This is the first of many NFL Weekly columns. Each week I will take a look at the top six teams in the league, choose and explain my pick for the upcoming game of the week, update each NFL division, and handicap the NFL MVP race. Sounds brimming with potential, right? Let’s get to it.
Power Six
As the league heads into week 7, some teams are definitely sticking out above the rest. Here’s how I’d rank the current top six teams in the NFL:
1. San Diego Chargers
The Oakland game was a close one, but Philip Rivers is having a great year and the defense is still great. Great teams come together and win tough contests, and San Diego keeps rolling. They’re hanging onto this spot by a thin thread, though.
2. Denver Broncos
Peyton Manning is now just two touchdowns short of Brett Favre‘s record, and the Broncos defense did well playing the run against the Jets. But come on, a win against the Jets can’t propel a team into a top slot held by a team that also won. Denver fans need only be patient, though. They could take the top slot very soon.
3. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys’ offensive line is phenomenal, and they make it easy for DeMarco Murray. The defense gave the Seahawks’ offense fits on Sunday, and the Cowboys are looking like a very well-rounded team.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
LeSean McCoy finally burst out of that two yards per carry slump, the offense is second in the league in points, and the defense just shut out the Giants. If Nick Foles gets a little more efficient and the defense has some more dominant games, the Eagles could be the best team in the NFC.
5. Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck and his offense is the best in the league, and they don’t seem to be slowing down. The defense came up with some late turnovers against Houston, but the offense is why they’re in the top five.
6. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle is capable of playing much better than they have lately. Dallas outplayed them on Sunday, but Seattle can fix their problems. The Super Bowl team from last year is still on the field; they just haven’t truly shown up yet.
My Game of the Week
This week’s lineup features some solid games, but none gets me as excited as the Sunday Night Football game between the 49ers and Broncos. Peyton Manning going up against the fantastic 49ers defense makes for a sweet game. Denver played the run well this past weekend, so it’ll be interesting to see whether they can replicate their success against San Francisco’s line. Ultimately, though, it’s really all about whether Manning can pick apart the pass defense. A fantastic offense vs. a fantastic defense= one heck of a game.
Division Updates
Let’s start with the AFC East. New England leads the pack with a 4-2 record. They host the 1-5 Jets on Thursday and will keep hold of the division for another week. The Bills at 3-3 are the Patriots’ biggest threat at the moment. They host the Vikings this weekend, and they really need to keep winning if they hope to unseat New England. Tom Brady looks like he’s getting into a rhythm, and his offense could soar really quick and leave the rest of the division in the dust.
In the AFC North, the Bengals hold a slim lead over the Ravens, with the Browns and Steelers not far behind. The Bengals should’ve won their last game, but Mike Nugent couldn’t make the short field goal. As a result, the Ravens are within striking distance. Baltimore is a different team every week: you never know which side of them is going to show up. This week, they’ve got Atlanta and I like their chances. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is visiting the Colts, and I don’t think they’ll stop Andrew Luck. Expect these two to grapple for first all year, though.
Speaking of the Colts, they lead the AFC South by a game over the Texans. Their offense is stellar, and the Texans are one dimensional. The Colts should beat the Bengals this weekend, and the Texans visit Pittsburgh on Monday night. The Texans need a passing game if they’re going to overtake Indianapolis, but it’s not going to happen this week.
The 5-1 San Diego Chargers are up on the Broncos, who are 4-1. Both teams are extremely talented with quarterbacks who are having MVP years. The Broncos host the 49ers this Sunday, while the Chargers take on another AFC West team, the Chiefs. I like the Chargers over the 2-3 Chiefs, so they should retain their lead in the division.
In the NFC East, it’s a tie between the Eagles and Cowboys at 5-1. Philadelphia has a bye this week while the Cowboys host the Giants, whom the Eagles just throttled. With the way they’re playing, the Cowboys should step all over New York and take over sole possession in the division.
The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers sit atop the NFC North at 4-2, but the Lions have the tiebreak. Aaron Rodgers is the only reason Green Bay is tied for first, as his game-winning drive against Miami saved the Pack from defeat. Meanwhile, Detroit’s defense continues to impress immensely. The Lions play the Saints at Ford Field while the Packers host the Panthers. I’ve got both NFC North teams winning, but the Lions are definitely the better team in this division. It may be a tie right now, but it’s not really a tie in terms of team talent.
The Panthers lead the NFC South over the Saints. Both teams haven’t looked anything like last year’s squads, and they’ve both got tough match-ups this week. Looking ahead, though, I’m inclined to think Drew Brees and the Saints can pull things together.
The NFC West is hotly contested. Arizona at 4-1 leads, San Francisco is in second at 4-2, and Seattle sits at third at 3-2. San Francisco has a tough game at Denver, which I don’t think they’ll be able to pull out. Seattle visits the Rams, who have played them extraordinarily tough the past few meetings, and Arizona visits the Raiders, who found some success through the air on Sunday. After this week, I expect Arizona to remain in first, but the Seahawks will win a hard-fought game and overtake the 49ers.
A look at MVP
Some early candidates for NFL MVP have got to be Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning, DeMarco Murray, and Andrew Luck, with some other possible names. These four guys have especially been impressive thus far. Rivers has thrown for 1,756 yards, 15 touchdowns and just two picks. Manning is at 1,530 yards, 15 scores and three interceptions. Luck and his high-flying pass attack has put him just shy of 2,000 yards and given him 17 touchdowns to 7 picks. Murray is the most successful running back in the league right now, racking up 785 yards on 159 carries for six touchdowns.
Just looking at these four promising candidates, I would have to give the early nod to Rivers. He started this season like he was shot out of a cannon and is phenomenally consistent thus far. Manning is certainly nipping at his heels, but Rivers is a key reason why the Chargers are where they are. Those two gunslingers will be duking it out all year, and whoever comes out on top is probably going to be my favorite for MVP. As of right now, Rivers has done so much for his Chargers and is on fire. He’s been thoroughly enjoyable to watch this year and gets the current nod.
Let me know below which games you’re looking forward to this weekend, as well as your thoughts on division leaders and MVP frontrunners.
This article NFL Weekly: Power teams, updates, and previews appeared first on isportsweb by Ken Kosirowski