24. Detroit Lions (1-5 LW 27) | Lee Russakoff's NFL Power Rankings: Week 7 | Comcast.net

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Lee Russakoff's NFL Power Rankings: Week 7

24. Detroit Lions (1-5 LW 27)

The Lions are favored! Favored! For the first time since the ’08 opener, Vegas actually thinks Detroit should win a football game. And that’s before we know if the Leos’ two best offensive players will get on the field. I knew things would turn around in Motown … but who would’ve thought it would all happen so fast? (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

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32. St. Louis Ra... 17 straight games. 17? I mean, Steven Jackson put up 134 on just 23 carries … and somehow the Rams only scored six points? I’m no Stephen Hawking, but I’m pretty sure that’s a mathematical impossibility. Seriously, Spags. How do you have a running back average six yards a carry and still not get in the end zone? "We have to learn to put four good quarters together," Jackson said. "We don't know how to win a game right now." Here’s an idea on how to win: If your best player is averaging six yards per carry, give him the damn ball. How hard is that? (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
31. Tampa Bay Bu... I would think flying all the way across the pond to get your butt kicked stings a little more than staying home and getting your butt kicked. But I don’t know, I’m not Raheem Morris. "It was really a lot of fun,” the Bucs coach said. “There were a whole bunch of different chants I haven't heard before and we saw beach balls and the wave. This was old school fun football and it was good to be a part of it despite the loss.” Glad you enjoyed it coach. Me, Buccaneer Nation, not so much. (AP Photo/Tom Hevezi)
30. Tennessee Ti... How do you not play and move up two spots? Join a league with Tampa and St. Louis. Look, in these rankings, I don’t give anything away, Tennessee. You want that last spot? Well, then get on the field and prove it to me against the Jaguars. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
29. Cleveland Br... "We aren't good right now," QB Derek Anderson said. "That's it. Period. We haven't executed. We haven't done the right things to win ballgames. We haven't run the ball effectively, thrown it where we needed to. We haven't protected up front like we need to and caught it when we need to." But you did learn a valuable lesson about water bottles in the mini-bar, so there’s that. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
28. Kansas City ... Larry Johnson sure is angry. I get that your team stinks. But why do you have to denigrate gay people, spit your drinks in women’s faces and publicly emasculate your coach and fans? That’s not cool, dude. But that hat … that's pimpin. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
27. Washington R... (Please read in your best Jeff Foxworthy twang.) How do you know if you’re a Redskin? When your best offensive play relies on the referee mis-spotting the ball 49 yards farther back than it belongs, you might be a Redskin. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
26. Carolina Pan... I’m a fan of loyalty. Truly, I am. But if John Fox keeps throwing Jake Delhomme out as his starting QB, he’s bat-poop crazy. "I still believe Jake is our best quarterback. I have no reason to believe otherwise, truth be told," Fox said. No reason? No Reason?!? How about his 32nd-ranked 56.5 QB rating? That’s not a good enough reason? OK, try his league-leading 13 INTs on for size. You brought A.J. Feeley in for a reason. Give the kid a chance. Unless he changes his name to JaMarcus and purposely throws the ball to the other team, he literally can’t be any worse. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
25. Oakland Raid... Playoffs? Did Richard Seymour really say this team would make the playoffs? Take it down a notch, Rich. You beat a team that customarily plays down to its opponents … and you did it on the back of an 86-yard TD catch from Zach Miller. I know Zach can fly, but something tells me you shouldn’t be relying on him to break 86-yard TDs from week to week (that is, unless every one of your opponents starts Jeremiah Trotter at MLB). This is your team, Mr. Seymour: Your last four losses have come at a combined score of 134-16. Keep it down about the playoffs. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
24. Detroit Lion... The Lions are favored! Favored! For the first time since the ’08 opener, Vegas actually thinks Detroit should win a football game. And that’s before we know if the Leos’ two best offensive players will get on the field. I knew things would turn around in Motown … but who would’ve thought it would all happen so fast? (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)
23. Jacksonville... I want to get excited about this Jaguars team. Especially with Tennessee and Kansas City on tap over the next two weeks. But something keeps holding me back. Oh yea, I remember now. It’s that 31st-ranked passing defense. And the paltry five sacks (tied for worst in the NFL) the defense has managed. Come to think of it … it’s the entire defense that’s blocking my enthusiasm. All 11 guys. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)
