| 13 August 2009
It's time to get annoying and have a bit of fun doing it, so without further ado, here are my fairly meaningless first week of the season power rankings:
The Bottom Dwellers
32. Cleveland Browns - They appear to be this year's Detroit Lions. They've got just about nothing going for them and cleared out a lot of talent. I liked their draft, but how many WRs do you need? It looks like 2007 was the fluke a lot of us thought it was.
31. Denver Broncos - Consider this low ranking a mix of hope and astonishment at the idiocy of McDaniels. You take a bad, but competitive, team and alienate the most important part of that team before sending him away for a terrible quarterback. The Broncos had a surreal draft and their defensive needs were not addressed enough in April or in free agency.
30. Detroit Lions - I like some of their moves in the offseason, but this was among the worst teams the NFL ever fielded last year. Winning four games would be huge, and with Jim Schwartz I think they can potentially do it.
29. Oakland Raiders - The Cryptkeeper appears crazier than ever. Having the best punter and CB in the game is not going to get you into the playoffs. Sorry, Al.
28. St. Louis Rams - They'll be better this year, and I think will surprise some. Their running game will be better, but they aren't going to win with that defense, that QB, or those wide receivers.
27. Kansas City Chiefs - Scott Pioli is a smart man and I think he made some good moves this offseason with the Chiefs, including some that are a little shady with his old team (Cassel and Vrabel for... what, again?). Still, they are switching to a 3-4 without the pieces to do so, relying very heavily on Glenn Dorsey, who was until recently dubbed 'too fat to practice,' and unsigned Tyson Jackson, who does not know the 3-4 system.
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The Disappointments
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The Bucs were an okay team last year. They won't be this year. They disassembled the entire team and are rebuilding from the coaches through the players.
25. Jackonsville Jaguars - The Jags were plagued with injuries up front last year, but unlike the Seahawks, they lost almost everyone by the third week of the season. The 2008 team was inferior to the 2007 team, and 2009 seems like it will fall somewhere in the middle, especially as the O-Line gels with two rookie tackles. Look for a strong finish, but it'll be too late to matter.
24. Cincinatti Bengals - I am buying into the hype about the Bengals, and think they could be in the teens at some point this season, but not until they prove something. The organization is utterly inept and the players are largely ex-cons. I also don't trust Ocho Cinco without a solid #2 behind him, especially after he stunk it up last year.
23. Green Bay Packers - Their defense was awful last year and the 3-4 switch usually takes a year or two to fully gel. I like their LBs but the d-line doesn't drive me wild. Another 6-10 finish appears likely, especially with the Bears and Vikings looking like competitors.
22. New York Jets - Rex Ryan has done a lot to improve the defense and building it around Bart Scott is a great place to start. Still, Mark Sanchez is no Matt Ryan, and I don't see the defense carrying them like the Ravens' D did for Flacco in 2008. Try again next year.
21. Buffalo Bills - They're just buried in a division that's a little too good for them right now. Trent Edwards is still developing, and if they bring in Vick (which is where I see him going now), they will add another bit of attention and a potential playmaker that could help them win that extra one or two games they need to push for a wildcard spot. Until then, welcome to the 20s.
20. Dallas Cowboys - I don't buy this team. Period. They did not improve in the offseason, they are relying on Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton, and their defense was mediocre last year.
The Muddled Middle
19. San Francisco 49ers - I like them this year, I like Singletary, and I like what they've done with the defense. Still, no quarterback and no wide receivers = no more than 8 wins.
18. New Orleans Saints - Another average team in a slightly above average division. Brees will make it fun, but they've still got a hill to climb.
17. Washington Redskins - No one knows how the Redskins will look this year, but they will probably either be great or awful. A middle-of-the-pack ranking represents the mean.
16. Seattle Seahawks - Good upside for our Hawks this year, but there is too much left to prove to rank them any higher than 16, and after last year, this might be pushing it. Our O-line, quarterback, receivers, D-line and linebackers all have to be healthy. Oh, and our pro-bowl corner, him too. Injury concerns linger, but we've got the talent to compete.
15. Houston Texans - I like the defense and I think Matt Schaub has a good shot at a breakout season this year if Johnson can stay healthy. Look for Owen Daniels and Steve Slaton to be huge contributors.
