarterback hurries on 63 pass block snaps, 1 penalty, run blocked for -4 yards on 1 attempt

RG Adam Snyder: Allowed 3 sacks and 2 quarterback hurries on 63 pass block snaps, run blocked for 9 yards on 2 attempts

RT Bobby Massie: Allowed 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit, and 8 quarterback hurries on 63 pass block snaps, 1 penalty, run blocked for 13 yards on 3 attempts

WR Andre Roberts: Caught 5 passes for 39 yards on 9 attempts on 62 pass snaps, 3.8 YAC per catch

WR Early Doucet: Caught 3 passes for 29 yards on 7 attempts on 50 pass snaps, 3.0 YAC per catch, 1 drop

MLB Paris Lenon: Allowed 1 catch for 7 yards and a touchdown on 3 attempts, 4 solo tackles, 1 stop, 1 missed tackle

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Indianapolis Colts: Week 6 NFL Power Rankings (#17)

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Last week: 21 (+4)

Record: 2-2

What an amazing win for the Colts. Down 21-3 at home against the normally dominant Packers, the Colts roared back to win led by 13 catches for a career high 212 yards and a touchdown from Reggie Wayne. Earlier in the week, Wayne visited Head Coach Chuck Pagano in the hospital, where the 52-year-old 1st time Head Coach is undergoing treatment for leukemia. Pagano is not just Wayne’s Head Coach, but someone who he’s known for a long time as Pagano recruited Wayne to the University of Miami out of High School (now Wayne’s surprising decision to return to Indianapolis, rather than follow Peyton Manning doesn’t seem so surprising). It’ll be very interesting to see if the ChuckStrong momentum can continue into the future. I hope it does. At the very least, it should continue one more week as they face the lowly Jets this week.

Studs

WR Reggie Wayne: Caught 13 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts on 64 pass snaps, 2.7 YAC per catch, 1 interception when thrown to

CB Cassius Vaughn: Allowed 3 catches for 18 yards on 6 attempts, 2 penalties, 4 solo tackles, 3 stops

Duds

LT Anthony Castonzo: Allowed 3 sacks, 1 quarterback hit, and 3 quarterback hurries on 67 pass block snaps, 1 penalty, run blocked for 11 yards on 3 attempts

RT Winston Justice: Allowed 1 quarterback hit and 2 quarterback hurries on 67 pass block snaps, 3 penalties, run blocked for 5 yards on 4 attempts

WR Donnie Avery: Caught 3 passes for 22 yards on 8 attempts on 65 pass snaps, 1.7 YAC per catch, 1 drop, 1 penalty

WR TY Hilton: Caught 3 passes for 37 yards on 9 attempts on 54 pass snaps, 2.0 YAC per catch, 1 drop, 1 penalty

CB Jerraud Powers: Allowed 6 catches for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 attempts, 1 interception, 4 solo tackles, 1 stop, 2 missed tackles

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Miami Dolphins: Week 6 NFL Power Rankings (#18)

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Last week: 18 (+7)

Record: 2-3

The Dolphins are 2-3 right now, but they could easily be 3-2 or 4-1 having lost two straight games in overtime. Since their week 1 blowout loss in Houston, which doesn’t look so bad, they’ve blown out Oakland, lost twice in overtime to the Jets and Dolphins, and beaten the Dolphins. The league’s 6th ranked scoring defense in 2011, they’ve picked up right where they left off led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Cameron Wake. They can run the ball and Ryan Tannehill seems to have settled in to life as a starting quarterback in the NFL. His inconsistency as a rookie will keep this team from being a true playoff contender, but like I said last week (and like they did last week), they could play spoiler against any “superior” teams that take them lightly.

Miami

Studs

C Mike Pouncey: Did not allow a pressure on 30 pass block snaps, run blocked for 20 yards on 5 attempts

LG Richie Incognito: Did not allow a pressure on 30 pass block snaps, run blocked for -1 yards on 1 attempt

LE Cameron Wake: 2 sacks and 6 quarterback hurries on 44 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles, 1 assist, 3 stops

DT Randy Starks: 1 interception, 1 quarterback hit and 1 quarterback hurry on 40 pass rush snaps, 1 batted pass, 1 solo tackle, 1 assist, 1 stop

MLB Karlos Dansby: 5 solo tackles, 4 stops, 2 quarterback hurries on 8 pass rush snaps, allowed 3 catches for 29 yards on 3 attempts

CB Nolan Carroll: Allowed 2 catches for 23 yards on 5 attempts, 2 pass deflections, 4 solo tackles, 1 stop, 1 missed tackle

SS Reshad Jones: Allowed 1 catch for 5 yards on 3 attempts, 1 interception, 3 solo tackles, 1 assist, 2 stops, 2 missed tackles

