NFL Power Rankings, Week 6: Arrowhead Pride Edition

Another great week for the Chiefs -- any week with a win is good in my book.  It seems that the media is starting to give in a little bit to the idea that the Chiefs are good.  AP contributor Steve_in_RI keeps us all updated here on the media edition of our power rankings. 

Last week, our power rankings panel had the Chiefs ranked at 25th which was pretty much in par with the media, and this week we weren't being homers after beating a weaker Colts team. The highest ranking was 19th and the lowest ranking was 25th.  If you want to find out where the Chiefs land this week then please follow along.

There really is no surprise about who is number one yet again.  The Packers will most likely be number 1 the rest of the season unless the Patriots or Saints take that extra step.  There are 6 teams who stayed the same from last week.

There were two ties this week -- the Titans and the Cowboys -- and the Chiefs and the Panthers also tied.  As always I took the lowest and highest ranking out and then averaged out the rest of the rankings.  The Titans and the Chiefs were the more consistently ranked teams.

The highest jump this week belongs to the 49ers who jumped eight spots and the Raiders also had a good week jumping seven spots.  The biggest fall this week belongs to the Bucs with a slide of seven.  Instead of the average next to the team like in the past I put the team's record, and next to the team's record I put their change from the week before.

Also, I want to give props to the panel members for getting these rankings in every week along with their blurbs about the division they took.

1.  Green Bay Packers (5-0) (+/- 0)

It almost seems unfair right now. Rodgers has too many weapons, and is seeing the field as good as any QB in the league. Champs keep on rolling.

2.  New Orleans Saints (4-1) (+/- 0)

Every week I become more convinced that they'll win the division easily.

3.  New England Patriots (4-1) (+/- 0)

When the Patriots can actually execute a game plan they are unstoppable.

4.  Detroit Lions (5-0) (+/- 0)

They are at home looking for their 10th straight win (you read that right). Megatron looks unstoppable and is on pace to shatter the TD record and the defense is rolling quality fresh bodies through the d-line all game.

5.  Baltimore Ravens (3-1) (+/- 0)

The Ravens are well rested with no truly major injury, and they are playing a Houston Texans team that has not looked good the past few weeks with no Andre Johnson. Ray Lewis and company are playing the part of vultures this week as they eat the Texans' offense to cow bones.

6.  Buffalo Bills (4-1) (+ 2)

The Bills have two tough games going forward.  They need to win them both to keep up with the Patriots.

7.  San Diego Chargers (4-1) (+/- 0)

San Diego continues to win unimpressively. After the bye they travel to New York and face the Jets. Can the Chargers beat a quality team?

8.  San Francisco 49ers (4-1) (+ 8)

5 weeks ago I was sure the NFC West would be a 2 horse race between the Rams and Cardinals.  Boy was I wrong.  Those teams are looking like two of the league's worst and the 49ers are rapidly running away with the division.  I can't explain how they keep winning, but they do.  If they can follow up a dominating performance against Tampa Bay with a win at Detroit, you can pretty much punch their ticket to they playoffs.  Even if not, though, I'm definitely now a believer in Harbough.

9.  Houston Texans (3-2) (- 3)

Kicked around by Janikowski and the Raiders at home, missing Andre Johnson.

10.  Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) (+ 1)

Big Ben played a great game with 5 touchdowns, and the defense did a great job of containing Chris Johnson and that running game. However, for the fifth straight game this season they failed to win the turnover battle (Steelers: 2; Titans 1).

11.  Washington Redskins (3-1) (+ 2)

Run the ball, stop the run, take care of the football and play disciplined. The rest of the division and league might want to take note because this is still how you win football games.

12.  Oakland Raiders (3-2) (+ 7)

Oakland pulled off an emotional win at Houston, getting one for Al Davis. Now the Raiders start a three-game homestand against the Browns on Sunday.

