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.

The Life and Times of Tim (Tebow)

Enjoy this moment Tim!

…because it wont last.

Sorry but you’ll be a shitty NFL player.  Get ready to follow in the footsteps of recent heisman winning QB’s like Troy Smith, Matt Leinart, Jason White, Eric Crouch, Chris Weinke, and Danny Wuerffel.  Sam Bradford:  the jury’s still out on you, have fun on the Lions never year.

Note to Tebow:   No running QB succeeds in the NFL.  Why? because NFL players are faster and hit harder than college players  (just ask Tavaris Jackson).  Your size and speed will be comepletely nuetralized by NFL defenses.  Look at the recent track record of run-happy QBs:  Steve McNair was probably the most successful, but he broke down early.  Vick was the most talented but never led the Falcons to anything, and is now in jail.  And then there’s the most recent, and most accurate QB comparison…

Tim Tebow is basically the white Vince Young.  Young was a great college QB, who won a national title (against a USC team that featured Reggie Bush and fellow NFL bust Matt Leinart) and gained media attention for his exciting style of play and crazy college numbers.  Like Tebow, he relied on his legs more than his arm.  Where is he now?  Mr. “Invincible” is currently riding the bench on suicide watch while a 40 year old QB who was washed up 5 years ago led his team to the best record in the AFC.  Thats a bright future to look forward to Tim!

Now don’t get me wrong, Tim Tebow was a great college player.  He put up incredible numbers on a talented Florida team and won the Heisman as a sophomore.  But lets face it, anyone could win with that team.  Chris Leak (not drafted, currently in CFL) won with that team 2 years ago.  When you play for a powerhouse football school where everyone on the field is an NFL prospect, its easy to look good.  Its easy to become overrated.

But all isn’t lost for poor Tim.  He’ll be drafted, although not in the first round.  He’ll ride the bench on a crappy team and maybe even get a chance to start.  But ultimately, his NFL career will never live up to the hype.  Luckily for Tebow, unlike most college football busts, his off the field activities could actually land him a job that doesn’t lead to prison.  Plus he has this to look forward to.

I guess it could be worse.

Currently Listenting to:  Silversun Pickups – Little Lover’s So Polite

more to come…