1. New York Giants (5-0) (Last week: 1). The New York Sentinels would have given the Giants a better game.
2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) (Last week: 2). We'd hate to see how badly the Colts would have beaten the Titans if Tennessee hadn't been desperate for a win.
3. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) (Last week: 3). Lost in the Lord Favre hoopla is the fact that the defense is giving up too many yards.
4. New Orleans Saints (4-0) (Last week: 4). The Superdome will be a rockin' when the Giants come a knockin'. (Yeah, I try to use it once every couple weeks. Because I truly am as cool as the other side of the pillow. And ridonkulous.)
5. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) (Last week: 8). The Bengals haven't been this high since Chris Henry hid his stash in the team salad bar. Allegedly.
6. Chicago Bears (3-1) (Last week: 7). It's a good thing they got rid of Cedric Benson and Kyle Orton. Those guys really suck.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) (Last week: 9). The Steelers could be the first team to win the Super Bowl and then promptly fire their offensive coordinator.
8. Denver Broncos (5-0) (Last week: 15). Those uniforms born in the days of black-and-white televisions apparently were designed by someone who was color blind.
9. Atlanta Falcons (3-1) (Last week: 10). After a sluggish loss to the Patriots and a bye week, everyone seemed to forget about the Falcons. We won't be forgetting about them moving forward.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) (Last week: 14). After years of Philly fans begging for a veteran receiver not named T.O., the Eagles found two pretty good ones in back-to-back drafts.
11. New England Patriots (3-2) (Last week: 5). We've got a feeling the Patriots will get another crack at the Broncos. The question is whether they really want one.
12. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) (Last week: 6). With a trip to Minnesota on tap, the Ravens could be staring at a 3-3 record at the bye.
13. New York Jets (3-2) (Last week: 11). If the Jets lose to Buffalo, Rex Ryan might explode like Mr. Creosote.
14. San Diego Chargers (2-2) (Last week: 13). Best evidence that the Chargers are mired in a boring season? Last week's back-and-forth between A.J. Smith and Shawne Merriman was theor most exciting moment of the year.
15. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) (Last week: 12). Has there ever been an NFL
coach who looks like a genius when his team is winning, and a moron
when they're losing?
16. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) (Last week: 16). The 3-2 record suggests "above average." The performance on the field suggests "below average."
17. Green Bay Packers (2-2) (Last week: 17). Mark Tauscher is back. When does Tony Mandarich sign?
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) (Last week: 20). Like Fragile Frankie Merman, the Dolphins dug a deep hole in the park. But they're not sitting in it -- they're climbing out.
19. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) (Last week: 25). After Owen Schmitt pulled off the old WWF bloody forehead trick, Rex Ryan a/k/a Captain Lou Albano immediately opened trade talks.
20. Arizona Cardinals (2-3) (Last week: 22). In any other division, the Cardinals would have no chance. In the NFC West, they're very much alive.
21. Houston Texans (2-3) (Last week: 19). They showed character by coming back in the second half, but it's still a loss and the window is closing on Gary Kubiak's knuckles.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) (Last week: 18). Mike Sims-Walker didn't play after violating the team itinerary. The Seahawks then violated the team in a very different way.
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3) (Last week: 26). John Fox says he hasn't told friends he expects to get fired. Maybe the truth is that friends have told him to expect to be fired.
24. Washington Redskins (2-3) (Last week: 21). Cornerback Carlos Rogers points a finger at owner Daniel Snyder as Vinny Cerrato whispers to the boss, "He's saying, 'We're number one!'"
25. Tennessee Titans (0-5) (Last week: 24). At least they're still the best 0-5 team in league history.
26. Detroit Lions (1-4) (Last week: 27). You know it's a bad year for the bad teams in the NFL when six of them are worse than the Lions.
27. Cleveland Browns (1-4) (Last week: 31). That "win" should still count as a loss.
28. Buffalo Bills (1-4) (Last week: 23). Their game in Toronto might have half the crowd of a UFL game.
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) (Last week: 29). 0-16 isn't as far fetched as it seems.
30. Oakland Raiders (1-4) (Last week: 28). Napa prosecutors will soon drop all charges against Tom Cable under the reasoning that his job is punishment enough.
31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) (Last week: 30). They're 2-28 in their last 30 games.
32. St. Louis Rams (0-5) (Last week: 32). With loss No. 16 possibly coming at Jacksonville on Sunday, St. Louis will complete the "Ram Slam."
