I've decided to spice this week's column up a bit. Because we're approaching the NFL's midseason point, the part of the season where everyone just loves to examine the quality of every single team's play, and because it's been a full year since I did this, I bring to you the exciting return of The mj15 Blog's NFL POWER RANKINGS! From worst to first, it's the Internet's 352,343rd different opinion on the current state of pro football's balance of power (with picks right after, of course!). We begin with the bottom of the pack, so as to save the best for last.
THE WINLESS
32. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-7)
Heading into Sunday night, I actually thought it was going to be a challenge to decide which of the league's three current winless teams was the worst as each have made some pretty damn good cases. But then Indianapolis managed to allow 62 points to the Saints (the largest point total for the team since the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1999 Playoffs), and that made my decision a helluva lot easier.
31. MIAMI (0-6)
Any team that allows an opponent who signals their plays from a mile way and has a quarterback that looks like he's throwing out of bounds every other down to come back from a 15 point deficit in the final five minutes of regulation to win in overtime deserves the terrible record that they have. In other words, I think Reggie Bush is right. Also, if you're the Dolphins front office, why don't you just end Tony Sparano's misery and fire him already? It's not like even he has hope of staying.
30. ST. LOUIS RAMS (0-6)
Congratulations, St. Louis. You manage to be the tallest midget in the room of winless teams.
A year ago, the Rams came within a win of making it to the postseason. Nearly ten months later, and they can't even get their offense to score 10 points (their current ppg average stands at 9.3)! Not only that, but their schedule has been pitifully brutal, while their defense is just non-existent at this point (with the lowest amount of points they've given up this season stands at 17) and franchise QB Sam Bradford (though that might possibly change if the Rams land that coveted #1 draft spot) is now injured and out for at least a game. The team does have a few winnable games in the next few weeks, so maybe they will come out of rock bottom soon. Otherwise, they better hope that the Cardinals World Series honeymoon lasts throughout the winter for their fans to not give a crap.
NOT WINLESS, BUT STILL GOD-AWFUL
29. ARIZONA (1-5)
If some people are saying that Peyton Manning deserves an MVP award for what the Colts have done in their absence, then Kurt Warner deserves a MacArthur Genius Grant. This season was supposed to be the year that Kevin Kolb was going to fill that void and turn the team around into a great offense again. And while Kolb has helped the offense improve statistic wise (from 31st last season to 13th today), that doesn't exclude the fact that he has had more turnovers this season (7) than touchdowns (5). Then again, it's kind of harsh to put sole blame on the Cardinals struggles on Kolb. Their offensive line is one of the ten worst in the league, their defense is classic Arizona in their delinquency, and they have given up at least three games they should have won.
Also, first with Donovan McNabb, and now Kevin Kolb. Andy Reid may be terrible at clock management, but at least he knows when to give up his quarterbacks. Speaking of teams that have/had Donovan McNabb...
28. MINNESOTA (1-5)
The one good thing going for them is the fact that they have #28 behind center as their running back. Otherwise, this is going to be one long, miserable winter for Vikings fans and one very interesting learning experience for rookie Christian Ponder.
27. JACKSONVILLE (2-5)
It's a testament towards how bad the Jaguars have been this season, specifically on the offensive side of the football, that Joe Flacco would turn the ball over two times and go 6/16 for 8 yards at the midway point of the third quarter against them last week, yet still manage to outperform Blaine Gabbert in yards. It's going to take a '99 Ravens-esque performance by their defense (the one bright side to their Monday night win) throughout the rest of the season for the Jaguars to at least be respectable.
26. SEATTLE (2-4)
When your team is missing Tavaris Jackson and Marshawn Lynch (only 3 points last week against Cleveland without the two), then it's not one that you pin your hopes on succeeding.
JESUS H. CHRIST!
