Showing posts with label Bears Power Rankings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bears Power Rankings. Show all posts

Monday, January 2, 2012

NFL Power Rankings (End of Regular Season)

1. Green Bay Packers (15-1)
The Packers were able to beat the Lions despite not playing Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson, and others. Green Bay locks up the #1 seed in the NFC and home field advantage. However despite all of that, they are far from any lock to get back to the playoffs.

2. Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
Baltimore heads into the playoffs on a little bit of a roll. Beating fellow playoff (and division rival) Cincinnati. Now the Ravens get a first round bye and a chance to rest up before they face (more than likely) Pittsburgh or Houston. Both seem to be good match ups because Baltimore is much better than Houston and they've already beaten the Steelers twice.

3. New Orleans Saints (13-3)
This might be the hottest team in the NFL right now. The Saints might not have the same record as the Packers, but the Saints offense is rolling and the defense is generating turnovers like they did when they won the Super Bowl a couple of years ago.

4. New England Patriots (13-3)
Despite being the #1 seed in the AFC and having home field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Patriots are the team that all the wildcard round teams want to face. Mainly because of their Swiss cheese defense. Don't be surprised if the Pats get knocked out right away.

5. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
Here is another team with a first round bye that you don't have a lot of confidence in. The 49ers are a great story winning 13 games after the way they have played the last couple of years. However the 49ers are going to have to score points to win games in the playoffs and the offense just isn't that great.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
If it wasn't for the loss of Rashad Mendenhall (torn ACL) the Steelers might be one of the favorites to win the AFC. They'll get Big Ben back closer to 100%, but the lack of a running game could really hurt their chances.

7. New York Giants (9-7)
Even though they needed a win over the Cowboys to get into the playoffs, they are a hot team going into the playoffs and face an Atlanta team that they could easily beat and move on. You have to give the advantage to the Giants whose pass rush should give Matt Ryan fits behind their shaky offensive line.

8. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
After some early season struggles the Falcons have righted the ship and make it back to the playoffs for a 2nd straight season. However this year they aren't the #1 seed. However they face off against the hot New York Giants in what should be a high scoring game. However it will be a dog fight.

9. Detroit Lions (10-6)
Lions fans have to be ecstatic that the Lions have made it to the playoffs for the first time in YEARS. But they can't be too confident seeing that the Lions lost to a Packers team who didn't play their star players and didn't really have anything to play for. If the Lions can find any running game they can make some news in the playoffs, but I don't see that happening.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)
What a season it has been for the Bengals. Going in not very many people gave them a shot with a rookie QB and a very young receiving core. However Andy Dalton to AJ Green has become one of the best QB to WR tandems and helped propel them into the playoffs. Add in that they get an additional 1st round pick (Carson Palmer trade) and they could be set up for a while to come.

11. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
Here is another team that if they didn't have a couple of injuries they could be in the playoffs. However if you are a Titans fan you have to be optimistic about the future and with the Colts more than likely down for a couple of years could make a nice run.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8)
Nobody will probably believe me, but I thought that the Eagles would struggle this year because they added so many new pieces that it took some time for them to gel. However the biggest blunder for the Eagles was moving Offensive Line coach Juan Castillo to be the Defensive Coordinator. Look for them to make a big run at Steve Spagnolo to take over.

13. San Diego Chargers (8-8)
Here is another team that was a little too late to the party. Normally they start slow and end strong, but this year they started strong, sucked in the middle, and then played well at the very end of the season. It will be interesting to see where they go with the changes.

14. Houston Texans (10-6)
When TJ Yates left the game in the 1st quarter, Texans fans have to had a sick feeling. Would they seriously lose their 3rd QB this season and have to go into their first playoff appearance in their history with Jake Delhomme as their QB? Luckily Yates only hurt his non throwing shoulder and will be back. But due to all the injuries the Texans magical season that could have been much better could end in the wildcard round.

15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
There was a lot of talk about the Cardinals winning the NFC West with the acquisition of Kevin Kolb. However it didn't look to pretty for the most part. Kevin Kolb didn't play too well at the beginning of the season and then got hurt. However it was John Skelton (who they already had on their roster) that helped the Cardinals right the ship and help the Cardinals avoid a below .500 season. If they make some good decisions in the off season they should be able to challenge the 49ers for the West.