Week Five power rankings
Posted by Mike Florio on October 13, 2009 8:56 AM ET
Florio, why would the team with the 6th most productive offense in football fire their OC??? If anything their DC is the one who has been bad this year.
You know I'm a pumped Bengal fan right now Florio but I got to keep it real man....Number 5 is to high....They are 4-1 still have 2 against Bmore and Pitt, Houston is in tpwn with a high powered offense and Chi Town next both at home and you know as well as me that anything can happen.....We play Minn @ Minn at NYJ and @ SD later in the Season....I guess what Im sayin is this damn sure aint over....And Bengals fans need to not get all DAMN excited like we are going to the Super Bowl....The team needs to keep their head down and keep working...Maybe when they look they are on the playoffs.....So with all that said I would say Move em down to 10....Thats about right....Dont let this SMALL success go to their heads......Love to hear your thoughts on number 5???
How can you justify having the Bengals ranked ahead of Denver? And before you pull the fluke play talk out remember that Denvers defense dominated Cincy for the first 59 minutes of the game. Philly is ranked too low. Both Denver and Philly should be higher than Cincy, Chicago and Pittsburgh. Your rankings blow Florio.
Which team has yet to face team with a currently winning record? Colts
Just saying....
BTW, the Pats have yet to face a team that has lost a game.
I appreciate the ranking, but the Bears at #7 is too high. Cutler has been running for his life and the secondary is bad, bad, bad. Way too high. But, thanks for the effort.
It is hard to remember when so many teams in the NFL were so flat out bad. A lot of surprises, too, like the Jets, Broncos, Vikes. What is it? Coaching, bad players, bad owners? All of the above?
"15. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 12). Has there ever been an NFL coach who looks like a genius when his team is winning, and a moron when they're losing?"
Yeah. It's the story of Andy Reid's life, unfortunately. We still love ya, Big Red.
No Peezy, I think Florio is a tool but he's right here.
Bruce Arians is a complete moron... He thinks the Steelers have the Pats personnel from 2007 and runs the offense as such.
Last Sunday against Detroit the Steelers had a comfortable lead, and Rashard Mendenhall had about 60-70 yards rushing going into the half (and was averaging 5 ypc)... So any OC with a brain says time to grind it out right? Nope! Not Arians... he starts dropping back and looking for the deep ball and throws is 5 straight times (resulting in 2 sacks)... Letting the Lions catch back up.
I don't fault Lebeau at all. Maybe if the D wasn't on the field all game they'd be better rested. And once Polamalu is back the D will be fine.
Steelers offense is on fire
A 3-2 Steelers team over a 5-0 Broncos team fresh off back to back wins over the Cowboys and Patriots while the Steelers got an unimpressive win against the Lions....I think PFT stands for Pittsburgh Football Talk!!! At least try not to make it so obvious Florio!!
Thanks to the NFL Ticket (what a joy to have) I been fortunate enough to watch enough of all of the teams to honestly make this observations. The Vikings are the most overrated team in the league. Their defense lives on the edge and they have no running game since game one. What happened to Peterson? The Ravens games will be their reality check. The Bears are not better then the Falcons but I guess we'll find out for sure if that's the case in less then a week. The Giants and Eagles have so far lived off the NFL's bottom feeder teams. The Bengals are just plain lucky as have been the Broncos but at least they look legit. The Colts are good but something tells me they won't there in February. By the way my top 4 are [drum roll] 1) Giants 2) Saints 3) Colts 4) Broncos 5)Vikings
I love it Mike, keep the Eagles nice and low on this list...shouldn't the Redskins be #1?
I see that since you fully understand how meaningless these power rankings really are, that you've taken to just pulling names out of your arse instead of using any kind of logic in assigning ranking.
At least you keep it entertaining. Way to go Mike.
You just put Eagles at No. 3 in the NFC the other night on the live chat?
27. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 31). That "win" should still count as a loss.
Then why did you move them up? Idiot.
We BLOW OUT the 49ers, outplay them in every aspect of the game and we only move up ONE spot from last week? And how are the Bengals and Bears better than us? We whipped the Dolphins in week one (who just beat the Jets), beat Carolina (well, they kinda suck), and lost to arguably the best team over the last decade in their house! No respect man, no respect...I'm not sayin we are going to go 15-1 or anything or even get a wild card, but we aren't who you think we are!! And yes I say WE - been a fan for 26 years!
Dallas is about 10 spots too high
how in gods name are you on a bye and move up???
