Cold, Hard Football Facts.com: Power Rankings: Week 9 2007

By Jonathan Comey

Cold, Hard Football Facts power ranker

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Patriots and Colts.

Colts and Patriots.

It’s their world, and we’re just living in it. Like Prince and Michael Jackson in the 1980s, they’re so much better than the rest of those silly pop stars that it hardly seems fair.

We’ve always broken our Power Rankings into a Dominant Dozen and a Tepid Twenty, but right now it’s a Destructive Duo and a Tired Thirty.

NFL nerds like us have compared the rivalry to the Cowboys-Niners battles of the 1990s, and that’s quite apropos. But the closest approximation to this particular game came while the Cowboys were still figuring things out back in the fall of 1990.

The Giants and 49ers both started thet 1990 season at 10-0, and were headed for an earth-shattering, world-breaking matchup in Week 13. One problem. They both lost in Week 12, the Giants in Philly, the Niners at home vs. the Rams.

It took a bit of a shine off of the Week 13 game, but not much – these were two all-time great teams, both playing at the top of their games. They did have some competition atop the then-nonexistent Power Rankings, as Buffalo was rolling along at 9-2 and destroying some teams in the process. But the NFC was king, and everyone knew it.

The winner of Giants-49ers would probably win the whole thing, and it figured to be an incredible game.

Well … it was close, but incredible only because of the final score -- San Francisco 7, New York 3, the lowest scoring game of the NFL season.

And the game had none of the impact everyone thought – the Niners got home-field advantage thanks to the win, but the Giants went on the road to win 15-13 in the title game. Then they beat the Bills, although just by the hair of Scott Norwood's footy-foot foot.

Will Colts-Pats be 7-3? Doubt it. But either team would be plenty happy with a win of any kind, ugly or beautiful.

On to the rankings.

THE DOMINANT DOZEN

1. NEW ENGLAND (8-0, previous rank: 1)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 4-0, + 26.7 PPG
Last week: The passing game gets all the acclaim but the Patriots ran up the score – literally – against Washington, rushing the ball 35 times for 152 yards and three TDs in their 52-7 win.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: High scoring? Hah! The Patriots (41.4 PPG) are currently being outscored by six teams – Hawaii (51.9), Oklahoma (44.5), Oregon (43.8), Texas Tech (42.9), Kansas (42.5) and Boise State (41.8).
Next: at Indianapolis. What a snoozefest. Clearly, this one’s for diehard NFL fanatics only. Hogan’s Heroes reruns, anyone?

2. INDIANAPOLIS (7-0, previous rank: 2)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 3-0, +16.0 PPG
Last week: Colts tarnished “The Vinny Testaverde Miracle” before the Panthers could even assemble a decent shrine, scoring 31 unanswered in a 31-7 road win in Carolina.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Indianapolis is on pace to score 512 points and averages 32 per game, which would tie them with three other teams for 15th all time.
Next: vs. New England. At least this unwatchable clunker isn’t the Monday night game. Possibly the least meaningful football game of all time.

3. GREEN BAY (6-1, previous rank: 3)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 3-0, +10.7 PPG
Last week: Brett “Don’t Call Me Old Yeller” Favre connected on two bombs – one in OT – to lead the spunky Pack to a road win in Denver. His average of 12.3 yards per pass attempt was his best in a full game since Week 16 of 2003 when he played Oakland after his dad died and averaged 13.3 yards per attempt.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Green Bay's defense has allowed 17 points or fewer in eight of the last 10 games.
Next: at Kansas City. Memories of Max McGee will flow like McGee's bar tab the night before Super Bowl I as the Packers take on their foe from the original AFL-NFL battle.

4. DALLAS (6-1, previous rank: 4)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, -5.5 PPG
Last week: Cowboys used their bye week to get QB Tony Romo under contract for six years at $10+ million per.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: It’s probably worth noting that the Cowboy defense gave up an average of 40.5 PPG to its two Quality Opponents, compared with 15.0 PPG to the teams on its schedule .500 or below.
Next: at Philadelphia. The Cowboys are 4-12 against Philly since Andy Reid took over the Eagles, including two losses last year to their division rival.

5. PITTSBURGH (5-2, previous rank: 5)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 2-0, +24.0 PPG
Last week: QB Ben Roethlisberger improved to 5-0 at Cincinnati, throwing two TDs in a 24-13 win.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Over his last 16 games, Steelers RB Willie Parker has amassed 1,586 yards rushing on 329 carries (4.82 average) and Pittsburgh is 12-4.
Next: vs. Baltimore. The Ravens beat Pittsburgh 27-0 and 31-7 in 2006.

6. NEW YORK GIANTS (6-2, previous rank: 6)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -8.3 PPG
Last week: The Giants beat Miami 13-10 in London behind 104 rushing yards by John Cleese, a J.K. Rowling had an interception, and a 43-yard field goal by Winston Churchill in what was surely his finest hour.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Eli Manning has his team at 6-2, but still has a passer rating of less than 80 (79.5). As a team, the Giants have a lower passer rating than the Jets (77.7 to 77.3).
Next: Bye. Time enough to let all of that kidney pie digest.

7. JACKSONVILLE (5-2, previous rank: 7)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -5.0 PPG
Last week: Jaguars didn’t turn it over, beat the Bucs 24-23 in Tampa despite being outgained 385-219.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Watch out, DTs: The Jaguars have sent 75.2 percent of their running plays up the middle, easily the highest percentage in the league.
Next: at New Orleans. Maurice Jones-Drew (UCLA) and Reggie Bush (USC) renew their rivalry.

