Author: DrafttekStaff_McGlothlin | Filed under: Uncategorized

Rick McGlothlin, Drafttek.com Senior Writer

 

I really don’t believe (at least fully, at this point) that all of the top five teams I have listed from 1-5 at present, are going to hold onto that distinction for very long. However,  I do consider it both prudent and proper to give them their due for the time being. And who knows, maybe they continue to prove pundits and skeptics wrong. Denver and Minnesota are the newcomers to this lofty perch, while the Saints have been on again/off again (even with the standout leadership of Drew Brees) while piecing together a defense.

 

The Colts are seemingly always in the mix throughout the regular season, New England is also starting to regain its footing after that wobbly start, and the Steelers looked more like their old selves Sunday night. And for Ravens’ fans, don’t freak out by the drop this week for your team. It’s probably just temporary because that club is going to be a force come playoff time.

 

An illustration as to why I think the rankings in week 4 are just temporary for those at the top, middle or bottom? Look no further than the week 5 schedule, starting with the matchup between Oakland and the Giants or Tampa Bay at Philadelphia.  Think the Giants or Eagles will move down after those two game? Or how about Cincinnati at Baltimore and New England at Denver? Now those two will ultimately help define the top tier a little better. Or create true mayhem for yours truly if both the Bengals and Broncos win. Nevertheless, there’s a slight shuffle in the top ten for this week, along with a little wiggle at the bottom. In between, there’s some movement as well.

Here’s the week 4 rundown.

 

 

1. New York Giants (4-0) – The game was never in doubt but the interesting thing about this game is the emergence of Steve Smith as a top wideout for New York. It looks like Eli Manning is gaining more and more confidence (and comfort) looking for Smith in the game and Smith has come through big. Rookie Hakeem Nicks caught a 54-yard TD for the Giants as well, and those two along with Manningham are giving this team a formidable offense. The defense is what it is – a force of its own. limiting KC to a mere 193 total yards in offense.

2. Minnesota (4-0) – Classic game, classic Favre. The “old man” gets round 1 of the series with an incredible passing performance on MNF, leading the Vikings to a 30-23 win over Favre’s former Packer team. Jared Allen tallied 4.5 sacks of Green Bay’s Aaron Rogers, who had little protection from his O-line. Even so, the Vikings rather odd playcalling late gave the Packers an opportunity to stay in the game, but Sydney Rice made two excellent fielding plays during onside kick attempts to help seal the victory. The running game will no doubt get some scrutiny as Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor didn’t rack up much yardage, but added just enough to force Green Bay to look for the run.

Mark down Sunday, November 1st at Lambeau Field for round 2 between the two rivals. But between then and now Viking fans may want to proceed with caution on the celebrating. After a road game with the Rams next week, they host Baltimore and then travel to Pittsburgh…3 tough games in a row after the Rams matchup. They’ll need that bye week due to them after the November 1st game in Green Bay.

 

3. Indianapolis (4-0) – Sure, the Colts had the advantage of a banged up Seahawks defensive unit to face, but it wasn’t like Seattle was playing without some studs on defense. The key was Peyton Manning and his 4th consecutive 300 yard passing game, along with a defense playing much better, building a 31-3 lead through the first part of the 4th quarter. After that, it was just a matter of how the final score looked. And it looked a lot closer than the game was really played. Manning had his way all day and the defense held Seattle in check until mop up duty allowed some cheap scores late in final stanza. Rookie Austin Collie caught his first pro TD pass from Manning while rookie RB Donald Brown added a rushing score.

Dwight Freeney, who looked like he’d be out for this game, tallied a sack and a few tackles but it was Robert Mathis who had the biggest impact defensively day with 3 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles. And to think the Colts still have a banged up defense missing a few key players. Indy’s next opponent is 0-4 Tennessee, on a Sunday night telecast.

 

4. New Orleans (4-0) – For the second week in a row the Saints didn’t need the power passing game thanks in part to a couple of rookie mistakes by the Jets Mark Sanchez. And once again, Pierre Thomas came storming out in the second half to lead the Saints on the ground and into the endzone, ripping a Jet defense that was keeping the offense in check for the first two and a half quarters. New Orleans, with an improved defense and strong running game, will be hard to beat in the NFC South, and that could help propel them for a long run in post-season play. But first things first. After the bye week, they take on what looks to be their main competition in the NFC – the N.Y. Giants. But remember, the Saints don’t do well (historically) after a bye week. If that changes this year, look out!

