How do you distinguish, between two winless teams? Which deserves the undesirable title of No. 32?
It’s a question that many NFL power ranking maestros are struggling with this season, as the league has produced not one, but two of the worst teams in its history.
The battle for the basement has been a hard-fought affair between the talentless Jacksonville Jaguars and the dysfunctional Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Jaguars were expected to be bad. Jacksonville ranks dead last in points scored on offence and points allowed on defence, they haven’t lost by less than 10 and give up the most rushing yards to opponents by more than 31 yards a game.
Hell, Jacksonville scored their first “home” touchdown this past weekend. In England.
Tampa Bay is a different kind of terrible. The Buccaneers had expectations of being a competitive team this season, a squad that would compete for a playoff spot in the NFC. Tampa bolstered their defence this spring by bringing in Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson while the offence supposedly had a solid offensive line and playmakers all over the field.
Just two month later, the Bucs are starting a rookie quarterback after coach Greg Schiano ran Josh Freeman out of town, two of their top offensive playmakers are out with long-term injuries and the offence’s production is better than only the Jags.
The real story behind the Bucs’ meltdown, however, is Schiano. The third-year coach has caused more than his fair share of controversy and now has local media calling for his head on a platter.
To summarize: Jacksonville has simply lived up to expectations, while the Buccaneers, a team with actual aspirations this season, have turned themselves into one of the NFL’s worst-ever teams and done a damn good job of it.
And with that, this week’s power rankings crown a new king of the cellar:
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TEAM | PREV | ||
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1 |
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The Saints showed no rust coming off the bye—quite the opposite. Drew Brees and the passing game were perfect against the Bills, rookie Kenny Stills had a breakout game and solid play from Jimmy Graham has to be relieving after a worrisome foot injury. That defence continues to impress, completely smothering Thad Lewis and the Bills offence. |
5 |
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2 |
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Being the lone undefeated team in the NFL means opponents are going to bring their A game every week. That’s what Cleveland did, and the Chiefs did a good job of holding them off. Alex Smith snapped his three-game touchdown skid and while the defence didn’t make the big plays that’s made it so dominant, it did a good job of stopping the Browns offence late in the game. |
2 |
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3 |
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A win is a win, but boy was that ugly. The Seahawks need to get their tackles, Russell Okung and Breno Giacomini, back as soon as they can because Russell Wilson was under fire all night. Seattle could get nothing going offensively due to pressure, surrendering seven sacks to the Rams. Chalk another victory up to the defence, who did a great job with the goal-line stand in the final seconds of the game. |
1 |
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4 |
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The Colts were running on all cylinders in its huge win over the Broncos last Sunday, so the only worry could be that the bye slows up the momentum. Andrew Luck and company head to Houston next Sunday night and the Texans will come at Indy with all they’ve got. |
4 |
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5 |
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Denver started out sluggish and fell behind in the third thanks to two uncharacteristic turnovers, but Peyton Manning and the offence got it together. The defence did a great job of getting after Robert Griffin III, hitting him every chance they got. The injury to Julius Thomas is disheartening, especially if you just traded for him in fantasy, but he now has a bye week to heal up. |
3 |
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6 |
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The evolution of Andy Dalton; that’s the story of the Bengals’ season thus far. Dalton has 11 touchdown passes, 1,034 yards and just two picks in his last three games. Cincinnati’s defence completely dominated the Jets, intercepting two passes for touchdowns and allowing just 240 total yards. The Bengals are becoming a complete team in front of our eyes. |
6 |
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7 |
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The 49ers have now won five in a row, outscoring opponents 174-61 in that span. Colin Kaepernick hasn’t put up mind-boggling numbers but, along with the hard-nosed running of Frank Gore, has been integral to San Francisco’s success. After allowing 28 points a game in the first three weeks, the defence has given up 20 just once in the last five. |
7 |
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8 |
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – it doesn’t matter who he’s throwing to, if Aaron Rodgers is on the field, the Pack will get it done in the passing game. An added bonus is the continued solid play of rookie back Eddie Lacy. Green Bay has now won four straight with a pretty light schedule ahead of them. |
8 |
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9 |
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The story of the Patriots season so far: it wasn’t pretty but they got it done in a key division game against the Dolphins. Tom Brady’s struggles continue, throwing for just 116 yards and a touchdown. But the Pats leaned on the running game and defence to come back in the second half. This team may not look like the Patriots of the past, but they’re just as competitive. |
9 |
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10 |
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Do you think Calvin Johnson shut Dez Bryant up with that showing? Well … probably not, but what a performance. Megatron shouldn’t be allowed to play with regular humans. Despite a lot of mistakes, the Lions wouldn’t say “uncle” Sunday. Matthew Stafford looked like a savvy vet on that game-winning drive. |
11 |
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11 |
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The Cowboys are probably wishing Dez Bryant’s sideline tantrums were this team’s biggest problem. Dallas’ porous defence allowed more than 600 yards and couldn’t do anything to slow down the Lions when it mattered most, allowing two late drives, including the game-winner when Detroit had no timeouts. They’ve given up 500-plus yards three times this season. |
10 |
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12 |
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The Chargers have given the NFL its most pleasant surprise of the first half this season and it’s all thanks to the resurgence of Philip Rivers. With three of the next four games on the road, San Diego can make or break its 2013 season in the next month. |
13 |
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13 |
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Cam Newton has been the best quarterback in the NFL over the last three weeks. Seriously. Newton has six touchdowns, no picks, a rating of 130.4 and has completed 79 percent of his passes in the last three games. Coupled with one of the NFL’s stingiest defences, Carolina is quickly becoming an NFC playoff contender. |
15 |
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14 |
