Updates:
***Team Activity Tracker***
Arizona Cardinals
Additions: QB Derek Anderson (CLE), FB Charles Ali (BAL), G Alan Faneca, G Rex Hadnot (CLE), LB Paris Lenon (STL), OLB Joey Porter (MIA), CB Justin Miller (NYJ), S Kerry Rhodes (trade-NYJ), K Jay Feeley (NYJ)
Losses: WR Anquan Boldin (trade-BAL), WR Sean Morey (SEA), WR Jerheme Urban (KC), LB Karlos Dansby (MIA), FS Antrel Rolle (NYG), K Mike Nugent (CIN), K Neil Rackers (HOU)
Atlanta Falcons
Additions: CB Dunta Robinson (HOU), DB Matt Giordano (GB)
Losses: CB Tye Hill (TEN), CB Chris Houston (trade-HOU), DB Charlie Peprah (GB)
Baltimore Ravens
Additions: QB Marc Bulger (STL), WR Anquan Boldin (trade-ARI), DL Cory Redding (SEA), DB Travis Fisher (SEA), CB Walt Harris (SF), S Ken Hamlin (DAL), K Shayne Graham (CIN)
Losses: FB Charles Ali (ARI), OT Adam Terry (IND), DE Justin Bannan (DEN), DL Dwan Edwards (BUF), CB Samari Rolle (released)
Buffalo Bills
Additions: RB Chad Simpson (IND), WR Chad Jackson (FA), OT Cornell Green (OAK), DT Dwan Edwards (BAL), ILB Andra Davis (DEN), ILB Reggie Torbor (MIA)
Losses: G Richie Incognito (MIA), WR Justin Jenkins (released), WR Josh Reed (SD), TE Derek Fine (HOU), OT Jonathan Scott (PIT), OLB Chris Draft (WAS), DB John Wendling (released)
Carolina Panthers
Additions: WR Wallace Wright (NYJ), LB Jamar Williams (trade-CHI), DB Marcus Hudson (SF), S Aaron Francisco (IND)
Losses: QB Jake Delhomme (CLE), QB A.J. Feeley (STL), FB Brad Hoover (released), G Keydrick Vincent (TB), DE Julius Peppers (CHI), DT Damione Lewis (NE), DT Maake Kemoeatu (WAS), LB Landon Johnson (DET), OLB Na'il Diggs (STL), CB Dante Wesley (DET), S Chris Harris (trade-CHI), K Rhys Lloyd (MIN)
Chicago Bears
Additions: RB Chester Taylor (MIN), TE Brandon Manumaleuna (SD), LB Brian Iwuh (JAX), DE Julius Peppers (CAR), CB Tim Jennings (IND), S Chris Harris (trade-CAR)
Losses: RB Kevin Jones (released), FB Jason McKie (NO), TE Fontel Mines (released), OT Orlando Pace (released), G Tyler Reed (released), DE Alex Brown (NO), LB Jamar Williams (trade-CAR), CB Nathan Vasher (SD), S Kevin Payne (trade-STL)
Cincinnati Bengals
Additions: WR Antonio Bryant (TB), WR Chris Davis (TEN), S Gibril Wilson (MIA), K Mike Nugent (ARI)
Losses: RB Larry Johnson (WAS), WR Laveranues Coles (released), DT Shaun Smith (KC), K Shayne Graham (BAL)
Cleveland Browns
Additions: QB Jake Delhomme (CAR), QB Seneca Wallace (trade-SEA), FB Peyton Hillis (trade-DEN), WR Bobby Engram (KC), TE Alex Smith (PHI), TE Benjamin Watson (NE), OT Tony Pashos (SF), C Eric Ghiaciuc (SD), OLB Chris Gocong (trade-PHI), OLB Scott Fujita (NO), Sheldon Brown (trade-PHI)
Losses: QB Derek Anderson (ARI), QB Brady Quinn (trade-DEN), RB Jamal Lewis (released), WR Mike Furrey (WAS), TE Steve Heiden (released), G Rex Hadnot (ARI), G Hank Fraley (STL), DT Corey Williams (trade-DET), OLB Alex Hall (trade-PHI), OLB Kamerion Wimbley (trade-OAK), CB Ramzee Robinson (WAS), FS Brodney Pool (NYJ)
Dallas Cowboys
Additions: OT Alex Barron (trade-STL)
Losses: OT Flozell Adams (released), C Cory Procter (MIA), LB Bobby Carpenter (trade-STL), LB Matt Stewart (PIT), S Ken Hamlin (BAL)
Denver Broncos
Additions: QB Brady Quinn (trade-CLE), RB Kolby Smith (KC), DE Justin Bannan (BAL), DE Jarvis Green (NE), NT Jamal Williams (SD), ILB Akin Ayodele (MIA), SS Nate Jones (MIA)
Losses: QB Chris Simms (TEN), RB LaMont Jordan (released), FB Peyton Hillis (trade-CLE), WR Brandon Marshall (trade-MIA), TE Tony Scheffler (trade-DET), C Casey Wiegmann (KC), G Mitch Erickson (released), G Ben Hamilton (SEA), DE Vonnie Holliday (WAS), DE Kenny Peterson (released), DT J'Vonne Parker (released), ILB Andra Davis (BUF)
Detroit Lions
Additions: QB Shaun Hill (trade-SF), WR Nate Burleson (SEA), WR Brian Clark (TB), TE Tony Scheffler (trade-DEN), G Rob Sims (trade-SEA), DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (TEN), DT Corey Williams (trade-CLE), OLB Landon Johnson (CAR), CB Dre' Bly (SF), CB Jonathan Wade (STL), CB Dante Wesley (CAR), C.C. Brown (NYG)
Losses: OT Terrence Metcalf (NO), Daniel Loper (OAK), DE Robert Henderson (trade-SEA), DE Dewayne White (released), MLB Larry Foote (PIT), OLB Ernie Sims (trade-PHI), CB Phillip Buchanon (WAS), CB Kevin Hobbs (released), CB William James (SF), S Daniel Bullocks (released)
Green Bay Packers
Additions: DB Charlie Peprah (ATL)
Losses: DE Aaron Kampman (JAX), DE Mike Montgomery (MIN), DB Matt Giordano (ATL)
Houston Texans
Additions: FB Justin Griffith (SEA), TE Derek Fine (BUF), G Wade Smith (KC), OLB Danny Clark (NYG), CB Chris Houston (trade-ATL), K Neil Rackers (ARI)
Losses: QB Rex Grossman (WAS), RB Ryan Moats (MIN), CB Dunta Robinson (ATL)
Indianapolis Colts
Additions: OT Adam Terry (BAL), G Andy Alleman (KC)
Losses: QB Jim Sorgi (NYG), RB Chad Simpson (BUF), WR Hank Baskett (PHI), G Ryan Lilja (KC), LB Freddy Keiaho (JAX), CB Marlin Jackson (PHI), CB Tim Jennings (CHI), S Aaron Francisco (CAR)
Jacksonville Jaguars
Additions: WR Kassim Osgood (SD), DE Aaron Kampman (GB), LB Freddy Keiaho (IND)
Losses: WR Torry Holt (NE), OT Tra Thomas (SD), G Maurice Williams (released), DE Greg Peterson (WAS), DT John Henderson (OAK), DT Montavious Stanley (released), OLB Clint Ingram (NO), LB Tank Daniels (released), LB Brian Iwuh (CHI), CB Kennard Cox (SEA)
Kansas City Chiefs
Additions: RB Thomas Jones (NYJ), WR Jerheme Urban (ARI), C Casey Wiegmann (DEN), G Ryan Lilja (IND), DT Shaun Smith (CIN)
Losses: RB Dantrell Savage (released), RB Kolby Smith (DEN), WR Devard Darling (released), WR Bobby Engram (CLE), Bobby Wade (WAS), TE Sean Ryan (TEN), G Andy Alleman (IND), G Wade Smith (HOU)
Miami Dolphins
Additions: WR Brandon Marshall (trade-DEN), G Richie Incognito (BUF), C Cory Procter (DAL), ILB Karlos Dansby (ARI), ILB Tim Dobbins (SD)
Losses: WR Ted Ginn (trade-SF), OLB Joey Porter (ARI), OLB Jason Taylore (NYJ), ILB Akin Ayodele (DEN), ILB Reggie Torbor (BUF), FS Gibril Wilson (CIN), SS Nate Jones (DEN), DB Joey Thomas (OAK)
Minnesota Vikings
Additions: RB Ryan Moats (HOU), DE Mike Montgomery (GB), CB Lito Sheppard (NYJ), K Rhys Lloyd (CAR)
Losses: RB Chester Taylor (CHI), G Artis Hicks (WAS), DB Karl Paymah (SF)
New England Patriots
Additions: WR Torry Holt (JAX), TE Alge Crumpler (TEN), DT Damione Lewis (CAR), DT Gerard Warren (OAK), LB Marques Murrell (NYJ)
Losses: WR Isaiah Stanback (SEA), TE Chris Baker (SEA), TE Benjamin Watson (CLE), DE Jarvis Green (DEN), OLB Adalius Thomas (released), Shawn Springs (released)
New Orleans Saints
Additions: FB Jason McKie (CHI), OT Terrence Metcalf (DET), DE Alex Brown (CHI), DE Jimmy Wilkerson (TB), OLB Clint Ingram (JAX)
Losses: RB Mike Bell (PHI), OT Jammal Brown (trade-WAS), DE Charles Grant (release), DE Bobby McCray (released), OLB Scott Fujita (CLE)
New York Giants
Additions: QB Jim Sorgi (IND), FS Antrel Rolle (ARI), S Deon Grant (SEA)
Losses: QB David Carr (SF), WR Domenik Hixon (released), TE Darcy Johnson (STL), DT Anthony Bryant (WAS), DT Fred Robbins (STL), MLB Antonio Pierce (retired), OLB Danny Clark (HOU), CB Kevin Dockery (STL), DB Londen Fryar (released), S C.C. Brown (DET), SS Aaron Rouse (released)
New York Jets
Additions: RB LaDainian Tomlinson (SD), WR Santonio Holmes (trade-PIT), OLB Jason Taylor (MIA), LB Lance Laury (SEA), CB Antonio Cromartie (trade-SD), FS Brodney Pool (CLE)
Losses: RB Thomas Jones (KC), WR Wallace Wright (CAR), G Alan Faneca (ARI), DT Howard Green (WAS), LB Marques Murrell (NE), CB Justin Miller (ARI), CB Lito Sheppard (MIN), CB Donald Strickland (SD), SS Kerry Rhodes (trade-ARI), K Jay Feeley (ARI)
Oakland Raiders
Additions: QB Kyle Boller (STL), RB Michael Bennett (SD), RB Rock Cartwright (WAS), TE John Owens (SEA), G Daniel Loper (DET), DT John Henderson (JAX), DL Chris Cooper (FA), OLB Kamerion Wimbley (trade-CLE), DB Joey Thomas (MIA)