16. Dallas Cowboys (8-8)*
I've never understood why the Cowboys get all the hype, but this year looked like the year that they could surprise me and make it to the playoffs. However they always seemed to shoot themselves in the foot. Whether it was their HC icing their own kicker, or missing FGs to win. But the Cowboys need to get some more playmakers on defense (secondary) if they want to be a playoff team again.

17. Kansas City Chiefs (7-9)
Oh the Chiefs. Injuries took away their best offensive player (Jamaal Charles) and defensive player (Eric Berry) and eventually their QB. But unlike other teams the Chiefs have a lot of young talent on this roster and with the right HC they could be back to the playoffs again soon.

18. Seattle Seahawks (7-9)
The biggest reason that the Seahawks struggled this year in my opinion is (obviously) the poor play of the QB position. But when you go into the season with Tavarrius Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst as your options you have to know that is is going to happen. Look for the Seahawks to target a QB and go out and get them because this team does have the talent to be a playoff team. I have a hunch they'll win the Matt Flynn sweepstakes.

19. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
For a team that had a lot of reasons to quit and loss a ton of games, the Dolphins really surprised a lot of people and played very well for 2nd half of the season. Matt Moore played well and will more than likely get a chance to start next year, Reggie Bush showed that he can be a #1 RB, and the defense didn't play too bad either. Depending on what they do at QB and at HC, they should only get better next year.

20. Oakland Raiders (8-8)
You have to wonder how the Raiders would have done if Jason Campbell would have stayed healthy. The Raiders at the time were clearly the best team in the AFC West and might have run away with the division. However couple that with another injury to Darren McFadden and it isn't a surprise that they are on the outside looking into the playoffs. At least they gave up a 1st and 2nd round picks to Cincinnati for Carson Palmer.

21. Denver Broncos (8-8)
Here are your AFC West Champions!!!! But it's unfortunate Tebow time ran out of time right before the playoffs are to start. But don't forget about them, remember last year with the
Seahawks anybody can win. But it looks like the Broncos are going to commit to Tebow for next year (probably because they don't have any other option) and are going to look to build around him. We'll see.

22. Chicago Bears (8-8)
Chicago was 7-3 and looking like the 2nd best team in the NFC. But Cutler and Forte go down and the wheels fall off. Da Bears need to get healthy and address some holes at WR, OL, and DB and they could come back next year just like they did this year. With a lot of questions marks, but a lot of potential.

23. New York Jets (8-8)
If you take a look at my preseason power rankings (http://tinyurl.com/6w6335y ) and you'll see that I didn't think the Jets would make the playoffs this year. I'm proud to say that I'm right. They lost a lot of important pieces to their already not so great offense, and were pretty full of themselves. Now they'll face a tough off season and probably do some house cleaning.

24. Carolina Panthers (6-10)
After bragging about picking correctly against the Jets, I'll admit that I didn't think that Cam Newton was going to be worth anything. But I don't think I was the only one. Newton surprised a lot of people and looks to be the future on the Panthers. Now Carolina has to do everything in their power to build around him. But fixing the defense might be the best option to go.

25. Buffalo Bills (6-10)
Buffalo was one of the surprise teams at the beginning of the season, but came back down to earth quickly. However some of that was due to injuries. But they have a good foundation and with another solid draft (get some weapons at WR) and they could become more consistent.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
A new owner and a new HC will bring a lot of change to a team that has it's issues. But finding out if Blaine Gabbert is an NFL QB (I don't think he is) is top priority. Also getting a reliable WR wouldn't help either.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)

It's unfortunate that Raheem Morris is going to get the ax, because this team has a lot of talent, but for whatever reason they underachieved. Fixing the secondary and finding some weapons on offense would really help out.

28. Washington Redskins (5-11)
When you go into the season with John Beck/Rex Grossman you have to expect that they were tanking the season to try and get one of the top QBs in the draft. So there really isn't much to say here. They have some talent, so getting a quality QB could make this team better.

