1. New York Giants (Last week: 1). If Eli Manning misses any time, the Giants could be sliding through the top ten quickly.
2. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 2). If Peyton Manning misses any time, the Colts could be sliding through the top twenty quickly.
3. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 4). They could be the first team of destiny with a quarterback who needs dental grip.
4. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 5). Drew Brees is happy to not be on pace to break single-season records, especially since he's on pace to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
5. New England Patriots (Last week: 8). Tom Brady will be trading his skirt for slacks in Denver, primarily since Denver in early October can be a little chilly.
6. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 3). Carson Palmer, the quarterback of Baltimore's next opponent, probably peed a little when he heard Sunday's post-game comments from Ray Lewis.
7. Chicago Bears (Last week: 11). The Bears enter their bye week at 3-1 and rising, thanks to the franchise quarterback who didn't look much like a franchise quarterback in Week One but who has looked like a franchise quarterback since.
8. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 12). Though it's good for the Bengals that they came out of Cleveland with a victory, good teams need to beat bad teams more convincingly than that.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 9). The Steelers learned that they don't need Willie Parker. And that they desperately need Troy Polamalu.
10. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 10). Once upon a time, Falcons-Niners was an NFC West stink-fest. In Week Five, it may be one of the best games of the day.
11. New York Jets (Last week: 6). Quarterback Mark Sanchez is suddenly starting to look like a guy who could have used another year of playing college football at USC.
12. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 15). Apparently, the possibility of getting a Super Bowl ring is all the pot-sweetening that Michael Crabtree needed.
13. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 7). Norv Turner would be wise to start thinking about offensive coordinator positions that might be available in 2010.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 14). Nothing heals a broken rib faster than back-to-back 300-yard passing performances from Kevin Kolb.
15. Denver Broncos (Last week: 17). The Broncos have been beating their foes over the head with the stick that previously resided in Brandon Marshall's ass. (We hope they washed it first.)
16. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 13). Surprisingly, Tony Romo supposedly didn't know it was fourth down when he went back to Sam Hurd for a second straight play. Amazingly, Jerry Jones wasn't able to lobby league officials for a do-over.
17. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 16). The Wisconsin offensive line currently is more talented than the Packers' five-pack of blockers.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 20). When the Jaguars win a home game and no one is there, does it make a sound?
19. Houston Texans (Last week: 18). There's nothing like a game against the Raiders to make a mediocre team look something other than mediocre.
20. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 25). The 2010 preseason starts with a win.
21. Washington Redskins (Last week: 23). Barely beating teams that won't win many games this year isn't the way to keep Jim Zorn employed. Through November.
22. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 22). Barring a collapse by the 49ers, Cardinals players won't have to worry about getting injured during playoff games this year.
23. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 19). If they lose to the Browns on Sunday, Dick Jauron will have plenty of time to do his Christmas shopping. And his Thanksgiving cooking. And his Halloween decorating.
24. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 21). The Titans go to Indy on Sunday night. In an unrelated move, NBC is trying to move flex scheduling up by a few weeks.
25. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 24). Maybe Jim Mora should have waited for the UW job, after all.
26. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 26). With four winnable games on tap, the Panthers aren't dead yet.
27. Detroit Lions (Last week: 27). So if this week's "home" game at Ford Field against the Steelers isn't sold out, will it be blacked out in Pittsburgh?
28. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 28). Seriously, how did this team manage to win a game?
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 30). That decision to fire Bruce Allen and Jon Gruden is looking worse and worse by the week.
30. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 29). The good news is that Scott Pioli and Todd Haley are trying hard. The bad news is that it ain't working. Hard.
31. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 32). Braylon Edwards being jealous of LeBron James is sort of like Pauly Shore being jealous of Jerry Seinfeld.
32. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 31). At six points per game, the Rams' offense is even too conservative for potential new owner Rush Limbaugh.
Week Four power rankings
Posted by Mike Florio on October 6, 2009 9:22 AM ET
Manning domination! As a Vike fan,our ranking seems fair. You right Florio,if Eli is out,they may be in troubleAnd Favre looks pretty good for a dental grip user,I'll keep him.
the niners completely outplayed the vikings in week three, and lost because of a couple ridiculous calls. I guess i'm going to have wait untill they make matt ryan look like a bitch next week for them to get a little respect
In my opinion it's...
