NFL Offseason Power Rankings
I watched a recent video on nfl.com where two dopey sportswriters were debating their top five NFL teams and it got me thinking about my own top five, which I then extrapolated into ranking all 32 teams. Once the teams were ordered, I began to notice large gaps in certain spots. So teams 1-9 I believe are 10+ win locks, teams 10-16 are “frisky,” and teams 17-22 are “worth a look” while teams 23-32 are not. I weighted last year’s performance, especially playoffs, with my projections for next year in making this list.
10+ win locks. There were seven AFC teams who had 10 wins or more last season, and I think we’ll see the same thing happen this year. Here’s how I rank the top group.
1. New England – 18-1 is still unbelievable. I would love to see this team suffer from the Super Bowl Loser’s Curse, but for now they are top dog. Jerod Mayo and Adalius Thomas will wreak havoc for their defense next year and Tom Brady’s death star offense is still fully operational.
2. San Diego – This team really showed me something at the end of last season and during the playoffs. They beat Indy at Indy and made it a game against the Patriots without Antonio Gates, Ladainian Tomlinson and half a Philip Rivers. Antonio Cromartie and Shawne Merriman are two of the best playmakers in the game on a defense that is just plain nasty and Philip Rivers seems like he has come into his own. With LT still running like there’s no tomorrow this is their year to make it to the big dance. Experts who can’t see that San Diego is clearly better than Indianapolis have either no guts or little vision. Or both.
3. Indianapolis – This team peaked both offensively and defensively in 2004 when Peyton Manning threw 49 TDs to the likes of Harrison, Wayne, Stokley and Clark and handed the ball off to Edgerrin James and Dominic Rhodes. Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney were just entering their prime and had Gary Brackett, Rob Morris, Cato June and David Thornton behind them. Talent-wise, they have declined since then, and I think this is the year that slippage will catch up to them. If a key player like Freeney or Wayne goes down, it wouldn’t shock me to see them lose the AFC south to either Jacksonville or Tennessee. Still, the NFL is a quarterback’s league, and any team with a modicum of talent will be one of the best as long as Peyton Manning is at the helm.
4. New York Giants – All signs point to the Giants winning the NFC East next season. Don Banks, a sports illustrated writer of little talent, believes the Giants are “going down” next year because of their track record after Super Bowl appearances is six, eight and seven win seasons (after the 1986, 1991 and 2001 super bowls). “Staying hungry after the ultimate success is particularly difficult in the fishbowl that is the New York market” he writes. Using statistics like that is so meaningless as to not even warrant a response. It’s hard to imagine the Giants winning less than 10 games next season with a top-5 defense and a Super Bowl MVP QB with the kind of weapons most offensive coordinators dream of. Right now, it’s us and Dallas, with the rest of the NFC trailing far behind.
5. Dallas Cowboys – This team was loaded with talent before the draft; yet first round picks Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins will contribute right away (that is, unless Jones gets a bad case of Reggie Bush-itis and realizes he can’t hit a home run on every play in the NFL). I downgrade them behind the Giants for three reasons: first, they have more cracks in their armor, particularly in their WR corps, second because I can easily see them imploding under the weight of team cancers like T.O., Pacman Jones and Patrick Crayton, and third because HBO is filming their training camp and we all know how well that worked out for Kansas City last year.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars – How incredibly smart does Jack del Rio look now after making the then-questioned move to dump Byron Leftwich? It was one of those genius-or-insane moves that has turned out to be pure genius. Kudos to him on a ballsy move. Though they made a questionable move in the draft to get Derrick Harvey, there’s no doubt this team is poised to win now. The CB combo of Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams is one of the best in the business and LB Mike Peterson is an admirable captain of this ferocious defense. They get the nod over Pittsburgh for beating them at Heinz Field in the playoffs and, if the ball bounces their way, could wind up on top of the AFC south.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers – This is a team whose success will depend, more than most in this top group, on the production of their draft selections. Ideally, they would like first rounder Rashard Mendenhall to team up with Willie Parker at RB and have second round pick Limas Sweed fill the flanker position opposite Hines Ward so speedster Santonio Holmes can play the slot position. I believe Mendenhall will have an excellent year, but the jury is still out on Sweed. On defense, Casey Hampton is the glue. If he can stay healthy and productive then the LBs will fill their roles so S Troy Polamalu can make plays. OLB James Harrison is a fierce pass rusher and it will be fun to watch him eat immobile AFC North QBs Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer and Derek Anderson alive to the tune of double-digit sacks next season.
