2016 NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

1. New England Patriots (Last week: 1)
He’s back and it was a scary look for sure. Tom Brady threw for 400 yards and three touchdowns in his return from his four game suspension. Rob Ninkovich is back as well. Now the Pats are at full strength and rolling.

2. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 2)
We all thought that the Vikings, lead by Sam Bradford and Matt Asiata, would be the last undefeated team this season, right? Well they are and this Minnesota defense might be among the best units we have ever seen.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 5)
That meltdown in Philly seems like a distant memory now. Pittsburgh has won two straight by a margin of 74-27. Needless to say the Steelers are back on track.

4. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 4)
A bye week lets Seattle get healthy. Early season struggles seem to be Seattle’s MO at this point, but a big test looms as Atlanta visits this weekend.

5. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 7)
Green Bay has to be happy with the final result, but the Packers’ offense still isn’t clicking like it used to. Eddie Lacy hasn’t found his groove and Aaron Rodgers is playing some of the most average football we have ever seen him play.

6. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 8)
Don’t look now but Atlanta has won four straight and knocked off both of the teams that played in Super Bowl 50. Heading into Seattle will give us a good sense if the Falcons are for real.

7. Denver Broncos (Last week: 3)
So this answers the question about Paxton Lynch being pro-ready. He isn’t. Lynch posted an 11.3 Total QBR in his performance against Atlanta. Denver fans will be happy to have Trevor Seimian back. (Never thought I would write that).

8. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 6)
All good things must end. Philly sustained its first loss of the year against the Lions. Wentz threw his first career interception in crunch time and Ryan Mathews fumbled just before that to give Detroit a chance to take the lead. The Eagles can be good, but these mistakes are troubling.

9. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 13)
After losing to the Giants to open the season, Zeke Elliot and Dak Prescott have lead the Cowboys on a four-game win streak, even after losing Dez Bryant. Don’t look now but Dallas might have found the future of their team.

10. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 11)
The defense has been disappointing, but Derek Carr still finds ways to win games for the Raiders. If San Diego doesn’t botch that hold, this might be a very different story, but Oakland is rolling with a 4-1 record.

11. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 10)
Failing to beat Washington in the Battle of the Beltway has to leave a sour taste in John Harbaugh’s mouth. Baltimore is average just 18.8 points per game so far, which probably explains why offensive coordinator Marc Trestman was just fired.

12. Washington (Last week: 16)
Even though Washington beat Baltimore, they sit below them in the power rankings. I trust Baltimore going forward much more than I do Washington. Keep in mind that this was exactly how they started last year though. Waiting to see what happens next.

13. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 18)
Rough start, followed by three straight wins over teams that had better records than they did. Beating New England was big, even without Brady. Now a win in LA gets the Bills above .500.

14. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 12)
A week off let’s the Chiefs figure out how exactly they are going to get Jamaal Charles some touches. This backfield in Kansas City can be dangerous when Charles and Stephen Ware play together, we just haven’t really seen it yet.

15. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 14)
Jeff Fisher strikes again. Just when it seemed like the Rams had found their stride, winning three straight, they drop one at home. This team might just be destined to go 8-8 for as long as Fisher is here.

16. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 19)
Not the start the Arizona thought it would have, but a win over a divisional opponent with Drew Stanton at the helm is a good sign. Carson Palmer should be back this week and David Johnson looks like he is finding his groove.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 9)
Still waiting on the Bengals to look like the playoff team they were a season ago. Vontaze Burfict returned, but the defense still did not look much better. Cincy’s two wins this season are against the Dolphins and Jets, not exactly statement victories.

18. New York Giants (Last week: 17)
The Giants find themselves in the basement of the NFC East through five weeks. Injuries continue to plague New York, but so does the lack of consistency on offense. Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. need to break out of this funk if the Giants hope to make this a successful season.

19. Houston Texans (Last week: 15)
Maybe he wasn’t worth every penny. Minnesota has stifled pretty much everyone, but Brock Osweiler had a terrible outing against the Vikings. He has more interceptions through five games than touchdowns and is completing fewer than 60 percent of his passes. And yet they still lead the AFC South.

20. Detroit Lions (Last week: 26)
Talk about a statement win. Beating the Eagles might not seem that way, but after seeing what Philly can do against Pittsburgh, Detroit held their own and got the victory. Still a lot of work to do but 2-3 is a lot better than 1-4.

21. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 25)
Coming off a tough loss across the pond to Jacksonville, Indianapolis got a solid win over the Bears. Andrew Luck still hasn’t really found his form, but a win is a win and the Colts are right in the race for the AFC South.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 24)
After beating the Falcons, Tampa seemed to have taken it’s next step. Fast forward a month where the only other victory this team has is against a Cam Newton-less Panthers squad, the optimism for the Bucs has subsided.

23. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 20)
Carolina’s defense showed up on Monday night, but the offense could not do enough without Cam Newton and Johnathan Stewart. Carolina is in danger of being the first team to win 15 games in a season to not win 10 or more the following year.

24. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 23)
A week off for the Saints hopefully gives them a chance to figure out how to play defense. Allowing 32.5 points per game, is not a winning recipe.

