NFL Power Rankings

While others may say they have them, at the Sportsomniac we are proud to offer the true NFL Power Rankings; a 1-32 listing of each NFL team. Through six weeks of the season, we are now getting a sense of which teams are for real, and which are not there yet. I must say that in all my years following the NFL, I cannot recall a time where the league seemed so soft at the top where there is no dominant team.

1. Tennessee Titans (5-0) - This is a team I never thought would have the top ranking before the season started, but no franchise has matched the Titans' offensive and defensive intensity. After KC this week, the Titans will face a grueling stretch with matcups against Indianapolis, Green Bay, Chicago, Jacksonville and the Jets.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) - While this team has been struggling with injuries all season, Willie Parker is due back this weekend and the team is still 4-1. Despite a strong showing from the Browns on MNF, the Steelers are the best team in the AFC North.

3. Indianapolis Colts (3-2) - This likely isn't a popular pick among anyone, like myself, who watched the Colts' first four games. However, despite some awful performances from the offensive line and struggles to run the football, the Colts are 3-2 and Peyton Manning finally looks 100%.

4. New York Giants (4-2) - The Giants were run out of Cleveland on Monday night but a big win against San Francisco at home this week and they'll be poised to face the Steelers in week 8 in a potential Super Bowl preview.

5. Washington Redskins (4-2) - A week 6 loss to the Rams doesn't bode well for the 'Skins, but Washington has proven they can beat anyone (at least those teams with a win already, 0-2 against winless teams - although I don't know if the 0-0 Giants really count).

6. San Diego Chargers (3-3) - An impressive win over New England got the Chargers to 3-3 and with some better breaks they'd be leading the AFC West right now.

7. Tampa Bay Buccanneers (4-2) - With perhaps the fewest star players among the top teams in the league, the Bucs keep finding ways to win and the defense continues to impress, remaining one of two teams having given up less than 100 points through six games (Carolina is the other).

8. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) - For all the talk on ESPN about Dallas falling apart and looking like they're going to miss the playoffs, this team still has a ton of talent. Having Tony Romo go down will be a blessing in disguise as America's Team will realize how effective Marion Barber can be when rushed 25 times per game.

9. Denver Broncos (4-2) - Many experts will rank the Broncos higher than I do at 9, however a team with so little defense almost always seems to struggle in the playoffs and down the stretch and I expect the Broncos to do exactly that.

10. Carolina Panthers (4-2) - The Panthers had a chance to vault into the top five with a win over Tampa this past week, but a 27-3 drumming barely kept them in the top ten. With key matchups against New Orleans and Arizona the next two weeks, the Panthers will make or break their season in the next two weeks if both games have the same outcome.

11. Chicago Bears (3-3) - I give the Bears the second spot among 3-3 teams due to their nearly 5-1 record. Chicago needs to figure out how to hold onto games or they won't make the playoffs, but they've played like the 2006 Bears at times as well.

12. New York Jets (3-2) - While they've been inconsistent, the Jets are doing a lot of things right. The next four opponents are Oakland, KC, Buffalo and St. Louis. The Jets could be 7-2 by week 10 and running away from the Patriots.

13. Buffalo Bills (4-1) - Only one loss and outside the top ten. Maybe it's true that Buffalo doesn't get enough respect, but I'm still not convinced they're the class of the AFC East.

14. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) - The Jags enter the bye at a great time and will face a soft schedule the next few weeks. With Cleveland, Cincy and Detroit coming up before a pivotal division showdown with Tennessee, now is the time for Jacksonville to make up ground in the AFC.

15. Arizona Cardinals (4-2) - While we're all still on injury watch for Kurt Warner, the Cardinals are quietly two games up in the NFC West and the offense looks great, even without Anquan Boldin.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) - The Eagles seem like an afterthought in the NFC East but are capable of beating anyone and are one of the most balanced teams in the NFC. Nothing from 8-8 to 11-5 would surprise me, but this division is tough.

17. Green Bay Packers (3-3) - The Packers started out as one of the best teams in the NFL but Aaron Rodgers and company have slipped of late. However, a great win on the road against Seattle will give this team a boost.

18. New Orleans Saints (3-3) - Drew Brees looks like an MVP candidate if he can get the Saints over the hump. Matchups with Carolina and San Diego before the bye will tell us how good the Saints are at the half way point of their season.

19. Atlanta Falcons (4-2) - While the Falcons continue to win I am still not a believer. You would think after doubting the Rays all season I would have learned my lesson, but Atlanta just doesn't have all the tools on defense necessary to win down the stretch. Expect the Falcons to fade with a brutal schedule coming up that includes Philadelphia, New Orleans, Denver and San Diego, Carolina. Only Oakland looks like a sure-fire win over the next several weeks.

20. Cleveland Browns (2-3) - A great win against the Giants goes a long way toward giving the Browns hope for the rest of the season.

21. New England Patriots (3-2) - It's tough to think of the Patriots as the 21st team in the NFL, but Matt Cassel has proven he can't hit open receivers beyond 20 yards down field, something the Patriots desperately need with a weapon like Randy Moss.

22. Minnesota Vikings (3-3) - While it may be painful to watch, the Vikings do seem to find a way to win games.

23. Baltimore Ravens (2-3) - The defense always looks good but without Willis McGahee eating up yards on the ground Joe Flacco can only do so much as a rookie QB.

24. Miami Dolphins (2-3) - There is one great thing about the Dolphins, and that is almost any high school football player could pick up their offense in a weekend if Ronnie Brown goes down. Did Urban Meyer take control of play calling for the Dolphins with nobody noticing?

25. Houston Texans (1-4) - A near-win against the Colts is as close as the Texans have come to relevancy this season. Andre Johnson, Steve Slaton and the defensive line look great, but the rest of the Texans need to catch up.

26. San Francisco 49ers (2-4) - The 49ers have done some good things this season but other than Frank Gore the team has not been consistent. The offense has found success, but the defense has more holes than a whack-a-mole game at the arcade.

27. Seattle Seahawks (1-4) - For a team that I picked to win the division and one with a ton of talent on defense, the Seahawks have looked awful. I still believe the Seahawks can win the NFC West, but their performance each week makes me question my own sanity.

28. Oakland Raiders (1-4) - The Raiders have been able to play well in spurts but are clearly a year away from any type of success. And if head coaches keep flying out of the organization like they have, we might never see JaMarcus Russell's potential reached.

29. St. Louis Rams (1-4) - The win against the Redskins was impressive but there still isn't much hope in St. Louis. With Dallas, New England and Arizona all on the schedule the next three weeks, a 2-6 record would be a success after week 9.

30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-4) - The Chiefs haven't been able to get anything going all season with a combined 65-131 score against opponents this season.

31. Cincinnati Bengals (0-6) - Marvin Lewis can't seem to right the ship and this train is off the tracks. They just need to take one game at a time and play like a team. I figured some tired cliches were in order for a team with uninspired stars at the skill positions. What the hell, how about a John Madden quote to boot, "The team with the most points usually wins, and that hasn't been these guys so far this year."

32. Detroit Lions (0-5) - It's no mystery that this team is in disarray and an 0-5 start only tells part of the story in Motown. Three wins would be a successful finish for this awful franchise. How many more years will we have to watch the Lions on Thanksgiving?

For comparison, the ESPN Power Rankings, released a few hours after ours here at The Sportsomniac.

The Lock - Week 6

The Sportsomniac is back again with some picks to pad your pockets. The stock market may be crumbling but we're still raking cash here behind some strong picks.

The Lock:
New York Jets -9.5 vs Cincinnati
While the Bengals aren't quite as bad as the other winless teams in the NFL, but they are still inept enough to be run off the field by Brett Favre and company. Expect a big win for the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

Chicago -3 at Atlanta
The Bears demonstrated last week that their offense is starting to come together and Kyle Orton looks competent enough to move the football. The Bears will make the Falcons look like one of the worst teams in the NFL like we all expected at season start.

The Coinflip:
Green Bay +1.5 at Seattle
Quest Field is possibly the toughest place to win on the road, but Green Bay has the ability to win this one on the road. There is still no continuity with Matt Hasselbeck and his receivers and a week's practice won't be enough to get Branch and Engram up to speed. Green Bay will keep it close, but will pull out the win.

Take the Points:
St. Louis +13.5 at Washington
I've done a 180 on the Redskins and picking against them versus the spread doesn't deter that, I simply don't see them as proficient enough to cover two touchdowns in this game. St. Louis will fall, but they'll lose to the tune of 23-12 or closer.

The Upset:
Miami +3 at Houston
I couldn't tell last week if Houston's rush defense just looked that good, or if the Colts offensive line is just that bad. That said, Miami is feeling very confident right now and as much as the Texans are looking forward to their schedule this month, the Dolphins are even more excited to move above .500 on the season.

The Sportsomniac takes no responsibility for any money won or lost due to betting on these picks.

Upcoming Content

The NFL season is in full swing and we're still struggling to make sense of what to think with the current NFL standings. Indy is 1-2 and Buffalo is 4-0. The Falcons have as many wins as the Seahawks and Browns - combined! With all that in mind, below is a quick preview of what is to come for the duration of the NFL season here at The Sportsomniac.

NFL Power Rankings
Stay tuned as after week 5 The Sportsomniac will give you our first mid-season NFL rankings. Based off our Preseason Power Rankings we will have some updates to make. Look for a full 1-32 style ranking with writeups for each position in the rankings. The rest of the way, the NFL rankings will become bi-weekly.

Playoff Outlook
Each week I'll outline which teams are facing a must-win game or how the playoff picture is shaping up. Each edition will be future-focused in order to give fans a real sense of what is to come for their favorite franchises.

The Lock
For the gamblers in the house The Lock will continue with its weekly predictions. To date we're sitting at 12-8 and Week 5 picks are below.

Weekly Recap
Despite taking a week off following week 4, the weekly recaps will resume as scheduled. Look for recaps to include anything from critical game breakdowns to deep dives into player performances, injury updates or anything else a die hard NFL fan could want.

Stay tuned for what will be an exciting NFL season both on the field and here in the digital world at The Sportsomniac.

The Lock - Week 5

In week 4 bettors again profited behind a 4-1 record with correct picks of Washington over Dallas, Tampa over Green Bay, San Diego -7.5 over Oakland and Cleveland over Cincy. We missed only on Atlanta vs Carolina. In week 5 there are some enticing matchups again and fresh off a trip to Vegas, I can tell you the sports books can expect some good betting on a few of these picks.

The Lock:
Indianapolis -3 at Houston
The Colts have struggled to find a rhythm but have shown fourth quarter promise against Minnesota and Jacksonville in consecutive weeks and a bye last week should have helped solidify the inconsistent offense. Look for the type of Colts offense we all expect this week in what will likely be a high scoring game won by the Colts going away.

Denver -3 vs Tampa Bay
As proven by my betting record in Tampa games, I really like the Buccaneers this season but this is a match up their secondary can't handle. Denver is looking too strong right now and while I think the Tampa offense will have some success against the Bronco defense, I don't see them keeping pace with Jay Cutler and company.

The Coinflip:
Buffalo -1.5 at Arizona
With the tightest line of the week Buffalo travels to University of Phoenix Stadium to play the Cardinals that are in the midst of an early season losing streak. For the Cardinals this is an important game to win but Buffalo is simply too focused right now to drop its first of the season here.

Take the Points:
Washington +6 at Philadelphia
For those who have been following The Lock since the start of the season it's been pretty obvious my feelings have changed on Washington, and I'm buying as much into Jim Zorn as Jason Campbell and the Redskins players. Playing at Philly in Week 5 is going to be difficult but the team is coming off a big win against Dallas and the offense is starting to click. Campbell looks comfortable in the pocket and Portis is finding running room. Even if Philly wins this game, it will fall within the 6 point spread. Take Washington and the six.

The Upset:
Detroit +3.5 vs Chicago
As an enormous Bears fan it pains me to pick Detroit as the upset of the week. The Lions have looked horrible all season but this is exactly the type of game Bears fans expect to slip up. With both starting corners out of the game Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson should find a lot of open room in the secondary and a few big strikes will be all it takes for the Lions to get ahead. Unless the Bears can put a lot of pressure on Jon Kitna early and often this will be a week 5 upset for the Chicago Bears.