29. Cleveland Browns (4-12)

You have to wonder how good of a coach Eric Mangini is. With this same team (practically) he has them at 6 wins and a lot of momentum. Now the Browns have only two less wins, but have a ton of issues and no certainty at QB.

30. Minnesota Vikings (3-13)
Just think, two years ago the Vikings were a Brett Farve interception away from the Super Bowl. Now they are picking with the #3 pick in the NFL Draft. Oh how they have fallen. But any objective person looking at this roster would have seen the glaring holes and old age they have. Now they go into the off season with holes at every single position on the roster.

31. Indianapolis Colts (2-14)
I know that losing Peyton Manning really hurt (pun intended) but for a team that was a playoff contender to fall this much shows a general lack of talent on the roster. The Colts could be another team looking to clean house and you can't blame them either. The defense is awful and the offense besides Manning doesn't have much playmaking ability.

32. St. Louis Rams (2-14)

I tend to believe that if the Rams played the Colts, the Colts would probably win. St. Louis is just a flat out awful team this year. And now they have to find yet another new HC since Spags was fired this morning. Getting some protection for Sam Bradford and some playmakers on defense would really help too.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 14)

1. Green Bay Packers (13-0)
With the Chiefs, Bears, and Lions left on the schedule it isn't too hard to believe that the Packers should go undefeated in the regular season. I don't even think the Lions poise too much of a threat.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)
Pittsburgh better hope that the injury to Big Ben isn't to serious. Especially with San Francisco this Monday night.

3. New Orleans Saints (10-3)
It was a scare, but the Saints pulled out the win when they needed to. But it took a sack with no time left on the clock to seal the win.

4. Houston Texans (10-3)
Despite losing their top two QBs, the Texans continue to roll due to their strong running game. However it took a TJ Yates TD pass to win the game and clinch the Texans' first ever playoff appearance.

5. Baltimore Ravens (10-3)
Any time you play the Colts this year you have it easy. This weekend the Raven's did. They won. If the Ravens want to clinch a 1st round bye they'll have to go through Cleveland, San Diego, and the Bengals. That should be pretty easy.

6. New England Patriots (10-3)
Because of a poor secondary, the Patriots kept the Redskins around and only won by 7. Now the Patriots must face off against Tim Tebow and the Broncos.

7. Denver Broncos (8-5)
Denver might be the hottest team playing right now. Sure they've had an easy schedule so far, but they are winning and that is all that matters in this league. But we'll find out how good they really are when they face off against the Pats this weekend.

8. San Francisco 49ers (10-3)
The 49ers have had a great season so far, but you can't explain that loss to the Cardinals. Especially when Kevin Kolb went down.

9. New York Jets (8-5)
For as bad as the Jets have looked at times this year, their only losses are to Division leaders. Now the Jets look to end the season strong and face off against an Eagles team that is looking to keep their roll going.

10. Detroit Lions (8-5)
After a huge start to the season the Lions are back down to earth. But they are still in the hunt for a wild card berth. But they'll need to play better than they did against Minnesota where they needed a forced fumble at the end to win the game.

11. New York Giants (7-6)
After looking like one of the best teams in the NFL for most of the first half of the season, the Giants went winless for 4 straight games. However they snapped that streak with a big win over the Cowboys. The win gives the Giants the lead in the NFC East.

12. Atlanta Falcons (8-5)
It took 2 4th quarter TDs but the Falcons beat NFC South rival Carolina and improved to an 8-5 record. The win also puts the Falcons right in the hunt for one of the wild card spots.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)
It looked like they would get yet another win, but TJ Yates proved to be too much for them. But they get the Rams next week. They need to win out if they want to make the playoffs.

14. Seattle Seahawks (6-7)
Even though they are under .500 they still have an outside shot at making the playoffs. Taking care of the Rams was the first step, now they have to beat the down and out Bears to keep the momentum going.

15. Tennessee Titans (7-6)
After another injury to Matt Hasselbeack, it looks like we might be seeing the start of the Jake Locker era? He looked pretty good in my opinion.

16. Oakland Raiders (7-6)
I don't understand why everybody thought that the Raiders had a great shot to beat the Packers. The same team who didn't have their best offensive player and a weak secondary.

