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

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 16)

1. Green Bay Packers (14-1)
Aaron Rodgers continues his great season by carving up the injury depleted Bears and getting the Packers home field advantage going into the playoffs.

2. New England Patriots (12-3)
It looked like we were about to see a big upset against the Dolphins, but the Pats were able to rally to get the win. Now all the Pats need to do is beat Bills and they'll have home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

3. New Orleans Saints (12-3)
Drew Brees is not the official record holder for most passing yards in a season, besting Dan Marino's long stading record. But the best thing for the Saints is that their defense is starting to play better and that will help them more in the playoffs.

4. San Francisco 49ers (12-3)
San Fran could really use the bye week to help get their team healthy and rested before making the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4)
Playing St. Louis and Cleveland to end the season couldn't have been a better recipe for the Steelers who have an injuried Big Ben Rothlisburger. Charlie Batch was able to lead the Steelers to a victory last week and look for much the same this weekend. Because if Big Ben isn't healthy come playoff time, it could be an early exit.

6. Baltimore Ravens (11-4)
A win over Cincinnati would give the Ravens a first round bye because they hold the tie breaker with the Steelers because they've beat them twice this year. However these aren't your old Bungels and this game will be a dog fight.

7. Detroit Lions (10-5)
What a success this season has been for the Lions. One of the worst franchises in the NFL for the longest time has made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. What a story this team has been.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (9-6)
If you would have said that the Bengals would have a chance to win 10 games this year and go to the playoffs many people would have written you off. But with a win over Pittsburgh this Sunday, the Bengals could be back into the playoffs behind the play of their two rookies Andy Dalton and AJ Green.

9. Atlanta Falcons (9-6)*
Even with their loss to the Saints this past Monday, the Falcons are still looking to get into the playoffs again. However they really can't afford to play like they did Monday if they want to make some noise in the playoffs.

10. Houston Texans (10-5)*
You have to take the Texan's recent losses as a little bit of a grain of salt. Not only are they still playing with TJ Yates at their QB, but the reason their defense has really improved, Wade Phillips, hasn't been around because of surgery.

11. New York Giants (8-7)
The Giants sure made Rex Ryan shut up with their big win over the Jets. The win also gives the Giants the chance to win the division and make it to the playoffs.

12. Dallas Cowboys (8-7)*
The Cowboys looked like the favorite to win the division, but another tough loss within the division hurts their chances.

13. Denver Broncos (8-7)*
Is the Tebow magic wearing off? Or are they just playing better teams? I'd go with the latter but they still have a chance to win the division but will have to do it against Kyle Orton who you know will play his best game of the year.

14. Philadelphia Eagles (6-8)
It's a little too late, but the Eagles are actually playing like the team we thought they'd be at the beginning of the season.

15. Seattle Seahawks (7-8)*
A win over the 49ers would have given the Seahawks an outside shot at making it into the playoffs. However their QB play just holds them back enough. If they can get a solid QB in the off season they should be able to challenge SF for the division.

16. Oakland Raiders (8-7)
Behind the strong leg of Sabastian Janakowski they Raiders were able to steal a win away from the Chiefs. But they'll need a win over the Chargers and a loss by the Broncos to get into the playoffs.

17. Tennessee Titans (8-7)
Tennessee has really salvaged the season and have a bright future ahead of them. It's just too bad that CJ2K held out and injuries took away Matt Hasselbeck and Kenny Britt because they could have won the division this year.

18. San Diego Chargers (7-8)*
Just when you thought that the Chargers were back on a roll and looking close to winning the division, they lay an egg against Detroit and are on the outside looking in.

19. New York Jets (8-7)*
I was never a big fan of the Jets going into this season, and their play has really backed up my suspicious. They are a running team but don't really run the ball that well. And their defense isn't the same as previous years. No playoffs for this team this year.

20. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)*
It may be a little too late, but the Cardinals have been playing a lot better and almost put themselves into the playoff picture. However they came back down to earth with a tough loss to the Bengals. But a win over Seattle would prevent them from finishing below .500 for a second straight season.

21. Kansas City Chiefs (6-9)*
Despite all the injuries and poor coaching, if the Cheifs would have beat the Raiders, their game against Denver would have decided who goes to the playoffs. Anyways, the match up between Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow should be interesting.

22. Carolina Panthers (6-9)
If the Panthers take anything away from this season, it's that they found their franchise QB in Cam Newton. Now they need to build around him (mainly defense) and aim towards next year.

