Post by Cincinnati Bengals (Chris) on Oct 10, 2019 2:19:43 GMT -5
1. Miami +1 (5-0)- The obvious choice for the new No. 1 after KC’s loss, the Dolphins are one of two remaining undefeated teams and scored 162+ points in a Week 5 blowout win, second best in the league by less than a point. Going forward, Demaryius Thomas’ 36+ points might be hard to match, but Miami has plenty of other consistent options going for them. Donny’s Dolphins rise one spot to become the new top dog.
2. New England +1 (5-0)- Perhaps the biggest surprise so far this season, New England is the other undefeated team, and without its biggest running back and perhaps offensive option in Mark Ingram for several weeks, the record is impressive. However, with only one winning team beaten and a weekly fluctuation of points, you have to wonder what happens in the next three weeks against three-consecutive winning teams and the meat of the AFC North. For now, the Pats climb a spot to the #2 overall ranking.
3. Philadelphia +1 (4-1)- With a 154-point week and two consecutive wins, Andrew’s Eagles have proven they’re over their one bad week back in Week 3 in a loss to CIN. Russell Wilson topping 38 points, four defenders over 10 points and a 70+ point performance from the defense all add up to PHI ascending to the #3 spot as the top 1-loss team.
4. Detroit +2 (4-1)- If DET had lost earlier in the year, they would likely be the top one-loss team at this point. Ryan’s Lions led the league in scoring this week, and lead the league in scoring on the season. There’s a serious argument that they have been the most consistent team as well. If 84-point defensive weeks continue, continuing to set the bar won’t be hard at all. The Lions reach their high-water mark to this point in the season, #4.
5. Kansas City -4 (4-1)- Two consecutive down weeks have hurt the league’s previous juggernaut, and this week it cost them, as KC ran into a buzz saw in ARI. The nearly 40-point loss is not reflective of how good the Chiefs have been, but to say the 119+ point weeks back-to-back, when compared against the body of work, aren’t alarming would be a fiction. Brooks’ Chiefs drop to the 5th spot.
6. Minnesota +2 (4-1)- Despite a poor game from Marcus Wheaton and no DB to take the place of Jairus Byrd, who went to IR (though MIN could have put another defender in the ID spot to switch him), the Vikings avoided a loss to the quarterback-less Titans. The 118-points will have to improve, but this week it was good enough, and MIN moves two spots to the good to #6.
7. Jacksonville +3 (4-1)- Jacksonville has now won 4-straight and is one of the league’s hottest teams. The 20-point win over GB this week included a blowout-shortened performance by Aaron Rodgers and four other 10+ point performances. Without a kicker, the final result wasn’t too bad. This week, JAX moves up 3 spots to #7.
8. Arizona +4 (4-1)- Breaking out of their shell so to speak, ARI won over the league’s top-team by nearly 40 points with a 157+ point week. It appears that the Cards are a legitimate bet to win the NFC West, and continue to get better seemingly every week. Three 20+ point performances in the lineup this week certainly helped, and it’s hard to imagine how good it would have been with anything from Larry Donnell and more than a 2.9-point game from Alfred Morris. Up to 8 is ARI.
9. Dallas +4 (3-2)- Two defensive 0’s didn’t stop Dallas, who received exemplary performances by Tom Brady, Alshon Jeffery and Bobby Wagner en route to a 10+ point win over previously one-loss Pittsburgh. The top 3-2 team by a smidge, Dallas is one of the major reasons that the NFC East is trending up, as all four teams won this week.
10. Denver +5 (3-2)- Five 10+ point performers doesn’t usually equate to a 158-point score and a 40+ point win, but with 48 points from his top-two spots, Steve’s Broncos did just that. The Andre Ellington trade is working out marvelously, and there’s no reason to expect the success to stop after several players had a slow start to the season. DEN climbs into the top-10 for the first time this week.
11. Pittsburgh -6 (3-2)- From top-5 to out of the top-10, Pittsburgh had a rough week. Alex Smith rebounded, perhaps a little too harshly with a stat correction, and despite Dez Bryant, Rob Gronkowski and Paul Worrilow all exceeding 16-point weeks, the Steelers drop to 3-2 with a 122-point week. Thems the breaks though. PIT falls 6 spots to #11.
