Five Quick Hits
* When did "First Five Games" become a meaningful stat? Daunte Culpepper and Ben Roethlisberger are off to nice starts, but I think ESPN is a little desperate for numbers to put on the screen.
* This week, I heard Tim Rattay compared to Joe Montana and David Garrard described as a combination of Michael Vick and Steve McNair. Shame.
* Gregg Williams continued to blitz with a fourth quarter lead, with excellent results. I don't know why other defensive coordinators change away from successful strategies at the end of close games.
* Jim Nantz and Phil Simms had some trouble with definitions during the Cowboys/Steelers game. Simms referred to every "end around" as a reverse, and when the Cowboys really did run a reverse late in the game, Nantz called it an end around.
* San Diego's special teams were excellent in Sunday's loss to the Falcons. The punter, Mike Scifres, was awesome, and rookie place-kicker Nate Kaeding made a clutch 53-yard FG.
For the last several years, FOX's pre-game show has been second to none. Hopefully, this week's outdoor performance in front of an audience doesn't mark the beginning of a trend, because the entire broadcast suffered as a result.
Meanwhile, ESPN was a little better than usual. I especially liked that the hosts weren't afraid to admit that Jerry Rice is no longer a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. This was especially powerful coming from Steve Young, Rice's former teammate. Most ex-players tread very lightly around former teams, and especially teammates, to the point of dishonesty. Not Young.
ESPN still leaves a lot to be desired, of course. Michael Irvin doesn't fit, for one thing. He's totally out of place sitting between Young and Tom Jackson. And, of course, all the interviews, especially when ESPN gets all sappy and forcibly reminds you that Disney is running things.
The ultimate pre-game show, as I see it, would blend the best of FOX and ESPN, with no contributions from CBS, which I have mostly avoided so far this season, although it seems better than last year; Shannon Sharpe is a big upgrade over last year. Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson are terrific for FOX, and Jackson and Young are great. Ideally, Young would replace Terry Bradshaw at FOX, but there's undeniable chemistry between Bradshaw and the rest of his crew.
My ultimate pre-game show features the FOX crew and procedures -- with a little less Bradshaw -- but in the dignified backdrop of ESPN's studio. Maybe Jackson and Chris Mortensen could drop in once in a while, too.
Moving on to the power rankings, brackets indicate previous rank.
1. Philadelphia Eagles [1] -- What a sensational return by Lito Sheppard. Waiting for his blockers, making exactly the right moves, earned him an extra 15 yards and a touchdown. Donovan McNabb's two most recent games have been his poorest performances this season, but until it at least looks like an opponent has a chance against them, the Eagles will retain the top position in the rankings. Philadelphia's last two games have been against one-win teams, but their first three opponents -- all of whom got crushed -- are a combined 11-4.
2. New England Patriots [2] -- Bill Belichick's New England teams have a talent I have never seen before. I guess Don Shula's Dolphins were similar in the early 1970s, but that's it. The Patriots play to the level of their opponents, +7. Put them up against the worst teams in the NFL -- Cardinals, Dolphins, you name it -- and the game will be close until the two-minute warning. Match 'em up against the Colts or Seahawks and they win those, too. Most teams that play to the level of their opponents end up beating the Seattles and losing to a team like Arizona. Somehow, the Patriots always win.
3. Indianapolis Colts [3] -- Every year, there are one or two games that pass into legend. So far this year, the top candidate is probably Indy's Week 3 victory over Green Bay. Years from now, when Peyton Manning and Brett Favre are in the Hall of Fame, people will talk about the shootout and the opportunity to see the best players from two generations competing at the top of their games. If you taped that game, save it.
4. Minnesota Vikings [5] -- As fantastic as the offense is, it lacks balance, and that will hurt the Vikings at some point this year. Their game against New Orleans was not as close as the final score makes it appear -- Minnesota was going to counter with a score any time the Saints managed to get something done on offense -- but running the ball more than 21 times would have drastically reduced the chances of a freak play giving New Orleans a win. The Vikings can't control the clock, and when they play real teams, they'll get their clock cleaned.
5. Denver Broncos [6] -- Dominant win over a fierce rival, and a two-game lead in the AFC West. People are still talking about 1-4 Kansas City catching them, and that simply isn't going to happen. San Diego might have a chance, but barring a total collapse, I think the Broncos already have their division wrapped up. Making predictions like that this early in the season is usually ridiculous, but honestly, I can't see it working out any other way. Mike Shanahan should limit Reuben Droughns' touches or his new running back will be worn down by the end of the regular season.