23. Miami Dolphins (5-10)*
It looked liked the Dolphins were going to be able to pull the big upset over the Patriots, but just couldn't hang on. However the Dolphins have to be happy with the play of Reggie Bush and go into the off season with a lot more confidence and know that a few more pieces and they could make a run at the playoffs.

24. Chicago Bears (7-8)*
You have to wonder if Josh McNown and Kahlil Bell would have been given the opportunity sooner, would the Bears be in the playoffs with Cutler and Forte on their way back? Who knows, but it's something to think about.

25. Buffalo Bills (6-9)
I might just have been Tim Tebow struggling, but the Bills looked like the team we saw at the beginning of the season when they started so strong. But things don't get easier with New England being their last opponent.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11)*
Don't worry Jaguar fans, things could get worse. Their last game of the season isn't the cupcake they thought it would be. The Colts are on a two game winning streak and playing much better than the Jags. A loss to them would really make this season awful.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-11)*
Even with the job that he did last year, it is going to be very hard for Raheem Mooris to keep his job after this season.

28. Washington Redskins (4-11)*
Washington just isn't a good offensive team and that is largely because they are starting Rex Grossman/John Beck. But the worst thing is that with Matt Barkley deciding to stay, they might be left out in the cold in the draft and have to settle with another team's backup.

29. Cleveland Browns (4-11)*
Well the season is almost over but it won't be till after their game against the Steelers. So look for a blow out and a tough off season for the Browns.

30. Minnesota Vikings (3-12)
Well it just got worse for the Vikings. Losing Adrian Peterson to a torn ACL this late into the season will have an impact on next year. You have to wonder why he was playing anyways.

31. Indianapolis Colts (2-13)
What has gotten into the Colts? Their recent two game winning streak is little to late and now they are in jeopardy of losing out on getting Andrew Luck. Especially playing the Jaguars this Sunday who aren't playing two well either.

32. St. Louis Rams (2-13)*
Their horrible season and the Colts two game winning streak moves the Rams into the last spot. What makes it worse is that the Steelers were without Big Ben and the Rams still got dominated.

* Denotes Loss

Monday, December 19, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 15)

1. Green Bay Packers (13-1) *
2. New England Patriots (11-3)
3. New Orleans Saints (11-3)
4. San Francisco 49ers (11-3)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)*
6. Baltimore Ravens (10-4)*

7. Atlanta Falcons (9-5)
8. Detroit Lions (9-5)

9. Houston Texans (10-4)*
10. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)
11. Denver Broncos (8-6)*
12. Dallas Cowboys (8-6)

13. Seattle Seahawks (7-7)
14. San Diego Chargers (7-7)
15. New York Jets (8-6)*
16. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)
17. New York Giants (7-7)*
18. Oakland Raiders (7-7)*

19. Philadelphia Eagles (5-8)
20. Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
21. Tennessee Titans (7-7)*
22. Miami Dolphins (5-9)
23. Carolina Panthers (5-9)
24. Chicago Bears (7-7)*
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10)*

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10)*
27. Buffalo Bills (5-9)*
28. Washington Redskins (4-10)*
29. Cleveland Browns (4-10)*
30. Minnesota Vikings (2-12) *
31. St. Louis Rams (2-12)*
32. Indianapolis Colts (1-13)


* Denotes Loss

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

Monday, October 31, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 8)

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

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.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 6)

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

Monday, October 10, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 5)

1. Green Bay Packers (5-0) LW 1
After 5 weeks the Packers are clearly the best team in the league. They have a legit shot at going undefeated this year.

2. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) LW 2
Ravens enjoy a bye week to rest up and fine tune their offense.

3. New Orleans Saints (4-1) LW 3
The Saints defense continues to struggle, but luckily their offense is so good.

4. New England Patriots (4-1) LW 4
The Pats get their revenge from last year beating the Jets. However they beat the Jets last year in the regular season before getting beat in the playoffs.

5. Detroit Lions (5-0) LW 5
They are undefeated, but I'm still holding back on moving them up too far. They still haven't play anybody in the top 10. Their match up against SF next week should be interesting.

6. Buffalo Bills (4-1) LW 9
Buffalo bounced back well after their bad loss to the Bengals. Their key is creating turnovers on defense.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) LW 7
Got a big win over a Tennessee team that has been playing pretty well. Big Ben is a gamer, throwing for 5 TDs while being injured.

8. San Diego Chargers (4-1) LW 10
They haven't been winning pretty, but they keep winning. Which is all that matters.

9. San Francisco 49ers (4-1) LW 16
Harbaugh was laughed at when he stuck behind Alex Smith. Smith has repaid the favor with some good quality play this year.

