Tuesday, October 30, 2012

NFL Power Rankings - Week 9

A new #1 this week and a lot of other changes.

1. Atlanta Falcons 205
Last Week: 2
Notes: I moved them back to the #1 spot after that impressive win over the Eagles. That win shut up critics who stated that the Falcons aren't as good as their record states.

2. Houston Texans  190
Last Week: 1
Notes: Still the best in the AFC until proven otherwise.

3. Chicago Bears 184
Last Week: 3
Notes: They barely got the win, but good teams find ways to come back from behind and close out games.

4. San Francisco 49ers 176
Last Week: 5
Notes: After looking to have some competition against Seahawks and the Cardinals, the 49ers look to be the best in the NFC West.
 
5. New York Giants 160
Last Week: 4
Notes: I'm a Giants fan and I still moved them down 1 spot in the rankings after a win (and underneath a team that they beat). They played well the first quarter against Dallas, but they looked sloppy for most of the game (especially on offense). That win was extremely important though and makes them look to be in good shape to win the division.


6. New England Patriots 147 
Last Week: 7

Notes: The Patriots showed that being in another continent wouldn't have an impact on their playing. They destroyed the Rams.

7. Denver Broncos 108
Last Week: 10
Notes: Watch out because the Broncos look like the team to beat right now. Their next 6 games are against teams with a below .500 record which means the Broncos could be 10-3 with 3 games left (which would likely clinch the division).

8. Green Bay Packers: 106
Last Week: 9
Notes: Some say the Packers are back, but I'm not 100% sure. They won against the Jags, but it was a lot closer than it should have been. This team doesn't have the same feel as the Packers of 2011.


9.  Baltimore Ravens 83 
Last Week: 8 
Notes: The Ravens should be able to bounce back against the Browns, their first game after the bye.


10.  Minnesota Vikings 69
Last Week: 6
Notes:  Can't give up on this team just yet despite an ugly loss against the Buccs. I can see the Vikings beating both the Seahawks and Lions their next 2 games.
  


11. Miami Dolphins: 62
Last Week: 15
Notes: The Dolphins proved that they are legit contenders after that impressive win against the Jets. If the playoffs started today, the Dolphins would be in it.


12. Pittsburgh Steelers: 58
Last Week: 14
Notes: The Steelers  might be slowly pulling away from the Bengals in the AFC North. They'll have some stiff competition for a wildcard with the way the Colts and Dolphins are playing though.


13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 25
Last Week: 21
Notes: The Buccs stated that they're better than their 2-4 record and they showed that against the Vikings.

14.  Seattle Seahawks: 23
Last Week: 12
Notes: They were on the losing end of a shootout against the Lions. That win could be actually be the difference in them not making the playoffs considering how close everything is.

15.  San Diego Chargers 15
Last Week: 13
Notes: The Chargers continue to slowly fall apart after a loss against the Browns.

16. Indianapolis Colts: 5
Last Week: 22
Notes: Andrew Luck already has double the amount of wins than the Colts had during their entire 2011 season. Nobody was thinking playoffs coming into this year, but it sure is a possibility.

17.  Arizona Cadrinals 4
Last Week: 11
Notes: From 4-0 to 4-4. It's safe to say that the Cardinals we saw the first 4 games, aren't the same team we've been seeing in the last 4. Things don't get better for the Cardinals with upcoming games against the Packers and Falcons.

18.  Detroit Lions: -10
Last Week: 23
Notes:They win the shootout against the Seahawks, but the Lions still have a long way to go to recapture the great season of 2011.

19. Washington Redskins: -21
Last Week: 16
Notes: RGIII is still one of the most exciting QBs to watch in the NFL, but the Redskins just aren't at the same level as the elite in the NFL.

20. Dallas Cowboys: -25
Last Week: 17
Notes: They were on pace for a historic comeback, but the Cowboys couldn't get it done. The Cowboys looked sloppy, especially in the first quarter. They have talent, but they look like an undisciplined team. Expect Garrett to go after this season.

21. Philadelphia Eagles: -27
Last Week: 19
Notes: Can people stop saying that the Eagles are an "elite team". I never get why there are such high expectations for the Eagles. Vick is probably the most overrated QB in the NFL. I expect them to lose next week to the Saints.