25. Denver (2-4)
Try to exclude those final ten or so minutes from Sunday's win if you could, and you will agree with me that the Broncos are still a mediocre football team. Also, watching Woody Paige enabling the Tebow-mania on the national stage on "Around the Horn" has upgraded my hatred for him (and anyone who is a part of this Tebow splurging and meme creating, really) to DEFCON-9. I hope that Ndamukong Suh actually does make the medical staff "get the cart" on Tebow this week, just so I don't have to hear the media self-create Brett Favre 2.0 (Pious edition!) any more.
A POOR EXCUSE OF A .500 TEAM
24. CLEVELAND (3-3)
The have three wins, two of which have come against the league's remaining winless teams (at Indy in week 2, vs. Miami in week 3), while one came in one of the worst competitive games you will see all year against Seattle. Their defense has been really solid at this point (#4 in yards allowed, #1 in passing), but when the best quarterback that you faced is arguably Andy Dalton, their performance should be taken with a grain of salt. Outside of their defense, the offense is mediocre and they have around fifteen percent of their roster injured, which shouldn't bode well for them as they head on the road to San Francisco and Houston for the next two weeks.
THE LIST GETS BETTER, EVER MORE SLOWLY...
23. CAROLINA (2-5)
One electrifying rookie quarterback, one mediocre defense. That's really all you need to know about this Carolina Panthers season.
22. TENNESSEE (3-3)
21. WASHINGTON (3-3)
20. KANSAS CITY (3-3)
Three .500 teams that are all pretty much equally as good as the other, so I'm just going to judge it like Janet Jackson, by looking at what they've done lately. Tennessee has had two embarrassing losses in a row while Chris Johnson keeps ruining every other running back's chances of getting another $30 million contract in the process, so they're the worst of the group at this point. Washington has also lost two in a row and while it's doubtful that they will get back into the top of the NFC East standings with Buffalo & San Francisco in the rear view mirror, I still think that they could beat the Titans head-to-head. And then there's the Chiefs, who have been going the complete opposite direction of the other two teams. Since starting out the season 0-3, the defending AFC West champions have bounced back with three wins a row. A lot of this can be pointed to their rejuvenated offense, highlighted by Dwayne Bowe's three 100 yard performances in 4 games and Jackie Battle doing great in the absence of Jamaal Charles..or a lot of it could be pointed just to the fact that they played the Vikings, the Colts and a Kyle Boller led Raiders. Either way, a win streak is a win streak, and that's precisely why I have them as the better of the three.
19. PHILADELPHIA (2-4)
Ironically, none of these three teams mentioned above are better (at least in my mind) than the under .500 team located at Will Smith's hometown. Sure, they're off to a disappointing start. And sure, their defense has been putrid and has made ruined the work done by their top ten ranked offense. But if there's any team that's off to a bad start but could bounce back with a great second half, it has to be this team...right? Who knows, maybe their win two weeks ago against the Redskins was the thing they needed to get back to the right track.
UNDECIDED ON HOW I FEEL ABOUT THEM
18. TAMPA BAY (4-3)
It isn't a good sign for a promising team like the Bucs to be allowing over 390 yards a game on defense. Nor is it a good sign that their two best running backs (LaGarrette Blount and Earnest Graham) are both injured, that Josh Freeman has dipped in his level of play compared to last season (this season, for instance, he has four more interceptions than during all of last season), or even that they had to win all of their four victories in close fashion. That being said, they have done very well in the always important divisional matchups (2-0, baby!), so they do like a team that will be fighting for a spot in the playoffs from now until week 17. They have three interesting games on their schedule following the bye week (at NO, vs. HOU, at GB). If they can get at least two out of three, then consider me an official part of the Tampa bandwagon.
17. CINCINNATI (4-2)
While their defense has been impressive thus far, their offense has played very average and the wins they have had (outside of their week 5 Buffalo win) have not convinced me that this is a team that go play anyone, anywhere, and win. Their mid-November showdowns against divisional rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore will prove to be the true determination.
