FRO's NFL Performance Rankings for week 5

FRO's NFL Performance Rankings for week 5
By Jon Wagner, Sr. Writer At-Large football Reporters Online

While there are many power rankings out there based as much on hype, expectations, and too often, unrealized and inaccurate projections, at Football Reporters Online, we prefer to rank NFL teams on what's actually happened, taking into account only how teams have performed on the field and who they’ve played. At F.R.O., you won’t find yet another power ranking that doesn’t tell you much. Instead, here are the F.R.O. NFL Performance Rankings:

Week 5:


THE ELITE:

#1 NEW ORLEANS 4-0 -- Week 5: Bye
Coming off a bye, the Saints host the Giants next, in a showdown that could decide the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

#2 NY GIANTS 5-0 -- Week 5: Beat Oakland, 44-7
After four bad teams and the mediocre Cowboys, the season starts for real, as Manning returns home to New Orleans.

#3 INDIANAPOLIS 5-0 -- Week 5: Won at Tennessee, 31-9
Behind the other Manning’s five straight 300-yard games, the Colts have been rolling since a comeback win in Miami.

#4 DENVER 5-0 +1 Week 5: Beat New England, 20-17 (OT)
At 5-0, the Broncos are the early surprise of the league, mainly because of a defense that’s allowed just 43 points.

#5 MINNESOTA 5-0 -1 Week 5: Won at St. Louis, 38-10
The Brett Favre decision has paid off thus far, as the Vikings have scored at least 27 points in every game this year.

SECOND-TIER CONTENDERS:

#6 CINCINNATI 4-1 +6 Week 5: Won at Baltimore 17-14
The Cardiac Cats have gone to the wire in all five games, but they’ve managed to pull four of them out of the fire.

#7 ATLANTA 3-1 +4 Week 5: Won at San Francisco, 45-10
After a 16-point loss in New England, the Falcons used the bye week to prep for crushing the Niners in San Francisco.

#8 PHILADELPHIA 3-1 +6 Week 5: Beat Tampa Bay, 33-14
Three easy wins against bad teams and a blowout loss to the Saints: it’s hard to figure how good the Eagles are yet.

#9 CHICAGO 3-1 +1 Week 5: Bye
The Bears responded after losing in Green Bay with three solid wins. Tough roads tests in Atlanta and Cincy are next.

#10 PITTSBURGH 3-2 +3 Week 5: Won at Detroit, 28-20
Getting the running game going with Rashard Mendenhall has resulted in two straight wins.

#11 NY JETS 3-2 -5 Week 5: Lost at Miami, 31-27
After looking great for four weeks, Miami’s wildcat and a sharp Chad Henne exposed Rex Ryan’s defense.

#12 NEW ENGLAND 3-2 -5 Week 5: Lost at Denver, 20-17 (OT)
This is still not the Tom Brady-led offense that we’ve been accustomed to seeing. New England could easily be 2-3.

#13 BALTIMORE 3-2 -5 Week 5: Lost to Cincinnati, 17-14
The Ravens have gone from an elite 3-0 team to losing two straight, and a tough stretch (at MIN, DEN, at CIN) is next.

#14 SAN FRANCISCO 3-2 -5 Week 5: Lost to Atlanta, 45-10
As good as the Niners looked in nearly starting 4-0 is how pitiful they were in getting thrashed at home by the Falcons.

MIRED IN MEDIOCRITY:

#15 ARIZONA 2-2 +5 Week 5: Beat Houston, 28-21
The Cardinals’ inconsistency is typified by their L, W, L, W result so far. The defense stepped up late to beat Houston.

#16 DALLAS 3-2 -1 Week 5: Won at Kansas City, 26-20 (OT)
Despite three wins, the Cowboys looked their best in a loss to the Giants. Romo has been struggling with T.O. gone.

#17 SAN DIEGO 2-2 -- Week 5: Bye
The Chargers’ defense has underperformed. Already down 2½ game in the AFC West, San Diego hosts Denver next.

#18 GREEN BAY 2-2 +1 Week 5: Bye
The Pack hasn’t protected Aaron Rodgers, but coming up, besides a rematch with the Vikes, they get DET, CLE, & TB.

#19 MIAMI 2-3 +3 Week 5: Beat NY Jets, 31-27
Lose one Chad and start 0-3? No problem. Try another Chad, unleash the wildcat, win 2 straight, and save the season.

#20 SEATTLE 2-3 +4 Week 5: Beat Jacksonville, 41-0
The Seahawks are good enough to humiliate losing teams 28-0 and 41-0, but they’re 0-3 against winning teams.

#21 HOUSTON 2-3 -3 Week 5: Lost at Arizona, 28-21
The Texans have the talent for a playoff push, but they’ll have to be a lot more consistent than: L, W, L, W, L.

#22 JACKSONVILLE 2-3 -6 Week 5: Lost at Seattle, 41-0
After a 1-2 start, the Jags had a 61-point difference by following a Week 4, 20-point win with a Week 5, 41-point loss.


LOOKING TOWARD THE 2010 DRAFT:

#23 CAROLINA 1-3 +4 Week 5: Beat Washington, 20-17
Need a win? Play Washington. The Giants, Lions, and Panthers all got their first wins of the year against the Redskins.

#24 WASHINGTON 2-3 -3 Week 5: Lost at Carolina, 20-17
The Redskins will be the first team in NFL history to play six straight winless teams, and they’re STILL only 2-3.

#25 CLEVELAND 1-4 +5 Week 5: Won at Buffalo, 6-3
So what if their quarterback went 2-17 for 23 yards and their punter was their MVP. The Browns gladly took the win.

#26 DETROIT 1-4 -1 Week 5: Lost to Pittsburgh, 28-20
So far, the only team the Lions’ defense can stop is Washington (allowing 14 points)… 37 ppg allowed otherwise.

#27 TENNESSEE 0-5 -1 Week 5: Lost to Indianapolis, 31-9
From 13-3 to 0-5? That’s hard to fathom, especially with talent in Tennessee.

#28 BUFFALO 1-4 -5 Week 5: Lost to Cleveland, 6-3
The Bills looked good in New England and against Tampa, but they scored just 20 points in losing their next 3 games.

#29 OAKLAND 1-4 -1 Week 5: Lost at NY Giants, 44-7
Jamarcus Russell has 51 completions and 606 yards. That’s 2 games for Peyton Manning, who makes $5 million less.

#30 KANSAS CITY 0-5 +1 Week 5: Lost to Dallas, 26-20 (OT)
Even though they lost to Oakland, the Chiefs are higher for outplaying the Raiders and taking the Cowboys to OT.

#31 TAMPA BAY 0-5 -2 Week 5: Lost at Philadelphia, 33-14
Aside from a 3-point loss in Washington, the Bucs have lost by 13 twice, 19, and 24, while allowing 28 points per game.

#32 ST.LOUS RAMS 0-5 -- Week 5: Lost to Minnesota, 38-10
The Rams have scored a TOTAL of 34 points, which is less than what they’ve allowed in EACH of their past 3 games.