22. Seattle Seah... It’s really a simple game. When you don’t have anyone to block the guys who are trying to pummel your QB, you lose. The Seahawks are now trying out their fifth left tackle … they’ve only played six games. For a QB with a bad back like Hasselbeck, it’s good to know the guy protecting your back side was on a couch watching the Red Zone channel a week ago. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
21. Buffalo Bill... Maybe Dick Jauron ought to start game planning for his offense to be on the sidelines for 35 minutes of the game. It’s obvious that the Bills’ best chance to score is on defense. Get Jairus Byrd on the field as much as possible. He and his five picks in three games are a bigger threat than Ryan Fitzpatrick. If that’s not clear after a day of nine first downs and 167 total yards of offense, it will never be. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)
20. San Franciso... You wouldn’t expect a Mike Singletary team to come out flat, but that’s exactly what the Niners did. Still, this is my team, so it’s hard for me to see the blemishes when Vernon Davis looks great, Michael Crabtree appears to be a star, and Alex Smith is back from the dead. I’ve never been an Alex Smith guy (I think Alex and his dad are the only Alex Smith guys left), but boy did he shred up that Houston defense. I like the move to go to him next week. Watching that game, it was obvious the two QBs just weren’t playing on the same level. Now, the question is: Can Smith sustain this level? (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
19. Chicago Bear... Chicago coaches … you made a mistake on Cedric Benson. That’s OK, every team makes personnel mistakes. But don’t compound the error by not focusing the game plan to stop him. It’s as if the Bears are still in denial. Ced can’t beat us … he’s got a bad attitude … don’t worry about him. Heck, tell our LBs they just need to arm-tackle the kid and he’ll go down. But what's even more frightening … is it possible this is the reason Denver sent Jay Cutler packing? Is he too careless with the football? Does he not understand the importance of turnovers in this game? Is he incapable of bending down to catch a somewhat low shotgun snap? Bears fans thought they traded for a franchise QB … what happens if it turns out that the QB with the Dan Marino arm has a Rex Grossman head? (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)
18. San Diego Ch... I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. I will not fall for the Chargers again this year. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
17. Miami Dolphi... What a perplexing season. The Fins were a gut punch away from beating the league’s two best teams. But the only quality win Miami has registered is its last-second seesaw battle against the Jets. Shows you just how frustrating this league can be. Three plays go differently and the Dolphins could be anywhere from 4-2 to 1-5. But they’re 2-4, and the next two games @ Jets and @ Pats will decide the season. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
16. Houston Texa... There are a ton of weapons on this offense. Matt Schaub is finally starting to play like they expected him to when they brought him in from Atlanta. Steve Slaton is a threat every time he touches the ball. Andre Johnson is unguardable (when he has use of both his lungs). And Owen Daniels is developing into the best TE in the game. So why does this team keep ending seasons at .500? Because it loses winnable games like the one coming up at Buffalo, that’s why. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)
15. Philadelphia... Maybe that’s the key to all those third-and-long problems you’ve been having this year. Just screw it, and throw a bomb up to DeSean Jackson every time. It has got to work out better than what you had been trying for the first five-and-a-half games. Heck of a start for Will Witherspoon. As I said last week, that trade may have saved the Eagles’ season. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
14. New York Jet... Can’t the Sanchize catch a break? One week he catching flak for looking too sad on the sidelines, this week he’s hearing it because he dared to eat a hot dog at the end of a 38-0 beatdown of Oakland. Maybe the guy was low on nitrates … maybe he hadn’t gotten his recommended daily allowance of animal hooves … who knows? The guy was hungry, and about to win 38-0. I’d have been fine if he decided to make a White Castle run. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
13. Baltimore Ra... I don’t know what to make of this team, and the week off hasn’t cleared anything up. Baltimore has lost three straight by a combined 11 points. The three losses were to teams with a combined record of 16-5. So this is hardly a tailspin. Still, good teams find ways to win tight games, and somewhat surprisingly, it was the defense, not the offense, that has let the team down in crunch time. The next two weeks don’t get any easier, as the Ravens host Denver and go to Cincinnati with both teams coming off a bye. (AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)
12. Atlanta Falc... I don’t get it. It’s not like Miles Austin is a big guy. How can he be that hard to tackle? They’ll be a lot fingers pointed at the defense and the secondary, but I want to know what’s going on with Michael Turner. I’d love to say there were no holes when he rushed 18 times for 50 yards … but the holes were popping up like a Shia LeBeouf movie for Jason Snelling. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
