UPDATED POWER RANKINGS:
1.Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
Huge win over the Steelers last week catapults the team with the scariest defense and one of the most potent offenses to #1 in a year where it's hard to really see who the best team is.
2.Atlanta Falcons (3-1)
Only loss is in OT to the 3-1 Steelers. This team keeps finding ways to win close games. That experience will come in handy in the playoffs.
3.New York Jets (3-1)
They've made a clean sweep through the AFC East so far, and they look better each week.
4.Green Bay Packers (3-1)
We'll find out sooner than later how badly their complete lack of a running game will hurt them.
5.New Orleans Saints (3-1)
They just keep winning.
6.Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) bye
They survived their 4 games without Ben Roethlisberger and only lost one. They've got to be feeling good about their chances.
7.Houston Texans (3-1)
Arian Foster is a certified beast. Their O-Line is playing lights out football, as well.
8.Chicago Bears (3-1)
Their Offensive line is truly offensive...and without Jay Cutler things could get ugly.
9.New England Patriots (3-1) bye
Waved bye-bye to Randy Moss this week. Did they wave bye-bye to their offense as well?
10.Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)
If you had told me before the season that the Chiefs would be the last remaining unbeaten team in the NFL this year, I would have told you that you were full of shit and made fun of you a lot.
11.Indianapolis Colts (2-2)
The Colts are an enigma this year. I have no idea how good they are. Peyton Manning keeps them in every game, though.
12.San Diego Chargers (2-2)
Philip Rivers is playing like Dan Marino and the Bolts are starting to pick it up after a slow start. A game with the Raiders this week should help them keep things on the right track.
13.Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
No more magical Michael Vick, so we're back to the guy who opened the season as the starter: Kevin Kolb. Can he remind the Eagles why he was picked as the starter in the first place?
14.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
Are they for real? They can show us this week against the Bengals. Err...never mind, we don't know if the Bengals are for real either.
15.Miami Dolphins (2-2)
Special Teams NIGHTMARE against the Patriots last week. Can they pick up the pieces?
16.Washington Redskins (2-2)
BIG win against Philly last weekend. Can they keep it going without Clinton Portis? I think they're better off this way, we'll see if I'm right.
17.Tennessee Titans (2-2)
Chris Johnson, where are you?
18.Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
In danger of burying their season in the ground very early. They need to start winning.
19.Cincinatti Bengals (2-2)
Carson Palmer needs to step up his game if this team is going to go anywhere.
20.New York Giants (2-2)
If they can keep getting 10 sacks a game, they should be just fine.
21.St. Louis Rams (2-2)
Sam Bradford looks like the real deal, and the Rams are on the rise.
22.Minnesota Vikings (1-2)
Welcome home Randy Moss! Moss gets to take another trip to Revis Island this weekend.
23.Denver Broncos (2-2)
Kyle Orton is playing out of his mind, but there is NO running game in Denver. That will catch up with them.
24.Cleveland Browns (2-2)
Cleveland has shown promise, but they are going to need better QB play if they want to step things up.
25.Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2)
Huge win over Indy last week. Can these guys pick up the pieces and salvage this season? They'll need a defense.
26.Arizona Cardinals (2-2)
The Cards are handing the keys over to undrafted rookie QB Max Hall this week. Could he be the answer? Larry Fitzgerald hopes so, and Kurt Warner thinks so.
27.Seattle Seahawks (2-2) bye
They are a different team every week. We'll see if their trade for Bills RB Marshawn Lynch helps bring them some consistency on offense.
28.Oakland Raiders (1-3)
Eh...weren't the Raiders supposed to contend for the AFC West title this year? Was that me who made that prediction? No, couldn't have been me....
29.Detroit Lions (0-4)
They are still winless, but the Lions are putting together a good team. When Matt Stafford comes back from his injury we could see some wins.
30.Buffalo Bills (0-4)
A train wreck in Buffalo. Again. From the front office, to the coaching staff, to the players...everyone looks lost.
31.San Francisco 49ers (0-4)
They just can't put it together. They look awful on both sides of the ball.
32.Carolina Panthers (0-4)
This team is just not there. They need a QB. Maybe that's Jimmy Clausen, but he hasn't looked like it yet.
