NFL Power Rankings Week 7 - Final Edition

by One.Cool.Customer on Oct 20, 2009 1:30 PM CDT

Schadenfreude - A malicious delight in other peoples' misfortunes.

Here's a look at the various power rankings out there heading into week 7. Special guest this week: The Atlanta Falcons.

I've beefed up the computer/statistically based rankings: Whatifsports and Covers.com — though I’m not 100% sure about this one - are now joined by FootballOutsiders, the Sagarin Ratings and AdvancedNFLstats.

[Update] Top spot this week (and the main reason they're included here in the first place) goes to AdvancedNFLstats.com who keep us unchanged at No. 7. Their ranking model includes offensive and defensive passing and running efficiency, offensive turnover rates, defensive interception rates, and team penalty rates.

The NationalFootballPost.com ranks us 11th (+3). "The Cowboys get back to work and we get to see if Miles Austin can continue his big-game production."

FootballOutsiders.com rank us 12th (-1), with the offense at No. 4, defense at No. 25 and Special Teams at No. 17. Of note, while they drop the Giants, they keep the Eagles at No. 2 behind the Saints.

Pete Prisco at CBSSports.com ranks us 12th (+4)."They come off the bye with a lot of questions. Who's the main pass catcher? Will the secondary play better? How about Tony Romo?"

[Update] ColdHardFootballFacts.com see us in 13th (+2)."Owner Jerry Jones spent the week off trying to punt the ball into the Jumbotron, failing, then muttering "Raise it, my ass" to himself. On another note, the Cowboys average an awesome 5.92 YPA on the ground this year, which puts them on pace to become the greatest running team in NFL history. The current record is held by the Jim Brown-led 1963 Browns (5.74 YPA). They failed to reach the postseason."

SportingNews.com have us at 13th (+3). "They must've enjoyed their bye week, watching Giants, Eagles and Redskins all lose." Indeed!

WhatIfSports has us climbing to 13th (+4). This weeks hot potato are the Eagles who drop 9 spots (and the Bengals who drop 10 - but who cares?)

Michael Silver at Yahoo Sports moves us up to 14th (+2). "Is it just me, or was the most offensive thing about that Tony Romo/Jessica Simpson-themed Burger King commercial how stupendously unfunny it was?"

ProFootballWeekly rank us unchanged at 15th. "Offense won't have any excuses with Williams, Jones due back."

Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com sees us in 15th (+1). "The official Week Six rallying cry of the NFC East was, "If you ain't playin', you ain't losin'."

[Update] Our very own SBNation ranking has us in 15th (+2). "Sometimes the bye is good to you..."

[Update] Don Banks at SI.com keeps us in 16th."How 'bout them Cowboys, gaining on every other NFC East team last week without ever getting off the couch? It might have been the best Sunday Dallas will have all season. I actually like Wade Phillips' club this week at home against the Falcons, but I'm not exactly sure the rationale for my optimism. And it's good that we finally get to see what a day game looks like in the new Cowboys Stadium. Any of those famed Texas Stadium shadows in the offing?"

Fox Sports move us to 16th (+1). "RPI UPDATE: Pretty clear why the 'Boys are in the middle of the rankings: 3-0 vs. teams with losing records, 0-2 vs. teams with winning records. LOOKING AHEAD: Dallas must make a run with four of their next six at home, because they finish with a rough final five games highlighted by road games against the Giants (Week 13) and Saints (Week 15), before another season finale vs. Philly." Biggest loser in their ratings: The Eagles, who drop 9 spots.

NFL.com's Brain Trust of Experts rank us 16th (+2).

Zac Wassink at AssociatedContent drops us to 17th (-2). "Statement game coming up for the Cowboys as they face the Falcons."

[Update] Covers.com drop us to 18th (-2)."The Cowboys had the week off following that near disaster against the Chiefs and host the hot Falcons. The best news was that all three division foes lost in Week 6." Redskins crack the 30's, Eagles crack the 20's.

Jeff Sagarin's NFL rankings place us in 19th (-3), but two spots ahead of the Eagles.

ESPN drops us to 19th (-2). "The Cowboys had a quiet bye week to reflect upon where they are as a team. (Clayton)"

Weii.com keep us in 20th: "The Cowboys might see a light at the end of the tunnel with the Giants, Eagles and Redskins all losing in Week 6, but I certainly do not. The Cowboys’ mediocre defense will face the Falcons’ Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez next."

Walter Football drop us to 22nd (-1). No comments provided, but they rank us behind all other teams with a .500 or better record, and behind three teams with losing records (MIA, SD, SEA).