8. Cleveland Browns – I’m not sold on QB Derek Anderson yet, especially after he flat out lost the game with a playoff berth on the line. I have zero faith in RB Jamal Lewis’ ability to repeat the kind of production he had last year and I’m not high on Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams being stars yet, as it takes talented free agents about one year to adjust to a new system (see 2007 San Francisco 49ers or 2006 Minnesota Vikings). Cleveland is a talented team no doubt, but they still play second fiddle to Pittsburgh in my book.
9. Tennessee Titans – How did this team make the playoffs last year? Their offense was supposed to revolve around QB Vince Young, but he clocked in with an abysmal sophomore season: 2,546 yards, 9 TDs, 17 INTs, 395 yards rushing, 3 rushing TDs and 10 fumbles (3 lost). Yet despite VY’s sophomore slump + Madden curse induced season, the Titans won 10 games and made the playoffs. From the AFC South no less. I expect to see VY turn it up next season despite a crappy showing from his front office on draft day. Jeff Fisher is a great coach, and the solid coach/QB combo is always a formula for success in this league.
Frisky. All the below teams are competitive, and, with a little luck, could make deep runs into the playoffs. But these organizations are a few pieces short of all-the-way.
10. Green Bay – Drafting Brian Brohm, once considered the best QB prospect in this year’s class, with the second pick of the draft? That’s one heck of a statement the Packer front office is making about their confidence in Aaron Rogers. I understand that competition at every position is important, but the guy has to fill the role under center that Brett Favre just vacated. You’d think he has enough pressure on his shoulders to perform. Still, they have a great defense with players like Aaron Kampman, Atari Bigby, Charles Woodson and Al Harris (oh Al Harris…) and a captain like Nick Barnett.
11. Philadelphia – Much to our chagrin, Philly has been a successful team for a long time with QB Donovan McNabb under center. But what the Eagles’ front office has done to McNabb lately is really a shame. DeSean Jackson? Give this guy some weapons on offense besides Brian Westbrook and we’d be talking rings, not NFC Championship games. McNabb will rebound from his post-ACL surgery year to post solid numbers, but he and the Eagles have missed their chance at a Lombardi Trophy for some time.
12. Minnesota – I couldn’t help but notice Peter King listening to me say “too soon” on his call to put Minnesota #7 on his rankings, ahead of all my picks from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. I like his “nowheresville to Super-Bowl contention” argument, but I’m not ready to crown this team champion of any NFL division just yet (NFC South and West don’t count). They have an amazing running game behind two of the best run-blockers in the league (LT Bryant McKinnie and LG Steve Hutchinson), but the NFL is not a runningback’s league, it’s a quarterback’s league, and when you put it in that perspective, this team have some serious questions. How will mediocre QB Tarvaris Jackson do, and to whom will he throw? Will Sidney Rice break out as the true #1 the Vikings have been looking for all these years? These questions swirl along with the words ADRIAN PETERSON and SOPHOMORE SLUMP (you hear that fantasy owners?) Frankly I just don’t see it. As far as the Jared Allen pickup is concerned, here’s my take: he was a selfish player in Kansas City more concerned with sacks than anything else. I also refer you to the free agents take one year to develop theory.
13. Buffalo – A bit of a surprise pick here, but I think Buffalo will pick up nine wins and a winning record this year behind Stanford QB Trent Edwards. They have a solid defense and rookies Leodis McKelvin and James Hardy will contribute right away to a steadily improving team.