14. Chicago Bears - Jay Cutler is a good quarterback, fine, but he's a whiny little twirp and without Brandon Marshall (or any other NFL caliber WRs for that matter), I don't see the Bears succeeding. The defense is still good, and is actually probably underrated after people got tired of all the hype for the last three years.
13. Miami Dolphins - The Wildcat won't work as well this year, and they'll be going up against Tom Brady, not Matt Cassel. A good team, but not a great one. They could slip fast.
The Good, Not Great
12. Arizona Cardinals - This is not hating on a division rival, its just looking realistically at a team that got hot at the right time after having an incredible light year with injuries. They were 3-7 against non-NFC West teams this year. All three teams could split with the Cards this year, and suddenly they'd be 6-10. They may have gotten better this offseason, but they won't be near the Super Bowl.
11. Carolina Panthers - With the loss of their big run stopper and the secret being out about DeAngelo Williams and J-Stew, I wouldn't necessarily expect these guys to take the crown in the South this year. Still, a good team up and down, just not a great team.
10. San Diego Chargers - The Chargers get a lot of hype because they're fun and flashy, but ultimately there are a lot of questions. Will LT stay healthy? Merriman? Can Phil Rivers repeat last year's performance? I think they're probably a bit better than I'm giving them credit for, but they refuse to step up and prove it when it counts.
9. Philadelphia Eagles - They have a lot of promise and I like who they acquired in the off season, but the injury bug is already decimating them and their new-look O-Line will have precisely 0 reps together by week one. They'll be slow out of the gates, but I think they are still one of the best teams top to bottom in the league right now.
8. Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens will again have a great defense and a mediocre offense. That will get you somewhere, but that somewhere is not the AFC Championship game.
7. Tennessee Titans - Faking the first punt of the year in preseason shows that Fisher has still got it and is still as ballsy as ever. The real question is what this defense looks like without Haynesworth hunkered down in the middle. It's a very big question mark.
The Great
6. Atlanta Falcons - I'm very hesitant to put them up this high, but I see the NFC South as a weakened division and them as the chief benefactors. Michael Turner is not as good as his stats indicate, but he and Jerious Norwood are more than adequate to keep Matt Ryan terrifying. Tony Gonzalez is a huge boon this year, and a happy Roddy White is perhaps even bigger.
5. Minnesota Vikings - They've got it all - solid defense from front to back, best RB in the game (by most estimates), and a quietly solid WR group. However, no quarterback. It's like Denver or San Francisco, but with pro-bowlers all around.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers - Blech. They won, that's cool, they probably deserve the top spot, but I don't quite see them repeating.
3. Indianapolis Colts - It does not appear that they are going to be dropping off signficantly without Dungy, which means they should be a force to be reckoned with again. They were the best team in the NFL the second half of last season.
The Elite
2. New York Giants - Are they great? Eh, I don't know. I like the defense but I don't like the WR spot. Still, they get to be the top NFC team going into the preseason. They should really be around #5-6, but I wanted AFC-NFC in the top two spots. Haha.
1. New England Patriots - Go Dolphins.
written by Gonzo, August 13, 2009
Also, Cincy does have a quality #2 behind OchoCinco -- they signed Laverneus Coles.
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written by Hawksince77, August 13, 2009
On offense, if things take a normal course (and not a disastrous one) the passing game will be very difficult to defense, and the running game will be effective. "Making them defend the entire field" is music to my ears. Throw the ball downfield; throw in a trick play or two; and then pound the ball in the middle.
Now I thought the same thing last year, and was most wrong about the defense, given they returned all eleven starters and seemed to have a good year in 2007. Without the injuries I think Seattle wins the West in 2008, but makes little headway in the play-offs because their defense was weak and the offense mediocre.
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written by Seahawk Addicts, August 13, 2009
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written by BillT, August 13, 2009
I know you're trying hard not to be a homer but this looks like you've swung too far the other way and become an anti-homer. I'm not necesssarily suggesting that you should bump Seattle up in your rankings just that I think with the insider knowledge you have (going to the Seahawk practices and watching the team develop), you should have ranked Seattle either just behind the Cardinals or just ahead of them. Moving Arizona back or Seattle forward is debatable. Come on Chris, don't sell your own team short trying to show that you're objective. Would you trade the Cardinals team for the Seattle team right now in a monumental swap? If not, your assertion that they're 4 teams better than us is invalid. I would have put the Seahawks at around 12 or 13 right now and Arizona just behind them.
