Week Six Power Rankings

Week Six was strange with the second week of byes kicking in. Most wins were pretty predictable but showed some portion of a team’s identity or circumstance that could be pivotal for the rest of the year.

Yes, I’m more upset with the Detroit Lions than anyone should be, but this might not be the most controversial take in these following words:

Out of Rankings: Washington Commanders & Dallas Cowboys

Honorable Mentions: Pittsburgh Steelers & Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. Green Bay Packers (Previous ranking: NR)

Chase Daniel said on FS1’s The Facility that the Packers “are who we thought they were.” I know he stole it from Dennis Green, but I’ll steal his sentiment. The Packers are who I thought they were in the fact that I never truly know exactly what Jordan Love will produce. Sometimes, he throws the touchdown to win the game like he did to Romeo Doubs, welcome back, against the Cardinals. Other times, he throws the interception that puts your defense back on the field in late game limbo. This week the defense stood tall while the Love-led offense maintained its explosiveness. Green Bay will get into firefights this year, but the mighty NFC North seems to have the guns and ships to compete and defeat.

9. Atlanta Falcons (Previous ranking: 9)

The NFL consensus probably believed that the Falcons would find themselves comfortably in this spot. A win over the Andy-Dalton-rejuvenated Panthers did not do much to excite me, but I would like to take this opportunity to discuss the state of the NFC South. Atlanta and Tampa have made this division a real epicenter in the NFC that has struggles all over except down south, surprisingly. Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield will have special places in the hearts of separate sects of NFL Twitter trolls on the Internet, but they are consistently very good which can win that division. The Saints led the pack through the first two weeks before descending back before the month was over, but #theagenda is in order. Even Carolina can put up some points. The Falcons and Bucs can fight for elite seeding in the NFC if the wins line up correctly, but New Orleans will have something to say, and the Red Rocket is always ready for launch (Sasha Bouska waves his pom-poms).

8. Buffalo Bills (Previous ranking: 10)

Buffalo has committed to physicality. Despite not having James Cook on Monday night, the services of Ty Johnson and Ray Davis have proven to suffice. Having the league’s most gigantic signal caller doesn’t hurt either. Aside from his involvement, the rushing attack has given Allen and the Bills another layer to their offense. Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers had a fiery duel for the first half with Aaron of 2014 making his likely final appearance. The Bills can muddle themselves through a division where Drake Maye might be their only other competition. Buffalo will be in these tight-ish games like Monday night because that’s the NFL now. Their defense is full of young players who are hungry and seizing a lot of opportunities, which is Josh Allen’s best friend.

7. Chicago Bears (Previous ranking: NR)

There is only pure excitement flowing through my veins when I see what I believed about Caleb Williams actualize in the regular season. What I believed was that the Bears, of all teams, would sustain a defense in the NFL’s top third while Williams learned on the job. The rookie has learned quickly after Eberflus defense carried him for the first few weeks of the season. Now, with Moore, Allen, and Odunze all healthy and in their correct roles, the Bears look serious. The NFC playoff picture hasn’t even firmed itself up as much as the lukewarm AFC, so Chicago can force themselves into the club if Caleb Williams continues to develop.

(NBC Chicago)

6. Baltimore Ravens (Previous ranking: 4)

The Ravens beat the Commanders, but the Ravens don’t quite feel like the Ravens this year. Aside from my whining with misplaced Christmas nostalgia, the Ravens are missing that X factor. It’s not as mysterious, but the secret sauce for Baltimore was how good their defense has always been since the franchise was erected. Jayden Daniels faced what we thought was his first legitimate challenge, but the reputation lived up stronger than the reality. The backdoor is always open when one plays Baltimore, but they covered the rather large gametime spread of -7. The AFC North has flattened out with Baltimore where they always are without being who they’ve always been.

5. Houston Texans (Previous ranking: 5)

I finally feel comfortable calling the Texans true contenders. That’s strange to say after a win, albeit a dominating win, over the lowly New England Patriots. The win is more impressive when you realize what they did not have. Nico Collins missed his first of at least four games due to a hamstring injury. Despite missing his top target, CJ Stroud, who I have repeated is my favorite to win MVP this year, threw three touchdowns against what should be a schematically good defense at the barest of minimums. Drake Maye had his moments against the defense, but they stood strong like they should have. The Texans should stand comfortably as the AFC picture begins to take shape as the ugly middle begins this NFL season

4. San Francisco 49ers (Previous ranking: 7)

The 49ers seem to be back. Brock Purdy is leading the charge, which had not been the case. Kyle Shanahan is getting the opportunity to display his (and his father’s) offensive genius through their commitment to the outside zone and its variable play action pass. Ryan Grubb simply refuses to run the football, something that was a lot easier when his other team in Seattle had a Joe Moore-winning offensive line and multiple supremely talented skill players. Now, Grubb has Geno Smith, a top Threat QB, and DK Metcalf, a player with temporary hands. One thing that a college coordinator must adjust to is the defense not being from this planet. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa independently have the chance on any Sunday (or Thursday) to quite literally own the game. God forbid they decide to do it on the same day again…

3. Detroit Lions (Previous ranking: 3)

The Lions were by far the most impressive team on Sunday. They should be #1 with a bullet if the teams ahead of them were not on bye and undefeated (also, I would like to set the precedence of teams not losing/gaining position on bye for simplicity’s sake). Detroit dominated Dallas, but I have a small gripe. The Lions did exactly what we believed they would do by exploiting Dallas in the run game and seizing an early lead. As that early lead grew, Ben Johnson, the wonder-kid play caller, called a flea flicker early in the second quarter that didn’t sit right with my soul before the series of lineman-eligible plays as a sign of revenge for last year’s late-season loss in Jerry World. Johnson even shared an almost cringey glare with a referee when a call went the wrong way when he attempted to get Penei Sewell in the end zone. The Lions were perfectly set up to win this game. The most emotionally charged team in the NFL returned to the site of their second most heartbreaking loss of 2023 with a distinct advantage in their rushing attack. What they did was great, but it was done with gritted teeth and not a smile., which shouldn't matter, but it might. A larger story broke with Aidan Hutchinson’s tibia, too. The Lions should be the best team in the NFC if their entire division did not make appearances in this week’s Power Rankings.

(The Dallas Morning News)

2. Minnesota Vikings (Previous ranking: 2)

Bye Week

1. Kansas City Chiefs (Previous ranking: 1)

Bye Week

Biggest Movers: San Francisco 49ers (rose 3 spots), Buffalo Bills (rose 2 spots) & Baltimore Ravens (fell 2 spots)

New Appearances: Green Bay Packers & Chicago Bears