NFL The Power Players:- Week 4

The first quarter of the NFL is over and what an opening it's been. From the demise of the NFC East to games being won in the final 15 seconds, it has lived up to all of the hype. So with Week 5 of the NFL on the horizon, it's once again time to review the top players and teams of the week. Is Peyton Manning for the fourth week in a row still at the top of the Quarterbacks and will the Broncos fall from that top spot after an impressive run? Let's find out.

Quarterback-                        Rank last week           Touchdowns           Yards           

1. Drew Brees                                    4                               4                        413

2. Phillip Rivers                                N/A                             3                        401

3. Peyton Manning                            1                                4                        327

4. Matt Ryan                                     N/A                              2                        421

5. Tom Brady                                    N/A                              2                      316

Only two constants remain in our top 5 quarterbacks where finally someone has beaten Peyton Manning to the top spot. This wasn't to say Peyton had a bad game, in fact he had another fantastic game against the Eagles but Drew Brees and Phillip Rivers both hit 400 yards and Brees simply gets better and better every week. He lead New Orleans to a 38-17 victory over Miami, keeping their unbeaten streak alive as they head into week 5. Over the past 5 years Brees has established such a big reputation, and yet week in, week out he still exceeds it and now sits atop our top 5 Quarterbacks list for week 4.

Running Back-                  Rank last week           Touchdowns                Rushing Yards

1. Adrian Peterson                        N/A                              2                                   153

2. Frank Gore                                N/A                               1                                   140

3. Reggie Bush                             N/A                              1                                    139

4. Marshawn Lynch                      N/A                              0                                     98

5. Arian Foster                              N/A                              0                                    102

Five new entries to the Running Back this week topped by none other than Adrian Peterson. As the Vikings traveled across the pond to face the Steelers at Wembley, the Vikings had to come out with a win after an unfortunate spree of bad luck. They did just that and Peterson ran for 153 yards scoring two touchdowns and a whopping 60 yard touchdown run. The 28 year old still shows no sign of holding up and again proving why he is one of if not the best running back in the NFL at this stage

Wide Receiver-                Rank last week                 Touchdowns                  Receiving Yards

 1. Tony Gonzalez                      N/A                                    2                                       149

 2. Torrey Smith                          N/A                                   1                                       166

 3. Kembrell Thompkins            N/A                                   1                                        127

 4. Jerome Simpson                   N/A                                   0                                       124

 5. Victor Cruz                              N/A                                   1                                       164

Another fresh five as we look at the Wide Receiver category. The most impressive game of the week came from Falcons Receiver Tony Gonzalez, his two touchdowns and 149 yards weren't enough to give the Falcons a win over the patriots. But with 14 of the 23 points coming from this man alone, and having received the ball 12 times, it's easy to see how much of an impact Gonzalez had. Other notable performances came from Victor Cruz as he proves to be the silver lining in the Giants storm Cloud and Torrey Smith as he had the most receiving yards in the NFL.

Tight End-                      Rank last week                  Touchdowns                 Receiving Yards

1. Jimmy Graham                     1                                       2                                    100

2. Antonio Gates                       4                                       1                                    136
3. Jordan Cameron                  2                                     1                                       91

4. Martellus Bennett               N/A                                   0                                      90

5. Julius Thomas                      3                                    0                                       43

For the second week in a row it's Saints Tight End Jimmy Graham who to
ps the list with another brilliant game against Miami. 100 yards and 2 touchdowns saw Graham and fellow Saints List topper Drew Brees rocket to victory over a previously unbeaten Dolphins side. The partnership between Brees and Graham has looked dangerous all season long but these last two weeks it has become an unstoppable threat. As they face the Bears in week 5, we may just see how powerful this offence truly is.

Linebacker-                   Rank last week            Tackles                Sacks             

1.Chad Greenway                    N/A                         10                          1

2. Whitney Mercilus                 N/A                          6                          2.5

3.  NaVorro Bowman              N/A                          5                            2

4. Robert Mathis                     N/A                           4                            3
5. Whitney Mercilus                N/A                           6                          2.5

So two Saints players and two Vikings players lead the categories so far, Chad Greenway was simply outstanding at Wembley Stadium this past Sunday, making 10 tackles and sacking Ben Roethlisberger. Coming off of his first interception of the season against the Browns, Greenway got his first sack of the year and another double figure tackling statistic. The veteran in his 8th season with the Viking
s recorded 98 tackles last season and is currently at 28 in his first four games this year. He is well on his way to beat his personal record of 109 if he keeps up this level of play.

