Wow, the NFL season is already a quarter over for most
teams. We’ve learned plenty about the strengths and weaknesses of each team
since then, but with every passing week it gets harder and harder to rank these
teams. It’s not hard to rank the top 5 or bottom dwellers, but other than that
you can almost put these teams in any order. Expect plenty of shifting as the
season goes on, as plenty of teams look like they’re in for a roller coaster
ride of a season! (I’m looking at you, Jay Cutler)
11.
Seattle Seahawks: 4-0 (1)
E Even though it was
a close call, the Seahawks stay on top after their overtime win over the
Houston Texans. The Seahawks have plenty of heart and a never say die attitude,
and they play their best football when the pressure’s on. The Seahawks haven’t
played well on the road yet though, and they’re going to be tested this week
against a new look Colts team at home.
22.
Denver Broncos: 4-0 (2)
The Broncos continue to roll over
opponents, and the team hasn’t faced a close game in close to a year. Peyton
Manning and this offense have no equal right now, and it doesn’t look like
anyone is going to come close to stopping them anytime soon. The only difficult
teams on their schedule look like the Chiefs, Chargers and Patriots right now,
and even the Chiefs most likely won’t be able to keep pace with Peyton with
Alex Smith. The ’72 Dolphins may have to wait a while to bust out the
champagne.
33.
New Orleans Saints: 4-0 (3)
The Saints were unstoppable Monday night,
crushing a good young Dolphins team. Sean Payton makes sure his team shines in
the spotlight, and the home crowd at the Superdome is the closest thing to the
12th man outside of the west coast. If the Saints can continue this
run, it’s going to be a tight competition between them and the Seahawks for
home field advantage in the playoffs, and that could decide the NFC’s Super
Bowl team.
44.
New England Patriots: 4-0 (5)
Honestly, could anyone tell Tom Brady was
working with a bunch of career role players and rookies Sunday night? Brady has
nowhere near the kind of weapons at Peyton’s disposal, but he sure can make it
look like it. Coming into the season, it was said that you need to get to the
Patriots early in the season to finally dethrone them. They went 4-0 in
September. Time for a new strategy.
55.
Kansas City Chiefs: 4-0 (8)
The Chiefs are one of the most complete
teams in football right now, without a glaring weakness on either side of the
ball. Andy Reid seems like a natural fit in the city of barbeque so far, as
this team has already doubled their win total from last season. The Chiefs
would be considered the front runner in almost every other division in
football, but somehow the AFC West went from being the NFL’s worst to currently
its best, even though they still have the Raiders. Who saw that coming?
66.
Green Bay Packers: 1-2 (7)
The Packers maybe don’t have the record
they would want at this point, but if they get healthy during the bye they
should have no problem getting back on track. If they are able to pull together
and beat the Detroit Lions in their first divisional game, there’s little to
suggest they won’t have a great shot at winning out the rest of their schedule.
The Bengals made Aaron Rodgers angry. The rest of the league won’t like him
when he’s angry.
77.
Indianapolis Colts: 3-1 (11)
The Colts move up not because they made
that big of a statement Sunday (beating the Jaguars really doesn’t count for
much) but mainly because so many teams that were above them have had off days
recently. The power running game Indy has been able to establish with Trent
Richardson has made this team much more cohesive, and they have a great shot to
actually make a statement this week by beating the Seahawks at home.
88.
San Francisco 49ers: 2-2 (12)
The 49ers rebounded from a tough two week stretch
by beating up on their division rivals on the road last Thursday. The 49ers are
nowhere near out of the picture in the NFC, though it’s also fair to say that
with all the team members they are missing and their lack of depth at receiver
they’re no longer a top contender either. This team got back to doing what it
should do best Sunday, dominating the line of scrimmage and riding Frank Gore
to victory. Keep that up, and the 49ers are going to reassert their dominance.
99.
Chicago Bears: 3-1 (4)
The Bears drop a few spots this week
because bad Jay Cutler came out in full force against the Lions, the Mr. Hyde
to the good Dr. Jekyll we had mainly seen this season. Jay’s turnovers put the
Bears behind early, and so one of their best weapons, running back Matt Forte,
had his impact diminished. The Bears’ defense also was gashed by the Lions’
track meet attack with Reggie Bush. If this defense isn’t forcing turnovers, it’s
getting beat badly.