6. New York Jets [7] -- Curtis Martin is going to break if Herman Edwards keeps giving his star RB 25 carries a game. To paraphrase Football Outsiders, there are three kinds of running backs who carry the ball 400 times in a season: those who get injured, those who lose their mojo, and those who are Eric Dickerson. Jets QB Chad Pennington is having a great season. He'll need to be at the top of his game next week, when the Jets travel to New England.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers [8] -- The Dan Marino comparisons need to stop. Ben Roethlisberger has played 4½ games. He's very good, and he doesn't play like a rookie at all -- that's what has everyone so excited -- but Marino he is not. Both QBs have played on good teams, though. Big Ben has the luxury of a supporting cast that includes Pro Bowl lock Alan Faneca, feature-RB Duce Staley, and arguably the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL, Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress. The Steelers have a good defense, too. Their schedule is very rough after this week's bye, and I think Pittsburgh will fall to 5-3 before rebounding to win the AFC North.
8. New York Giants [9] -- Four-game winning streaks don't come easy, but I can't help questioning the Giants. Other teams rebound from losing seasons and it isn't a big deal, but New York finished 4-12 last year. And it was the way they finished, too. Eight consecutive losses, all ugly. I'll feel a little better each time they win, though, and I think the Giants will get No. 5 against Detroit this week.
9. Seattle Seahawks [4] -- Consecutive losses in winnable games, and an ugly performance from Matt Hasselbeck, who threw two interceptions and completed barely half his passes. The sudden meltdown of the defense is troubling. Through the first three games, Seattle allowed a league-low 13 points. In the last two weeks, the 'Hawks have given up 63 points, the second-highest total in the league (Oakland, 66). Now Grant Wistrom is out, too. Last week's loss to the Rams looks bigger every day.
10. Baltimore Ravens [10] -- They've won three of four since an opening-week fluke loss to the Browns. Suspended RB Jamal Lewis will return to the lineup after what should be an easy win at home against Buffalo and a likely loss at Philadelphia. Pro Bowl TE Todd Heap should be back at 100% by then, too. The Ravens will need both of them to jump-start their feeble offense.
11. Atlanta Falcons [12] -- Stopped the San Diego run and controlled the clock for most of the fourth quarter on their way to an important comeback victory. The game against the Chargers was an exception to the rule, though. The Falcons, with their anemic passing game, are not built for comebacks. Against teams like Kansas City and Denver -- their next two opponents -- 10 points might not be a margin the Falcons can overcome.
12. Jacksonville Jaguars [13] -- 20 rushes, 40 passes. You can get away with that against the Chiefs, but not against good defenses. Success requires balance, and Jacksonville doesn't have it. On the bright side, the defense allowed fewer than 20 points for the first time in three weeks. The Jags travel to Indianapolis next week, and a loss would put them in a big hole for the AFC South title. The Colts would be up 1½ games and hold the tiebreaker.
13. St. Louis Rams [14] -- Every team the Rams face for the remainder of this season is going to attack the right side of the offensive line. Bucs DE Greg Spires had a field day, and Marc Bulger got put on his back far too often. St. Louis made big plays when it needed to, winning despite the protection issues and a first-half defensive performance that made Brian Griese look more like Bob Griese. It's fun to see Torry Holt at the top of his game, and I loved Adam Archuleta's fumble return. He ran hard all the way, and there's a simple beauty in that.
14. Detroit Lions [11] -- I didn't see their game against Green Bay, and I can't imagine how they managed only 10 points and 125 yards. The Packers dominated time of possession (2:1) and held Detroit to five first downs. That would be awful no matter who the opponent was, but Green Bay has one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
15. Houston Texans [21] -- Simply tore apart McNair, who lest we forget was co-MVP last year. The offense is clicking, too, and Houston's new franchise enjoyed its first victory over the city's old franchise. The Texans' are 0-3 against teams that don't have losing records, but they're winning the games they should.
16. San Diego Chargers [18] -- Last week, I praised the offense; this week, I rip it down. I saw San Diego for the first time all season on Sunday. I often criticize my CBS affiliate for showing the worst games it can come up with, but I got Falcons/Chargers this week, and I'll give praise where it's due. I didn't like what I saw from the San Diego offense, though. With a weapon like LaDainian Tomlinson, you can't be content to rely on a short-passing game. The offensive line simply has to create some holes for Tomlinson. I didn't get to see the guy make a single cut, and his longest run was 10 yards. I know Atlanta has a good defense, but you can't let opponents dictate your game like that.