Bears at 6 and the Broncos at 8. I don't understand. Were you drunk when you made the rankings Florio?
jwill, as a steelers fan living in Cincinnati... I gotta say Cincy deserves to be ranked where they're at. I don't think they're a powerhouse yet...
But they have a VERY balanced team. Good RB as well as passing game... Good D-line and quickly improving secondary. They've beat some legit teams in Pitt, Balt, and GB, and should be 5-0.
I always get a kick out of people that take "power rankings" as meaningful. Look at the standings that's all that matters. Here is the playoff format
Each conference awards 6 playoff spots. All four division winners are awarded playoff spots. Then, the two non division winning teams with the best record are awarded two playoff spots. They all play a tournament to determine their conferences champion. The two conference champions then play in the leagues championship game. The winner of that game is the leagues champion.
Chargers and Cowboys too high....Cards too low.
The Saints and Eagles should probably be ahead of my Vikes. The teams the Vikes have beaten all stink.
Bad form, using that Mandarich bit again. Maybe it was funny the first time, maybe not. But you still don't get to just use it again.
Vox??? *crickets* Vox Veritas? *crickets*
I think the Bengals and Steelers need to be behind Atlanta at this point, and move everyone else up and switch Denver and Chicago. Otherwise, not bad top 10.
Denver may or may not be as good as they think they are, but their record and their opponents makes them deserving of being in the top five.
Hey Otis, Four of the five Colts' opponents would have winning records IF THE COLTS HADN'T BEAT THEM! Just sayin'...
As a Raider's fan, all I can say is, you have the Raiders too high.
/sigh
//sad but true
///we would lose to the Chiefs right now
i think florio went on a date with a bronco but never got a call back.. no love.
Mr Creosote :-)
"...get me a bucket..."
Ranking the 3-2 Steelers over the 5-0 Broncos is ridiculous.
Saints over Vikings. Saints have actually played good opponents.
Broncos should be higher, fluke play or not they did beat Cincinnati.
"It's a good thing they got rid of Cedric Benson and Kyle Orton."
Cutler is an upgrade over Orton, Benson was always overweight and had a drinking problem.
He only got better when his career was on the brink.
Good jobs on picks though.
14. was theor most exciting moment of the year.
Firefox has a built in spell checker, might help at times. IE should have an add-on, haven't looked recently though.
Could ask your IT dept to a spell check one to posts, but seems like they still might be stuck with the log-in issue.
Supersuckers-are you being serious or sarcastic..? I think we all know how the playoffs work...
Also, I refuse to believe that the Vikings are overrated [dvdman]. Their running game has taken a backseat simply because they have a quarterback that can actually spread the ball out now. Also, Adrian Peterson is still second in the league in rushing yards, and leads all with 7 touchdowns. So where has he been? Right at the top, where he is comfortable.
"BTW, the Pats have yet to face a team that has lost a game"
Buffalo: 1-4
NYJets: 3-2
Atlanta: 3-1
Baltimore: 3-2
Denver: 5-0
I count 9 losses.
Agree with the Manning bros at 1 and 2.
@ dvdman- You will be eating crow when the Vikes continue their roll. What happened to AD? He's fine,getting almost 5 yards a carry. We just have been limiting his carries since we actually got a good passing game now. Watch Ravens play get AD and Favre will pass on their weak pass D(26th) Nice to keep our beast (AD)fresh for later use when needed.
Damn Florio you just about nailed it. That is until you put the Bears and Steelers ahead of the Broncos. The Steelers have lost to the Bears and Bengals and barely escaped the Lions. Who have the Bears played so far? The Broncos at lease deserve to be ahead of those two teams.
Lol with the Browns comment "that win should be a loss". The Browns were like a 30 year old virgin...who finally had sex...but it was with a fat ugly girl....so you dont wanna go brag about it....but it does count as sex.....but you're definitely not proud of it.
No problem with the top 4, but after that it gets weird...
Pittsburgh loses but gains two spots???
Chicago doesn't play but goes up a spot... because...?...?...? Why? It's not like they couldn't stay put and allow one of the ACTIVELY successful teams to have that spot.
And, of course, the aforementioned... the Bengals should not be ahead of the Broncos.
To Steelcurtndee
Thanks for the ups! But I agree with most, MIKE BROWN STEP DOWN!!!!!!
Broncos are too low. I'm not even a huge ponies fan and realize this. Their defense is the real deal and their offense is efficient enough to get it done.
And anyone who would consider firing Arians is a tool, a broken tool.