25. New York Jets (Last week: 22)
Age and injury plus a tough schedule have shown that the Jets are not a contender in the NFL. The offense disappeared in the second half against Pittsburgh and the secondary continues to get burned by big plays. This zone concept Todd Bowles wants to run is not working.

26. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 29)
If there is a way to lose, the Chargers have done it. San Diego sits at 1-4 with a positive point differential. That is simply unheard of. At some point, you have San Diego is going to pick up a couple of wins.

27. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 21)
For the second straight year, the 49ers showed up week one on Monday night, only to look terrible in pretty much every game after that. Colin Kaepernick is set to start this week. San Francisco needs a spark from somewhere.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 28)
A week allows Jacksonville to regroup. One win in four games is not an aspiring start, but the one win was in the division and in the AFC South, you never know.

29. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 31)
Marcus Mariota put on a show this week and the Titans actually used their ground game how they wanted to. Yes Miami is terrible, but the Titans are currently second in the AFC South, only a game out of first place.

30. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 27)
The Fins have hit rock bottom. The offense is mediocre and the only win that Adam Gase has this year is over Cleveland. Ryan Tannehill needs to right the ship as soon as possible if he wants to keep his starting job.

31. Chicago Bears (Last week: 30)
Jay Cutler has lost his job. Brian Hoyer is outplaying him for sure. It hasn’t lead to many wins and the injury list continues to grow. John Fox has a lot of work to do before the Bears are a competitive team again.

32. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 32)
Five quarterbacks in five weeks. Only the Browns could pull off something like that. Tennessee might be Cleveland’s best chance to win a game all season. On the bright side, it’s only three weeks until the NBA season starts and the Indians are in the ALCS.

2016 NFL Pro Potential Power Rankings

June 15, 2016June 16, 2016 Chris McGlynn Draft, Football, NCAAF, NFL, Power Rankings

For many college football players, the goal is to have success at school to earn a spot in the NFL. Most players who turn pro after college enter the league via the NFL Draft.

With this year seeing a host of Ohio State players drafted in the first three rounds, I was curious which schools have the best track record for sending players to the next level. Not just getting them there, but producing players that go high up in the draft. I set up a scoring system for player selections in each round and then scored the last five NFL Drafts to come up with our first ever Pro Potential Power Rankings. This is college football we are talking about, so here is the top 25.

The scoring system is as follows:
1st round-10 points
2nd round-7 points
3rd round-5 points
4th round-4 points
5th round- 3 points
6th round- 2 points
7th round- 1 points

1. Alabama Crimson Tide- 225 points
Highest Drafted Player– Trent Richardson, 3rd Overall, 2012
This should come as no surprise. Alabama has become a football factory under Nick Saban. They have the most first rounders of any team over the past five years and are one of only a few teams to have a first rounder in each year I looked at.

2. Florida State Seminoles- 183 points
Highest Drafted Player– Jameis Winston, 1st Overall, 2015
There is a sizable drop off from number one to number two, but that’s Alabama for you. Jimbo Fisher has done well at producing high profile draft picks though with first rounders going in each of the last four drafts.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes- 166 points
Highest Drafted Player- Joey Bosa, 3rd Overall, 2016
Something tells me that these guys are going to challenge Alabama next year. The Buckeyes had 10 players drafted in the first three rounds this past year with plenty more pro prospects expected in the next few years.

4. LSU Tigers- 160 points
Highest Drafted Player– Barkevious Mingo/Morris Caliborne, 6th Overall, 2013/2012
It has been two years now since Les Miles’ club has produced a first rounder, but with Leonard Fournette on the horizon, next year LSU should expect another one. These guys will be staying in the top ten for a while.

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish- 151 points
Highest Drafted Player– Ronnie Stanley, 6th Overall, 2016
The Fighting Irish are one of the most high-profile teams in college football. That reflects in the draft as well. Notre Dame continually produces players going in the first three rounds. 2015 was the only season they did not produce a first round selection.

6. Florida Gators- 145 points
Highest Drafted Player– Dante Fowler Jr., 3rd Overall, 2015
It hasn’t always lead to on the field success, but Florida has continued to produce elite level college prospects. 2012 was the only year the Gators didn’t have a players selected in the first round.

7. Stanford Cardinal- 137 points
Highest Drafted Player– Andrew Luck, 1st Overall, 2012
Don’t be surprised if Stanford takes a dip in next year’s rankings. They are still riding a 2012 draft that saw four players go in the first two rounds. However, Christian McCaffrey seems like a lock for a first round pick next year, so they shouldn’t drop too far.

8. Clemson Tigers- 134 points
Highest Drafted Player– Sammy Watkins, 4th Overall, 2014
This is another team we should see continue to rise up the rankings. Clemson has had a player drafted in the first round each of the last four years. Next year should make it five with DeShaun Watson a projected top five pick.

9. Georgia Bulldogs- 125 points
Highest Drafted Player– Todd Gurley, 10th overall, 2015
Another SEC team in the top ten should be no surprise. Georgia has a strong tradition of producing NFL-caliber players. If we went back further, Georgia might have been higher up on this list.

10. Texas A&M Aggies- 108 points
Highest Drafted Player– Luke Joeckel, 2nd Overall, 2013
Why not have another SEC in the top ten? A&M is another one of those schools to have a first rounder in each of the past five years. They should be locked in as a top 15 school with the recruits they continue to attract.