10. Oakland Raiders (3-2) LW 18
It was a whirlwind of emotions for the Raiders. But the honor Al Davis the best way they can. Just win baby!

11. Houston Texans (3-2) LW 6
Dropping the game to the Raiders was tough, but losing Mario Williams for the season is tougher.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) LW 8
Losing 48-3 is inexcusable. However they are young and should be able to bounce back. Too much talent on the roster.

13. New York Jets (2-3) LW 11
I predicted that the Jets wouldn't make the playoffs before the season started. If they keep up this play they could make me look good.

14. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2) LW 22
Many thought they'd be in the running for a top 5 draft pick, but they keep winning games.

15. New York Giants (3-2) LW 14
When is everybody going to hammer Eli Manning for all the picks he throws like they did Jay Cutler a couple of years ago?

16. Washington Redskins (3-1) LW 17
Will the Redskins remember that they aren't good during their bye week?

17. Tennessee Titans (3-2) LW 15
They have been playing better than expectations, but they were no match for an angry Steelers team.

18. Chicago Bears (2-3) LW 12
Despite playing behind the worst offensive line in NFL History, Jay Cutler has played pretty well this year.

19. Atlanta Falcons (2-3) LW 13
I know that losing to the Packers isn't as bad as other teams, but I though they'd be a much better team this year.

20. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) LW 20
Which Tony Romo is going to show up next week against the Patriots?

21. Carolina Panthers (1-4) LW 21
Even with only a 1-4 record the Panthers are a good team. They've been in every game and given a lot of good teams fits. Add a few more pieces and they could be very good next year.

22. Cleveland Browns (2-2) LW 23
Browns have a tough match up next week against a good Raiders team.

23. Philadelphia Eagles (1-4) LW 19
The self proclaimed "Dream Team" must still be sleeping. Adding that many new players and schemes, no wonder why they are struggling.

24. Minnesota Vikings (1-4) LW 30
Here is a noble thought, give the ball to Adrian Peterson. Can't believe NFL coaches don't realize this more often.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) LW 24
Jack Del Rio can't feel safe with their recent performance. But it's not like the roster if full of talent.

26. Arizona Cardinals (1-4) LW 25
The trade for Kevin Kolb has not produced the results they had hoped.

27. St. Louis Rams (0-4) LW 26
Hopefully their bye week allowed them to fix their protection issues because Sam Bradford can't take all those hits.

28. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) LW 28
Give the Seahawks a quality QB and they could be a good team.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) LW 29
Don't the Chiefs know that if they want to get Andrew Luck they have to lose games?

30. Denver Broncos (1-4) LW 27
The Tim Tebow era is more than likely underway. My question is what took them so long?

31. Indianapolis Colts (0-5) LW 31
It looked like the Colts might get their first win of the season, but they couldn't hold off the Chiefs.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-4) LW 32
They didn't play this week, but it doesn't matter in the race to get Andrew Luck.

Monday, October 3, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 4)

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

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 3)

1. Green Bay Packers (3-0) LW 1
Despite it only being a 10 point win, the Packers dominated the Bears and are showing everybody that they are the best team in the NFL. Its early, but we could see the Packers repeat this year.

2. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) LW 4
Torrey Smith has emerged as the deep threat that the Ravens have been looking for over the past couple of years. If the Ravens offense can continue to put up points they are going to be a hard team to beat.

3. New Orleans Saints (2-1) LW 6
There only loss has been to the Packers and that was because of a goal line stand. They smashed the Bears and the Texans both of which are very solid teams.

4. New England Patriots (2-1) LW 2
Its tough to win a game with when you throw 4 interceptions. Let alone allow a team to come back from 20 down. The Pats need to find some answers on defense. But good thing they have one of the best minds in football.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) LW 5
The Steelers played a sloppy game on Sunday night. Good thing it was against a Colts team that is plain awful without Peyton Manning. But a win is a win in the NFL.

6. Detroit Lions (3-0) LW 11
Their win against the Vikings improves winning streak to 7 straight games. That is a pretty amazing feat considering that the Lions went win less a couple of yeas ago. In any other division they might be a contender to win it, but with the Packers 2nd place looks more like it.

7. Buffalo Bills (3-0) LW 12
Ryan Fitzpatrick is getting a lot of attention for his play (and rightfully so), but a big reason for their offensive success is because of RB Fred Jackson. With a game against the Bengals, the Bills could improve to 4-0.