The second one is the Vikings. A top 5 ranking for a team without a good (if not great) quarterback doesn't fly with me. Being weak in any other position can be made up for but the quarterback is the one position that can make or break your team no matter what the level of play and support around him. Minnesota will most likely be in the playoffs but not as the second highest seed in the NFC behind the Giants.
BillT (homer and damn proud of it).
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written by Pacificsands, August 13, 2009
(1) The Buffalo Bills aren't going to be anywhere near the 21st team in the league. Edwards is a young and talented quarterback with a lot of poise and he just got a great new weapon in T.O. - the defense is a major question mark, but the offense should be good enough to carry them to a better-than-average mark on the season.
(2) Like the seahawks, the Bengals and Chiefs are both teams that could drastically exceed expectations this year, and it seems to me that the Bengals at least are ranked a little low on your prospective rankings.
(3) Colts / Patriots at #1 - the Pats had a good season last year without their most important player, but ranking them #1 again before he's even played a snap is premature. Manning battled back hard from injury last year and took the colts storming through the second half of the season, losing in an absolute freak occurrence game to the chargers in the first round. They probably should have won the super bowl last year, but sometimes stuff happens. Still, they're the best team in the league going in.
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written by nightwulf, August 13, 2009
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written by Seahawk Addicts, August 13, 2009
Cardinals first: I believe that the Seahawks will beat the Cardinals and win the West. This is about where the teams should be ranked in Power right now; the Cards beat the Hawks twice last year and won the division. To not have them in front of us wouldn't make sense. The bottom line is, I don't think the Hawks are a top 12 team yet. We haven't proven anything this year, and while I believe we will prove it and we will quickly jump up the charts, the fact that I have a 4-12 team at #16 right now should indicate that I've already heavily considered the information I've seen at the camps and read during the offseason. Injuries at Offensive Line are mounting and are significant. I can't trust that we will be a top-10 team if we don't even know who our line is.
As far as the Cardinals, I believe they have improved in the offseason. They have improved each of the last three years. If this team were playing last year (assuming a healthy Warner through the year), I give them an extra game or two. Wells should help their run game, they have an extra year of cohesion, and their defense has gotten better in the secondary.
The NFC West is going to be a competition this year, and I'm happy about that. I think we're going to win that competition and I think we're going to beat the Cards straight up twice. But to make arguments like they are a poor road team when we have been one of the worst the last couple of years just doesn't quite hold water for me.
As for the Vikings: I would not have them in the top 5 if not for the Eagles injury problems. They will benefit from a mediocre division, but I see them looking strong right now. Looking at their schedule, they will likely start at least 4-1, likely 5-0.
@Cleveland, @Detroit, SF, Green Bay, @St Louis. When you've got three away games against 3 of the 5 worst teams, you're looking okay.
Still, I didn't like putting them up there because I'm not a believer in those clownboats. I don't believe in Michael Turner either though, and someone had to be the second-best NFC team, so AP won out.
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written by yoda69, August 13, 2009
When yo get into the middle, you could put all of these teams in a hat and potentially pick out a playoff team or even a AFC/NFC title game contender. The most disagreement I find is with the top ten.
I would defininately put Seattle at 10. Not too high, but with a few issues to keep us from the top 5. San diego may find their window on this batch has closed. I don't think that MErriman will ever be the same again and every year brings LT closer to the mythical 30 years old is too old for a RB. Sophomore slump for Ryan and Flacco means a bit too high of ecpectation for ATL and BAL respectively. As much as I don't wanna say it, Pittsburgh may be the best in the league this year, but their defense is aging.
Indy will have a LOT of issues this year. Too many new things for Manning to deal with. New HC, New OC, New OL coach and a bad defense means 8-8....maybe. The pats will always be good as long as teams have to play at Foxboro in December.