The Dolphins are better than 18.
Wow the Giants have played Washington, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Oakland so you rate them #1 what a joke who have they played that is any good but yet you rank the Bronco's 8 after they beat New England. You really should think about it before you do your Power Rankings.
ummm, how could you have the patriots rated BELOW the falcons? how does that happen?? the pats took care of atlanta, the best they have looked all year, and now the falcons all of a sudden are a better team? are you drunk? the patriots have had a brutal schedule and they are 3-2. The Steelers have had a joke schedule and THEY are 3-2. How is Pitt better than NE? After the top 2, it is a mess. This is worse than the BCS.
I seem to remember the Arizona Cardinals getting into the playoffs with an 8-8 record, being considered the WORST playoff team ever, and going to the Super Bowl (nearly winning as well). Just like the paridy we see every year, every Sunday, every game, a winning team doesn't need to look good, they just need to win. Broncos, Bengals, Falcons. They win, and thats all that matters.
That is the worst Power Ranking I have ever seen. Cinci ahead of 5-0 Denver, let me guess, the fluke play at the end right? WRONG! A win is a win. That's like saying Arizona won the superbowl because Holmes 9 times out of 10 wouldn't have made that catch, fluke play right?
Steelers barely get past the Titans, the Lions, and lose two games to the Bears and Bengals?
Yet they are a better team than the Broncos who have won every game...hmmm
Broncos won in Cincy, shut them down...
Steelers lost in Cincy...
Look at record and strength of schedule and we are clearly better than the Steelers!!!
And the Bears, talk about fortunate, so lucky to have those wins!
If it wasn't for the crappy Steelers and Seachicken's kickers the Bears would be way lower!
Keep Hating!!!!
steelers are ranked too high
I'm a Bengals fan, but like others have said they're not a Top 5 NFL team right now. Top 10 certainly, but I'm not sold on them being an "elite" team (yet!).
Cincy should be 5-0. We all know that. Also, they could just as easily be 0-5 if things didn't go their way late in games. I'm damn proud of this team, and they're proving to the league they should be taken seriously.
If you look at CP's numbers, nothing special like the old CP's numbers. The wild-card however, is what he's doing late in games to bag that W. Palmer is still one of the most feared QBs by head coaches, and he's proving that.
Ced's running game is what's keeping up "in games" and Carson's late heroic antics is what's "winning games."
Respect the Bengals. I predict the Ravens win the division (11-5), Steelers miss the playoffs (finish with a record of 9-7 or 8-8) and the Bengals secure a wild-card by winning 10 games this year.
@ Jpeezy, Rainman, Ruhtard, whichever you prefer....your defense is garbage because polamalu IS your defense, and Harrison plays dirty throwing cheapshots or racking up unnecessary roughness penalties...
Rydendonkey....So fortunate to have those wins!?! or so fortunate to have cutler, just like palmer, producing 4th qtr comebacks similar to those of brady or manning, but the fact that it isn't the colts or patriots, it voids their relevance?? how about the patriots, who should be 2-3 if it wasn't for the mental error by mckelvin not taking a knee, including a loss to the horrible ass bills!?
WTF are the patriots and steelers doing ranked so high...? I'm not convinced the steelers are any good, nor am I convinced Tom brady is a pro bowl QB, look at all of his Off mark throws, he's not the same....
Jets should be higher and chargers are TOO high...
@ Jpeezy, Rainman, Ruhtard, whichever you prefer....your defense is garbage because polamalu IS your defense, and Harrison plays dirty throwing cheapshots or racking up unnecessary roughness penalties...
Rydendonkey....So fortunate to have those wins!?! or so fortunate to have cutler, just like palmer, producing 4th qtr comebacks similar to those of brady or manning, but the fact that it isn't the colts or patriots, it voids their relevance?? how about the patriots, who should be 2-3 if it wasn't for the mental error by mckelvin not taking a knee, including a loss to the horrible ass bills!?
WTF are the patriots and steelers doing ranked so high...? I'm not convinced the steelers are any good, nor am I convinced Tom brady is a pro bowl QB, look at all of his Off mark throws, he's not the same....
Jets should be higher and chargers are TOO high...
DC Fan the Cardinals were 9-7 not 8-8. The chargers won their divsion at 8-8 last year yet the Cardinals are the worst team to ever make the playoffs and the worst team t ever play in a superbowl and the worst team to ever come 2 mins from winning a superbowl...and so on.