14. Washington – For those doing their math at home, you’d know that the Redskins are the last place team in the NFC East (which, in my opinion, is tied with the AFC South as the toughest division in the league). They’ll have a talented offense this season now that second round picks Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly add some much needed size to a WR group headed by the oft-injured Santana Moss and highest paid slot WR in the league Antwaan Randel El. Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts are still a solid one-two combo, but the defense is hurting from the departure of whiz coordinator Greg Williams. Overall they are an above-average team with the exception of Jason Campbell, who is not the answer at QB. Your organization will come in last place in a division when you’re bringing Campbell to the table while your opponents have Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo.
15. Houston – Much like the Redskins, the Houston Texas are a talented team hampered by an average quarterback in a division where they must contend with the likes of Peyton Manning, Vince Young and David Garrard (who shined in the playoffs last year and deserves every bit of his extension). Like Campbell for the ‘Skins, Houston QB Matt Schaub is capable, but unspectacular.
16. Seattle – Matt Hasselbeck will lead an offense of backups and castoffs (Julius Jones, Maurice Morris, T.J. Duckett, Deion Branch, Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram) to yet another NFC West title (yawn). Some bright spots on defense in Patrick Kerney, Lofa Tatupu and Marcus Trufant make this team marginally competitive against the big boys. Especially at home where they get crowd noise pumped in by Bose.
Worth a look. One of these teams will come out of this list and make the playoffs, and that would be the team from the NFC South - the worst division in football. Still, any of these teams could pull an upset under the right conditions, and some (Jets, Cards) are a year away from being taken seriously.
17. New York Jets – The Jets will reap most of the benefits of their free agent haul in the 2009 season, but still, additions like Calvin Pace, Kris Jenkins and Alan Faneca are sure to improve this team. Too bad there were no QBs on the market, because the answer to the Jet QB woes lies with neither Kellen Clemens nor Chad Pennington. Also, Jet fans should be rejoicing the fact that Darren McFadden did not fall to them. Not because I think McFadden will be a bust, but because Thomas Jones will provide plenty of production (approx. 1,500 total yards), and Vernon Gholston is a perfect rush LB for their 3-4 defense. He and Calvin Pace will wreak havoc together for some time.
18. Carolina – At 18th best team in the league, the future winner of the NFC South finally makes an appearance. At first I was not sold on Carolina winning it, but they have some bright spots: Steve Smith and the Jonathan Stewert/DeAngelo Williams combo will produce some fireworks on offense and John Fox will approach this season with something to prove for his Jon Beason-led defense. If Julius Peppers remembers how to knock down a quarterback and Jake Delhomme keeps himself upright, this division is theirs for the taking.
19. Arizona – I would be fully confident picking this team to be my surprise of 2009 were it not for the offseason grumblings of WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. I thought the Cardinals organization was turning a corner, but losing control of your house like that is a classic Cardinals move. This makes me worry that, despite excellent coaching and good trench play on both sides of the ball, the results of next season will be classic Cardinals as well. I see some flashes from this 8-8 team, but not enough to put them over the hump. Yet.
20. Tampa Bay – Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway, Luke Petitgout, Ike Hilliard and Jeff Garcia. This team’s five year plan seems to be don’t die. Aqib Talib would benefit from learning a thing or two from these wily veterans (emphasis on the latter) before they fossilize.
21. New Orleans – There are weapons here, to be sure, but was anyone surprised that a Sean Payton team would go from incredible to ineffectual in just one year? The same thing happened when he was with the Giants. When Peyton became offensive coordinator in 2000 we went to the Super Bowl, but after that the offense was so stale that in the 2002 season Jim Fassel (Jim Fassel!) stripped him of his playcalling duties. They’ll challenge Tampa Bay and Carolina for the NFC South and might have eight wins this season. That isn’t saying much.
22. Denver – Mike Shanahan’s offensive line is crumbling, his QB and #1 WR are fighting and his defense grows more and more porous. This is a team bound steadily southward.
Cellar Dwellers. With the exceptions of KC, Baltimore, St. Louis and Miami, rebuilding teams with bright futures and solid front office foundations, I don’t want to be bothered with this group. Oakland, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco are such laughingstock organizations that any armchair GM in America could run them at this point.