Defensive End-         Rank last week                 Tackles                              Sacks

1. Jared Allen                    N/A                                     4                                        2.5

2. Carlos Dunlap               N/A                                    4                                        1.5

3. Robert Ayers                N/A                                      6                                         0.5

4. Allan Bailey                   N/A                                      3                                          1

5. Ropati Pitoitua              N/A                                      3                                        2

Out of the 6 positions we have, 3 of them are lead by players of the Minnesota Vikings which just goes to show how impressive they were against the Steelers. Jared Allen is one of those power players who you expect to have a big game when it matters and he passed with flying colors. In his sixth season for the Vikings, the number 69 recorded 2.5 sacks against Big Ben and 4 tackles sending him to the second spot overall in sacks for week 4 with the most coming from Robert Mathis who sits at number 4 in the Linebacker position. The Vikings now have to face a fresh Panthers team as they sat out week 4 with a "Bye". This means that the team that had just crushed the Giants 38-0 are in perfect condition to face a fired up Vikings team, it will be a game you won't want to miss!

So after the first four weeks have been and gone, let's see who the top 10 teams in the NFL are at the moment

Broncos (4-0)

Last Week 2

This Week 1

Seahawks (4-0)
Last Week 1

This Week 2

               Saints (4-0)
             Last Week 3
             This Week 3

Patriots (4-0)
Last Week 4
This Week 4

Chiefs (4-0)

Last Week-9

This Week-5

Lions (3-1)

Last Week- N/A

This Week- 6

Colts (3-1)

Last Week- 8

This Week-7

49ers (2-2)

Last Week-N/A

This Week- 8

Titans(3-1)

Last Week-N/A

This Week 9

Bills(2-2)
Last Week-N/A

This Week- 10

Read More

NFL The Power Players:- Week 3

Week 3 of the NFL was arguably the most exciting yet. It featured a game which was turned on its head in the final 15 seconds, another dominant win by the Broncos and Seahawks, a Giants game where they did not score a single point and a fumble which ended in a game winning touchdown. But with all this excitement who stood out in the week 3 power rankings? 

Quarterback-                        Rank last week           Touchdowns           Yards           

1. Peyton Manning                              1                             3                    374

2. Matthew Stafford                         N/A                            2                    385

3. Ben Roethlisberger                       N/A                            2                    406

4. Drew Brees                                 N/A                             3                    342 

5. Terelle Pryor                               N/A                             1                    281

For the third week running, it's Peyton Manning who tops the Quarterback power rankings. It's not so much that every quarterback in the league right now is struggling to match his yardage or touchdowns, because many are. But with a passer rating of 135.8 and not dropping below a rating of 100 this season, Peyton has been relentless when it comes to throwing the football. A stylish 61 yard pass to Decker and yet more touchdowns with ex patriot Wes Welker see Manning and the charasmatic offense dance to a 3-0 record as they host the Philadelphia Eagles in week 4. With the Eagles explosive offense and possibly the most intelligent QB at the moment in Peyton manning, the matchup should certainly have some fireworks. But can Peyton keep his record of 100+ passer ratings in all of his games along with the record of 0 interceptions so far. Only time will tell but for week 3, he is our number one quarterback. Oh, that and these numbers.

Manning-

1st in Comp % (73) 1st in Pass YPG (381) 1st in Pass TDs (12) 1st in Total QBR (90)

Running Back-                  Rank last week           Touchdowns                Rushing Yards

1. DeMarco Murray                      N/A                              1                                   175

2. LeSean McCoy                           2                                1                                   158

3. Bilal Powell                             N/A                              0                                    149

4. DeAngelo Williams                  N/A                              0                                    120

5. Jamaal Charles                          3                               1                                     92

A surprise at number one this week as DeMarco Murray had his best game of the season so far for the Dallas Cowboys. Running for almost 175 yards, the 25 year old played a vital role in the victory over St Louis. Considering he only rushed for 25 yards last week,this was a massive improvement and sent him straight to the top of the rushing leaderboard ahead of LeSean McCoy who despite taking a loss against Kansas still managed to rush for over 150 yards and a touchdown. It wasn't just the fact that he ran well which has sent him soaring to the top of the power rankings, but the fact he was able to lift some pressure from Tony Romo who attempted 91 passes in the opening two games and suffered a minor injury at Kansas. When your Quarterback isn't playing at his best you need a strong running game. That is exactly what DeMarco did this weekend. Can he stay on top going in to week 4 as the Cowboys pick up steam? Only time will tell.

