Five Quick Hits
* If you are a United States citizen over the age of 17, please vote today (Tuesday, November 2).
* Referees are taking great liberties with the meaning of "irrefutable visual evidence" this season. I love instant replay and am not under any circumstances in favor of eliminating it, but it needs to be administered more evenly.
* Atlanta's defense seems to have disintegrated.
* This week, Jim Nantz incorrectly called Jerome Bettis a future Hall of Famer. I have faith that six or seven years down the road, the voters won't make the same mistake Nantz did.
* Back-to-back field goals bounced off and over the crossbar on Sunday night. If you went to bed early, you missed a strange game.
We all had an idea what to expect, but I don't think the league knew what it was getting into by letting Kansas City and Indianapolis play each other. On the same field on the same day, we saw: two top-five offensive lines, the best player in the NFL, two of the greatest running backs of this era, a future Hall of Fame wide receiver and tight end, a rising star of a number two receiver, the best fullback in the game today, an explosive punt returner, and absolutely no defense. The contest produced a relatively modest 80 points and 1,095 combined yards, the third-highest total in history. The top two games involved the two greatest offenses in history, the 1950 Rams and the 1982 Chargers.
The fireworks at Arrowhead Stadium were so explosive that Peyton Manning managed to overshadow Drew Brees (5 TDs) and Jake Plummer (499 yards) on Sunday. Some people, though, will point to this game as another example of Manning's failure to win big games. That charge against Manning is outdated. What do these people want him to do, suit up on defense?
On to the power rankings, and as usual, brackets show last week's rank.
1. Philadelphia Eagles [2] -- Teams at the bottom of the rankings move up any time they win. If you're ranked in the 30s, I don't expect you to beat anyone who isn't. Standards are higher at the top. The best team, number one, shouldn't just win. It should win big. It should beat bad teams by a ton; not running up the score, no Steve Spurrier-at-Florida-like, but double digits. The best team should beat other good teams, too. At the beginning of the season, that team was the Eagles. They weren't just undefeated; they were head-and-shoulders above their opponents, including some very good ones. Meanwhile, New England was squeaking by mediocre-to-bad opposition. Then the Pats embarrassed Seattle and knocked off the 5-0 Jets. In Philly, Donovan McNabb was starting to struggle and Brian Westbrook was injured. The Eagles are undefeated, and they're back on top, but I'm not enthusiastic about this. I expect more from the team at the top.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers [6] -- Who didn't step up on Sunday? Ben Roethlisberger, Duce Staley, Joey Porter, and Plaxico Burress all had huge games. Pittsburgh has won five in a row, but you know what really impresses me? They're playing like the top team.
3. New England Patriots [1] -- You can't rush six times for five yards and expect to win. Pittsburgh was totally prepared for New England's tired offensive gameplan. On the other side of the ball, Roethlisberger and Staley simply torched the Patriot defense. Load up to stop the run and you'll have to put up with celebrations from Burress. Double-cover Burress and Hines Ward and you risk putting Staley over 200 yards. On Sunday, the Steelers had a balanced offense running on all cylinders, and the Pats tried to pass on every down. Didn't it occur to the New England coaching staff that Corey Dillon might not be 100% at some point during the season? There has to be a better "Plan B."
4. New York Jets [5] -- I'm looking at the back end of their schedule, and it's brutal. The Jets need these early wins over bad teams, because at the end of the season, .500 ball might be a reasonable expectation.
5. Kansas City Chiefs [9] -- Trent Green is making a late push as a Pro Bowl candidate in the AFC, but he'll have stiff competition. You could vote for Manning, Tom Brady, and Chad Pennington, and no one could really argue with that. Or you could go with Manning, Roethlisberger, and Byron Leftwich. Also reasonable. But what about Drew Brees and David Carr and Jeff Garcia? Those guys could all make a case as at least the third-best QB in the conference. In the NFC, Green would have a good chance of playing in Hawaii; in the AFC, he's an afterthought.
6. Indianapolis Colts [3] -- The Colts have lost two in a row, but to good teams (KC and Jacksonville). The Chiefs have won three of their last four, with the loss coming at Jacksonville. Since Jacksonville has beaten both the Chiefs and Colts, one could argue the Jags should be higher. But then what do I do with Houston and San Diego? And Minnesota and Atlanta? You can't use that kind of formula to rank teams, or your head will explode.