22.  Cincinnati Bengals -28
Last Week: 24
Notes:  The Bengals hope to get back to .500 after starting the season at 3-1. It won't be easy against the Broncos.

23. New York Jets: -44
Last Week: 18
Notes: After playing two great games against the Colts and Patriots (albeit, still getting the loss against the Pats), they looked horrendous against the Dolphins. As much as I hate the acquisition of Tebow, they need to use him in more unique ways for this Jets team to stand out.


24.  Oakland Raiders: -46
Last Week: 27
Notes: Two wins in a row and all of a sudden the Raiders are back in the playoff race.

25. Buffalo Bills: -59
Last Week: 26
Notes: The Bills have a difficult road ahead with games against the Texans and Pats.

26. St. Louis Rams: -61
Last Week: 20
Notes:  They looked like the Rams of 2011 with that game against the Patriots. Expect another last place finish from this Rams team.

27. New Orleans Saints: -77
Last Week: 25
Notes: They were starting to look like the team we expected them to be, but the Broncos brought them back to reality. This Saints just isn't that good, minus Drew Brees who is still having an exceptional season.

28. Cleveland Browns: -82
Last Week: 30
Notes: From worst in the NFL to winners of 2 out of their last 3. Things get tougher though with their next game being against the Ravens.

29. Carolina Panthers: -98
Last Week: 29
Notes: I thought they were going to pull the upset against the Bears, but bad teams find ways to blow games.

30. Tennessee Titans: -107
Last Week: 28
Notes: Probably have the Titans the lowest out of any other power ranking, but I think they're worse than their 3-5 record. I think the Bears and Dolphins will further prove this over the course of the next 2 games.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars: -149
Last Week: 31
Notes: You know you're a bad team when a 9 point loss is considered much better than expected.

32. Kansas City Chiefs: -151
Last Week: 32
Notes: Still expect this team to be 1-15. Don't think they will potentially win another game until they play the Bengals at home 3 weeks from now.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

NFL Power Rakings - Week 8

Even though Atlanta Falcons had a bye week and are still the only undefeated team, we have a new #1 this week.


1. Houston Texans  190
Last Week: 3
Notes: Such an impressive win against the Ravens on Sunday that we moved this team back into the #1 spot. They look like a better team than the Falcons even with the loss.

2. Atlanta Falcons 172
Last Week: 1
Notes: The Falcons face a tougher than you might think game away against the Eagles who likely will do anything they can to get back above .500.

3. Chicago Bears 166
Last Week: 2
Notes: Their defense had another great showing in holding the Lions to only 7 points. If the defense continues to play like they've had all season, this team can beat anyone.

4. New York Giants132
Last Week: 5
Notes: A close one against the Skins, but Eli did what he does best and lead the Giants to a game winning drive. They now have a 1.5 game cushion lead in the NFC East.

5. San Francisco 49ers 131

Last Week: 6

Notes: The 49ers are now the lone divisional leader after beating the Seahawks Thursday night.

6.  Minnesota Vikings 103
Last Week: 7
Notes: In the battle of the two surprise 4-2 teams, the Vikings showed they were the better team.
 
7. New England Patriots 89

Last Week: 8

Notes: They didn't win as big as we expected them to, but still got the very important win against the Jets.

8.  Baltimore Ravens 83

Last Week: 4

Notes: That game did little to prove Flacco's statement of being "elite". After the bye, things get easier against the Browns and Raiders.

9. Green Bay Packers:80
Last Week: 12
Notes: The Packers look to be back on track. Unfortunately for them the Bears and Vikings continue to play great football.

10. Denver Broncos 58
Last Week: 11
Notes: Their next 3 games are against teams below .500 before facing San Diego again. If they can take 2 out of 3 and then beat the Chargers they'll be in good shape for the division.
    
11. Arizona Cardinals 41
Last Week: 9
Notes: Now with 3 losses in a row and QB issues, this team looks like they won't be the team we saw the first 4 games this season. Their next 3 games are against the 49ers, Packers, and Falcons. Ouch.


12.  Seattle Seahawks:37
Last Week: 10
Notes: Despite the loss, Wilson still looks great and this team is far from out of the playoff picture.

13.  San Diego Chargers 29
Last Week: 14
Notes: Before they face Denver again, they have winnable games against the Browns, Chiefs, and Buccs. They'll likely need to win all 3 of these and beat Denver.
 
