NFL Week 7 Power Rankings

Five Quick Hits

* Add Bill Vinovich to my "indisputable visual evidence" blacklist. His offense wasn't as bad as some previous ones, but I think Brooks Bollinger's fumble at the end of the third quarter should have stood as called.

* I defy you to explain how the person who wrote this headline got a job with a prestigious newspaper.

* Baseball Tonight is way better than NFL Live.

* Chester Taylor is way better than Jamal Lewis.

* We all know Warrick Dunn is fast. So consider that he got caught on his 65-yard breakout Monday night, and Tony Dorsett once took a handoff 99 yards. It remains one of the most impressive accomplishments in league history.

* Special Sixth Quick Hit: Wellington Mara died shortly after I wrote this column. Mara was one of the great figures in the NFL, a man universally respected and honored by those who followed the league. My best wishes to all those who loved him.

***

Monday night's contest was a pretty solid win for the Falcons, who established control early and held on late, but it might have gone much differently if Jets center Kevin Mawae had been healthy. First, Pete Kendall, subbing for Mawae, muffed the snap exchange with Vinny Testaverde, and Atlanta recovered to set up its first touchdown. On the next series, Kendall let Antwan Lake go totally unblocked, resulting in a sack and another fumble recovered by the Falcons. That one led to a field goal. The Jets managed to punt on their next possession, but on the first play of their fourth drive, Kendall missed his assignment and Rod Coleman sacked Testaverde for a third fumble, which the Falcons returned for a touchdown. The Jets were in a 17-0 hole.

Some blame has to go to Testaverde, who failed to notice or respond to the pressure, but those things don't happen with Mawae in the game. A healthy Mawae also would have meant a better night for Curtis Martin. Mawae is probably the best run-blocking center in football, so Martin likely would have averaged more than two yards per carry against Atlanta's subpar rush defense, and without that 17-0 deficit, the Jets could have committed to the run in a way they never got around to.

Even with all the problems, the Jets had a chance in this sloppy game. Michael Vick threw three interceptions and had a 16.3 passer rating. At the beginning of the broadcast, the announcers compared Vick to Steve Young, another left-handed quarterback who was a successful runner. In Young's first season as the 49ers' full-time starter (1992), he ran 18.9% of the time, which is significantly less than Vick's 2005 average of 28.0%. More importantly, though, Young completed two-thirds of his passes, averaged 8.6 yards per attempt, and tossed almost four times as many TDs as interceptions. Vick is completing 52% of his passes, with a 5.7 average and more INTs than touchdowns. No one denies his athletic talent or the dynamic plays he can make, but his passing hasn't improved since the day he was drafted.

The problem is not that Vick runs — although he's going to have a short career if things keep going this way — it's that he can't throw. On third down, you'd rather have Vick take off running than put the ball in the air.

On to the power rankings. Brackets indicate last week's rank. I'm having a good season.

1. Indianapolis Colts [1] — Drawing conclusions from two games is not a great idea, but the Colts are a consensus number one, and I'm looking for potential areas of concern, so go with me here. After allowing just 29 points through their first five games — an average of 5.8 — Indianapolis has given up 48 the last two weeks, including 20 this week against Houston's last-ranked offense. That includes a special teams touchdown, and Indy's defense really did a nice job against the Texans, but the last two weeks, the Colts' scores have looked a lot like they did in 2004. If you're looking for a weak point, run defense might be it. The team is allowing opponents a 4.5 average, 27th in the NFL.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers [2] — I wouldn't have played Ben Roethlisberger this week, risking his health in a game the Steelers probably could have won with Tommy Maddox, but it paid off. Roethlisberger played a great game, wasn't re-injured, and led his team to a convincing victory that could play a major role in determining who wins the AFC North. The Steelers are going to breeze through their next three games.

3. Denver Broncos [3] — As if we needed another argument against the use of prevent defense, defensive coordinator Larry Coyer gave it to us on Sunday. Playing on the road against a Giants offense that has been inconsistent but explosive this season, the Broncos gave Eli Manning time to throw. He completed four passes to Amani Toomer, two each to Tiki Barber and Plaxico Burress, and a 24-yarder to Jeremy Shockey. You can't cover those guys forever, even with seven men in coverage.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars [5] — Tom Coughlin is one of the NFL's old-school coaches, a Bill Parcells guy. He's not part of the "old coach" fraternity — that's Parcells, Joe Gibbs, Dick Vermeil, and depending upon who you ask, maybe Marty Schottenheimer. But those four, plus Coughlin and probably Bill Belichick, but not too many others, have their own way of doing things, similar to each other and different from most other coaches in a way I can't articulate in this space, but I really like seeing it. I love the respect they have for each other, too, especially between Gibbs and his rivals.

5. San Diego Chargers [4] — I'm almost positive I've never had a team with a losing record ranked so highly this late in the season, and if they don't start actually winning close games against good teams soon, they'll sink fast. It's tough, though, not to regard this week's loss as a little bit of a fluke. If there were great teams to move ahead of them, I'd do it. For now, just realize I'm not happy about this.

6. Seattle Seahawks [7] — Mike Ditka, talking about this week's last-minute win over Dallas, said, "These are games that they would've lost last year." The difference between the '04 Seahawks and the '05 Seahawks is less about the roster than the attitude. Last year's team went in the tank after it choked against the Rams in Week 5. This year's group has confidence and heart, and it's playing hard even in hard situations.

7. Atlanta Falcons [8] — "If there's any defensive lineman that's close to the speed of Michael Vick, it's John Abraham." Uh, Mr. Madden, I know you've seen Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers, and they're both faster than Abraham. Or how about Derrick Burgess, who sacked Vick twice in last year's NFC Championship Game? Madden called his worst game since 2001, his last year at FOX with Pat Summerall, when both of them seemed confused or worse.

8. New England Patriots [10] — Key divisional matchup against Buffalo coming up, but the game everyone wants to see is Week 9 against the Colts. The Patriots have dominated the rivalry, but many familiar figures — Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, Ty Law, Rodney Harrison — will be missing or less than 100%, and this Colts team seems more sound than previous ones. I expect New England to roll against the Bills, and I've raised them above Philly and Washington basically on faith in Bill Belichick's ability to improve the team during its bye week.

9. Philadelphia Eagles [9] — If I were playing against Philadelphia, I would blitz McNabb all game. You'll give up a couple big plays on screens and three-step drops early in the contest, but you'll be hitting an already-injured quarterback on every play. What if the Eagles' problem isn't that they don't run the ball, but that they can't? They're 26th in average (3.4), and I'm beginning to wonder if Andy Reid knows something we don't.

Some analysts say that's just Reid's game, it's the way they play. But if you look at their previous four seasons, when they went to the NFC Championship Game, the Eagles were in the top 10 in average each year, and they finished 14th, 7th, 9th, and 24th in rushing yards. This season they're 32nd, trailing the Cardinals by over 13 yards per game. They're still winning for now, but I think Philadelphia is winning in spite of its offensive philosophy, not because of it. McNabb can't take it forever, and if this keeps up, the defense won't last, either.

10. Washington Redskins [12] — This is less a reaction to their ugly blowout over San Francisco than my getting used to the idea that Washington is good again. It's hard to overstate the degree to which Washington dominated the game, leading 52-7 before a couple of late scores made San Francisco's offensive output seem respectable. Their next three games are all tough, and could be a barometer for Washington's success the rest of the season.

11. Cincinnati Bengals [6] — Run defense is a problem, and opponents have been exploiting it more and more over the past month. Domanick Davis rushed for 81 and a 4.3 average in Cincinnati's disturbingly close victory over Houston, then Fred Taylor posted 132 with a 5.5 average in Jacksonville's Week 5 win. Tennessee's Chris Brown had 84 yards on a 4.7 average, plus his first two TDs of the season. And this week, Willie Parker averaged 7.3 yards per attempt, finishing with 131. The Bengals are 27th in rushing defense and 29th in average per carry against.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [11] — Should win their next two games, then they have tough matchups against Washington and at Atlanta, followed by a home game against Chicago, which should be another win. After that, the Bucs play four of their last five games against NFC South opponents, and that stretch will probably determine whether or not Tampa Bay makes the playoffs.

13. Dallas Cowboys [13] — Probably should be ranked ahead of Cincinnati and Tampa, but first I want to see them beat the Cardinals, soundly, without any fourth-quarter drama. Everyone knew the NFC East would be better this season, but it's become the best division in the NFL.

14. Kansas City Chiefs [15] — Playing on short rest and traveling on game day, Kansas City still dominated the Dolphins in Miami, controlling time of possession by better than 2:1, outgaining their opponents by nearly 200 yards, and holding the Dolphins to just nine first downs. The loser of next week's game at San Diego will miss the postseason. They're both good teams, but at 4-2 and 3-4, the loser is done.

15. New York Giants [16] — Could be higher than this, and will be if they beat Washington next week or ever get a good win on the road. There's a lot of room between 15th and 16th this week, and not much between here and Jacksonville, so the Giants could move up quickly if they play well.

16. Carolina Panthers [15] — All alone in this spot, nowhere near overtaking the Giants for 15th, but way ahead of the Lions at 17th. That could change very quickly if they lose to Minnesota.

17. Detroit Lions [18] — Injuries take some of the shine off their road win in Cleveland, but Jeff Garcia brings vitality to an offense that wasn't going anywhere with Joey Harrington. Garcia is a playmaker, a leader, and winner who sometimes is bigger than his stats, and he's only going to get healthier.

