Denver Broncos 2013 NFL Power Rankings: Broncos still consensus best team

Week 6 Broncos Power Rankings

Previous week's ranking in parenthesis.

SB Nation - 1 (1)

Last week, Denver's offense had the second-best DVOA rating of any team since 1989 at 53.2 percent through four games, just below the 54.9 percent mark owned by the 1999 Redskins, according to Football Outsiders' efficiency measure. (Defense-adjusted value over average is an efficiency rating that breaks down every single NFL play and compares a team's performance to a league baseline based on situation in order to determine value over average).

What happens to that number after Manning and Co. scored 51 points against the Cowboys on Sunday? Denver's 230 points this season bests what any other team has ever done through five weeks of the season. They're on pace to score nearly 740 points. Now, they might have the best advance statistics of any team five games into the season, which I'm sure will be a hot topic on First Take this week.

The offense is prolific, but what about the defense? Giving up 48 points in a victory is a luxury available to teams with Peyton Manning and a quiver of offensive weapons, but it's not sustainable. Cornerback Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie gave up two touchdowns and a 66.7 percent completion rate on Sunday. It was a bad game in what's been an otherwise positive season.

Denver's pass rush was kept in check by Tony Romo's quick passing. The front seven did manage four sacks, but they had just 12 other pressures. The Broncos have one more game without Von Miller, against the Jaguars, before he resumes play just in time for a Week 7 outing against the Colts.

Mile High Report - 1 (1)

As I said on Twitter, we are five games into the 2013 NFL Season and the Denver Broncos are averaging FORTY-SIX points per game. It's unheard of and certainly more than just a statistical blip after five full games. A lot of naysayers will bring up the fact the Broncos gave up 48 points, but shootouts happen and the better team came out on top. I'd be more worried if the Broncos were dealing shootouts week in and week out. Do you hear that? It's sounds like Win, baby.

ESPN - 1 (1)

The Broncos scored 51 points. Peyton Manning completed 78.6 percent of 42 attempts for 414 yards and four touchdowns Sunday. Broncos receivers amassed 205 yards after catches. None of those are season highs.

CBS Sports - Pat Kirwan - 1 (1)

The scoring machine rolled on again, dropping 51 points on the Cowboys, and when the defense failed the Broncos played even better on offense. There may not be a team to match up with all the Denver receivers.

NFL.com - 1 (1)

On Sunday, America got to see a heckuva display from Peyton Manning and Tony Romo, both of whom played nearly perfect football. Each did throw a pick -- though, of course, Romo's ended up being the costlier of the two.

The under-tweeted part of the story was the tremendous effort made to intercept that ball by Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan, who read Romo's eyes and made an incredibly athletic play to get in front of the tight end -- and catch the football. How often do we see defenders get position, only to drop the ball? Not this time; Trevathan secured another win for the best team in the world.

AP Pro Poll - 1 (1)

(11 first place votes). The AP Pro32 is determined by a simple points system based on how each voter ranks the NFL's 32 teams. A team receives 32 points for each first place vote, 31 for second place and so on through to the 32nd team, which receives one point.

FOX Sports - 1 (1)

The Broncos have scored 50+ points in back-to-back weeks. With the Jaguars on the schedule this weekend, can we go ahead and say it's three consecutive weeks?

Walter Football - 1 (1)

I wrote it on my NFL Picks page, and I'll write it here again: Vegas needs to start treating the Broncos like the 2007 Patriots. They need to be favored by at least 20 at home and 14 on the road versus teams that are average or worse. Why were they just -10 over the defensively incapable Eagles? It makes no sense.

Well, what do you know? The Broncos ARE the 2007 Patriots. Their offense is unstoppable, but their defense completely blows...

...For now. I'd actually move the Broncos down in my power rankings if I wasn't aware that Von Miller and Champ Bailey will be returning soon.

Average Ranking: 1 • Average Change: N/A

The Seahawks stole away some first place votes in the AP Pro Poll, but now this week its the Saints who steal away a vote. Apparently, there is one very bias anti-Broncos journalist on that team. I guessed it was Tony Dungy based on his "this is not Peyton's best supporting cast" comments and lookee lookee, I was right. hahaha