12. Cincinnati -5 (3-2)- For the second-consecutive week, CIN failed to hit 110 points, looking much different than the team that opened the season with three-straight 150-point weeks. Even with Gio Bernard coming back from a bye, the Bengals got behind and used him infrequently, and Nick Foles’ sophomore slump continues. Two defensive 0’s on an injury and a late unchecked inactive put the final nail in the coffin, as WAS got their first win by 14 points. CIN slides 5 spots to #12.
13. San Diego +3 (3-2)- Three players did the bulk of the damage for the Chargers this week, as Arian Foster, Julius Peppers and Antonio Gates combined for over 70 points alone, toppling the Seahawks for a crucial win and getting over .500. With a new GM possibly on the horizon, things are looking up for SD, who move up 3 spots this week.
14. Seattle -5 (3-2)- On the other side of the coin, there’s Seattle, who have lost two straight despite being without RGIII, though Brian Hoyer contributed nearly 26 points this week. C.J. Mosley also added 25. Richard Sherman had a 0, but the 147-point effort is more than healthy. Not to repeat the ending to PIT’s blurb, but…you know… SEA drops 5 spots, though that’s probably a bit harsh. Most likely the low-water mark for the season.
15. Baltimore -4 (3-2)- It’s hard to imagine Baltimore being able to compete with PHI’s 154-point effort, even with the sidelined Derek Carr. As it is, Jameel McClain, Emmanuel Sanders and Connor Barwin were the only major contributors and it goes as a L for BAL, who drops 4 spots this week.
16. New York Giants +5 (2-3)- Despite a limited number of offensive options, the Giants 120 points were more than enough to put away a slumping CLE team. Manning, as usual, was the story with a 35-point game. The defense was also strong, putting up 66 points and NYG cruised to a win and a 5-spot increase.
17. Tennessee -3 (2-3)- Without a quarterback, Tennessee still managed 102 points, courtesy of DeSean Jackson and his near 23-point week. TEN, however, falls to a near full strength Vikings side that is top-6 and slides 3 spots to #17.
18. Buffalo -1 (2-3)- Blake Bortles’ 1-point game along with three offensive 0’s negated anything Jordy Nelson and Bennie Cunningham could do and stalled the Bills despite a very good defensive showing. The 7-point loss is reflected by the quality of the competition, but this kind of outing should be a rarity for BUF, who is lucky to only slide one spot to 18.
19. Green Bay - (3-2)- As predicted, competition has caught up to Green Bay, and the two-straight losses tell the tale of the luckiest team in the NFFL this season. Beyond Mike Glennon and Shane Vereen, there’s not a lot to like about this team right now. Hopefully a new GM can get things headed in the right direction. For this week, GB falls only one spot to #19.
20. San Francisco 0 (2-3)- Denver scoring 158 points didn’t help the final margin for SF, but the 49ers managed to make the outing more than respectable. No one really stood out in either direction, which is just further proof that SF can surprise on any given week in either direction. The Niners stay put this week at #20.
21. Tampa Bay +4 (2-3)- The Bucs, one of the two favorites in the NFC South, are now tied with CAR for top billing at 2-3. Philip Rivers, Marcel Dareus and Antone Smith did most of the heavy lifting, but I’d be surprised if those three combining for near 60 on many more weeks from here on out. The 107 points is a good sign for a team flirting with the century mark most weeks. TB rises 4 spots with the 7-point win over BUF.
22. Cleveland -3 (2-3)- After a raucous start to the season, CLE is freefalling with Josh McCown on the shelf. He was just one of three offensive 0’s this week, which let down a defense that posted a more than respectable 55. The Browns will struggle most weeks this year, and the 76+ point offering this week is just another indication of those struggles, quarterback or no. CLE drops 3 spots to #22.
23. Oakland +3 (2-3)- Despite a miserable offensive performance, the Raiders managed an 8-point win over league’s worst team in PRs. Northing to write home about, but enough to move to 2-3 and jump 3 spots in the process.
24. Carolina -1 (2-3)- Very seldom if ever does a team lose ground with a win, but very seldom if ever does a team win a game with 67+ points either. Four 0’s, or effective 0’s, on top of only one player who scored over 10 points heavily influenced the final score. No starting QB and very little help from the offense around him means CAR is going to be struggling for points every week, which is indicated by the fact that they are only 11 points clear of last place in points scored this season. But they’re still in a tie for the lead for the NFC South despite falling one place this week.