Pats
Colts
Chargers
Giants
Falcons
Vikings
Saints
Packers
Bears
Ravens
Titans
The Bills will never fire Jauron, sadly. It will cost them too much money (8 mil or so I believe).
Bengals 8, Broncos 15? Chargers ahead of Broncos, who own a two-game division lead? Wow...
I don't see how you can rationalize not having the Broncos in the top 10.
Good job, Florio. These seem pretty fair.
However, I'm hoping that a loss to the Browns this weekend will mean Jauron will have enough time to get his Columbus Day party organized as well.
Starting to look as though the power has shifted to the NFC.
Wait, I thought the Redskins were going to the Super Bowl. What happened, Florio?
@49ersFaithful80
The Niners are a nice looking team, but they have a lot of holes. I watched that same game against Minny and your preception must be off. You take away a 10 point swing at the end of the first half with the block and it's a different game. I'm not saying that the Vikes dominated the entire game, but they did dominate most of it. The Niners had a few flashes here and there.
Falcons are definitely over-rated right now.
Roddy White's holdout has made him out of sync and inconsistent with Matt Ryan throws.
Michael Turner is gonna continue to fumble away games, his right thumb is still broken and he can't hold onto the ball, so he is being tentative on his ball-carrying, not taking any chances with hit-taking, going down too easy.
Falcons don't have a second running back right that's worth anything, no Tashard Choice as a back-up.
And, Matt Ryan is not a run threat which gives any defense more time to get to him.
Expect the 49's to win by 6.
# mnmaverick says: October 6, 2009 9:44 AM
In my opinion it's...
Pats
Colts
Chargers
Giants
Falcons
Vikings
Saints
Packers
Bears
Ravens
Titans
It looks like you took all 32 teams, threw their names in a toilet, flushed and these were the ones that floated.
Explain to me how you can have the Bengals who lost to the Broncos and the Chargers who are 2-2 above a 4-0 team. Was beating the Cowboys not proof enough that Denver is for real? At least better than these two squads.
"In my opinion it's...
Pats
Colts
Chargers
Giants
Falcons
Vikings
Saints
Packers
Bears
Ravens
Titans"
Nobody wants your opinion, especially because it includes an 0-4 team in the top 10. Nice try thou
Oh come on. How is it the Chargers, at 2-2, are ranked above the 4-0 Broncos? That doesn't make a damned bit of sense. Denver may not be a Super Bowl team, but being undefeated after week 5, and with a defense as stifling as theirs has been so far, should get a little respect at this point.
"the niners completely outplayed the vikings in week three"
Seriously? The Vikings outgained the 49ers by over 130 yards offensively. The Vikes converted 50% of their third downs while the 49ers converted a big fat 0% of theirs. 0 for 11. They were lucky to even be in the game at the end.
To mmmmvareick:
How can the Pats be #1? They should be 2-2 now and a catch away from 1-3.....Tom Brady is lost and the defense is still trying to figure out what is going on.....I would put the Colts at #1
Comparing Pauly Shore to Jerry Seinfeld is the best analogy I've heard all week.
I think Minnesota would cream the Colts. Jared Allen against a not too good left tackle, plus Adrian Peterson would run for 300 yards against that defense with 11 men in the box.
"Tom Brady will be trading his skirt for slacks in Denver"
No he won't. He'll just continue to turn to the officials and make his usual jack-off motion, and they will dutifully oblige with a flag, whether they saw anything or not.
Meanwhile, Brady isn't helping himself.
If you're going to draw a flag for "roughing the pussy" just because you touched the delicate little flower, may as well make it count. Go for the knees.
And why not? Same penalty. May as well get your money's worth.
In MY opinion its...
Cowboys
Eagles
Chargers
Falcons
Panthers
Saints
Dolphins
Patriots
Wait, is this not the cheerleader power rankings? Oops, sorry! That one post had me all confused.
Have you watched any of these games?
how is San Fran Ranked so low when they lost to one of your top ranked teams on a last second play on the road?
the Chargers Defense couldn't stop my High School team right now?