11. USC Trojans- 107 points
Highest Drafted Player– Matt Kalil, 4th Overall, 2012
10 years ago, USC likely would have topped this list. Just goes to show how far USC has fallen since the Reggie Bush scandal broke. The Trojans will eventually regain composure, but they need to solve their coaching debacle first.

12. Oklahoma Sooners- 106 points
Highest Drafted Player– Lane Johnson, 4th Overall, 2013
Oklahoma is a traditional football power but that doesn’t always translate to high draft picks. In fact Johnson, is the only Sooner in the last five years to go in the first round. Oklahoma has thrived off players being selected in the second through fourth rounds.

13. Oregon Ducks- 101 points
Highest Drafted Player– Marcus Mariota, 2nd Overall, 2015
Oregon’s success in the NFL Draft is mostly a testament to Chip Kelly’s time in the Pacific Northwest. Mariota is the biggest name taken, but Oregon has several other first round draft picks, mainly over the past three years. The Ducks aren’t going away any time soon.

14. Miami Hurricanes- 92 points
Highest Drafted Player– Ereck Flowers, 9th Overall, 2015
Miami isn’t the same football factory it was back in the late 90s and early 2000s, but the U is on it’s way back. Brad Kayaa is a projected top five pick next season. The Hurricanes could be moving up these rankings very quickly.

15. Wisconsin Badgers- 92 points
Highest Drafted Player– Melvin Gordon, 15th Overall, 2015
Despite having the same score as Miami, Wisconsin loses out because Flowers was drafted earlier. The Badgers are in for a drop on this list next year with a stellar 2012 class doing most of the heavy lifting in their score. Still, top 15 is very good for Wisco.

16. West Virginia Mountaineers- 90 points
Highest Drafted Player– Kevin White, 7th Overall, 2015
We are not grading schools based on pro success, because that might be a category where West Virginia struggled. Or at least living up to expectations. Either way, the Mountaineers have done really well producing players in the first three rounds of the draft.

17. UCLA Bruins- 90 points
Highest Drafted Player– Anthony Barr, 9th Overall, 2014
Another PAC 12 team makes the list. UCLA has had mixed results over the past few season in terms of draft success. The Bruins seem to do well at sending players to the NFC North (Barr, Brett Huntley, Datone Jones). They lose out to West Virginia because White was drafted higher than Barr.

18. Louisville Cardinals- 88 points
Highest Drafted Player– Sheldon Rankins, 12th Overall, 2016
This is probably the most surprising team on the list. Louisville is not a traditional top 25 team, but they have had a player drafted in the first round each of the past three years. They are helped mainly by the three that came out in 2014.

19. South Carolina Gamecocks- 87 points
Highest Drafted Player– Jadeveon Clowney, 1st Overall, 2014
Still riding a strong 2012 draft class featuring Stephon Gilmore, Melvin Ingram and Alshon Jeffrey, South Carolina is likely in for a drop off next season. However, the SEC often finds ways to produce pro-ready players out of nowhere, so the Gamecocks will be interesting to watch.

20. Michigan State Spartans- 87 points
Highest Drafted Player– Jack Conklin, 8th Overall, 2016
Michigan State has been one of the most successful college football teams in the country over the past few years. That is beginning to translate into draft success. Sparty is another program we could see rising up the rankings in the near future.

21. Missouri Tigers- 81 points
Highest Drafted Player– Sheldon Richardson, 13th Overall, 2013
Only two Missouri players have gone in the first round since 2012, but a solid number of mid-round selections pushes them onto the list. Just goes to show that even some of the middling teams in the SEC produces high draft picks.

22. UNC Tar Heels- 74 points
Highest Drafted Player– Eric Ebron, 10th Overall, 2014
There were a couple of players that I was surprised to discover went to North Carolina. Giovani Bernard was one, Sylvester Williams another. Either way, the Tar Heels haven’t produced a tremendous amount of prospects, but the ones they do churn out, tend to go high in the draft.

23. Penn State Nittany Lions- 74 points
Highest Drafted Player– Donovan Smith, 34th Overall, 2015
Penn State was the only team to make the list without a player selected in the first round over the past five years. Happy Valley continues to churn out mid round selections, particularly second rounders.

24. Baylor Bears- 73 points
Highest Drafted Player– Robert Griffin III, 2nd Overall, 2012
Because I am only looking at the last five years of draft history, Baylor is a popular bet to drop out of the rankings next year. Most of Baylor’s points come from a strong 2012 class, but the 2016 group wasn’t bad. The recent scandal unfolding in Waco doesn’t bode well for the future though.

25. Washington Huskies- 71 points
Highest Drafted Player– Danny Shelton, 12th Overall, 2015
A 2015 draft featuring three Washington players sneaks the Huskies into the top 25. Washington is very top heavy, not having produces many draftees, but placing a lot of them in the first round.

Others Receiving Votes: Arkansas- 69 points, Boise State- 68 points, Mississippi State– 66 points, Auburn– 66 points, Cal- 61 points

Note: All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

November 12, 2015November 12, 2015 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings New England Patriots, NFL Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots (Last week: 1)
Another week, another win for New England. Losing Dion Lewis is a major blow though. He might not have been a bell cow runner but he filled the role that Shane Vereen vacated when he signed with the Giants. Speaking of the Giants, that’s who New England plays this week in what could be a high-scoring affair.

2. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 2)
That was much more convincing for the Bengals. Cincy blew out in-state rival Cleveland on Thursday night and bottled up Johnny Manziel once again. We are only halfway through the season but the Bengals are my pick to win the AFC.

3. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 4)
It looked like the Panthers had all but wrapped up the game yet again but ended up letting the Packers back into the game. However, Carolina won and now holds a two game lead over everyone else in the NFC. Cam Newton has this team as the team to beat in the conference.

4. Denver Broncos (Last week: 3)
It was supposed to be the storybook return. Many circled this game on their calendars early in the season as one to watch because it was supposed to be the one where Peyton broke Brett Farve’s career passing record in the stadium where he started his career. Instead, Manning came nowhere close and the Colts ended walking away with a win. That stingy defense finally seemed to break.

5. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 6)
A week off for Arizona ended up working out pretty nicely. The Packers fell, as did St. Louis. The Cardinals seem poised for a deep playoff run this year. They have all the right pieces on offense to put up points and Bruce Arians is a mastermind. The desert has a true contender this year.

6. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 7)
Another hard-fought win for Minnesota moves them into a tie atop the division with the Packers. Even though Green Bay is trending downward, they are still the team to beat in the North. Especially if Teddy Bridgewater misses any time with his concussion.

7. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 5)
Brutal back-to-back schedule for the Packers. After facing the league’s top defense, they headed to Charlotte for a matchup with the stingy Panthers. In years, that would be when Green Bay made a statement and showed that they were the class of the league. This year has been different and the Packers can’t seem to figure out why.

8. New York Jets (Last week: 10)
It wasn’t always pretty and it was closer than the Jets probably hoped but it got them back on track for the second half. New York is never catching the Patriots at the top of the division but they do looked poised to snag a wildcard spot with a favorable schedule in front of them.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 11)
Mike Tomlin has to be shaking his head at this point. Le’Veon Bell went down for the season last week and no Ben Roethlisberger will miss a few weeks with a foot sprain. Yet, the Steelers are still winning games with a third-string signal caller and a 32-year old running back. Stranger things have happened.

10. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 9)
Tough loss for the up and coming Raiders this week. The offense played pretty well but the biggest takeaways from this game for Oakland have to be the four turnovers and allowing Antonio Brown to run all over the secondary. That is not a winning brand of football.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 15)
He still didn’t look like the version of him we saw last season but DeMarco Murray played much better this time around and the Eagles earned a much-needed divisional win. This team is far from perfect and Chip Kelly still has a lot of work to do with Jordan Hicks now out for the rest of the year but Philly is still very much alive.

12. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 12)
That could have been a season defining win for the Rams had they pulled it off. Instead, St. Louis remains on the outside looking in at a playoff spot. It isn’t impossible but they just made their road to the postseason a lot tougher.

13. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 13)
Seattle got the week off to reevaluate the first half for themselves. It hasn’t been pretty but the Seahawks are still alive with plenty of playmakers on both sides of the ball. Only two games back of Arizona with two meetings on the schedule means that the Pete Carroll has to like his chances.

14. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 8)
Umm…well then. Atlanta seemed like they were off to a flying start under first-year Head Coach Dan Quinn. Now, the Falcons are losing to teams confined to the league’s cellar. Already two and a half back to Carolina, Atlanta really only has a shot at a wildcard spot, which they are quickly losing their grip on.

15. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 17)
The good news: Indy pulled off a stunning upset of the previously undefeated Broncos. The bad news: Andrew Luck got hurt again. However, you have to wonder how much that will actually hurt the Colts going forward. Hasselbeck is 2-0 this season without a turnover. His poise and control might be just what the Colts need to put together a bit of a run.

16. New York Giants (Last week: 16)
The playcalling in New York has been under scrutiny all season long but the Giants are still finding some ways to win. They shut down Doug Martin this week and forced Jameis Winston to beat them. Big Blue sits atop the NFC East but Philly is right at their heels.

17. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 18)
Sammy Watkins certainly made it clear that he was back. A dominant performance from the second-year receiver gives a .500 Buffalo squad some momentum going into tonight’s critical game with the Jets. Rex will be gunning for his old team in a game that the Bills must have to keep their playoff hopes on track.

18. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 14)
The Saints losing to the Titans is the epitome of why we love football. Both teams were headed in such opposite directions but New Orleans crumbled down the stretch. A win would’ve put them only a game behind the Falcons for a playoff spot.

19. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 19)
The second half begins for the Chiefs on an upswing. Kansas City probably does not have a legitimate shot at a playoff spot but this is a time for the front office to see what they have in some youngsters like Charcandrick West, Marcus Peters and Eric Fischer. Building for next year is vital for the Chiefs.

20. Chicago Bears (Last week: 25)
Jay Cutler is now the Bears leader in career touchdown passes and the Bears got themselves a big, come from behind win on Monday night. That’s even more impressive when you consider that they did it without Matt Forte. It doesn’t mean much for Chicago but it certainly instills some confidence in that locker room.

21. Washington (Last week: 20)
About what you expected from Washington in a matchup with the undefeated Pats. There offensive line kept Kirk Cousins clean, only allowing one sack but failed to open any holes for Matt Jones and Alfred Morris. Washington’s 3.6 yards per carry ranks them 29th in the league. Looking for places to improve? That’s where I would start.

22. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 21)
The Dolphins are now 0-3 in the AFC East. For a team that some expected to come in a challenge the Pats at the beginning of the year, this has to be a disappointment. Miami spent big this offseason but poor draft history and inconsistent play have this team looking at a top-10 draft pick.

23. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 31)
One week after firing your head coach always means that you walk out of the SuperDome with an overtime victory right? Well Marcus Mariota certainly made that happen. 371 yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers is the way to make that happen. This is a win that Tennessee would never have pulled off a year ago and shows positive signs in this rebuilding process.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 23)
A solid effort against the Jets made Jacksonville look good but it counts for nothing. The Jags had plenty of opportunities to win against the in New York. Those are the types of games that Jacksonville needs to start winning to get this team moving in a positive direction.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 22)
Touchdowns were at a premier for Tampa this weekend in New York, as they only mustered one. However, the game was a lot closer than the scoreline shows (it was a one-possession game until 24 second left in the fourth quarter). Winston took care of the football, avoiding turnovers but the Bucs couldn’t play a complete game.

26. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 30)
Where did that come from? Some unusual names made big plays for the 49ers this week. Blaine Gabbert tossed two touchdowns to Garrett Celek in a stunning win for the Red and Gold. The real focus should be on the defense though, which held Donta Freeman, the league’s leading rusher until this week, to just 12 yards on 12 carries. This was old school 49er football and definitely brings some hope to this struggling franchise.

27. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 24)
He won’t fix everything but Dallas needs Romo. Sunday was the Cowboys seventh straight loss since losing their quarterback to a broken clavicle. At this point, the Texans might have the best chance of the teams in the Lone Star state to make a playoff run.

28. Houston Texans (Last week: 27)
The Texans have a whole week to prepare for a Monday night clash with the Bengals. I don’t know if any amount of planning will be enough to get Houston the win but right now, the Texans are still very much in the hunt for the AFC South title.

29. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 28)
It wasn’t quite as ugly as I expected but Cleveland still came nowhere close to winning this game. Offensively, Manziel showed that he still does not have a lot of trust in his teammate and would rather scramble. The defense did not have an answer for Tyler Eifert either as he scored three touchdowns. The Browns have a couple of pieces in place but there is still a lot they need to do.

30. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 29)
A bye week lets Baltimore hash out what the plan is going forward without Steve Smith. Baltimore’s playoff chances are all but none existent at this point and they have to start prepping for next season. That begins with finding a new number one receiver. This is the chance to see if that guy is on the roster right now.

31. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 26)
Phillip Rivers leads the NFL in passing yards per game. Melvin Gordon is 31st in rushing yards per game and has four fumbles to go with no touchdowns on the year. When you are drafted in the first round, it comes with the expectation that you will be an impact player right away. San Diego can wholly blame all of its woes this season on its absolute lack of a ground attack.

32. Detroit Lions (Last week: 32)
A lot of changes going into the bye week isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it gives the floundering Lions a chance to work things out. There is a lot of talent on this offense but the team as a whole looks lost.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 9

November 5, 2015November 12, 2015 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings NFL Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots (Last week: 1)
New England keeps on rolling. Miami was hot coming in but cooled off very quickly. The Patriots offensive line buckled a little but the defense shutdown the Dolphins ground attack. Hosting Washington should be a bit of a gimme for the king of the hill.

2. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 2)
That was really rough. The Bengals were lucky to escape Pittsburgh with a win. All day long, the defense held the Steeler offense in check, only surrendering 10 points. However, Andy Dalton had a week to forget. In the past, that used to cost the Bengals the game. They have taken a huge step forward by winning ugly.

3. Denver Broncos (Last week: 4)
It was only one week, but Peyton Manning finally showed up. He didn’t throw any touchdowns but he didn’t have to. The Denver running game got going and punched in three touchdowns. That defense continues to smother even the best offenses in the league. If the Broncos continue to play like this, they will be true contenders.

4. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 5)
Carolina seemed like they were in cruise control Monday night against Indy. Then they let the Colts crawl back into the game and force overtime. The Panthers still managed to pull of a big victory showing that they can win through adversity. They need to clean up the drops and the fumbles but the fact that they keep winning without playing at the top of their game.

5. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 3)
What on Earth just happened? The Packers had an awful outing in Denver. Aaron Rodgers had only 77 yards passing and the ground game sputtered. That is the worst performance we have ever seen out of Green Bay offensively with Rodgers taking all of the snaps. This week isn’t any easier with a trip to Carolina on the line. Green Bay needs to get back on track quickly.

6. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 7)
An early scare for the Cardinals saw them go down 20-7 to the Browns. Arizona turned things around in the second half and dominated Cleveland en route to a second half shutout. Carson Palmer continues to be an MVP candidate as he is tied with Tom Brady for the most touchdowns in the league.

7. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 10)
That was not pretty. Actually, it was downright terrifying. Minnesota went down 20-13 at Chicago with about five minutes left in the fourth quarter. They then scored 10 points in the final minute and 49 seconds to pull off a stunning comeback win. The Vikings were fortunate to win, but they still won.

8. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 8)
The Falcons looked like they had completely left last year behind them during their 5-0 start. Now, it seems like their 2014 form returned though over the last three weeks, losing two out of three to the Saints, Bucs and Titans. Atlanta is falling well behind the rival Panthers and looking at a wildcard spot as the only possibility for the postseason.

9. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 12)
Oakland has gone from a team that no one thought could make the playoffs to the fifth seed in the AFC field in just two weeks. Beating the Jets, and beating them convincingly, is a big step in the right direction for this young Raider team.

10. New York Jets (Last week: 6)
The hangover from the loss to the Pats continued with a rough loss to the Raiders. Todd Bowles will be pressing this team to have a better response this week after he counted 21 missed tackles on film from this past game. For a team who’s defense is supposed to be its strong point, they need to turn themselves around after allowing 30 plus points in consecutive weeks.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 9)
The Steelers have not been able to stay healthy this season. Big Ben finally returned this week just in time for LeVeon Bell to suffer a season-ending injury. Pittsburgh is not completely out of it with DeAngelo Williams ready to take over but it is certainly a blow to this high-octane offense.

12. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 15)
The offense is middling outside of Todd Gurley but boy is that Gurley kid good! Gurley has the most yards per game this season among all running backs. That defense looks like it is the real deal as well with the fourth best scoring defense to this point. If they can hold up then St. Louis might be able to snag a wildcard spot.

13. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 13)
Richard Sherman shutdown Dez Bryant this week, but Dez was coming off a serious foot injury. The fact is, the Seahawks were very fortunate to win this game. Seattle’s offense has looked average at best this season and their record shows it.

14. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 19)
Don’t look now, but the Saints are back to .500 and very much in the wildcard picture. There is still some work to be done as they are behind Minnesota by a game and a half and the rival Falcons by two games but with only two games left on the schedule against teams that currently have winning records, New Orleans has to feel good about its chances.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 14)
A week off for the Eagles hopefully did them well as they prepared for their rematch with the Cowboys. DeMarco Murray will have a chance to play in front of the fans who cheered him on last season. Philly needs to win this one if they have any hope of challenging for the division title.

16. New York Giants (Last week: 11)
Talk about a shootout! Eli Manning threw six touchdown passes against the Saints this weekend. The only problem was that Drew Brees threw seven. Very tough loss for the Giants and the offense looked stellar all game. Steve Spagnolo needs to sit down with his defense and figure out who is willing to actual cover guys this week in Tampa.

17. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 16)
This is just brutal. Indy lost again as Luck threw two picks and got beat up most of the night. The Colts seemed to find themselves late in the fourth quarter and even forced overtime but another costly mistake by the offense sent them home empty-handed. Yet, Indy still leads the AFC South with just three wins.

18. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 17)
The Bills took a break this week after their trip across the pond. With the Dolphins and Jets losing this week, Buffalo has to feel like they are still in a good place, only one game out of a playoff spot. They have to start winning though. Their next three games are all in the division which gives them a chance to make up that ground.

19. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 23)
The Chiefs might request to play every game in London soon. They blew out the Lions, which most teams do, and it was probably the best the Kansas City offense has looked all season. Charcandrick West is showing people that he too knows how to pound the rock behind that KC offensive front.

20. Washington (Last week: 20)
Coming off a bye, Washington has to be delighted that it is only a half game back of the division lead. They would lose the tiebreaker to the Giants and this week they play the Patriots but there is still some optimism.

21. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 18)
Well, Miami came back down to Earth. Fast. The Patriots demonstrated once again that they are still the bully in the AFC East and the Dolphins cannot contend with them yet. It was a blowout in every sense of the word. One that makes you wonder if those two straight wins were just a fluke.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 31)
Tampa Bay is fresh off a shocking upset of the Falcons. The Bucs are still a couple of years away from being a playoff team but this is a good sign. The defense played very well, flustering Matt Ryan early and often. Now they have a big game with the hapless Giants defense. Mike Evans might be in good shape for a huge week.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 25)
Jacksonville has two wins on the season and is only one game behind the Colts for first place. That is simply unbelievable, especially given how poorly the Jaguars have played. If the offense centered around Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson and T.J. Yeldon can play consistently, the Jags have as much of a shot at this as anyone else.

24. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 22)
Right now, Cowboys fans are praying for forgiveness for the number of times they made fun of Tony Romo. It is pretty clear now that Romo makes or breaks this squad, who has lost five straight games since his injury.

25. Chicago Bears (Last week: 24)
It looked like the Bears would upset the Vikings. Then it looked like they were headed for overtime. Then the Bears lost. It was almost inexplicable really, yet Chicago made it happen. Now Matt Forte is expected to miss a couple of weeks with a knee injury. Things are really at a low point in the Windy City.

26. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 21)
The Chargers rank number one in the league for passing yards per game. They also rank number 29 for rushing yards per game. Giving Phillip Rivers some help on the ground is key going forward for San Diego, especially with leading receiver Keenan Allen now done for the year.

