Riggo's Rag » Houston Texans

Week 6 Power Rankings: Texans vs. 49ers Superbowl Looking Like a Lock

Jeff Johnson — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:45:23 +0000

The elite teams continue to solidify their spots. No, the Texans will not go undefeated, and sure their will be some shifting in the top five spots, but after five weeks, don’t look for these teams to fall off of a cliff without some key injury that cannot be anticipated. The Redskins have fallen another three spots, but are far from out. Games, like the one coming up Sunday are looking like they will influence tie breakers. Also with a victory over an impressive Minnesota team, the Redskins can jump pretty far in a muddled middle where teams 12-22 could fluctuate fervently. Just as the Vikings. Ponder keeps playing well, and at 4-1, including a victory over the number two ranked 49ers, finally has me a believer and the team jumped eight spots to No. 9. It’s also become evident that this is not the same Packers team we saw last year as they fall six spots to No. 12.

Rank	Team	Record	Last Week	Comment
1	Texans	5-0	1	The Texans played a conservative second half, and played well enough to win on the road on MNF, but they must be concerned about Cushing’s injury.
2	49ers	4-1	2	Sine the loss in Minnesota, have won 79-3. Do you think they took that loss personally?
3	Falcons	5-0	3	If they weren’t taken seriously before, winning a tight game on the road and highlighting Tony G. as a legitimate threat will.
4	Ravens	4-1	4	The Ravens might have taken their past two oppennents (combined (1-9)) lightly, but if it happens again at home against Dallas, they won’t win.
5	Patriots	3-2	5	What happened to the rumors that Wes “Ferret” Welker was going to be replaced in New England?
6	Bears	4-1	7	What do you do when some say your offense is under-performing? You tell your defense to start putting up points!
7	Giants	3-2	9	I’m sure whatever Tom Coughlin said on the sideline after trailing by 14 in the first quarter wasn’t pleasant, but boy did it work.
8	Seahawks	3-2	12	Will the real Seahawks please stand up? If not, the visiting Patriots will make you look bad.
9	Vikings	4-1	17	I’m going to keep praising Ponder, until the rest of the media speaks up and realizes they made a mistake for bad mouthing Minnesota for taking him in the first round last year.
10	Steelers	2-2	13	That is the definition of an ugly win. But at what price if Palomalu is hurt again.
11	Broncos	2-3	8	Maybe it wasn’t Tebow. You have to start asking yourself if John Fox doesn’t prepare his team for the first three quarters of the game.
12	Packers	2-3	6	The Packers sure know how to play offense for about 20 minutes per game.
13	Cardinals	4-1	10	Last week: “How far can a defense take you?” Answer: Not very far on a consistent basis on the road if you can’t protect your own quarterback.
14	Eagles	2-3	11	At what point does the Philly fan base start taking out ads to replace Micheal Vick? Too many turnovers for a talented team.
15	Cowboys	2-2	16	Did Dez Bryant take the week off to learn what a hot route is?
16	Bengals	3-2	15	The Bengals loss didn’t look bad as it’s twin so we flip flopped them this week.
17	Chargers	3-2	14	The only time the Charges faced a team with more than one win they got blown out at home. The nation will see how good this Charges team really is this week on MNF.
18	Rams	3-2	20	Just when it looked like this down and out franchise was starting to turn things around they lose Amendola for six weeks.
19	Saints	1-4	21	The Saints finally figured out how to play a little bit of defense in the 4th quarter and go figure, they won!
20	Colts	2-2	26	Is there any doubt that Luck has turned this team around? Already three late game drives to take the lead in four games.
21	Redskins	2-3	18	RG3 has taken too many collisions, and if he doesn’t miss this week, we hope it was just a strong warning to limit the hard hits on Griffin.
22	Dolphins	2-3	28	The solution to not being able to win in overtime? Win in regulation!
23	Buccaneers	1-3	19	Forget the NFC South. If this teams offense doesn’t wake up soon, they can start looking at mock drafts by Halloween.
24	Chiefs	1-4	22	With public enemy number one down and out, did Eric Winston just take the target off of GM Pioli and Crennel and put it squarely on his chest?
25	Lions	1-3	23	Hmmmm Megatron is on the cover of Madden and the team starts 1-3. It’s almost as if there might be some sort of curse related.
26	Jets	2-3	27	Sanchez got some time and didn’t look horrible. If this team could find a running game, they could make some noise in the wildcard race.
27	Panthers	1-4	25	Cam Newton needs to stop feeling sorry for himself, and realize the QB position is one for a true leader, not a front runner. Because at 1-4, there isn’t much room for a front runner.
28	Bills	2-3	24	After six quarters of horrific football, at least the Bills can’t possibly get blown out in Arizona.
29	Raiders	1-3	30	The bottom four teams should be thankful there isn’t relegation in the NFL, or else next year they would be in the CFL.
30	Browns	0-5	29	The good feelings they Browns had been putting together by playing close games against tough teams just went out the window with that poor showing in New York.
31	Titans	1-4	31	Now can we say that throwing your offensive linemen under the bus is a bad idea? C. Johnson has broken 25 yards just once this year. That’s for a game, not a single attempt.
32	Jaguars	1-4	32	Now do the trade talks start? MJD must be wondering what it must be like to be a superstar in the NBA. The Jets are starving for a running game….just saying.