    

Wide Receiver-                Rank last week                 Touchdowns                  Receiving Yards

 1. Antonio Brown                       N/A                                 2                                      196

 2. Josh Gordon                          N/A                                 1                                      146

 3. Santonio Holmes                    N/A                                1                                      154

 4. Eric Decker                           N/A                                 1                                      133

 5. Cecil Shorts                           N/A                                0                                      143

"Steeling"- Brown shocks with impressive one handed catch

Although he didn't come away with the win, Antonio Brown had over three times the amount of yardage he received for in week two! He had a superb game and is the second Steeler to make the power rankings this week after Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 400 yards, almost half of which were to this guy! Brown also made a ridiculous touchdown catch (as pictured) with just one hand! Bringing the ball in for a vital seven points with just as many style points.

The game ended in a 43-20 loss as the Steelers suffered on both sides of the ball but in the second half they found some rythm and began to look like they did last year. Surprisingly, the inhabitants of Heinz Field are still looking for their maiden win this year, but if Antonio Brown gets another nine receptions and runs like he did on Sunday then it may be sooner than we think as they fly over the pond to face Minnesota in the first of the two games held at Wembley Stadium. 

Tight End-                      Rank last week                  Touchdowns                 Receiving Yards

1. Jimmy Graham                   N/A                                   2                                  134

2. Jordan Cameron                   1                                     3                                    64

3. Julius Thomas                      4                                     1                                    37

4. Antonio Gates                      2                                     1                                    55

5. Greg Olsen                           5                                     0                                    54

The only newcomer to this list ran away with first place by a country mile. Jimmy Graham was unstoppable against Arizona. Two touchdowns and the most yards out of any Tight End in the NFL sends him careering to the top as the Saints improve to a 3-0 record. He was even 6th in the entire NFL for receiving yards, beating Wide Receivers such as Nate Washington, Eric Decker and Julio Jones. Graham played fantastically and as New Orleans face another 3-0 team in the Miami Dolphins, it wouldn't surprise me if he has another big game. If I could offer Miami one piece of advice, it would be to always be aware of what Jimmy can do and where he is on the field. It's easy to maintain focus on Marques Colston or Lance Moore, but whilst the Defense are busy doing that Tight End Jimmy Graham is marching his way down the field for what could potentially be a touchdown.

Linebacker-                   Rank last week            Tackles                Sacks             

1. Justin Houston                  N/A                          7                          4.5

2. Manny Lawson                   N/A                         14                         0

3. Karlos Dansby                    N/A                         12                         0

4. Vontaze Burfict                  N/A                         11                         0
5. Erin Henderson                  N/A                          8                          2

Five new names to the list this week with five sets of big numbers. Manny, Karlos and Vontaze may not have gotten to the quarterback but having over ten tackles each is a sign of an excellent defensive game. But our number one pick for this week Justin Houston, got to Michael Vick 4.5 times. With his additional three tackles he was the league leader for sacks this week and was a force to be reckoned with on the Kansas defense. Kansas took the win over the Eagles and shut down the high tempo offense. Vick was able to put a few big runs together but Kansas seemed to wary of the read option for the plays to pay off big time. That and the amount of turnovers the defense forced meant that Kansas go into week four 3-0. Let's see if Justin can have the same impact as they face the 0-3 New York Giants.

