Week 7 NFL Power Rankings

We’re kicking things off with the first edition of my weekly NFL power rankings. Hopefully, this will run every Tuesday or so. These were harder to make than I expected due to the ridiculous number of terrible teams this year.  It may be a few more weeks before we know who’s for real and who’s not.

These rankings are based solely on my opinions and mean absolutely nothing. The way I see it, there are 5 tiers of teams right now, starting with:

Legit Contenders

1. Colts 6-0 – I hate the Colts but damn do they look good right now. The Pats trip to Indy in mid November should be a show.
2. Saints 6-0 – They got a scare in Miami, but came out unscathed. That was a character building win and should help them down the road. The Superdome will be a tough place to play in the playoffs.
3. Broncos 6-0 – Denver is only this high because they haven’t lost. Once they do, I’m dropping them down a tier. I refuse to believe they’re really this good.
4. Patriots 5-2 – Maybe a bit high, but if Brady returns to form (and it seems like he has) then the Pats will be hard to beat.
5. Steelers 5-2 – A big win over the Vikings proves that the Steelers are for real.
6. Vikings 6-1 – Vikings fans got their first glimpse of the REAL Favre last week. If they really want to contend, they need to limit his chances to blow it.
7. Giants 5-2 – I’m surprised to see them this low, but 2 straight losses have Giants fans worried. With only 1 quality win (@Dallas), the G-Men have a lot to prove next week in Philly.
8. Bengals 5-2 – Too high you say? Child pleeez. The numbers don’t lie (wins against GB, Pit, Bal, and Chi).

Potentially Frisky in the Playoffs

9. Cardinals 4-2 – The Cards looked good in that win over NY, but don’t expect another miracle run in the playoffs.
10. Falcons 4-2 – Another team thats hard to figure out. They’ve looked good in their 4 wins but terrible in both losses.
11. Packers 4-2 – Aaron Rodgers looks great and they’ve taken care of business against bad teams. Favre’s return to Lambeau should be entertaining.
12. Eagles 4-2 – The Eagles bounced back after an embarrassing loss to the Raiders, but how good are they? They haven’t beaten a quality opponent yet. That could change next week when the Giants come to town.
13. Ravens 3-3 – Another potential paper tiger, they’ve beaten bad teams and lost to good ones. The schedule isn’t kind in the 2 weeks (Den, @Cincy).

Fighting to lose in round 1

14. Cowboys 4-2 – The win against Atlanta was a shocker, but I’m still convinced that the Cowboys suck. Unfortunately the NFC is so bad that they might be able to sneak into the playoffs.
15. Jets 4-3 – The Sanchize bounced back after a few bad weeks, but I don’t see them making any noise in the postseason.
16. Chargers 3-3 – Everyone expected them to cruise to a division title, but now they find themselves 3 games out. Making the playoffs might be difficult with Baltimore, NY and Houston chasing the final wild card.
17. Texans 4-3 – Is this the year they finally break 8-8? I say no.
18. Bears 3-3 – So much for Jay Cutler turning them into contenders.
19. 49ers 3-3 – I drank the Mike Singletary Kool-Aid after a 3-1 start, but this team screams 7-9.

Teams with serious issues

20. Jaguars 3-3 – Any team that goes to overtime against the Rams isn’t for real.
21. Dolphins 2-4 – The Dolphins went up 24-3 against an unusually turnover prone Saints team, only to blow the game in the final minutes. The Wildcat has been working but it doesn’t help in a 2 minute drill.
22. Bills 3-4 – Ryan Fitzpatrick leads Buffalo to 2 straight wins? I don’t get it. I think its safe to say that the T.O. experiment was a failure.
23. Seahawks 2-4 – Have these guys ever been healthy? I can’t remember. Luckily for Seattle they play in the NFC West.

Just plain awful

24. Panthers 2-4 – How is Jake Delhomme still employed? Carolina’s only wins are against Washington and @Tampa Bay.
25. Chiefs 1-6 – The Chiefs have been frisky, and they’ve played a harder schedule than most teams in this tier. Don’t be surprised if they win a few more.
26. Lions 1-5 – See above. Expect Detroit to get win #2 next week against St. Louis.
27. Redskins 2-5 – I’m convinced the Skins are awful. They’ve lost to Detroit, KC and Carolina, while only beating the winless Bucs and Rams. Jim Zorn’s days are numbered.
28. Raiders 2-5 – Oakland is the only bad team with a quality win (Phi), but I can’t move them up when they average under 9 points a game and JaMarcus Russell is their QB.
29. Browns 1-6 -Another team with an inept offense. How bad must Brady Quinn be if Derek Anderson is still the starter?
30. Bucs 0-7 – With a decent QB and a competent coach the Bucs could win a few. Unfortunately they have neither. Who’s ready for the Josh Freeman era?
31. Titans 0-6 – Wow, what happened to these guys? The 59-0 loss to the Patriots was the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever seen. Jeff Fisher should be fired for that game alone.
32. Rams 0-7 – The worst scoring offense(8.6 ppg) and defense(30.1 ppg) in the NFL. The ’08 Lions might have company.

