MVN: Most Valuable Network

Every week in MVN Outsider's Great Debate, we take a look at different sides of an ongoing debate in the NFL. MVN Outsider writers will offer key points to support opposing perspectives on the issue, and we'll also ask a group of football bloggers to chime in with their thoughts on the matter. This week's Great Debate is: After the Giants and Titans, who is the best team in the NFL?

Greg Trippiedi offers up three reasons why the Ravens are the third best team in football:

NFC Teams who aren't the Giants are flawed...
There are more good teams in the NFC than the number that will be allowed into the playoffs, but outside of the Giants, and those crazy Philadelphia Eagles, every team is flawed.  The Bucs will have bouts of inefficent offense from time to time.  The Vikings have produced very poor special teams play, and have received sub par play from the OL and the QB.  The Panthers are too reliant on Jake Delhomme, who has recently struggled, and play poor run defense.  The Falcons play poor run defense, and are undermanned in the secondary.  The Cowboys will abandon their running game for entire quarters, and can't defend any sort of double move on defense.  The Redskins can't score points and the Cards can't prevent teams from scoring points.

So while logic dictates that the third best team in the NFL is likely an NFC team, I think the only other team without a major flaw is the Baltimore Ravens.

Joe Flacco has plenty of weapons...
Probably more weapons than he needs at this stage of his career.  Derrick Mason is enjoying a great year, and Mark Clayton is just starting to come around.  Todd Heap is underutilized.  The running game features a revitalized offensive line, a veteran fullback (Lorenzo Neal), a talented young power back (LeRon McClain), and a rookie who has really improved over the season (Ray Rice).  The improved quality of the talent around him is allowing Flacco to produce much, much earlier than we would have expected him in prior seasons in Baltimore.

The difference between the Tennessee Titans' offense and the Baltimore Ravens' offense is this: both teams can run the ball effectively, but where as Kerry Collins has found the right system to efficiently move the Titans behind the strength of their defense, Joe Flacco has the talent on the outsides to go out and win in the playoffs for the Ravens.  Collins and Peyton Manning may be the best bets for success in the AFC playoffs, but Flacco is the darkhorse.

I'd take the Baltimore Ravens defense over any other in the NFL...
Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Tampa, Minnesota, NY Giants, and the Phialdelphia Eagles all have great defenses, but if you made me take one defense over all the others, I like the Baltimore Ravens.  I think their defense will be a decisive factor in the playoffs.  I'm not willing to declare that this team will win the AFC just yet, but when Baltimore plays Tennessee for the AFC title game, I think that it will become apparent for the first time that while the Tennessee defense is great, the Ravens defense is on a whole different level.

For these reasons, I think the Ravens are the best team in football who won't get a No. 1 seed.

Anthony Brown takes the side of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

There is a chance, though a remote one, that the 11-1 New York Giants could lose playoff home field advantage over the next four games. Should that happen, the NFC South champion is most likely to succeed to that spot...

The 9-3 Carolina Panthers and 9-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers fight it out in a showcase game on Monday Night Football. Carolina's DeAngelo Hall and Jonathan Stewart are impressive rushers and Steve Smith still busts big plays every now and then. But Tampa Bay's fourth ranked defense matches up well with the Panthers and with the Falcons, Tampa's opponent in week 15.

MLB Barrett Ruud is on the path to repeat his 114 tackle season of a year ago. That offsets the fall-off in Derrick Brooks' production. Ronde Barber, Tanard Jackson and Phillip Buchanan cause coverage fits in the secondary for opposing quarterbacks.

The Bucs allow 16.7 points per game. The offense averaged 26.7 over the last four games. 

Look to Tampa's defense to handle the South before facing easier games in the last two weeks of the season. After all, the Bucs have to get the most out of defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin before he jumps to the Tennessee Volunteers to join Lane Kiffin, his son.