Defensive End-         Rank last week                 Tackles                              Sacks

1. Greg Hardy                    N/A                                   8                                          3

2. Carlos Dunlap                 N/A                                   7                                          1

3. DeMarcus Ware               4                                      6                                          2

4. Ezekiel Ansah                 N/A                                   7                                          2

5. Darnell Dockett               N/A                                   3                                          3

In the 38-0 shutout against the New York Giants, the Panthers were playing at their very best on both sides of the football. Greg Hardy recorded three of the seven sacks on Eli Manning and had eight tackles to his name. Nearly half of the sacks to the 2x Superbowl MVP came from Hardy and the offensive line just could not stop him. It was relentless and like watching a grizzly bear attack a wounded fox. Greg had the best game of his season so far and will look to expand on that as they face Arizona after the Bye. In his own words in a post match interview, Hardy said 

“You don’t even understand how awesome it is to have a middle

 that can just push the pocket, 

and the quarterback is just right there once you beat your man.”

After praising rookie Lotulelei, Hardy seemed positive going into the break and who can blame him? The Panthers defense looked the best they have in a long time, and if they keep this up we may just see Greg's name pop up a few more times.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/09/23/4337643/panthers-star-lotulelei-needs.html#.UkIu5Ya1HPA#storylink=cpy

Now we have seen who the weeks top performers are, let's take a look at the top 10 teams in the NFL during week 3.

Seahawks (3-0)
Last Week 3

This Week 1

Broncos (3-0)

Last Week 1

This Week 2

                Saints (3-0)
             Last Week 5
             This Week 3

Patriots (3-0)
Last Week N/A
This Week 4

Dolphins (3-0)
Last Week 2
This Week 5

Bears (3-0)
Last Week 8
This Week 6

Bengals (2-1)
Last Week 9
This Week 7

Colts (2-1)
Last Week N/A
This Week 8

Chiefs (3-0)
Last Week 6
This Week 9

Cowboys (2-1)
Last Week N/A
This Week 10

Read More

What happened to the NFC "B"East?- NFL's toughest division struggles in 2013

Just over a month ago the NFC East promised to be the closest the division has been in years. It has always been one of the toughest in the league but this year was looking to be something truly special. Going into the season you had the Giants who are always strong, the Cowboys, the new redesigned Chip Kelly Eagles Offence and the return of RGIII and the Redskins.
    Going into week four and the NFC Beast has turned into something a lot less intimidating. Only three of the four teams were in action on Sunday after the Eagles suffered a loss to the Chiefs and former coach Andy Reid. Two of those teams lost whilst just one team came away with a win from the entire week.
             Let's take a look at the NFC East standings after the opening three games of the season.

1st. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
2nd. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)
3rd. New York Giants (0-3)
4th. Washington Redskins (0-3)

In comparison to last season's table at this stage it almost looks like an entirely different division? But what is causing such a big dip in performance from three of the four teams and is there any hope of redemption as we head towards the end of the first quarter in the 2013 season?


Dallas Cowboys- 


Ways to prove critics and the internet wrong.
1. Decimate the St Louis Rams
2. Take advantage of a crumbling NFC East
3. Rush for 175 yards.


Sitting at the top of the division right now, the Cowboys have gotten off to a very good start. Especially after coming out with a 31-7 home win against the St Louis Rams. A lot of that however was down to a fantastic running game from DeMarco Murray as he rushed for a massive 175 yards with the longest being 41. Quarterback Tony Romo finished for a 17/24 completion rate, 210 yards and three touchdowns. A very respectable feat considering the game beforehand they too, like the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs with Romo averaging 6.8 yards per play. The Cowboys showed real signs of improvement this week in a simply must win situation. Easily the most impressive team in the division at the moment as Romo looks capitalize on the poor form of their three rivals by racking up as many wins as they can. Next up they face the Chargers who were halted by the Titans on Sunday in the final few moments of the game. It will be a very intense matchup, that's almost certain.




Philadelphia Eagles-

A season which started out so promising has slowly taken a turn for the worst as old habits return to the city of Brotherly love. After a week one victory against fellow NFC East team and bitter rivals the Redskins, Philadelphia took a big hit as they lost to the Chargers by a field goal. A few days later they played their most emotional game of the season as 14 year head coach at the team Andy Reid took his Chiefs to a 3-0 record leaving the team exhausted and scratching their heads. 