JUujst my 2 cents
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written by JonV, August 13, 2009
Screw everyone else.
Even with our line and RB.
I'm so optimistic.
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written by S.TTBM, August 13, 2009
Chicago may have a qb, but thier defense is OLD, and fading, and they have a whole crew of WR's that couldnt make our practice squad. I do think Forte is a stud, and would much rather have him than Lawrence Jackson and Julius Jones. Damn you Ruskell!
Only the 2000 Ravens won with a mediocre qb, and I for one think Dilfer was a much better qb than he showed that year. They had a lousy offensive system. I still wonder what he would have done if Holmy hadnt started the young and sucky Hasselbeck over him here in Seattle....So, point is Minnesota aint going anywhere with Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Ronsefels.
And Carolina--inconsistent aging qb, punk ass WR with no true number 2--just a number 3 WR and some scrubs. Two fine RB's and a decent line--but they arent going far without some more upgrades. And thier defense is mediocre. Not better than Seattle, not even if we spot them 7 points.
Arent the Texans supposed to win every year--and they never do?! What happens if Andre Johnson is hurt again? Oh, yeah--they lose lose lose. They are the Seahawks of 1985-1990: a 7-9, 9-7 team.
Power rankings are largely based on paper talent on the roster: not on what happened last year. Or at least they should be. If you look at the last five years trends and the current rosters, Seattl has a better win percentage and better talent than all those teams.
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written by Papahawk, August 13, 2009
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written by Papahawk, August 13, 2009
power rankings mean less to life than a turd in the bottom of an outhouse.
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written by Bingtotal, August 13, 2009
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written by Seahawk Addicts, August 13, 2009
I don't buy the Cowboys and I don't believe they would win 9/10. We're talking decent offense and bad defense versus bad offense and good defense. I would take the 49ers 5.01 times out of 10.
I love these things, great for discussion!
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written by durteehawk, August 13, 2009
Wait until week 5 then make your power rankings known. By week five you also have a better idea of what the teams season will look like.
I still think Seattle is at least 11 or 12 though.
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written by Papahawk, August 13, 2009
At least the 49ers have the makings of an elite defense, with a great LB.
The 49ers plan in the NFC West and have a HOF coach.
The Cowboys have an old offensive line, a prima donna QB, a running back that is likely to miss time to injury, worse receivers than the Hawks, and a defense that has plenty of holes.
They do have Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware, who are good.
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written by Seahawk Addicts, August 13, 2009
Just because they are stupid doesn't mean they don't serve a purpose, especially on a quiet day...
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written by GnarlyHawk, August 13, 2009
Be hopefull, but not blind, homers!
Go Hawks.
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written by BillT, August 14, 2009
I don't necessarily disagree with the #16 ranking just with the Cardinals being ranked 4 teams better. They can be ahead of us because they won the West last season but they should be just ahead of us as in the next team in the rankings. Over the last 5 years we have still been the team to dominate the West and just because we had a totally freakish injury year, that doesn't give the Cards the reason to come in be ranked 4 teams better than we are. Especially when they didn't power past everyone last year. They won a lot of close decisions and are not any better road team than we are. That's all I was really saying.
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written by DougH, August 14, 2009
Hawks will sweep the NFC west easily 6-0
They'll beat the Bears, Jags, Lions and Bucs 10-0
They will SMACK the "Boys, Fudge Packers, and Vikes
13-0
Titans, Texans and colts could go either way, so I'll give up the edge and go 1 and 2 here, so our final tally for the year is:
14W - 2L
Maybe two other teams
Like NE and the Colts get there, Maybe the Stealers too (I hope)
So in the end, that places us in the top 4, and certainly in the SB against whoever wins amongst these other three AFC teams.
Hopefully a crushing anialation of the Stealers to win the SB.
See if you do this scientifically, it's much easier to come to the correct final analysis
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written by S.TTBM, August 14, 2009
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written by MontanaMike, August 14, 2009
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So I guess that would put us at number 11. Not bad. I still think the only question mark this team has is Tru's injury and the offensive line. And Unger is going to take RG away from Wrotto, Sims and Spencer look better, and Willis is ready to steal RT away from Lock...so there is hope. We can compete for a championship--if the O-line holds.