THIS WEEK'S PICKS:
My picks for this week's games:
Denver @ Baltimore = Denver's lack of running game combined with Baltimore's killer defense means bad news for the horseys this week. BAL 27 DEN 13
Cleveland @ Atlanta = Atlanta is finding ways to win each week, even if they necessarily shouldn't. Cleveland is the exact opposite. I don't see that changing this week. ATL 34 CLE 22
Green Bay @ Washington = The Packers have no running game...can Aaron Rodgers do it all by himself against a decent, if not strong, Washington secondary? WAS 17 GB 13
New Orleans @ Arizona = The Saints are just a better football team, and they get to tee off on an undrafted rookie QB making his first NFL start. Advantage goes to the defending Champs. NO 35 ARI 17
New York Giants @ Houston = The Texans are playing lights out football. The Giants have a great defensive front, but Houston's O-line should be able to handle them. HOU 24 NYG 14
Chicago @ Carolina = Chicago has to play without starting QB Jay Cutler, so they're lucky they have the Panthers this week. CHI 18 CAR 6
Kansas City @ Indianapolis = Kansas City takes it's undefeated record on the road to face the team who USUALLY has the last undefeated record. We'll find out how good they really are if they can take down the Colts in Indy. KC 27 IND 24
San Diego @ Oakland = Philip Rivers should be able to eat the Raiders defense alive. And the Bolts' defense keeps getting turnovers. SD 38 OAK 17
Philadelphia @ San Francisco = The Eagles lost magical Mike Vick last week to a rib injury, but Kevin Kolb was supposed to be the starter anyways. I just think they are a better team than the Niners. PHI 14 SF 7
Tampa Bay @ Cincinnati = Both teams are trying to make a statement with this game. Cincinnati might get caught trying a little too hard. TB 21 CIN 18
St. Louis @ Detroit = A matchup of teams that will be really good in the next few years. This could become a nice NFC rivalry. STL 38 DET 31
Jacksonville @ Buffalo = Jacksonville coming off a big upset at Indy, and Buffalo is just awful. This could probably go either way, but the Jags have a better team. JAX 21 BUF 17
Minnesota @ New York Jets = Brett Favre gets to try out his new toy Randy Moss against the mighty Jets. Can they knock the cocky Jets down a peg? MIN 26 NYJ 21
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
My NFL Power Rankings + Fearless Season Predictions
We're 3 weeks into the 2010 NFL season, and now that I've been able to see what each team has to offer, I'm ready to post my own "power rankings" (a rank of each of the 32 NFL teams in order, based simply on my own personal feelings), and I'm also ready to make some predictions for the 2010 post season. Here we go!
Power Rankings: Week 3
1.Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0): Their defense is playing so good you don't even notice that they've already gone through 3 different quarterbacks (that's impressive). In other news, they only have to go one more game until starter Ben Roethlisberger's suspension is over. Things are looking good in the steel city.
2.New Orleans Saints (2-1): The offense hasn't seemed to "click" consistently yet, but when they do this team is damn near unstoppable.
3.Indianapolis Colts (2-1): Peyton Manning could pull some schmuck out of the stands and make him look like a pro bowl receiver. There aren't a lot of teams that can keep up with this offense.
4.Chicago Bears (3-0): The Bears have been a big surprise so far, and Jay Cutler is having the best career turnaround since Jimmy "Wild Thing" Vaughan got his glasses. With games against the Giants, Panthers, Seahawks and Redskins coming up, this team has a very real shot at being 7-0 headed into their bye week.
5.Atlanta Falcons (2-1): Things are starting to gel for this team. Their only loss came in week 1 against the Steelers (in overtime) and last week they knocked off the defending champion Saints.
6.Green Bay Packers (2-1): Injuries are going to be the downfall of this team. Aaron Rodgers can't do it all by himself.
7.Baltimore Ravens (2-1): The offense came alive last week, and if Joe Flacco is finally out of his funk (and it looks like he might be, thanks to Anquan Boldin) this team is going to terrorize some people.
8.New York Jets (2-1): Won a gritty division battle against the Dolphins last week and can go 3-0 in the AFC East if they can knock off the lowly Bills this week.
9.Philadelphia Eagles (2-1): Seriously, did anyone really think Michael Vick would be able to play the way he is playing right now? He's never been a better quarterback. Looks like Kevin Kolb better get used to holding that clipboard, or he better start packing his bags.
10.Houston Texans (2-1): Arian Foster is a beast. That said, injuries are going to be a factor (can Andre Johnson stay healthy?) and this team has proven to be painfully inconsistent the past few years. Can they hold it together?
11.Miami Dolphins (2-1): Came up 6 yards short against the rival Jets last week, but can redeem themselves against the Patriots on Monday night. If the offense and defense are playing as well as they can, this is as good a team as there is in the NFL.