8. TENNESSEE (5-2, previous rank: 8)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, +0.5 PPG
Last week: The Titans beat Oakland, 13-9, Despite Vince Young’s 1.63 yards per pass attempt.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Eric Moulds has started all seven games at wide receiver for the Titans, but has just 122 yards receiving.
Next: vs. Carolina. You won't see this much ugly blue on the field this side of Boise State.

9. SAN DIEGO (4-3, previous rank: 13)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-3, -15.0 PPG
Last week: Beat Houston 35-10; San Diego has averaged 34.7 PPG in their last three games.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Chargers have great hands: widely criticized receivers have dropped only four passes, fewest in the NFL, while defenders have picked off 11 passes, second-most in the league.
Next: at Minnesota. LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Adrian Peterson.

10. DETROIT (5-2, previous rank: 12)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-1, -31.0 PPG
Last week: The Lions picked off three Brian Griese passes in the end zone en route to a 16-7 road win at Chicago. They have a league-high 13 INTs even though they rank 30th in passes defended (25).
Cold, Hard Football Facts: If the Lions do achieve Jon Kitna’s preseason goal of 10 wins (or more), it’ll be their first 10-win season since 1995. The Lions have won 10 or more games just eight times in their 78-year history (three times under Wayne Fontes in the early 1990s).
Next: vs. Denver. The Lions are 3-6 all-time vs. Broncos.

11. CLEVELAND (4-3, previous rank: 15)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -10.0 PPG
Last week: QB Derek Anderson had his first turnover-free game as a starter, leading the Browns to a 27-20 win in St. Louis.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Since their rebirth in 1999, the Browns have played 135 weeks of football. Not counting byes, they’ve been above .500 at the end of just 10 of those weeks (including this one).
Next: vs Seattle. The Browns are 4-11 all-time vs. Seahawks, and are also secretly envious of Seattle’s ambitious sea-bird logo.

12. BALTIMORE (4-3, previous rank: 14)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-1, -14.0 PPG
Last week: Ravens spent bye week trying to clone aging kicker/main offensive weapon Matt Stover.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: WR Derrick Mason has 553 catches over his last 100 games, but just 36 touchdowns.
Next: at Pittsburgh, Monday night.

THE TEPID TWENTY

13. TAMPA BAY (4-4, previous rank: 7) – The Bucs’ RB carousel-by-necessity has been pretty good: 94 YPG, 4.25 YPA, 7 TDs.

14. SEATTLE (4-3, previous rank: 16) – Mediocre Seahawks have one more first down than their opponents, 33 more yards.

15. KANSAS CITY (4-3, previous rank: 17) – RB Larry Johnson has been stuffed for losses (25 times) more often than he’s run for first downs (20).

16. WASHINGTON (4-3, previous rank: 9) – Starting RT Jon Jansen and starting RG Randy Thomas have been out for weeks. But Redskins have run to the right more than any other team.

17. CAROLINA (4-3, previous rank: 11) – Panthers are 4-0 on the road, 0-3 at home.

18. PHILADELPHIA (3-4, previous rank: 22) – DE Trent Cole quietly has nine sacks.

19. DENVER (3-4, previous rank: 18) – Monday was yet another exercise in futility for the Bronco offense: they converted 332 yards and 24 first downs into 13 measly points.

20. ARIZONA (3-4, previous rank: 19) – The Cardinals are a game back in the NFC West; they haven’t been within a game of first this late in the season since 1988.

21. NEW ORLEANS (3-4, previous rank: 27) – After hosting Jacksonville this week, the Saints have only one current winning team left on their schedule (Carolina)

22. BUFFALO (3-4, previous rank: 25) – Bills are almost at .500 despite ranking 31st in yards per game on offense, 30th in yards per game allowed on defense.

23. HOUSTON (3-5, previous rank: 20) – QB Matt Schaub has 0 TDs, 4 INT in his last four games (three losses)

24. CINCINNATI (2-5, previous rank: 24) – Bengals might get to 8-8 yet: three of their last four games are against San Francisco, St. Louis and Miami.

25. CHICAGO (3-5, previous rank: 21) – The Bears have thrown nine interceptions in the fourth quarter.

26. MINNESOTA (2-5, previous rank: 23) – Vikings have as many defensive TDs as they do passing TDs (4).

27. OAKLAND (2-5, previous rank: 26) – Returner Chris Carr has missed out on the touchdown frenzy; he’s fielded 41 combined punts and kicks with a long of 35 yards.

28. SAN FRANCISCO (2-5, previous rank: 28) – About the only thing looking good in San Fran is Mike Nolan’s suit.

29. ATLANTA (1-6, previous rank: 30) – Two words you haven’t heard for awhile: Michael Vick. And two more: Falcons win.

30. NEW YORK JETS (1-7, previous rank: 29) – Chad Pennington will take his 87.5 passer rating to the bench for now, but he will have suitors for 2008.

31. MIAMI (0-8, previous rank: 31) – How can the Dolphins average 4.9 yards per rush and still be winless?

32. ST. LOUIS (0-8, previous rank: 32) – Rams became the first team to go from .500 or better in one year to 0-8 the next year. Congrats!