17. Dallas Cowboys (7-6)
Yet another game wasted away. Dallas is the best team in the league at wasting away leads and losing games because of it. For a 2nd straight week they missed a kick after being iced. They are wasting away a pretty good season.

18. Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
Somehow the Cardinals are finding ways to win. This week it took John Skelton replacing a injured Kevin Kolb to lead them to a big win over the 49ers.

19. Philadelphia Eagles (5-8)
It hasn't been the season they hoped for, but the Eagles have a chance to make some noise in their division with games against the Cowboys and Redskins. But they'll have to go through the Jets first.

20. San Diego Chargers (6-7)
San Diego ended the bleeding, but they haven't fixed their team. They just got lucky playing a beat up Buffalo team. But it doesn't get much easier with Oakland, Detroit, and Baltimore left.

21. Buffalo Bills (5-8)
Their loss to the Chargers continues a streak of 6 straight. But hope is near. A game against Miami next week gives the Bills a chance to end their streak.

22. Kansas City Chiefs (5-8)
The shoe has finally dropped and HC Todd Haley has been fired. We probably would have seen it sooner, but the Chiefs actually started winning. Injuries were the biggest reason they lost this year, but Haley's seat had always been warm.

23. Chicago Bears (7-6)
The latest team to be Tebow'ed. You gotta feel for the Bears. They were riding high. They had just blown out the Chargers and with an easy schedule where on their way to at least a 11-5 record. But with Cutler and Forte out with injuries the Bears have lost three straight and two to the Chiefs and Broncos. A once promising season is now going down the drain.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9)
No matter who the opponent is, when you blow out another NFL team 41-14 you know it's a big deal. Jacksonville now has three winnable games down the stretch to finish their season strong and have some momentum going into the off season.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-9)
When it rains it pours. And you know it's bad when the Jaguars blow you out. That's just unacceptable.

26. Miami Dolphins (4-9)
For 7 straight games the Dolphins were playing some good football. The won four of those games and lost three by a total of 7 combined points. But that all came crashing down with a huge loss to the Eagles. It also ended HC Tony Sparano's firing.

27. Carolina Panthers (4-9)
It looked like the Panthers were going to pull out the victory against the Falcons, but a missed FG doomed them. I'm really looking forward to see how this team does next year.

28. Washington Redskins (4-9)
Washington made it interesting, but the Patriots were in control the entire game. Washington and Mike Shannahan can't wait to get a new franchise QB next year and it looks like they'll get a shot at either Matt Barkley or Robert Griffin.

29. Cleveland Browns (4-9)
The Cleveland Browns are a mess. You wonder if they should have kept Eric Mangini as the coach. He had this same team, but they were much better.

30. Minnesota Vikings (2-11)
Despite their losses, the Vikings have been competitive. This week they had a shot to win against the Lions, but Joe Webb fumbled with a shot to take the lead.

31. St. Louis Rams (2-11)
In front of a nation audience, the Rams continued their free fall. Their 30-13 loss was another kick in the gut. But at least they will be set up to get an impact player in the draft.

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-13)
The season from hell continues in Indy where they drop another game, this time to the Ravens. Indy has three more shots at their first win, but you know Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Houston don't want to be Indy's first win.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 10)

1. Green Bay Packers (9-0) LW 1
It wasn't a matter of if the Packers were going to win against Minnesota, but by how much. Green Bay continues to play well and their match up against Detroit on Thanksgiving should be one heck of a game.

2. San Francisco 49ers (8-1) LW 3
The 49ers continue to roll on and knocked off a Giants team that had a ton of momentum heading into this game. But San Fran has to hope that Frank Gore's injury isn't too serious.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3) LW 2
Beating the Bengals on the road was a huge win for the Steelers. Man, you don't get to say that too often.

4. New Orleans Saints (7-3) LW 9
It took overtime, but the Saints were able to beat the Falcons on the road and get some room in the standings. New Orleans seems to be getting much better as the season goes forward.

5. New England Patriots (6-3) LW 5
Go figure, when you get a good pass rush it hides a lot of weaknesses you have in the secondary. Andre Carter came out of nowhere to terrorize Mark Sanchez. Now if they can keep that up they could do some damage.

6. Chicago Bears (6-3) LW 14
I still don't know why punters keep kicking the ball to Devin Hester? Why? Kicking it out of bounds is easy, you would think.

7. Baltimore Ravens (6-3) LW 7
How can you go from sweeping the Steelers, to losing to the Cardinals? Somethings just don't make sense.

8. Detroit Lions (6-3) LW 4
Not having a running game has really hurt the Lions. Matt Stafford cannot throw the ball 63 times and expect to win. Especially with a broken finger.

9. Houston Texans (7-3) LW 13
Houston looks like one of the best teams in the AFC right now, but losing QB Matt Schaub to the season could doom the Texans. Their only hope is that their strong running game can carry them.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-3) LW 8
It's hard to beat Pittsburgh anyways, but doing so with a rookie QB and a rookie #1 WR doesn't make it easier. But the Bengals have a bright future ahead of them.

11. New York Giants (6-3) LW 10
New York had a chance to take a big lead in the division, but dropping a game to Seattle is inexcusable. Luckily Philly still lost.

12. Dallas Cowboys (5-4) LW 23
The emergence of DeMarco Murray has really breathed some life into this offense and it has really helped take some pressure off of Tony Romo, which is always a good thing.

13. New York Jets (5-4) LW 12
Mark Sanchez is going to have nightmares of Andre Carter in his dreams tonight. Completely falling apart in the 2nd half doesn't help either.

14. Tennessee Titans (5-4) LW 19
There was a Chris Johnson sighting in Charlotte today. Johnson rushing for 130 yards and a TD has to be a great sight for Titans fans.

15. Buffalo Bills (5-4) LW 12
Buffalo had a great run, but it looks like they are showing their true colors. The defense is still not good when they don't get turnovers and the offensive line isn't good.

16. Oakland Raiders (5-4) LW 16
Their big win over San Diego on Thursday night was huge for the Raiders in their effort to win the division. Add in that Carson Palmer is starting to get his groove back and they could be playoff bound.

17. Atlanta Falcons (5-4) LW 15
Last year Atlanta had the best record in the NFL and were looking to be Super Bowl bound. Now with their loss to New Orleans they have 4 losses and probably won't make the playoffs.

18. Denver Broncos (4-5) LW 27
Tim Tebow only threw 8 passes (completed only 2) and they still won. How does this happen? Oh wait, they played the Chiefs.

19. San Diego Chargers (4-5) LW 11
San Diego is a mess. They are falling apart and this could cause some major shake ups to the coaching staff and roster.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) LW 17
The Bucs looked like a young team on the rise, but they have been blown out several times this year. But it's a young team, so that can't be a huge surprise.

21. Arizona Cardinals (3-6) LW 29
Could the Cardinals actually look better with John Skelton running the show instead of Kevin Kolb?

22. Philadelphia Eagles (3-6) LW 18
You can't be surprised with all the trouble the Eagles are having. They threw a bunch of players together and even made their offensive line coach their D Coordinator. This team more than anything really could have used OTA's and a full off-season.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) LW 26
The Jags got a big win (for them) in a win over Indy and could make it two in a row with Cleveland next on the schedule. If they could just get a good WR their offense could be a lot better.

24. Kansas City Chiefs (4-5) LW 20
Well after a 4 game winning streak, Kansas City is finally back to earth. What makes matters worse is that QB Matt Cassell is hurt. But the way he was playing it might not make a difference.

25. Seattle Seahawks (3-6) LW 28
Not too many people gave the Seahawks much of a chance with Baltimore coming to town. But in this crazy NFL season, you can't be surprised that they won.

26. Cleveland Browns (3-6) LW 21
You know its bad when your kicker who has been your best offensive player misses a chip shot FG that would have won the game. They had so much hope going in to this season.

27. Washington Redskins (3-6) LW 22
Here is another team that is finally playing to their talent. Their QB situation is horrible and it is finally showing.