 

5. Denver (4-0) – Sure, when they went 3-0 folks said they haven’t really beat anyone too good. Well, can they say the same thing about the Cowboys? Maybe. Maybe not. Certainly the Broncos had to face a tough Dallas defense, so maybe it was “half” a tough team. Once Brandon Marshall snagged that jump ball from Kyle Orton late in the game, he practically danced through the entire Cowboy defense enroute to the endzone. The Bronco D was just nasty and CB Champ Bailey was the wrong guy for Romo to be messing with when the game was in the balance.

 

6. N.Y. Jets (3-1) – Matt “Sanchize” learned some of the same lessons many other rookies have learned in their first go-round at the QB position: Things won’t always go smoothly. And so it was that while the Jets defense clamped down on the Saints most of the day, the Jets offense basically crashed upon takeoff and never recovered. Nothing to get to torn up about and with a divisional game next week vs the faltering Bills, Sanchez and the Jets need to wipe this one out of their collective minds and move on.

 

7. New England (3-1) – Although the win is skewed a bit in my book (the roughing calls were just silly) the Pats did get back on track offensively with the return of Wes Welker. Brady looks to be more confident in what he’s doing and the defense has done a bit better in their playmaking. I still think their secondary is extremely vulnerable and the offense isn’t anywhere near 100% just yet. Even so, they’ve won 3 of 4 against quality teams and that’s good enough for a move up.

 

8. Atlanta (2-1) – BYE

 

9 . Baltimore (3-1) – It’s only one loss and it WAS on the road to New England, but the Ravens slide back behind the other undefeated teams and Atlanta, who shouldn’t get punished for a bye week. If Clayton had caught that fourth down pass from Flacco, and there hadn’t been some of the more ridiculous “Brady” calls, the Ravens would surely still be undefeated and at #2 in these rankings. As it is, there’s a drop to #9 but still plenty of time to go, especially considering how well 2nd year QB Joe Flacco is doing.

 

10. San Francisco (3-1) – The 49ers did what they were expected to do – and need to do – in order to remain a top contender for the playoffs. They whipped an inferior team. St. Louis was no match for the Niners, especially that defense, as San Francisco steam-rolled the Rams for a shutout – the first time they’ve shutout the Rams since September of ‘96, and their first shutout overall since 2002 when they stomped the Saints, 38-0. The Niners have the Falcons next, then a bye followed by road games to Houston and Indianapolis.

 

11. Chicago (3-1) – Matt Forte returned to the spotlight for the Bears once again, punctuating a solid performance by Jay Cutler, as Chicago pulled away from a determined Lions team late in the 3rd quarter. The first half was nip and tuck the entire way, but once Forte ran for the 37-yard TD in the 3rd quarter, the jig was up for Detroit. And is Johnny Knox fast, or what?! Now the question is, how banged up is Devin Hester?

12. Philadelphia (2-1) – BYE

13. Cincinnati (3-1) – Whhhhhoooooooaaaaa! 3-1 Cincinnati? The Bengals? Seriously? And tied for FIRST PLACE with Baltimore in the AFC North? Who’d a thunk it, right? And imagine if that wierd deflection against Denver hadn’t of ended up in the hands of Brandon Stokely….the Bengals would be in first place alone, with a 4-0 record. The Cincinnati defense has led the way all season, but Carson Palmer and the offense has started to get some action going as well. Had Shayne Graham not missed the easy PAT, the game would’ve been over in regulation. Instead, the Bengals needed a tough QB run on fourth down to keep a drive alive in OT, and subsquent redeeming FG by Graham to give the Bengals a big win…. and it’s their 6th in the last 7 games.

14. Pittsburgh (2-2) – Looks like Mendenhall gets a pass out of the Mike Tomlin doghouse, as he rushes for two TD’s and helps the Steelers put away the Chargers early at 28-0. But hold on a minute, the Steelers relax a little too much and scramble to keep the jaws of defeat from snatching away what seemed like a sure win. It’s obvious Pittsburgh was amped up and ready for this game, but it is still not the same team without Polamalu. Detroit and Cleveland are up next – probably just tune ups – before a big showdown at the Metrodome with the Minnesota Vikings.