Didn't Denver beat the Cowgirls and Cincy??
what the hell
why would a queefing ray lewis scare carson palmer? its nothing most of us haven't heard before. the ravens can't lose a game without queefing about the refs. remember this is the same yonic organization that loses to the same team three times then complains to the league that it is unfair that they be asked to play a night game at that team's stadium. here is a clue, beat that team and earn the right to host a precious little night game.
harbaugh=vagina
lewis=vagina
newsome=vagina
bisciotti=prison wallet
its always a litany of excuses from them. ray lewis "cheats the game" as he is so fond of saying, when he loses and does nothing but cry. he shoots a gap one time in 5 years and all ravens fans can say is that it proves he isn't overrated. no, as much as they like to boast, in between these crying spells, the sad ass ravens are going to lose again because they are a team, organization and fan base without character.
seriously, a raven fan once blamed frank kush for the colts escape to indy. escape is the perfect word, not like that eminent domain the state and city tried to slap on the irsay's private property had anything to do with it. seriously, ravens fans are the detritus of football being gone for 13 years. the nfl didn't want baltimore, they chose jax over you, you got lucky modell ran out of options. who was left over at that point to become ravens fans anyway? redskins won 3, the eagles were solid, there is a whole league of diaspora fans, no the ravens are 1/3 more or less of a sliver of north dc to sw jerz and that is it....
because you cry too much.
"mnmaverick says:
October 6, 2009 9:44 AM
In my opinion it's...
Pats
Colts
Chargers
Giants
Falcons
Vikings
Saints
Packers
Bears
Ravens
Titans
"
wow
lay off the crack pipe new england homer. Titans are 0-4 and the pack is 2-2 and has no offensive line..Chargers D is like swiss cheese... Jets not even on the list? the more i stare at this list the more I realize how utterly retarded you are.
The Broncos at 15....that is freaking ridiculous..... a 4-0 team is not in the top 10......this site is starting to become a joke
# mnmaverick says: October 6, 2009 9:44 AM
In my opinion it's...
Pats
Colts
Chargers
Giants
Falcons
Vikings
Saints
Packers
Bears
Ravens
Titans
wow..what season have you been watching? The Titans are 0-4 and already making their offseason plans to play golf...The Chargers won't be too far behind if they can't find a running game
Florio come on, Denver at 15, behind the Chargers? Chargers D really looked good against the Steelers huh, very powerful.
When the Broncos beat the Bengals, they (Bengals) weren't good. Now they are world beaters at number 8, wow. Denver is 7 behind them, that makes perfect sense. They (Bengals)SQUEAK by a pathetic Browns team and move up, also makes pefect sense.
The Broncos beat the Cowgirls (overrated), whom everyone loves, and they are at 15. If Dallas would have won everyone would have said "I knew Denver was a fluke", they win and still ,no love. I'm surprised you have them above the Jones Cult out of Dallas.
I am utterly sick of seeing the Chargers predicted to win a Super Bowl each year by a vast majority of analysts...This isn't 2006 all over again...They were 8-8 (average) last year, and they are 2-2 (average) right now...Their "D" is not championship caliber, and Tomlinson is done for, but every analyst stays true to their initial prediction, and will continue to ride the lightning bold shaped dick til the end of the season
Well done sir! I love how you're giving credit to the rising teams, despite some question marks (especially my Bears, although I'm obviously bias). With one exception... the Broncos... only 4-0 team to barely touch the top 50%. I'd put them ahead of Falcons Bengals and particularly SD, who they have a sizeable lead over in the division. DUH.
The only thing is you have to consider who teams are playing. Cinci shouldnt be top ten and the Jets or niners should(not for this week, but the season as a whole).
Get off the Chargers junk, they are overrated everywhere I look. They can only score when trailing large against a prevent D. Turner sucks as bad as his brother
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 20). When the Jaguars win a home game and no one is there, does it make a sound?
---------
The Titans heard it!
In Gene We Trust
I think the Saints should be ranked higher than the Vikes. And the 49ers outplaying the Vikes? Sure you aren't focusing on the Rams game there big guy. They didn't even convert one flipping 3rd down. If not for the blocked FG, the game wouldn't have been close.
In my opinion it's...