12.New England Patriots (2-1): The defense has looked increasingly shaky (gave up 30 points to the Bills last week?) and injuries at running back are starting to hurt. Could turn out to be a long season for Belichick and company, but don't count this team out against anybody.
13.Kansas City Chiefs (3-0): The Chiefs starting out the season 3-0 is probably the biggest surprise to this point. The defense has looked great and the offense is playing mistake free football. We'll see if they can keep it up as the schedule gets tougher.
14.Tennessee Titans (2-1): Depending on which Vince Young shows up, this team is extremely dangerous. Chris Johnson churns out 100+ yard games like clockwork. As long as Young isn't giving the game away this team can play with anybody.
15.San Diego Chargers (1-2): Another slow start for the Chargers, but all-pro left tackle Marcus McNeil is back this week, and Philip Rivers is starting to bond with Malcom Floyd. Special teams has been the weak link.
16.Cincinatti Bengals (2-1): The offense is playing terribly, and there are too many good players on this team for that to happen. They better start playing the way they're capable of playing soon or they'll get buried.
17.Arizona Cardinals (2-1): A surprisingly good defense and the offense is coming along slowly. Derek Anderson is no Kurt Warner, but he's not getting a lot of help from his offensive line, either.
18.Seattle Seahawks (2-1): I honestly don't know what to make of this team. Yes, they're finding ways to win, but if it wasn't for 2 kickoff return touchdowns from Leon Washington last week, this team is 1-2. The return TDs are nice, but not every team is as bad as the Chargers at kick coverage. The offense is underperforming like crazy, and the D has been more lucky than good. We'll see.
19.Dallas Cowboys (1-2): Got their first win last week and the offense looked great. If Roy Williams has finally remembered how to be a legit WR in the NFL then the 'Boys could be pretty dangerous in the coming weeks. There's a lot of weapons on that offense.
20.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1): A fast start, but this team has a lot of holes. In a couple of years they're going to be near the top of this list.
21.Minnesota Vikings (1-2): You know Brett Favre has to be regretting his decision to un-retire again. There was almost no way he could possibly re-create the magic of last season (maybe his best) but it's certainly not ALL his fault. They should be relying on Adrian Peterson more than Favre, and until the play callers realize that they aren't going to win a lot.
22.New York Giants (1-2): This team has looked terrible the past couple of weeks. They have all the tools to be a playoff team, but they just aren't playing like it.
23.St. Louis Rams (1-2): Sam Bradford is starting to "get it" and this team is on the rise. They could surprise some people.
24.Denver Broncos (1-2): Kyle Orton is playing well but the Broncos have NO running game (which is crazy...they were THE running team for so long) and the defense is lacking.
25.Washington Redskins (1-2): Getting stomped by the Rams is not a good sign for Donovan McNabb and company. If they are going to turn their season around, this would be a good week to do it, with McNabb facing his old team, the Eagles, for the first time. Should be a nice battle between him and Michael Vick.
26.Cleveland Browns (1-2): There are some definite bright spots on this team, and they are moving in the right direction. They just need a solid, dependable leader at quarterback and some better play from their underachieving defense. Unfortunately it doesn't look like either is going to happen this season.
27.Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2): What happened to David Garrard?
28.Oakland Raiders (1-2): Jason Campbell was supposed to be the leader this team could win behind, instead he's already been benched and Bruce Gradkowski has been given the keys to the franchise. Can he give them a jumpstart? They have enough weapons to be competitive, but the problems in Oakland really start all the way up in the owner's box.
29.Detroit Lions (0-3): Losing Matt Stafford to an injury so early has killed them. They can't win without him. The good news is that their defense is improving, and when Stafford's healthy this offense is more than capable of keeping up with anyone.
30.Buffalo Bills (0-3): The offense came alive under new QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, but they came up just short against the Patriots last week. The defense is playing surprisingly well, but injuries are starting to pile up. They try to avoid going 0-3 in the AFC East this week when they host the Jets.
31.San Francisco 49ers (0-3): Biggest disappointment of the season this far. From the coaching staff down, this team just does not seem to be on the same page. If they can put it together they can play with anyone.
32.Carolina Panthers (0-3): It's hard to even watch them play. It's been pretty abysmal. This team should not be playing this badly.