27. Houston Texans (Last week: 32)
It seems that every team I drop into the cellar wins the following week. The Texans continued that trend with a solid win over Tennessee. Houston is actually tied with the Colts for the AFC South lead but without Arian Foster, I don’t see the Texans making a playoff push.

28. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 26)
For a little while there, it looked as though Cleveland would shock the Cardinals as they lead 20-7. Then they stopped scoring, for the rest of the game. Now the Browns gear up for a divisional battle with the undefeated Bengals with Johnny Manziel at the helm. This could get really ugly, really fast.

29. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 29)
Well it looks like that break for the Ravens hasn’t come yet. Steve Smith tore his Achilles and will not return this season. Now, the leading receiver for Baltimore is Kamar Aiken. That definitely spells trouble.

30. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 28)
The 49ers needed to make a change. I don’t know if benching Colin Kaepernick was it. Kaepernick hasn’t been great but he doesn’t have much to work with. The defense has been miserable as well. This team seems struggle no matter what situation they are in.

31. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 27)
Turns out that moral victories weren’t enough to save Ken Wisenhunt’s job. Tennessee has lost six straight since its impressive opener. Marcus Mariota hasn’t been healthy but that is far from the only issue. Finding a running game is the next step for these rebuilding Titans.

32. Detroit Lions (Last week: 30)
A new era is underway in Detroit. The Lions fired their team president and general manager this morning. Already this year, Detroit dismissed their offensive coordinator. It is going to be a long rebuild where no one is safe. Definitely not Matt Stafford.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

October 28, 2015November 5, 2015 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings New England Patriots, NFL Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots (Last week: 1)
No change at the top as the Pats took care of the rival Jets. It was far from the best game New England has played this year. Actually it might have been their worst, with 12 total drops by receivers on Sunday. The fact that the Patriots won while not being at their best underlines just how talented this team is.

2. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 2)
An off week for Cincinnati allows the Bengals to gear up for the second half. Still undefeated with Andy Dalton playing the best football of his career and a plethora of offensive weapons, this is the best we’ve seen the Bengals in years.

3. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 3)
The bye allows the Packers to prep for Denver. This is one of the marquee matchups of the season. Green Bay’s high powered offense against Denver’s incredible defense. Aaron Rodgers is going to have his hands full dealing with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware all night long.

4. Denver Broncos (Last week: 4)
Hopefully this bye week allowed the Broncos to figure out what on Earth to do about their offense. They rank third worst in rush yards per game and 14th in points per game. Plenty of those points have been defensive scores as well. If you factor out the defensive scoring, the Broncos’ offense is only averaging 19.2 points per game.

5. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 6)
Cam Newton had a bit of a rough outing against Philly. He threw for less than 200 yards and had three passes picked off. Still, the Carolina defense and run game got the job done. Carolina might be the most unpredictable undefeated team we have seen in some time.

6. New York Jets (Last week: 5)
Well they certainly gave the Pats a challenge, but the Jets could not stop the Patriots in crunch time. The Jets had a one-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The New York defense gave up two fourth quarter touchdowns and ended up losing by seven. Todd Bowles could not generate enough pressure on Brady without having to blitz. When the Jets did blitz, they paid for it.

7. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 9)
Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer almost mismanaged the clock into a loss. They gave Baltimore a chance late to tie the game but a game clinching interception bailed them out. Arizona has been shaky over the past few weeks but still have a healthy lead atop the NFC West.

8. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 7)
Whatever happened to that Atlanta offense that dominated the first five weeks, it has completely disappeared. In the past two weeks, the Falcons have 31 total points and five turnovers. They were fortunate to be playing the lowly Titans this past week otherwise Atlanta probably would’ve lost its second straight game.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 8)
The Steelers will be very happy to see Ben Roethlisberger take the field again. Youngster Landry Jones had a tough week against the Chiefs, throwing two interceptions. Pittsburgh’s offense only managed 13 points and looked like a team that lacked an identity. Their leader returning should right the ship just in time for a huge matchup with undefeated Cincy.

10. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 12)
Everyone proclaimed Teddy Bridgewater a game manager after a few weeks of mainly handing the ball off. He lit up the Lions though for 300+ yards and a pair of touchdowns. Minnesota is showing that it can adjust to play however it needs to get the win.

11. New York Giants (Last week: 16)
It was closer than it probably should have been but the Giants got a big divisional win at home. They find themselves back atop the NFC East and just in time as well. Dallas has Dez Bryant set to return this week with Tony Romo not too far behind. The Giants need to extend their lead now while they can.

12. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 18)
Huge win for the Raiders to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The scoreline does not reflect how dominant Oakland was in this game. Derek Carr outplayed Phillip Rivers. Latavius Murray almost outrushed the Chargers on his own. Great divisional win for the Silver and Black.

13. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 14)
Seattle got back on track with a good win against San Francisco. It wasn’t totally convincing for the Seahawks but they out played San Francisco all night. All of Seattle’s wins have come against teams well under .500 this season. They need to beat a good team before anyone buys into them again.

14. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 13)
Philly seemed headed in the right direction and honestly, they are still on course. Winning in Carolina was unlikely at best for the Eagles. The defense created some turnovers but the offense was no match for the Panther defense. Because of how weak the NFC East is across the board, Philly is still in the playoff picture but this team is way too inconsistent to be considered good.

15. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 19)
St. Louis has more yards per game and more points per game than only one team in the league. It turns out that it is division rival San Francisco. This was a solid win against Cleveland and Todd Gurley looks like a stud but the offense is far from complete. Nick Foles needs to start holding up on his end of the bargain.

16. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 10)
A huge comeback seemed imminent for the Colts as they continued to rack up points in the second half. However, Indy couldn’t overcome a very poor start and Andrew Luck threw multiple interceptions in his fourth game this season. Considering he’s only played five, that is a major concern.

17. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 11)
Buffalo probably wasn’t overly satisfied with their road trip overseas. The Bills made a fantastic comeback and pulled ahead in the fourth quarter, but failed to hold the lead. Jacksonville outplayed the Bills for a good chunk of the game and Buffalo’s offense looks inconsistent on a week-to-week basis.

18. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 20)
If this continues, Dan Campbell will be the mayor of Miami by season’s end. The Dolphins blew out two mediocre teams but they seem to have renewed fight in them. They are still on the outside looking in but they are definitely headed in the right direction. The real test comes this week against the Patriots.

19. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 23)
Two weeks and two wins for the Saints put them in a position to potentially salvage their season. They still have a bit of a ways to go but with wins over the Falcons and Colts, New Orleans has shown that they can hang with potential playoff teams.

20. Washington (Last week: 21)
Kirk Cousins is still pumped up! Washington pulled off the biggest comeback in franchise history this weekend in spectacular fashion. Alfred Morris and Matt Jones combined for just 34 yards on 15 carries and the defense got gashed by Doug Martin but the resilience Washington showed was impressive.

21. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 17)
After a great effort against Green Bay where they pushed the Packers to the brink, San Diego fell flat on its face against Oakland. The Raiders ran away with this game early and San Diego did not have enough time to catch up. It seems like Denver has the AFC West all but locked up.

22. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 15)
Matt Cassell played for the Cowboys at quarterback and it wasn’t much of an improvement for Dallas. Cassell threw a pick six against the rival Giants that ended up being the difference in the game. Dallas is hanging tough in most games but they still cannot get a win with Romo and Dez sidelined.

23. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 31)
Charcandrick West just made a name for himself in Kansas City. West posted 110 yards on a five-yard per carry average and scored a touchdown. The Chiefs don’t seem like they have any shot of making the playoffs but they knocked off a good team in Pittsburgh even if it was with Landry Jones at the helm.

24. Chicago Bears (Last week: 24)
It is a little troubling to see the Bears playing as poorly as they are. Matt Forte has been on fire and Alshon Jeffrey has been fantastic in his past two weeks. Yet, Chicago sits at 2-4. They haven’t had a tremendous amount of turnovers, but they have the second worst net point differential in the league. Piecing both sides of the game together has been tough for Bears to this point.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 32)
I am not a fan of moving a team to London but the Jaguars might want to get on board with that movement. They got only their second win of the year at Wembley and it was a great win for them. Factions of Jaguars fans exist across the pond already. If any team is heading there, it will be Jacksonville.

26. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 25)
The offense came back down to Earth and the defense was gashed by Todd Gurley. Cleveland had been competitive this season with their last three loses all by one possession. The Browns looked outmatched in this one though and head home to take on the Cardinals. The road doesn’t get any easier for the Browns from here.

27. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 26)
Playing the Falcons close is a moral victory but Ken Wisenhunt isn’t very interested in those. The Titans had every opportunity to win this game against Atlanta. They led 7-3 at halftime and only gave up seven points the rest of the week. Unfortunately, for the defense, the offense never scored again. Not having Marcus Mariota hurt Tennessee and the lack of a running game hurt even more.

28. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 27)
Getting blown out at home by Seattle seems to be an annual occurrence for the 49ers. This one was particularly brutal as San Francisco only managed three points and never even looked like they had a shot of winning. Colin Kaepernick seems to slowly be losing favor in the locker room and among the coaches. Change will be coming soon in the Bay Area.

29. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 30)
Someone give the Ravens a break! Baltimore lost all communication between the sideline and quarterback Joe Flacco on the game ending drive against Arizona. The Ravens had some bright spot but it all goes down as another loss.

30. Detroit Lions (Last week: 28)
Detroit failed to get the Minnesota offense off the field and could not hold the ball long when they had the chance. The Lions need to find some success running the football and then do it consistently to keep the pressure of Matt Stafford. The offensive coaching staff got a shake up so we will have to see if that changes anything.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 29)
It seemed like the Buccaneers had a win locked up in Washington up 24-7 at halftime. Tampa ended up losing by one after Washington scored the decisive touchdown with under a minute left. The Bucs have a great young core but it is a long way from developed.

32. Houston Texans (Last week: 22)
There is a possibility that the Texans would have given up 70 points in this game if the Dolphins had kept their foot on the peddle. Down 41-0 at halftime, Houston made a feeble attempt at a comeback and fell well short. Ryan Mallett got his walking papers on Monday and Arian Foster’s season ended with an Achilles injury. The Texans’ season is quickly spiraling out of control.

The Aftermath

When sporting news breaks, we cover the fallout.

Power Rankings

2016 NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

2016 NFL Pro Potential Power Rankings

NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

NFL Power Rankings: Week 9

NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

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