28. Miami Dolphins (2-7) LW 32
Somebody tell the Dolphins that they aren't suppose to be winning if they want Andrew Luck. But the Dolphins seem like a different team and Reggie Bush is resurrecting his career. Get them a QB and they could be a solid team.

29. Minnesota Vikings (2-7) LW 24
Despite not winning games, the Vikings aren't playing too bad and Christian Ponder is showing doubters that he does have what it takes to be an NFL QB. Luckily since their record won't be the greatest, he'll get some quality help come draft time.

30. St. Louis Rams (2-7) LW 30
The Rams are probably the only team that doesn't want to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes and they are doing their best to get out of that situation. But St. Louis is getting healthy and we are seeing some of what they showed last year.

31. Carolina Panthers (2-7) LW 25
After their start to the season I thought that Panther could rattle off 5 to 6 wins, but they haven't been able to do so. But on the bright side we might see Cam Newton throwing to Justin Blackmon next year.

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-10) LW 31
It's all but offical, the Colts will have the #1 pick and the first crack at Andrew Luck. The real question is whether they take him, trade Manning, or trade the pick.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 9)

1. Green Bay Packers (8-0) LW 1
2. San Francisco 49ers (7-1) LW 3
3. Baltimore Ravens (6-2) LW 7
4. Detroit Lions (6-2) LW 4
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) LW 2*
6. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) LW 8
7. New Orleans Saints (6-3) LW 9
8. New York Giants (6-2) LW 10
9. New England Patriots (5-3) LW 5*
10. New York Jets (5-3) LW 12
11. Chicago Bears (5-3) LW 14
12. Buffalo Bills (5-3) LW 6 *
13. Houston Texans (6-3) LW 13
14. Atlanta Falcons (5-3) LW 15
15. San Diego Chargers (4-4) LW 11*
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) LW 17*
17. Dallas Cowboys (4-4) LW 23
18. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) LW 18*
19. Tennessee Titans (4-4) LW 19*
20. Oakland Raiders (4-4) LW 16*
21. Denver Broncos (3-5) LW 27
22. Kansas City Chiefs (4-4) LW 20 *
23. Cleveland Browns (3-5) LW 21*
24. Washington Redskins (3-5) LW 22*
25. Carolina Panthers (2-6) LW 25
26. Minnesota Vikings (2-6) LW 24
27. Arizona Cardinals (2-6) LW 29
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) LW 26
29. Seattle Seahawks (2-6) LW 28 *
30. Miami Dolphins (1-7) LW 32
31. St. Louis Rams (1-7) LW 30*
32. Indianapolis Colts (0-9) LW 31 *

* Denotes loss

Thursday, October 27, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 7)

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0) LW 1
The Packers are lucky their offense is so good, because their defense is not playing at the same level as they did last year.

2. New England Patriots (5-1) LW 3
New England bye gives them an extra week to prepare for a Steeler team that has been playing much better lately.

3. San Francisco 49ers (5-1) LW 4
The bye week gave the 49ers an extra chance to refocus after their big victory over Detroit. Never thought I'd say that.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) LW 7
Pittsburgh exploited the poor Cardinals secondary in route to an easy win. Mike Wallace is also showing that he is one of the most dynamic WRs in the game right now.

5. New Orleans Saints (5-2) LW 8
Can you even take anything away from their beat down of the Colts? But at least their confidence is high after putting up 62 points.

6. Detroit Lions (5-2) LW 5
After all this talk about the Lions and their impressive 5-0 start and the match up against the Packers on Thanksgiving Day. Now they have to focus on snapping a 2 game losing streak. Finding a running game would probably help.

7. San Diego Chargers (4-2) LW 6
San Diego can just not win on the East coast. What hurts the most is that the Chargers had the opportunity to run away with the division, but now are letting Oakland and even KC stick around.

8. Buffalo Bills (4-2) LW 10
If the Bills want to keep their early season success going they are going to have to keep forcing turnovers on defense. But that will be hard considering their pass rush took a big hit with Shawn Merriman now on IR.

9. Baltimore Ravens (4-2) LW 2
Baltimore had no answer for the Jaguars defense and ended up getting embarrassed on Monday Night Football. For a team that many thought could make the Super Bowl, they have to fix some issues.