110.
Cincinnati Bengals: 2-2 (6)
A week after supposedly making a big
statement by defeating the Green Bay Packers, the Bengals proceeded to hit the
road, and let the Browns walk all over them. The Bengals were almost crushed by
the Browns, but luckily kicker Billy Cundiff missed two field goals that at
least kept the Bengals kind of in the game. Andy Dalton supporters must have
been heading to the hills after this performance, as any time he seems to face
a competent defense he struggles, even with all the talent around him.
111.
Miami Dolphins: 3-1 (9)
The Dolphins fell a little flat coming into
the Superdome Monday night, but that can happen when you’re facing one of the
best teams in the league in one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. The
positives for the Dolphins were that Lamar Miller showed a lot of improvement
and was doing well with his carries. The bad news is that the Dolphins’
offensive line is still getting run over, and keeping Ryan Tannehill upright is
becoming an issue. Somehow, the Dolphins need to find a better way to get their
quarterback protection (I hear Brian McKinnie’s on the open market!). The
defense struggled too, but they were without stud pass rusher Cameron Wake and
the Saints aren’t exactly the easiest to slow down.
112.
Baltimore Ravens: 2-2 (10)
It’s tough to understand Jim Caldwell’s
thought process Sunday against the Bills. The Bills have struggled stopping the
run, you have two solid backs in your backfield, and you proceed to run a total
of nine times. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t one of the main reasons Cam
Cameron was fired as offensive coordinator last year is that he wouldn’t give
Ray Rice the ball? The Ravens don’t fall further because they have a great
defense and really, I don’t expect this kind of play calling to happen again.
The trade for Jaguars’ left tackle Eugene Monroe helps my case.
113.
Detroit Lions: 3-1 (19)
The Lions are starting to look like a
dangerous team, even if they never really make things easy for themselves. They
had a huge lead on the Bears but proceeded to let them get close before closing
the deal. Reggie Bush loves playing in Ford Field so far, so much, in fact,
that he’s starting to overcome Calvin Johnson as the focal point of this
offense. People said Bush’s pickup was a smart move this offseason. I don’t
think there’s been a bigger understatement.
114.
San Diego Chargers: 2-2 (21)
If you still don’t believe in Philip Rivers’
comeback, I don’t know what more he could do to prove it to you. The man has played
quarterback as well as anyone in the AFC not named Manning, and like Tom Brady
he’s not exactly playing with studs, either. Rivers’ accuracy is the biggest
thing that has come back, he simply isn’t missing throws. The Chargers are
probably a bigger threat to the Broncos than the Chiefs are, simply because
Rivers has a much better shot than Alex Smith to match Peyton in points.
115.
Atlanta Falcons: 1-3 (13)
Tony Gonzalez regained the step he had been
missing so far this season Sunday night against the Patriots. Julio Jones still
plays like a stud number one receiver. Matt Ryan, however, is not living up to
his end of the bargain in this offense. Yes, it’s true that Roddy White is
playing injured, but Ryan simply isn’t connecting with anyone on this team that’s
not a star. It’s tough to imagine Ryan succeeding if he were on the Patriots or
the Chargers right now, and that might be enough of a difference to cost the
Falcons a trip back to the playoffs.
116.
Dallas Cowboys: 2-2 (14)
The Cowboys have had their chances. They’ve
been ahead in both their losses on the season so far, but they’ve also found a
way to lose games late (and they almost gave their opener to the Giants, too).
The Cowboys had a chance to separate themselves in the NFC East, as the
division’s record outside of the Cowboys is a combined 2-10. Instead, the
Cowboys have dropped games and as a result, they’re only one game ahead in this
division, and RGIII gets healthier by the day.
117.
Houston Texans: 2-2 (15)
Matt Schaub jerseys were being burned
outside of Reliant Stadium after the Texans loss to the Seahawks, and while the
gesture seems harsh, it’s not hard to empathize with the fans. Schaub has
thrown a pick six in three straight games. The Texans were on track to upset
the best team in the league, whose offense they had stifled all day, when
Schaub offered Richard Sherman a free seven points. It’s not hard to make the
argument that the Texans have the best team in the league outside of the quarterback
position. Unfortunately for them, that position counts for a lot.
