Franz’s 2013 NFL Power Poll: Week 6

1) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (3): Why more teams don’t run against their defense, I have no idea (5.4 avg yards/rush against…we are so lucky to get NO @ NE this week.

2) DENVER BRONCOS (2): Super Bowl champions never allow 48 points…actually two have, but you get my point.

3) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5): 1st in sacks, 3rd in INTs, allows only three 3rd down conversions per game and league-leading +10 in T/O ratio…already only team in history to go 5-0 after losing 14 games and now getting three straight home games.

4)INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10): Let’s see how prime-time attention is handled after two huge wins (MNF in San Diego then SNF for Peyton’s return)…how does the Richardson trade look now?

5) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (1): Interesting to be the second-best rushing team in football, yet your QB gets sacked more often than you sack their QB…could be staring at a SIX-game winning streak.

6) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4): Only the Jags are worse at converting red zone possessions to TDs…went from NFL-best 70% last year to 33% this year.

7) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (11): If it wasn’t for Tampa Bay, this would be the worst passing offense in football…Alex Smith QB rating = 83.7 versus Kaepernick’s 81.9.

8) CINCINNATI BENGALS (13): Burfict is only one tackle behind Lance Briggs for most in NFL… fine, Pac-Man’s not guilty, but if he’s really turned his life around, how does he even get arrested?

9) BALTIMORE RAVENS (14): Every member of the organization should be held accountable for the atrocious 77.8 yards rushing/game (27th)…all that money for a QB with a 70 rating?

10) TENNESSEE TITANS (7): Love the big-play defense with 16 sacks, 6 INTs and 5 recovered fumbles…INDY just went 2-0 versus Seattle and San Fran back-to-back, now it’s Tennessee’s turn.

11) MIAMI DOLPHINS (6): Only five weeks in and opponents already have 26 more 1st downs…would it not help a second-year QB to average more than 70 yards rushing/game?

12) GREEN BAY PACKERS (17): Allowing a horrific 83% of all red zone possessions to be TDs…not only is that worst in the league, but it’s 11% away from 31st.

13) DETROIT LIONS (8): Have never scored on their opening drive of the game this year.

14) DALLAS COWBOYS (15): Whenever Bryant catches two or more TD passes, the Cowboys are 1-7…the irony of the man who called for only 13 rushes saying, “Get the ball to the RB”.

15) CHICAGO BEARS (9): The Trestman effect has the offense up to fourth in scoring but the defense is now down to 26th in scoring defense.

16) ARIZONA CARDINALS (20): The Carolina game was the first in Arizona Cardinals history where the defense had 3 INTs and 7 sacks…for all the offensive smack talk, you’d think a whole week of preparation would lead to more than 1.4 points/1st quarter (yeah, that’s 32nd).

17) CLEVELAND BROWNS (21): Four players have thrown a pass and it’s the punter who is the only one with a QB rating over 83…haven’t been 3-2 in 12 years.

18) NEW YORK JETS (23): When a reasonably athletic QB has been hit the fourth-most times in the NFL, he’s holding the ball way too long…this hurts.

19) HOUSTON TEXANS (16): Only the Josh Freeman-led Bucs and Houston have zero 40-yard pass plays…Schaub has an NFL record four-game pick-6 streak.

20) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (12): Biggest drop in the poll because of how bad Rivers looked…one of only three teams averaging 400 yards/game on offense and giving up 400 yards/game on defense (Denver & Philly).

21) CAROLINA PANTHERS (18): When you have a red zone weapon like Cam Newton and you’re only converting 50% of your red zone possessions into TDs, that’s coaching.

22) ATLANTA FALCONS (19): Allows 50% of all third downs to be converted…never thought a team with Steven Jackson would average less than 80 yards rushing/game.

23) BUFFALO BILLS (24): Hey Miami, want to learn how to raise a young QB? Rush for 153 yards/game.

24) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (26): Cleveland and five other teams run more plays than Chip Kelly…if the Chip Kelly show is about offense, it’s working, but if it’s about winning it won’t (31.8 points/game against).

25) ST. LOUIS RAMS (22): Old adage says football is about running the football (29th) and stopping the run (29th).

26) MINNESOTA VIKINGS (25): All those years of a vaunted pass rush has been reduced to 29th in sacks.

27) WASHINGTON REDSKINS (27): 15 days for the 32nd-ranked defense giving up 440 yards/game to prepare for Sunday Night at Dallas.

28) OAKLAND RAIDERS (28): Pull the upset at Kansas City and things can get interesting…11th-best rush defense will be severely tested.

29) PITTSBURGH STEELERS (29): Let this sink in, the master of the zone blitz is 32nd in sacks.

30) NEW YORK GIANTS (30): Defense allows nine third down conversions per game.

31) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (31): Only two teams average less than 300 yards/game of offense, the last two…after making all of their 2nd half adjustments they’ve scored zero third quarter points in 2013.

32) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (32): It was only 2007 when this team won a playoff game…worst team QB rating at 55.

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