14. Pittsburgh Steelers: 23
Last Week: 19
Notes: A big win against the Bengals that moves this team to the .500 mark.

15. Miami Dolphins: 21
Last Week: 15
Notes: Losses by the Bills and Jets moves this team to 2nd in the division. They'll stay there if they beat the Jets next Sunday.
 
16. Washington Redskins: 9
Last Week: 13
Notes: Despite the loss, RGIII looks fantastic as QB.

17. Dallas Cowboys: -2
Last Week: 23
Notes: They won a "must win" in a close battle against the Panthers. A win against the Giants puts them a half game back with the tie breaker advantage. A loss puts them 2.5 games back and makes the road ahead a lot more difficult.

18. New York Jets: -8
Last Week: 17
Notes: In typical Jets fashion, the game was lost on a fumble by Sanchez. After an impressive comeback, that's one of the worst ways you can lose.

19. Philadelphia Eagles: -10
Last Week: 20
Notes: The Eagles fire their defensive coordinator, but the real issue is the turnovers by Vick. If they can't fix this, the Eagles will not make the playoffs again this season.
 
20. St. Louis Rams: -11
Last Week: 16
Notes: A loss against the Packers is no surprise. However, this team now faces games against the Pats and 49ers making it very possible for the Rams to be 3-6 after 9 games.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -14
Last Week: 18
Notes: A loss to the Saints drops them to 3rd in the division.

22. Indianapolis Colts: -29
Last Week: 25
Notes: The win against the Browns puts them at .500

23.  Detroit Lions: -34
Last Week: 22
Notes: Their defense looked good (like the defense we saw last year), but the offense still has a ton of issues. Another loss by the Lions (and a divisional one at that) makes their season all but  officially over.
   

24.  Cincinnati Bengals -35
Last Week: 21
Notes: Tough loss against the Steelers that makes the road ahead to the playoffs that much more difficult.

25. New Orleans Saints: -42
Last Week: 26
Notes: Are the Saints back? Not quite, but as long as Brees continues to play like he's been playing this team can win a lot more games.

26. Buffalo Bills: -62
Last Week: 24
Notes: In an offensive juggernaut against the Titans, the Bills find themselves on the losing end and last in the division.

27.  Oakland Raiders: -73
Last Week: 29
Notes: Funny how a team plays at the same level against the Falcons and the Jags. They do get the win this time and now have an important divisional game against the Chiefs.

28. Tennessee Titans: -84
Last Week: 30
Notes: The Titans can find themselves at .500 with a win against the Colts next week.
   
29. Carolina Panthers: -85
Last Week: 27
Notes: What happened to this team? Even with a 6-10 record last season, 1-5 is a huge disappointment.

30. Cleveland Browns: -103
Last Week: 28
Notes: Another close game involving the Browns, another loss.
 
31. Jacksonville Jaguars: -125
Last Week: 31
Notes: If they lost in OT against the Raiders I can't imagine how much they'll lose by against the Packers.

32. Kansas City Chiefs: -126
Last Week: 32
Notes: Even with "winnable" games on the schedule, I can't imagine when this team will win next. 1-15 is a possibility.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

NFL Power Rankings - Week 7

We have a new #1 and a new #32 this week. Rankings below.

1. Atlanta Falcons 169
Last Week: 2
Notes: They didn't make it look easy, but the Falcons are now the only team without a loss in the NFL. Good teams find ways to win games no matter how poor they played in the beginning and the Falcons have been proving themselves capable of doing this. They'll lose a game (probably even at least 2), but for now they deserve the #1 spot.


2. Chicago Bears 140
Last Week: 4

Notes: Might be one of the only people to have Bears at #2 in the power rankings, but they deserve it.  With the next 3 games against the Lions, Panthers, and Titans, it's not unlikely to think this team will go 7-1 when half of the season is done.

3. Houston Texans  138
Last Week: 1
Notes: Hard for any team to beat the Packers when Aaron Rodgers has an amazing game. They have another difficult test ahead against the Ravens.

4.  Baltimore Ravens 122

Last Week: 6

Notes: It was a nail biter, but the Ravens pulled off the win and now have won 15 consecutive home games.

5. New York Giants 109
Last Week: 9
Notes: The Giants are a missed Tynes field goal away from being 5-1. What an impressive win against the 49ers. Two very important divisional games coming up against the Redskins and Cowboys (especially since they are 0-2 in the division).
 