23. Baltimore
24. Kansas City
25. St. Louis
26. San Francisco
27. Miami
28. Detroit
29. Chicago
30. Cincinnati
31. Oakland
32. Atlanta
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36 Responses to “NFL Offseason Power Rankings”
May 10th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
i take offense to Tomlinson being referred to as LT. other then that good write-up.
i don’t get the Cardinals. their offense could be one of the top ones in the league with their WRs and RB. if Leinart doesn’t work out this year, they should start looking for his replacement.
May 10th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Does anyone have an Info on the Giants Rookie camp, I heard DJ Hall played well.
May 10th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Nice article, I disagree with the giants ahead of Dallas. Dallas won last year and lost no one of significance. Also TO has not been a problem at all the last two years, and even if pacman messes up (which i, who was a dallas fan until he signed, actually am hoping for) I don’t think that will hurt the teams record.
As far as minnesota (my current favorite team because of AD), I agree that they have major questions at QB, but i think they should be considered the favorite to win the north, since only green bay is any good, and they are breaking in a brand new QB. Also when it comes to sophmore slump, it is much more likely for a come out of nowhere like Ryan Grant to drop off, than a consistently dominating Adrian Peterson. And lastly, free agents take a year to develop? Not when they are impact players surrounded by talent. Moss with the Patriots last year = Allen with the Vikings this year, because of the Tackles Allen will be lined up next to: Pat and Kevin Williams
May 10th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
only thing is the jags didnt pick up phillip merling they traded up to the 8th spot for Derrick Harvey and in the 3rd they got Quentin Groves
May 10th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
you have the bucs below the jets. honestly when hazem and all the real g101ers were here there were actually some educated write ups. i mean putting the bucs below the jets is just foolish and nieve. the jets are gonna have as many wins as in there name. derrick brooks and barber are still among the best at there positions. and galloway is one of the fastest wide outs in the game. please realize what ur writeing first. and change your name. its embarrassing to still call your selves g101
May 10th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
“This team’s five year plan seems to be don’t die.”
when i read this i was drinking something and spit it up, thanks for the laugh bud.
go texans, also, houston is going with a runningback by commitee this season, so that could be interesting.
May 10th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Kienan - TO hasn’t been a problem I agree, but I worry about the state of the Cowboys if they lose a couple games early. That team would have imploded if they started out like the Giants did last year. A couple of bad games can into an ugly season there. Great point on Ryan Grant though, we’ll just have to wait and see. All I know if AD won’t be rated as high on my fantasy draft board as most.
Equivalency - thanks for the heads up on Harvey.
Steve R - I see your point on the Bucs being better than the Jets, but those are two teams going in opposite directions. Sure Brooks, Barber and Galloway are good, but they are OLD, and old players in the NFL tend to have a major dropoff year. I’m inclined to say that this will be the year the three of them see a decline in their production. The Jets, on the other hand, picked one of the best run blockers in all of football along with Kris Jenkins and Calvin Pace. If they had a quarterback I’d consider them my darkhorse AFC playoff pick. By the way, I don’t know if you should be the one pining for “educated write ups”…
nieve - naive
writeing - writing
you misuse the word “there” twice (should be their)
your selves - yourselves
Just lookin out for ya.
May 10th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
“and the defense is still run by whiz coordinator Greg Williams” Wow Im not one to just throw someone under the bus, but you can’t be serious on this one. To state that Williams stills runs the Defense in Washington is a serious writing error and makes you seen like dope. It does not even read like a typo it reads like in your heart you really believe he’s in Washington and you have no idea he’s with Jags right now.
May 11th, 2008 at 12:00 am
the Bucs were only good last year because of their schedule. their “amazing” pass defense was only so amazing because they versed the Panthers and Falcons, who each cycled between three different QBs. (Delhomme, Carr, Testeverde and Harrington, Leftwhich, Redmen); the Rams who only three teams had a problem beating; the 49ers with either Trent Dilfer or Alex Smith the QB, both of whom suck.
there is no way the Bucs win the South, not with the greatly improve defense of the Saints. (Vilma, Morgan, Ellis, Porter). not to mention that most of the Bucs good players are at the ends of their careers. (Galloway, Barber, Garcia to name a few)
May 11th, 2008 at 6:46 am
This is an excellent way of grouping teams…I like the analysis.