13.  New York Giants (3-2) (- 3)

If the Giants don't want to live and die on Eli's arm then they need to start doing a better job of running the ball again. 69 yards on 25 carries isn't going to cut it.

14.  Tennessee Titans (3-2) (+ 1)

Missed golden opportunity to take brief division lead, tough day for Hasselbeck and Chris Johnson.

15.  Dallas Cowboys (2-2) (+ 3)

The Cowboys need some momentum but the New England Patriots are really not a good way to try to get that started.

16.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) (- 7)

They got completely thrashed by the 49ers. They better get their act together if they want to beat New Orleans this week.

17.  Cincinnati Bengals (3-2) (+ 4)

A well played game against the Jaguars by the defense, and another solid performance by this young offense even though the numbers would indicate otherwise; well okay the rushing offense really was that bad. Next week, Marvin Lewis' squad looks to reach 2010's win total, before they head to their bye week, at home against Curtis Painter and the Indianapolis Colts.

18.  New York Jets (2-3) (- 6)

Luckily, for the J-E-T-S there is a lot of time to right the ship.

19.  Chicago Bears (2-3) (- 5)

How is Cutler going to last 16 games? Mike Martz still hasn't figured out he doesn't have Pace, Faulk, Warner, Bruce and Holt. If they are a playoff team they need to win at home against the Vikes.

20.  Atlanta Falcons (2-3) (- 3)

During the Sunday Night open thread at half time, somebody mentioned that each team had only three drives the first half. So that explains how the Falcons managed to get a 14-6 lead at half, and made the Packer's comeback predictable.

21.  Cleveland Browns (2-2) (+ 1)

The Browns are lucky that they got their bye week when they did. A young team going into a tough place like the Black Hole playing the first game there after Al Davis' death, they are going to need every bit of their energy if they want to come out of an even more emotional Oakland than usual with a win.

22.  Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) (+ 3)

Kansas City looked done early on against Indy, but rallied behind Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe. Can they get to .500 and back in the race at Oakland?

23.  Carolina Panthers (1-4) (+ 1)

They've looked way better than their record so far. Don't be surprised if they blow out the Falcons.

24.  Philadelphia Eagles (1-4) (- 4)

There's nothing more to say that hasn't been said already, is there? 500 yards of offense and they still lose and it's not going to be any easier this week as surprise divisional leader, Washington, is on the docket.

25.  Seattle Seahawks (2-3) (+ 2)

I saw/heard no fewer than 4 prognosticators pick the Giants over the Seahawks as the surest bet in the NFL last weekend.  And that's why you actually play the games.  Seattle has to feel good heading into the bye with a coming off of a victory and with a very winnable game against the Browns on the horizon.

26.  Minnesota Vikings (1-4) (+ 4)

The Vikings finally went back to what works. Pounding the rock with AP and pestering the QB. If Allen can pester Cutler, they may have a chance of winning 2 in a row.

27.  Arizona Cardinals (1-4) (- 4)

After getting bitch-slapped by the previously win-less Vikings, the Cardinals head into their off week with more questions than answers.   Pittsburgh awaits on the other side of the bye, though, so they'd better get right quickly.

28.  Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) (- 2)

Wonder if Blaine Gabbert wishes he had stayed at Mizzou for his senior season ...

29.  Denver Broncos (1-4) (- 1)

Another loss isn't the story, the story is Tim Tebow who is now the starter in the Mile High City.

30.  St. Louis Rams (0-4) (- 1)

The Rams lost further ground during the bye to both San Fransisco and Seattle.  And, unfortunately for St. Louis, their brutual early season schedule isn't letting up, either.  The Rams really need to beat the Packers this week but, frankly, I'm not sure they can.

31.  Indianapolis Colts (0-5) (+ 1)

Even owner Robert Irsay is ready to give in to the Andrew Luck possibility, and Peyton Manning would be a great mentor for him.

32.  Miami Dolphins (0-4) (- 1)

The Dolphins didn't play last week so at least they didn't lose.