Pats
Colts
Chargers
Giants
Falcons
Vikings
Saints
Packers
Bears
Ravens
Titans
According to mnmmaverick @9:44 am
Get SERIOUS, Chargers and Titans in the to 10. Have you even watched a game this year? Put your bong down and tune in, dude.
You make Florio look like a genius. (He probably paid you to put that crap on here)
Denver is still a bit low.
You are getting better though.
Using darts and a blindfold (like ESPN) and get a good week or listening to people?
Why would Niners/Falcons be an NFC West Stinkfest?
Top 6 are good in my opinion, maybe not in that exact order. I think the Giants are pretenders to be honest. We shall see though. 7-13 -- Steelers are the only team there that deserve to be in front of the Eagles. Do you honestly think they are a middle of the road team?
49ersFaithful80 says:
October 6, 2009 9:43 AM
the niners completely outplayed the vikings in week three, and lost because of a couple ridiculous calls. I guess i'm going to have wait untill they make matt ryan look like a bitch next week for them to get a little respect
*******************************************
What game were you watching? SF was dominated by the Vikings in the 1st half, and if not for a blocked FG returned for TD, would have trailed 16-7 at the half, instead of being up 14-13. Yes, the 49ers played well in the 2nd half, but they were not dominant, and they lost. as for calls, you have to be kidding me. The Vikings had more penalties, the penalty on E.J. Hendeson was bogus.
mnmaverick says:
October 6, 2009 9:44 AM
In my opinion it's...
Pats
Colts
Chargers
Giants
Falcons
Vikings
Saints
Packers
Bears
Ravens
Titans
*******************************************
Nope. Packers ranked too high, Vikings ranked too low. Thanks for playing though.
i still say the skins can repair, get it going, and make it all the way
signed
Mike Florio
My Top 10
Giants
49er's (once Crabtree signs)
Saints
Colts
Vikings
Ravens
Pats
Bears
Steelers
Falcons
:)
I'm a Bengals fan who hates the Broncos for Week 1, and even I think Cincy is too high and Denver is too low.
Giants shouldn't be number 1. They look good, but look at who they've played. They beat the Bucs and Chiefs (both winless). They beat the Redskins and Cowboys (who themselves have only beaten winless teams). Plus, the Giants only won by 2 against Dallas despite the numerous unforced errors by Romo. All their wins have come against teams that are at least bottom half (and more likely bottom third).
First of all, Indy losing Manning and falling flat has been the situation for over a decade now. Secondly, the Tennessee Titans ARE NOT traveling to Indy this Sunday....check your schedule info, maybe at nfl.com perhaps?
albialbi says:
October 6, 2009 10:06 AM
To mmmmvareick:
How can the Pats be #1? They should be 2-2 now and a catch away from 1-3.....Tom Brady is lost and the defense is still trying to figure out what is going on.....I would put the Colts at #1
******************************************
@ albialbi
Uh are you STUPID or what?? I agree this guy is a moron with this ranking, but for you to say the Pats should be 1-3 is just dumb, Tom brady is lost??? The Def is ranked in the top 8 in the nfl after the first qtr. of the season
How is it that teams that weren't picked at the begining of the year to be good don't have to pass the "who have the played" test? Come on the Giants? Their opponents have won 4, f-o-u-r games total. Why do teams like Denver have to prove it by "waiting until they play somebody?" The media, including Florio will always have a East Coast bias we understand that sites like this have to rank those teams differently because you are selling advertising. Quite promoting yourselves as a real football site you are only fooling stupid towel waving types:)
Florio, instead of trying to be funny you could have given the Jaguars their due.
And fyi, the fans that were there had that stadium rocking.
You guys are on drugs if you honestly think that Denver is 2 spots below San Diego. A team that gave up 500 yards of offense on national tv. That's ok, keep Dissing Denver but at the end of the year you all better eat crow
The top team is a no brainer. The Giants operate on a level so high they should be in another league.
But after the Giants all the other teams should be tied for 32nd.
hayward giapunchmi.... Another brilliant Steeler fan. Man, you and your towel waving buddies are so pathetic. You just can't accept the fact that your team is not the team you hoped it would be. Wave your towels, paint your wife and kids faces and act like the yahoos that you are. You dopes are always good for a laugh.
Remember, chump, you're just not that tough.
How can you rate the Rams below the Browns, it easily should be the other way? Florio you need to work on your opinion.
It is surprising to see how seriously everyone reacts to a temporary, subjective, non-scientific ranking of the teams. The chance that any team remains undefeated is miniscule. Four weeks from now today's rankings will seem even more bizarre. The more games played the clearer the rankings should present themselves. I am sure being in the top 10 on a Florio list does not give teams an advantage.
Won't argue w/the top four. Can't argue w/the bottom eight. Don't know what's happened to the Titans, but they might want to think twice before wiping their feet on another Terrible Towel.
The Pats may be a bit overestimated. And since, as you point out, good teams should be able to put away bad teams before the final seconds of the 5th period, why jump Cincy from 12 to 8? They're flying a little high.
Ranking Denver at 15 is ridiculous. You just can't believe this 4-0 thing, can you? Neither can I, but we've got to give credit where it's due. And for heaven's sake, rank them above San Diego and Cincy.
As for mnmaverick's list ... poor fellow just doesn't get enough attention, so he posts a nutso list just to see how many people will comment. That was very creative, mnmaverick. Run outside and play now.
"Frank says: October 6, 2009 12:26 PM
hayward giapunchmi.... Another brilliant Steeler fan."
Oh no, are you kidding me? I'm a die-hard Pats fan.
So much so that I named all three of my kids "Tom Brady", and two of them are girls.
"You just can't accept the fact that your team is not the team you hoped it would be."
That team is the current Super Bowl champion. It seems his team is the team he hoped it would be..... Just saying.
@ Fanamine ...
Thank you for the simple logic. I'm always amazed at delusional people shouting "LOSER" at the guys holding the trophy. And no matter what happens this year, my franchise will still be holding six of them.
As a Broncos fan, I'm fine with 15.
Why? Because these polls/ratings mean nothing.
Only the results on Sundays matter.
So PLEASE, by all means, keep feeding my very hungry team.
I have to agree with the disagreement over ranking the Chargers ahead of the Broncos (and I'm a Chargers fan). The Chargers should be ranked at 16 or lower right now. But I do agree with Denver's ranking. Sure, they're 4-0, but they haven't played any quality opponents yet. If they can beat the Pats next week and the Chargers in S.D. the week after that, they'll deserve a top 5 ranking.
Rams at 32??!! Are you freaking stoned? There is no way they are better than 35....right behind Florida, Texas & Alabama.
To all the whining, crying, bitching, pissing, moaning, oh my pussy hurts so bad, Broncos fans......shut up all ready. Your ranked below Cincy because you didn't beat them, you were handed a win. I mean for real, Leon Hall might as well have intercepted that pass and handed it to your boy. The Browns were hungry for a win and played a hell of a game last weekend, hell of a game! Cincy played like shit and still got the "W". Cincy is the only respectable team that you've played to date and you still had to have the game gift wrapped for you. Cleveland, Oakland, and Tony Homo and the Cowgirls??? Come on....you guys are right where you need to be. You guys are the only BULLSHIT 4-0 team out there. But not for long, you won't make past the Patsy's.
@49ersFaithful80
The Niners are a nice looking team, but they have a lot of holes. I watched that same game against Minny and your preception must be off. You take away a 10 point swing at the end of the first half with the block and it's a different game. I'm not saying that the Vikes dominated the entire game, but they did dominate most of it. The Niners had a few flashes here and there.
______________________________________
I find it funny how many people are saying the niners got lucky and just had flashes because of the blocked field goal. Yet none of you care to mention the kick return touch down by Harvin or the last second Favre throw/catch of the year. Take away the lucky plays and the niners win.
Bottom line is the vikings got a close win at home with luck, bad calls, and no Frank Gore. Advantage niners when they meet in the playoffs.
this list is terrible, go to espn for a much more thought out ranking.
-broncos beat cinci, lead division over 2-2 chargers, yet rank mid pack with a 4-0 record and behind these two teams?
-jets beat new england, yet ranked lower with same record?
-pittsburg way too high for 2-2 team, lost to cinci who lost to denver. also worse than jets YTD.
-chicago ranked too high, lost to lower ranked green bay and move up 4 by beating detroit?
try the humor inserts after the actual analysis, even your humor is contradictory, ranking san diego in the top half and joking about the coach getting fired. whatever.