6. San Francisco 49ers 108

Last Week: 3

Notes: Alex Smith looked like the Alex Smith of old against the Giants. This team, while still the best in the NFC West in my opinion, might not find the road to a divisional win as easy as they had hoped.

7.  Minnesota Vikings 76
Last Week: 5
Notes: Don't quickly write off this team as a fluke after a loss to a good Redskins team.  I'm excited to watch them face off against the Cardinals: the two positive surprises of 2012.

8. New England Patriots 69

Last Week: 7

Notes: Who would have thought that the NFC West would be the Patriots kryptonite (and that's without even facing the 49ers yet). With their loss, everyone in the division now has the same record at 3-3.
 
9. Arizona Cardinals 63
Last Week: 8
Notes: So are the Cardinals now revealing their true selves or are these just two losses that they'll bounce back from? I say somewhere in between. They have a very tough schedule ahead and don't expect them to keep up with their great start.


10.  Seattle Seahawks: 59
Last Week: 11
Notes: Wilson is looking impressive as a starting QB. Don't be surprised if the Seahawks are a playoff team this year.

11. Denver Broncos 55
Last Week: 12
Notes: A good comeback and a very important win that puts them in first place in the AFC West, for now. Peyton will only continue to improve.

12. Green Bay Packers: 53
Last Week: 18
Notes: Aaron Rodgers is angry which is dangerous for every team the Packers are playing. A very impressive win against the Texans. I expect the Packers to be the team we expect them to be from here on out.

13. Washington Redskins: 22
Last Week: 19
Notes: The Redskins go from last place in the division to potentially in first place if they beat the Giants.

14.  San Diego Chargers 20
Last Week: 10
Notes: The Chargers are looking like they did in 2011, a strong start and then they start to tail off.

15. Miami Dolphins:18
Last Week: 17
Notes: Don't look now, but the Dolphins are now in a four way tie in the AFC East lol. In terms of how they're playing, I put them behind the Pats, but they're at the same level as the Jets right (maybe even a little better).
 
16. St. Louis Rams: 17
Last Week: 13
Notes: A win against the Rams would have put them into a four way tie in the NFC West. This team is still much improved and should be around the .500 mark all season.

17. New York Jets: 10
Last Week: 22
Notes: That impressive win against the Colts could be a nice confidence booster for the Jets. They looked great on both sides of the ball (even on defense without Revis). They'll need to bring that level of playing next week against the Pats.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8
Last Week: 24
Notes: The Buccs look to get back to .500 against the Saints next week. 

19. Pittsburgh Steelers: -7
Last Week: 15
Notes: Even with the injuries, it was a game they should have won against the Titans. I know it's early, but a loss against the Bengals might seal their playoff fate.

20. Philadelphia Eagles: - 8
Last Week: 16
Notes: In yet another close game, the Eagles find themselves on the losing end. Michael Vick has talent, but his turnovers are a huge issue for this team. They cannot be a playoff team if he keeps making all of these mistakes.
  

21.  Cincinnati Bengals -10
Last Week: 14
Notes: Always tough to be the team to give up the first win against a winless team, but the Bengals need to bounce back against the Steelers.

22.  Detroit Lions: -16
Last Week: 23
Notes: They won, but they don't look to be the same team as last year.

23. Dallas Cowboys: -27
Last Week: 21
Notes: They had two big chances to win against the Ravens, but couldn't pull it off. They played very well, but not being able to win games like this is a sign of a struggling team. They are the worst in the NFC East in my opinion.

24. Buffalo Bills: -46
Last Week: 27
Notes: Usually we see a blowout either way with the Bills, but it was a close one this week against the Cardinals and they were on the winning end. They have a home game against the Titans (which they are a better team than in my opinion) which means they could be 4-3, 7 games in. Better than expected.
 
25. Indianapolis Colts:- 55
Last Week: 20
Notes: The bright spot in the Colts loss continues to be Andrew Luck who looks like a natural born leader behind QB.
 

26. New Orleans Saints: -63
Last Week: 25
Notes: The Saints hope to do the exact opposite in their next 5 games (4-1 at least). 