8. New York Jets (2-1) LW 3
Their loss to the Raiders has exposed some of their flaws. But luckily the teams in their division aren't running teams so they should be good there.

9. Houston Texans (2-1) LW 8
Its hard to win games when you give up 23 points in a quarter. Let alone the 4th. But getting back Arian Foster will only help this team get better.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) LW 16
Tampa Bay finally snapped a 5 game losing streak to the Falcons. Their defense was a big part of that intercepting Ryan 3 times and sacking him 4 more.

11. San Diego Chargers (2-1) LW 13
A win is a win, but almost losing to the Cheifs isn't good. However the defense stepped up when they needed to and Ryan Matthews had a big game to help the offense.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2) LW 7
The "Dream Team" drops another one. The vaunted Eagles secondary wasn't up to the challenge and allowed Manning to throw for 4 touchdown passes. The Eagles better figure things out quick or it will be a long season in Philly.

13. Oakland Raiders (2-1) LW 19
Darren McFadden has proved that when healthy he is one of the best running backs in the league. If he can stay healthy and they can get consistent play out of Jason Campbell this is a team that should go to the playoffs.

14. Chicago Bears (1-2) LW 9
Don't let the score fool you, the Bears were dominated by the Packers on Sunday. Chicago has to figure something out on offense where they looked completely lost. 13 yards rushing doesn't help either.

15. Atlanta Falcons (1-2) LW 10
If Atlanta wants to get back on track they need to get their running game going. Michael Turner needs to have more than 20 yards rushing for them to be successful.

16. New York Giants (2-1) LW 15
After all the injuries they have had, the Giants are seeming to get things figured out and have a nice 2 game winning streak to show for it. But the best part of it was that they defeated the hated Eagles and they should be getting some of their injured stars back.

17. Tennessee Titans (2-1) LW 20
They won the game, but they suffered a huge loss with the injury to Kenny Britt. Britt was their only reliable receiver and now that he is gone they need somebody else to step up.

18. Dallas Cowboys (2-1) LW 21
Even though they didn't score a touchdown and their offense was never on the same page, they pulled out a big win over a Redskin team that was undefeated. But they cannot afford to keep all of these mental mistakes going if they want to keep winning.

19. San Francisco 49ers (2-1) LW 22
The 49ers win another ugly game. It only took one good drive and a TD by Kendall Hunter to give the Niners the victory. If the 49ers can get their offense figured out they could make it back to the playoffs for the first time in a while.

20. Washington Redskins (2-1) LW 14
Although they didn't allow the Cowboys to score a TD, they still lost a game and a chance to take an early division lead. But don't look for much consistency out of their offense as long as Rex Grossman is starting.

21. St. Louis Rams (0-3) LW 18
It's just been a disaster for the Rams this season. Injuries and ineffectiveness have really hurt them. But if they allow Sam Bradford to get hit as much as he did, they'll have to worry about him being injured too.

22. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) LW 17
2 missed FGs and a costly INT on the last drive doomed the Cardinals in a game that they should have won. These are games that the Cardinals have to win if they want to contend for a NFC West Division Title.

23. Cleveland Browns (2-1) LW 26
A late TD from McCoy to Massaqoui was the different in this game. The win was even more impressive with the offensively challenged Browns had to do it without the services of Peyton Hillis.

24. Carolina Panthers (1-2) LW 27
There you have it, Cam Newton got his first win as a pro. Although he didn't put up huge numbers (weather has to be factored in) his TD pass to Greg Olsen was the deciding factor in the game. Newton continues to impress as the season goes forward.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) LW 23
Already on their 3rd QB of the season, the Jags suffered a loss in the middle of a monsoon. However, Rookie QB Blaine Gabbert was almost able to get a 4th quarter victory but his pass was batted away with no time left.

26. Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) LW 24
Andy Dalton was due for a bad game at some point and it came here against the 49ers. Both of Dalton's INTs came at bad times. Add in that this was the smallest crowd to ever see a Bengals home opener and it was a pretty bad day in Cincy.

27. Denver Broncos (1-2) LW 25
Denver had the lead going into the 4th quarter, but couldn't get a stop when they needed to get the win. Kyle Orton struggles again in a loss. Which has you wondering, when is Tim Tebow going to get his chance.

28. Seattle Seahawks (1-2) LW 30
Tavarius Jackson's late scramble for a touchdown gave the Seahawks the win over division foe Arizona. However the Seahawks will continue to struggle if they don't get more consistent QB play out of Jackson.