Go Big Blue!!!
May 11th, 2008 at 9:40 am
nate-
you just COMPLETELY contradicted yourself. saying kris jenkins and calvin pace will be good this year, when in this post you stated that it takes at least a year for incoming free agents to play to their potential. besides that kris jenkins hasn’t done much in 3-4 years because of his drinking problems which led him to being over weight. until this off-season and free agent period i have never heard of calvin pace. the jets dont have any stars on their defensive front 7 except maybe gholston but honestly i think he’ll be a bust. there offense has nothing comparable to every team except the dolphins. thomas jones isnt the playmaker they need, there arent any star wideouts, and dustin keller is an eh kind of pick. but thats all. in my opinion the jets are a bottom 4 team
May 11th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Way to show the Titans some love with their #9 spot in your rankings.
Of course, the guru of NFL expertise himself, Peter King (sarcasm), placed the Titans at #20 in his power rankings.
Nice write-up, Nate.
May 11th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
ever heard of these things called injuries Nate? there is no such thing as “10+ win locks”
May 11th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
steve r - u sound like an idiot & a hater, simultaneously.
let me get this str8 you’re saying just because YOU haven’t heard of a guy who stood out on the sorry, pathetic, never on television Arizona Cardinals he is not a good player? Calvin Pace is a hell of a lot better than Cato June that’s for sure. take my word for it.
And since when do you need stars on a front seven in a 3-4 to get the job done? I don’t recall the Patriots having any “stars” in there front seven when they got over on the “greatest show on turf”, a team which happened to have more stars than the Big Dipper in Superbowl XXXVI. u can get by easier in the 3-4 with role players than the 4-3, depending on if you can find that rare DT good enough to anchor the line of scrimage. Enter Kris Jenkins.
this just in: some prick named ernest gramcracker is your starting running back. u might wanna fall back from dissin Thomas Jones. as far as Warrick Dunn goes, Leon Washington is everything he USED to be.
Coles, Cotchery, Smith, Keller>>>>>>Ike Hilliard & the rest of That 70’s Show
So i don’t get why u r so upset.
Overall: Jets>>>>Bucs
May 11th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
With regard to the writer talking about the Giants lack of success after winning Super Bowls, lets look at it; 1986, Giants won, 1987, strike year and we had THE worst replacement team ever. 1990, we won, then Bill Parcells waited until May to retire (the first time) and stuck us with Ray Handley. I see nothing like that here, the guy from SI is an idiot!
May 11th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
im not gonna bother putting as much time into this one but w/e cuz it wouldnt let me post my last respnse
anyway…
you cant compare pace and june b/c june plays in the tampa 2 pace is 34
every single 34 defense has at least one stud in there linebacking core. give a team and ill name one stud. kris jenkins hasnt done in 4 yrs and hasnt even played in the 34 defense yet.
graham had only 200 less yards then jones and played signifantly in 12 games. then u can throw in cadi and it kicks jones’ ass.
the jets passing game was 25th as opposed tothe bucs who ranked 16th. and thats when the jets had mccarins. and the bucs recieving core wrecks the jets. galloway stovall clayton hilliard stevens smith> coles keller cotchery yea thats all i kno…
May 11th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
I AM A HUGE GIANT FAN, but how can you put the vikings at 12 they are a top10 if not 5 ten they had one of the best offseasons and great D is combined with a great Running game, sound to me like a superball team. Vikings and a NFC east in the NFC finals
May 11th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
aside from Pats and Colts there’s no such thing as a 10+ team lock. I actually think the only other team that is close to a shoe-in to getting 10 on that list is Dallas. Tennessee a 10 team lock? No. Cleveland? Haven’t proved their defense yet. Steelers? Toughest schedule in NFL by far. Giants? QB proved himself, now he has to prove he can do it a whole season.
May 11th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
david-
i agree with you completely on this. all we have to do is stay partially healthy like last yr. kind of.
honestly, i think the cowboys are gonna have a major drop off. teams now have a full season to look at with romo and TO is the only actual threat they have. the only problem is gonna be marion the barbarian.