27. Carolina Panthers: -68
Last Week: 26
Notes: Cam Newton has to be the one to turn this team around.

28. Cleveland Browns: -81
Last Week: 32
Notes: They get their first win and can breathe a little easier. Even at 0-5 they weren't the worst in the league. Certainly not a playoff team, but don't expect this team to be at the bottom 3 of the rankings anymore.

29.  Oakland Raiders: - 93
Last Week: 29
Notes: So close, but they couldn't hand the Falcons their first loss. Fortunately for them, they have two upcoming games against the Jaguars and Chiefs.

30. Tennessee Titans: - 107
Last Week: 31
Notes: You can chalk up their win as being due to the Steelers' injuries. That being said, they've had a very tough schedule so far.
 
31. Jacksonville Jaguars: -115
Last Week: 30
Notes: The Jaguars are the new Colts of the AFC South. I expect them to match their record this year.

32. Kansas City Chiefs: -126
Last Week: 28
Notes: The new #32. They have no solution for QB 

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

NFL Power Rankings - Week 6


The Browns are now the only team without the win and remain on the bottom spot of this week's rankings.

1. Houston Texans  176
Last Week: 1
Notes: Another week, another win for the NFL's best team. They have two very tough games against the Packers and Ravens (fortunately for them, at home). If they're able to beat the Ravens, they'll be the clear favorite for the #1 seed for the playoffs.

2. Atlanta Falcons 155
Last Week: 2
Notes: They kept it close against the Redskins, but they pulled off the win and are now 5-0 on the season. They have 2 more wins then the Buccs, Panthers, and Saints combined.

3. San Francisco 49ers 146

Last Week: 4

Notes: Ever since the loss to the Vikings, the 49ers have been playing beyond dominant football completely destroying both the Jets and the Bills.

4. Chicago Bears 143 
Last Week: 5

Notes: Who would have thought that the Bears would be tied for first place in the NFC North 5 games in and it would be with the Vikings? This team, while having some issues, has been looking great on both sides of the ball.

5.  Minnesota Vikings 106
Last Week: 8
Notes: Their next 5 games are against the Skins, Cardinals, Buccs, Seahawks, and Lions before their bye week. All winnable games. If they take 4 out of 5, they'll go into the bye week with an 8-2 record. With the way they've been playing it's more possible than you might think.

6.  Baltimore Ravens 98

Last Week: 6

Notes: Not an impressive win against a subpar Chiefs team, but it allows them to be 2 games ahead of the Bengals in the NFC North.

7. New England Patriots 82

Last Week: 9

Notes: Patriots look like the better team in the AFC then the Broncos after Sunday's game. The Pats won't have to worry too much about winning the AFC East with how the rest of their division has been performing.
 
8. Arizona Cardinals 81
Last Week: 3
Notes: The Cardinals were brought back to reality with a loss against the Rams. They still remain a surprising team this year, but with a very tough schedule ahead i expect them to slip further and further into the rankings.

9. New York Giants 63
Last Week: 11
Notes: After struggling the first couple of minutes in the game, the Giants played great football and dominated the Browns. The outcome was what we expected them to do. After the 49ers, they two important divisional games against the Skins and Cowboys. 
 

10.  San Diego Chargers 55
Last Week: 7
Notes: They gave up the Saints' first win of the year. Will they trail off after a great start like last year or are they the real thing this year? Unfortunately, I say the former.

11.  Seattle Seahawks: 41
Last Week: 14
Notes: A good win against the Panthers. Don't be surprised to see this team in the wildcard hunt all season long.

12. Denver Broncos 33
Last Week: 10
Notes: Peyton looked great, but it wasn't enough to get the win against the Pats.

13. St. Louis Rams: 32
Last Week: 18
Notes: Besides the Vikings, they have my vote for most improved team of the year.


14.  Cincinnati Bengals 18
Last Week: 12
Notes: Not a loss the Bengals can afford with the Steelers having key players back from injury.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers: 14
Last Week: 17
Notes: They win their first game with a more solid D under their belt and should win a lot more moving forward.

16. Philadelphia Eagles: 4
Last Week: 13
Notes: Another close game for the Eagles, but this time they are on the losing end.  Michael Vick's issues with turning over the ball might be what keeps the Eagles out of the playoffs.