29. Miami Dolphins (0-3) LW 29
Miami's offensive struggles continue in a loss to the Browns. Daniel Thomas had a nice game, but the Dolphins relied on feild goals when they needed a touchdown. But on the bright side it looks like the Dolphins might be getting the QB they need in the 2012 draft.

30. Minnesota Vikings (0-3) LW 28
For the 3rd straight time the Vikings have given up a lead in the second half. You have to wonder how long the Vikings wait before they insert Christian Ponder into the lineup.

31. Indianapolis Colts (0-3) LW 31
In a sloppy game, the Colts almost capitalized and got their first win. Its going to be a long season in Indy, but at least Curtis Painter looked promising when he got his chance. We'll see if its something they can build on.

32. Kansas City Chiefs (0-3) LW 32
Kansas City actually showed some life with a narrow 3 point defeat. But Matt Cassell's interception on a screen pass was just plain awful. You never would suspect that the teams QB is throwing the game so they can get Luck...right?

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 2)

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

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Week 1)

1. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
While other teams were going out and spending this off-season the Packers got a lot of talent back from injury. And an already good team has gotten better and that showed in their thrashing of NFC power New Orleans.

2. New England Patriots (1-0)
Tom Brady is up to his old tricks again. Throwing all over the poor Dolphins secondary. However Billicek has to be concerned that Chad Henne was able to throw all over their secondary. Maybe they shouldn't have cut two of their top safeties.

3. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Their manhandling of the Steelers has to put the rest of the AFC on notice. Forcing 7 turnovers against a good defense is quite the feat. If their offense continues to improve we could be seeing the AFC favorites.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
After shacking some early game jitters the Eagles took control of the game and showed the explosive offense we've thought they'd have all along. Look for the Eagle to continue to struggle at times as they get use to all their new parts.

5. New York Jets (1-0)
The Jets were able to escape week 1 with a win over a team that they should have dominated. However I'm still not sold on their offense. They have to get better on both sides of the ball if they want to back up their head coaches lofty expectations.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)
Pittsburgh was clearly not as focused as the Ravens were this off-season and it showed in their week 1 match up. The Steelers have never been tossed around like that before. But look for this game to be a wake up call and the old Steelers should return soon.

7. New Orleans Saints (0-1)
In a very active off season, the Saints looked to have improved their defensive line and at running back. However it wasn't enough to beat the defending Super Bowl Champions. If the Saints want to make it back to the Super Bowl they are going to have to start generating more takeaways which they didn't do against the Packers.

8. Chicago Bears (1-0)
How old does their defense look now? Their offensive line which has been a issue for the past couple of years looked much better and Cutler only got sacked 5 times but the line played well enough for Matt Forte and Devin Hester to make the big plays that help them get the win. This looks like a team that could make it back to the NFC Title game for a second straight year.

9. Houston Texans (1-0)
With Peyton Manning out the Texans have the chance to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. What also helps out is that the Texans finally have a defense that can win a game for them. Wade Phillips is showing why he is one of the best defensive minds in football.

10. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
The Falcons continue their slide that started last season. The offense got away from what it does the best (running the football) and the defense is having trouble tackling. Atlanta put all their eggs in the basket for this season, so they need to get things fixed before it gets worse.

11. San Diego Chargers (1-0)
One of the biggest issues the Chargers had last year was their special teams units. So what happens this year? 1st kick off of the year gets returned 101 yards and they lose their kicker to an ACL injury. However behind the strong play of Mike Tolbert they were able to come back and win the game.

12. Detroit Lions (1-0)
Detroit has a lot of hype going into this season and winning on the road is a great place to start. QB Matt Stafford showed what he is capable when healthy. The big thing is whether the offensive line is good enough for him to stay healthy.

13. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
This is my dark horse sleeper of the year. I absolutely loved their draft and believe those picks will help their defense out tremendously this season. Add in that Ryan Fitzpatrick might make Chan Gailey look like a genius for trusting in him.

14. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
Kevin Kolb is going to be the key to this season. But if he keeps playing like he did in week 1 then this team has a shot to make it back to the playoffs. However the defense can't give up that many point.....especially to teams like the Panthers and a rookie QB.

15. New York Giants (0-1)
Normally I'd be a lot harder on the Giants for losing that game, but with all the injuries they've had this season its going to be rough. Teams are going to eat their depleted defense up all season long. That and Eli Manning throwing picks.

16. St. Louis Rams (0-1)
The Rams looked like they were about to knock of the "Dream Team" but injuries to Sam Bradford and Stephen Jackson halted the offenses production and the defense simply couldn't make a stop. Bradford looks like he'll be fine, but the Rams cannot afford to lose Stephen Jackson to injury. He is too valuable to them.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)
Much like the rest of the teams in their division, they lost their game. However they did put up a fight and still look like a team that could challenge for a playoff spot. But the secondary is going to have to do a better job then they did against the Lions.

18. Oakland Raiders (1-0)
What a pillow fight on Monday Night Football. Maybe it was the rain, but both the Raiders and the Broncos looked awful. Luckily Darren McFadden plays for the Raiders and he had a monster game. If he can stay healthy for once, he could challenge for the league rushing title.

19. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
So sad for the Chiefs. They exceeded everybody expectations last year with great play from their rookies, had another solid draft class, and then brought in a bunch of free agents to fill their holes. But it was all for not because they got blown out at home to the Bills. Plus it got worse when start safety Eric Berry is out for the season with an injury.

20. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
What a way for Jim Harbaugh to get his first victory. Ted Gin Jr. saved the day with two returns for touchdowns in a game where Seattle was starting to make a comeback.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
When they cut David Garrard the week leading up to their first game I didn't think they'd have a shot. However behind a strong running game and a defense that held all world RB Chris Johnson in check. Don't expect big things from the Jaguars, but their win is commendable.

22. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
Good news is that the offense looked better and more explosive than previous years. Chad Henne's 416 yards 2 TDs and only 1 INT tells a lot. But the bad news is that the defense couldn't stop a JV team. The Dolphins got no pressure on Brady and he torched their secondary. If they want to be competitive they are going to need to fix those issues.

23. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
With the Colts down the Titans have a shot to win their first conference title in a while. However a loss to the Jaguars is not a great place to start. Somebody needs to step up on offense to take the load off of Chris Johnson who is going to be slow after holding out all of training camp.

24. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
It actually looked like the Cowboys were going to pull off a big victory over the Jets, but then Tony Romo did what Tony Romo always does. Fail in the clutch. The Cowboys hype has them challenging for the playoffs, but reality will be more like last year. Right around the bottom of the league.

25. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
The Vikings played better than I thought they would, but they are still an old team that didn't get better over the off season. I also found it funny during the FOX broadcast that they referred to the Vikings o-line as elite. When will people realize that this team isn't as good as they were two years ago?

26. Washington Redskins (1-0)
By starting Rex Grossman it looked like the Redskins were going to tank the season so they could get Andrew Luck. However in their opener against the Giants they went out and won. Maybe the players didn't get the memo from the front office?

27. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
Marvin Lewis said that this team would be better than last year. Maybe he wasn't blowing smoke when he said that. Their win against the Browns was a good first step. We'll see if they can continue it.

28. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)
Poor special teams was the culprit of their loss against the 49ers. In a conference that is up in the air, you can't loose games like that. Getting Sidney Rice and Robert Gallary back will do a lot for an offense that seemed to struggle....or maybe that was just Tarvaris Jackson.

29. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
I know that without Peyton Manning that the Colts would struggle. But nobody saw them quitting already. If Manning doesn't come back this season its going to be brutal in Indianapolis and the Colts will more than likely be picking in the top 10.

30. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Their loss to the Bengals is a big blow. For a team that many thought would be improved, took a big step back. What is worse is that Colt McCoy looked awful. However they face off against the Colts next week and have a chance to get back on track.

31. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
Cam Newton has exceeded every body's expectations with how good he has played so far. But this is still a very flawed team and will be competing for the #1 overall pick.

32. Denver Broncos (0-1)
The Broncos are a better team than they were last year, but they still have some major issues on their team. Mainly along the defensive line. Losing that game against the Raiders was just flat out ugly. I wasn't high on this team after the draft and their first game confirms my suspensions.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

NFL Power Rankings (Preseason)

1. Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia was already a Super Bowl contender before they went out and brought in key free agents to make them even more dangerous. Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, and Cullen Jenkins give them three impact defenders that add depth to an already talented defense. An adding Steve Smith (Former Giant) is a very very underrated move.

2. New England Patriots
New England was one of the best teams in the NFL last year and after another typical Patriots off season they reloaded and got even better. Trading for Albert Haynesworth and Chad Johnson makes both sides of the ball a lot better. But signing Shaun Ellis away from the Jets could be their best move.

3. Green Bay Packers
Normally I'd put the defending Super Bowl Champions at the #1 spot, but when Philly has the off season of the century its hard to not have them there. Now the Packers didn't go out and make any big moves, but getting back all the players that got injured last year is practically the same as adding a bunch of top level free agents.