15. San Diego (2-2) – Blasted out of the stadium most of the game, the Chargers tried to rally late and fell short, but at least put up a valiant effort in the final quarter. The running game was non-existant (15 yards rushing for LT and none for Sproles) while the defense didn’t fare too much better allowing the Steelers to run the score to 28-0 through almost 3 full quarters of play. One thing is certainly true about this Charger team…they’re never really out of striking distance, so teams with a lead going into the 4th quarter – even a 28 point lead like Pittsburgh – better not let up.

 

16. Green Bay (2-2) – Excellent job by Aaron Rodgers to keep his team coming back and trying to pull off the big win on the road. Showcasing his accuracy and laser-guided missile throws, he demonstrated why Green Bay’s management made the ultimate decision to go with youth over the veteran two years ago. If his offensive line gave him better protection, there’s no doubt in my mind that the game would’ve come down to a final play for whichever team had the ball. As it was, it pretty close and the rematch in Green Bay will probably go to the Packers IF Rodgers can get some better protection.

17. Dallas (2-2) – Tony WOE-mo strikes again ! The Dallas defense keeps the Broncos in check while the offense had multiple opportunities to improve on a 10-0 score but could not help take the pressure off the defense. The Broncos finally wore the Dallas D out just enough to allow Brandon Marshall the wild effort on a catch and run that gave Denver their first (and ultimately the game-winner) lead of the day, while WOE-mo (and his OC) decided Miles Austin wasn’t open both times on the last two offensive plays for Dallas, throwing instead in the direction of Bronco DB Champ Bailey, who knocked two passes in a row away Hurd.

By the way, where was Roy Williams during that final series? Oh yeah, his tummy hurt and was on the sidelines. Wonder how “The Playmaker” feels about that? I’ll just say that big time players WILL themselves back onto the field and ultimately make a difference. He didn’t, and it may have cost his team a “W” even with WOE-mo missing a wide-open Miles Austin. Twice.

 

18. Jacksonville (2-2) – The Jaguars help keep del Rio employed by laying the beat down on division rival Tennessee. Newcomer Mike Sims-Walker was the star of the day, catching 2 TD passes for the Jags and helping David Garrard to a career day at QB, passing for 323 yards and 3 TD’s. The defense limited the Titan rushing attack to under 100 yards rushing and picked Kerry Collins twice, before giving up 2 TD’s later in the game. Next up is a road trip to the great Northwest and see how well they can do against the Seattle team that Indy ripped apart.

19. Arizona (1-2) – BYE

20. Houston (2-2) – Interesting that the defense who hasn’t been too effective stopping the run found a way to stop Oakland’s running game dead in its tracks. That and RB Steve Slaton getting untracked helped the Texans corral the moribund Raiders. While the Texans are still in hopes of cracking into the playoffs for the first time, they won’t be able to do so if they cannot correct their deficiencies on defense. Next up is the air attack of the Arizona Cardinals, which the #10 passing defense in the league hopes to shut down. Schaub and Andre Johnson, meanwhile, are licking their chops looking at that 30th ranked passing defense of ‘Zona. Could be a shootout in Glendale.

21. Washington (2-2) – Every single aspect of the worst-case scenario possible was playing out in front of Jim Zorn’s very eyes. Offense not making plays and not scoring points. Defense allowing Josh Johnson to throw a TD pass on his first passing attempt of the game. Down 10-0 at halftime. After that, the game changed completely and the Redskins woke up from a long, long slumber and held on for a 16-13 win. But the fact they had this much trouble with Tampa Bay still speaks volume about the recurring nightmare theme for Skins fans.

22. Miami (1-3) – Give this ballclub a ton of credit. They could’ve just closed up shop and looked to next year after the heartbreaking losses they’ve endured in their last two games. Instead, Chad Henne is making the most of his opportunity to play and the Miami defense just suffocated Trent Edwards and the Bills offense. Could be a turning point for this team, who has not played badly in any game this year and could’ve been 2-2 at this point if not for a future Hall of Fame QB named Manning.