17. Miami Dolphins: 3
Last Week: 21
Notes: The Dolphins get a good underdog win against the Bengals.

18. Green Bay Packers: 1
Last Week: 15
Notes: Might be the biggest letdown of 2012. If you asked 100 ESPN analysts what the Packers record would be 5 games in, nobody would say 2-3. Yes, they should be 3-2 technically with a blown call against the Seahawks, but they haven't been playing good football especially by Packers standards.

19. Washington Redskins: - 4
Last Week: 16
Notes: If RGIII misses any games it will be very bad for the Redskins. Cousins cannot lead to this team to victories.

20. Indianapolis Colts: - 9
Last Week: 24
Notes: A great comeback win by the Colts against the Packers. Andrew Luck looks to be revitalizing this team.
 
21. Dallas Cowboys: - 13
Last Week: 19
Notes: Although the Eagles and Redskins lost, the Giants win makes their bye week an unsuccessful one.

22. New York Jets: - 31
Last Week: 22
Notes: On a positive note, the Jets didn't lose nearly as bad as was anticipated. They need to win at home against the Colts next week and will hope to pull an upset against the Pats the week after.

23.  Detroit Lions: - 41
Last Week: 23
Notes: After starting the season 1-3 (and almost 0-4 after barely beating the Rams), the Lions have a tough 3 games against the Eagles, Bears, and Seahawks. They'll need to take 2 out of 3 of these games in order to have a shot at the playoffs.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: - 44
Last Week: 25
Notes: Hopefully they can win the next 2 games against the Chiefs and Saints to get back to .500.

25. New Orleans Saints: - 53
Last Week: 29
Notes: They finally get their first win of the season. Still a lot of issues on defense, but this team is better than their 1-4 record would indicate. Drew Brees has been a top 3 QB all season long.

26. Carolina Panthers: - 65
Last Week: 27
Notes: A team that has very been disappointing so far.

27. Buffalo Bills: - 71
Last Week: 20
Notes: Who would have thought the Bills would have played just as poorly as the Jets did against the 49ers. What a horrific showing. 

28. Kansas City Chiefs: - 83
Last Week: 28
Notes: The Chief fans vented their frustration when they cheered Cassel getting injured. A very classless move by the fans.

29.  Oakland Raiders: - 93
Last Week: 30
Notes: Don't count on the Raiders handing the Falcons their first loss of the season next week.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars: -105
Last Week: 26
Notes: What a horrible game against the Bears.

31. Tennessee Titans: - 110
Last Week: 31
Notes: Based on how this team is playing, if they end the season ahead of the Jaguars for 3rd place in the division that will be a success.

32. Cleveland Browns: - 114
Last Week: 32
Notes: 2 minutes into the 1st quarter and you believed this team was going to upset the Giants for their first win of the season. Then they demonstrated all the characteristics of a winless team. Stupid, but critical, penalties, turnovers, and poor playing overall.  Despite all of this, a home win against the Bengals is possible next week.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

NFL Power Rankings - Week 5

 The first week that I'm starting to do power rankings. I base the rankings on an algorithm that takes into account record, strength of schedule, home and away games, along with point differentials. This doesn't factor in expectation (i.e. Packers expected to be 3-1 or 4-4 at this point) so the rankings here will be a lot different than on other sites. They basically assume that all teams start at an even slate from game 1 (which is why a team like the Bears is at #5, but the Steelers are at #17).



1. Houston Texans  150 
Notes: The Texans look like the most solid team in the NFL on both sides of the ball right now. I can see them going 14-2 or 15-1 this year especially being in the weak AFC South.

2. Atlanta Falcons 128 
Notes: Their fairly easy schedule this year makes them almost a shoe-in for the division and a bye week.

3. Arizona Cardinals 110
Notes: Have to give credit where credit's due. Right now they are playing solid football especially on the defensive side. The offense will need to prove themselves a bit more in order for this team to be a playoff team.

4. San Francisco 49ers 84 
Notes: Had this team being the #1 team in the NFL going into the first game. Definitely potential for this to hold true after 16 games, but the loss to the Vikings does drop them a bit.


5. Chicago Bears 83 
Notes: Quietly becoming amongst the elite teams in the NFL. Jay Cutler can be very, very good
and if he's playing up to his potential this team can be anyone in the NFL. 

6.  Baltimore Ravens 75 
Notes: They are one point away from being undefeated this season. They're still one of the most well put together teams in the NFL in terms of both defense and offense.