Here's how the NFC East - and our next opponent, the Falcons - fared:


	This Week	Last Week	This Week	Last Week	This Week	Last Week	This Week	Last Week	This Week
Advancednflstats	7	7	11	5	4	3	25	22	13
NFP	11	14	12	6	5	1	28	24	7
FootballOutsiders	12	11	2	2	5	3	22	19	10
CBSsports	12	16	10	7	6	1	27	24	5
CHFF	13	15	12	6	5	1	23	21	8
SportingNews	13	16	14	6	5	1	29	27	7
Whatifsports	13	17	14	5	7	2	27	27	10
Yahoosports	14	16	12	3	6	2	27	24	5
ProFootballWeekly	15	15	9	6	5	1	25	24	11
ProFootballTalk	15	16	11	10	4	1	27	24	8
SBNation	15	17	13	6	5	2	28	24	7
SI.com	16	16	9	7	5	2	26	24	7
Foxsports	16	17	13	4	5	1	29	25	7
NFL.com	16	18	9	6	5	1	29	25	6
Assoc. Content	17	15	12	11	5	2	29	23	7
Covers.com	18	16	20	13	7	5	30	26	6
Sagarin Ratings	19	16	21	12	11	6	30	26	4
ESPN	19	17	12	7	5	2	27	24	7
Weii.com	20	20	16	8	5	3	26	25	7
Walter Football	22	21	17	13	3	1	29	26	8
Average	15.2	15.8	12.5	7.2	5.4	2.1	27.2	24.2	7.5

For a summary of all NFL teams using some of the same rankings, go to NFLpowerranks.com

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.

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Comments

Guess we were all wrong about the NFC East...

We’re garbage this year.

by JimmyK on Oct 20, 2009 2:03 PM CDT reply actions

Broncos = last years titans

and why does everybody constantly overrate the chargers

Texas Stadium has a hole in the roof so God can watch his favorite team play football.

by iCowboy on Oct 20, 2009 6:04 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

Chargers

Well..I’m in SD and so I see all the games and hear all the analysis I can stand (yes I am a hater..tired of hearing how good they “could be”. They seem to be a product of their 13-3 season a few years back…at that point they had a dominant tight end, RB, defense, and an emerging QB. What holds true now is they have a great QB (yes if you haven’t seen it…Phillip Rivers is certainly the real deal) and an emerging set of receivers in Vincent Jackson, Na Nee (sp?), and Malcom Floyd. But.. really..

Their O-Line is horrendous. They have an absolutely Non-existent running game. They get little to no pressure on the D-Line (They really miss Pro-bowl NT Jamall Williams). Their Secondary gets toasted over and over again and they can’t stop the run.

So, when they get behind Rivers has a good opportunity to keep them in the game or mount a good comeback. This is why they have been a great 4th quarter team and a miserable first half team. But, their supposed “great talent” is aging/fading quickly. Gates, LT, Louis Castillo, Merriman (yes I said it, watch the film), Chambers etc. have all sort of lost a bit of their big play ability and it really shows in their games. They also have a bit of Cowboy-itous seeing as they seem to play up for big games (other than the steelers) and down to lesser teams (Raiders)

Wade Phillips has never won a playoff game as a head coach..he has lost 4 home playoff games.
His longest tenure as head coach was 3 years.
Only once did his record as a HC improve from one year to the next (by 1 game)

Wade Phillips for DC

by SDTrueblue on Oct 20, 2009 8:21 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks again..

Thanks OCC. This amount of effort isn’t often seen in Fanposts and it’s always a highlight of the week on here. Much appreciated sir.

Wade Phillips for DC

by SDTrueblue on Oct 20, 2009 8:22 PM CDT reply actions

+1

Much appreciated.

3-2 headed for the bye week.

by APerfectStar on Oct 21, 2009 12:18 AM CDT up reply actions

Thank you both

I started this whole effort to see the slow and steady climb of the Boys to the top. Man, have I been disappointed so far.

But what really freaks me out is that after every game we’ve played so far this season, our average rank dropped a little. Then comes the bye week, we don’t play, and our average rank finally turns upwards. Go figure.

by One.Cool.Customer on Oct 21, 2009 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions

Football Outsiders consistently overvalues the Eagles

Their DVOA system LOVES the Eagles every year, disproportionately so compared to other teams. I don’t get it. Seems to be one of the wrinkles they still need to work out.

Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.

by Tim Wilson on Oct 21, 2009 1:38 PM CDT reply actions