NFL Power Rankings: Week 5 – The manning brothers RULE!
Tuviere | Oct 06, 2009 | Comments 0
Uneasy rests the crown. The Baltimore Ravens’ two-week reign as the NFL’s best team — as determined by the weekly poll of our experts — has ended.
The Indianapolis Colts are the new leaders of the ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings, followed by the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets in slots Nos. 2-5, respectively. The Ravens fell to No. 7, one slot behind the team that toppled them on the field and off, the New England Patriots. The Patriots visit the No. 8 Denver Broncos in what should be Week 5′s showcase game. If form holds, the Colts should solidify their top ranking for a second week even after visiting the rival Tennessee Titans, who took a seven-slot tumble to No. 25.
That said, there’s a crowded field in the race for the bottom. The St. Louis Rams seem to have No. 32 on lockdown, but the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have shown signs of being the worst outfits, too. Despite a humbling loss to the Chicago Bears, the No. 27 Detroit Lions boosted their stock one notch.
| 2009 Power Rankings: Week 5 | ||||
| RK (LW) | TEAM | REC | COMMENT | |
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1 (2) | Colts | 4-0-0 | Back to prime time Sunday in Nashville, where a shaky secondary awaits Peyton Manning. (Kuharsky) |
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2 (3) | Giants | 4-0-0 | Eli Manning put his best foot forward during this 4-0 start, but plantar fasciitis is going to make the next steps very painful. (Clayton) |
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3 (5) | Vikings | 4-0-0 | Against the Packers, Brett Favre showed just how scary the Vikings’ offense can be. (Chadiha) |
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4 (4) | Saints | 4-0-0 | This team doesn’t always need Drew Brees to put up huge numbers, a good sign for the Saints. (Sando) |
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5 (6) | Jets | 3-1-0 | Even though Mark Sanchez played like a rookie against the Saints’ blitz, the Jets proved they can compete on the road. (Clayton) |
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6 (7) | Patriots | 3-1-0 | With his offensive line and the league’s roughing-the-passer rules, Tom Brady is the best-protected quarterback in football. (Clayton) |
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7 (1) | Ravens | 3-1-0 | In the loss at New England, Mark Clayton’s fourth-quarter drop hurt them more than shaky penalties. (Chadiha) |
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8 (13) | Broncos | 4-0-0 | Mike Nolan’s defense has been stingy with points and is starting to get attention for a major turnaround. (Kuharsky) |
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9 (8) | Falcons | 2-1-0 | Matt Ryan won in the Bay Area last season, but that was against Oakland. He’s got a tougher test in Week 5 at the 49ers. (Sando) |
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10 (9) | Eagles | 2-1-0 | The Eagles could start soaring again now that Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook have rested their aching bodies. (Clayton) |
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11 (11) | Bengals | 3-1-0 | They’re one miraculous play from being undefeated at this point. (Chadiha) |
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12 (15) | 49ers | 3-1-0 | Mike Singletary is keeping the 49ers grounded, a good move given how many games remain. (Sando) |
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13 (10) | Packers | 2-2-0 | They have to do something about their offensive line problems. (Chadiha) |
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14 (14) | Bears | 3-1-0 | Against the Lions, Matt Forte finally regained his rhythm. (Chadiha) |
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15 (16) | Steelers | 2-2-0 | Rashard Mendenhall was great in win over San Diego. (Chadiha) |
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16 (12) | Chargers | 2-2-0 | The Chargers were unimpressive and uninspired in the first three quarters in Pittsburgh. (Kuharsky) |
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17 (17) | Cowboys | 2-2-0 | Apparently, the Cowboys got confused. Jerry Jones called them “champs,” but Tony Romo interpreted it by throwing toward Champ Bailey. (Clayton) |
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18 (22) | Jaguars | 2-2-0 | Two division wins in a row served notice that the young Jaguars don’t believe they need time to develop. (Kuharsky) |
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19 (19) | Cardinals | 1-2-0 | The Texans’ defense should give Kurt Warner and friends a chance to get their offense moving again. (Sando) |
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20 (20) | Texans | 2-2-0 | In Week 5 at Arizona, can the Texans’ high-flying offense flourish in the desert and keep pace with the Cardinals? (Kuharsky) |
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21 (24) | Dolphins | 1-3-0 | The Chad Henne era got off to a good running start, but they might have trouble if asked to win games through the air. (Clayton) |
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22 (26) | Redskins | 2-2-0 | Finally, Jason Campbell showed great leadership in a third-quarter explosion in yet another low-scoring game against a beatable team. (Clayton) |
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23 (21) | Bills | 1-3-0 | Maybe the Bills should start huddling. Their offense is going nowhere fast. (Clayton) |
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24 (23) | Seahawks | 1-3-0 | Getting Matt Hasselbeck back on the field could be easier than keeping him there. Seattle’s O-line is hurting. (Sando) |
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25 (18) | Titans | 0-4-0 | No spark, no attitude, no swagger, no identity. (Kuharsky) |
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26 (25) | Panthers | 0-3-0 | John Fox has been here before. His 2004 team finished 7-9 after a 1-7 start. (Sando) |
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27 (28) | Lions | 1-3-0 | The Lions can rest easier knowing that Matt Stafford’s knee injury isn’t severe. (Chadiha) |
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28 (27) | Raiders | 1-3-0 | A trip to New York to face the Giants is hardly a remedy for a team that hasn’t scored a touchdown in two weeks. (Kuharsky) |
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29 (29) | Browns | 0-4-0 | It’s already looking like a long year for the Browns. (Chadiha) |
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30 (30) | Chiefs | 0-4-0 | Halfway through four in a row against the NFC East, with no good results yet. (Kuharsky) |
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31 (31) | Buccaneers | 0-4-0 | Only the Chiefs are converting third-down chances less frequently. This offense needs much work. (Sando) |
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32 (32) | Rams | 0-4-0 | The Rams never expected to be this bad, even during a rebuilding season. Steven Jackson is a one-man show. (Sando) |
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