     Fatigue could be used as an excuse for the team after playing three games in just eleven days. With the tempo that Chip expects his offence to perform at it is obvious that the team will eventually get worn down. The signs have already become evident as star running back LeSean McCoy limped off the field at the end of the first half last Thursday with Vick also showing signs of light injury. If this hurry up style offence is going to work then the Eagles HAVE to stay in top condition. Fighting the unknown is a very hard thing to do, but fighting the unknown who simply give you the ball is a much easier feat to accomplish. The defense did show signs of improvement with a great job at getting the ball back for Michael and the offence but there is only so much the Defense can do if the Offence fail to score. They simply cannot turn the ball over five times and expect to win the match.
    The road from here on out does not get too much easier as they travel to the Denver Broncos next Sunday. Being captained by Peyton Manning and already stamping their authority over the much more tightly contested AFC West where all four teams have taken victories. The Broncos are now 3-0 after a huge victory over the Oakland Raiders where Manning yet again threw for 300 yards and left Oakland trailing 37-21. Still yet to record his first interception, the Eagles will travel to the Mile High stadium with an almighty task on their hands before they face divisional rivals, the struggling New York Giants.


New York Giants-

If you were to place a bet on the Giants going 0-3 in the 2013 season the returns would be huge. If you were to also put a bet on their game against the Panthers being a shutout and losing 38-0 you may very well have become a millionaire. If you also bet on Manning being sacked a whopping SEVEN yes SEVEN times then you could buy the entire franchise.
   New York have had their worst start to a season since 1996 and as if the odds of the Giants making the playoffs weren't low enough, only 3 of the 115 teams that have started 0-3 have reached the postseason. But why are such a prestigious team suffering so much? And why is it that Eli Manning is in a situation where he is being sacked three straight plays in a row?
 For starters the trademark New York "Pass rush" which was once something to be feared was non-existent, the running game ran for a hugely disappointing 17 yards in the first half with 14 coming from a desperate effort to escape being bought down a 23rd this season by Eli Manning. 
     As was the story in the Eagles loss, penalties played a big factor in overshadowing first downs and completely wrecking scoring field position. 
       With all of these factors, the Giants were nothing but a shadow of their 2012 form and it looks like it is going to continue unless something changes dramatically. Yes, the Carolina defense is very good and yes Cam Newton was on fire but the point is a loss is barely acceptable for a dynasty like the Giants, a big loss is angering but a shutout by 38 points must be sending big red warning lights straight to coach Coughlin. Is it time for a coach change or can the Giants break the trend of never making the playoffs after losing their opening three games? Only time will tell as they face the 3-0 Chiefs in week 4 and then Division rivals the Eagles in week 5. A game which both teams need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive and stop Dallas running into the sunset before the season hits the halfway mark. A lot will be on the line and it could very well come down to a few big plays from either team but one thing is for sure, the whole team needs to improve, and they need to do it now.


Washington Redskins- 

Griffin fumbles a promising run and gives Detroit a crucial touchdown.

Where do we start with the Redskins? Divisional champions last year and currently sit with 0 wins and 3 losses. RGIII came back from Knee Surgery after missing the pre season still searching for his earlier form in all 3 games. The defense with the exception of Riley in their first two games seemed to just not have the hunger they did last year. How can we prove this? They're on track for giving up the most yards in a single season and after 53 snaps of the ball in the first half alone against the Eagles, the Redskins are left searching for anything that is going to help them turn their season around.
      Their defense definitely showed signs of improvement against Detroit but it was the team on the other side of the football who let them down. The offense is still yet to produce that explosiveness that they dominated the 2012 season with.
     It doesn't help when Griffin rushes the football with a chance for a touchdown before tripping over and handing it to back to the Lions who as a result won the week 3 matchup 27-20. A reversed touchdown call came late in the fourth quarter which secured victory for Megatron and the Lions and as they head to a 2-1 record, the Redskins are still searching for that first win. Their next game is against Oakland before going into the bye, but Washington are confident that they can come out on top. We will see if that confident converts into success in under a weeks time.



The NFC East has shocked a lot of people this year with its lack of wins. The entire division is 1-7 against opponents who aren't in their divison with the only win coming from the Cowboys against the Rams. As we head towards the end of the first quarter of the season the division is looking to be the least impressive in the entire NFL. We will see how things change in the coming weeks. Can the Giants make history and bring their team to the playoffs? Can Dallas find their form and win their first divisional championship since 2009? Can the Redskins find their winning form from 2012 and just how long can the Eagles keep this high tempo offence running? All will be revealed in the next few weeks.

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