7.  San Diego Chargers 74 
Notes: A much improved team this year (so far). This is the team we've been expecting in 2011 and 2010.

8.  Minnesota Vikings 63
Notes: They'll eventually die down and will be out of the playoff picture, but a 3-1 start including a win against the 49ers is VERY impressive.

9. New England Patriots 60 
Notes: Although they're at a surprising 2-2, their losses were close against a surprisingly good Cardinals team and a solid Ravens team. This team will easily win the AFC East.

10. Denver Broncos 57 
Notes: They're not meeting expectations quiet yet and the Chargers playing as well as they are
could give them a run for their money for the division. That being said, they should be able to turn
things around sooner than later.


11. New York Giants 37
Notes: Despite all the key injuries the team has been suffering, they are still 2-2. Two divisional
losses is rough especially to the Eagles, but the Giants will likely find a way to at least sneak into the playoffs like they did last year as long as Eli continues to impress.

12.  Cincinnati Bengals 36
Notes: They're showing some slight improvements over last year and could give the Steelers a run for their money for 2nd place in the AFC North.

13. Philadelphia Eagles: 28
Notes: They're lucky to be 3-1 after barely getting the wins against the Browns, Ravens, and Giants. Vick's turnovers are an issue and they will quickly lose the division lead if he doesn't turn things around.

14.  Seattle Seahawks: 25
Notes: Don't be surprised if this team stays in the playoff hunt all year.

15. Green Bay Packers: 19
Notes: Very disappointing start for the Packers. Even though they should have won against the Seahawks, they are not living up to expectations. Expect the Packers to turn things around though.

16. Washington Redskins: 2
Notes: A much improved Redskins team with RGIII leading the way. This team won't make the playoffs, but an 8-8 record is very likely.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: - 3
Notes: Key injuries has effected this team on defense. Once they get everyone back, they'll be rising through these rankings.

18. St. Louis Rams: - 4
Notes: Somewhat of a surprise this year to see this team at 2-2 and very close to being at 3-1. They are significantly better than they were last year.

19. Dallas Cowboys: - 13
Notes: This team is a mess, despite wins against the Giants and Buccs. Romo, while a very good QB, has not proven himself as a clutch QB yet.

20. Buffalo Bills: - 14
Notes: They either get blown out, or crush other teams. Difficult to build a team around Ryan
Fitzpatrick.

21. Miami Dolphins: - 15
Notes: Definitely an improved Dolphins team, but still a ways to go before their competitive.

22. New York Jets: - 18
Notes: Revis being out for the season will significantly hinder any chance of this team making the playoffs.

23.  Detroit Lions: - 31
Notes: Besides the Saints, the biggest disappointment of 2012. They are very close to being 0-4 after barely winning against the Rams for their first game of the season.

24. Indianapolis Colts: - 32
Notes: Better than the Colts of 2011, but not as good as the Colts of 2010 (or other years with Peyton). Andrew Luck has been fitting well with the Colts though and could lead this team to
the playoffs in a couple of years.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: - 34
Notes: They've demonstrated some areas of improvement this year compared to last, but this team
will struggle to all season long.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars: -52
Notes: Not as bad as their 1-3 record might indicate. They have an overtime loss to a surprisingly
good Vikings team, two losses against the very good Bengals and Texans, and a win against the
improved Colts. Don't expect big things out of this team, but 7-9 or 8-8 is possible.

27. Carolina Panthers: - 54
Notes: I expected this to be the surprise team of 2012 and either take the division or earn a wildcard. The way they've been playing, I couldn't be more wrong.

28. Kansas City Chiefs: - 71
Notes: I expect the Chiefs to be close to the bottom of the power rankings all year (unlike last year when they had a late season surge).

29. New Orleans Saints: - 80
Notes: Easily the biggest disappointment of 2012. Drew Brees is still very solid and is actually
leading the league in passing yards despite the Saints being 0-4. Even though they are one of two teams without a win, I can't put them at the bottom 3 just yet.

30.  Oakland Raiders: - 83
Notes: I'll chalk up their win against the Steelers due to their key players being injured. If they
continue to play like they've been playing, they won't pass 5-12.

31. Tennessee Titans: - 87
Notes: Even though they have a tough schedule so far, they've been looking absolutely horrible.

32. Cleveland Browns: - 89
Notes: They play teams close (usually), but can't get the win. Big issues on both sides of the ball.