One thing, however, is for sure: Mike Brown is a lucky bastard with how the Carson Palmer situation has turned out. Two potential first round picks for an aging, B-level at best, quarterback? That's more fortunate than the box office numbers for "The Help"!
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
16. DALLAS (3-3)
You have to like the performance of a team that, even in their losses, still held at least one lead at some point (and, in the case of their losses to the Jets and the Lions, huge leads screwed up by Tony Romo's costly interceptions). Their offense (#4 overall, #6 in points) and their Rob Ryan defense (#7 overall, #1 in rushing defense) are both currently one of the ten best in the league statistically, and rookie DeMarco Murray (who rushed for 253 yards last week against the Rams, the most yards any running back has had in a game this season) just might be that new weapon to make the offense even better. Then again, this is the Cowboys, and you just never know what to expect out of them week-by-week.
15. OAKLAND (4-2)
Not a great start to the Carson Palmer era, to say the least (8 for 21, 3 INT). However, the Raiders do have a bye week, and if they can get the rust out of Palmer's system while also continuing their effective running game (nearly 160 yards on average), their offense (and an easy schedule going forward) should be good enough to make this team a clear cut challenger to the Chargers for the wide open AFC West crown.
THE REBOUNDERS
14. ATLANTA (4-3)
I own two fantasy football teams. One is 7-0 and the other is 1-6. Guess which of these teams do I have Matt Ryan in?
Trick question! I own Matt Ryan on both of these teams. The only difference is that on the 7-0 team I have the common sense to start Tom Brady instead.
13. NEW YORK JETS (4-3)
For five weeks, this team was a shell of their former self. Their defense looked old and unable to stop anybody, Mark Sanchez was typical Mark Sanchez (and not the good kind), and their running game has never looked worse since Nick Mangold got injured. Now, two weeks later...well, they're still the same team I suppose, only this time Plaxico Burress decided to be a good receiver again and catch multiple touchdowns on the same week as the majority of his fantasy owners dropped him (Not cool, Plax!). So why do I have them ranked so high? Respect, I suppose. A team that has made it to two straight AFC Championship gets quite a bit of leeway, in my opinion, especially after starting the first seven games over .500 despite their bad play on both sides of the football.
ALMOST THERE...
12. HOUSTON (4-3)
For the first time in franchise history, the Houston Texans are in first place of the AFC South this late into the season. And this time, I think that the NFL's perennial "darkhorse" four years running, the one team that everyone hypes as having the personnel to surprise everyone and make the playoffs (before reality ultimately hit around week 4 or so), will actually get it done and make their first playoff appearance in franchise history. Thanks to Peyton Manning's neck injury, the Texans are in a wide open division with only the Titans being their one major competitor for the crown, and we all just saw this team crush Tennessee 41-7 a week ago. Not only that, but their schedule remains for the taking. From this week's game against the Jaguars to their game against the Falcons in early December, I could easily see them go undefeated, padding their current 1/2 game lead simultaneously. Will this lead to them going deep into the playoffs? Currently, I don't think so, but if you're a Texas fan, than you're probably more concerned about seeing them actually play some postseason football at this point.
10(tie). CHICAGO (4-3)
I've been fairly skeptical of my home team as of late, so I'm going to spend this portion of the column dedicated to nothing but compliments. First of all, I really do admire the fact that they started out this season with a pretty tough slate of games (tougher than their first seven games of last season) and have still managed to pull themselves up to an over .500 record. At running back, Matt Forte has been playing out of his mind (yay, contract year!), leading the league in all-purpose yards and producing roughly 45% of the Bears offensive gains. While Aaron Rodgers is definitely the season's MVP at this point, he at least deserves a spot in the discussion.
Jay Cutler, despite being stuck with the league's worst offensive line, has done the best with what he currently has and is off to his best start in his career as a Bear. I've also appreciated how Mike Martz has been able to make adjustments to his offense, much like he did around this same time last year, such as shortening the number of drops has to throw the ball and limiting the number of shifts before a play is made. Plus, their defense has played quite well for seven out of their last eighth quarters, with veterans like Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers leading the way in efficiency. Oh, and then there's Devin Hester, now officially the greatest return man ever, but that's really nothing new from the man.