25. Washington +4 (1-4)- Season-highs in points from Kendall Wright, Jerry Hughes, Vincent Rey, Micah Hyde and Keenan Lewis all in the same week led to a 120+ point performance that sunk CIN and gave the Redskins their first win of the year. At 1-4, they’re not climbing out of the basement yet, and that production likely won’t continue, but at least WAS in on the board and up 4 spots with a win.
26. Atlanta -4 (1-4)- Three offensive players combined for 40 points and the other three combined for just over 2 points. That was the difference in a game against now #1 Miami, who scored 162+ points. Woe be the NFC South, as Atlanta slumps into a last-place tie.
27. Indianapolis 0 (1-4)- With an average quarterback, this would be an average team. But with Geno Smith at the helm, who took negative points this week, it was another miserable effort. One player topped 10 points, and it was Pierre Thomas. Weekly, he won’t do that, but it was the only thing keeping IND from total disaster this week. Staying at 27 is IND.
28. New Orleans -1 (1-4)- The offensive production is getting better, or at least more consistent. Eli Manning and Andre Williams led the charge, but no other player scored over 10 as the Saints ran into the new #2 in NE. Despite the 90-point performance, the Saints fall to #28.
29. Houston +2 (1-4)- In a slugfest, one of the best head-to-head match ups this year, HOU edges CHI by .13 points. Nobody was really superb except for Prince Shembo, who recorded nearly 17 points, and HOU is probably lucky to win their first game of the year. The Texans ascend to #29 with the win.
30. Chicago -2 (1-4)- Despite four 10+ point performances, four 0’s held the Bears, who lost a critical game with HOU, to 98 points. Any one of those 0’s having production could’ve helped him win. For now, CHI stays down low, hitting the thirties for the first time this year.
31. New York Jets -1 (0-5)- The least number of points in Week 5 and the perennial underachiever this season, four 0’s or effective 0’s were started, and if they each had been somewhat productive, NYJ would be looking at its first win. Unfortunately though, still at 0-5, they’re one of two teams that remain that way.
32. St. Louis 0 (0-5)- A long and frustrating season for STL got worse this week with an 8-point loss. No player but one topped the 10-point mark and it was just all-around a pretty poor result for the Rams. The last-placed team stays put.
2. New England +1 (5-0)- Perhaps the biggest surprise so far this season, New England is the other undefeated team, and without its biggest running back and perhaps offensive option in Mark Ingram for several weeks, the record is impressive. However, with only one winning team beaten and a weekly fluctuation of points, you have to wonder what happens in the next three weeks against three-consecutive winning teams and the meat of the AFC North. For now, the Pats climb a spot to the #2 overall ranking.
3. Philadelphia +1 (4-1)- With a 154-point week and two consecutive wins, Andrew’s Eagles have proven they’re over their one bad week back in Week 3 in a loss to CIN. Russell Wilson topping 38 points, four defenders over 10 points and a 70+ point performance from the defense all add up to PHI ascending to the #3 spot as the top 1-loss team.
4. Detroit +2 (4-1)- If DET had lost earlier in the year, they would likely be the top one-loss team at this point. Ryan’s Lions led the league in scoring this week, and lead the league in scoring on the season. There’s a serious argument that they have been the most consistent team as well. If 84-point defensive weeks continue, continuing to set the bar won’t be hard at all. The Lions reach their high-water mark to this point in the season, #4.
5. Kansas City -4 (4-1)- Two consecutive down weeks have hurt the league’s previous juggernaut, and this week it cost them, as KC ran into a buzz saw in ARI. The nearly 40-point loss is not reflective of how good the Chiefs have been, but to say the 119+ point weeks back-to-back, when compared against the body of work, aren’t alarming would be a fiction. Brooks’ Chiefs drop to the 5th spot.
6. Minnesota +2 (4-1)- Despite a poor game from Marcus Wheaton and no DB to take the place of Jairus Byrd, who went to IR (though MIN could have put another defender in the ID spot to switch him), the Vikings avoided a loss to the quarterback-less Titans. The 118-points will have to improve, but this week it was good enough, and MIN moves two spots to the good to #6.