FEARLESS PREDICTIONS:
I'm sure I'll probably be wrong on all of these, but it's not about being right. It's about being a dork and predicting the future. Here's my picks for division winners and wild cards for this year:
DIVISION:
AFC EAST: Miami Dolphins: Sure, it's a homer pick, but I honestly think this team will continue to get better as the season goes on. It will likely come down to the rematch with the Jets late in the season.
AFC NORTH: Pittsburgh Steelers: It will be close between them and the Ravens.
AFC SOUTH: Indianapolis Colts: They'll have to fight for it a little harder this year, with Houston and Tennessee both playing well, but they've got it for at least one more season.
AFC WEST: San Diego Chargers: It's another slow start for the Chargers, but that's just how they do things in San Diego.
AFC WILD CARDS: New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens
NFC EAST: Philadelphia Eagles: Vick is playing out of his mind and the rest of the division keeps shooting themselves in the feet.
NFC NORTH: Chicago Bears: As long as the offense keeps playing mistake free football, this team is as complete as they come.
NFC SOUTH: Atlanta Falcons: I think they'll end up just a bit better than the Saints. Call it a gut feeling.
NFC WEST: Arizona Cardinals: Just because I have to pick one of the teams in this division, and since none of them are very good I'll give it to the one with the best player (Larry Fitzgerald).
NFC WILD CARDS: Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints
Power Rankings: Week 3
1.Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0): Their defense is playing so good you don't even notice that they've already gone through 3 different quarterbacks (that's impressive). In other news, they only have to go one more game until starter Ben Roethlisberger's suspension is over. Things are looking good in the steel city.
2.New Orleans Saints (2-1): The offense hasn't seemed to "click" consistently yet, but when they do this team is damn near unstoppable.
3.Indianapolis Colts (2-1): Peyton Manning could pull some schmuck out of the stands and make him look like a pro bowl receiver. There aren't a lot of teams that can keep up with this offense.
4.Chicago Bears (3-0): The Bears have been a big surprise so far, and Jay Cutler is having the best career turnaround since Jimmy "Wild Thing" Vaughan got his glasses. With games against the Giants, Panthers, Seahawks and Redskins coming up, this team has a very real shot at being 7-0 headed into their bye week.
5.Atlanta Falcons (2-1): Things are starting to gel for this team. Their only loss came in week 1 against the Steelers (in overtime) and last week they knocked off the defending champion Saints.
6.Green Bay Packers (2-1): Injuries are going to be the downfall of this team. Aaron Rodgers can't do it all by himself.
7.Baltimore Ravens (2-1): The offense came alive last week, and if Joe Flacco is finally out of his funk (and it looks like he might be, thanks to Anquan Boldin) this team is going to terrorize some people.
8.New York Jets (2-1): Won a gritty division battle against the Dolphins last week and can go 3-0 in the AFC East if they can knock off the lowly Bills this week.
9.Philadelphia Eagles (2-1): Seriously, did anyone really think Michael Vick would be able to play the way he is playing right now? He's never been a better quarterback. Looks like Kevin Kolb better get used to holding that clipboard, or he better start packing his bags.
10.Houston Texans (2-1): Arian Foster is a beast. That said, injuries are going to be a factor (can Andre Johnson stay healthy?) and this team has proven to be painfully inconsistent the past few years. Can they hold it together?
11.Miami Dolphins (2-1): Came up 6 yards short against the rival Jets last week, but can redeem themselves against the Patriots on Monday night. If the offense and defense are playing as well as they can, this is as good a team as there is in the NFL.
12.New England Patriots (2-1): The defense has looked increasingly shaky (gave up 30 points to the Bills last week?) and injuries at running back are starting to hurt. Could turn out to be a long season for Belichick and company, but don't count this team out against anybody.
13.Kansas City Chiefs (3-0): The Chiefs starting out the season 3-0 is probably the biggest surprise to this point. The defense has looked great and the offense is playing mistake free football. We'll see if they can keep it up as the schedule gets tougher.
14.Tennessee Titans (2-1): Depending on which Vince Young shows up, this team is extremely dangerous. Chris Johnson churns out 100+ yard games like clockwork. As long as Young isn't giving the game away this team can play with anybody.
15.San Diego Chargers (1-2): Another slow start for the Chargers, but all-pro left tackle Marcus McNeil is back this week, and Philip Rivers is starting to bond with Malcom Floyd. Special teams has been the weak link.
16.Cincinatti Bengals (2-1): The offense is playing terribly, and there are too many good players on this team for that to happen. They better start playing the way they're capable of playing soon or they'll get buried.