18. Chicago Bears [20] — Like stupid statistics? The Bears are averaging 33 points per game against division opponents, and just 8.5 against teams outside the NFC North. I guess that means you should take the over when they play in Detroit next week. The winner will take over sole possession of first place in the division, with the inside track to a playoff spot. The 2005 Bears remind me of Washington in 2004, only not in the same division as the Eagles.

19. Oakland Raiders [21] — I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop on Kerry Collins. He was an interception machine last season, and over the past two years combined, he had more picks than touchdowns. This year, he's keeping the ball away from opponents and the only real complaint is a low completion percentage. The Raiders' defensive backfield suffered some injuries this weekend, or I'd probably have them higher.

20. Buffalo Bills [17] — Willis McGahee declared definitively that he was the best running back in the NFL, then backed it up by gaining 50 yards, with a 3.1 average and no touchdowns, against the 23rd-ranked Oakland defense.

21. Miami Dolphins [22] — The run defense got slaughtered for the second week in a row, but Ronnie Brown is looking more and more like the real deal, and that has to be encouraging for a team that's rebuilding on offense.

22. Baltimore Ravens [19] — Another 11 penalties, including three 15-yard roughness fouls. The offensive line was once among the best in the league, but this year its leaders, Jonathan Ogden and Edwin Mulitalo, look like the game has passed them by. Both are over 30, and they're not playing at the same level they did in their late twenties. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are expected to miss Monday night's game at Pittsburgh, so I expect it to be an ugly loss.

23. St. Louis Rams [26] — Won without Marc Bulger or Mike Martz, the latter of whom is done for the season and probably with the Rams organization. Not to kick a guy when he's down, and I wish Martz the best with regards to his health, but I think it would be a mistake for the team to bring him back next year. Let Joe Vitt audition for the job over the next nine games, and if he doesn't earn it, hire an assistant from Pittsburgh or Washington.

24. Arizona Cardinals [27] — Gained fewer than half as many yards as the Titans, but scored 20 points in a row for a comfortable 10-point win. Josh McCown's game can't really be called "efficient" — which is the word we usually use for a bad outing from a winning quarterback — because McCown completed fewer than half his passes and averaged only five yards per attempt, but Arizona just seems to win games — at least against bad teams — when McCown plays. Dennis Green would be nuts to put Kurt Warner back in at this point.

25. New Orleans Saints [25] — At what point do you know for sure that your team has been cursed? Is it when the strongest hurricane ever to hit U.S. soil devastates your home city? When you play a "home" game against the Giants in the Meadowlands? Maybe losing to an 0-4 team by seven touchdowns? If you weren't convinced by those, last week's loss to Atlanta on an unusual call by an official, and this week's loss to St. Louis — on a plainly wrong call — have certainly supplied some evidence.

26. Tennessee Titans [23] — The personnel to be competitive really is not there. The Titans have an unusual mix of very good players, and people in totally over their heads. Lack of depth is a problem.

27. Cleveland Browns [24] — Trent Dilfer had his second really rocky day as a Brown, and there were actually rumors on Monday that Charlie Frye could get the start at Houston in Week 8. Two weeks ago Dilfer was still a savior in Cleveland.

28. Minnesota Vikings [30] — How was Mewelde Moore not the starting running back at the beginning of the season? The Vikings' offense, in the second half, finally acted like it did last year. All it took was a really pathetic pass defense.

29. New York Jets [29] — Worst playcall I've seen all season: whatever they had planned from the shotgun on fourth-and-one at the end of the game. By lining up in the shotgun, you give up the threat of a run, which — with the choices being Curtis Martin or Brooks Bollinger — the defense had to be expecting. Why make their jobs easier? Terrible, terrible idea, and it may have cost them the game.

30. Green Bay Packers [28] — Running backs can't stay healthy. Wide receivers can't stay healthy. Brett Favre can't play more than one position. This is why it's so ridiculous when people try to blame quarterbacks for not winning Super Bowls. There are 53 guys out there, and the Dan Marinos and Brett Favres and Warren Moons of the world get stuck on bad teams sometimes. Anyone else notice John Madden saying on MNF that George Blanda was better than Moon? I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with that.

31. Houston Texans [32] — I would like to use this space to issue a public apology to the Texans for ranking them below San Francisco last week. It's worth noting, though, that Houston was outgained by almost 300 yards on Sunday, and hasn't held a lead all season.

32. San Francisco 49ers [31] — Alex Smith is to a good defense as a lamb is to wolves. I don't understand Mike Nolan's timing, starting Smith against Indianapolis and Washington, both of whom ate him alive. The kid looked like a deer in headlights on Sunday. He's injured and may not play next week, but it doesn't really matter at this point.