How are the Broncos so low and why are the Falcons so high? They got killed by the Pats and they go to 49ers and beat them SO WHAT? I have been saying this whole season that the 49ers were playing much better then they really are and it finally showed and it will continue to show.
Oh and Florio seriously how can you make a power rankings when you don't even know the records of the teams...the Carindals are 2-2 not 2-3 but, it doesnt matter right its only the Cardinals....you know the DEFENDING NFC CHAMPS! Oh that must burn you so much Florio!
What's interesting is you have Philly ranked #10 but given the NFC teams ahead of them, they would not make the playoffs. When did the NFC suddenly get so strong?
Also, you need to watch the Bills-Browns game. I still say the Rams and Chiefs are better than both those teams, even if they combined their best players. Putrid. Just putrid.
Actually, the Bengals were dominating the Broncos in every phase of that game, but had 2 red zone turnovers(1 tipped pass and 1 missed field goal. They had more time of possession, rush and pass yds, and return yards. Not to mention, shut down B Marshall and the committee of backs that day. They finally got it together in the end and marched down the field with ease. Even after the ensuing kickoff, J Joseph had a pick that should've been reviewed. So up until the "immaculate deflection", the Bengals dominated the Broncos, who then rattled off wins against the Browns, Raiders, and overrated Cowboys. Wow! The Broncs supporters should just be happy with their record and quit bitchin' about their PFT ranking!
GoBears84 - you are right about the Pats, they should have lost to the Bills. But your Bears got the benefit of Mare and Reed choking big time on very makeable FGs.
Special teams and Kickers are a big part of the game, Gostkowski choked vs us this weekend too!!! In a game that went to OT! Prater missed one too.
Kickers are making the difference this year in a ton of games.
Cutler is a jerk, just ask him! Everyone hates him here in Denver, and not because he is a sell out, dude is just a immature hole.
I think the Power Rankings are right where they should be...If you understand Power Rankings you know they are based off the opinion of who is doing the power rankings and not just the record of each team.
With that being said...
Broncos fans need to quit whining like little girls. How exactly did the Broncos dominate the Bengals the first game? Palmer threw for more yards...Benson ran for more yards than your whole sleugh of running backs. Absent a fluke tipped pass, your ponyboy Orton passed for 100 yards short of Palmer. Palmer and the boys moved the ball with ease between the 20's but stalled because of vanilla playcalling. Your "great" defense folded when it needed a stop and let them score the go ahead TD and yet you dominated the Bengals. Child Please! Man up, call it as it was, a win but with absolute luck, no domination.
1) Giants
2) Colts
3) Broncos
4) Saints
5) Eagles
Bottom 5:
32. Redskins (and I'm a fan)
31. Chiefs
30. Titans
29. Rams
28. Bills
pitbullmama says:
October 13, 2009 11:18 AM
Wow the Giants have played Washington, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Oakland so you rate them #1 what a joke who have they played that is any good but yet you rank the Bronco's 8 after they beat New England. You really should think about it before you do your Power Rankings.
___________________________________
Are you suggesting that the Broncos are better than the Giants? Granted, they played these teams but it is still pro football. They are holding these teams to about 100 yards per game total and sitting their starters in the second halves of each game. Not to mention on both sides of the ball, they have 7 starters missing. Give me a break, you beat cincy by luck and the pats could easily be under 500. Don't whine about schedules, you play the chargers, raiders and Chiefs 6 times.
@DVDman.....
What happened to AP? well nothing really....still 2nd in rushing and has more TDs than ANYONE in the league.....wow he sure does suck now.....teams line up 8 in the box to stop him all the time....now with Farve (someone that can read def) the passing opened up....Farves 200+ passing takes about 50 yrds of what AP would normally get without him. As for the Def, yards really don't mean much....look at the turnovers....think the Viks are atop that one too.....oh and they still have less than 100 yrds rushing against. That being all said, they are not 3rd.....saints are over them....possibly the broncos too
@DVDman.....