Losses: QB J.P. Losman (SEA), JaMarcus Russell (released), RB Justin Fargas (released), WR Javon Walker (released), OT Cornell Green (BUF), DE Greg Ellis (released), DT Gerrard Warren (NE), OLB Jon Alston (TB), LB Isaiah Ekejiuba (released)
Philadelphia Eagles
Additions: RB Mike Bell (NO), WR Hank Baskett (IND), DE Darryl Tapp (trade-SEA), OLB Alex Hall (trade-CLE), OLB Ernie Sims (trade-DET), CB Marlin Jackson (IND)
Losses: QB Donovan McNabb (trade-WAS), RB Brian Westbrook (released), WR Reggie Brown (trade-TB), WR Kevin Curtis (released), TE Alex Smith (CLE), G Shawn Andrews (released), DE Jason Babin (TEN), DE Chris Clemons (trade-SEA), DE Darren Howard (released), OLB Chris Gocong (trade-CLE), LB Will Witherspoon (TEN), CB Sheldon Brown (trade-CLE), S Sean Jones (TB)
Pittsburgh Steelers
Additions: QB Byron Leftwich (trade-TB),WR Arnaz Battle (SF), WR Antwaan Randle-El (WAS), OT Jonathan Scott (BUF), MLB Larry Foote (DET), LB Matt Stewart (DAL), FS Will Allen (TB)
Losses: RB Willie Parker (WAS), WR Joey Galloway (WAS), WR Santonio Holmes (trade-NYJ)
San Diego Chargers
Additions: RB Marcus Mason (WAS), WR Josh Reed (BUF), TE Randy McMichael (STL), OT Tra Thomas (JAX), CB Donald Strickland (NYJ), CB Nathan Vasher (CHI)
Losses: QB Charlie Whitehurst (trade-SEA), RB Michael Bennett (OAK), RB LaDainian Tomlinson (NYJ), WR Demetrius Byrd (released), WR Kassim Osgood (JAC), TE Brandon Manamaleuna (CHI), C Eric Ghiaciuc (CLE), NT Jamal Williams (DEN), NT Ian Scott (released), ILB Tim Dobbins (MIA), CB Antonio Cromartie (trade-NYJ)
Seattle Seahawks
Additions: QB L.P. Losman (OAK), QB Charlie Whitehurst (trade-SD), RB Quinton Ganther (WAS), WR Ruvell Martin (SF), WR Marcus Maxwell (TB), WR Sean Morey (ARI), WR Isaiah Stanback (NE), WR Mike Williams (FA), WR Reggie Williams (FA), TE Chris Baker (NE), OG Ben Hamilton (DEN), DE Chris Clemons (trade-PHI), DE Robert Henderson (trade-DET), LB Matt McCoy (TB), CB Kennard Cox (JAX)
Losses: QB Seneca Wallace (CLE), FB Justin Griffith (HOU), WR Nate Burleson (DET), TE John Owens (OAK), G Rob Sims (trade-DET), DE Patrick Kerney (retired), DE Darryl Tapp (trade-PHI), DL Cory Redding (BAL), LB Lance Laury (NYJ), DB Travis Fisher (BAL), SS Deon Grant (NYG)
San Francisco 49ers
Additions: QB David Carr (NYG), WR Ted Ginn (trade-MIA), CB William James (DET), DB Karl Paymah (MIN)
Losses: QB Shaun Hill (trade-DET), WR Arnaz Battle (PIT), WR Isaac Bruce (trade-STL), OT Tony Pashos (CLE), CB Dre' Bly (DET), CB Walt Harris (BAL), DB Marcus Hudson (CAR), DB Keith Smith (released), K Ricky Schmitt (TEN)
St. Louis Rams
Additions: QB A.J. Feeley (CAR), WR Isaac Bruce (trade-SF), TE Darcy Johnson (NYG), G Hank Fraley (CLE), DT Chris Hovan (TB), DT Fred Robbins (NYG), LB Bobby Carpenter (trade-DAL), OLB Na'Il Diggs (CAR), CB Kevin Dockery (NYG), S Kevin Payne (trade-CHI)
Losses: QB Kyle Boller (SEA), QB Marx Bulger (BAL), WR Ruvell Martin (SEA), TE Randy McMichael (SD), OT Alex Barron (trade-DAL), DE James Wyche (released), DT Adam Carriker (trade-WAS), LB Paris Lenon (ARI), CB Jonathan Wade (DET)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Additions: WR Reggie Brown (trade-PHI), G Keydrick Vincent (CAR), OLB Jon Alston (OAK), S Sean Jones (PHI)
Losses: QB Byron Leftwich (trade-PIT), FB B.J. Askew (released), WR Mark Bradley (released), WR Antonio Bryant (CIN), WR Brian Clark (DET), WR Marcus Maxwell (SEA), G Arron Sears (released), DE Jimmy Wilkerson (NO), DT Chris Hovan (STL), LB Angelo Crowell (released), LB Matt McCoy (SEA) DB Torrie Cox (released), FS Will Allen (PIT), Josh Bidwell (WAS), P Dirk Johnson (released)
Tennessee Titans
Additions: QB Chris Simms (DEN), TE Sean Ryan (KC), DE Jason Babin (PHI), LB Will Witherspoon (PHI), CB Tye Hill (ATL), K Ricky Schmitt (SF)
Losses: WR Chris Davis (CIN), TE Alge Crumpler (NE), DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (DET)
Washington Redskins
Additions: QB Rex Grossman (HOU), QB Donovan McNabb (trade-PHI), RB Larry Johnson (CIN), RB Willie Parker (PIT), RB Ryan Torain (FA), WR Joey Galloway (PIT), WR Mike Furrey (CLE), WR Bobby Wade (KC), WR Roydell Williams (FA), OT Jammal Brown (trade-NO), G Artis Hicks (MIN), DE Vonnie Holliday (DEN), DE Greg Peterson (JAX), DT Anthony Bryant (NYG), DT Adam Carriker (trade-STL), DT Howard Green (NYJ), DT Maake Kemoeatu (CAR), LB Chris Draft (BUF), CB Philip Buchanon (DET), CB Ramzee Robinson (CLE), Josh Bidwell (TB)
Losses: QB Todd Collins (release), RB Ladell Betts (released), RB Rock Cartwright (OAK), RB Quinton Ganther (SEA), RB Marcus Mason (SD), WR Anwaan Randle-El (PIT), G Randy Thoms (released), DT Cornelius Griffin (released), Anthony Montgomery (released), CB Fred Smoot (released)
***Available Unrestricted Free Agents***
Quarterbacks: JaMarcus Russell, Daunte Culpepper, Jeff Garcia, Todd Collins, Josh McCown, Mark Brunell, Patrick Ramsey, Brian St. Pierre, Matt Gutierrez
Running Backs: LenDale White, Brian Westbrook, Jamal Lewis, Ladell Betts, Justin Fargas, Adrian Peterson, Chris Brown, Aaron Stecker, Kevin Jones, DeShawn Wynn, Andre Hall, Ahman Green, LaMont Jordan, Dantrell Savage
Fullbacks: Dan Kreider, Terrelle Smith, B.J. Askew, Jeremi Johnson, Verron Haynes
Wide Receivers: Terrell Owens, Laveranues Coles, Kevin Curtis, Marty Booker, David Tyree, Devard Darling, Javon Walker, Kelley Washington, Jeff Webb, Mark Bradley
Tight Ends: Billy Miller, L.J. Smith, Dan Campbell, Steve Heiden, Michael Gaines, David Martin, Darnell Dinkins, Todd Yoder
Centers: Justin Hartwig, Kevin Mawae, Nick Leckey, Eric Ghiaciuc, Chris White, Ethan Albright
Guards: Jamar Nesbit, Kynan Forney, Arron Sears, Chester Pitts, Mike Goff, Junius Coston, Damion Cook, Tutan Reyes
Tackles: Mike Gandy, Orlando Pace, Flozell Adams, Barry Sims, John Tait, Ryan Tucker, Langston Walker, Jon Jansen, Ephraim Salaam, Kirk Chambers, Jon Runyan, Levi Jones, Damion McIntosh, Shawn Andrews
Defensive Ends: Will Smith, Adewale Ogunleye, Charles Grant, Leonard Little, Darren Howard, Greg Ellis, Travis Kirschke, Dewayne White, Philip Daniels, Jevon Kearse, Renaldo Wynn, Ryan Denney, Reggie Hayward, Paul Spicer, Jeff Zgonina, Bryan Smith, Marques Douglas
Defensive Tackles: Domata Peko, Kendrick Clancy, Tank Johnson, Cornelius Griffin, Rob Meier, Ian Scott, Hollis Thomas, Montavious Stanley, J'Vonne Parker, Stanley McClover, Jimmy Kennedy, Grady Jackson
Inside Linebackers: Ryan Fowler, Junior Seau, Rocky Boiman, Mark Simoneau, Larry Izzo, Odell Thurman, D.D. Lewis, Pago Togafau
Outside Linebackers: Adalius Thomas, Keith Bullock, Chike Okeafor, Eric Alexander, Dontarrius Thomas, Jamie Sharper, Angelo Crowell, Khary Campbell, Tank Daniels
Cornerbacks: Ken Lucas, Nick Harper, Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot, Ty Law, Anthony Henry, Deshea Townsend, Ralph Brown, Michale Lehan, Frank Walker, Torrie Cox, Keiwan Ratliff, Kevin Hobbs, Corey Ivy, Hank Poteat
Safeties: Roy Williams, Mark Roman, Brian Russell, Daniel Bullocks, Kevin Kaesviharn, Tyrone Carter, Pierson Prioleau, Aaron Rouse, John Wendling, Kenoy Kennedy
Kickers: Matt Stover, Matt Prater, John Carney, Shaun Suisham
Punters: Mitch Berger, Daniel Sepulveda, Hunter Smith, Chris Hanson, Dirk Johnson
Long Snappers: Ethan Albright, James Dearth, Kevin Houser, Chris Massey, Ryan Neill, Bryan Pittman, Mike Schneck
Monday, April 5, 2010
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Week 10 Power Rankings
I was too busy to do a full Power Rankings this week, so I just did a Quick RSI this week. A QRSI takes last week's RSI number and adjusts it to this week's results. It isn't a full RSI because it doesn't change the value of past wins.
