Cold, Hard Football Facts.com: Power Rankings: Week 10 2007

By Jonathan Comey

Cold, Hard Football Facts powerade drinker

In any other season, the Colts, Packers, Cowboys and Steelers would be viewed as legitimate No. 1 teams with shots at all-time greatness.

Indianapolis, 7-1, the defending Super Bowl champ, outscores opponents by nearly a 2-to-1 margin.
Dallas, 7-1, dominates the NFC while scoring 33.1 PPG, 6th best of the Super Bowl Era.
Green Bay, 7-1, fields a top-notch defense and a Hall of Fame QB.
Pittsburgh, 6-2, is just two years removed from a Super Bowl and outscores opponents by more than a 2-to-1 margin, a feat accomplished by just 23 teams in the Super Bowl Era.

All worthy of No. 1 spots atop the NFL in a normal year, but all looking way, way up at the Patriots right now. Two of the three one-loss teams in the NFL, Dallas and Indy, lost at home to the Patriots.

New England, with its ridiculous numbers and perfect record, is seven good games away from breaking many of the NFL’s most significant records. The Patriots are are on a bye this week, about the only way to keep them from demolishing another NFL opponent.

Their pursuit of excellence is well-traveled territory, but let’s reiterate some of the goals they are chasing (other than a fourth Super Bowl title in seven years).

The Patriots need to score 202 points to break the single-season record set by the 1998 Vikings (556). New England scored 355 points in its first nine games.
The Patriots need to score 38.1 PPG to break the per-game record set by the 1950 Rams (38.83). New England averaged 39.4 PPG in its first nine games.
The Patriots need to score 25 TDs (3.6 per game) to break the single-season record set by the 1984 Dolphins (70). New England scored 46 TDs (5.1 per game) in its first nine games.
The Patriots need 3,217 yards of offense (459.6 YPG) to break the record set by the 2000 Rams (7,075). New England averaged 428.7 YPG in its first nine games.
The Patriots must beat their final seven opponents by an average of exactly 14.0 PPG to break the modern (post-1950) scoring-differential record set by the 1962 Packers (+19.07 PPG). New England outscored its first nine opponents by 23.1 PPG.
The Patriots must win six games to tie for the single-season record of 15 wins set by several teams. If New England wins its final seven, it will set a new regular-season record of 16 wins and join a short list of teams, highlighted in the modern era by the 1972 Dolphins, that won all of their regular-season games.
Tom Brady must throw 17 touchdowns (2.4 per game) to break Peyton Manning’s record of 49. He threw 33 TDs (3.7 per game) through the first nine games.
Randy Moss needs 11 TD receptions to break Jerry Rice’s single-season record of 22 (no one else has even caught more than 18). Moss has caught 12 TDs in his first nine games.

Impressive stuff, but with four top teams right behind them, all the records could amount to nothing with one bad game in the postseason.

On to the rankings.

THE DOMINANT DOZEN

1. NEW ENGLAND (9-0, previous rank: 1)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 4-0, +21.7 PPG scoring margin
Last week: In a game watched only by Archie Manning and 59-year-old contest winner Alice Vincellette of Lansing, MI, the underhyped Patriots beat the anonymous Colts, 24-20.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: New England is good.
Next: Bye. Belichick will spend time off trying to run up the score on that “Guitar Hero 2” video game he just rented from Blockbuster.

2. INDIANAPOLIS (7-1, previous rank: 2)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 3-1, +9.7 PPG
Last week: Joseph Addai led the Colts with 114 yards receiving – the fifth different leading receiver for Peyton Manning in eight games – in Indy's 24-20 loss at home to New England.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Indianapolis has been most vulnerable after a loss under Tony Dungy. Not counting 2007, they only have 12 losses since the start of the 2003 season, but three sets of back-to-back defeats account for half of them.
Next: at San Diego. Chargers surely still believe this should have been last year’s AFC title game.