118.
Tennessee Titans: 3-1 (16)
The Tennessee Titans probably deserve to be
higher on this list. They’ve certainly played better than many of the teams
ahead of them. They also got an easy looking victory Sunday, meaning it looks
weird that they’re dropping down the rankings. But Ryan Fitzpatrick. I get that
Jake Locker was playing at nowhere near an elite level when he went down, but
he was showing lots of improvement, and it’s fair to wonder what his loss means
for this locker room and the huddle. Thankfully, Locker will only be out a few
weeks, but Fitzpatrick has to prove he can keep this team afloat until then.
119.
Carolina Panthers: 1-2 (20)
The Panthers, like the Packers, had a bye
this week, but they move up a spot because a few teams had some bad outings
Sunday, necessitating a move down the rankings for them. The timing for the
Panthers’ bye was definitely not ideal, as they got both their offense and defense
rolling in a 38-0 rout of the Giants, and then proceeded to have all the air
come out of their balloon as they sat on all that momentum. The Panthers will
have to hope they can keep their mojo going, because they still have time to
make some noise in their division, as they beat the Saints twice last year.
220.
Cleveland Browns: 2-2 (25)
The Browns seem to be on a roll after
trading someone people thought was their best offensive player. Jordan Cameron
seems to be making a great argument that their best offensive player is still
on their roster, as the tight end has been virtually unstoppable this season.
Brian Hoyer is playing very capably under center, and it’s becoming very clear
how much Brandon Weeden was holding this offense back. The Browns are tied for
the lead in the AFC North right now. Crazier things have happened in the NFL.
221.
Buffalo Bills: 2-2 (24)
The Bills pulled out a big win over the
defending Super Bowl champions, and they continue to be a team you can’t sleep
on. Rookie EJ Manuel is still going through some struggles, as he completed
less than 50% of his passes, but his deep ball to fellow rookie Robert Woods
was beautiful. The new defense looks great in Buffalo too, and rookie
linebacker Kiko Alonso has to be considered an early frontrunner for defensive
rookie of the year. Five turnovers in four NFL starts is absolutely ridiculous.
222.
Minnesota Vikings: 1-3 (27)
The Vikings got a much needed win out of
their trip to London this week, and this offense showed what it’s capable of
with a capable hand under center. Adrian Peterson finally looked back up to MVP
form Sunday, and if Cassel stays in and plays adequately Adrian is going to
have a fun year. The defense is still holding this team back, as Josh Robinson
looks absolutely lost out in coverage, and just keeps getting picked on game
after game. Robinson has allowed 35 of 38 passes thrown his way to be completed
this year, for almost 400 yards. He’s playing like a cornerback on Madden.
223.
Arizona Cardinals: 2-2 (23)
The Cardinals just shipped off the weakest
starter on their roster, left tackle Levi Brown, to the Pittsburgh Steelers in
exchange for a conditional draft pick. Yay? While Brown was holding this
offense back, I’m not sure I want to see a guy out there who couldn’t even beat
Brown out for a job earlier this offseason. Carson Palmer might have a long season
ahead of him (as if it didn’t already feel long enough). The good news out of
the desert is that rookie running back Andre Ellington is showing promise, and
they are getting linebacker Daryl Washington back from suspension, which should
bolster an already solid defense.
224.
New York Jets: 2-2 (22)
Geno Smith attempted to do a basketball
move behind his back on Sunday, which must have taken a lot of guts.
Unfortunately, those guts must have been moving around a lot after Smith was
hit and fumbled the ball, which the Titans recovered for a defensive touchdown.
Smith’s play this season has basically followed the path of a yo-yo, which can
happen when you’re a rookie with minimal talent around you. The Jets are asking
a lot of Geno and fast, so it’s a testament to his character that he keeps
picking himself back up and slinging the ball.
225.