Bloggers from Josh Q. Public, You Been Blinded, Sportaphile, Top Cheddar, and on 205th offer up their takes:

Josh Q. Public writes:

We all know the Giants have been gigantic.  The Titans, titanic.  We all know they have been simply the best.  Head and shoulders above the rest.  But that begs the question, who's got next?  Well, it ain't the Houston Comets.  Then who is it?

You can Pittsburgh Steeler me.  You can Dallas Cowboy me.  Heck, you can even Tampa Bay Buccaneer me.  I ain't biting.  I ain't counting out the Indianapolis Colts.  I ain't counting out the six-five, 230-pound quarterback with the laser rocket arm.

The Colts may have started out shaky like Michael J. Fox.  Not no more.  The Colts are in the midst of 5-0 run.  Running like people are chasing them.  Actually, they're doing the chasing.  Did the chasing last week.

Last week, Robert Mathis returned a fumble thirty-seven yards for a touchdown with 9:45 to play to give the Colts a 10-6 victory at Cleveland. It was the fourth road win this season in which the Colts overcame a fourth-quarter deficit.  Big deal you say? I say that ties the all-time NFL record.  I say Payton Manning and this Colts team know how to win.  Until they are out of it, they are the team to beat.

You Been Blinded writes:

If I'm being spotted the Giants and Titans I have to take the Steelers as the next best team in the NFL. Sure their offensive line picks up a blitz about as well as a baby picking up a Range Rover, but their defense is nasty and when push comes to shove they're a tough team to beat.. Unless they're facing the NFC East or a desperate Indianapolis Colts team. The Steelers face the Cowboys, Ravens, and Titans in their next three games, and they'll have to go 2-1 in that stretch to back up my claim.

Sportaphile writes:

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the third best team in the NFL because they have a solid, consistent, and experienced squad. While they aren't necessarily the hottest team around at the moment, their style of football is heavily suited for postseason play. The Bucs, Panthers, and the Jets may be ranked higher by some, but can you really trust them in January?

Another overlooked tidbit to this equation is the addition of Byron Leftwich. If Big Ben were to go down at some point in the next month the Steelers have a backup capable of winning games, not just "managing" them.

Top Cheddar writes:

There's always a pecking order when it comes to anything. On Saved by the Bell the list goes Kelly Kapowski at one, followed by Jesse "I'm so excited!" Spano at two, and Lisa Turtle coming in at number three. This season the NFL has a distinct hierarchy at the top as well. It's pretty obvious that the Giants are Kelly and the Titans are Jesse. It's starting to become clear that the Steelers are Lisa in this equation. The Steelers have played the toughest schedule in the NFL and are still sitting at 9-3. They play outstanding defense and, now that Willie Parker is back, can run the ball against anyone. At this time of year when the weather gets colder and each game gets tighter, they can run the ball and stop the run better than any of the other teams vying for the role of Lisa Turtle. Of course, the Steelers wish they could be Kelly or Jesse. So does everyone else in the league. There is one good thing about being Lisa though. At least you're not Tori.

But say these "third-best teams" all fall short in the playoffs and we have a Titans-Giants Super Bowl.  Who'd you take? On 205th opines:

The Giants are the better team. While the Titans and Giants are almost dead even in yards allowed per game, the Titans are 4th in pass defense and the Giants are 10th. The Giants have the edge in run defense (5th to 12th), but the Titans have allowed 31 less points this season than the Giants, the most important stat. However, when you flip over to the offensive side of the ball, the Giants are far superior. They are 4th in the league in total yards and 1st in total points. The Titans have a really nice rushing attack, and are 7th in total points (48 behind New York), but it's not enough to offset the large gap between the two teams. Adding the two sides of the ball together, I don't see how anyone can say the Titans are the better team. And I am a diehard Titans fan...

Thanks to Josh Q. Public, You Been Blinded, Sportaphile, Top Cheddar, and on 205th for their participation in this week's debate!