What happened to AP? well nothing really....still 2nd in rushing and has more TDs than ANYONE in the league.....wow he sure does suck now.....teams line up 8 in the box to stop him all the time....now with Farve (someone that can read def) the passing opened up....Farves 200+ passing takes about 50 yrds of what AP would normally get without him. As for the Def, yards really don't mean much....look at the turnovers....think the Viks are atop that one too.....oh and they still have less than 100 yrds rushing against. That being all said, they are not 3rd.....saints are over them....possibly the broncos too
A team that turns the ball over twice in the redzone fails and deserves to lose by a fluke play. LOL Cry some more Bengals Fan.
ok, it's week 5, time to stop putting undefeated teams below teams with defeats. we are far enough along now that all undefeated teams have proved they are "more powerful." than ones with losses.
broncos ahead of cinci, because they beat them. lucky deflection or not, they won the game because they scored more points. cinci dominated on stats except for two critical ones, number of scoring drives (3 vs. 1) and final score. add that to cinci barely beating bad teams while denver blew out their lessor opponents, and it is clear.
broncos ahead of chicago, because they have a better record and two more wins, simple. same for the steelers.
oh yeah, and best ranked D in the NFL, shouldn't that be considered power?
@dvdman
What happened to Peterson?
Hmmm... lets see he is 2nd in the league in rushing yards, 1st in rushing td's, and averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Suffice it to say no one in Minny is worried about Peterson.
Do a little research before you make stupid statements.
I think everyone can agree the Bears and Steelers are way to high!
Agreed?
I think you are watching way too much seinfeld both Fragile Frankie Merman and the 'knockin' song are from the same episode ;)
Good job Florio!
I think it's funny how he posted the Cardinals record as 2-3 when they've only played 4 games.
How do you put the Bengals, Bears and Steelers ahead of the Broncos who just beat the Cowboys and Patriots? The Bengals are barely beating bad teams and the NFL's glory QB's, Romo and Brady, didn't get it done against the Bronco's D. I think Florio was watching the President's Cup instead of football.
Florio...maybe you should cover women's golf instead.
Otis, the only undefeated oppnent of the pats is denver. and even if the teams they played were undefeated at the time they played them it doesn;t matter. early in the season, most teams are undefeated
GiveOrtonAbreak says: October 13, 2009 4:16 PM
How do you put the Bengals, Bears and Steelers ahead of the Broncos who just beat the Cowboys and Patriots? The Bengals are barely beating bad teams
------------------------------------------------------
The only bad teams the Bengals barely beat was the Browns. Outside of that they've beat BOTH teams from last years AFC Title game and the Packers.
And if they Bengals are so poor and barely beat bad teams, what does that say about your Bronco's who needed divine intervention to pull off a fluke win against the Bronco's?
Now, I will say that I think Denver has a good squad. I was just proving a point, think before you start talking smack. The argument you gave discredited your team a bit by calling a team crappy that your team got lucky to beat. If you wanna argue that your team should be higher to the almighty Florio (which they should be higher) come with a strong, researched argument.
jkorn1818 says: I am whining about the Giants but really who have they played? At least the Bronco's did beat New England which everybody said they would lose to. The Bronco's have only allowed 26 points so far and there defene is rated #2 in the whole NFL right now. The Giants are rated #1 but again look who they played and if you look at the Bronco's schedule they play the Chargers, Colts and the Steelers next. ( Wow what a easy schedule). I sure wish people would get there facts straight before they comment.
Why is every sentence of these power rankings irrelevant to the team and how good they are? Even the Giants one. That should be used to for the Raiders.
the cowboys barely beat the chiefs, set a franchise record, have the most offensive yards in the league, and they stay at number 16. The steelers barely beat the lions and move from 9 to 7. thats cheap
The only thing I would change is I would put the Broncos 5th ahead of the Bengals and put the Steelers 10th behind the Eagles. You could argue the Eagles should be ahead of the Falcons but they are both 3-1 and the Eagles havent really beat anyone. Yet.
Once again, a relatively ill-informed group of bloggers. Let's get this straight, if we were to really look at the best teams in the NFL after 5 weeks, most of the teams in the top 10 would remain. Here's how I see it:
1. Colts
2. Vikings
3. Giants
4. Saints
5. Broncos
6. Eagles
7. Falcons
8. Steelers
9. Bengals
10. Patriots
... if you consider talent, coaching, full potential and where these teams will most likely end up after week 17, I think most of these teams have a great shot at the playoffs in their respective conferences.
Now, for those of you who care to know, let me explain why the Steelers are ranked above the Bengals and the Bears, two teams they gifted wins to and walked away with BS losses. First of all, it's early in the season and one thing is for certain, the Steelers offense is clicking better than it did in their last SB year (oh yeah, that was just last year). Ben and the receivers, Mendenhall and the O-line look a helluva lot better now than they did most of last year. The D has been out of sync without their true leader on the field and when Troy gets back, they should right the ship if he's healthy. Hopefully the staff in the Burgh will take it slow and bring him back when he can be close to 90% or better.
