Week 6 Power Rankings: Cardiac Bears still No. 1

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, October 17, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Miami Dolphins
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Unexpectedly, the highlight of Week 6 was the Bears' matchup with the Cardinals on Monday Night Football. What could have been one of the biggest upsets in league history turned to disaster for the Cardinals.

Leading 20-0 with 22 minutes left to play, Arizona squandered its golden opportunity and took a 24-23 loss. Somehow the Bears won without even scoring an offensive touchdown. In the victory that kept them undefeated, the Bears scored twice on defense and what proved to be the game-winner, a punt return TD by rookie Devin Hester. After that amazing win, Chicago remains No. 1 on the power rankings for the second straight week.

1.) Chicago Bears (1; 6-0) - How did the Bears win that game on Monday night? It's completely baffling. They turn the ball over six times yet get enough big plays from the defense to remain undefeated. Chicago has a bye coming up and should keep rolling against the 49ers thereafter.

2.) Indianapolis Colts (2; 5-0) - The Colts patched up their porous run defense Tuesday, trading for established former Buccaneers tackle Anthony McFarland. This could prove to be an outstanding trade by Indianapolis.

3.) San Diego Chargers (3; 4-1) - San Diego has a ton of legitimate talent on both sides of the ball, but keep in mind the Chargers have faced the Raiders, Titans and 49ers - three terrible teams. This week against Kansas City should be a little more challenging.

4.) Denver Broncos (4; 4-1) - Mike Shanahan's guys took care of business against the Raiders, but the offense remains unimpressive. There's no way Jake Plummer has played 4-1 football this year; it all goes back to the Broncos' grossly underrated defense, which has surrendered just one TD in five games.

5.) New England Patriots (5; 4-1) - Following their bye week, the Pats should walk into snow storm-ravaged Buffalo and take out the weak Bills. New England is running away with the AFC East.

6.) New Orleans Saints (13; 5-1) - Who could have possibly seen this coming? Most were skeptical of the Saints entering last Sunday's game against the Eagles, but they proved they're for real. The two best moves of the offseason: 1. New Orleans hiring Sean Payton to be its head coach; 2. New Orleans signing Drew Brees. Those two decisions have seemingly put the Saints over the top.

7.) Philadelphia Eagles (6; 4-2) - Losing in the Superdome as time expired was a tough pill to swallow for the Eagles, but they remain the top team in the NFC East and a true title contender.

8.) Seattle Seahawks (8; 4-1) - There's a lot to be said for going into hostile St. Louis and winning, but the Seahawks still aren't as good as the teams listed above them. This Seattle team is still far more flawed than expected.

9.) Carolina Panthers (12; 4-2) - Carolina without Steve Smith: 0-2, 9.5 points per game. Carolina with Steve Smith: 4-0, just over 22 points per game. I guess we know who the MVP of the league is.

10.) New York Giants (14; 3-2) - The Giants' defense has suddenly awakened, which is a horrid sign for the remainder of the NFC. New York shut down Michael Vick last Sunday, allowing just 14 points in the Georgia Dome.

11.) Jacksonville Jaguars (11; 3-2) - The Jags come off their bye week to take on struggling Houston. Win No. 4, here comes Jacksonville.

12.) Cincinnati Bengals (7; 3-2) - Cincy had a chance to slam the door on the reeling AFC North over the last two weeks, but the Bengals failed miserably. This is one of the most disappointing teams of 2006 thus far.

13.) St. Louis Rams (15; 4-2) - After bashing the Rams last week for playing weak opponents, I'm comfortable saying they earned my respect by nearly taking out Seattle in Week 6. Scott Linehan's bunch is for real and should compete for a playoff spot.

14.) Baltimore Ravens (9; 4-2) - Everyone got excited when the Ravens began 4-0, but they're beginning to self-destruct. Fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel is simply the fall guy for a unit that lacks any kind of special talent. Steve McNair, Derrick Mason and Mike Anderson are too old, and Jamal Lewis is lost out there.

