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.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
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.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Week 4 Power Rankings
In Week 4, more teams emerged as legitimate contenders. New England beat Baltimore, Denver didn't miss a beat despite finally playing a solid opponent and I'm starting to think I was too harsh on Indianapolis.
Also, more teams emerged as legitimate dogs. Buffalo got blown out by a Chad Pennington-less Dolphins squad, Tennessee rolled over and got stomped by Jacksonville and Washington once again struggled against a weak opponent.
So without further ado, bring on the rankings!
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (4-0) (Up 2) - Question: What do you get when you give Drew Brees the NFL's 2nd best rushing attack and a top 10 defense? Answer: The #1 team in the NFL.
2. New York Giants (4-0) (Down 1) - They're absolutely dominating opponents, but won't see a true test until Week 6 at New Orleans. Their #1 pass defense should obliterate Oakland this Sunday.
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-0) (Up 3) - I wasn't sold on Indy after struggling against Jacksonville and Miami, but those teams look a little more formidable now. Peyton Manning is on pace to throw for 5283 yards.
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-0) (Same) - The Vikings passing offense is only 21st in the NFL, but Brett Favre is making the plays that previous Vikings QBs couldn't. I still can't believe I picked Green Bay to beat them on Monday with Jared Allen lining up against a Guard playing out of position and a backup Left Tackle.
5. Denver Broncos (4-0) (Up 4) - They finally beat a solid opponent and have a defense that ranks in the top 5 in points allowed, yards allowed, passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, sacks and interceptions.
6. New England Patriots (3-1) (Up 6) - They appear to be back on track after a questionable start, Tom Brady is getting better each game and the defense appears to be much improved from the past two seasons. There just aren't any real glaring holes on the Patriots.
7. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) (Down 5) - They're still a completely legitimate team and will probably be higher in these rankings by year's end. Plus, if a couple of questionable calls had gone the other way against New England, they'd still be undefeated.
The Sidekicks
8. New York Jets (3-1) (Down 3) - I still love Rex Ryan and I still love the Jets' defense, but coming into this year, the big knock on this team was a rookie starting QB and a frightening lack of gamebreaking weapons on offense. Against New Orleans, those issues were very apparent.
9. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) (Same) - The defense has been exceptional ever since Mike Singletary took over midway through last season. Last year he improved the defense by 10 points per game and this year they're giving up the second lowest total in the NFL (13.2 ppg)
10. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) (Same) - Andy Reid is 10-0 in games coming off of a bye. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that record improves to 11-0 after hosting Tampa Bay this coming Sunday.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) (Up 5) - How about Chris Kemoeatu and that O-Line showing up against The Bolts? They helped Rashard Mendenhall run for 165 yards in his first full game as a starter. Still, they have to close out games better. Last year that was their biggest strength. This year it's becoming a legitimate concern.
12. Chicago Bears (3-1) (Up 1) - No glaring weaknesses and a surprisingly improved Defensive Line have led the Bears to three straight wins. Matt Forte finally got it going last week, albeit, against the Lions.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) (Down 5) - Carson Palmer had to scramble for a first down on 4th and 11 to avoid a tie against a team that had scored one TD in 9 games. Could this franchise be any less consistent?
The Average Joes
14. Green Bay Packers (2-2) (Same) - They're putting up points on offense and making plays on defense, but they'll struggle to find consistency all season if their Offensive Line doesn't improve.
15. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) (Down 4) - They clearly have the talent to beat teams inferior to them, but lack the coaching and leadership to take down the better teams in the league. Could Tony Romo be any less clutch?
16. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) (Down 1) - Coming off of three unimpressive performances, they'll look to rebound when they travel cross country to San Francisco this Sunday.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) (Up 5) - What a difference a healthy Offensive Line makes. David Garrard is very quietly leading a top 10 offense, while players with hyphenated names are making plays all over the field for them. Unfortunately, they still can't get pressure on opposing QBs.
Who are these guys?
18. Houston Texans (2-2) (Up 2) - Their inability to run the ball may unfortunately hold them back from breaking out this season, but their upcoming contest at Arizona will be a fun one to watch.
19. San Diego Chargers (2-2) (Down 2) - The problem here is in the trenches. The Offensive Line without Nick Hardwick has been awful, as the Chargers are averaging just 2.7 YPC. The Defensive Line without departed Igor Olshansky and injured Jamal Williams are giving up over 150 yards per game on the ground. Philip Rivers can't do it all himself.
20. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) (Down 2) - The NFL's 30th ranked pass defense gets to face Andre Johnson this week. Fantasy nerds are drooling all over their mothers' basements.