3. GREEN BAY (7-1, previous rank: 3)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 2-0, +12.5 PPG
Last week: Defensive tackle Corey Williams had two sacks and six tackles as the Packers won 33-22 at Kansas City.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: In winning 11 of of last 12 games, the Packers have had only one 100-yard rusher. In the 12 games prior, they had six 100-yard rushers … and eight losses. Green Bay is the only team in the NFL’s bottom 10 in rushing yards that has a winning record.
Next: vs. Minnesota. Adrian Peterson vs. Brett Favre, let the man-love flow.

4. DALLAS (7-1, previous rank: 4)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, -5.5 PPG
Last week: Terrell Owens had 174 yards and a TD in the Cowboys’ 38-17 embarrassment of the Eagles in Philly; Owens has 86 TD catches in his last 100 games.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: At 33.1 PPG, the Cowboys are on pace to be one of the top 10 scoring offenses in NFL history. Dallas has scored at least 24 points in all eight games.
Next: at N.Y. Giants. Could 2007 mark a first in NFC East history? The Cowboys and Giants have played 90 times (Dallas leads the series 53-35-2), but have never met in the postseason.

5. PITTSBURGH (6-2, previous rank: 5)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-0, +27.0 PPG
Last week: Exorcized demons from two blowout losses to Baltimore in 2006 with 38-7 MNF whipping that featured five Ben Roethlisberger TD passes in the first half (21 runs, 7 passes for Steelers in the second half).
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Steelers are on pace to score 444 points and allow 196 (+250, +15.5 PPG), which would be a greater scoring margin than any of their Super Bowl champion teams.
Next: vs. Cleveland. The last time this rivalry had meaning beyond regional hatred was 2002, when the teams met in Week 9 with first place on the line (Steelers 23, Browns 20).

6. TENNESSEE (6-2, previous rank: 8)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -0.7 PPG
Last week: The Titans had a rare easy win, handling Carolina 20-7. The Titans have won 14 of their last 19, but 11 of those wins have been by a TD or less.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Titans aren’t pretty on offense (4.5 yards per play, 30th in the NFL), but they set the tone early – Tennessee leads the NFL with 653 rushing yards on first down. They’re also a respectable 10th in third-down conversions (43.5 percent).
Next: vs. Jacksonville. If this one is 41-38, we give up trying to figure out pro football.

7. DETROIT (6-2, previous rank: 10)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-1, -12.0 PPG
Last week: Lions showed another member of the NFL’s middle class that they’re no longer an easy mark, crushing Denver 44-7.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Detroit's shift toward a rational offensive plan continued with the blowout of Denver. In the last three games, they’ve run the ball 46.3 percent of the time; in the first five, they ran 31.9 percent of the time.
Next: at Arizona. This is the last easy one for the Lions; they have two with Green Bay, along with the Giants, Cowboys, Chargers, Chiefs and Vikings still to come.

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

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -8.3 PPG
Last week: Bye.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Although they’re thought of as a pass-first team, New York has had the game’s leading rusher in seven of its eight games (Derrick Ward 3, Brandon Jacobs 3, Reuben Droughns 1). And they boast only nine pass plays of 25+ yards, 25th in the NFL.
Next: vs. Dallas. Giants gave up 45 in the opener vs. Dallas, 16.3 PPG since.

9. JACKSONVILLE (5-3, previous rank: 7)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-2, -8.0 PPG
Last week: Jacksonville’s three-game road winning streak came to a screeching halt in New Orleans, 41-24.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Dee-fense? Dee-fense? Jaguars are 26th in opposing yards per pass attempt (7.63), 21st in yards per rush allowed (4.2).
Next: at Tennessee.

10. TAMPA BAY (5-4, previous rank: 13)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-3, -6.0 PPG
Last week: In a game that was given no snappy title from the media at large, the Bucs beat Arizona 17-10.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Since halfway through 1999, CB Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks have started every game together for Tampa’s top-flight defense (120 games, including eight in the postseason).
Next: Bye. Seven of Tampa's first nine opponents are currently .500 or better; three of their final seven are .500 or better.

11. CLEVELAND (5-3, previous rank: 11)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 0-2, -22.0 PPG
Last week: The Browns needed OT and four short rushing TDs by Jamal Lewis to beat visiting Seattle, 33-30.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Browns running game ranked in the bottom five in all the major categories in 2006. But in 2007, they are 11th in yards per carry (4.33), fifth in touchdowns (9), 9th in rushing on 1st down and have been stuffed for a loss just 10 times, fewest in the NFL.
Next: at Pittsburgh. Browns are on a nice run, but they’re still giving up 29.2 PPG heading to the Steel City.

