2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings

Houston Texans: 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings (#21)

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Last week: 17 (-4)

Record: 2-6

The Texans have lost each of the past two games, but the good news is that they might have found their quarterback of the future. Case Keenum has completed 35 of 59 for 621 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2 games. The Texans have been better than their record all along. They are moving the chains at a 76% rate, as opposed to 73% for their opponents. They’ve just been killed by turnovers (-11), inability to recover fumbles (41.2%), and return touchdowns (-6 touchdowns). Now with Keenum under center, things seem to be better. Again, they haven’t won, but losing by a combined 4 points to the Chiefs and Colts is almost like beating anyone else. The Texans have had a brutal schedule to this point, as 7 of their 8 opponents are currently 4-4 or better. Between the 49ers, Seahawks, Colts, and Chiefs, they’ve faced 4 of the top-10 teams in my Power Rankings. Their schedule gets easier from here on out, starting with the Cardinals this week.

Week 10 Studs

QB Case Keenum

WR Andre Johnson

LT Duane Brown

C Chris Myers

LE JJ Watt

RE Antonio Smith

Week 10 Duds

LG Wade Smith

LOLB Brooks Reed

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Philadelphia Eagles: 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings (#22)

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Last week: 23 (+1)

Record: 4-5

The NFL is probably glad that Chip Kelly pulled Nick Foles and denied him the chance to break the single game touchdown record, after he tied it in the 3rd quarter with his 7th. I don’t think the NFL could sleep at night with Nick Foles as the single game touchdown record holder. Foles has put together an overall very solid season, completing 62.7% of his passes for an average of 8.7 YPA, 13 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. His clunker against Dallas where he completed 12 of 29 for 80 yards is relevant and deserves to be taken into consideration and it’s a small sample size, but he deserves to be the starter until he proves otherwise. I’m not convinced he’s the long-term starter, but he’s definitely better than Michael Vick right now.

Week 9 Studs

QB Nick Foles

LG Evan Mathis

RT Lane Johnson

RE Fletcher Cox

LE Vinny Curry

ROLB Trent Cole

Week 9 Duds

None

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Washington Redskins: 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings (#23)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings, Commanders, Uncategorized

Last week: 24 (+1)

Record: 3-6

The Redskins are at 3-6, which is right where they were last season when they ripped off 7 straight wins and won the division. The difference this year is that their remaining schedule is harder and their team isn’t as good. Last season, they’re final 7 opponents finished 48-64. This year, their final 7 opponents currently are a combined 34-33. Robert Griffin is also not the same quarterback he was last year and their team is not dominating the turnover battle like they did last year, when they finished +17. The good news is they play in the easiest division in football and it won’t take 10 wins to win like last year, but I still have Philadelphia and Dallas slightly ahead of them.

Week 9 Studs

QB Robert Griffin

WR Pierre Garcon

LT Trent Williams

RT Tyler Polumbus

LG Kory Lichtensteiger

RG Chris Chester

LOLB Ryan Kerrigan

Week 9 Duds

MLB London Fletcher

CB David Amerson

CB Josh Wilson

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Pittsburgh Steelers: 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings (#24)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings, Steelers, Uncategorized

Last week: 18 (-6)

Record: 2-6

The Steelers are one team that I don’t really have a beat on. Their offense has been massively improved since the bye, but their aging defense seems to be heading in the opposite direction. Any time you allow 55 points, even to the Patriots, who can tear up anyone when they’re right, it’s a bad sign. They are still getting killed in turnovers (-11), which probably won’t continue going forward, especially since it’s largely the result of a 26.3% rate of fumble recovery. They are moving the chains at a 73% rate, as opposed to 75% for their opponents, allowed by their defense. I still think they are more likely to go 4-4 the rest of the way than 1-7, but it’s tough to tell. They have the looks of a rough off-season ahead of them as they look to reload and rebuild.

Week 9 Studs

WR Jerricho Cotchery

LE Cameron Heyward

LOLB LaMarr Woodley

Week 9 Studs

C Fernando Velasco

CB William Gay

FS Ryan Clark

SS Troy Polamalu

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Miami Dolphins: 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings (#25)

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Last week: 22 (-3)

Record: 4-4

I’ll get into the Richie Incognito situation in depth in a different place, but purely on the field, I think it’s going to have a very negative effect. They are probably going to be without 2 of their starting offensive linemen for the season on an offensive line that was already one of the worst in the NFL. It’s also going to be a huge distraction and disruption of team chemistry. I don’t see them being able to get up for winless Tampa Bay this weekend and this isn’t the type of team that can afford to be distracted and unprepared. Largely due to their weak offensive line, they are moving the chains at a mere 70% rate offensively, while their retooled defense is not living up to expectations, allowing opponents to move the chains at a 76% rate. Their schedule isn’t easy from here on out, especially if they can’t beat Tampa Bay. After Tampa Bay, 5 of their final 7 games are against teams currently 4-4 or better and one of them who isn’t is a sneaky good Buffalo team that already beat them in Miami.