11. Arizona Card... Maybe this team isn’t a one-year wonder. Back-to-back road wins? The Cardinals don’t do that. In fact, they haven’t done that since 2001. The win over the G-Men wasn’t pretty, but what the offense couldn’t do, the defense took care of. Forcing four turnovers on the road against a Super Bowl contender … One could argue that makes you a Super Bowl contender yourself (I wouldn’t argue that … but one could). (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
10. Green Bay Pa... So we’ve finally got our answer to how Aaron Rodgers will respond after getting punched in the face. David Bowens roughed him up (he was down there giving him the business) and the Packers QB came back and threw for three TDs, completed 75 percent of his passes and wound up with a career-high 155.4 passer rating. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
9. Dallas Cowboy... Dallas fans … I’m sorry. I just didn’t believe in this team. At all. The ‘Boys have looked sloppy all year, even in their wins against inferior opponents. But dominating a good team like Atlanta … I didn’t see that one coming. I asked Romo for a quality win. He delivered, so I deliver by sliding Big D into the top 10. One question: Where did that pass rush come from? Matt Ryan was supposed to be unsackable; Dallas got him four times. Remember when this team couldn’t sack a potato? Oh, and that’ll do, Miles Austin. That’ll do. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
8. New York Gian... Interesting. No longer world-beaters, I see. The fans have an excuse for not fully preparing for Arizona … they were distracted by the Yankees. What’s Eli’s excuse? Ahmad Bradshaw’s? Eli and Co. have a week (max) to try to fix this. After that, the Yanks will be done and all eyes will be focused on the four turnovers, three false starts, two delay-of-game penalties and Eli’s plummeting passer rating (111.7 in first five games, 53.6 over the last two). (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
7. Minnesota Vik... It’s just one loss. No one thought this team was going to be the ’72 Dolphins. But the Vikes are a Steve Hauschka kick away from a two-game losing streak, and a Brett Favre turnovers cost the team that game in Pitt. But don’t put the blame on Favre. Put it on Brad Childress. Can someone tell Dame Edna he has the best RB in football. I know you want to prove how smart you are, but we won’t think less of you if you just hand him the damn ball. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
6. Cincinnati Be... How about that ride for Cedric Benson? From taking a Thomas Jones punch in the face to trouncing the Bears 45-10. Looks like the underdog’s on top. And he’s gonna shine, homie, til his heart stop. Go ahead envy C, he’s Cincy’s MVP, and he aint going nowhere, so get to know the RB. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)
5. New England P... How do you get over an overtime loss to Denver? Play back-to-back against Tennessee and Tampa. In its last two games, New England has whipped the two winless teams by a combined score of 94-7, and Brady has thrown for 688 yards and nine TDs. The Pats have now won 17 straight regular season games vs. NFC opponents. So, sit back and enjoy the fish and chips during the bye week, Pats fans. You got MIA, @ IND, NYJ, @NO and @MIA over your next five. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
4. Pittsburgh St... Now that’s the Steelers team we’ve all come to love; finding a way to win in the fourth quarter. Sometimes that way will be a Roethlisberger two-minute drill, sometimes it will be two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter (though when playing Brett Favre, the latter is much more likely). (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
3. Denver Bronco... I’d love to say that Denver caught a tough matchup, having to face a desperate Ravens team on the road coming off a bye. But the Broncos are also off their bye week, and the way they’re playing their opponents are the ones who should be nervous. As a sidenote, now that Spencer Larsen is back. Please make sure to remove all banana peels from the locker room. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
2. Indianapolis ... Peyton has a so-so game (by his standards), the RBs are unimpressive, no Colt went over 100-yards receiving, and Indy still wins 42-6. Parity is for pansies. But before we slot the Colts in the Super Bowl, let’s remember that this is the fourth time in the last five years Peyton has started 6-0. The Colts always start strong; this team is judged in January. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
1. New Orleans S... I thought about dropping them. I thought about elevating the Colts after Drew Brees and the Saints decided to take the first half off against Miami. Then I thought: This team just put up 36 points in a half. It has topped 40 points in two-thirds of its games. Brees shrugged off four turnovers and ran for two TDs. Plus, with Darren Sharper at safety, the Saints are as apt to score on defense as the opposing offense. His pick-six Sunday was the 10th of his career, placing him second all time (behind Rod Woodson’s 12, and one ahead of Primetime’s nine). (AP Photo/Jeffrey M. Boan)

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