Curnutte's NFL power ratings

Sunday, November 18, 2001

Curnutte's NFL power ratings

By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

1. Rams .. 7-1 .. 1 .. Road woes? No way - 4-0 with 119-57 scoring edge

2. Packers .. 6-2 .. 3 .. Won NFC-best nine in a row at home

3. Raiders .. 6-2 .. 2 .. Won AFC-best nine in a row at home

4. Steelers .. 6-2 .. 4 .. NFL-best 32:54 avg. time of possession

5. Ravens .. 6-3 .. 6 .. Defense never rests — 6-0 when allowing 17 points or fewer

6. Dolphins .. 6-2 .. 7 .. Olindo Mare has made 15 consecutive field goals

7. Bears .. 6-2 .. 5 .. Anthony Thomas on pace for 1,160 yards and team rookie rush mark

8. Eagles .. 5-3 .. 8 .. McNabb leads best team in NFC East

9. 49ers .. 6-2 .. 10 .. Have won 2 of 3 overtime games played this season

10. Jets .. 6-3 .. 14 .. Have forced 28 turnovers and committed just 11

11. Broncos .. 5-4 .. 12 .. WR Rod Smith needs 77 for 5th straight 1,000-yard season

12. Giants .. 5-4 .. 15 .. Will lean even more on running game, defense

13. Chargers .. 5-4 .. 9 .. Flutie has 38-percent completion rate last two games

14. Saints .. 4-4 .. 11 .. Only a third of red-zone trips end up as touchdowns

15. Buccaneers .. 4-4 .. 13 .. 20-3 from November on under coach Tony Dungy

16. Browns .. 4-4 .. 16 .. Two OT straight losses to teams that are combined 12-4

17. Patriots .. 5-4 .. 19 .. Defense allows 16 points a game, down 13 from last season

18. Bengals .. 4-4 .. 17 .. Falling below .500 could start slide

19. Colts .. 4-4 .. 18 .. RB Dominic Rhodes is no Edgerrin James

20. Seahawks .. 4-4 .. 23 .. (Shaun) Alexander the Great has 758 yards, 9 TDs

21. Titans .. 3-5 .. 20 .. Eddie George on pace to miss 1,000 yards rushing

22. Jaguars .. 3-5 .. 22 .. Have scored 10 more points than their opponents

23. Falcons ..4-4 .. 24 .. Great in first quarter (62-6), but mediocre afterward

24. Vikings .. 3-5 .. 21 .. WR Randy Moss has not hit 100 yards in nine straight

25. Redskins .. 3-5 .. 27 .. WR Rod Gardner leads NFL rookies with 445 yards

26. Cardinals .. 2-6 .. 25 .. Heaviest O-line (327 pounds a man) can't run block

27. Chiefs .. 2-7 .. 26 .. Vermeil's behind rebuilding pace he had with Rams

28. Cowboys .. 2-6 .. 28 .. 1-6 without Emmitt Smith since '90, including last two games

29. Bills .. 1-7 .. 29 .. QB Alex Van Pelt makes first start since 1997

30. Lions .. 0-8 .. 31 .. They've been close and are due; Charlie Batch is hot again

31. Panthers .. 1-8 .. 30 .. Coach George Seifert wants to return. Why?

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