10. New York Jets (4-3) LW 12
I don't care what anybody else says. This is a very flawed team. Even though they beat the Chargers on Sunday, they won't make the playoffs.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) LW 13
One of the early season success stories is the play of rookie Andy Dalton. He has made owner Mike Brown look like a smart man.

12. New York Giants (4-2) LW 14
Despite all the injuries they suffered at the beginning of the season, the Giants are leading the division. What makes this even better is the bye week has allowed some of their injured players a chance to start working their way back in.

13. Houston Texans (4-3) LW 15
Houston ended their two game losing streak with a big divisional victory. However injuries to key players are going to hurt this team in the long run.

14. Chicago Bears (4-3) LW 17
After the year that Matt Forte is having especially with this offensive line, you have to put him in consideration as one of the best RBs in the league.

15. Atlanta Falcons (4-3) LW 18
Go figure. The Falcons were able to run the ball effectively and they won. Now if they can build on that they could find themselves back in the playoffs.

16. Oakland Raiders (4-3) LW 9
The loss of Jason Campbell is huge. Hopefully Carson Palmer is able to get up to speed quick, because JP Lossman is awful. But it would also help if Darren McFadden was healthy.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) LW 11
Tampa is just one of the most inconsistent teams in football now. One week they look like a wildcard team and then the other week they drop a game that they shouldn't.

18. Cleveland Browns (3-3) LW 21
A win is a win, no matter if you only score 6 points or 46. What is even more amazing is that the Browns were able to win without being in the red zone.

19. Tennessee Titans (3-3) LW 16
Maybe Chris Johnson's poor season will be a example for others who are thinking of holding out to get more money. But probably not.

20. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) LW 19
The Eagles haven't had the start to the season they hoped for when they signed practically every free agent available. However the season is still young and they face off against inter division rival Dallas which could give the Eagles a chance to start working their way back up the division.

21. Washington Redskins (3-3) LW 20
We had to know that the Redskins were going to come back to reality at some point, didn't we? I mean they do have John Beck and Rex Grossman starting for them.

22. Dallas Cowboys (2-3) LW 22
If DeMarco Murray can stay healthy the Cowboys could really make a run. The running threat also helps keep the ball out of Tony Romo's hands and his poor decision making.

23. Carolina Panthers (2-5) LW 23
If the Panthers can keep running the ball like they did on Sunday, they are going to give teams fits all year long. This team isn't too far away from competing within the division.

24. Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) LW 28
Todd Haley went from possibly being one of the first coaches to be fired to having his team back into the race for the division. Too bad injuries aren't going to allow them to make it back to the playoffs.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) LW 27
All it took was four FG and one heck of a defensive showing for the Jaguars to shock everybody and beat the Ravens on Monday Night Football. Now if their offense could only keep the momentum going, they could make a late run at a wide open division.

26. Denver Broncos (2-4) LW 29
Not only did Tim Tebow lead the Broncos come from behind victory. He created a new craze. "Tebowing" is now the new planking.

27. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) LW 26
Normally when you hold a team to only 6 points you think you'd win. But the Seahawks forgot that they have to score too. Having only 167 yards of total offense isn't very good either.

28. Minnesota Vikings (1-6) LW 25
Christian Ponder is showing some promise and he gave the Vikings some new life. However their offense is still only Adrian Peterson and the defense isn't much better.

29. Arizona Cardinals (1-5) LW 24
Can't blame Kevin Kolb for all their struggles, but his play isn't helping. They have a lot of holes that need to be fixed.

30. St. Louis Rams (0-5) LW 30
So much for the Rams being one of the up and coming teams. They look lost both offensively and defensively.

31. Indianapolis Colts (0-7) LW 31
Even though their defense is built to play from ahead, they have to make some major changes because their is no reason they should be giving up this many points. It's not Jim Caldwell's fault, but the team is going to make it hard for him to stay.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-6) LW 32
Just when we thought that the Dolphins could escape the cellar, Tim Tebow rescued the Broncos. But that's a good thing because now the Dolphins can continue to lead the "Suck for Luck" sweepstakes.