Power Rankings
Rankingologist: Z
Analysis: Arod, Z, Fallen
1. Los Angeles Rams (5-1) (LW:1): Holy upset! In a game that ultimately featured Hendon Hooker and Robby Ashford under center, the Eagles shocked the PML community and give the Rams their first blemish of the season 4 campaign. Just a gentle reminder, PML is a Sunday league. I don’t know about you, but I am stoked to see Cook unleash C.J. Donaldson’s abilities- second wind and balance beam!
2. Houston Texans (5-1) (LW:2): Houston suffered their first loss of the season this week at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite throwing for five touchdowns, Stroud threw a season high 3 interceptions. Malik Benson hauled in 14 receptions for 157 yards. That is the highest amount of catches he has ever recorded in a game in his short career. Houston hosts Jacksonville at home next week and another loss could knock them down a tier in the division.
3. Detroit Lions (5-1) (LW:3): Despite being the only team in the top 3 to win this week, the Lions remain at the three spot. Had they had a more impressive victory over the New York Giants (the game resulted in a 35-32 shootout), I would have absolutely moved them up to that coveted 1 spot. However, they’re still in a great spot, leading the NFC North as they sit at 5-1 on the season. Rookie QB Nico Iamaleava had a solid day, despite his three interceptions, as he threw for 371 yards and 5 touchdowns on the day. The Lions travel to Carolina to play the Panthers next week.
4. Seattle Seahawks (5-1) (LW:4): Shesh, almost had two NFC West upsets in one week by the hands of the NFC East. Z narrowly escapes the Commanders 35-34 in week 6 action. Are we watching the talent gap between users begin to close? At any rate, the Seahawks go into their bye at 5-1 and should have smooth sailing until a few big matchups to close out the season.
5. New Orleans Saints (5-1) (LW:8): Quite possibly still the team to beat in the NFC. Riding a five game winning stream after a nice victory over the Packers, JC and the Saints keep their sights set on the NFC first round bye. The way things are shaping up, there aren’t any freebies in the first round for the NFC come wildcard weekend. When will the pass defense wake up? Currently ranked 32nd, but I guess its okay when you’re putting up a league high 43ppg and teams are slinging from behind.
6. New England Patriots (4-1) (LW: 6): New England is sitting at 4-1 while relaxing on their bye week. They have had plenty of success so far this season, but that loss last week versus Seattle is still fresh on their minds. During the bye week, they gave their players plenty of time off, but they asked them to remain focused and ready for the Bills in week 7.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) (LW:5): Trevor Lawrence continues to stay atop the leaderboard for passing yards, but his Jaguars were upset this week as the fell to the New York Jets. New York put up 445 yards of offense and that has been the achilles heel of this hot Jacksonville team this season. They have the capacity to light up the scoreboard and pass the ball around the field, but they can’t stop a nosebleed as their passing defense and defense against total yards ranks dead last in the league.
8. Minnesota Vikings (4-2) (LW:10): The Vikings win a close one at home over the visiting Carolina Panthers by a score of 31-25. Despite the close score and points allowed, the Vikings defense was the story of the day, as they forced 2 Bryce Young interceptions while also holding a tough Panthers rushing game to under 150 yards on the day. This game came down to the very last minute, as a Vikings sack on 4th down would ultimately win them the game. The Vikings are on bye in week 7.
9. Kansas City Chiefs (4-2) (LW:11): The Chiefs win their second game in a row, as they defeat the visiting Denver Broncos 38-24. The Chiefs defense held the Broncos to 0 points until the 3rd quarter, as they jumped out to a 17-0 lead to close the first half. They also forced 5 Sam Hartman interceptions on the day, as he got the start on the day for injured QB Trey Lance. If there’s one thing the Chiefs need to clean up after this game, it’s the interceptions. Patrick Mahomes threw 4 in this game and is currently at 13 on the year. The Chiefs travel to Pittsburgh in week 7.
10. Buffalo Bills (4-2) (LW:13): They only needed to complete 12 passes to defeat the Dolphins this week. Josh Allen threw for two touchdowns and had an interception-free game. What’s more concerning though, is that Buffalo’s usually solid defense allowed over five hundred yards of offense this week. Nonetheless, Buffalo has an opportunity next week to tie the Patriots for the division lead if they are able to knock them off.
11. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) (LW:16): Philly gets a statement win in week 6 over Cook and the Rams. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this victory was the litany of injuries they dealt with during the game. Hendon Hooker managed to put together an efficient day, despite the two interceptions, completing 23 of his 33 passes for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Eagles run defense will have to pick things up (the return of Jordan Davis should help) but they currently sit at 4-2 and in sole possession of the NFC East as they travel to Arizona to play the CPU Cardinals in week 7.
12. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) (LW: 17): The Chargers pick up a huge win over the Texans this week that sees them emerge into the top 15 of the Power Rankings. Despite an 0-2 start against some tough opponents, the Chargers have won four in a row, none bigger than this game against Houston in which the offense shined bright. Justin Herbert had another prolific day, throwing for 361 yards and four touchdowns. The Chargers defense also forced 3 CJ Stroud interceptions on the day as they would win 52-42. The Chargers will travel to Denver next week as they look to take control of the AFC West.
13. Atlanta Falcons (4-2) (LW:7): The Falcons fall a bit lower than they probably would have hoped after essentially being upset by the Browns. The Falcons could prove and remaining doubters wrong coming out the bye if they could remain afloat in the wildcard picture. Some of the more difficult games remaining include two matchups with the Saints, the Chiefs, surging Eagles, and the always difficult Vikings and Bears.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) (LW:9): Pittsburgh is sitting on its bye week still distraught about getting absolutely thrashed by the New Orleans Saints last week. The Steelers, despite the loss, are still leading the AFC North and are the favourites to come out on top of the division. They hold a 1 game lead of the Bengals but that could change next week when the face off against Kansas City.
15. Green Bay Packers (3-3) (LW:12): The Packers drop a tough one to JC and the New Orleans Saints 38-34. Jordan Love had a pretty efficient day, completing 19 of his 29 passes for 328 yards and one touchdown. Second-year back Jawhar Jordan was spectacular, carrying the ball 25 times for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns on the day. The Green Bay defense will absolutely shoulder the blame for this one, as they conceded 460 yards on the day. The Packers currently sit at 3-3 and have a big matchup with the Bears awaiting in week 7.
16. Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) (LW:14): I’d be remiss if I didn’t say the Raiders disappointed me in week 6, falling to the CPU Ravens 31-24. Mike had an excellent chance to continue to entrench himself firmly in the AFC West divisional race, and these are the games you have to win to do so. He managed to split with the Chiefs earlier this season, so he still sits at .500 on the year. He’ll have a matchup with the sneaky Jets in week 7.
17. Carolina Panthers (3-2) (LW:15): Every week counts, and dropping below .500 this point of the season does not warrant the panic button… yet, but it certainly puts them at code yellow. If the Panthers are going to remain in contention, they’ll have their work cut out for them based on the remaining schedule as they will definitely need to carve out a few upsets along the way.
18. Denver Broncos (3-3) (LW:18): Coach Cover 8 and the Broncos suffer their first loss during his tenure as he falls to the Chiefs 38-24. Sam Hartman got the start in this one and did not do a great job filling in for the injured Trey Lance, as he threw 5 interceptions on the day. On the brighter side, Javonte Williams carried the ball 17 times for 101 yards, although he failed to find the endzone. Despite also giving up 38 points, the Broncos defense also forced 4 Patrick Mahomes interceptions on the day. The road doesn’t get any easier in week 7 as the Broncos will host the Los Angeles Chargers.
19. Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) (LW:21): The Bengals head into their bye at 3-3. Sitting at .500 isn’t where they wanted to be, but they have an opportunity to get ahead of the Steelers if they can sweep them this season. Both of their games against the Steelers come before week 11, so we could see a shape up in the AFC North in the coming weeks. Joe Burrow also threw 6 touchdowns this week, to just a lone interception. If the Bengals can get this kind of production every week out of Burrow, it will be smooth sailing for them the rest of the season.
20. Cleveland Browns (3-3) (LW:22): Danny Dimes showcases that he still has some gas left in the tank as he led his Browns to a win over the Falcons, in what many would consider an upset. Jones completed 75% of his passes and threw for three touchdowns. Cleveland needs to get some productivity out of their backs moving forward. They rank 30th in rushing yards per game despite having three 80+ overall halfbacks on their roster.