7. Minnesota Vikings [4] -- Ugly loss, and Daunte Culpepper had his weakest outing of the season. Without the threat of a healthy Randy Moss, the whole offense suffers. Michael Bennett and Mewelde Moore combined for 49 rushing yards. Culpepper led the team with 32 yards on the ground. The Giants game was at least partially a fluke, but it also reinforced that the Vikings need Moss. It also becomes more clear each week that Minnesota needs to rededicate itself to the running game. Moss's absence is a perfect time to do that.
8. Houston Texans [13] -- The offense gets most of the press, and that's probably appropriate. Andre Johnson is quickly becoming a bona fide star, and David Carr is really coming into his own. For the second week in a row, though, the defense held an opponent to 10 points or less. Coming into Houston on Sunday, the Jaguars had scored more than 20 points for three games in a row. The Texans held them to six, a season-low. With a defense like that to accompany the offense, Houston is a team to be reckoned with. A very difficult schedule makes it unlikely that Dom Capers can guide his players to the postseason in a crowded AFC playoff picture, but the Texans will probably have a decided effect on who else gets in.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars [7] -- Twelve rushes (two by the quarterback) and 42 passes. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but balanced offense is essential. If you can't pass, you can't come back when you get behind, and teams will stack the line to stop the run. If you can't run, you can't control the clock or set up play-action to help your QB. The Jaguars clearly have the makings of a very good team, but they need balance and consistency.
10. Baltimore Ravens [10] -- Next week, Jamal Lewis will be back from his (completely unjustified) two-game suspension, and Pro Bowl TE Todd Heap should be back, as well. Without them, Baltimore played almost even on the road against Philadelphia, going into the final period down by a field goal. Frankly, that's better than I expected.
11. New York Giants [12] -- I know that this ranking is too low, but I can't imagine who I'd move down. The Giants were the last team to beat Green Bay, and they were beating Minnesota 34-0 before a couple of garbage-time TDs made it look closer. The Giants are 5-2 and have a couple of easy games coming up which could solidify their status as the NFC's wildcard front-runner.
12. San Diego Chargers [14] -- I also know that this ranking is too low, but I can't imagine who I'd move down. Since the end of September, San Diego's only loss is by one point to Atlanta in a game the Chargers controlled for three quarters. The teams they've lost to are a combined 17-6. And really, what are they going to do with Brees at the end of the season?
13. Atlanta Falcons [15] -- Call it the Michael Vick factor. He's not polished or consistent, but he's the most explosive player in the league, capable of taking over a game at any time. Vick does things no one else even dreams about. Every GM in the league would probably take Manning or Culpepper over Vick on a week-to-week basis, but for one game, especially if your team appears to be outmatched, Vick is in a league of his own.
14. Green Bay Packers [16] -- Three wins in a row deserves recognition, but an illegal motion penalty away from a likely loss to one of the NFL's worst doesn't impress me. Green Bay controlled the game for 55 minutes, but couldn't put it away. The pass defense remains vulnerable -- this was apparent even against Washington's awful air attack -- and Brett Favre's health and decision-making have been questionable all season.
15. Detroit Lions [11] -- Maddeningly inconsistent, the Lions haven't had a winning or losing streak since Week 2. That's likely to continue, as Detroit will be favored to avenge this week's loss next Sunday against Washington, followed by a probable defeat at Jacksonville in Week 10.
16. Denver Broncos [8] -- Reuben Droughns finally slowed down, so Jake Plummer passed for one of the highest totals in NFL history, and Rod Smith had the first 200-yard receiving game of the 2004 season. To celebrate, Plummer threw three interceptions and the defense let Vick do whatever he wanted.
17. Cleveland Browns [17] -- Garcia came alive in October, and the Browns went 2-2, losing to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. There's no shame in that. Cleveland's schedule is probably too tough for the playoffs to be a realistic possibility, but this is a good team, capable of beating almost anyone. I thought the Browns would be awful this season, and I was wrong.