The Bears also entered their week seven bye week 4-3 and ended up going to the NFC Championship game soon after. This could very well be because of my hometown bias, but this team does have a pretty good chance of churning another playoff spot out of their current near-.500 start. After all, it's not their offensive line has a chance to not improve at all.
10 (tie). DETROIT (5-2)
I have really been enjoying the reaction from Lions fans these past two weeks. Two straight losses in a row, and one injury to Jahvid Best, and it's panic time in the Motor City (like the fact that three out of their five wins this season coming on second half comebacks weren't reason enough to believe that maybe they weren't exactly this unstoppable force that nobody could stop)! If there's any Lions fan reading this, I assure you: as long as Stafford stays healthy, Calvin Johnson keeps switching to his Megatron superpowers, and their defense keep playing as well as they have been thus far, your team will stay in contention throughout the season. Besides the schedule looks pretty favorable towards them, with games against the Broncos, and the Panthers in the next three weeks. Their Thanksgiving game at Green Bay should continue to be a must-watch.
9. SAN DIEGO (4-2)
The Chargers usually play their best football under Norv Turner in the second half of the season (and especially in November). The difference between past seasons and this one is that this San Diego team actually has a decent record heading into this late season stretch.
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
8. BUFFALO (4-2)
One of my favorite teams to watch this season, the Bills are off to their best starts of the 21st Century thanks in large part to Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and a defense that, while not great, can make the key plays when it counts (like in their victories against the Patriots and the Eagles). They're also one of the league's best home teams, always managing to get a win in Ralph Wilson Stadium (usually courtesy of the second half comeback). If they can manage to tweak that defense to stop more points from happening, then there's no doubt that they will prove to be quite the adversary for the Patriots throughout the season.
7. NEW YORK GIANTS (4-2)
The team that creeped up to first place in the NFC East, thanks in large part to one of the best starts to a season for Eli Manning in his career (278 yards per game, currently 6th best), leading his offense towards the league's 9th best points average at 25.7. And you know what? This team has the potential of being much better than they currently are as some of their key injuries players like Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Brandon Jacobs recovering by the day. After this week's game against the Dolphins, a game that I have no doubt that they will win, they're going to have an absolutely brutal six week schedule (at NE, at SF, vs. PHI, at NO, vs. GB, at DAL). If they can get out of this stretch still remain in contention for the division and for the playoffs in general, then you know this is a team that could be really dangerous going forward.
TRADITIONAL NFL FOOTBALL AT ITS BEST
6. BALTIMORE (4-2)
Sure they were terrible last week, and sure Joe Flacco is still a quarterback that you can never really trust to produce, but so what? This franchise has always had their fair share of problems in the QB position, yet they always manage to churn out their fair share of playoff appearances thanks to a great defense and rushing attack. This year is no different, with the defense ranked #1 in the league and Ray Rice still putting out good numbers. Also, their next schedule over the next few weeks include teams like the Cardinals, the Seahawks, the Bengals, and the Browns; winnable games that will keep them in the fight for the competitive AFC North crown.
5. SAN FRANCISCO (5-1)
Call it the Jim Harbaugh Effect, I suppose. Since he was hired by the 49ers front office to be their head coach, Harbaugh's attitude and skills as both a manager and a leader have turned this football team around to one of the perennial favorites to win the NFC. Frank Gore continues to put up great numbers, while their defense has become one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers and Alex Smith, so long ridiculed for being a bust, is off to one of his best starts in his career with a 95 passer rating and a 8:2 TD to INT ratio. The 49ers also have another terrific thing going, one that any other team can't claim to have done in the last decade: they have become an exception to the Mike Greenberg theory. Thanks to huge wins at Cincinnati, at Philadelphia and more recently at Detroit, they have become the first West Coast team to win three or more 1 p.m./ET games on the road since the San Francisco 49ers of 1996. That is a really good thing to see from a team by the Pacific Ocean that wants to be able to compete will all the other teams east of them for a spot in Indianapolis this February.