Ok... I see a lot of talk about my niners and feel the need to chime in on this one.
First off, the Minnesota game. They lost, pure and simple. Sure, they did a good job against Peterson, but the final score tells the tale.
As for their ranking, I think 12 is about right. This is not a flashy team that is going to win games by 3 touchdowns against quality opponents. However, I think they are a dangerous team. They don't win pretty, but they do manage to force more mistakes than they make.
RayDaMayor listed them as #2 if they sign Crabtree, but even if they signed him today he is weeks away from being a major contributor, and there is still the issue of the ball getting there to begin with.
In the end, I think this is a playoff team due to their division and a surprisingly weak Cardinals team, but let's not go crowning anyone just yet...
cincy all the way, you have it all wrong about the game you think you should have won against the broncos. stop being bitter, and just accept the better team won. i do give cincy props for the way they have played this year since and good job beating the steelers! 3-1 nice.
broncos led most of the game - fact.
broncos had 3 scoring drives, cinci one, fact.
teams actually practice tip drills as part of the game - it was a good heads up play, fact.
so yep, it was a lucky play, but the rest of the game created the scenaio that one play could make them cinci lose. had they dominated or mustered more than one scoring drive all game, the tip would not have mattered.
The Chargers are ahead of the Broncos because their two losses have come from two teams who are extremely talented and will be playing late into postseason. The Broncos have played the easiest part of their schedule, only four games have been played, by week 11 if the broncos still are leading the afc west i will be very suprised, and the chargers will win the afc west and be in the playoffs this year.
Hmmm. the top ten rankings should look as follows.
1. Pats
2. Brady
3. Moss
4. Pats Defense.
5. no one
6. Indy
7. Minnesota
8. Saints
9. Giants
10. Ravens
The broncos suck. They have yet to prove themselves. They've beaten no one good. I don't know how people say that beating the cowboys makes them a legit contender when the cowboys aren't even good in the first place. In case you failed to remember they didn't make the playoffs last year. The Chargers on the other hand lost to the reigning champs and a strong playoff contender the ravens in a close contest. By the way the chargers also had a chance to win both of those tight contests.
@myfistyourface
Hahaha, funny joke. As an SF fan on the east coast, I don't get to watch my team often, so I've taken to watching pats games.
This team is so out of sync right now I actually EXPECT them to play like garbage. Lots of stupid procedural penalties (didn't they get flagged twice in a row for delay of game?). They are the opposite of my niners.... tons of talent, zero execution.
wiseman_79.....Your an idiot! Fact
Cincy had your ass beat if not for the tip of the decade! Fact (no way you can deny that)
Your team has played no one to be 4-0! Fact
I'm not bitter because you guys won the game, even a blind squirrel will find a nut once in a while. What pisses me off is that you think your better than you are! You're not! If it wasn't for the tip you guys lose, plain and simple, no 4-0. And please don't hand me that shit about tip drills! Your boy was standing there with his finger in his ass when the ball dropped to him! It could have easily have droped to a Bengals player, no good heads up play to that and you know it! Your griping about your ranking, and I think he's spot on! Except for being ranked below the Chargers. You guys have a much better defense that they do. All I'm saying is stop griping about your ranking until you beat some real teams. Honestly, except for Cincy, you've had a cake walk!.........FACT!
Opinionated Fool says:
October 6, 2009 1:58 PM
I have to agree with the disagreement over ranking the Chargers ahead of the Broncos (and I'm a Chargers fan). The Chargers should be ranked at 16 or lower right now. But I do agree with Denver's ranking. Sure, they're 4-0, but they haven't played any quality opponents yet. If they can beat the Pats next week and the Chargers in S.D. the week after that, they'll deserve a top 5 ranking.
__________________________________
Yeah... and last week they were saying "beat Dallas and you'll get some respect." Now we have to beat the Pats and SD to get some. Eventually, they'll be saying "ok Denver... just win the Super Bowl and you might crack the top 5."
The only thing more worthless than these rankings is Browns season tickets!
I love rankings. Gives you so much to bitch about when games aren't being played. Here's my list, which nobody can argue with because it's air-tight, unless you think that reputation or last year matters, which it does not.