21. Chicago Bears (3-3) (LW:23): The Bears are winners of 2 in a row after defeating the Cowboys 41-14. The offense erupted in the second quarter, and didn’t let up until the conclusion of the game as they outscored the Cowboys 34-7 the rest of the way. Justin Fields was masterful, completing 12 of his 14 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns. Rookie running back Jaden Nixon also found success on the ground, rushing for 94 yards and a touchdown. The Bears travel to Green Bay for a battle with the 3-3 Packers as they look to continue to gain ground in the competitive NFC North.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) (LW:16): Sitting at 2-3 going into the bye with the Ravens on deck certainly isnt the worst thing in the world., but it also isn’t the most ideal situation to be in. Believe it or not, the Buccaneers boast one of the best rushing attacks in the league this season to go along with a top 15 defense. If he can only get the passing offense on the same page, the stars may begin to align.
23. Washington Commanders (2-4) (LW:20): Another week, another game in which the Commanders were very close to coming out victorious. A masterfully-executed gameplan resulted in the Commanders having a 4th and inches in rainy Seattle with the game on the line. Although the play got blown up and the Seahawks would run the clock out afterwards, you have to commend Miles for how far he’s come since last cycle. Winning in this league can come down to the thinnest of margins, and the Commanders seem to be taking the right steps to getting in the win column. Let’s see how he progresses throughout the rest of the season, having lost 3 in a row.
24. New York Jets (2-4) (LW:26): Caleb Williams is definitely using the ice bath after this week’s game versus the Jaguars. Caleb Williams threw the ball 44 times and completed 30 of his passes. More importantly, the Jets picked up a much needed win to keep their season alive against a team that has been hot off the rails to start the season. The Jets have 8 different receivers with one touchdown a piece. It’s a testament to how well they spread the ball around.
25. San Francisco 49ers (2-4) (LW:28): Do we call a CPU games a gift or curse these days? However you want to look at it, the 49ers earned the dub over CPU Cards this past week before heading into the bye week at 2-4. They only need to go 9-2 at this point to secure the 11 win goal set in the pre-season. You got this!
26. Tennessee Titans (1-5) (LW:24): Since becoming the starter in week 3, Malik Willis has lost four straight games. In those games, he has thrown 10 interceptions. None of those four games were lost by a single score, all of them were by double or triple scores. Did the Titans make the right move by naming Willis as the starter? Is his job permanent, or is there room for Will Levis to make a return this season?
27. Dallas Cowboys (1-5) (LW:27): Since CJ Baxter’s monster day in week 2, the Cowboys have lost 4 straight, including a 41-14 shellacking to the Bears at home this week. The blueprint on how to beat Jerry’s team seems to be out, if you can limit CJ Baxter, you can win the game. Riley Leonard didn’t hurt the team with interceptions, but he also didn’t hurt the Bears defense with his passing either, completing 24 of his 42 pass attempts as the Cowboys played from behind after the 1st quarter concluded. The Cowboys will look to stop the bleeding in week 7 against a p***** off Rams team.
28. New York Giants (1-5) (LW:29): Giants lose the Brother Bowl in overtime, falling to their brotherly opponent 35-32. Quinn Ewers didn’t hurt the Giants with his interceptions (although he did throw 1 on the day) and the defense did a good job of forcing several Nico Iamaleava interceptions (three total). The run defense also held up, only allowing 71 Jahmyr Gibbs rushing yards. Still, the Giants sit at 1-5 on the season and are already entering must-win mode heading into week 7 against the Commanders.
29. Arizona Cardinals (1-5) (LW:25): Cardinals are pretty much eliminated from playoff contention with the most recent loss under the CPU. Again, really not much to see here, we’ll keep it moving to the exciting Ravens, Colts, and Dolphins who round out this weeks list.
30. Baltimore Ravens (1-5) (LW:30): Extra, Extra, Baltimore gets their first win of the season! Fans rejoice that they are finally in the win column. Lamar Jackson managed to only throw 1 interception this game, but he leads the league in interceptions and the Ravens will need to get that under control if they want to string off a few more wins this season.
31. Indianapolis Colts (0-5) (LW:31): Indy is sitting at home on the bye week with the thought of their loss to the Broncos stuck on their minds. Indy has struggled this season and now they’re suffering from injuries to a few key defensive players. Indy has to be wondering when they are going to catch a break.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-6) (LW:32): 26 attempts for 207 yards, De’von Achane was a mad man against the Bills this week, but it wasn’t enough to push the Dolphins in the win column. However, Miami recorded a season high of 507 yards of offense this week. Now if only they could hold their opponents to under 50 points per game, wouldn’t that be the day.