15.) Atlanta Falcons (10; 3-2) - Michael Vick was forced to pass against the Giants last Sunday, but he couldn't do it. As athletic as Vick is, it's hard to believe he'll ever take Atlanta to the promised land. He was bullied by the Giants' defense.

16.) Dallas Cowboys (17; 3-2) - Look, Dallas isn't going to have any trouble with bad teams, as evidenced by its 34-6 win over the Texans last week. However, at the first sign of adversity, the Terrell Owens powder keg will likely reopen and explode. This team is far from out of the woods.

17.) Pittsburgh Steelers (18; 2-3) - Rest assured, that 38-point win over the Chiefs was huge for the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger was one of Week 6's best QBs, completing 16-of-19 passes for two touchdowns and no picks. It was the Roethlisberger of old.

18.) Minnesota Vikings (19; 3-2) - Don't automatically hand the NFC North title to the Bears. Minnesota darn near beat them a few weeks ago; however, the Vikings' offense needs to have a good showing before they're moved up. The defense is excellent, especially against the run.

19.) New York Jets (20; 3-3) - With Detroit and Cleveland approaching on their schedule, 5-3 looks like a strong possibility for the upstart Jets. One game at a time, though.

20.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (24; 1-4) - Had it not been for a Reggie Bush punt return TD in Week 5, the Bucs would have won that game and then taken down the Bengals, putting them at 2-3. Oh well, Bruce Gradkowski still looks great. Tampa could make a second-half run if it continues playing well.

21.) Kansas City Chiefs (21; 2-3) - The Chiefs lose by 38, yet they remain 21st in the rankings. How, you ask? Take a look at the teams underneath them. All are worse.

22.) Washington Redskins (16; 2-4) - How did the Redskins lose at FedEx Field against the Titans?? It's mind-boggling. Nevertheless, they face a must-win situation against Indy in Week 7.

23.) Cleveland Browns (23; 1-4) - Look for the Browns to lose their fifth game of the year this Sunday. Beating Denver seems like an impossibility for Cleveland.

24.) Arizona Cardinals (28; 1-5) - The Cardinals blew a 20-point lead against the Bears on Monday, but they move up four slots. Forget the fact they choked. Forget Dennis Green's tirade after the game. It's all about the Cards finally discovering a quarterback. Matt Leinart, through two starts, is already the next big thing in this league. How did he fall to the 10th pick in the draft? Talk about a certain group of teams over-thinking the situation. Oakland and Buffalo, I'm looking in your direction.

25.) Buffalo Bills (22; 2-4) - It's a pretty bad sign, as a first-year coach, when your team sleepwalks for two consecutive weeks. Buffalo wanted no part of the Lions last Sunday, and it showed. Dick Jauron might be losing his team already.

26.) Detroit Lions (31; 1-5) - With Mike Martz calling the offensive shots, Kevin Jones and Roy Williams (the league's leading receiver) are finally beginning to realize their potential. A scary thought, indeed, for the future.

27.) Tennessee Titans (30; 1-5) - The Travis Henry Revival Tour stops back in Nashville for a bye week, but it should keep rolling against Houston in Week 7. By the way, the former Pro Bowl runner has racked up a jaw-dropping 301 yards on 51 carries in the last two games.

28.) Miami Dolphins (27; 1-5) - Miami needs a second-half run of epic proportions to have a shot at the playoffs. Not likely.

29.) San Francisco 49ers (26; 2-4) - It's going to take a lot more than Frank Gore and Antonio Bryant to make the 49ers relevant in the future. They need a vast amount of work in the offseason.

30.) Green Bay Packers (29; 1-4) - The bye week meant it was physically impossible for Brett Favre to turn the ball over more. Thus, last Sunday was a success. And here come angry Packer fans crowding my inbox...

31.) Houston Texans (25; 1-4) - No matter what they do, the Texans just never get any better. The first four-plus years of Houston's new franchise have been an unmitigated disaster on the field.

32.) Oakland Raiders (32; 0-5) - While there's no such thing as a moral victory in the NFL, the Raiders only losing by 10 in Denver has to be considered one.

--Reach Connor J. Byrne at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

Get weekly NFL Power Rankings at RealFootball365.com
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