Rich Reveals His Brand-New NFL Power Rankings Heading into Week 6

Rich knows his reputation when it comes to the Rams and his power rankings. So does Vinnie Pasquantino.

Within seconds of the Rams falling to two and three, Pasquantino chimed in on the Rich Eisen Show and Friends Guillotine Text Page: "Rams have jumped up to number four on Rich's Power Rankings." The Bills weren't even done celebrating. Rich wrote back "Good one," and Pasquantino replied that he "felt like Chris would at least like that one." Chris confirmed on the spot that he did.

Rich insists he calls balls and strikes. Then he put the two-and-three Rams at number 10.

"What are we doing?" came the response.

"What we are doing is almost beating the Bills," Rich shot back. In his view, the Rams were one Greg Rousseau hand away from being way further up the list, and they're still a terrific team. Rich then ran a rapid-fire round. Rams or Packers? Chris took Green Bay. Rams or Lions? The first answer was "the over," which is not how power rankings work, before the room settled on the Rams. Rams or Broncos? The Rams again.

That's where Rich sprang the trap, because Denver sits one spot above Los Angeles at number nine for beating them. The reason is the defense, which Rich believes is better than any other three-and-two team on the board, with the possible exception of the Steelers and certainly not as good as Seattle's.

The Patriots return at number eight, and the timing was perfect. Moments before the segment, Mike Vrabel confirmed A.J. Brown will be out at practice, news one corner of the room had been waiting about a month to hear. When asked what kind of boost Brown gives the offense, Vrabel wouldn't bite. "I don't know. He hasn't been out there, so I can't tell you until we actually see it."

"I respect that, Mike Vrabel," Rich said, "because like you in that press conference, me and these power rankings, I deal in absolutes." It became the running bit for the rest of the segment.

Jacksonville holds at seven with no change, though Rich didn't like what he saw against the Eagles. Cam Little's Jude Bellingham celebration was a delight, and Parker Washington is awesome, but Rich said the game looked like the Jaguars team he saw in London last year: "filled with mistakes, filled with penalties, making their own problems." It didn't help that Little couldn't get out there more often because the long snapper got hurt. Rich won't move them up, down, or out.

The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks drop three spots to six after their home loss to the 49ers. Rich still can't believe Jaxon Smith-Njigba didn't make the late catch. It wasn't easy, a little behind him and high, but it's the kind of play people are used to seeing him make. One voice in the room said it reminded them of the Welker play against the Giants in the Super Bowl. The room also joked about whether Sam Darnold's new wife had the line ready. Rich's wedding gift: "For their wedding on their registry, I gave him a six spot on my week six power rankings." Mazel tov, Darnolds.

Buffalo moves up a spot to five, and no, Rich won't drop anyone ahead of them just for being on a bye. The debate turned to Bills versus Vikings, with one side insisting Minnesota can't keep up offensively with Buffalo and Rich asking what happens if it doesn't have to. They'll find out in week nine, a Monday nighter in Minnesota.

Baltimore climbs to four after Snoop came through again in Atlanta. The room went back and forth on whether he should get his own gig, but the consensus was he's landed one of the perfect gigs in sports: Lamar Jackson misses a few games a year, Snoop comes in, wins about three quarters of them, and goes back to collecting his check.

The Vikings move up one to number three, and Rich is waiting on one specific game. "Where Kyler is just extending plays and you can't sack him and he's running and throwing," he said, "and Justin Jefferson is open because he's Justin Jefferson and it's all clicking." Others in the room pointed to Jordan Mason getting healthy and Aaron Jones turning back the clock, but Rich was clear that it's Kyler who has to unlock it.

Kansas City stays at two coming off the bye. And the 49ers remain number one. "They are the best team in football, man," Rich said. At five and 0, they're now the Super Bowl favorites, and to the visible disgust of at least one person in the room, Rich said they've earned it.

Off the list: the Bears and the Raiders. The Steelers and Bengals have a gripe, it was argued, and Chris went further, saying that if the Steelers and Rams played today, Pittsburgh would win. Rich noticed Chris looking down while saying it and called it a tell. "It's a radio medium," Chris offered, which did not get him very far, since the show is on TV as well.

The case for Pittsburgh: Aaron Rodgers is the only quarterback currently in the NFL with three straight games of three touchdowns. Rich wasn't calling him less than, just saying that offense would have its hands full trading points with Los Angeles. On that, as on everything else this week, he deals in absolutes.