12 WASHINGTON (5-3, previous rank: 16)

Record vs. Quality Teams: 1-3, -6.0 PPG
Last week: The Redskins beat the Jets by a field-goal in OT; it was the fourth game of the season for Washington decided by 3 or less (three wins, one loss).
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Clinton Portis’ 196-yard effort vs. the Jets was his first 100-yard game since Week 4 of the 2006 season; he had nine 100-yard games in 2005.
Next: vs. Philadelphia.

THE TEPID TWENTY

13. SEATTLE (4-4, previous rank: 14) – Since WR Deion Branch went down with injury in Week 5, 21-0 loss to Pittsburgh, old reliable Bobby Engram caught 29 passes for 332 yards in three games.

14. SAN DIEGO (4-4, previous rank: 9) – In one game, San Diego went from 5th in the NFL in rushing YPA allowed (3.63) to 30th (4.65). Thanks, Adrian Peterson!

15. NEW ORLEANS (4-4, previous rank: 21) – Reggie Bush doesn’t get much credit for toughness, but he’s converted 9 of 9 attempts on 3rd and short.

16. MINNESOTA (3-5, previous rank: 26) – Yes, Adrian Peterson is wonderful, but what about the passing game? Oh, that's right: the Vikings have a league-low total of four completed passes in the red zone this year (next worst: San Francisco, nine, league leader, New England, 41)

17. KANSAS CITY (4-4, previous rank: 15) – The Chiefs defense is a perfect six-for-six stopping fourth-down tries.

18. BUFFALO (4-4, previous rank: 22) – Despite being outgained by 767 yards, out first-downed by 39 and outscored by 26, the Bills are .500. Why? They've committed only nine turnovers in eight games.

19. HOUSTON (4-5, previous rank: 23) – Texans fans to spend bye week marveling at the fact that Sage Rosenfels earned a road win.

20. PHILADELPHIA (3-5, previous rank: 18) – The jail at the Linc must have been a busy place Sunday night.

21. BALTIMORE (4-4, previous rank: 12) – Three of Steve McNair’s 179 passes this year have resulted in plays of 20+ yards (that’s three more than you, and you probably haven’t thrown any passes).

22. CAROLINA (4-4, previous rank: 17) – Steve Smith has a total of 5 catches for 33 yards in Carolina's last two games.

23. ARIZONA (3-5, previous rank: 20) – Cardinals QBs have only been sacked eight times this year, tying them with Peyton Manning and the Colts for second fewest in the league (New Orleans, 5).

24. DENVER (3-5, previous rank: 19) – Broncos have probably played the toughest schedule in the league – of their first eight opponents, only Oakland had a losing record.

25. CHICAGO (3-5, previous rank: 25) – Bears receivers haven’t produced a 100-yard receiving game this season (six in 2006).

26. ATLANTA (2-6 previous rank: 29) – QB Joey Harrington’s promising start has gone bye-bye (55.9 rating last four games)

27. OAKLAND (2-6, previous rank: 27) – The feel-good Raiders are no more; the familiar double-digit loss Raiders seem soon to emerge.

28. CINCINNATI (2-6, previous rank: 24) – Opponents have scored 45 times against the Bengals in eight games (27 TDs, 18 FGs)

29. SAN FRANCISCO (2-6, previous rank: 28) – The 49ers have scored 20 points or more only twice in their last 18 games.

30. NEW YORK JETS (1-8, previous rank: 30) – Despite their record, the Jets have suffered only one blowout loss, the 38-14 opener at New England.

31. MIAMI (0-8, previous rank: 31) – Dolphins spent their bye week dwelling on winless status, kind of like gaining an hour for Daylight Savings Time while you’re up all night passing kidney stones.

32. ST. LOUIS (0-8, previous rank: 32) – Rams spent bye week stewing over winless record, like saving up your money for a tropical vacation and then getting attacked by sharks.