4. New Orleans Saints
Another one of the rich gets richer. Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram makes their RB core a lot better. Aubrayou Franklin was a steal and will do wonders for their run defense. But their biggest moves where resigning Bushrod and Nicks.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers
Aside from James Harrison going crazy in an interview the Steelers have been pretty quite. They went out and resigned Ike Taylor which isn't a big time move, but Taylor fits well into their defense and him leaving would have hurt.

6. Atlanta Falcons
A lot of people forget that Atlanta finished 13-3 and the #1 seed in the NFC. But that huge loss to Green Bay skews a lot of people's perception. Adding Julio Jones opposite of Roddy White will help the offense out a ton. DE Ray Edwards gives them the pass rusher they weren't able to get since they traded away so much to get Jones.

7. Houston Texans
If it wasn't for Philly's FA bonanza, Houston would have had the best off season in my opinion. They needed to upgrade their defense and through the draft and free agency they did that. JJ Watt will start at DE day 1. Brooks Reed gives them another rush linebacker while Jonathan Joseph is a top tier CB and Daniel Manning is a very underrated SS. Look for Houston to win their first division and make the playoffs.

8. Indianapolis Colts
Bill Polian finally saw the need to upgrade the offensive line and went out and drafted Anthony Castanzo and Ben Ijalana who could both start as rookies. Ernie Sims could flourish now that he is back in a Cover 2 scheme.

9. Baltimore Ravens
The Raven's weren't the players in free agency that a lot of people thought they would be. Instead of adding key parts they ended up cutting a lot of their offensive fixtures. But Torrey Smith will give Flacco his deep threat he hasn't had in a long time. This will allow Anquan Boldin to do what he does best and work the middle of the field. And we all know the Ravens will only go as far as Flacco takes them.

10. Kansas City Chiefs
After coming out of nowhere the Chiefs were looking to add some pieces to stay atop the AFC West. Steve Breaston reunites with Haley and gives the offense another speedy threat. Kelly Gregg gives them a run stuffer up the middle that they lacked last year. But signing Tamba Hali to an extension was their best move.

12. Chicago Bears
If the Bears would have signed somebody to play guard they would be much higher, but they didn't and outside of drafting Gabe Carimi and that could really come back to bit them in the ass. But adding Roy Williams who had his best year under OC Mike Martz could give Jay Cutler the big threat he has really lacked since coming to Chicago. Vernon Gholston and Amobi Okoye could be under the radar moves that could really help if they bounce back.

13. St. Louis Rams
The Rams didn't make any huge moves, but they made a bunch of small moves that makes them a lot better. Mike Sims-Walker gives Bradford a WR with #1 skills and Ben Leber gives them an upgrade at OLB. Add in that the NFC West is flat out awful and that could lead the Rams to the playoffs.

14. New York Jets
After going to two straight AFC Title Games the Jets are due for a fall off in my opinion. They traded in Braylon Edwards and Jericho Cotchrey for Plaxico. Shaun Ellis was their best defensive lineman last year and he is now a Patriot. Now they have to rely on rookie Muhammad Wilkerson making the jump from the MAC. The Jets talk a big game, but they might not be able to back it up this year.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I was really disappointed with the Buccanners this off season. The Bucs went out and upgraded their defensive end by drafting Adrian Clayborn and DaQuan Bowers, but with a ton of money they had to spend in free agency they whiffed big time. With a huge hole at CB they whiffed on note getting Nnamdi Asomugha or Antonio Cromartie. But don't worry, they did spend a bunch of money on a FA....a punter!

16. New York Giants
Here is another big time loser this free agency. The Giants lost TE Kevin Boss and suposive replacement Ben Patrick up and retired. Then injuried but talented WR Steve Smith was poised to return to the team. But instead the Giants slow played him and he ended up leaving to the Eagles. Now Eli Manning is out two of his most reliable targets. Not looking too good.

17. Detroit Lions
The Lions took a big hit losing Mikel LeShoure to injury which would have given the offense a power runner that they lacked last year. But they won't make the jump they are expected to if Matt Stafford can't stay healthy. But a lack of addressing their offensive line might not allow Stafford to make it the entire year.

18. Arizona Cardinals
No matter how good you think Kevin Kolb is, you have to give the Cardinals credit for getting a franchise quarterback. He is a much better outlook than Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton. If Kolb can play like he did last year the Cards could be closer to the team they used to be and not the bad team that they were last year.