7. Jacksonville +3 (4-1)- Jacksonville has now won 4-straight and is one of the league’s hottest teams. The 20-point win over GB this week included a blowout-shortened performance by Aaron Rodgers and four other 10+ point performances. Without a kicker, the final result wasn’t too bad. This week, JAX moves up 3 spots to #7.
8. Arizona +4 (4-1)- Breaking out of their shell so to speak, ARI won over the league’s top-team by nearly 40 points with a 157+ point week. It appears that the Cards are a legitimate bet to win the NFC West, and continue to get better seemingly every week. Three 20+ point performances in the lineup this week certainly helped, and it’s hard to imagine how good it would have been with anything from Larry Donnell and more than a 2.9-point game from Alfred Morris. Up to 8 is ARI.
9. Dallas +4 (3-2)- Two defensive 0’s didn’t stop Dallas, who received exemplary performances by Tom Brady, Alshon Jeffery and Bobby Wagner en route to a 10+ point win over previously one-loss Pittsburgh. The top 3-2 team by a smidge, Dallas is one of the major reasons that the NFC East is trending up, as all four teams won this week.
10. Denver +5 (3-2)- Five 10+ point performers doesn’t usually equate to a 158-point score and a 40+ point win, but with 48 points from his top-two spots, Steve’s Broncos did just that. The Andre Ellington trade is working out marvelously, and there’s no reason to expect the success to stop after several players had a slow start to the season. DEN climbs into the top-10 for the first time this week.
11. Pittsburgh -6 (3-2)- From top-5 to out of the top-10, Pittsburgh had a rough week. Alex Smith rebounded, perhaps a little too harshly with a stat correction, and despite Dez Bryant, Rob Gronkowski and Paul Worrilow all exceeding 16-point weeks, the Steelers drop to 3-2 with a 122-point week. Thems the breaks though. PIT falls 6 spots to #11.
12. Cincinnati -5 (3-2)- For the second-consecutive week, CIN failed to hit 110 points, looking much different than the team that opened the season with three-straight 150-point weeks. Even with Gio Bernard coming back from a bye, the Bengals got behind and used him infrequently, and Nick Foles’ sophomore slump continues. Two defensive 0’s on an injury and a late unchecked inactive put the final nail in the coffin, as WAS got their first win by 14 points. CIN slides 5 spots to #12.
13. San Diego +3 (3-2)- Three players did the bulk of the damage for the Chargers this week, as Arian Foster, Julius Peppers and Antonio Gates combined for over 70 points alone, toppling the Seahawks for a crucial win and getting over .500. With a new GM possibly on the horizon, things are looking up for SD, who move up 3 spots this week.
14. Seattle -5 (3-2)- On the other side of the coin, there’s Seattle, who have lost two straight despite being without RGIII, though Brian Hoyer contributed nearly 26 points this week. C.J. Mosley also added 25. Richard Sherman had a 0, but the 147-point effort is more than healthy. Not to repeat the ending to PIT’s blurb, but…you know… SEA drops 5 spots, though that’s probably a bit harsh. Most likely the low-water mark for the season.
15. Baltimore -4 (3-2)- It’s hard to imagine Baltimore being able to compete with PHI’s 154-point effort, even with the sidelined Derek Carr. As it is, Jameel McClain, Emmanuel Sanders and Connor Barwin were the only major contributors and it goes as a L for BAL, who drops 4 spots this week.
16. New York Giants +5 (2-3)- Despite a limited number of offensive options, the Giants 120 points were more than enough to put away a slumping CLE team. Manning, as usual, was the story with a 35-point game. The defense was also strong, putting up 66 points and NYG cruised to a win and a 5-spot increase.
17. Tennessee -3 (2-3)- Without a quarterback, Tennessee still managed 102 points, courtesy of DeSean Jackson and his near 23-point week. TEN, however, falls to a near full strength Vikings side that is top-6 and slides 3 spots to #17.
18. Buffalo -1 (2-3)- Blake Bortles’ 1-point game along with three offensive 0’s negated anything Jordy Nelson and Bennie Cunningham could do and stalled the Bills despite a very good defensive showing. The 7-point loss is reflected by the quality of the competition, but this kind of outing should be a rarity for BUF, who is lucky to only slide one spot to 18.