May 11th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Gman24 and others high on the Vikings: I agree they have a very talented defense and running game, and those are important assets come December. My worry with this team is twofold. First, I just don’t see them being able to come from behind and win games at the end. Second, It’ll be interesting to see how well Tarvaris Jackson can exploit the eight man in the box defense. He did alright with it last year, but not enough to get his team into the playoffs.
Basically these concerns boil down to my belief that Tarvaris Jackson is just not a very good quarterback. I’m not willing to crown this team NFC North champs yet, they still have to get through a Green Bay Packer team that was 13-3 last year. They may not have Brett Favre anymore, but Brett Favre was not the only reason they won 13 games. Minnesota won 8. I think putting them at 12 is perfectly fair.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am
As far as “10+ win locks” is concerned, ok I’ll admit there are flaws in the typology, but you have to agree that teams after Tennessee have big(ger) question marks coming into next season. There certainly is a drop-off after the Titans at #9.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Finally, Steve R. - I am not contradicting myself. I refer you to the first sentence of my Jets post: “The Jets will reap most of the benefits of their free agent haul in the 2009 season, but still, additions like Calvin Pace, Kris Jenkins and Alan Faneca are sure to improve this team.”
Translation: they won’t be as good as they should next year, but they’ll be better than the people they replaced.
May 12th, 2008 at 7:03 am
Nate Rosenblatt what you wrote was a fair and unbais statment but call it how it is. when a team has a BARRY SANDERS type talent anything is possable. and yes Peterson is that good, he can score and run for any amout of yard and TD at any given time. and with B.B as thier #1 i cant wait to watch them go crazy. thier major problem was at WR and they got the #1 WR in the market, BB is a Burn who runs good routes and hardly drops pass. this team also has the top 5 Oline and a top 10 Dline this team has all the tools to be champs.
May 12th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Gman24 - If you want to crown ‘em, then crown their ass!
Myself, I’m just not ready for that kind of commitment…
May 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Berrian was the most over-rated WR!! Rice has a better chance at producing.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
The pass rush alone will get the G-Men 10 wins!!!! Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning will shine in 2008. Yeah thats right, I said it.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I think Dallas is still the team to beat in the NFC East.
Giant Fans: Spags still has not figured out how to stop Dallas. In all 3 games, Dallas has outgained the Giants. Until Spags can prove he can stop Dallas’ potent offense, I give the edge to Dallas.
I think Philadelphia and Washington can win the division. Remember, we were 3-1 against these two formidable foes. Two of the wins were very close games. Thankfully, we had a season changing defensive stand against Washington. If we do not stop Washington, I think the G-men would have lost this game and their season. Against Philadelphia, if Akers does not hit the upright, I think we would have lost that game. In the first meeting, the Giants were fortunate Westbrook and Smith did not play. Otherwise, I think the Giants would have lost that game.
I like the Vikings and Saints. If Jackson plays well all season, I think they can go to the Super Bowl.
Remember, Minnesota had the best rush offense and best rush defense in the NFL. Furthermore, the Saints have beefed up their defense. If Vilma and Morgan can play the entire season, I think they will be better. Plus with the addition of Ellis and McCray on the defensive line, I think they will be able to stop people. I think Brees and the offense can move the football. Plus, they have an excellent offensive line.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Here’s a schedule-based analysis of how the Giants should be a 10 win team (assuming no injury to Manning or Burress, the only two irreplaceable components to the team):
NFC East: Every game is viewed as a toss up. We can beat all three opponents and they can beat us. Therefore, we assume 3-3.
AFC North: We should beat Cincy and Baltimore without much problem. Cleaveland and Pittsburgh are toss-ups. Therefore 3-1.
NFC West: We should have no problem beating SF, Arizona, or St. Louis. Seattle is a toss up. We’ll say 3-1.
Finally, we have Carolina and Minnesota. Carolina should be an easy win. Minnesota we’ll call a toss up. We’ll say 1-1 to be safe.
Right there we have 10-6. I think I was as conservative as possible with this analysis too. I think the team could realistically be 12-4.