Once again, if two teams are within 1 RSI point of each other, don't get all wound up, it isn't statistically significant.
Here are the Week 10 Power Rankings:
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (9-0) - Same - 13.778 - W @ STL
2. Indianapolis Colts (9-0) - Same - 13.556 - W vs. NE
3. Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) - Same - 13.222 - W @ @ PIT
4. Minnesota Vikings (8-1) - Up 1 - 9.222 - W vs. DET
5. San Diego Chargers (6-3) - Up 5 - 6.444 - W vs. PHI
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) - Down 1 - 6.333 - L vs. CIN
7. New England Patriots (6-3) - Down 1 - 6.333 - L @ IND
The Sidekicks
8. Denver Broncos (6-3) - Down 4 - 5.889 - L @ WAS
9. Dallas Cowboys (6-3) - Down 3 - 5.222 - L W GB
10. Baltimore Ravens (5-4) - Up 1 - 4.444 - W @ CLE
11. Arizona Cardinals (6-3) - Up 1 - 4.333 - W vs. SEA
12. Atlanta Falcons (5-4) - Down 3 - 3.000 - L @ CAR
The Average Joes
13. Miami Dolphins (4-5) - Up 2 - 0.889 - W vs. TB
14. Green Bay Packers (5-4) - Up 5 - 0.778 - W vs. DAL
15. Houston Texans (5-4) - Same - 0.667 - Bye
16. New York Giants (5-4) - Up 1 - 0.444 - Bye
17. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) - Down 4 - 0.000 - L @ SD
The Nobody's
18. Carolina Panthers (4-5) - Up 3 - -0.111 - W vs. ATL
19. San Francisco 49ers (4-5) - Up 1 - 1.000 - W vs. CHI
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4) - Up 2 - -1.444 - W @ NYJ
21. New York Jets (4-5) - Down 4 - -1.556 - L vs. JAX
22. Chicago Bears (4-5) - Down 4 - -2.222 - L @ SF
The Forgettables
23. Tennessee Titans (3-6) - Up 2 - -4.222 - W vs. BUF
24. Seattle Seahawks (3-6) - Same - -6.444 - L @ ARI
25. Cleveland Browns (1-8) - Up 1 - -6.778 - L vs. BAL
26. Buffalo Bills (3-6) - Down 3 - -7.111 - L @ TEN
The Losers
27. Washington Redskins (3-6) - Up 4 - -8.333 - W vs. DEN
28. Oakland Raiders (2-7) - Down 1 - -9.444 - L vs. KC
29. Detroit Lions (1-8) - Down 1 - -10.333 - L @ MIN
30. Kansas City Chiefs (2-7) - Same - -10.778 - W @ OAK
31. St. Louis Rams (1-8) - Up 1 - -11.889 - L vs. NO
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8) - Down 3 - -12.556 - L @ MIA
Once again, if two teams are within 1 RSI point of each other, don't get all wound up, it isn't statistically significant.
Here are the Week 10 Power Rankings:
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (9-0) - Same - 13.778 - W @ STL
2. Indianapolis Colts (9-0) - Same - 13.556 - W vs. NE
3. Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) - Same - 13.222 - W @ @ PIT
4. Minnesota Vikings (8-1) - Up 1 - 9.222 - W vs. DET
5. San Diego Chargers (6-3) - Up 5 - 6.444 - W vs. PHI
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) - Down 1 - 6.333 - L vs. CIN
7. New England Patriots (6-3) - Down 1 - 6.333 - L @ IND
The Sidekicks
8. Denver Broncos (6-3) - Down 4 - 5.889 - L @ WAS
9. Dallas Cowboys (6-3) - Down 3 - 5.222 - L W GB
10. Baltimore Ravens (5-4) - Up 1 - 4.444 - W @ CLE
11. Arizona Cardinals (6-3) - Up 1 - 4.333 - W vs. SEA
12. Atlanta Falcons (5-4) - Down 3 - 3.000 - L @ CAR
The Average Joes
13. Miami Dolphins (4-5) - Up 2 - 0.889 - W vs. TB
14. Green Bay Packers (5-4) - Up 5 - 0.778 - W vs. DAL
15. Houston Texans (5-4) - Same - 0.667 - Bye
16. New York Giants (5-4) - Up 1 - 0.444 - Bye
17. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) - Down 4 - 0.000 - L @ SD
The Nobody's
18. Carolina Panthers (4-5) - Up 3 - -0.111 - W vs. ATL
19. San Francisco 49ers (4-5) - Up 1 - 1.000 - W vs. CHI
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4) - Up 2 - -1.444 - W @ NYJ
21. New York Jets (4-5) - Down 4 - -1.556 - L vs. JAX
22. Chicago Bears (4-5) - Down 4 - -2.222 - L @ SF
The Forgettables
23. Tennessee Titans (3-6) - Up 2 - -4.222 - W vs. BUF
24. Seattle Seahawks (3-6) - Same - -6.444 - L @ ARI
25. Cleveland Browns (1-8) - Up 1 - -6.778 - L vs. BAL
26. Buffalo Bills (3-6) - Down 3 - -7.111 - L @ TEN
The Losers
27. Washington Redskins (3-6) - Up 4 - -8.333 - W vs. DEN
28. Oakland Raiders (2-7) - Down 1 - -9.444 - L vs. KC
29. Detroit Lions (1-8) - Down 1 - -10.333 - L @ MIN
30. Kansas City Chiefs (2-7) - Same - -10.778 - W @ OAK
31. St. Louis Rams (1-8) - Up 1 - -11.889 - L vs. NO
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8) - Down 3 - -12.556 - L @ MIA
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Week 9 Power Rankings: With RSI
This week, I did something very different for my rankings. Up until now, I had simply slotted teams up and down the board due to last week's results. Now 8 weeks into the season, I felt like I could start crunching numbers and weighing wins statistically across the season.
I developed a very simple formula to determine a number called RSI (Record Strength Indicator).
The RSI is based on wins and losses as weighed by my most recent power rankings.
A win is weighed as following: w=33-last ranking. So, the number ranges from 1 through 32. For example, Seattle's win against last week's #29 team (Detroit) would yield a score of 4. (33-29=4).
A loss is weighed very similarly: l=last ranking. So, for example, Green Bay's loss to last week's #32 team (Tampa Bay) would yield a score of 32.
I added all w's and subtracted all l's, then divided that number by the number of games played to finally acquire my RSI value.
This surprisingly held relatively true with the rankings I had previously posted before I crunched the numbers. The only team it appears I was really wrong about was San Diego, who ranked 10 slots higher than I had them last week.
I do realize that to get even better results, I should do the test again with the new rankings posted below, but despite what it may look like, I do have a life. Also, when teams are +/- 1 RSI point of each other, it isn't a significant difference. So don't get all riled up because a team like Dallas ranks higher than Pittsburgh and New England. Their RSI are too similar to draw a true conclusion. For clarity's sake, I bunched these types of teams together.
So let's see how this list turns out.
1. New Orleans Saints - (8-0) - Same - 15.375
2. Indianapolis Colts - (8-0) - Same - 12.125
3. Cincinnati Bengals - (6-2) - Up 3 - 11.625
4. Denver Broncos - (6-2) - Same - 10.500
5. Minnesota Vikings (7-1) - Down 2 - 9.750
6. Dallas Cowboys (6-2) - Up 4 - 7.625
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) - Same - 7.500
8. New England Patriots (6-2) - Down 3 - 7.375
9. Atlanta Falcons (5-3) - Up 2 - 6.000
10. San Diego Chargers (5-3) - Up 10 - 4.750
11. Baltimore Ravens (4-4) - Down 3 - 4.125
12. Arizona Cardinals (5-3) - Same - 3.750
13. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) - Down 4 - 1.250
14. Houston Texans (5-4) - Up 1 - 0.667
15. Miami Dolphins (3-5) - Up 1 - 0.500
16. New York Giants (5-4) - Down 3 - 0.444
17. New York Jets (4-4) - Same - 0.125
18. Chicago Bears (4-4) - Same - 0.000
19. Green Bay Packers (4-4) - Down 5 - -2.500
20. San Francisco 49ers (3-5) - Same - -3.000
21. Carolina Panthers (3-5) - Same - -3.125
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) - Up 2 - -3.625
23. Buffalo Bills (3-5) - Same - -4.875
24. Seattle Seahawks (3-5) - Down 2 - -5.750
25. Tennessee Titans (2-6) - Up 3 - -6.000
26. Cleveland Browns (1-7) - Up 5 -6.250
27. Oakland Raiders (2-6) - Same - 6.875
28. Detroit Lions (1-7) - Up 1 - -11.000
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7) - Up 3 - -12.250
30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7) - Down 5 - -12.875
31. Washington Redskins (2-6) - Down 5 - -13.000
32. St. Louis Rams (1-7) - Down 2 - -13.250
I developed a very simple formula to determine a number called RSI (Record Strength Indicator).
The RSI is based on wins and losses as weighed by my most recent power rankings.
A win is weighed as following: w=33-last ranking. So, the number ranges from 1 through 32. For example, Seattle's win against last week's #29 team (Detroit) would yield a score of 4. (33-29=4).
A loss is weighed very similarly: l=last ranking. So, for example, Green Bay's loss to last week's #32 team (Tampa Bay) would yield a score of 32.
I added all w's and subtracted all l's, then divided that number by the number of games played to finally acquire my RSI value.
This surprisingly held relatively true with the rankings I had previously posted before I crunched the numbers. The only team it appears I was really wrong about was San Diego, who ranked 10 slots higher than I had them last week.