18. St. Louis Rams [18] -- During the Sunday night broadcast, Paul Maguire praised the character of St. Louis head coach Mike Martz. Isn't Martz notorious for being combative, stubborn, and misleading -- if not outright deceitful? It's like that classic traditional wisdom: someone who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. Someone who is nice to the media who write about him, but mean to Kurt Warner's wife ... oh, never mind.
19. Seattle Seahawks [19] -- Faced with a must-win game, Shaun Alexander was the only one who stepped up. Matt Hasselbeck had his best game in weeks, which is to say that he wasn't personally responsible for a team loss. The defense contained Carolina's fourth- and fifth-string runners admirably, but didn't get past Carolina's weak offensive line to sack Jake Delhomme. I still think Seattle will make the playoffs, but they'll need some help from the Rams. The NFC West champ will probably keep the Packers or Lions out of the playoffs, but I don't see anyone from the NFC West claiming the wildcard.
20. Dallas Cowboys [23] -- Broke a three-game losing streak against a team with a winning record. I shudder to think where this team would be with an average head coach instead of Bill Parcells.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [20] -- A Week 8 bye gives them time to ... get older. Tampa traded four high draft picks to get Jon Gruden. Assuming Tony Dungy wouldn't have led them to a Super Bowl victory in 2002 -- which is an assumption, not a given -- would you rather win the Super Bowl once and have to rebuild a team from scratch, or make the playoffs every season for six years? Those early draft picks would come in mighty handy right about now.
22. Buffalo Bills [24] -- In my preseason power rankings, I questioned Buffalo's defense. It seems to be doing fine, having allowed more than 20 points only once all season, against New England.
23. New Orleans Saints [21] -- Last week's ranking was a little too high. They had a bye and dropped two spots. Perfect. The Saints haven't beaten anyone but Oakland in the last month, and that was close. New Orleans has allowed at least 20 points in every game this season.
24. Tennessee Titans [27] -- One of the strangest statistics I've seen all year: the Titans have allowed exactly 20 points in three consecutive games. Tennessee's defense leaves a lot to be desired, but I'll go out on a limb and say that Chicago won't make it to 20 when the teams meet in Week 10.
25. Arizona Cardinals [22] -- Two wins in their last four games, but the losses are to 1-6 San Francisco and 2-5 Buffalo. Those teams are a combined 1-11 when they don't play the Cardinals.
26. Carolina Panthers [26] -- Five losses in a row. This ranking is too high, but everyone below them has such compelling cases to stay there. Carolina hasn't scored more than 17 points since Week 2 against Kansas City.
27. Cincinnati Bengals [29] -- Billy Volek outplayed Carson Palmer and Chris Brown outrushed Rudi Johnson by almost 100 yards. The real Bengals are the ones who lose every week, not the ones who upset Denver on Monday night. Cincinnati moves up this week because of how bad the San Francisco Bay Area teams are. That sort of thing happens at the bottom of the rankings. You play badly and move up anyway.
28. Washington Redskins [30] -- Any success in the passing game occurs in spite of Mark Brunell, not because of him. That said, Washington's offensive line didn't do its quarterback any favors on Sunday. Ray Brown was consistently beaten, and Brunell got hit almost every time he went back to pass. Brunell's limited range as a passer actually is convenient given that the line can't protect him long enough for deep pass plays to develop. When Joe Gibbs coached Washington the first time around, with Charlie Brown and The Posse, his QBs occasionally threw more than seven yards downfield. Not this year.
29. Oakland Raiders [28] -- The Raiders have allowed at least 30 points in five consecutive games.
30. Chicago Bears [32] -- Conventional wisdom holds that "defense wins games." Chicago, Miami, Washington, Arizona, Buffalo, and Tampa Bay all have very good defenses. Kansas City, Indianapolis, Minnesota, and Green Bay have awful defenses. Just a thought.
31. San Francisco 49ers [25] -- Like many fans, I thought Kevan Barlow would have a breakout season in 2004. But he's got nothing to work with. This team has been devastated by injuries and handcuffed by financial issues.
32. Miami Dolphins [31] -- If the season ended today, Randy McMichael would be my all-pro tight end.
United States Election Day, 2004: Tuesday, November 2.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
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