Giving this another shot

Obviously its been awhile since I last posted on this thing, but I want to get back at it. I’ve got a few ideas for regular features and maybe even some guest writers. Expect unique takes on sports and entertainment, hopefully with some comedy mixed in. If all goes as planned, I’ll be moving this to its own domain soon. Stay tuned.

Red Sox Midseason Power Rankings

I thought I’d combine my love for power rankings with my love of the Red Sox.  These rankings are based on 1st half performance, pre-season expectations, and other random criteria that just pulled out of my ass.  Without further adieu, here’s my 2009 Midseason Red Sox Roster Power Rankings:

jason bay

becket

kevin youkilis

jacoby ellsbury

wakefield

ram ram

oki

nick green

paps

jason varitek

lester

dustin pedroia

bard

drew

penny

delcarmen

masterson

saito

ortiz

lowell

rocco

kotsay

dice k/smoltz

kottaras

lugo

1. Jason Bay LF– JBay is leading the team in home runs/RBI but is mired in a month long slump.  He still anchors the lineup, but unless he starts bringing that average up, expect him to slide in these rankings
2. Josh Becket P – after a slow start Beckett looks like the guy who carried us in 2007.  With the offense currently struggling, we need him to remain nasty now more than ever.
3. Kevin Youkilis 1B – YOOOOOUUUUUKK!!!!  Like Bay, Youk had a hot start but has been struggling recently.  If the Sox offense is ever going to get going it will probably start with Youk.
4. Jacoby Ellsbury CF – The kid can do it all, it seems.  Jacobs is playing gold glove center field, and since his drop in the order has found some unexpected power.  His steal of home against the Yankees might be the highlight of the season so far.
5. Tim Wakefield P – Wake has given us everything we could ask for this year.  His 10 wins are tied for the lead in the AL, and at 42, he’s making his first All Star appearance.  He has a history of breaking down in the second half, so Tito will have to manage him carefully.
6. Ramon Ramirez P – The first member of the bullpen to make the list, Ram Ram has been a pleasant surprise so far.  His 1.03 WHIP leads the team and he’s been a key part of the best pen in the league.
7. Hideki Okajima P – See above. Ram and Oki have been solid all year in the setup role.
8. Nick Green SS – I’m putting Green here because of how much he has exceeded expectations.  For a guy that was supposed to be in Pawtucket, Green has filled in nicely in Lowrie’s absence.  His bat is steady and his glove has been improving all year.  Not a week goes by without a web gem worthy play from this guy.  Julio who?
9. Jonathan Papelbon P – Paps is sure making it interesting this year, but the numbers don’t lie: 24 saves and a 1.70 ERA.  I’ll take that any day.
10. Jon Lester P – Expect him to rise on these rankings if he continues his June numbers.  After early struggles, Lester looks back to normal.
11. Dustin Pedroia 2B – Pedey hasn’t been the MVP this year and he struggled mightily as the leadoff hitter.  Now that he’s back in the 2 hole, expect his numbers to return to normal.
12. Jason Varitek C – Another player who’s quietly exceeding expectations.  With Tek, any offense is a plus, and so far he’s hitting .240 with 12 home runs.  I’ll take it.
13. Daniel Bard P – Finally the Sox have a fireballer in the pen.  I love watching this kid pitch.  If Paps breaks down or leaves in the next few years, expect Bard to get the call.
14. J.D Drew RF – Drew annoys the crap outta me, but his numbers aren’t terrible and he plays decent D.   If he can stop watching strike 3 go by, I’d be a lot happier.
15. Brad Penny P – No longer trade bait, Penny looks more like a 3/4 starter.  Another pleasant surprise.
16. Mike Lowell 3B – Decent numbers, but his hip is a major concern.  Don’t be surprised is the Sox go after a 1B/3B type player at the deadline just in case.
17. Justin Masterson P – Not quite the lights out setup man from last year, but he’s still the most versatile pitcher on the roster, and an invaluable part of the pen.
18. Manny Delcarmen P – The last 2 bullpen guys are almost interchangeable.  Both have been solid, but don’t get much action and could get decent value in a trade.
19. Takashi Saito P – Decent fill in closer, when the Sox actually decide to use him.  The most likely to be traded.
20. David Ortiz DH – Overall, Big Papi has been a disappointment this year, but he had a good June, so the critics have backed off.
21. Rocco Baldelli OF – Nice story, good bad off the bench.  Still not sure if he can be a full time injury replacement.
22. Mark Kotsay 1B/OF – Too early to tell, but seems decent enough as a backup.
23. Diasuke Matsuzaka / John Smoltz P – I’m lumping these two together because they’ve split time and been equally ineffective.  Smoltz shows some promise, but keeps giving up big innings.  Dice-K’s future is in serious jeopardy, lets hope they find out what’s wrong.
24. George Kottaras C – No wonder the Sox wanted Teagarden/Salty/Montero.  This guy can’t hit for shit, but he handles Wake ok.
25. Julio Lugo SS/Waste of Money – Who else? The $36 million pile of dog shit has quitely been hitting well in limited action.  But his defense is still a disaster and he’s been thoroughly outshined by a minor leaguer 2 seasons in a row.  He’s the only player I’ve seen in a long time getting consistently booed by the home crowd at Fenway.  Just a train wreck.

Until next time…

Currently listening to: Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses