DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Power Rankings

Personally, the Raiders look the second strongest in the AFC West... I can see them snagging 10 wins especially with their potentially easy schedule. If they find a way to get their air game going they could do quite decent.

I agree, I see the Raiders at least at 8 wins this season.

I'd put the NYG in the elite category, since they did win the super bowl last season, then drop our Browns to incomplete because I don't care how many points you can score, if you can't stop the other team each game is going to be close, we could easily go 6-10 or 10-6, just because on paper our D looks improved until they play we have no idea if we are going to be better on that side of the ball, and I don't expect to see our Offense put up the same numbers as they did last year.

I am not a huge fan of ranking teams prior to the start of the NFL season since the league does have allot of parody, but if I was to create such a list it would have 3 categories. Definite playoff team, incomplete, then bottom dwellers. Interesting take, but hard to rank any team right now since we don't know if the changes the teams made this year will help or hurt them, as well as the proverbial injury bug. Too many things can change between now and the start of the season.

I have to agree, the Raiders could be the "Browns" of this season.

Quote:

---

I am not a huge fan of ranking teams prior to the start of the NFL season since the league does have allot of parody, .......................Interesting take, but hard to rank any team right now since we don't know if the changes the teams made this year will help or hurt them, as well as the proverbial injury bug. Too many things can change between now and the start of the season.

---

First I think the word you're looking for is parity....

Second...and I am not calling you out....because I don't like ranking teams now either. There are just too many unknowns........But as I ponder that...I get to thinking...what is the whole point of ranking??? It spurs discussion, it gets the juices flowing, it starts the cogs and gears turning in peoples heads. So if I am uncomfortable ranking because there are unknowns.....When would I be comfortable????? When everything is known???? After the Super Bowl???? LOL What point would there be in ranking then??? LOL

In some ways these are the BEST times for rankings. They don't have to be right. And if they are...it can show the skill and courage(for it does take a little courage to make a zany prediction and stick to your guns and defend it on your own) of the author....And if it is wrong it may give the author a new perspective that he may include in his next prediction that may garner a better outcome.

I still have trepidations about making predicitons with little information....I don't like to be wrong. But then again...playing it safe doesn't always mean alot. I mean anyone can predict that the New York Giants will win the 2008 Super Bowl now.....

Ahh Heck Gift,, Your guess is as good as anyones...

Thanks for the spelling correction, and I do see your point, it can make for some good discussion, but like you I am not sure when is the best time to start the power rankings, then again as I think of it, anytime is good, as long as they don't get out of hand and people think that they are 100% accurate, for discussion purposes they are fine, I just don't take them too seriously is all.

Your opinions are yours and cannot be argued.To do so would make a parody of the whole ranking process.
It is too early for rankings.I like to do mine around week 16 or 17.At that time I usually have a pretty good feel for who is going to the playoffs,and who the surprise teams will be.
You've obviously put some time and thought into this,and you've done a good job overall.

I dont agree with your ranking of the Rams. I doubt they go 8-8 this season.

Quote:

---

a top 5 RB in S Jackson

---

You mean a Top 5 Holdout

Seattle is in Cleveland and Pittsburgh's class. The Seahawks will win at least 11 games this year with that defense and an improved running game in that division. They were on fire after we beat them in OT last season, they should be better this year. Their performance in the postseason almost always sucks though no matter how good they are.

They did pretty good in the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh. I didnt give Seattle a chance, but the whole nation pretty much agreed that the refs won that game.

I don't know about the Jags being ranked all that high, aren't they short a few WR's this year?

I mean, I know they have Northcutt, but aren't the rest either in trouble with the law or out with injuries?

This is a really cool way to do power rankings.. For the most part I agree with what you have here.

I'd put the Chargers in the elite category, even using your own rationale. If you have good QB, a good OL, and an outstanding TE and RB, you don't need everyone else to be more than above average. You don't need an elite WR. They should be up there.

I'd remove the Jags from the elite. They don't have anywhere near the offensive skill players as San Diego.

And the more I begin to ponder it, the more I think it will be the Browns and Bengals duking it out for the division with the Steelers taking a major step backward this year. The Bengals have a young up and coming secondary and as much as I can't stand him, they do still have Carson Palmer and some elite receivers. I expect them to be with the Browns in the Good category, and I expect the Steelers to be in the Incomplete category.

As some have already said, I would move the Raiders up.

And the last one I would disagree with is the 49ers. That team is an utter mess. They'll be lucky to win 4 games this season.

this is the most recently published power rankings that i could find...

A new season is upon us, and many questions await being answered.

With Brett Favre retired, who will be the new face of the NFL? Is it possible that two faces can be "the face" of the NFL (see picture above)? Will the Patriots march through their schedule they way they did last season? How long will it be before we stop hearing the word "spygate" every week? Can the Giants make it back to the big stage to defend their championship? Can the Oakland Raiders finally turn things around and become a force to be reckoned with?

I could go on and on. Maybe we should have a Roundtable Discussion here on Bleacher Report to outline some of these questions, and try to answer them prematurely. That's always fun.

But that's for another day. Today, I'm talking power rankings.

(Rank) (Team) (Last Season's Record)

1. New England Patriots (16-0) - I know, a lot of you will scold me for putting the Patriots over the Giants. You may even call me a homer if you've checked my profile and realized my allegiance towards the Pats. Frankly, I don't really care. These guys rolled through their schedule last year, and had arguably the best offense of all time.

They lost Asante Samuel, but they also gained Tank Williams, Victor Hobson and Jerod Mayo. I believe that this years defense will be faster and stronger than last year. Additionally, look for Richard Seymour to bounce back after having a somewhat off year. The front seven should be very disruptive.

2. San Diego Chargers (11-5) - It'd be hard to put any other team here. Since I've already discounted the idea of having the reigning Super Bowl Champions in the top spot, I might as well put them where they really belong, and number two is not that spot.

San Diego gave Indianapolis fits all of last season, so with Indy being one of my top teams it seems logical to place the Chargers here at the number two spot. If they can avoid the injury issues they had last season, expect the Chargers to have a big year.

3. Indianapolis Colts (13-3) - You could put Peyton Manning on the Dolphins and they would immediately be a top ten team in my rankings. Coupled with the fancy running of Joseph Addai, and a defense led by Bob Sanders ... these guys aren't going anywhere. I'm looking forward to that traditional week nine battle.

4. Dallas Cowboys (13-3) - Tony Romo is continuing to mature as a quarterback, and this team is on the verge of becoming something special. For the sake of their fans, I hope that we don't start to see character issues this season.

5. New York Giants (10-6) - I tore Eli Manning apart all of last season. What can I say? I didn't believe he had it in him.

He proved me wrong.

Not to mention, the Giants defense was unbelievable in the Super Bowl. If they can perform like that every week, they have a real chance to defend their title in Tampa.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) - The Jags will quickly learn where they stand this season, facing the Titans, Bills, Colts, Texans, Steelers and Broncos in the first six weeks. If they can enter the bye week with a winning record, plan on seeing them in the playoffs.

7. Green Bay Packers (13-3) - The only regret Brett Favre might have, is leaving this team when it's just starting to get good. Aaron Rodgers should have no trouble driving this bus.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) - The addition of Rashard Mendenhall gives the Steelers one of the best RB combos in the league. There's no visible reason why Pittsburgh can't return to dominance this year.

9. Minnesota Vikings (8-8) - Yep, that's right. I've got the Vikings in my top ten. These guys had a heck of a run (no pun intended) at the end of last season, and I think that was just what they needed to build the confidence required to be an elite NFC team. They had arguably the best draft... all they need is to settle on a quarterback.

10. Seattle Seahawks (10-6) - Julius Jones and TJ Duckett should give Seattle a new identity on offense. They will continue their leadership of the NFC West this year.

11. Cleveland Browns (10-6) - Coming off of a season in which the Browns caught everyone by surprise... now is the time to cement the label of AFC contender. The offense will make noise ... can the defense offer some help?

12. Tennessee Titans (10-6) - Vince Young will continue to grow this season, and the Titans will be in the hunt come December.

13. Buffalo Bills (7-9) - You're probably wondering how in the world I have Buffalo this high. Keep in mind that a lot of the Bills' losses last year were very close games, including a game in which they almost defeated the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. If they can figure out a way to turn those 1-2-3 point losses into wins, they will have gone from mediocre to playoff contenders.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) - Not much has changed with this team from last season, but it'll be business as usual in Tampa Bay. Maybe they'll feed off the Devil Rays' aura.

15. Houston Texans (8-8) - It's hard to get better in a division such as theirs, but last season they gained the respect of many. I'm sure they'll be looking to improve on that this year.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8) - I wonder if they'll ever figure out that a healthy Donovan McNabb at the beginning of each season is the problem, not the solution. This team performs better for Jeff Garcia and AJ Feely. Still, this talent filled roster will win games.

17. New Orleans Saints (7-9) - Not sure what happened last year, but I will consider it a fluke until further notice.

18. Washington Redskins (9-7) - Washington always catches me off-guard. When I expect them to do well, they flounder. When I write them off, they win games nobody would have thought possible. I imagine this season will be no different.

19. New York Jets (4-12) - The Jets spent a lot of money this offseason. Can China Dollington lead this team all the way to through 'til Christmas this year? Should he even be the starter?

20. Arizona Cardinals (8-8) - These guys really should be higher on my list, talent-wise. I just have a funny feeling it will be another .500 season for the Cards.

21. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9) - Carson Palmer alone keeps these guys out of the depths of my power rankings. All of the off-field issues will have this team way too distracted to do well. Something needs to be done, and I'm quite surprised that Chad Johnson has yet to get his wish.

22. Baltimore Ravens (5-11) - Lots of questions to be answered in Baltimore. I'm sure we'll know a lot more about this team in October than we do now. One thing's for sure ... defense won't be a problem.

23. Carolina Panthers (7-9) - The fact that Jake Delhomme will be back has boosted the cats in my rankings. Otherwise, they would be near the bottom.

24. Chicago Bears (7-9) - Rex Grossman is the starting quarterback.

25. Denver Broncos (7-9) - The Broncos might fall even further than this... and fast. Watch out for the team right below them...

26. Oakland Raiders (4-12) - Don't be surprised when Lane Kiffin is smiling on the front page of the SF Chronicle or the Oakland Tribune more Mondays than not. He's rebuilding what was once a very respectable franchise, and he's doing it quickly.

27. Detroit Lions (7-9) - Ten wins, eh Jon? Try again...

28. St. Louis Rams (3-13) - Nobody expected the Rams to be that horrible last year, but it's hard to think they'll do much better. They have the ingredients ... but do they have the cookbook?

29. San Francisco 49ers (5-11) - Having Martz on the staff will help this organization to move the football on offense, but they might want to re-evaluate the whole Alex Smith thing. They're going nowhere with him under center.

30. Miami Dolphins (1-15) - The Dolphins have wiped the board and are starting fresh. They've got a few quarterbacks to choose from, and I think that the new staff will do a better job of managing that project.

31. Kansas City Chiefs (4-12) - It may be a while before we see this team turning things around. Who's there quarterback again?

32. Atlanta Falcons (4-12) - Initiate Disaster Recovery Mode.

'Til next time...

rish, they also have LB Keith Rivers--if he'd get into camp.

The Bengals need a DL--they get a DL they'll be better on D than O IMO. Their only offensive weapons are TJ and Rudi--I think Chad will drop off a bit and Palmer's not the same Palmer as last year.

The Rats still have a very good D.

I agree.

Seattle is a very talented team that continues to underachieve. Look at the players they have and you'll see that's a Top 10 team no doubt in my mind.

Seattle deserves to be ranked ahead of us as they're the better team IMO.

Seattle deserves to be ranked ahead of us as they're the better team IMO.

---

I personally think that with the improvements we've made this year that we are the better team, but that's just my opinion. I think that with the current trends of our franchise, we may very well be on our way to becoming the best team in the NFL very soon. JMHO.

The Elite: 11+ wins

Patriots, Colts, Cowboys, Chargers

The Good: 9-11 wins

Jaguars, Browns, Steelers, Giants, Eagles, Vikings, Redskins, Titans, Bucs

The average: 7-9 wins

Saints, Bears, Broncos, Rams, Cards, Texans, Seahawks

The Incomplete: 5-7wins

Packers (without farve) Bills, Bengals, Ravens, Panthers, jets

The Very Bad: 5 or less wins

Dolphins, 49'rs, Chiefs, Falcons, Raiders, Lions

i added a 5th category. jmo.

Elite:
Patriots, Colts, Cowboys, Jaguars, Chargers

Good:
Browns, Steelers, Giants, Eagles, Vikings, Redskins, Seahawks, Bucs

Mediocre:
Saints, Bears, Broncos, Rams, Cards, Texans, Titans, Packers, Jets

Bad:
Bills, Bengals, Lions, Panthers, Raiders

Screwed:
Dolphins, 49'ers, Chiefs, Falcons, Ravens

It really only matters is the playoff race. And the AFC is all that really matters anyway, so I'll look at that

3 TEAMS are OUT! sorry fans of the Dolphins, Chiefs, or Jets, I don't think you could make the playoffs any possible way, Everyone Else I think I could really see making the playoffs, thats what's gonna make this year fun to watch.

See if the Browns lose to Dallas they are in 4th place already, just simply because the steelers are probably going to beat the texans and the Bengals are probably going to beat the ravens and each will have an afc win tie breaker. whatever let me Rank em
1 new england,
2 Indianapolis
3 Jacksonville Jaguars
4 Tennessee

5 San Diego
6 Browns
7 Pittsburgh
8 Cincinnati

9 Buffalo
10 Houston
11 Oakland
12 Denver
13 Baltimore

13 teams fighting for 6 playoff spots

I think the Colts and Jaguars are probably both in, so that leaves 11 teams figting for eiither a division win, or 1 wild card spot.


The Browns have to be 2-0 to be in the drivers seat no question about it.

Throw long, I think San Diego is better than Tenessee, and Buffalo and Denver are both better than the Bengals in my opinion.