23. Buffalo (1-3) – Football fans and pundits are left to scratch their heads in collective amazement. Think about it. I was just marveling above at the resilence of the Miami Dolphins, and we now look at the opposite end of the spectrum. SOMETHING is wrong with this ballclub and I’m thinking it’s NOT a guy named Owens. Although that movie (Part III) may be coming soon to a big flatscreen near you. Getcha popcorn ready!
 

24. Seattle (1-3) – Just overwhelmed from the get-go in Indianapolis with only T.J. Houshmanzadeh showing any signs of life. The defense was ripped to shreds by Manning and allowed a rookie wideout and running back to score TD’s. The lone bright spot was the exceptional standing ovation and video tribute given to former Colts running back Edgerrin James at the end of the 3rd quarter. Other than that, it was almost as dreary as a typicaly rainy, cold and foggy Seattle day.

25. Detroit (1-3) – I feel horrible for the Lions and Lion fans. Just as the franchise savior at QB was starting to feel comfortable and gain confidence, trading scoring plays with division rival Chicago – WHAM! And I’m not talking about the 80’s pop group. Hopefully Matthew Stafford can bounce back quickly from his knee injury and lead the charge once again. In the meantime, it’ll be Duante Culpepper trying to put points on the board, which really hasn’t been a problem for Detroit thus far in 2009.

The defense, on the other hand, needs to tighten up a bit more as they allowed 21 points in the first half, and 27 in the second. They’ve done well in two of the games (last week vs Washington, allowing only 16 and Week two, allowing 27 in a loss to the Vikings. Against the Saints they gave up 45, to with the 48 the Bears put on the board. You cannot win giving up that many points.

26. Tennessee (0-4) – This coming Sunday, October 11th, 2009, will be D-Day for the Tennessee Titans. (Do It Or Die Day). After the crushing defeat suffered to Jacksonville, they have one shot left to re-group and recover to try and salvage a disastrous start to this season. Cue the music and the video clips of a red-hot Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Colts, who will come into Nashville with an unblemished record. If the Titans can’t prevail in this one, it could be a seriously long season.

27. Carolina (0-3) – BYE

28. Oakland (1-3) – Hmmmm. So the Raiders, with a decent running game, come into a game to face a defense that allows rushing yardage by the bushel basket. Well, guess what? The Raiders racked up an astonishing 45 yards on the ground to go along with their blistering 120 yards passing, and managed to score via two field goal kicks. IM-pressive. How many top ten draft picks do these guys have again? Al? Al? Wake up Al ! That’s right Al, it’s all the fault of Rich Gannon. Silly announcer-guys.

29. Kansas City (0-4) – It took every fiber in my body not to jump these next four teams over the Raiders just for the basic reason that KC’s ownership and coaching staff are in the midst of resurrecting a franchise. Cleveland and St. Louis have had years to do this, while Tampa Bay is experiencing their first huge tailspin since BD. (Before Dungy). KC has some talent and some potential, but it’s also going to take some time.

30. Tampa Bay (0-4) – I really don’t know where to start with this team. Is the coach in over his head? Is the QB situation really that stark? Is the defense bad or the glue holding what’s left of the team together? Many, many questions and no answers. One thing that is certain is the Bucs have a long, tough hill to climb back to the top of the mountain.

31. Cleveland (0-4) – Good news for the Browns: they held a running back under 100 yards rushing. The bad news? They couldn’t stop Carson Palmer, either on the ground or in the air, letting him pick up a back-breaking first down that cost them the game in OT. The other bad news for Cleveland is they travel to Pittsburgh next week. Yikes!

32. St. Louis ( 0-4) – Once again the defense didn’t play too bad, but that offense…….well, it just blows. I mean, let’ s be serious – they just got taken a part In fact, the Rams have been outscored about 120-something to 24 so far this year. I’m not making this up….and it’s not all because of the defense. Sometimes they’re complicit, but not on this day. Bulger or Boller have not been able to move this offense. Time for the rookie Knull to get his shot. On second thought, maybe they should wait until after next week’s game at Minnesota. Or the following week against Jacksonville. And then Indianapolis.