THE ELITE
4. PITTSBURGH (5-2)
They have won three in a row since that disappointing 2-2 start, and both the rust and list of injuries that plagued them in the beginning of the year have slowly deteriorated to the point that the defending AFC championship are now back in the hunt for the Lamar Hunt trophy once more. And as someone who picked them to get back to the Super Bowl, this makes me feel pretty good.
3. NEW ORLEANS (5-2)
I don't care if they faced the Colts last week. 62-7 is 62-7, and this team is good enough to do so. Also, if there's anyone who can possibly seriously compete with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers for the NFC title, it would have to be Drew Saints and the Saints, who went neck and neck against them in week 1. Drew Brees is once again on fire, currently leading the league in passing yards and helping to make his offense the 2nd best in yards per game (467.1), while the runninb back trio of Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles, and Mark Ingram has really been the modern NFL equivalent of Earth, Wind and Fire. Did I mention that they also beat a team 62-7 last week?
2. NEW ENGLAND (5-1)
#1 offense, #32 defense. Luckily for them, that #1 offense includes Tom Brady, and if he can continue his amazing play throughout the season, then there's no reason to doubt that this team will remain among the AFC's best.
THE UNDEFEATED ELITE
1. GREEN BAY (7-0)
Is anyone really surprised by this selection? Not only are they the only undefeated team in the league, but they're offense is out of this world. And then, of course, there's Aaron Rodgers, playing as good as you will ever see a quarterback play in a level that can only be compared to other extraordinary seasons like '04 Peyton Manning and '07 Tom Brady, highlighted by his astounding 71.4% completion percentage and a 125.7 passer rating. They're playing on the top of their game, they have the same core of players that won the title last season, they healthy, and they just look nothing short of unstoppable at the moment. In other words, the Packers are the 1%. The rest are just protesting outside of Zuchotti Park.
Feel free to share your thoughts on the power rankings, while maybe also providing your own, in the comments. Otherwise, let's get down to the moment you've been waiting for: the picks. Because of the amount of space I've wasted for the rankings, here is just the picks without the reasons why:
Arizona Cardinals vs. Baltimore Ravens (-12.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Baltimore
mj50's pick: Arizona
Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers (-3): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Carolina
mj50's pick: Carolina
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans (-9.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Houston
mj50's pick: Houston
Miami Dolphins vs. New York Giants (-9.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New York
mj50's pick: New York
New Orleans Saints (-13.5) vs. St. Louis Rams: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New Orleans (LOCK)
mj50's pick: New Orleans
Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans (-8.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Tennessee
mj50's pick: Tennessee
Washington Redskins vs. Buffalo Bills (-5) (at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada): Sunday-3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Buffalo
mj50's pick: Washington
Detroit Lions (-2.5) vs. Denver Broncos: Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Detroit
mj50's pick: Denver
New England Patriots (-2.5) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Pittsburgh
mj50's pick: Pittsburgh
Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers (-2): Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: San Francisco
mj50's pick: San Francisco
Cincinnati Bengals (-2) vs. Seattle Seahawks: Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Cincinnati
mj50's pick: Seattle
Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles (-3): Sunday- 7:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: Philadelphia ("Not So Sure")
mj50's pick: Philadelphia
San Diego Chargers (-3.5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Monday- 7:35 p.m.
mj15's pick: Kansas City (My UPSET pick)
mj50's pick: Kansas City
mj15 last week: 9-4
mj50 last week: 8-5
mj15 overall: 69-34
mj50 overall: 65-37
Be sure to spot by next Friday for more my week 9 picks. Until then, enjoy the games!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15
If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.
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