September 30, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) reacts after losing his helmet on a play during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-US PRESSWIRE

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Riggo’s Week 5 NFL Power Rankings: Texans Looking Strong

Jeff Johnson — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:41:52 +0000

The teams that everyone figured would be good prior to the season are starting to bubble up to the top (except for the Saints and Arizona.) I continue to think anyone in the current top 6 are Super Bowl contenders, but I could see any of the current top 11 making a strong run in the playoffs. Cardinals fans, go ahead and scream. I will give credit for the home win against the Eagles, but after that, things look shaky for the only team to ever go 4-0 and not gain 300 yards in a game yet. Don’t look now but the Vikings, jumping 4 spots to 17, and sitting atop the NFC Central might be this year’s big surprise. On the other hand with the loss of Santonio Holmes, and any chance of an offense going with him, the Jets slipped 9 spots all the way to 27. At 2-2, the Redskins are right there in the middle with there wins not exactly against power houses. This week they have the chance to jump in the rankings with a home game against the Falcons.

Rank	Team	Record	Last Week	Comment
1	Texans	4-0	1	The Texans have won by an average of 17.5 points. That should be the point spread Monday Night when they travel to face the Jets.
2	49ers	3-1	3	Harbaugh seems to know all the right buttons to push, including his opponents when he showed how the Wildcat should be ran this past Sunday.
3	Falcons	4-0	2	The Falcons come to Washington. Don’t look now but Matt Ryan will be facing the number 31 pass defense in the league.
4	Ravens	3-1	4	Ravens skated by the trap game. Ed Reed vs. Matt Cassel could be an ugly combination for the Sea of Red.
5	Patriots	2-2	7	What’s the saying about letting sleeping dogs lie? This offense woke up in the second half, and now Welker is back on pace to catch 100 balls again this season.
6	Packers	2-2	5	How bad was Sunday’s game? The Packers are asking for the replacement refs to come back.
7	Bears	3-1	8	Jay Cutler got to see his doppelganger let the Bears defense win a game. The Packers better watch out.
8	Broncos	2-2	11	Anyone else get the feeling that after a year off, Peyton needed a full set of preseason games to get things going? Or is that just the Raiders defense.
9	Giants	2-2	6	Coughlin got just a tad too conservative at the end of the game. Now the Giants are 0-2 in the NFC East where it’s a 4-team race.
10	Cardinals	4-0	12	How far can a defense take you? We are about to find out, because this offense is worse than the one the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV with.
11	Eagles	2-2	14	Call these guys the Baltimore Orioles of the NFL. 3-1 and outscored by 17.
12	Seahawks	2-2	9	Russell Wilson is a rookie, and games like Sunday’s won’t be his last.
13	Steelers	1-2	10	The bye week did this banged up team some good and will be getting weapons back on both sides of the ball when they play their in state rivals this week.
14	Chargers	3-1	17	Congrats. 3-0 against teams that are combined 3-9 and now face the 0-4 Saints.
15	Bengals	3-1	16	Call them the Cincinnati Chargers. Similar teams and 3-0 against teams combined are 3-9.
16	Cowboys	2-2	13	Was Jessica Simpson in the building? Yes two weren’t his fault, but he still threw 5 picks.
17	Vikings	3-1	21	How many writers made fun of the Vikings for take Ponder so high in the first round last year? Now you don’t hear anything about him. He must be playing well.
18	Redskins	2-2	20	Great comeback RG3. Now please learn how to avoid big collisions. We don’t want what they have in Philly.
19	Buccaneers	1-3	15	It took them three and half games, but just maybe the Buccaneers found their offense.
20	Rams	2-2	24	Maybe Coach Fisher’s mustache does have magical powers. Who had this team at .500?
21	Saints	0-4	25	Probably the best 0-4 team in the history of the NFL, but still gave up over 100 yards rushing to the Packers.
22	Lions	1-3	23	Stafford just doesn’t look the same; and Megatron is looking more like a toy than he is a menacing machine.
23	Chiefs	1-3	22	This team is one player away from being a top 8 team. Unfortunately, that player is the quarterback who has 11 turnovers in 4 games.
24	Bills	2-2	19	The Bills have fall this far based on the the simple fact they gave up 45 points in a half!
25	Panthers	1-3	26	Superman came to the rescue in Atlanta. Then he turned the ball over when it was time to secure the win.
26	Colts	1-2	28	The best thing about being on a bye when you are this low on the rankings….you’re bound to move up with others looking so terrible.
27	Jets	2-2	18	Is it Tebow time? With the lack of a running game, wide receivers, and defense, the only person that could save this team is Joe Namath. I’m sure he’ll agree if you ask him.
28	Dolphins	1-3	31	The anti-Orioles of the NFL. Losing two straight in extra~~-innings~~ time.
29	Browns	0-4	32	If Little could catch, this team might just have pulled out the upset in Baltimore. This is a good team just barely loosing.
30	Raiders	1-3	27	The six points pretty much solidified Janikowski’s place as one of the few players that earned his pay check last week.
31	Titans	1-3	29	Things don’t get much easier, and with Locker possibly out for a few more game, hope for this season is falling fast.
32	Jaguars	1-3	30	Cincinnati was able to stack the box and with one of the leagues worst rushing defenses, stop MJD to 38 yards. They should have offered more to get Tebow back to Florida.

