Week 6 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: Packers Crash and Burn
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Not surprisingly, the Green Bay Packers crashed in the latest NFL power rankings following their loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
In our weekly survey of 10 national power rankings, Green Bay slipped an average of 6.5 spots. With NFL.com placing the Packers at No. 18 and The 33rd Team among those who placed them No. 24, their average ranking is 21.7. They were 12.3 after rallying past the Saints a couple weeks ago.
Here’s where you’ll find the Packers in the rankings, with longer analysis available by clicking the individual links.
NFL.com: 18th
Last week: 14th
Eric Edholm noted how the Packers had every chance to beat the Raiders. The defense kept the team in the game. AJ Dillon ran with power. But Jordan Love let them down. “Love really struggled to connect with his receivers most of the night and finished with three back-breaking interceptions. The most concerning part: The ball never really came close to reaching Love's intended target on any of the three picks; they were just poor decisions and/or throws. The execution has to sharpen.”
ESPN.com: 19th
Last week: 14th.
The theme for this week’s ESPN power rankings is fantasy surprise. Packers beat writer Rob Demovsky pointed to running back AJ Dillon, who is averaging just 2.8 yards per carry but had a solid game against the Raiders.
Sports Illustrated: 20th
Last week: 14th
Conor Orr called the Packers’ performance against the Raiders “absolutely listless.” As we wrote, this is the type of loss that is going to haunt them come playoff time. “The good news is that the Vikings and Broncos await. This will be one of those losses they look back on at the end of the season and kick themselves. They are clearly better than Las Vegas.”
Yahoo: 20th
Last week: 15th.
Frank Schwab doesn’t think the Packers have much faith in Love. “They did not want him passing the ball unless needed. Even without Aaron Jones, they were happy to keep giving the ball to AJ Dillon and hoping that would be enough. Offensive line problems contributed to that gameplan, but it was telling when it comes to Love.”
Pro Football Network: 22nd
Last week: 14th.
No team dropped further in Dallas Robinson’s rankings than Green Bay. “This always looked like a reset year in Green Bay. The Packers will get a bye week to rest up before facing two sieve-like defenses — the Broncos and Vikings — in Weeks 6 and 7.”
Packers RB AJ Dillon
Photo by Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA Today Sports Images
CBS Sports: 23rd
Last week: 11th
Pete Prisco had been bullish on the Packers. Not anymore with their 12-spot tumble in his rankings. “They just can't get anything going on offense, which has them at 2-3 and looking up at the Lions in the division. Jordan Love needs to pick it up.”
The Athletic: 23rd
Last week: 18th
Josh Kendall’s rankings include his thoughts on every team’s rookie class. Second-round picks Luke Musgrave and Jayden Reed have provided some instant impact in the passing game.
The 33rd Team: 24th
Last week: 15th
Injuries on offense are just part of the problem, writes Ryan Reynolds. “Drops, turnovers and missed opportunities defined the Packers’ effort in Las Vegas on Monday night. Green Bay’s defense continues to play well, which should give Packers fans some optimism heading into their bye week.”
Pro Football Talk: 24th
Last week: 18th
Wrote Mike Florio: “Five picks in two prime-time games won’t make people feel a strong positive emotion about Jordan.”
USA Today: 24th
Last week: 19th.
The Packers are coming off a terrible loss, but Nate Davis thought the three games coming out of the bye could right the ship. “No worse way to go into a bye week than off a terrible loss. But Green Bay's next three opponents (Broncos, Vikings, Rams) have a combined four wins, so hopefully a good time for the Pack to get healthy figuratively and literally.
Coming Up: Second Quarter of Season
The schedule for the second quarter of the season is mostly favorable for the Packers. After the bye, Green Bay will play at the Denver Broncos (1-4). Then, it’s home games against the Minnesota Vikings (1-4) and Los Angeles Rams (2-3). Finally, it’s a game at the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2).
In Orr’s rankings for Sports Illustrated, the Broncos are 31st, the Vikings are 27th and the Rams are 21st. So, there’s a real opportunity to get to 5-3. Of course, those three teams are seeing the same opportunity when viewing the slumping Packers.
It’s worth noting that the Broncos will face the Chiefs on Thursday night and thus will have their mini-bye to offset the advantages of the Packers’ full bye.
Wrote Orr of the Broncos, who lost 31-21 to the Jets on Sunday: “This will go down as another game where the Broncos couldn’t stop the run and, thus, all else failed as a result. Denver is dead last in yards per attempt and total rushing yards surrendered. I don’t think Vance Joseph forgot how to coach, but it does shed a little light on how well Ejiro Evero performed in the same spot a year ago with similar personnel.”
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