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With major injuries hampering the Bears, the bye gives Chicago a chance to get comfortable with Josh McCown under centre. And the Bears will need it. Now sitting third in the NFC North, Chicago will need to win at least half of its games with Jay Cutler out to keep any playoff hopes alive. |
14 |
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15 |
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The Jets biggest problem? Consistency; the Jets haven’t won two in a row this season. Mirroring New York’s up-and-down play are the performances of rookie quarterback Geno Smith. In four wins, Smith has seven TD passes, four picks and a 97.5 rating. In four losses, one TD pass, nine picks and a 51.8 rating. Enough said. |
12 |
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16 |
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Jake Locker returned in Week 7 against the 49ers and looked good but was clearly not 100 percent. Locker is the key to the Titans’ success so the bye couldn’t have come at a better time. Tennessee is very much a part of the AFC playoff race and has two winnable games before a crucial Thursday night matchup against the Colts on Nov. 14. |
16 |
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17 |
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Much like last season at this time, the Ravens offence is struggling. It’s the primary reason the team sits one game below .500. Sitting 2.5 games behind the Bengals in the AFC North, now is the time for Joe Flacco to earn that mammoth contract he signed last summer and get his team back on track before it’s too late. |
17 |
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18 |
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Arizona’s defence has Matt Ryan’s number. After intercepting Ryan five times in their meeting last season, the Cards picked him off four times Sunday. Add 154 yards and a huge touchdown from Andre Ellington and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a Cardinals win. Now only if they could do that every week. |
23 |
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19 |
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Buffalo did a good job of keeping it close in the first half, but New Orleans was just too much for the Bills. Led by Mario Williams, the Bills defensive line continues to get after the quarterback, sacking Brees four times. Next up for the Bills: back to Buffalo for a matchup against the undefeated Chiefs. Anyone smell an upset? |
19 |
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20 |
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Running for the longest touchdown by a quarterback in NFL history, Terrelle Pryor led the Raiders to another unlikely victory. Darren McFadden looked good for Oakland, but questions surround him and Pryor. Will the team roll with McFadden in the long run? Is Pryor considered the quarterback of the future? |
27 |
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21 |
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Turnovers from Ryan Tannehill doomed the Dolphins, who squandered a two-touchdown halftime lead. Well, that and more horrendous play from the offensive line. After a better game in Week 7, the Dolphins big men surrendered six sacks to the Pats and have now given up a league-high 32. |
21 |
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22 |
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Along with the Falcons, the Texans are the most disappointing team in the NFL. The good news is that new starting quarterback Case Keenum looked good in his NFL debut and, with Tennessee dropping its last three, Houston is still alive in the AFC South. But they have to start winning now. |
22 |
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23 |
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A devastating loss to the Cardinals on Sunday marks the end of the Falcons’ season. With the Saints out of reach and Carolina surging, any hopes of a comeback in the NFC South rested on a win in Arizona. But Matt Ryan struggled mightily and Atlanta’s defence couldn’t stop one of the league’s most dormant offences. It’s over. |
18 |
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24 |
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What a heartbreaking loss for the Rams. After an epic 95-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, St. Louis couldn’t finish Seattle off and still have zero rushing touchdowns through eight weeks. St. Louis put the NFL on notice Monday night, showing off what is one of the youngest, most talented defensive lines in the league. Robert Quinn is a beast. |
24 |
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25 |
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The Giants may have the ugliest two-game win streak in NFL history. New York was part of the worst game of the year against Minnesota last Monday … that is, worst until Sunday’s thrilling field goal fest. But a win is a win, ugly or not, and the Giants are now amazingly just two games out of first in the NFC East. |
29 |
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26 |
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Three weeks removed from boasting a top offence, the Eagles haven’t scored an offensive touchdown in two straight games. It’s unfortunate this team is still in the NFC East race, because what Philadelphia needs to do most is look to the future and address its most glaring need—a long-term answer at quarterback. |
20 |
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27 |
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In the first half, the Redskins did a great job keeping Peyton Manning off the field and the defence kept the Broncos in check. But that all fell apart after the Redskins went up 21-7. The defence looked its mediocre self and RG3 got smacked around. |
25 |
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28 |
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With Jason Campbell at the helm, as the 20th different Browns quarterback since 1999, Cleveland’s offence was effective and able to hang with the undefeated Chiefs. But Cleveland got off to a slow start and couldn’t get anything going late with the game in reach. The question now: who survives the trade deadline? |
28 |
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29 |
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Coming off two straight wins, the Steelers were beginning to look like they could get back into the AFC North this season…then they lost in Oakland. The defence did a good job shutting down the Raiders’ offence but Roethlisberger was pressured all day long and two missed field goals took the wind out of Pittsburgh’s sails. |
26 |
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30 |
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So…back to Josh Freeman? The Vikings quarterback struggles continued Sunday night, as Christian Ponder missed multiple open receivers—but at least he completed more than half his passes. Jared Allen expressed frustration with the defence following the game with good reason—the Vikings allowed points on every Packers’ possession until Aaron Rodgers took a knee to end the game. |
30 |
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31 |
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It’s becoming clearer each week that this team has no chance of winning. The only reason Jacksonville was able to score was because the 49ers fumbled the football in their own territory. |
32 |
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32 |
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Another week, another terrible showing from Greg Schiano’s Buccaneers. Rookie quarterback Mike Glennon has been the lone bright spot for Tampa, showing flashes of what may be the team’s next franchise quarterback. But with 12 losses in the last 13 games and calls for the coach’s head, you have to figure Schiano is almost out. |
31 |