Regarding Minnesota and the unstoppable Adrian Peterson, just look at the last couple games of the season to see how important a legit passing game is. Teams simply packed the box against the Vikings and stopped AP cold. Until Jackson can post a serious threat passing the ball, teams will continue to stuff the rushing attack by putting 9 in the box.
As for the rankings, my only complaint is that St. Louis is too low. I’m not a fan or anything, but this team was decimated by injury last year and should be much better, especially in a weak division. I can see them winning 8 this year if the line stays healthy.
My rankings: NE, SD, JAX, DAL, IND, NYG, PIT, CLE, PHI, WAS, SEA, GB, HOU, TEN, MIN, NO, BUF, CAR, TB, STL, DET, NYJ, ARI, DEN, KC, BAL, OAK, SF, MIA, CHI, CIN, ATL.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Brian - that’s exactly how I broke down the Giants schedule. Nice post.
As far as St. Louis goes, yes they were decimated by injuries, but many of the players who got hurt had a propensity to injure anyway (Barron, Pace, Bulger, Holt). They post 8 wins only if Bulger stays healthy, and I’m not betting that he does.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Nate Rosenblatt Buddy i know some people have commitment problems but dont worry about that i wasnt crowing anyone ass besides our own.
lol any, hey buddy im just saying that alot of people are looking at the Viking on how they should be looked at. and i also ahve another thing Oakland will not be the second worst team. for a few reasons,
Thier secondary is by far the best in the NFL #1
with that Wilson can play in the box like a LB #2
Burgess can go back to being a pro-baller #3
the running game is sick #4
(only if MCfadden can handle the NFL)
and Oakland has a good supporting group of WR who can help a fresh QB #5
do i expect them to win thier division no but i do expect at least 5-7 wins but no more than 7 because it still has to be seen if they can stop the run and how well all of these players can play together.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Nate Rosenblatt Buddy i know some people have commitment problems but dont worry about that i wasnt crowing anyone ass besides our own.
lol any, hey buddy im just saying that alot of people are looking at the Viking on how they should be looked at. and i also ahve another thing Oakland will not be the second worst team. for a few reasons,
Thier secondary is by far the best in the NFL #1
with that Wilson can play in the box like a LB #2
Burgess can go back to being a pro-baller #3
the running game is sick #4
(only if MCfadden can handle the NFL)
and Oakland has a good supporting group of WR who can help a fresh QB #5
do i expect them to win thier division no but i do expect at least 5-7 wins but no more than 7 because it still has to be seen if they can stop the run and how well all of these players can play together.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
i agree with ur ranking on the bangles, Carolina i can see being a bottom feeder, the same with the Jets, Seatle, and buffalo
the Rams will turn some head as well as the Deadskins, i expect them to be a hell of a team,Detroit as well
May 12th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
While I respect your attempt in trying to be unbiased, the truth of the matter is the Giants won the superbowl and are the champipons of the NFL. THerefore, they should automatically be ranked ahead of the faketriots at #1.
Secondly, the other teams in your top five should not be ranked ahead of Big Blue and here’s why:
Patriots - see Superbowl 42
San Diego - there is a reason LT did not have his usual stellar season and Phillip Rivers ended up needing surgery; their offensive line is on the decline. What will happen when that o-line has to face the best d-line in the league? A repeat of Superbowl 42.
Indy - Their run defense wants nothing to do with the man-child Brandon Jacobs. You will see replays like when Jacobs trucked Woodson all over the field. That will spawn the play action passing game, which is Eli’s best play.
Don’t let these jealous chump bloggers come here and influence your thoughts on the take-over that is happening around the NFL. The Giants are here to stay - this is just the beginning…
May 12th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Carolina will win that division. Delhomme has his favorite target back Musin Muhammad and they have imo the best coach in the division with his job on the line.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Kingly-1…I am with you. How about the old adage that you are the Champ until someone takes you out!! Lets get the season started!
May 13th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Yeah really, there was only one L.T and he wore 56. The other one is a nickname stealing Darth Vader helmeted halfback. Find your own nickname LaDanian.
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