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. New York Jets
5. New York Giants
6. Minnesota Vikings
7. San Francisco 49ers
8. Chicago Bears
9. Cincinnati Bengals
10. Pittsburgh Stealers
11. New England Patriots
12. Atlanta Falcons
13. Green Bay Packers
--- Full disclosure: I bleed Purple.
49ersFaithful:
To suggest that the 49ers "completely outplayed" the Vikings is ridiculous. Take your blinders off. Both teams played a great game and the Vikings just happened to win. Quit the whining and move on. The 49ers are a fine team, but that doesn't mean that you need to downplay the performance of the Vikings.
This is your best one to date. Obviously I would make tiny adjustments but you could say that about anyones rankings. I would push the Redskins Futher down and believe Denver and Cinncinati should switch places. I think the Eagles are a top 5 team but all the teams ahead of them deserve to be there (except the Steelers & Falcons). Mostly because they have played and won one more game then the Eagles. I think that will change once those teams get to there bye week but for now I cant really argue with it.
pancreas says:
October 6, 2009 3:43 PM
I love rankings. Gives you so much to bitch about when games aren't being played. Here's my list, which nobody can argue with because it's air-tight, unless you think that reputation or last year matters, which it does not.
__________________________________
If rep and last year results dont matter where are the Broncos? They are undefeated and have the best D in the league. If your going by pure performance they should be top 5 the Saints, Colts, Giants, Broncos, and Vikings
full disclosure : Eagles Fan, I also have a soft spot for the Vikings(Atleast I did before Farve)
@Route36West:
BAM! You're right. I suck. New list:
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. New York Jets
5. New York Giants
6. Minnesota Vikings
7. San Francisco 49ers
8. Denver Broncos
9. Chicago Bears
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Pittsburgh Stealers
12. New England Patriots
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Green Bay Packers
I just think that straight up, the Broncos don't beat the 49ers head-to head. And because I'm a homer, I don't think they beat the Vikings either.
But then again, any given Sunday...
Wait Denver not in the top 10? Their a fake 4 and 0 team, but then why are they Gmen up there?
Okay, Pancreas, I'll argue.
Were you hemorrhaging so much purple last night that you missed the game? I'd rank your Vikes higher than the Jets. Ryan's doing a great job, but they won't be playing in February and your Vikes might. If Eli stays healthy, the Giants have a shot at Miami, too. I like the Jets, but this won't be their year.
Right now, I'd probably put the Vikes and Giants ahead of Baltimore, but it's close. I bleed black and gold, but sick as I am of hearing Ray Lewis's "I am Man, hear me roar" speeches, those roughing the QB calls were ridiculous. Without them, the Ravens might be 4-0.
The best: Saints, Colts, Vikes, Giants, Ravens. Next tier: Broncos, Pats, 49ers, Bears, Jets, Bengals.
Do I think my Steelers are as or more talented than those teams? You bet. But this isn't college ball, so I don't play favorites. No matter what I think of their talent, I won't rank them higher given their performance in their last 3 fourth quarters. But let's see where things stand after they play Baltimore, the Vikes, and Cincy again. If they course-correct, I expect their rankings will go up significantly.
I do like the Vikes, but over 350 yards in the air against a guy who was sacked 8 times behind a line that was partially staffed by GB's stoutest cheerleaders was not cool. Also, great teams go three and out to burn the opposing team's time outs and then mix the pass and run to keep the other team off the field. If not for the play calling, the Vikings go up 2 touchdowns, maybe 3. Everybody knew we would run it up the middle in the 4th and it let GB back in, if not for Rice's unbelievable vertical.
Bad play calling means trouble in the playoffs. The Giants have a better coach and the Jets have won against better teams. Head to head, I don't know that the Vikings beat the Ravens. You have a point about the Jets, but beating GB doesn't equal what they've done. Until we start playing some other pro teams besides the Pack, the jury is out, just like it is for the Broncos.
Well, Pancreas, it's nice to meet another fan who doesn't let fandom short-circuit the brain. I was thrilled with Pittsburgh's offensive performance Sunday night, but it's hard to overlook giving up 28 points in 18 minutes. I got a little caught up in Favre-mania last night--you've made some excellent points. So I guess we'll have to wait and see on the Vikes just as we will on the Steelers.