Sep 30, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson (25) celebrates a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in the fourth quarter at Reliant Stadium. The Texans defeated the Titans 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

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NFL Survivor Pick Week 4: Hitting the Reset Button with the Baltimore Ravens

Jeff Johnson — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:39:50 +0000

It’s Week 4 and the Ultimate Survivor “can’t wait” to hit the reset button on this season. The 49ers (2-1, Riggo’s Rag Power Ranking 3, SI Power Ranking 4) and Steelers (1-2, RRPR 10, SIPR 16) proved once again that you simply cannot trust a road favorite for your Survivor pick. The Saints (0-3, RRPR 25, SIPR 29) further reinforced the unqualified Survivor rule to never, EVER, pick a team that has yet to win a game… even if it is against the Chiefs (1-2, RRPR 22, SIPR 23). For the 6% of you have been guided by the hands of the football gods to stay alive by correctly choosing the likes of Bengals (2-1, RRPR 16, SIPR 13) and Bears (2-1, RRPR 8, SIPR 12) in the past two weeks, that Rams (1-2, RRPR 24, SIPR 24) over Seahawks (2-1, RRPR 9, SIPR 11) Survivor pick is probably looking real enticing right about now. For the rest of us who have used analysis, logic, and rock-paper-scissors to our unfortunate detriment, it’s time for us to take our Mulligan. You never like burning that bad boy on the front nine, but sometimes a round has to be more about individual holes than the final score.

September 10, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens captains cornerback Corey Graham (24), guard Bobbie Williams (63) and linebacker Ray Lewis (52) walk towards the coin flip prior to their game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M

That being said, the two obvious picks this week are the Texans (3-0, RRPR 1, SIPR 1) at home over the Titans (1-2, RRPR 29, SIPR 25), and the Ravens (2-1, RRPR 4, SIPR 3) on Thursday night over the Browns (0-3, RRPR 32, SIPR 32). The Texans are far and away the best team in the NFL right now. Even the replacement refs cannot slow these guys down. When you consider that they are playing a Titans team who will do anything and everything to try to lose a football game – including giving up 14 points in the last 18 seconds of a game to Shaun “Who” Hill, this one is easy money in the bank. Odds are, however, that you probably have already used the Texans this Survivor season. (For the purposes of this article we assume the most popular answer on our poll is the one that was used to survive last week. So far we have used Houston, Cincinnati, and Cowboys in the first three weeks.) Plan B is the Ravens. While there is always the possibility that the Black Birds will suffer a letdown after their emotional roller coaster win against the Patriots (1-2, RRPR 7, SIPR 8), the fact that it is a short week at home against a winless, talentless, our-first-owner’s-name-was-Paul Brown’s team, Plan B is a solid Survivor choice week.

As for our beloved Redskins (1-2, RRPR 20, SIPR 22), all is not well in the Beltway. The promise of Week 1 has been swept away by the last minute bunglings of Weeks 2 and 3. Despite the close scores, the Burgundy and Gold look to be about 21 players short of a championship contender. His Majesty III can only do so much. However, this week, I like the Hogs chances on the road against the punch-less Buccaneers (1-2, RRPR 15, SIPR 21). The Buccaneers do not score a lot of points. They average only 20.0 points per game – tying them with the Rams for 24th in the NFL. The Redskins, on the other hand, rank 1st, racking up 33.0 points per contest. In this game, the Buccaneers defense will simply not be fast enough to stop his Majesty III from topping 20 points. After the last two weeks, faith in our hometown heroes may be exactly what we need to right our Survivor ship.Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.