19. Oakland Raiders
You would think that a team that goes undefeated against the division would actually win the division. However that wasn't the case for the Raiders. If they can get some consistent QB play out of Jason Campbell they could make a run at Kansas City and the division title.

20. Miami Dolphins
If the Dolphins would have worked out the deal for Kyle Orton they might be higher up, but just Chad Henne with no competition isn't good for the Dolphins. But adding Reggie Bush to Daniel Thomas gives them two sets of fresh legs to a team that loves to run the ball. Add in Bush's return abilities and that could help the offense put up more points.

21. Seattle Seahawks
Nobody would have thought the Seahawks would have won the division last year let alone beat the Saints in the playoffs. Add in that they made some big time additions in free agency in Robert Gallary and Sidney Rice you would think that they would be the favorites to repeat as NFC West Champs. However Tavarrius Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst as your projected QBs doesn't spell much success. But hey, maybe they are trying to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes?

22. Buffalo Bills
Buffalo wasn't too active in free agency, but I absolutely loved their draft. Buffalo's biggest weakness was stopping the run. So they drafted Marcel Dareus who was the best player in the draft, ILB Kelvin Sheppard who is a physical down hill run stuffer, and CB Aaron Williams who will probably be moved to FS where he is better suited. Buffalo might not set the world of fire this season, but they'll be a much improved team.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars
Paul Posluszny and Dwan Landry will do a lot to help out their poor defense last year. But their lack of WR talent will really hurt their offense and allow teams to load up the box on MJD. If Garrard doesn't play well or the Jags start the season off slow we could see the start of the Blaine Gabbert era.

24. San Francisco 49ers
A lot of people didn't like what the Niner's have done in this off season, but I do. Aldon Smith was the best pass rusher in the 2011 draft in my opinion and he'll be a perfect fit for the 3-4 outside linebacker. Braylon Edwards was a good signing who will play motivated and give Alex Smith another receiver besides Michael Crabtree. They may struggle, but don't expect them to finish with the worst record in the league.

25. Dallas Cowboys
I'll never get all the hype the Cowboys continue to get. All the national media especially ESPN. Despite their poor season and lack of moves I still hear people say that Dallas is a Super Bowl caliber team. REALLY? Their offensive line is not very good, Tony Romo is vastly overrated. Their secondary sucks. And you have Jerry Jones making the personal decisions which doesn't lead to good moves. Look for another bad year in Big D.

26. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland made a big jump last year and actually were competitive. Peyton Hillis emerged as one of the top RBs in the NFL and Colt McCoy surprised practically everybody in his strong play. A lot of people don't think McCoy is the answer, but I'd like to see him play a full season as a starting QB before I give up or praise him. If Greg Little can shake off the rust the offense could be even better than they were last year.

27. Tennessee Titans
If Chris Johnson's contract holdout lasts into the season it could be a long season for the Titans. Outside of Johnson there really isn't much talent. Unless Kenny Britt decides to stop getting in trouble with the law. I really like the signing of Matt Hasselbeck. He'll be able to teach Jake Locker how to be a pro and do wonders for his development.

28. Minnesota Vikings
Its hard to imagine that the Vikings were the best team in the NFC a couple of years ago. But injuries and poor play by Brett Farve really exposed a lot of their weaknesses. Their offensive line has a bunch of holes, they lost all their top free agents, and the secondary still isn't any good. But Donovan McNabb should come in motivated and if he has one more good season left in him he could elevate the Vikings to respectable, but don't hold your breathe.

29. Denver Broncos
Denver made some solid moves in free agency adding some depth at DT and not trading away Kyle Orton. But they are in for a long road. Josh McDaniels really left this team in shambles. Add in that they have a mess on their hands in the whole Orton/Tebow controversy it could be a really long season in the mile high city. Plus I believe Von Miller will be a tremendous bust and they left Marcel Dareus on the board.

30. Cincinnati Bengals
Andy Dalton and AJ Green are in and Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson are out. I really really like AJ Green and think that he is going to be a good receiver in this league, but if they have to start Andy Dalton its going to be a long season.

31. Carolina Panthers
Carolina did a great job of keeping all their young talent and making the moves to get talented receiving tight ends in Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen. Those two an a happy Steve Smith could give Cam Newton some pieces to help him in his development. But it will still be a tough season and Carolina will probably be picking in the top 3 again.

32. Washington Redskins
I'm not going to pull any punches here. With Rex Grossman or John Beck as their starting quarterback, the Redskins will be competing for the worst record in the NFL and hopefully win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. But its too bad because I like a lot of the moves that they made.