Duds

FB Jovorskie Lane: Rushed for -5 yards (0 after contact) on 2 attempts, 1 fumble, 2 catches for 20 yards on 2 attempts, 1 penalty, run blocked for 0 yards on 2 attempts

RE Jared Odrick: 1 sack on 44 pass rush snaps, 1 solo tackle, 1 missed tackle

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St. Louis Rams: Week 6 NFL Power Rankings (#19)

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Last week: 22 (+3)

Record: 3-2

The Rams may have won the battle, but lost the war against Arizona last Thursday, losing Danny Amendola for an extended period of time. It’s no surprise that their offense went in the tank without him last week. It’s exactly what they did last season. Sam Bradford has no weapons to work with and injuries have plagued his offensive line once again. Bradford may be matured and improved, but overall, the offense looks eerily similar to the one that ranked dead last in the league with 12.1 points per game last year. They might be a little overrated after their breakout win over an overrated opponent. The good news, they are just one game out of the division for now and over .500 for the first time since 2006.

Studs

RB Steven Jackson: Rushed for 76 yards (53 after contact) on 18 attempts, 1 broken tackle

LOLB JoLonn Dunbar: Allowed 4 catches for 50 yards on 7 attempts, 2 pass deflections, 5 solo tackles, 1 assist, 4 stops, 1 missed tackle, 1 sack and 3 quarterback hurries on 14 blitzes

FS Craig Dahl: Did not allow a catch on 1 attempt, 5 solo tackles, 2 assists, 1 stop, 1 quarterback hurry on 2 blitzes

MLB James Laurinaitis: Allowed 1 catch for 13 yards on 4 attempts, 8 solo tackles, 5 stops, 1 missed tackle, 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit, and 1 quarterback hurry on 8 blitzes

RE Robert Quinn: 3 sacks, 2 quarterback hits, and 6 quarterback hurries on 53 pass rush snaps, 1 batted pass, 3 solo tackles, 4 stops

LE Chris Long: 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit, and 7 quarterback hurries on 53 pass rush snaps, 1 penalty, 1 solo tackle, 2 stops, 1 missed tackle

P Johnny Hekker: 7 punts for 398 yards, 3 inside 20, 5 returns for 76 yards, 46.0 net yards per punt

K Greg Zuerlein: 4 kickoffs, 4 touchbacks, 20.0 opponent’s average starting distance, 1/1 FG (53)

Duds

RT Barry Richardson: Allowed 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit, and 1 quarterback hurry on 25 pass block snaps, 2 penalties, run blocked for 19 yards on 5 attempts

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Buffalo Bills: Week 6 NFL Power Rankings (#20)

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Last week: 16 (-4)

Record: 2-3

Remember when the Bills looked like they were going to beat the Patriots and take control of the AFC East. That was fun. Since leading that game 21-7, they have been outscored 90-10 by the Patriots and 49ers. That’s pretty pathetic for anyone, especially for a team that was a popular sleeper coming into the year after all of the resources they put into their defense. That expensive defense ranks among the worst in the league in every category and has given up at least 45 points in 3 of 5 games led by the incredibly disappointing Mario Williams. It’s no surprise why Houston did make much of an effort to re-sign him

The only reason they’re ranked this high is because of their schedule. They face the 3 one dimensional NFC West teams, Arizona, Seattle, and St. Louis, the 2 horrible and the one slightly less horrible AFC South teams, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Indianapolis, and they have 3 divisional games against the Jets and Dolphins. Only two games, New England and Houston, appear unwinnable the rest of the way, even for a team like Buffalo. Unfortunately, all that easy schedule is likely to do is hurt their draft pick and lessen the chances that some coaches get a much needed firing.

Studs

LG Andy Levitre: Did not allow a pressure on 28 pass block snaps, run blocked for 13 yards on 3 attempts

Duds

C Eric Wood: Allowed 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit, and 2 quarterback hurries on 28 pass block snaps, run blocked for 19 yards on 5 attempts

CB Aaron Williams: Allowed 4 catches for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns on 4 attempts, 3 solo tackles, 2 stops

DT Marcell Dareus: Did not record a pressure on 24 pass rush snaps, 2 solo tackles

DT Kyle Williams: 1 quarterback hurry on 23 pass rush snaps, 1 penalty, 2 solo tackles

MLB Kelvin Sheppard: Allowed 1 completion for 4 yards on 2 attempts, 3 solo tackles, 1 missed tackle, 1 quarterback hurry on 5 blitzes

RE Mark Anderson: Did not record a pressure on 19 pass rush snaps, 1 penalty, 3 solo tackles, 2 stops

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