Number two, the Bengirls could just as easily be 5-0 as they could be 0-5. Many of you have admitted to this and it's absolutely true. I don't buy anyone's smack that they manhandled and beat up on the Broncos on both sides of the ball during week 1. Beyond their victory at Lambeau which was solid in week 2, they've been lucky to have the opportunity to beat the Steelers, incredibly fortunate the Browns put a few extra coats of paint on the top and insides of the goal posts (due to weather related deterioration during the season thanks to Lake Erie). Last Sunday, they had a lot to play for on the personal front against the Ravens and they came through for Zimmer, but Baltimore for once in the past 2 seasons looked completely ill-prepared for battle and their D is clearly getting old and arthritic. Bottom line is that once the breaks don't go their way and good teams (like the Steelers) actually put them away when they have the opportunity (vs allowing a dumb ass like Limas Sweed to break free and miss a TD pass on the numbers .... that jack ass ought to be demoted to hummer boy for the guys in the opposing locker room as he couldn't catch a pass if he and the ball were bathed in freakin' super glue), the Bengirls fans will not be singing with the Fat Lady at the end of each game. Period, end of story. The Bengals Offense has been out of sync 75%+ of each game thus far and they've been fortunate teams are still stupid enough to play "prevent" defense in the final 3-5 minutes of the game. Dumb ass move on the Def coordinators. Bring pressure, knock Palmer on has assis and be done with them. I'm certain however that other teams have taken notice and I'm certain the Bengals are done pulling shit out of the keysters at the very end of every game.
So, why should the Steelers be ranked higher than the Bears. Simple - the Bears shouldn't have beaten the Steelers and without their best defensive player and a clear team leader (Cutler is not a leader boys and girls ... you should have paid attention to what transpired in Denver), they will falter against the Vikes and Packers the entire season and rack up at least 6-8 losses. Come back and check my predictions after week 17, I'm quite certain I'm in the ball park of where the Bears will finish. 9-7 or so perhaps 10-6, but that probably won't be good enough with the other teams in the NFC to make the playoffs this year. They're just not that good this year and the Vikes are well balanced in all aspects of the game with their 40+ year old QB and will win their division. Both wild card teams will come from the other NFC divisions this year.
Prediction for how things fall out at season's end. Here are the playoff worthy teams that barring major injuries will be there in the playoffs:
NFC
1. Giants
2. Falcons
3. Vikings
4. Saints
5. Eagles
6. Cardinals / 49ers (not sure who will come out of this lousy division, but it will be one of these 2 teams)
AFC
1. Colts
2. Broncos
3. Patriots
4. Steelers
5. Bengals
6. Jets
At best, the Bengals will finish the season at 11-5, perhaps come in at 10-6, so yes they have a great opportunity to make the playoffs, but they will have to play a helluva lot better and be much more consistent. If Polamalu comes back and is strong, the Steelers D will quickly vault up the rankings and if the running game relies upon Mendenhall more than fleet footed Willie .... they'll be even stronger coming down the stretch.
I do believe this year could be another title run for the Colts. They have started off stronger than any other team in the AFC and probably the NFL.
The Vikings and Giants clearly look to be ahead of the pack in the NFC, but the Saints and Falcons could actually give them a run, as could the Eagles.
Let's check back during the week 17 power rankings to see how these predictions hold up. I'd be shocked if more than 1-2 teams on my list are replaced by those off the list.
Go Black and Gold. Looking forward to Nov 15th at Heinz field.
@SteelCurtnDee - Black and gold faithful also living in Cinti. Your giving too much up to the Bengals at this point. Their 4 wins have been lucky, excluding the win at Lambeau. As a Steelers fan, you should realize the Steelers completely had them on the ropes and that jackass WR, Limas Sweed, screwed it all up.
Keep the faith in the Steelers as once Troy is back and if they let him get to 90% or better, the D will rebound. For the O - we just need Mendenhall to be the bruising back we've needed since Jerome retired.
BTW - if you attended the Bengals game this year and witnessed the unbelievable cowardly BS and name calling from the Bengirls fans after their W (1st one at home vs Steelers since 2001), you'd be hard pressed to throw any props to those fair weather folks who live in this town.
@ Legend of Josh - You seem to be the first informed and in touch Bengals fan I've heard from thus far on any blogs. You are 100% spot on the Bengals could just as easily be 5-0 as they could be 0-5. With their start, their remaining schedule, they have a shot at 10-6 or 11-5 and a playoff spot.