17. Dallas Cowboys [15] -- This offseason, the Cowboys traded Joey Galloway for Keyshawn Johnson, and they signed Terry Glenn in free agency. Even if Galloway weren't wearing street clothes in Tampa Bay -- the guy's as fragile as a piece of glass -- Glenn looks better as a deep threat, and Keyshawn, for all his mouthing off, is a hard worker who's still effective as a possession receiver, blocks as well as any WR in the league, and has missed only three games in a nine-year NFL career.
18. Cleveland Browns [26] -- What did Butch Davis put in his team's Gatorade this week? Jeff Garcia and William Green had their best games of the season, and Garcia tied a record that will never be broken. Yep, Garcia and Andre Davis, forever immortalized. The Browns' defense did a nice job of limiting Rudi Johnson (57 yards) and Chad Johnson (3 catches, 37 yards). This is probably too high, but the Chiefs and Panthers are 1-4 and looked pretty mediocre in Week 6.
19. Green Bay Packers [22] -- This week, Favre took another step toward a record that will never be broken while the NFL is in its current incarnation. For the 31st game in a row, Favre threw a touchdown pass. That moved him ahead of Marino for second place on the list. Johnny Unitas holds the record (47), and the game would have to change so radically for anyone to break his mark that if it ever happens, every player in the NFL today will have retired by then.
20. Kansas City Chiefs [19] -- The most encouraging sign for the Chiefs is Johnnie Morton's re-emergence. When defenses have to pay attention to people who aren't Priest Holmes or Tony Gonzalez, things open up. That's reflected in Trent Green's statistics, which have taken a major upturn the last two weeks, against good defenses from Baltimore and Jacksonville.
21. Carolina Panthers [17] -- Every year, teams are undone by injuries. Last year's Patriots are the only group I can recall overcoming significant injuries to win the Super Bowl. Carolina has been crippled by major injuries, and the team isn't overcoming anything. They retain a respectable ranking because their last three games, all losses, have been against opponents with a combined 15-2 record.
22. Tennessee Titans [16] -- Chris Brown's injury is a major blow, but if McNair and the defense would play the way they did last season, Antowain Smith could fill in and the Titans would be fine. Next week's matchup against the Vikings could be a good opportunity for McNair to get back on track, but the same probably can not be said for the defense.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [24] -- Griese and Michael Clayton looked great on Monday night. The defensive line made some big plays, too, but the linebacking corps and defensive backfield were badly outmatched against the Rams. I thought Jon Gruden made a mistake by benching Brad Johnson, but the team has clearly responded to the change. The Bucs look like a better team with Johnson on the sideline.
24. New Orleans Saints [25] -- The defensive backfield is battling injuries, which made their contest against Minnesota painful to watch. The Saints were ill-equipped to stop their opponents in the first place, and the injuries only made things worse.
25. Buffalo Bills [28] -- Everyone said of their game against the Dolphins, "Someone had to win." Personally, I'm surprised they didn't tie.
26. Oakland Raiders [23] -- Actually not the lowest-ranked multi-win team, but the way they've been playing with Kerry Collins under center, it's easy to forget that the Raiders have won twice this season. There simply is no offense here. Al Davis and Norv Turner need a hug. Oakland doesn't have a defense, either. The Raiders have allowed three consecutive 30-point games, something no other team has done this season. One more week like this and Oakland will be keeping company with Miami at the bottom of the Rankings.
27. San Francisco 49ers [30] -- Tim Rattay has had a couple of nice games, but the 49ers won't be respectable until they can get consistent production out of Kevan Barlow.
28. Arizona Cardinals [29] -- After their upcoming game against Seattle, the Cardinals have consecutive games against the Bills and Dolphins. Depending upon the results, they could triple their win total in eight days, or die of shame.
29. Washington Redskins [31] -- The offensive line finally opened some holes for Clinton Portis, but there is no longer room for any doubt that Mark Brunell can't get it done. If Patrick Ramsey isn't starting within two weeks, his NFL career is done, because it means Joe Gibbs sees absolutely nothing in the kid. Both teams combined for 160 passing yards in their win over Chicago. That's pretty staggering.
30. Chicago Bears [27] -- I haven't seen much of Rex Grossman, and I didn't realize what a downgrade it was from Grossman to Jonathan Quinn. Aren't Ryan Leaf and Eric Crouch available?
31. Cincinnati Bengals [20] -- This always happens to me. I fall for it: I believe that the Bengals will stop being the Bungles. After an 8-8 showing last year, I thought maybe the curse was over. Now I know I've been deceived. The Bengals will remain in the 30s until they win again, which, looking at their schedule, will probably be a while.
32. Miami Dolphins [32] -- Randy McMichael led the team with 34 receiving yards. That would have ranked fifth for the Vikings on Sunday night.
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