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Week 17 2005 Power Rankings
Cold, Hard Football Facts for December 29, 2005
The Cold, Hard Football Facts Power Rankings are compiled each week by Chuck & Hatch, who watch football each weekend in what they call "The Cave," surrounded by televisions, computers, stat books and a big, thick stack of Penthouse magazines. They shriek at the site of daylight and females.
Chuck also chronicles sports and music on www.stucksports.com. Hatch holds no such artistic pretentions and is wholly devoted to his craft. He's currently attempting to memorize the 2005 NFL Record & Fact Book from cover to cover. He's up to "PUNT RETURNS, Most Seasons Leading League" on Page 638.
Unlike other ranking systems, the Cold, Hard Football Facts put a premium on quality wins, the single most accurate indicator of teams' relative strength. The Cold, Hard Football Facts define a quality win as any victory against a team that currently possesses a winning record.
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I
Indianapolis (13-2; previous, 1) – The Colts are still the team to beat, but as we saw in the loss to Seattle, they would be lost without Edgerrin James. Backup QB Jim Sorgi performed admirably, completing 22 of 31 passes for 237 yards and 1 TD against one of the league's better defenses and top pass rushes. But backup RBs James Mungro and Dominic Rhodes were brutal. They combined for -5 yards on 7 attempts (-0.7 YPA).
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II
Seattle (13-2; previous, 2) – RB Shaun Alexander is having a season for the ages. He tied an NFL record Sunday when he scored his 27th TD of the season, has rushed for more than 100 yards 11 times and has scored in 13 of 15 games. He's also overshadowed the stellar season of QB Matt Hasselbeck (24 TDs, 9 INTs, 98.1 passer rating). Hasselbeck has brought his game to a new level over the last five weeks with 12 TDs and just 2 INTs.
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III
Denver (12-3; previous, 3) – The Broncos lead the NFL with six wins versus quality opponents and have done it the "old school" way. They run the ball (158.0 YPG, 2nd in the NFL) and stop the run (84.8 YPG, 3rd). But their pass rush is awful. Denver's 22 sacks rank 31st in the league – and 8 of the 22 sacks came in a two-game stretch (Weeks 9 and 10). That's a dreadful 14 sacks in Denver's other 13 games.
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IV
Pittsburgh (10-5; previous, 6) – QB Ben Roethlisberger is 21-3 as a regular-season starter during his two years in the league. But he has yet to show he can carry the team and continues to rely on Pittsburgh's ability to run the ball. In the 21 wins, Roethlisberger averages 13.7 completions, 188.6 yards, 1.2 TDs and 0.5 INTs. In the three losses, he averages 19.3 completions, 245.0 yards, 2 TDs and 1.7 INTs.
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V
Chicago (11-4; previous, 8) – QB Rex Grossman's 166-yard performance Sunday was hardly earthshattering. In fact, 23 QBs threw for more yards in Week 16 alone. But in Chicago, he's something of a godsend. Kyle Orton started 13 games at QB this year and topped 166 passing yards just twice. |
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VI
Cincinnati (11-4; previous, 4) – The Bengals are a wonderfully talented team on offense. They rank 4th in total offense, 5th in passing, 10th in rushing and 3rd in scoring. But their defense continues to get torched. Cincy has surrendered 29.8 PPG over the last six games. |
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VII
N.Y. Giants (10-5; previous, 5) – Even with a loss last week to the Redskins, the Giants secured a playoff berth when Minnesota lost to Baltimore. They can wrap up the NFC East title with a win Saturday night at Oakland. But they have to weigh the pros and cons of playing Tiki Barber. They need him to wrap up the division but also need him fresh for the postseason. The Giants are 6-1 when Barber rushes for 100+ yards and 4-4 when he does not.
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VIII
Jacksonville (11-4; previous, 10) – The Jaguars have lost just once since Halloween, have clinched their first playoff berth since 1999, rank in the top 10 in virtually every defensive category and, with a win over Tennessee Sunday, could end the season with the third-best record in the NFL. Yet they continue to get overlooked by virtually everyone. Maybe it's because, with the No. 5 seed, they'll have to visit some combination of New England, Cincy, Denver and Indy to reach the Super Bowl.
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IX
New England (10-5; previous, unranked) – The Patriots have won six of their last seven games and are suddenly playing the type of defense that won three of the past four Super Bowls. Over the first eight games, New England allowed 128.9 YPG rushing. Over the last seven, they have held opponents to 57.3 YPG (and just 2.9 per carry). They've utterly dominated their last four opponents, possessing the ball for an average of 39 minutes, 15 seconds. |
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X
Tampa Bay (10-5; previous, unranked) – The Buccaneers are loaded with injuries and literally limping through the end of the season. But they control their own destiny and can capture the NFC South with a win over New Orleans on Sunday. Tampa is tied with Denver with a league-leading six wins over quality opponents and has done it courtesy of a defense that ranks No. 2 in the NFL (275.9 YPG). The offense has been inept, however, averaging just 13.4 PPG over the last five weeks. |
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