Week 9 Studs

QB Ryan Tannehill

C Mike Pouncey

LE Cameron Wake

RE Olivier Vernon

Week 9 Duds

LOLB Philip Wheeler

SS Reshad Jones

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Atlanta Falcons: 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings (#27)

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Last week: 21 (-6)

Record: 2-6

There are bad stop units and then there is the Atlanta Falcons’ “stop” unit, which has forced a league worst 30 punts, as well as just 8 takeaways and 2 failed 4th downs. They are allowing opponents to move the chains at an 80% rate, which is 3rd worst only to Jacksonville and San Diego. Matt Ryan has done a very admirable job despite losing most of his weapons, completing 67.8% of his passes for an average of 7.4 YPA, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, leading the offense to a 75% rate of moving the chains. However, they just can’t keep up with what their defense is giving up. Their schedule isn’t easy from here. They are very good at home usually, but they have Seattle, New Orleans, and Carolina all coming to town, with the Redskins being the only opponent representing a very winnable game. On the road, they go to Green Bay (probably once Rodgers returns), San Francisco, and a sneaky good Buffalo team. They do go to Tampa Bay, but there aren’t a lot of easy wins left on this schedule. This is just the season from hell for this football team.

Week 9 Studs

None

Week 9 Duds

DT Peria Jerry

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St. Louis Rams: 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings (#28)

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Last week: 28 (+0)

Record: 3-6

Kellen Clemens has predictably struggled, completing 37 of 70 for 387 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions in relief of the injured Sam Bradford. However, the supporting cast has done a good job of rising up around him and, as a result, the Rams have lost their last 2 games by a combined 12 points despite playing a top level Seattle team and a sneaky good Tennessee team. However, both of those games were at home. Now they go on the road to Indianapolis and they might not have enough to keep it together. A look at their schedule suggests that a home game against Tampa Bay might be the only game in which they will be favored going forward so they’ll have to pull a couple of upsets to finish with more than 4 or 5 wins.

Week 9 Studs

LT Jake Long

LE Chris Long

DT Kendall Langford

Week 9 Duds

LG Chris Williams

ROLB JoLonn Dunbar

SS Darian Stewart

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Oakland Raiders: 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings (#29)

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Last week: 29 (+0)

Record: 3-5

The wheels kind of fell off of this scrappy Raider team’s season last week as they allowed an NFL record tying 7 passing touchdowns to Nick Foles in a 49-20 loss. They are moving the chains at a mere 68% rate, as opposed to 74% for their opponents and defenses seem to have figured out Terrelle Pryor, who figures to be without Darren McFadden for the foreseeable future. Their home games remaining are all tough, Tennessee, Denver, Kansas City, and their road games aren’t much easier, as they face the Giants, Jets, Houston, San Diego, and Dallas. They might not win much more than a game going forward.

Week 9 Studs

LT Khalif Barnes

Week 9 Duds

QB Terrelle Pryor

LG Lucas Nix

RG Mike Brisiel

LE Jason Hunter

CB DJ Hayden

FS Brandian Ross

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Minnesota Vikings: 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings (#30)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 10 NFL Power Rankings, Uncategorized, Vikings

Last week: 30 (+0)

Record: 2-7

In his last two games, Christian Ponder has completed 42 of 58 for 410 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. However, you have to remember he was facing two defenses in Dallas and Washington that are among the worst in the NFL and he was facing the latter on a short week when they were coming off of an overtime game (teams are 3-17 ATS on Thursday Night after an overtime game). Washington’s terrible “stop” unit made even Matt Cassel look passable when he game on in relief of an injured Christian Ponder. Ponder is expected to be fine going forward and to keep his starting job, but the schedule gets a lot tougher, with trips to Seattle, Green Bay, Baltimore, and Cincinnati to go with home games against Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit. It’s very, very possible we see another quarterback change for the Vikings at some point. They aren’t paying Josh Freeman 3 million for one start and a half of a season riding 3rd string.

Week 9 Studs

RB Adrian Peterson

RG Brandon Fusco

RT Phil Loadholt

C John Sullivan

RE Jared Allen

LE Brian Robison

DT Sharrif Floyd

Week 9 Duds

ROLB Marvin Mitchell

ROLB Erin Henderson

CB Marcus Sherels

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