21. Miami Dolphins (1-3) (Up 7) - I was too harsh on Miami, and no, it isn't because they blew out the Bills. It's because they have the NFL's best rushing attack and are stopping it just as well. When you control the ground game and time of possession, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
22. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) ( Down 3) - They're mediocre on offense, they're mediocre on defense, they've lost three straight and got killed by Indianapolis last week.
The Forgettables
23. Washington Redskins (2-2) (Up 2) - If you're the Giants, you make bad NFL teams look like Division III Liberal Arts Colleges. If you're the Redskins, you would even play down to the ability of a Division III Liberal Arts College. They have two more warm-up games to wake up before facing a brutal end stretch, starting Week 7 against Philadelphia.
24. Detroit Lions (1-3) (Same) - They're improved and Matthew Stafford is looking better each week, but their defense is still allowing 33.5 points per game. Gunther Cunningham's defenses haven't been good since he had Derrick Thomas in the 1990s.
25. Carolina Panthers (0-3) (Up 1) - They're losing games by an average of 29-12.3. Chances are they'll do better against the struggling Redskins.
26. Tennessee Titans (0-4) (Down 5) - Isn't it funny that Kerry Collins suddenly isn't a "game manager" anymore now that the defense doesn't have Albert Haynesworth? Can we finally conclude that "game manager" = mediocre QB with an elite defense. QBs get too much credit in Tennessee.
27. Buffalo Bills (1-3) (Down 4) - Wow. How bad have they looked in back-to-back games against New Orleans and Miami? It appears that if you have an elite running game, you'll have no problem beating the Bills
The Losers
28. Oakland Raiders (1-3) (Down 1) - They got completely shut down in Houston by one of the NFL's worst defenses. Jamarcus Russell's 48.5 QB rating against the Texans actually raised his season rating by 2.6 points.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-4) (Same) - They actually made a late push against the Giants. Too bad the Giants' QB at that point was David Carr.
30. Cleveland Browns (0-4) (Up 2) - They doubled their TD total of the previous 9 weeks against the Bengals, and scored just 20 points. A loss at Buffalo on Sunday would give them an 11-game losing streak, tying a franchise record set in 1975.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) (Down 1) - At least Aqib Talib is playing well.
32. St. Louis Rams (0-4) (Down 1) - They've lost 14 straight and are scoring 6 points per game this season. Can anyone remember when the bottom of the NFL was as awful and helpless as the past two seasons?
Also, more teams emerged as legitimate dogs. Buffalo got blown out by a Chad Pennington-less Dolphins squad, Tennessee rolled over and got stomped by Jacksonville and Washington once again struggled against a weak opponent.
So without further ado, bring on the rankings!
The Big Boys
1. New Orleans Saints (4-0) (Up 2) - Question: What do you get when you give Drew Brees the NFL's 2nd best rushing attack and a top 10 defense? Answer: The #1 team in the NFL.
2. New York Giants (4-0) (Down 1) - They're absolutely dominating opponents, but won't see a true test until Week 6 at New Orleans. Their #1 pass defense should obliterate Oakland this Sunday.
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-0) (Up 3) - I wasn't sold on Indy after struggling against Jacksonville and Miami, but those teams look a little more formidable now. Peyton Manning is on pace to throw for 5283 yards.
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-0) (Same) - The Vikings passing offense is only 21st in the NFL, but Brett Favre is making the plays that previous Vikings QBs couldn't. I still can't believe I picked Green Bay to beat them on Monday with Jared Allen lining up against a Guard playing out of position and a backup Left Tackle.
5. Denver Broncos (4-0) (Up 4) - They finally beat a solid opponent and have a defense that ranks in the top 5 in points allowed, yards allowed, passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, sacks and interceptions.
6. New England Patriots (3-1) (Up 6) - They appear to be back on track after a questionable start, Tom Brady is getting better each game and the defense appears to be much improved from the past two seasons. There just aren't any real glaring holes on the Patriots.
7. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) (Down 5) - They're still a completely legitimate team and will probably be higher in these rankings by year's end. Plus, if a couple of questionable calls had gone the other way against New England, they'd still be undefeated.
The Sidekicks
8. New York Jets (3-1) (Down 3) - I still love Rex Ryan and I still love the Jets' defense, but coming into this year, the big knock on this team was a rookie starting QB and a frightening lack of gamebreaking weapons on offense. Against New Orleans, those issues were very apparent.
9. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) (Same) - The defense has been exceptional ever since Mike Singletary took over midway through last season. Last year he improved the defense by 10 points per game and this year they're giving up the second lowest total in the NFL (13.2 ppg)
10. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) (Same) - Andy Reid is 10-0 in games coming off of a bye. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that record improves to 11-0 after hosting Tampa Bay this coming Sunday.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) (Up 5) - How about Chris Kemoeatu and that O-Line showing up against The Bolts? They helped Rashard Mendenhall run for 165 yards in his first full game as a starter. Still, they have to close out games better. Last year that was their biggest strength. This year it's becoming a legitimate concern.
12. Chicago Bears (3-1) (Up 1) - No glaring weaknesses and a surprisingly improved Defensive Line have led the Bears to three straight wins. Matt Forte finally got it going last week, albeit, against the Lions.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) (Down 5) - Carson Palmer had to scramble for a first down on 4th and 11 to avoid a tie against a team that had scored one TD in 9 games. Could this franchise be any less consistent?
The Average Joes
14. Green Bay Packers (2-2) (Same) - They're putting up points on offense and making plays on defense, but they'll struggle to find consistency all season if their Offensive Line doesn't improve.
15. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) (Down 4) - They clearly have the talent to beat teams inferior to them, but lack the coaching and leadership to take down the better teams in the league. Could Tony Romo be any less clutch?
16. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) (Down 1) - Coming off of three unimpressive performances, they'll look to rebound when they travel cross country to San Francisco this Sunday.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) (Up 5) - What a difference a healthy Offensive Line makes. David Garrard is very quietly leading a top 10 offense, while players with hyphenated names are making plays all over the field for them. Unfortunately, they still can't get pressure on opposing QBs.
Who are these guys?
18. Houston Texans (2-2) (Up 2) - Their inability to run the ball may unfortunately hold them back from breaking out this season, but their upcoming contest at Arizona will be a fun one to watch.
19. San Diego Chargers (2-2) (Down 2) - The problem here is in the trenches. The Offensive Line without Nick Hardwick has been awful, as the Chargers are averaging just 2.7 YPC. The Defensive Line without departed Igor Olshansky and injured Jamal Williams are giving up over 150 yards per game on the ground. Philip Rivers can't do it all himself.
20. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) (Down 2) - The NFL's 30th ranked pass defense gets to face Andre Johnson this week. Fantasy nerds are drooling all over their mothers' basements.
21. Miami Dolphins (1-3) (Up 7) - I was too harsh on Miami, and no, it isn't because they blew out the Bills. It's because they have the NFL's best rushing attack and are stopping it just as well. When you control the ground game and time of possession, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
22. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) ( Down 3) - They're mediocre on offense, they're mediocre on defense, they've lost three straight and got killed by Indianapolis last week.
The Forgettables
23. Washington Redskins (2-2) (Up 2) - If you're the Giants, you make bad NFL teams look like Division III Liberal Arts Colleges. If you're the Redskins, you would even play down to the ability of a Division III Liberal Arts College. They have two more warm-up games to wake up before facing a brutal end stretch, starting Week 7 against Philadelphia.
24. Detroit Lions (1-3) (Same) - They're improved and Matthew Stafford is looking better each week, but their defense is still allowing 33.5 points per game. Gunther Cunningham's defenses haven't been good since he had Derrick Thomas in the 1990s.
25. Carolina Panthers (0-3) (Up 1) - They're losing games by an average of 29-12.3. Chances are they'll do better against the struggling Redskins.
26. Tennessee Titans (0-4) (Down 5) - Isn't it funny that Kerry Collins suddenly isn't a "game manager" anymore now that the defense doesn't have Albert Haynesworth? Can we finally conclude that "game manager" = mediocre QB with an elite defense. QBs get too much credit in Tennessee.
27. Buffalo Bills (1-3) (Down 4) - Wow. How bad have they looked in back-to-back games against New Orleans and Miami? It appears that if you have an elite running game, you'll have no problem beating the Bills
The Losers
28. Oakland Raiders (1-3) (Down 1) - They got completely shut down in Houston by one of the NFL's worst defenses. Jamarcus Russell's 48.5 QB rating against the Texans actually raised his season rating by 2.6 points.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-4) (Same) - They actually made a late push against the Giants. Too bad the Giants' QB at that point was David Carr.
30. Cleveland Browns (0-4) (Up 2) - They doubled their TD total of the previous 9 weeks against the Bengals, and scored just 20 points. A loss at Buffalo on Sunday would give them an 11-game losing streak, tying a franchise record set in 1975.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) (Down 1) - At least Aqib Talib is playing well.
32. St. Louis Rams (0-4) (Down 1) - They've lost 14 straight and are scoring 6 points per game this season. Can anyone remember when the bottom of the NFL was as awful and helpless as the past two seasons?
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