Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) walks off the field after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats Denver 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
This week’s NFL power rankings have more shuffling in the top ten as the Broncos, fresh off handing Green Bay their first loss of the season, also suffered their first loss at the hands of Andrew Luck and the Colts. Green Bay lost for the second consecutive week to an undefeated team this week in the Carolina Panthers, moving them further down the rankings. The newcomer this week is the number ten New York Giants who have been seemingly scoring at will lately. They join their stadium bunk mates, the Jets, to round out the top ten.
One interesting note is that the Minnesota Vikings continue to climb the rankings, jumping the Packers this week to become the highest ranked team in the NFC North. The Vikings haven’t beaten any stiff competition to date, but then again, neither have the Packers.
Atlanta holds steady at number eight despite losing their third contest in four weeks largely because of their hot start. At 6-3, there are still only seven teams with better records than the Falcons. While they’re still in position for a wildcard spot, Atlanta has a serious issue to work out with an offense that is averaging less than 17 points per game since their 5-0 start.
The Lions in Wisconsin: Analyzing the streak
As for the Lions, the bye week wasn’t enjoyed by everyone. Last week, owner Martha Ford fired GM Martin Mayhew and team president Tom Lewand. The search for replacements has already begun and there will be much to discuss regarding potential suitors in the coming months. As for the actual football side of things, the Lions are the only team with just a single win and they come off the bye playing the Packers in Lambeau. Things are going to get a lot uglier before they get better. An optimistic fan might look at the remaining schedule and see four more winnable games. I think the reality is probably closer to two. The Lions are almost certainly going to have a top five pick in this year’s draft and if they finish just 3-13, they may be in the running for the top pick overall.
Would a new GM use that pick as an opportunity to draft a quarterback that fits their new scheme or would they rather trade down from the top pick in order to accumulate multiple first round selections? With a new GM, teams may not be willing to risk waiting behind them. Then again, there needs to be a “sure fire, can’t miss” prospect at the top of the draft that teams are willing to trade up for. Either way, with the new rookie pay scale in effect, the number one pick would certainly be the best situation the Lions have been in from a draft stand point ever. Remember, the Lions’ three most expensive players in 2014 were among the last to sign rookie deals under the old CBA. Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh signed three of the five richest rookie contracts ever. Under the new CBA, the Lions would be able to get top talent and still have cap space to build on in Free Agency.
This week’s biggest riser is San Francisco. The 49ers moved up six spots from 30 to 24 and looked surprisingly competent on offense given that Blaine Gabbert started. The Jacksonville reject had a perfectly average day and the defense managed to stymie the Falcons rushing attack en route to the 17-16 upset. It seems apparent now that teams have solved the Atlanta offense. At 3-6, the 49ers are the best of the worst, vaulting over the many teams knotted at 2-6.
Our biggest drop this week came from New Orleans who fell five spots from 13 to 18. The Saints lost an overtime thriller against the Titans, who had quarterback Marcus Mariota back from his knee sprain. It’s clear that the Saints cannot stop anyone defensively, and that’s likely going to cost them more games down the line. They’ll have a chance to get back over .500 before their matchup with Carolina December 6th.
That about does it for the big movers and shakers in this week’s NFL power rankings, so without further ado: