Power Rankings: When is it time to jump off the bandwagon?
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The Patriots and Colts have lived up to their promise. The Cowboys, Steelers and Packers have, to varying degrees, exceeded expectations. That takes care of the 3-0 teams.
But what about the supposedly elite teams who have underachieved this season? Specifically, we're talking about the Chargers, Bears and Saints, who were considered not only playoff locks, but teams that could make deep postseason runs. How quickly do you jump off their respective bandwagons?
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For our voters, it's an interesting dilemma as they put together their rankings.
Of the three teams listed above, the winless Saints definitely get the smallest benefit of the doubt, especially after Monday night's home loss to the Titans. New Orleans, one of the dark horse picks to reach the Super Bowl in many preseason predictions, did not receive a vote in the top 20 this week. In fact, two voters put the Saints 29th on their lists, behind such teams as the Raiders and Chiefs. Can you say 2006 fluke?
Meanwhile, the Bears failed to register a top-10 vote for the first time this season and joined the Saints in suffering the biggest drop of any team this week. Can you say Rex Grossman?
The Chargers, on the other hand, may no longer have a top-five team, but their talent level still commands a small measure of respect. San Diego may be in a funk now as it adjusts to new head coach Norv Turner, but few would be surprised if the Chargers straighten out their problems. After all, in the weak AFC West, it's not as if they have to worry about the division getting away from them.
So how about you? Have you jumped off a bandwagon … or jumped on one? Click here to rank the NFL teams.
BIGGEST RISE: Jacksonville Jaguars from 17th to 10th. BIGGEST DROP: Chicago Bears from 6th to 13th; New Orleans Saints from 19th to 26th.
(Editor's note: LW indicates each team's ranking last week.)
| 2007 Power Rankings: Week 4 | ||||
| RK (LW) | TEAM | REC | COMMENT | |
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1 (1) | Patriots | 3-0-0 | The Boston Globe reports that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is 1-for-8 in replay challenges since the start of last season. So, see, the Patriots do know what it's like to lose at something. |
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2 (2) | Colts | 3-0-0 | During Tony Dungy's tenure as head coach, the Colts are 17-2 in September, including a 3-0 start this year. The Colts will go for their 12th straight September win when they host the Broncos on Sunday. |
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3 (3) | Cowboys | 3-0-0 | Who knew the Oct. 14 matchup against the Patriots might be the Super Bowl preview? Facing the Rams and Bills (a Monday nighter) the next two weeks, the Cowboys should be 5-0 going into the game against New England. |
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4 (5) | Steelers | 3-0-0 | The Steelers best be prepared to face some coaches with vendettas this week at Arizona. Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt and assistant Russ Grimm were both up for the job that went to Mike Tomlin. Hard to argue with that decision. |
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5 (7) | Ravens | 2-1-0 | Is Brian Billick's team fading in the fourth quarter? That's what the Balitmore Sun is asking. The Ravens have been outscored 35-16 in the fourth this year after outscoring opponents 105-55 in the fourth last season. |
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6 (12) | Packers | 3-0-0 | Apparently, the Packers have taken over for the Saints as the feel-good story this season. The schedule actually sets up quite nicely the next few weeks. No reason to think the Pack can't be 6-0 going into the Monday nighter at Denver on Oct. 29. |
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7 (9) | Seahawks | 2-1-0 | Have you signed Shaun Alexander's cast yet? If not, you'll have plenty of time to do so. The left wrist injury which Alexander is trying to protect probably won't heal anytime soon. It affects his ability to catch passes, but not his rushing (275 yards). |
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8 (8) | Broncos | 2-1-0 | Not used to seeing the Broncos' running game get shut down as it did against the Jaguars. The 47 yards rushing is the fourth lowest total since Mike Shanahan became the head coach in 1995. |
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9 (4) | Chargers | 1-2-0 | Is it panic time in San Diego? Maybe so. LaDainian Tomlinson told the Union Tribune that if his Chargers lose three more games to fall to 1-5, then "it's over." But that shouldn't be a problem with home games against K.C. and Oakland the next three weeks. |
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10 (17) | Jaguars | 2-1-0 | Hard to really know what to make of the Jags right now, other than they're four points away from starting the season 3-0. They'll come out of the bye week with four of their next six games on the road. |
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11 (15) | Titans | 2-1-0 | Titans fans would love to see this team join the NFC South. After Monday's win at New Orleans, the Titans have won nine straight against NFC South teams. They can extend that streak with games versus Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Carolina later this season. |
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12 (16) | Panthers | 2-1-0 | You knew the issue would arrive sooner or later. Maybe the time is now. Should David Carr be the starting quarterback ahead of Jake Delhomme? With Delhomme battling an injury problem, Carr may get the start Sunday against Tampa Bay. |
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13 (6) | Bears | 1-2-0 | Rex Grossman is a problem but he's not the only one. The Bears are decimated by injuries, particularly on defense. S Mike Brown and DT Dusty Dvoracek are lost for the season, and now Pro Bowlers LB Lance Briggs and DT Tommie Harris are hurting. |
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14 (14) | Redskins | 2-1-0 | That vaunted running game was nowhere to be found during crunch time against the Giants. After averaging 160.5 rushing yards in the first two games, Washington managed 82 on Sunday -- just 17 of those in the second half. Clinton Portis was a nonfactor. |
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15 (10) | 49ers | 2-1-0 | The 49ers have the NFC's worst offense (223 yards avg.) and now lose TE Vernon Davis for the next two weeks. Frank Gore (24th in rushing) is looking forward to Sunday's game versus Seattle. He had 356 yards in two games against the Seahawks last year. |
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16 (20) | Eagles | 1-2-0 | Maybe QB Donovan McNabb should stir up a controversy every week. After all, it certainly woke up the Eagles. RB Brian Westbrook is averaging 7.3 yards every time he touches the ball; his 514 combined rushing/receiving yards leads the NFL. |
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17 (11) | Texans | 2-1-0 | The Texans fell back to earth versus Indy. But considering they played without their best WR (Andre Johnson) and best RB (Ahman Green was hurt early), it was a respectable showing. QB Matt Schaub gets to torch his old team, the Falcons, this week. |
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18 (13) | Bengals | 1-2-0 | The league's top two receivers will be on display when Chad Johnson's Bengals face Randy Moss' Patriots on Sunday. Johnson has more receiving yards this season (442 to 403) but Moss has more TDs (5 to 3). Both carry plenty of baggage. |
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19 (23) | Buccaneers | 2-1-0 | Jon Gruden would like to avoid any RB controversy. But Cadillac Williams is struggling and Earnest Graham came off the bench to rush for 75 yards (on eight carries) and two TDs in the win over St. Louis. For now, Gruden says Cadillac's the starter. |
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20 (18) | Lions | 2-1-0 | Head coach Rod Marinelli said he knew it was "a risk" to keep QB Jon Kitna in the game near the end of the 56-21 loss at Philadelphia. Kitna was sacked four times on the final three possessions. There are smart risks and dumb risks. This was a dumb one. |
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21 (24) | Jets | 1-2-0 | During Sunday's win over the Dolphins, QB Chad Pennington rushed for his first touchdown since the 2004 season. If form holds true, we'll next see him reach the end zone sometime in October of 2010. |
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22 (21) | Cardinals | 1-2-0 | Let's see -- Matt Leinart is the starting QB but Kurt Warner will direct the team's no-huddle offense. Sounds as if the Cardinals are planning to go with the QB shuttle system. "It's a little bit weird," Warner told the Arizona Republic. |
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23 (27) | Giants | 1-2-0 | Not that we're making excuses for the Giants, but maybe they're not as bad as their 1-2 record might indicate. After all, their first three opponents are a combined 8-1 this season (the one loss being the one the Giants handed the Redskins). |
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24 (30) | Raiders | 1-2-0 | Well, that Lane Kiffin is a quick learner, isn't he? After getting a lesson in timeout management from Broncos coach Mike Shanahan the previous week, Kiffin pulled the same move to help the Raiders beat the Browns. |
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25 (22) | Vikings | 1-2-0 | Rookie RB Adrian Peterson already has 431 combined rushing/receiving yards, but he wasn't on the field during the Vikings' final drive in the loss to K.C. Mistake? Coach Brad Childress said he needed backfield protection and opted for Mewelde Moore. |
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26 (19) | Saints | 0-3-0 | Reggie Bush is an electrifying offensive player. But is he ready to carry an NFL team on his shoulders? With Drew Brees struggling and Deuce McAllister out for the season, the Saints need Bush to step up once they get back from the bye week. |
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27 (26) | Browns | 1-2-0 | The Browns' defense is playing like a dog. Cleveland is 31st in total yards allowed, 31st in rushing yards allowed and has given up 11 TDs, most in the league. "We're going to look at everything," Romeo Crennel told the Plain Dealer. |
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28 (31) | Chiefs | 1-2-0 | RB Larry Johnson produced just 42 yards on 24 carries -- only the third time in his career that he has failed to reach 100 yards when given 20 or more attempts. He'll face an equally frustrated LaDainian Tomlinson this Sunday in San Diego. |
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29 (29) | Bills | 0-3-0 | The Bills' offense is averaging a league-low 200 yards. Blame them, right? Well, the defense is allowing 458.3 yards per game, also worst in the league. Blame them, right? No matter how you slice it, there are lots of culprits for the 0-3 start. |
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30 (25) | Rams | 0-3-0 | Good teams overcome injury problems, but the Rams evidently aren't good enough to overcome all their ailments. Two-fifths of the starting O-line has already been lost for the season, Steven Jackson is out with a groin tear, and Marc Bulger is banged up. |
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31 (28) | Dolphins | 0-3-0 | Cam Cameron is upset with his special teams and said everyone will be considered for kicking game duties this week against Oakland. "Is [backup QB] Cleo Lemon going to run down on kickoff? He might," Cameron told reporters. Well, we'd like to see that. |
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32 (32) | Falcons | 0-3-0 | Bobby Petrino plans to discipline CB DeAngelo Hall for his outburst during the decisive drive in the loss to Carolina. Wouldn't the harshest kind of discipline be keeping Hall on the field for all 16 losses -- uh, games -- this season? |
| Glossary |
| TG - Tim Graham (AFC East); JW - James Walker (AFC North); PK - Paul Kuharsky (AFC South); BW - Bill Williamson (AFC West); MM - Matt Mosley (NFC East); KS - Kevin Seifert (NFC North); PY - Pat Yasinskas (NFC South); MS - Mike Sando (NFC West) |