St. Louis Rams: 1-3 (17)
The Rams’ offense went nowhere against the
San Francisco 49ers, and this team just keeps disappointing more by the week.
Sam Bradford still looks like the same guy as last year, and the year before
that, and the year before that; there’s been no progress. Tight end Jared Cook,
who came out and had a monster game opening weekend, has been relatively
dormant ever since. Rookie Tavon Austin hasn’t done even half the things he was
expected to do for this offense. Chris Givens, who was targeted as a field
stretching sleeper before this year, hasn’t done much for this team. I wouldn’t
be worried about extending Sam Bradford if I was the Rams, I would worry about
the fact that this franchise doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, and you had the
option to change that last year by taking RGIII. But you didn’t. You’re stuck with
Sam.
226.
Washington Redskins: 1-3 (28)
The Redskins finally got their first win of
the season this week. It may have been against a depleted Oakland Raiders team,
but hey, a win is a win. The defense didn’t hold the team back for the first
time this season, actually scoring as many points as they gave up. RGIII was
able to get the ground game moving, which let him throw the ball a lot less
than he has been. That’s exactly the way this offense wants to run. RGIII still
has a ways to go, health-wise, but they’re only one game behind the division leading
Cowboys at this point. This team could still climb its way back.
227.
Philadelphia Eagles: 1-3 (24)
Yes, the Eagles beat the Redskins week one,
but they’re dropping because they have only gone backwards in the three weeks
since while the Redskins have the opportunity for a rebound. Chip Kelly’s
offense has been chewing up yardage, but it hasn’t given this team many points.
This offense looks great until the field starts to shrink. The defense is
having a hard time stopping anybody, and the fact that the offense is going fast
isn’t helping them. Chip Kelly is in Philly right now, but he could still be coaching
the number two team in college football, who look like they’re on the way to a
BCS Championship game. Could Kelly be one and done in the NFL? It’s certainly a
thought.
228.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 0-4 (26)
Big Ben said after the loss in London that
his team could be the worst in the league. Luckily for him, I think they’re
only the 5th worst. Leveon Bell was able to really help Ben and the
offense out, grinding for decent yardage even though he’s playing behind one of
the worst offensive lines in football. Defensively, this team still has no
turnovers. This defense just looks old, as they’re missing tackles left and
right and they look run down much quicker than other teams. Change is going to
be coming to Steel City after this year. I would predict a mass exodus.
229.
New York Giants: 0-4 (29)
It’s tough to figure out what the Giants
can do at this point. While they’re not completely out of their division yet
like the Redskins, the Giants don’t have a convenient excuse like RGIII’s knee
to blame for a slow start to the season. Instead, they can blame just about
everything on offense: the haphazard play by the offensive line, the lack of
trust/ability in the running game, Eli’s tendency to force things, receivers
not winning one on one match-ups, and just straight up poor execution. And that’s
just on offense.
330.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 0-4 (31)
Well, Greg Schiano, you got what you
wanted, but Mike Glennon is not that much better than Josh Freeman. Of course,
making the kid throw the ball over 40 times in his debut probably did him no
favors. Glennon also wasn’t helped by the fact that Doug Martin was stuffed all
day long, not even averaging two yards a carry. Maybe the bye week will help the
rookie get acclimated to NFL life. Or maybe Schiano is throwing a guy into the
fire who is in over his head. The odds don’t favor Greg on this one.
331.
Oakland Raiders: 0-4 (30)
After staying out of the very bottom for
several weeks, the Terrelle Pryor-less Raiders find themselves near the
basement of the rankings once again. It’s tough to blame Matt Flynn too much
for the loss to the Redskins, more than anything it just showed what a bad team
this has been all along. It also speaks to the volumes of talent Pryor has to
be able to cover up for all those flaws. Luckily, according to coach Dennis
Allen, Pryor won’t be going away anytime soon. That doesn’t change the lack of
talent on this team however, and Pryor still most likely isn’t seen as any sort
of long term solution.
332.
Jacksonville Jaguars: 0-4 (32)
Do us all a favor Gus Bradley: bench Blaine
Gabbert so your team has a chance at eclipsing double digits each week. That
should get people in the stands, right? Or you could just offer them more free
beer.
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