17.Arizona Cardinals (2-1): A surprisingly good defense and the offense is coming along slowly. Derek Anderson is no Kurt Warner, but he's not getting a lot of help from his offensive line, either.
18.Seattle Seahawks (2-1): I honestly don't know what to make of this team. Yes, they're finding ways to win, but if it wasn't for 2 kickoff return touchdowns from Leon Washington last week, this team is 1-2. The return TDs are nice, but not every team is as bad as the Chargers at kick coverage. The offense is underperforming like crazy, and the D has been more lucky than good. We'll see.
19.Dallas Cowboys (1-2): Got their first win last week and the offense looked great. If Roy Williams has finally remembered how to be a legit WR in the NFL then the 'Boys could be pretty dangerous in the coming weeks. There's a lot of weapons on that offense.
20.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1): A fast start, but this team has a lot of holes. In a couple of years they're going to be near the top of this list.
21.Minnesota Vikings (1-2): You know Brett Favre has to be regretting his decision to un-retire again. There was almost no way he could possibly re-create the magic of last season (maybe his best) but it's certainly not ALL his fault. They should be relying on Adrian Peterson more than Favre, and until the play callers realize that they aren't going to win a lot.
22.New York Giants (1-2): This team has looked terrible the past couple of weeks. They have all the tools to be a playoff team, but they just aren't playing like it.
23.St. Louis Rams (1-2): Sam Bradford is starting to "get it" and this team is on the rise. They could surprise some people.
24.Denver Broncos (1-2): Kyle Orton is playing well but the Broncos have NO running game (which is crazy...they were THE running team for so long) and the defense is lacking.
25.Washington Redskins (1-2): Getting stomped by the Rams is not a good sign for Donovan McNabb and company. If they are going to turn their season around, this would be a good week to do it, with McNabb facing his old team, the Eagles, for the first time. Should be a nice battle between him and Michael Vick.
26.Cleveland Browns (1-2): There are some definite bright spots on this team, and they are moving in the right direction. They just need a solid, dependable leader at quarterback and some better play from their underachieving defense. Unfortunately it doesn't look like either is going to happen this season.
27.Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2): What happened to David Garrard?
28.Oakland Raiders (1-2): Jason Campbell was supposed to be the leader this team could win behind, instead he's already been benched and Bruce Gradkowski has been given the keys to the franchise. Can he give them a jumpstart? They have enough weapons to be competitive, but the problems in Oakland really start all the way up in the owner's box.
29.Detroit Lions (0-3): Losing Matt Stafford to an injury so early has killed them. They can't win without him. The good news is that their defense is improving, and when Stafford's healthy this offense is more than capable of keeping up with anyone.
30.Buffalo Bills (0-3): The offense came alive under new QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, but they came up just short against the Patriots last week. The defense is playing surprisingly well, but injuries are starting to pile up. They try to avoid going 0-3 in the AFC East this week when they host the Jets.
31.San Francisco 49ers (0-3): Biggest disappointment of the season this far. From the coaching staff down, this team just does not seem to be on the same page. If they can put it together they can play with anyone.
32.Carolina Panthers (0-3): It's hard to even watch them play. It's been pretty abysmal. This team should not be playing this badly.
FEARLESS PREDICTIONS:
I'm sure I'll probably be wrong on all of these, but it's not about being right. It's about being a dork and predicting the future. Here's my picks for division winners and wild cards for this year:
DIVISION:
AFC EAST: Miami Dolphins: Sure, it's a homer pick, but I honestly think this team will continue to get better as the season goes on. It will likely come down to the rematch with the Jets late in the season.
AFC NORTH: Pittsburgh Steelers: It will be close between them and the Ravens.
AFC SOUTH: Indianapolis Colts: They'll have to fight for it a little harder this year, with Houston and Tennessee both playing well, but they've got it for at least one more season.
AFC WEST: San Diego Chargers: It's another slow start for the Chargers, but that's just how they do things in San Diego.
AFC WILD CARDS: New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens
NFC EAST: Philadelphia Eagles: Vick is playing out of his mind and the rest of the division keeps shooting themselves in the feet.
NFC NORTH: Chicago Bears: As long as the offense keeps playing mistake free football, this team is as complete as they come.
NFC SOUTH: Atlanta Falcons: I think they'll end up just a bit better than the Saints. Call it a gut feeling.
NFC WEST: Arizona Cardinals: Just because I have to pick one of the teams in this division, and since none of them are very good I'll give it to the one with the best player (Larry Fitzgerald).
NFC WILD CARDS: Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints
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