I do realize that to get even better results, I should do the test again with the new rankings posted below, but despite what it may look like, I do have a life. Also, when teams are +/- 1 RSI point of each other, it isn't a significant difference. So don't get all riled up because a team like Dallas ranks higher than Pittsburgh and New England. Their RSI are too similar to draw a true conclusion. For clarity's sake, I bunched these types of teams together.
So let's see how this list turns out.
1. New Orleans Saints - (8-0) - Same - 15.375
2. Indianapolis Colts - (8-0) - Same - 12.125
3. Cincinnati Bengals - (6-2) - Up 3 - 11.625
4. Denver Broncos - (6-2) - Same - 10.500
5. Minnesota Vikings (7-1) - Down 2 - 9.750
6. Dallas Cowboys (6-2) - Up 4 - 7.625
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) - Same - 7.500
8. New England Patriots (6-2) - Down 3 - 7.375
9. Atlanta Falcons (5-3) - Up 2 - 6.000
10. San Diego Chargers (5-3) - Up 10 - 4.750
11. Baltimore Ravens (4-4) - Down 3 - 4.125
12. Arizona Cardinals (5-3) - Same - 3.750
13. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) - Down 4 - 1.250
14. Houston Texans (5-4) - Up 1 - 0.667
15. Miami Dolphins (3-5) - Up 1 - 0.500
16. New York Giants (5-4) - Down 3 - 0.444
17. New York Jets (4-4) - Same - 0.125
18. Chicago Bears (4-4) - Same - 0.000
19. Green Bay Packers (4-4) - Down 5 - -2.500
20. San Francisco 49ers (3-5) - Same - -3.000
21. Carolina Panthers (3-5) - Same - -3.125
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) - Up 2 - -3.625
23. Buffalo Bills (3-5) - Same - -4.875
24. Seattle Seahawks (3-5) - Down 2 - -5.750
25. Tennessee Titans (2-6) - Up 3 - -6.000
26. Cleveland Browns (1-7) - Up 5 -6.250
27. Oakland Raiders (2-6) - Same - 6.875
28. Detroit Lions (1-7) - Up 1 - -11.000
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7) - Up 3 - -12.250
30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7) - Down 5 - -12.875
31. Washington Redskins (2-6) - Down 5 - -13.000
32. St. Louis Rams (1-7) - Down 2 - -13.250
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Week 8 Power Rankings
The top got rattled a little this week. New Orleans got a serious challenge from Atlanta. San Francisco kept Indy's high-power offense in check, Minnesota had to survive a tough second-half push from Green Bay and Denver's undefeated record is now a thing of the past. With New England, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati all off this past weekend, the top now is a lot more muddy.
I didn't have a lot of time this week, so I'm just going to list the teams instead of commenting on all of them:
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (7-0) - Same - W vs. ATL
2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0) - Same - W vs. SF
3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1) - Up 1 - L W @ GB
The Sidekicks
4. Denver Broncos (6-1) - Down 1 - L @ BAL
5. New England Patriots (5-2) - Same - Bye
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) - Same - Bye
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) - Same - Bye
8. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) - Up 1 - W vs. DEN
9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) - Up 1 - W vs. NYG
10. Dallas Cowboys (5-2) - Up 3 - W vs. SEA
11. Atlanta Falcons (4-3) - Up 3 - L @ NO
The Average Joes
12. Arizona Cardinals (4-3) - Down 2 - L vs. CAR
13. New York Giants (5-3) - Down 5 - L @ PHI
14. Green Bay Packers (4-3) - Down 2 - L vs. MIN
The Nobody's
15. Houston Texans (5-3) - Same - W @ BUF
16. Miami Dolphins (3-4) - Same - W @ NYJ
17. New York Jets (4-4) - Same - L vs. MIA
18. Chicago Bears (4-3) - Same - W vs. CLE
The Forgettables
19. San Diego Chargers (4-3) - Same - W vs. OAK
20. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) - Same - L @ IND
21. Carolina Panthers (3-4) - Up 3 - W @ ARI
22. Seattle Seahawks (2-5) - Down 1 - L @ DAL
23. Buffalo Bills (3-5) - Same - L vs. HOU
24. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) - Down 2 - L @ TEN
The Losers
25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) - Down 1 - Bye
26. Washington Redskins (2-5) - Down 1 - Bye
27. Oakland Raiders (2-6) - Down 1 - L @ SD
28. Tennessee Titans (1-6) - Up 2 - W vs. JAX
29. Detroit Lions (1-6) - Down 4 - L vs. STL
30. St. Louis Rams (1-7) - Up 2 - W @ DET
31. Cleveland Browns (1-7) - Down 2 - L @ CHI
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) - Down 1 - Bye
I didn't have a lot of time this week, so I'm just going to list the teams instead of commenting on all of them:
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (7-0) - Same - W vs. ATL
2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0) - Same - W vs. SF
3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1) - Up 1 - L W @ GB
The Sidekicks
4. Denver Broncos (6-1) - Down 1 - L @ BAL
5. New England Patriots (5-2) - Same - Bye
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) - Same - Bye
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) - Same - Bye
8. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) - Up 1 - W vs. DEN
9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) - Up 1 - W vs. NYG
10. Dallas Cowboys (5-2) - Up 3 - W vs. SEA
11. Atlanta Falcons (4-3) - Up 3 - L @ NO
The Average Joes
12. Arizona Cardinals (4-3) - Down 2 - L vs. CAR
13. New York Giants (5-3) - Down 5 - L @ PHI
14. Green Bay Packers (4-3) - Down 2 - L vs. MIN
The Nobody's
15. Houston Texans (5-3) - Same - W @ BUF
16. Miami Dolphins (3-4) - Same - W @ NYJ
17. New York Jets (4-4) - Same - L vs. MIA
18. Chicago Bears (4-3) - Same - W vs. CLE
The Forgettables
19. San Diego Chargers (4-3) - Same - W vs. OAK
20. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) - Same - L @ IND
21. Carolina Panthers (3-4) - Up 3 - W @ ARI
22. Seattle Seahawks (2-5) - Down 1 - L @ DAL
23. Buffalo Bills (3-5) - Same - L vs. HOU
24. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) - Down 2 - L @ TEN
The Losers
25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) - Down 1 - Bye
26. Washington Redskins (2-5) - Down 1 - Bye
27. Oakland Raiders (2-6) - Down 1 - L @ SD
28. Tennessee Titans (1-6) - Up 2 - W vs. JAX
29. Detroit Lions (1-6) - Down 4 - L vs. STL
30. St. Louis Rams (1-7) - Up 2 - W @ DET
31. Cleveland Browns (1-7) - Down 2 - L @ CHI
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) - Down 1 - Bye
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Week 7 Power Rankings
Week 7 didn't tell us much. A lot of blowouts. The bottom 12 went 1-7 and while Minnesota lost, they hardly were exposed in any way. The middle got shaken up a little, though, as Atlanta and Chicago looked really bad, while Arizona and Pittsburgh are looking better each week. 1 through 5 and 20 through 32 are virtually unchanged, so this week is all about the middle.
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (6-0) - Same - What a comeback last week. The defense played exceptionally well in the second half, and performances by Jonathan Vilma and Darren Sharper saved the game. Drew Brees wasn't great, but played his best football in the red zone.
2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0) - Same - The Colts' opponents combined record: 11-26. Still, Indy has won 15 straight regular season games and their defense is now top 10.
3. Denver Broncos (6-0) - Up 1 - They've been the surprise of the season and have proven to be a lot more physical this year. But that physicality will be tested the next two weeks against Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
4. Minnesota Vikings (6-1) - Down 1 - What a game against Pittsburgh. Minnesota played well enough to win, but just got beaten by a team that simply played better than them. Chester Taylor did not play well enough to win.
The Sidekicks
5. New England Patriots (5-2) - Same - The Pats haven't lost a regular season game to an NFC team since September, 2005. Brandon Meriweather had two picks last week and is really starting to come into his own.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) - Up 2 - Cincy finally had a truly dominant performance last week. Carson Palmer had 5 TDs, Cedric Benson had 189 yards to take the NFL lead in rushing and Chad Ochocinco was unstoppable. The new smashmouth, run-first offense has been the main difference between this year and every other year under Marvin Lewis.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) - Up 2 - What a win over Minnesota. The Linebackers harassed Brett Favre all game and notched 3 sacks and two TDs. Fantastic downfield blocking allowed the Steelers to turn in big plays all game. Troy Polamalu's tackle on Sidney Rice at the 1-yard line in the third quarter may be the most unheralded great play of the week, since Pittsburgh would end up holding the Vikings out of the end zone on the next 4 plays.
8. New York Giants (5-2) - Down 2 - The Giants have to be concerned. Their only decent win this year was against Dallas. The Offensive Line isn't nearly as dominant as last season and Brandon Jacobs hasn't gone over 100 yards in 10 games. Also, Eli Manning has looked really bad the last two weeks. A win at Philly this week is almost a must for the Giants, who have a much tougher stretch at the end of the year.
9. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) - Same - They lost three tough games against quality opponents before their bye, and it doesn't get any easier for the Ravens, as they host the undefeated Broncos on Sunday.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) - Same - The Eagles' defense is the most opportunistic that Andy Reid has ever had with 19 forced turnovers so far this year. Offensively, though, they're still too reliant on the big play.
11. Arizona Cardinals (4-2) - Up 4 - The most unheralded part of the Cardinals season last year was their playmaking defense. That defense was missing through 4 games, but has come alive in the last 2 games. Eli Manning was completely confused all game last week as the Cardinals appear to be getting over their Super Bowl hangover.
12. Green Bay Packers (4-2) - Same - One of the few relative unknowns left. They've completely destroyed the weaker teams they've played and have lost tough games to Minnesota and Cincy. With Brett Favre coming into town for Favregeddon II this Sunday, there isn't a better time for the Pack to make a statement.
13. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) - Up 1 - Miles Austin has emerged as a true playmaker for a Cowboys offense that is top 10 in all major categories. Their strong win over Atlanta was the fifth straight win for the 'Boys coming off of a bye.
14. Atlanta Falcons (4-2) - Down 7 - It's not that they got dominated badly enough to be dropped 7 spots, it's that their best wins (Niners, Bears, Dolphins) are looking worse and worse every week. Michael Turner is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry this year.