19. Green Bay - (3-2)- As predicted, competition has caught up to Green Bay, and the two-straight losses tell the tale of the luckiest team in the NFFL this season. Beyond Mike Glennon and Shane Vereen, there’s not a lot to like about this team right now. Hopefully a new GM can get things headed in the right direction. For this week, GB falls only one spot to #19.
20. San Francisco 0 (2-3)- Denver scoring 158 points didn’t help the final margin for SF, but the 49ers managed to make the outing more than respectable. No one really stood out in either direction, which is just further proof that SF can surprise on any given week in either direction. The Niners stay put this week at #20.
21. Tampa Bay +4 (2-3)- The Bucs, one of the two favorites in the NFC South, are now tied with CAR for top billing at 2-3. Philip Rivers, Marcel Dareus and Antone Smith did most of the heavy lifting, but I’d be surprised if those three combining for near 60 on many more weeks from here on out. The 107 points is a good sign for a team flirting with the century mark most weeks. TB rises 4 spots with the 7-point win over BUF.
22. Cleveland -3 (2-3)- After a raucous start to the season, CLE is freefalling with Josh McCown on the shelf. He was just one of three offensive 0’s this week, which let down a defense that posted a more than respectable 55. The Browns will struggle most weeks this year, and the 76+ point offering this week is just another indication of those struggles, quarterback or no. CLE drops 3 spots to #22.
23. Oakland +3 (2-3)- Despite a miserable offensive performance, the Raiders managed an 8-point win over league’s worst team in PRs. Northing to write home about, but enough to move to 2-3 and jump 3 spots in the process.
24. Carolina -1 (2-3)- Very seldom if ever does a team lose ground with a win, but very seldom if ever does a team win a game with 67+ points either. Four 0’s, or effective 0’s, on top of only one player who scored over 10 points heavily influenced the final score. No starting QB and very little help from the offense around him means CAR is going to be struggling for points every week, which is indicated by the fact that they are only 11 points clear of last place in points scored this season. But they’re still in a tie for the lead for the NFC South despite falling one place this week.
25. Washington +4 (1-4)- Season-highs in points from Kendall Wright, Jerry Hughes, Vincent Rey, Micah Hyde and Keenan Lewis all in the same week led to a 120+ point performance that sunk CIN and gave the Redskins their first win of the year. At 1-4, they’re not climbing out of the basement yet, and that production likely won’t continue, but at least WAS in on the board and up 4 spots with a win.
26. Atlanta -4 (1-4)- Three offensive players combined for 40 points and the other three combined for just over 2 points. That was the difference in a game against now #1 Miami, who scored 162+ points. Woe be the NFC South, as Atlanta slumps into a last-place tie.
27. Indianapolis 0 (1-4)- With an average quarterback, this would be an average team. But with Geno Smith at the helm, who took negative points this week, it was another miserable effort. One player topped 10 points, and it was Pierre Thomas. Weekly, he won’t do that, but it was the only thing keeping IND from total disaster this week. Staying at 27 is IND.
28. New Orleans -1 (1-4)- The offensive production is getting better, or at least more consistent. Eli Manning and Andre Williams led the charge, but no other player scored over 10 as the Saints ran into the new #2 in NE. Despite the 90-point performance, the Saints fall to #28.
29. Houston +2 (1-4)- In a slugfest, one of the best head-to-head match ups this year, HOU edges CHI by .13 points. Nobody was really superb except for Prince Shembo, who recorded nearly 17 points, and HOU is probably lucky to win their first game of the year. The Texans ascend to #29 with the win.
30. Chicago -2 (1-4)- Despite four 10+ point performances, four 0’s held the Bears, who lost a critical game with HOU, to 98 points. Any one of those 0’s having production could’ve helped him win. For now, CHI stays down low, hitting the thirties for the first time this year.
31. New York Jets -1 (0-5)- The least number of points in Week 5 and the perennial underachiever this season, four 0’s or effective 0’s were started, and if they each had been somewhat productive, NYJ would be looking at its first win. Unfortunately though, still at 0-5, they’re one of two teams that remain that way.
32. St. Louis 0 (0-5)- A long and frustrating season for STL got worse this week with an 8-point loss. No player but one topped the 10-point mark and it was just all-around a pretty poor result for the Rams. The last-placed team stays put.