NFL Power Rankings after Week 6

Chaos. Wrongness. Sheer luck. Bad calls. Complete meltdown.

All of those things happened Sunday and Monday during week six of the NFL season. Where order held strong last week, the exact opposite took place this week. Was there any consistency?

Sure there was – the Bears won and the Raiders lost.

1. Chicago Bears – (6-0, Last Week: 1) When a team commits six turnovers, they should not win the game. But this team is just that good. Or the Cardinals are just that bad. Rex Grossman better not make that performance a habit.

2. Denver Broncos – (4-1, Last Week: 2) The defense makes its five games with just one touchdown allowed. They almost took the top spot, but they still could not outscore a Bears offense that committed six turnovers and still won the game.

3. Indianapolis Colts – (5-0, Last Week: 3) A bye week for the only other undefeated team left besides the six-turnovers-but-still-won-the-game Bears.

4. San Diego Chargers – (4-1, Last Week: 4) Six is the number of touchdowns scored by the Chargers, and the number of turnovers the Bears had and still beat the Cardinals. Ladainian Tomilson scored four of those, and continues to be the greatest running back in the game today.

5. New England Patriots – (3-1, Last Week: 5) If a Bill Belichick team committed six turnovers, he would be irate in that emotionless kind of way, win or lose.

6. Seattle Seahawks – (4-1, Last Week: 8) The Seahawks stepped it up when they needed to, even without Shaun Alexander and Bobby Engram. Did they deserve the win? Well, if that penalty was called correctly, then sure. But the Seahawks committed five less turnovers than the Bears did and barely won. That’s pretty sad.

7. Carolina Panthers – (4-2, Last Week: 13) They deserve the big bump for one simple reason. Steve Smith makes this team unbeatable. Or at least that is the case so far. I am sure as long as he is on the field, they too could commit six turnovers and win a game.

8. Cincinnati Bengals – (3-2, Last Week: 7) The Bengals got screwed, plain and simple. No longer can teams sack quarterbacks without fear of penalty. If that crap call would have been called Monday night, two of the Bears’ six turnovers would have been negated.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars – (3-2, Last Week: 10) The Jaguars have a total of just six turnovers in five games, equaling the Bears’ total from Monday night.

10. New Orleans Saints – (5-1, Last week: 15) This teams looks real. Every week they are supposed to lose, and yet they keep on winning. And why do they keep on winning? They never turn the ball over six times in a game.

11. Baltimore Ravens – (4-2, Last Week: 6) They lost to a very good team in Carolina, but it is two losses in a row. Maybe Steve McNair is not the answer. Or maybe the defense needs to start causing six turnovers a game to win games again.

12. St. Louis Rams – (4-2, Last Week: 9) So close. They lost at the last minute on a 54-yard field goal thanks to a bad rule in the playbook. Not fair. Marc Bulger did throw his first interception of the season, but he looked way better than mister six-turnovers-in-one-game Grossman did.

13. Philadelphia Eagles – (4-2, Last Week: 11) Well they could not beat the Saints. Granted, one play here or there and they win the game. Maybe they should have caused some turnovers like the Cardinals did Monday night.

14. Minnesota Vikings – (3-2, Last Week: 12) I have no way to mention the fact the Bears gave the ball away six times and still won that can related to the Vikings who were on a bye.

15. Dallas Cowboys – (3-2, Last Week: 16) They destroyed the Texans. Bravo. Actually, that was an accomplishment, considering all the teams that did lose games to bad teams this week. Terrell Owens had three touchdowns, impressive. It was almost as impressive as a team winning while turning the ball over six times.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers – (2-3, Last Week: 18) Ben Roethlisberger quieted the Charlie Batch talks at least for one week. Yes, the Steelers fans want to replace a Super Bowl Champion quarterback. Bears fans have more reasons to call for Kyle Orton after Grossman turned the ball over six times.

17. New York Giants – (3-2, Last Week: 19) Everything is okay in Giant land for the time being. Then again, running back Tiki Barber says he wants to retire after this year. It’s not like he committed six turnovers in one game to warrant hanging it up.

18. Atlanta Falcons – (3-2, Last Week: 13) Inconsistent. That is all I can say about them. They rush for a million yards one week, then turn the ball over six times the next. Only when they do it, they do not tend to win the game.

19. New York Jets – (3-3, Last Week: 20) Another team trying to find an identity. They looked great the first couple of weeks, but they almost blew a lead against a woeful Miami team. Don’t worry, I have no way to relate six turnovers and winning a game to the Jets.

20. Tennessee Titans – (1-5, Last Week: 29) From here on out, it gets ugly. They beat the Redskins, who should just throw in the towel for the season.

21. Detroit Lions – (1-5, Last Week: 31) Huge jump because they actually won a game. Well that and the people below deserve to be dropped on their heads.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – (1-4, Last Week: 30) Ah, the third of the three winless teams that decided to shock the world. Only problem is they should not have won. A quarterback getting sacked is not a penalty.

23. Kansas City Chiefs – (2-3, Last Week: 17) Do you know what was a penalty? Watching the Chiefs play the Steelers.

24. Green Bay Packers – (1-4, Last Week: 26) Hey, I stopped the six turnover references!

25. Cleveland Browns – (1-4, Last Week: 27) Aren’t you happy? I am. But don’t worry, there is one more to come.

26. Buffalo Bills – (2-4, Last Week: 21) The Lions were due for a win. And it is not like the Bills are going anywhere this year. Well, besides down.

27. San Francisco 49ers – (2-4, Last Week: 24) LT plus the 49ers defense equals laughable.

28. Houston Texans – (1-4, Last Week: 23) If Mario Williams would have sacked Drew Bledsoe, Terrell Owens would not have had all those touchdowns. Well that or anyone else on the defense for that matter.

29. Miami Dolphins – (1-5, Last Week: 28) They put Marcus Vick on the roster – at wide receiver. Someone needs to tell Nick Saban to move him to quarterback, and maybe the team will win another game.

30. Washington Redskins – (2-4, Last Week: 22) They lost to the Titans. Is there anything worse that happened this week in football? I can think of one.

31. Arizona Cardinals – (1-5, Last Week: 25) Oh my god. Force six turnovers in one game. Do not allow one offense touchdown. Score 23 points. And the Cardinals still lose. Denny Green better put his house up for sale, because he will not be there when this season is over.

32. Oakland Raiders – (0-5, Last Week: 32) The Broncos go another week without surrendering a touchdown, and the Raiders go another week without scoring a touchdown. At least now the Raiders can say they are officially the worst team in the league, being the only one without a win.

ESPN Power Rankings as always. Okay, I’ll admit it. Mike Golic kicks butt right now.
ESPN’s Power Rankings