The Average Joes
15. Houston Texans (4-3) - Up 2 - Who is this player: Leads the NFL in passing yards, has a 104.4 passer rating and has two 4-TD games this season. Answer: Matt Schaub. Also, Houston's run defense has pulled the biggest 180 of the NFL season by allowing under 49 yards per game the past 4 weeks.
16. Miami Dolphins (2-4) - Up 2 - Yes, they choked. But they were the first team all season to challenge the Saints. One of the most underrated story lines of the season has been the comeback of Ricky Williams, who put up 80 yards and 3 TDs on just 9 carries on New Orleans.
17. New York Jets (4-3) - Up 2 - They lost Leon Washington for the year, but the Jets have become the NFL's best rushing team behind Thomas Jones and new weapon Shonn Greene. Calvin Pace had a career day with 7 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 FFs against the Raiders.
18. Chicago Bears (3-3) - Down 5 - Other than a Week 2 win over Pittsburgh, the Bears have had nothing to show for this season. Jay Cutler's 82.9 passer rating is the lowest of his career and Matt Forte had just 6 carries in an awful loss in Cincinnati.
The Nobodys
19. San Diego Chargers (3-3) - Up 1 - The Bolts' running game finally got going in a blowout win at Kansas City. Also, Defensive Coordinator finally turned up the blitzing, resulting in a breakout, 2-sack day for Shaun Phillips, who previously hadn't notched a single sack this season.
20. San Francisco 49ers (3-3) - Down 4 - The Shaun Hill love-fest appears to be over after an awful first half against Houston, but Niners fans are excited about the play of Alex Smith in the second half last week. He looked as good as ever in his so-far disappointing NFL career. Also, who told Vernon Davis to start playing up to his ability?
21. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) - Same - When the Seahawks allow more than 0 points this season, they're 0-4. With a road trip to Dallas this weekend, they're going to have to win in a shootout.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) - Same - Their next two games are against Tennessee and Kansas City, so it's very likely they'll be a 5-3 fraud by Week 9. Also, the NFL's 31st ranked pass defense could be without their best CB, Rasheen Mathis, for the near future.
The Forgettables
23. Buffalo Bills (3-4) - Up 1 - The offense is terrible. But luckily, the defense has picked up the slack. Rookie FS Jairus Byrd has been the rookie of the year so far, and had his second straight 2-INT day against the Panthers. The Bills scored all of their points off of turnovers on Sunday and have allowed just 25 total points over the last 3 weeks.
24. Carolina Panthers (2-4) - Down 1 - Jake Delhomme is on pace for 35 interceptions this season. Quarterbacks often get too much blame for losses, but Delhomme is by far the biggest reason for Carolina's struggles this year.
25. Detroit Lions (1-5) - Up 1 - Matthew Stafford is practicing again, but is anyone going to actually watch the Lions play the Rams this Sunday?
26. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) - Down 1 - And... all the momentum is gone after getting destroyed by the Chargers. Matt Cassel had his worst game of the season and Larry Johnson is being asked to stay away from the team. A young team needs veterans and coaches to look up to, not have them bashing each other on Twitter. Johnson needs to go.
The Losers
27. Washington Redskins (2-5) - Same - The botched snap in the 4th quarter against the Eagles summed up the season in one play for the Redskins. The snap his the Right Guard. How on earth can a snap hit the Right Guard? The team has talent and ability, but is just the least clutch team of all time.
28. Oakland Raiders (2-5) - Same - 'Coach Tom Cable said he needed to make a quarterback change because JaMarcus Russell was "out of sorts" in a three-turnover performance. Russell's response: "Actually I wasn't."' JaMarcus Russell is living proof as to why the NFL needs a rookie cap. Russell simply does not care, and is making 10 million a year for his services.
29. Cleveland Browns (1-6) - Same - Derek Anderson does some things well, but he just isn't accurate in the slightest bit. He was 12-for-29 in Sunday's loss to Green Bay and is completing just under 44% of his passes on the season. The Browns know what they have in Anderson and they aren't winning many games this year. Just start Brady Quinn again and see whether or not they need to acquire a new QB in the off-season.
30. Tennessee Titans (0-6) - Same - Titans' owner Bud Adams is insisting Jeff Fisher start Vince Young this week against Jacksonville. While the main problem with Tennessee probably isn't QB Kerry Collins and I'm by no means a Vince Young fan, they might as well use this season to find out what they really have in Young.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) - Same - Even in London, Tampa has no shot against a team like New England. The Josh Johnson era may be coming to an end, as rookie Josh Freeman got his first action of the season and with a bye this week, Freeman would have two weeks to prepare for his first start.
32. St. Louis Rams (0-7) - Same - They've now lost 17 straight games. They get to play Detroit this week, and if they don't win, they may have to wait until mid-December when they play Tennessee to break this streak.
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (6-0) - Same - What a comeback last week. The defense played exceptionally well in the second half, and performances by Jonathan Vilma and Darren Sharper saved the game. Drew Brees wasn't great, but played his best football in the red zone.
2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0) - Same - The Colts' opponents combined record: 11-26. Still, Indy has won 15 straight regular season games and their defense is now top 10.
3. Denver Broncos (6-0) - Up 1 - They've been the surprise of the season and have proven to be a lot more physical this year. But that physicality will be tested the next two weeks against Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
4. Minnesota Vikings (6-1) - Down 1 - What a game against Pittsburgh. Minnesota played well enough to win, but just got beaten by a team that simply played better than them. Chester Taylor did not play well enough to win.
The Sidekicks
5. New England Patriots (5-2) - Same - The Pats haven't lost a regular season game to an NFC team since September, 2005. Brandon Meriweather had two picks last week and is really starting to come into his own.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) - Up 2 - Cincy finally had a truly dominant performance last week. Carson Palmer had 5 TDs, Cedric Benson had 189 yards to take the NFL lead in rushing and Chad Ochocinco was unstoppable. The new smashmouth, run-first offense has been the main difference between this year and every other year under Marvin Lewis.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) - Up 2 - What a win over Minnesota. The Linebackers harassed Brett Favre all game and notched 3 sacks and two TDs. Fantastic downfield blocking allowed the Steelers to turn in big plays all game. Troy Polamalu's tackle on Sidney Rice at the 1-yard line in the third quarter may be the most unheralded great play of the week, since Pittsburgh would end up holding the Vikings out of the end zone on the next 4 plays.
8. New York Giants (5-2) - Down 2 - The Giants have to be concerned. Their only decent win this year was against Dallas. The Offensive Line isn't nearly as dominant as last season and Brandon Jacobs hasn't gone over 100 yards in 10 games. Also, Eli Manning has looked really bad the last two weeks. A win at Philly this week is almost a must for the Giants, who have a much tougher stretch at the end of the year.
9. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) - Same - They lost three tough games against quality opponents before their bye, and it doesn't get any easier for the Ravens, as they host the undefeated Broncos on Sunday.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) - Same - The Eagles' defense is the most opportunistic that Andy Reid has ever had with 19 forced turnovers so far this year. Offensively, though, they're still too reliant on the big play.
11. Arizona Cardinals (4-2) - Up 4 - The most unheralded part of the Cardinals season last year was their playmaking defense. That defense was missing through 4 games, but has come alive in the last 2 games. Eli Manning was completely confused all game last week as the Cardinals appear to be getting over their Super Bowl hangover.
12. Green Bay Packers (4-2) - Same - One of the few relative unknowns left. They've completely destroyed the weaker teams they've played and have lost tough games to Minnesota and Cincy. With Brett Favre coming into town for Favregeddon II this Sunday, there isn't a better time for the Pack to make a statement.
13. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) - Up 1 - Miles Austin has emerged as a true playmaker for a Cowboys offense that is top 10 in all major categories. Their strong win over Atlanta was the fifth straight win for the 'Boys coming off of a bye.
14. Atlanta Falcons (4-2) - Down 7 - It's not that they got dominated badly enough to be dropped 7 spots, it's that their best wins (Niners, Bears, Dolphins) are looking worse and worse every week. Michael Turner is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry this year.
The Average Joes
15. Houston Texans (4-3) - Up 2 - Who is this player: Leads the NFL in passing yards, has a 104.4 passer rating and has two 4-TD games this season. Answer: Matt Schaub. Also, Houston's run defense has pulled the biggest 180 of the NFL season by allowing under 49 yards per game the past 4 weeks.
16. Miami Dolphins (2-4) - Up 2 - Yes, they choked. But they were the first team all season to challenge the Saints. One of the most underrated story lines of the season has been the comeback of Ricky Williams, who put up 80 yards and 3 TDs on just 9 carries on New Orleans.
17. New York Jets (4-3) - Up 2 - They lost Leon Washington for the year, but the Jets have become the NFL's best rushing team behind Thomas Jones and new weapon Shonn Greene. Calvin Pace had a career day with 7 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 FFs against the Raiders.
18. Chicago Bears (3-3) - Down 5 - Other than a Week 2 win over Pittsburgh, the Bears have had nothing to show for this season. Jay Cutler's 82.9 passer rating is the lowest of his career and Matt Forte had just 6 carries in an awful loss in Cincinnati.
The Nobodys
19. San Diego Chargers (3-3) - Up 1 - The Bolts' running game finally got going in a blowout win at Kansas City. Also, Defensive Coordinator finally turned up the blitzing, resulting in a breakout, 2-sack day for Shaun Phillips, who previously hadn't notched a single sack this season.
20. San Francisco 49ers (3-3) - Down 4 - The Shaun Hill love-fest appears to be over after an awful first half against Houston, but Niners fans are excited about the play of Alex Smith in the second half last week. He looked as good as ever in his so-far disappointing NFL career. Also, who told Vernon Davis to start playing up to his ability?
21. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) - Same - When the Seahawks allow more than 0 points this season, they're 0-4. With a road trip to Dallas this weekend, they're going to have to win in a shootout.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) - Same - Their next two games are against Tennessee and Kansas City, so it's very likely they'll be a 5-3 fraud by Week 9. Also, the NFL's 31st ranked pass defense could be without their best CB, Rasheen Mathis, for the near future.