Giants #1?! Wait til week 6 when the Saints dismantle the G-men. The Bayou Boys are the most balanced team in the NFL. Period. Load up on Brees and the running game will eat you alive. Then after they've scored on you, you have to worry about losing the ball to their ball stealing defense. So far, I don't see a single team that can stay on the same field with the Saints. They are simply the best team on the list, everyone else is fighting for second place.
Umm, the power rankings are based on what a team has DONE, not what they're "gonna" do, Ron Williamson.
ie; the Denver Broncos are "gonna" figure out that playing "real" teams is a lot harder than playing sucky teams, but they haven't played a "real" team ye, so their power ranking is based on a 4-0 record of them playing crappy-a$$ teams.
Nothing but excuses. And every week the Saints keep getting better. If their body of work so far hasn't been convincing enough, just keep living in your dreamworld.
Vikings, Saints and Broncos should he higher; Chargers and Cowboys should be lower.....way lower
These power rankings aren't anywhere near as entertaining as the comments are.
Who cares anyway? I guess people who need validation that their team isn't as sucky as they're afraid it is.
What happened last year means absolutely nothing today. Regardless of the author of a "power ranking" it has no bearing on the outcome of any game, let alone a championship.
As a Viking fan, I'd rather see my team ranked in the middle of the list. I don't want anyone on the team to get lost in their own greatness before we even make it to the post-season.
And yes, I agree that the 49ers outplayed the Vikings. Unfortunately, they were playing with themselves while the Vikings were playing football. You simply can't play that 'take out, yada yada and we win' crap. What happened, happened and no matter how you wanna bend history in your favorite, you ain't gonna do it. The question you might want to ask yourself is, has any team in the history of the NFL actually won a game while failing at every 3rd down they attempted in a game?
It's a long road to Miami and what happens in December means a hell of lot more than what goes on in September.
Oh, and move the Saints up to the top of the list. No one has looked better than them the first four weeks of the season. I'm just hoping they peaked too early.
Yeah, I'm thinking that the last gameplan the Saints have to figure out before the SB is against the Vikings for the NFC CG. I know, I'm being a real homer, but barring injuries to key players, the Saints and the Vikings look like the cream of the crop in the NFC. And I hope you're wrong about peaking too early.
The rankings are fine and all, but the Saints would absolutely dismantle the Colts head-to-head.
Unfortunately, we'll never know. They don't play each other this season. Maybe SB?? But the next best thing happens on Nov. 30th on Monday Night Football when the Patriots come to the dome. Then we'll have to see about excuses being made.
As good as their running game has been up to this point, they haven't had all their backs together in one game yet. But Mike Bell looks like he will be back for the Giants, matching him up in the backfield with Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush. Lance Moore is back at the slot, and of course, Henderson, Meachum, and Colston will be at wideout. I'm not sure anyone has enough defensive personnel to cover all these options for Drew Brees and Sean Payton.
maybe I'm dumb but how are the Skins #21? Lose to the Lions and beat the Rams by ONLY 2 and the bucs by ONLY 3. Come on, that's a weak schedule and even weaker outcomes....I hate to say it but even the Lions should be ahead of them!
No Respect for the Broncos again! Unbelievable! That's alright, we like it that way. I have the Broncos going 11-5 this season doing what they are doing to this point. We may not get a Superbowl this year, but we will definately make the playoffs - and for all of the turmoil in the offseason, that will considered a success by all! And consider this, the NFL is made up of great, dramatic stories year in and year out. What better story than the Broncos going to and possibly winning the Superbowl? I don't know, all I am saying is that it could happen.
How about a little respect, huh? Is that too much to ask. Admit everyone has been wrong about San Diego to this point and it doesn't look like they will be improving anytime soon! After all, here we are in week 5... in every season this is about the time we see what everyone is really made of and who is falling short of their expectations. There may be one or two teams that haven't performed well to this point that will make a move. Sorry to all your nay-sayers out there, but there is always next year and it only a game and unfortunately there will be only one Champion at the end of the season (and yes, I realize in all likelyhood it will not be the Broncos). I am just glad God was listening to our prayers in Denver and has answered them. All we asked for was a little respect!