The Forgettables
23. Buffalo Bills (3-4) - Up 1 - The offense is terrible. But luckily, the defense has picked up the slack. Rookie FS Jairus Byrd has been the rookie of the year so far, and had his second straight 2-INT day against the Panthers. The Bills scored all of their points off of turnovers on Sunday and have allowed just 25 total points over the last 3 weeks.
24. Carolina Panthers (2-4) - Down 1 - Jake Delhomme is on pace for 35 interceptions this season. Quarterbacks often get too much blame for losses, but Delhomme is by far the biggest reason for Carolina's struggles this year.
25. Detroit Lions (1-5) - Up 1 - Matthew Stafford is practicing again, but is anyone going to actually watch the Lions play the Rams this Sunday?
26. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) - Down 1 - And... all the momentum is gone after getting destroyed by the Chargers. Matt Cassel had his worst game of the season and Larry Johnson is being asked to stay away from the team. A young team needs veterans and coaches to look up to, not have them bashing each other on Twitter. Johnson needs to go.
The Losers
27. Washington Redskins (2-5) - Same - The botched snap in the 4th quarter against the Eagles summed up the season in one play for the Redskins. The snap his the Right Guard. How on earth can a snap hit the Right Guard? The team has talent and ability, but is just the least clutch team of all time.
28. Oakland Raiders (2-5) - Same - 'Coach Tom Cable said he needed to make a quarterback change because JaMarcus Russell was "out of sorts" in a three-turnover performance. Russell's response: "Actually I wasn't."' JaMarcus Russell is living proof as to why the NFL needs a rookie cap. Russell simply does not care, and is making 10 million a year for his services.
29. Cleveland Browns (1-6) - Same - Derek Anderson does some things well, but he just isn't accurate in the slightest bit. He was 12-for-29 in Sunday's loss to Green Bay and is completing just under 44% of his passes on the season. The Browns know what they have in Anderson and they aren't winning many games this year. Just start Brady Quinn again and see whether or not they need to acquire a new QB in the off-season.
30. Tennessee Titans (0-6) - Same - Titans' owner Bud Adams is insisting Jeff Fisher start Vince Young this week against Jacksonville. While the main problem with Tennessee probably isn't QB Kerry Collins and I'm by no means a Vince Young fan, they might as well use this season to find out what they really have in Young.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) - Same - Even in London, Tampa has no shot against a team like New England. The Josh Johnson era may be coming to an end, as rookie Josh Freeman got his first action of the season and with a bye this week, Freeman would have two weeks to prepare for his first start.
32. St. Louis Rams (0-7) - Same - They've now lost 17 straight games. They get to play Detroit this week, and if they don't win, they may have to wait until mid-December when they play Tennessee to break this streak.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Week 6 Power Rankings
The Sidekicks took a step back this week with losses for Cincy, Baltimore and Philly, but nobody took a further step back then the Jets, who, after struggling for two weeks, finally broke down completely and lost to the Bills.
The NFL still looks like an hourglass six weeks in, so let's just get this show on the road.
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) - Same - Drew Brees was simply phenomenal against the NFL's top pass defense. New Orleans now averages 48 points per game against the NFC East this season.
2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0) - Up 1 - Coming off of a bye, they get to face St. Louis. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Peyton Manning has a good shot at notching seven straight 300-yard games this weekend.
3. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) - Up 2 - Adrian Peterson now leads the league in rushing, Brett Favre is the NFL's third ranked passer, Sidney Rice is on pace to put up nearly 1,100 yards and Jared Allen has 7.5 sacks. After last week's win over a solid Ravens team, I'm completely sold on the Vikings.
4. Denver Broncos (6-0) - Same - Kyle Orton now has a 100+ passer rating, Elvis Dumervil has reached double-digit sacks and Eddie Royal's return ability opens up a new element to an already strong team.
The Sidekicks
5. New England Patriots (4-2) - Up 4 - People are criticizing the Pats for running up the score in last weekend's 59-0 laugher. What is this, Pee Wee football? These are pros vs. pros. And after two series in the third quarter, it was pros vs. backups.
6. New York Giants (5-1) - Down 4 - Yeah, they got stomped by New Orleans. But there were times during that game, where you could only ask: "What could you possibly do against this?". Drew Brees was simply unbeatable last Sunday.
7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) - Up 3 - Their defense is still giving up plenty of yards, but is allowing only 15 points per game. The reason: Third-best red-zone scoring percentage. Conclusion: Bend, don't break.
8. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) - Down 2 - Houston showed that stopping Cedric Benson and airing it out on the NFL's 5th worst pass defense is how you beat the Bengals. Will upcoming opponents follow suit?
9. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) - Down 2 - Can you imagine a team more unlucky? They get some bogus calls in Foxboro, Carson Palmer turns into Randall Cunningham against them and Kicker Steven Hauschka misses a very makeable game-winner. Amazing to think that they now have the same record as the Jacksonville Jaguars.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) - Down 2 - For whatever reason, this team just decides, collectively, not to show up about twice a year. Donovan McNabb, the offensive line, the coaching staff and the linebackers simply didn't play adequate NFL football last week.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) - Up 1 - You just can't turn the ball over four times against Cleveland. If it had been anybody else, they'd be 3-3 right now.
12. Green Bay Packers (3-2) - Up 2 - They have a top-10 offense and a top-10 defense right now. If they had an offensive line and a consistent pass rush, they'd be a really scary team.
The Average Joes
13. Chicago Bears (3-2) - Same - Average offense, average defense, awful running game. Matt Forte was stuffed again last week in his worst game of the season.
14. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) - Up 1 - An offense that puts up yards, but can't always score faces a Falcons defense that gives up yards, but holds you to few points. Cowboys hoping that coming off a bye will give them the edge.
15. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) - Up 1 - We knew the Cards could throw. Now we saw a solid defensive performance for the first time this season. They allowed zero third-down conversions and just 14 rushing yards while holding Matt Hasselbeck to just 10-for-29 passing.
16. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) - Same - The bye week came at the perfect time. They desperately needed to get Frank Gore back, and the addition of Michael Crabtree to the offense gives the 28th-ranked pass offense a much-needed option.
17. Houston Texans (3-3) - Up 4 - Houston surprisingly went dink-and-dunk against the Bengals last week. If they can use that to complement their established vertical passing scheme, their lack of ground game may not be as big of an issue. Also, if they can stop the run like they have the past three weeks (45 yards per game), they could be a team that makes some noise.
Who are these guys?
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) - Same - They'll be welcomed back from their bye by the New Orleans Saints. Miami needs to run the ball to be successful, so it's vital that their defense doesn't surrender a big, early lead.
19. New York Jets (3-3) - Down 8 - The NFL's biggest fraud in Week 3? Maybe. It's still a good team, but Mark Sanchez is really struggling. The Jets right now are averaging more yards on the ground than through the air. The penalties last week didn't help, either.
20. San Diego Chargers (2-3) - Same - Want to know what a bad team looks like with an elite QB? Look no further. Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman have combined for 0 sacks this season.
21. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) - Down 2 - When a team is as up-and-down as Seattle this year, you just have to conclude that they're a mediocre football team that can make noise, but not often or consistently enough to be taken seriously.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) - Same - Needing overtime to beat St. Louis is about as bad as losing outright. After looking pretty decent two weeks ago, they really need a bye after looking awful the past two.
The Forgettables
23. Carolina Panthers (2-3) - Same - The running game is back, as both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart went over the century mark. Unfortunately, Jake Delhomme's play this year is severely holding back a potentially powerful offense.
24. Buffalo Bills (2-4) - Up 3 - They've held shaky opposing QBs to passer ratings of 8.3 and 15.1 the last two weeks. Next up: Jake Delhomme.
25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) - Up 3 - After making noise against the Giants and taking the Cowboys to OT, they finally broke through with a win over the direction-less Redskins last week. Amazingly, none of the combined 20 points in the game were scored by either offenses. Thank you, Ryan Succop.
26. Detroit Lions (1-5) - Down 1 - The Lions were not preparing on having Drew Stanton under center this season. After last week, it's pretty clear that neither was Stanton. They have a bye to get the promising Matthew Stafford back healthy.
27. Washington Redskins (2-4) - Down 3 - Their defense is top-5 in points allowed, total defense and against the pass. Jason Campbell has an 84 passer rating and Clinton Portis is averaging more than four yards per carry. The problem? Awful leadership, a 22% Third-Down conversion percentage in their last three games, a bad offensive line and horrendous play in critical situations. This team is the exact opposite of clutch. Jim Zorn has his job secure for the season, but I would be astonished to see him back next year.
The Losers
28. Oakland Raiders (2-4) - Up 4 - The "emergence of Jamarcus Russell" featured a grand total of 2 completions for 6 yards. Lesson learned: Make sure you cover Oakland's TEs and RBs from now on. Yes, they beat a good team, but scoring 13 points is hardly a performance worthy of playoff guarantees.
29. Cleveland Browns (1-5) - Same - Worst offensive play of the season: Joshua Cribbs lines up in the gun, fakes the handoff, gets pressured and throws an ugly pass off of his back foot right into the arms of Troy Polamalu... in Pittsburgh's red zone. You know a team has a desperate QB situation when they run the wildcat SEVEN(!!!) plays in a row.
30. Tennessee Titans (0-6) - Down 4 - Tennessee's combined passing stats at New England: 2-for-14, -7 yards, 2 interceptions. They lost to the Pats by the same margin as Charleston Southern lost to Florida... and that game had a 73-point spread. Forget Tampa's play against the Giants earlier this season, this one's not getting topped this year.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) - Down 1 - Josh Johnson's stats don't show it, but the Bucs have been more competitive since he's been the starter. DE Jimmy Wilkerson is also quietly having a nice year for them. They're pretty bad, but at least they're young and rebuilding.
32. St. Louis Rams (0-6) - Down 1 - The last remaining team that isn't scoring 10 points per game. How is it possible in the Free Agency era of the NFL, that one team can average 38 points per game and another can average 9? Bring on the Colts!
The NFL still looks like an hourglass six weeks in, so let's just get this show on the road.
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) - Same - Drew Brees was simply phenomenal against the NFL's top pass defense. New Orleans now averages 48 points per game against the NFC East this season.
2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0) - Up 1 - Coming off of a bye, they get to face St. Louis. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Peyton Manning has a good shot at notching seven straight 300-yard games this weekend.
3. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) - Up 2 - Adrian Peterson now leads the league in rushing, Brett Favre is the NFL's third ranked passer, Sidney Rice is on pace to put up nearly 1,100 yards and Jared Allen has 7.5 sacks. After last week's win over a solid Ravens team, I'm completely sold on the Vikings.
4. Denver Broncos (6-0) - Same - Kyle Orton now has a 100+ passer rating, Elvis Dumervil has reached double-digit sacks and Eddie Royal's return ability opens up a new element to an already strong team.
The Sidekicks
5. New England Patriots (4-2) - Up 4 - People are criticizing the Pats for running up the score in last weekend's 59-0 laugher. What is this, Pee Wee football? These are pros vs. pros. And after two series in the third quarter, it was pros vs. backups.
6. New York Giants (5-1) - Down 4 - Yeah, they got stomped by New Orleans. But there were times during that game, where you could only ask: "What could you possibly do against this?". Drew Brees was simply unbeatable last Sunday.
7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) - Up 3 - Their defense is still giving up plenty of yards, but is allowing only 15 points per game. The reason: Third-best red-zone scoring percentage. Conclusion: Bend, don't break.
8. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) - Down 2 - Houston showed that stopping Cedric Benson and airing it out on the NFL's 5th worst pass defense is how you beat the Bengals. Will upcoming opponents follow suit?
9. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) - Down 2 - Can you imagine a team more unlucky? They get some bogus calls in Foxboro, Carson Palmer turns into Randall Cunningham against them and Kicker Steven Hauschka misses a very makeable game-winner. Amazing to think that they now have the same record as the Jacksonville Jaguars.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) - Down 2 - For whatever reason, this team just decides, collectively, not to show up about twice a year. Donovan McNabb, the offensive line, the coaching staff and the linebackers simply didn't play adequate NFL football last week.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) - Up 1 - You just can't turn the ball over four times against Cleveland. If it had been anybody else, they'd be 3-3 right now.
12. Green Bay Packers (3-2) - Up 2 - They have a top-10 offense and a top-10 defense right now. If they had an offensive line and a consistent pass rush, they'd be a really scary team.
The Average Joes
13. Chicago Bears (3-2) - Same - Average offense, average defense, awful running game. Matt Forte was stuffed again last week in his worst game of the season.
14. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) - Up 1 - An offense that puts up yards, but can't always score faces a Falcons defense that gives up yards, but holds you to few points. Cowboys hoping that coming off a bye will give them the edge.
15. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) - Up 1 - We knew the Cards could throw. Now we saw a solid defensive performance for the first time this season. They allowed zero third-down conversions and just 14 rushing yards while holding Matt Hasselbeck to just 10-for-29 passing.
16. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) - Same - The bye week came at the perfect time. They desperately needed to get Frank Gore back, and the addition of Michael Crabtree to the offense gives the 28th-ranked pass offense a much-needed option.
17. Houston Texans (3-3) - Up 4 - Houston surprisingly went dink-and-dunk against the Bengals last week. If they can use that to complement their established vertical passing scheme, their lack of ground game may not be as big of an issue. Also, if they can stop the run like they have the past three weeks (45 yards per game), they could be a team that makes some noise.
Who are these guys?
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) - Same - They'll be welcomed back from their bye by the New Orleans Saints. Miami needs to run the ball to be successful, so it's vital that their defense doesn't surrender a big, early lead.
19. New York Jets (3-3) - Down 8 - The NFL's biggest fraud in Week 3? Maybe. It's still a good team, but Mark Sanchez is really struggling. The Jets right now are averaging more yards on the ground than through the air. The penalties last week didn't help, either.
20. San Diego Chargers (2-3) - Same - Want to know what a bad team looks like with an elite QB? Look no further. Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman have combined for 0 sacks this season.
21. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) - Down 2 - When a team is as up-and-down as Seattle this year, you just have to conclude that they're a mediocre football team that can make noise, but not often or consistently enough to be taken seriously.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) - Same - Needing overtime to beat St. Louis is about as bad as losing outright. After looking pretty decent two weeks ago, they really need a bye after looking awful the past two.
The Forgettables
23. Carolina Panthers (2-3) - Same - The running game is back, as both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart went over the century mark. Unfortunately, Jake Delhomme's play this year is severely holding back a potentially powerful offense.
24. Buffalo Bills (2-4) - Up 3 - They've held shaky opposing QBs to passer ratings of 8.3 and 15.1 the last two weeks. Next up: Jake Delhomme.
25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) - Up 3 - After making noise against the Giants and taking the Cowboys to OT, they finally broke through with a win over the direction-less Redskins last week. Amazingly, none of the combined 20 points in the game were scored by either offenses. Thank you, Ryan Succop.
26. Detroit Lions (1-5) - Down 1 - The Lions were not preparing on having Drew Stanton under center this season. After last week, it's pretty clear that neither was Stanton. They have a bye to get the promising Matthew Stafford back healthy.
27. Washington Redskins (2-4) - Down 3 - Their defense is top-5 in points allowed, total defense and against the pass. Jason Campbell has an 84 passer rating and Clinton Portis is averaging more than four yards per carry. The problem? Awful leadership, a 22% Third-Down conversion percentage in their last three games, a bad offensive line and horrendous play in critical situations. This team is the exact opposite of clutch. Jim Zorn has his job secure for the season, but I would be astonished to see him back next year.
The Losers
28. Oakland Raiders (2-4) - Up 4 - The "emergence of Jamarcus Russell" featured a grand total of 2 completions for 6 yards. Lesson learned: Make sure you cover Oakland's TEs and RBs from now on. Yes, they beat a good team, but scoring 13 points is hardly a performance worthy of playoff guarantees.
29. Cleveland Browns (1-5) - Same - Worst offensive play of the season: Joshua Cribbs lines up in the gun, fakes the handoff, gets pressured and throws an ugly pass off of his back foot right into the arms of Troy Polamalu... in Pittsburgh's red zone. You know a team has a desperate QB situation when they run the wildcat SEVEN(!!!) plays in a row.
30. Tennessee Titans (0-6) - Down 4 - Tennessee's combined passing stats at New England: 2-for-14, -7 yards, 2 interceptions. They lost to the Pats by the same margin as Charleston Southern lost to Florida... and that game had a 73-point spread. Forget Tampa's play against the Giants earlier this season, this one's not getting topped this year.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) - Down 1 - Josh Johnson's stats don't show it, but the Bucs have been more competitive since he's been the starter. DE Jimmy Wilkerson is also quietly having a nice year for them. They're pretty bad, but at least they're young and rebuilding.
32. St. Louis Rams (0-6) - Down 1 - The last remaining team that isn't scoring 10 points per game. How is it possible in the Free Agency era of the NFL, that one team can average 38 points per game and another can average 9? Bring on the Colts!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Week 5 Power Rankings
The elite group at the top got more exclusive this week, as the Patriots and Ravens both lost again this week.
Meanwhile, we're really starting to see a divide between the good teams and the average teams in the NFL, with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers being perhaps the only two on the fence.
The bottom, however, is growing and growing every week. Not only do the Losers have a new team in their group (Buffalo), but the Forgettables (Carolina, Washington, Detroit, Tennessee) don't appear good enough to beat anyone better than them either at this point.
Let's start this mess.
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (4-0) - Same - We'll get plenty of answers when Eli and the Giants roll into town on Sunday.
2. New York Giants (5-0) - Same - Toughness clearly runs in the Manning family, and it helps when you're beating a team so easily that you can take Eli out in the first half.
3. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) - Same - Peyton Manning has a 73.5 completion percentage, and, after a bye this week, will look to continue arguably his best season so far as a pro. The Colts' schedule this year looks pitifully easy.
4. Denver Broncos (5-0) - Up 1 - I'm a believer. The reason: coaching. Josh McDaniels is turning Kyle Orton into a very good NFL QB, while Mike Nolan is reminding people that he's a great Defensive Coordinator. For people blaming Denver for a weak schedule: How do explain wins over Cincy, Dallas and the Pats? And why haven't Pittsburgh and Atlanta looked as impressive against their relatively weak opponents? Denver is a good team that's beating teams that they're better than.
5. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) - Down 1 - I'm still not 100% sold. They're still not really special at anything, haven't faced a legitimate contender yet, haven't dominated and allowed over 400 yards to the Rams last weekend. They may be a great team, but they'll have to prove it against Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the next two weeks.
The Sidekicks
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) - Up 7 - People are comparing them to last year's Cardinals. But they remind me more of last year's Steelers. They're ugly, don't blow anybody out, play good defense, win close games and have a QB who looks sloppy through most of the game, but makes huge plays in the fourth quarter when his team needs him to.
7. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) - Same - They're good, but the schedule could be a real issue. They play Minnesota, Denver, Cincy, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh in the next 7 weeks.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) - Up 2 - They've thoroughly dominated everyone they were supposed to, but don't have any quality wins yet. Still, the offense is potent and the defense is making a lot of plays.
9. New England Patriots (3-2) - Down 3 - They've played some quality defenses so far, but you'd still expect a Tom Brady-led offense to be better than 18th in scoring.
10. Atlanta Falcons (3-1) - Up 6 - They looked so-so until their bye, then completely came alive on a cross-nation trip to SanFran. Roddy White lit up a quality CB in Nate Clements.
11. New York Jets (3-2) - Down 3 - Did we jump the gun on them? Mark Sanchez has been up and down, but the real question mark is the run defense, which has allowed 431 yards in the past three games against good run offenses.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) - Down 1 - Getting Troy Polamalu back will light a fire under a defense that has been solid, but unspectacular. The loss of Aaron Smith will hurt, but Travis Kirschke is a reliable backup, while Ziggy Hood was drafted specifically to replace Smith down the line.
13. Chicago Bears (3-1) - Down 1 - The Bears and the Falcons are two of the last remaining unknowns so far. They'll face off Sunday Night in Atlanta. Can Matt Forte build on his performance before the bye against a weak Falcons run defense?
The Average Joes
14. Green Bay Packers (2-2) - Same - A seemingly very average team with a lot of potential. They'll get to build their record up to 4-2 against Detroit and Cleveland before Farvageddon II, return to Lambeau.
15. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) - Same - They needed OT to beat Kansas City. Can you believe this team has the #1 offense in the NFL?
16. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) - Down 7 - Wow, what a difference one week makes. I was ready to buy into this team, then they lose by 35 at home to the Falcons? Luckily, they have a bye week to get Frank Gore healthy and Michael Crabtree integrated.
17. Arizona Cardinals (2-2) - Up 3 - Luckily, Houston's defense is even worse than theirs. The running game is averaging 56 yards per game, but luckily, Kurt Warner's still keeping them afloat.
Who are these guys?
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) - Up 3 - Tons of coaches have copied Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense, but none have been able to truely master it like he did. So far, nobody runs the Wildcat even close to as well as Ronnie Brown's Dolphins.
19. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) - Up 3 - They completed their second shutout of the season against what was a top 10 Jaguars offense coming in. I don't know if this is a good team, but they're definitely capable of upsetting teams when they're on.
20. San Diego Chargers (2-2) - Down 1 - Unable to run the ball, their offense has become predictable. That may not be a great matchup against an aggressive Broncos defense this Sunday.
21. Houston Texans (2-3) - Down 3 - Well, they can thrown the ball just fine. Unfortunately, every other aspect of the team is struggling. Their running game isn't even averaging 3 yards per carry.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) - Down 5 - I was ready to buy into them, but seriously, their pass rush is just awful. They have one DE with a sack (Reggie Heyward), and he's on Injured Reserve now.
The Forgettables
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3) - Up 2 - Well, they finally got a much-needed win against the disappointing Redskins. Unfortunately, they still rank in the bottom ten in every major offensive statistical category and, as expected, can't stop the run.
24. Washington Redskins (2-3) - Down 1 - They'll play their NFL-record sixth straight game against a winless opponent on Sunday, but the schedule after that gets simply brutal. Washington has one last week to get themselves together.
25. Detroit Lions (1-4) - Down 1 - Dante Culpepper was 23-for-27 in tough loss to Pittsburgh. Scott Linehan is doing a nice job with this offense, but the defense really needs to step it up (32.4 ppg allowed).
26. Tennessee Titans (0-5) - Same - Albert Haynesworth's loss isn't being felt against the run, but boy is his pass rush and double team-garnering ability missing. The Titans are the same as last year on offense, but the defense was special last year. This year it's giving up 27.8 points per game.
The Losers
27. Buffalo Bills (1-4) - Same - Perhaps the biggest blunder of the off-season was Buffalo's total neglect of their Offensive Line in Free Agency.
28. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) - Up 1 - At least they're somewhat competetive. They hung with Baltimore in the opener, made a late push against the Giants and took the Cowboys to overtime. But dammit, why did they have to lose to the Raiders???
29. Cleveland Browns (1-4) - Up 1 - 2-for-17 = Win apparently in this year's bottom-heavy NFL. ESPN's NFL Blitz highlights of the game were back-and-forth punts from Dave Zastudil and Brian Moorman. Cleveland can thank Buffalo Punt Returner Roscoe Parrish for the win.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) - Up 1 - They put up yards on Philadelphia and Josh Johnson has some ability. Still, this is a young rebuilding team with a tough schedule. They would be my best bet to go winless this year.
31. St. Louis Rams (0-5) - Up 1 - They put up 400 yards against the Vikings, are getting Marc Bulger back this week and have two winnable games in the next three weeks. It's now or never for the Rams.
32. Oakland Raiders (1-4) - Down 4 - They're averaging less than 10 points and 200 yards per game on offense. They've also lost their last three games by a combined score of 96 to 13.
Meanwhile, we're really starting to see a divide between the good teams and the average teams in the NFL, with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers being perhaps the only two on the fence.
The bottom, however, is growing and growing every week. Not only do the Losers have a new team in their group (Buffalo), but the Forgettables (Carolina, Washington, Detroit, Tennessee) don't appear good enough to beat anyone better than them either at this point.
Let's start this mess.
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (4-0) - Same - We'll get plenty of answers when Eli and the Giants roll into town on Sunday.
2. New York Giants (5-0) - Same - Toughness clearly runs in the Manning family, and it helps when you're beating a team so easily that you can take Eli out in the first half.
3. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) - Same - Peyton Manning has a 73.5 completion percentage, and, after a bye this week, will look to continue arguably his best season so far as a pro. The Colts' schedule this year looks pitifully easy.
4. Denver Broncos (5-0) - Up 1 - I'm a believer. The reason: coaching. Josh McDaniels is turning Kyle Orton into a very good NFL QB, while Mike Nolan is reminding people that he's a great Defensive Coordinator. For people blaming Denver for a weak schedule: How do explain wins over Cincy, Dallas and the Pats? And why haven't Pittsburgh and Atlanta looked as impressive against their relatively weak opponents? Denver is a good team that's beating teams that they're better than.
5. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) - Down 1 - I'm still not 100% sold. They're still not really special at anything, haven't faced a legitimate contender yet, haven't dominated and allowed over 400 yards to the Rams last weekend. They may be a great team, but they'll have to prove it against Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the next two weeks.
The Sidekicks
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) - Up 7 - People are comparing them to last year's Cardinals. But they remind me more of last year's Steelers. They're ugly, don't blow anybody out, play good defense, win close games and have a QB who looks sloppy through most of the game, but makes huge plays in the fourth quarter when his team needs him to.
7. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) - Same - They're good, but the schedule could be a real issue. They play Minnesota, Denver, Cincy, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh in the next 7 weeks.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) - Up 2 - They've thoroughly dominated everyone they were supposed to, but don't have any quality wins yet. Still, the offense is potent and the defense is making a lot of plays.
9. New England Patriots (3-2) - Down 3 - They've played some quality defenses so far, but you'd still expect a Tom Brady-led offense to be better than 18th in scoring.
10. Atlanta Falcons (3-1) - Up 6 - They looked so-so until their bye, then completely came alive on a cross-nation trip to SanFran. Roddy White lit up a quality CB in Nate Clements.
11. New York Jets (3-2) - Down 3 - Did we jump the gun on them? Mark Sanchez has been up and down, but the real question mark is the run defense, which has allowed 431 yards in the past three games against good run offenses.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) - Down 1 - Getting Troy Polamalu back will light a fire under a defense that has been solid, but unspectacular. The loss of Aaron Smith will hurt, but Travis Kirschke is a reliable backup, while Ziggy Hood was drafted specifically to replace Smith down the line.
13. Chicago Bears (3-1) - Down 1 - The Bears and the Falcons are two of the last remaining unknowns so far. They'll face off Sunday Night in Atlanta. Can Matt Forte build on his performance before the bye against a weak Falcons run defense?
The Average Joes
14. Green Bay Packers (2-2) - Same - A seemingly very average team with a lot of potential. They'll get to build their record up to 4-2 against Detroit and Cleveland before Farvageddon II, return to Lambeau.
15. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) - Same - They needed OT to beat Kansas City. Can you believe this team has the #1 offense in the NFL?
16. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) - Down 7 - Wow, what a difference one week makes. I was ready to buy into this team, then they lose by 35 at home to the Falcons? Luckily, they have a bye week to get Frank Gore healthy and Michael Crabtree integrated.
17. Arizona Cardinals (2-2) - Up 3 - Luckily, Houston's defense is even worse than theirs. The running game is averaging 56 yards per game, but luckily, Kurt Warner's still keeping them afloat.
Who are these guys?
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) - Up 3 - Tons of coaches have copied Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense, but none have been able to truely master it like he did. So far, nobody runs the Wildcat even close to as well as Ronnie Brown's Dolphins.
19. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) - Up 3 - They completed their second shutout of the season against what was a top 10 Jaguars offense coming in. I don't know if this is a good team, but they're definitely capable of upsetting teams when they're on.
20. San Diego Chargers (2-2) - Down 1 - Unable to run the ball, their offense has become predictable. That may not be a great matchup against an aggressive Broncos defense this Sunday.
21. Houston Texans (2-3) - Down 3 - Well, they can thrown the ball just fine. Unfortunately, every other aspect of the team is struggling. Their running game isn't even averaging 3 yards per carry.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) - Down 5 - I was ready to buy into them, but seriously, their pass rush is just awful. They have one DE with a sack (Reggie Heyward), and he's on Injured Reserve now.
The Forgettables
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3) - Up 2 - Well, they finally got a much-needed win against the disappointing Redskins. Unfortunately, they still rank in the bottom ten in every major offensive statistical category and, as expected, can't stop the run.
24. Washington Redskins (2-3) - Down 1 - They'll play their NFL-record sixth straight game against a winless opponent on Sunday, but the schedule after that gets simply brutal. Washington has one last week to get themselves together.
25. Detroit Lions (1-4) - Down 1 - Dante Culpepper was 23-for-27 in tough loss to Pittsburgh. Scott Linehan is doing a nice job with this offense, but the defense really needs to step it up (32.4 ppg allowed).
26. Tennessee Titans (0-5) - Same - Albert Haynesworth's loss isn't being felt against the run, but boy is his pass rush and double team-garnering ability missing. The Titans are the same as last year on offense, but the defense was special last year. This year it's giving up 27.8 points per game.
The Losers
27. Buffalo Bills (1-4) - Same - Perhaps the biggest blunder of the off-season was Buffalo's total neglect of their Offensive Line in Free Agency.
28. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) - Up 1 - At least they're somewhat competetive. They hung with Baltimore in the opener, made a late push against the Giants and took the Cowboys to overtime. But dammit, why did they have to lose to the Raiders???
29. Cleveland Browns (1-4) - Up 1 - 2-for-17 = Win apparently in this year's bottom-heavy NFL. ESPN's NFL Blitz highlights of the game were back-and-forth punts from Dave Zastudil and Brian Moorman. Cleveland can thank Buffalo Punt Returner Roscoe Parrish for the win.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) - Up 1 - They put up yards on Philadelphia and Josh Johnson has some ability. Still, this is a young rebuilding team with a tough schedule. They would be my best bet to go winless this year.
31. St. Louis Rams (0-5) - Up 1 - They put up 400 yards against the Vikings, are getting Marc Bulger back this week and have two winnable games in the next three weeks. It's now or never for the Rams.
32. Oakland Raiders (1-4) - Down 4 - They're averaging less than 10 points and 200 yards per game on offense. They've also lost their last three games by a combined score of 96 to 13.
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