Only comment I disagree with is the Steelers finishing 8-8 or 9-7. That actually sounds like the Ravens to me based upon how old their core D is getting and how pathetic they looked this past weekend vs Bengals. I'm betting the Steelers and Bengals make it and who knows, maybe they meet again in the playoffs in early 2010.
See you on Nov 15th at Heinz field. I hope the Bengals are still a 1-loss team and both teams are at full capacity. Should be a helluva a rematch and the Black and Gold will be ready for the late game heroics.
What's wrong with this picture? Too many NFC teams at the top. And the way the Vikings are giving up passing yards, I'm afraid the Saints would score 70 on them and should be ahead of my beloved Vikes. Hopefully they won't drop to 5-3 with the upcoming schedule.
@snh7979 - Very good point about the Saints. Could see Drew lighting them up for about 500 yards passing, best get their pass d tighter.
As my freind Supersuckers has pointed out to me, the Aikman ratings are much better barometer of where a team stands.
A lot of the yardage the Vikings are giving up, they are doing so willingly in garbage time at the end of games.
Minnesota, after week 5 is the #1 offense and has the #3 defense , according to Aikman.
The next 2 weeks concern me, if they come away with a split, I am happy, Ravens at the dome, favored by 3, let's get the 1st one, and maybe we can steal a win in Pitt. The Pack game doesn't scare me at all.
Snh, I wouldn't be that scared, outside of the 49ers game, the defense has been able to coast at the end of their games.
@ Bengalstink09 - you're underrating the Ravens (so your opinion is that they're overrated, obviously). That team is just too talented on both sides of the football to not do some damage in the AFC this year AND come the post season.
I predict Baltimore will make the AFC Title game, against who? I'm not exactly sure at this point.
How do the Broncos get to be below the Bears???!!
ballhawk1 says:
October 13, 2009 9:58 AM
how in gods name are you on a bye and move up???
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That's awesome. The Browns have a bye coming up soon... It may be their best offensive production.
@ purple judas. I think when it was said that the Paatriots havent faced a team that lost a game, it was meant prior to their matchup. sure, the Bills are 1-4 now, but they werent when the Patriots played them in week one.
Why are the Broncos behind 3 teams with worse records, especially the Steelers (3-2)?
I used to get riled up at these rankings when I thought my Oakland Raiders were on the rise.
Now, I think No. 30 is generous and I think it's much more likely we wind up a clear No. 32 than say 25 or better.
bengalsstink09:
Your rankings:
NFC
1. Giants
2. Falcons
3. Vikings
4. Saints
5. Eagles
6. Cardinals / 49ers (not sure who will come out of this lousy division, but it will be one of these 2 teams)
AFC
1. Colts
2. Broncos
3. Patriots
4. Steelers
5. Bengals
6. Jets
I almost fully agree with everything you wrote. The Bengals could very easily be 0-5 right now and they have been pulling wins out of their asses. I only have a couple differences than you.
My picks:
NFC
1. Saints
2. Giants
3. Vikings
4. Falcons
5. Eagles
6. Cardinals / 49ers (not sure who will come out of this lousy division, but it will be one of these 2 teams)
AFC
1. Colts
2. Broncos
3. Patriots
4. Steelers
5. Ravens
6. Dolphins
I think the Vikings will be 5-3 after their next 3 games. I also don't believe they sweep the Lions this year so there's another loss right there.
In all honesty, if the Lions could pull out a fluke win this week, they play St Louis, Seattle Minnesota and Cleveland in their next 4. So far they've had to play a rough schedule and held up about as good as is possible. They could actually have a near .500 record or better by week 10 or 11. Probably not, but you never know.
To be perfectly honest, if the O-line wasn't beat up in Green Bay and they were actually coming after the QB once in a while I would pick the Packers over the Vikings. We all know that Favre fades as the season goes on. It's no surprize he's played good so far, but towards the end there is no way this team beats the likes of the Giants, Falcons, Saints or Eagles.
Also, all the teams that have beat a half-hearted Patriots team so far this year, get ready. When this team finds their game, my guess is this happens this week, a lot of teams in the AFC will be in trouble. They're 3-2 and tied for the top of the division despite a bad start. I could really see them ending up at 13-3 or 12-4 still this year. Get ready Jets. When you have to play this team again you will be demolished.
The Saints & Gints is gonna be a great game... but why have the Giants ranked #1 and the Saints #4 if you pick the Saints to beat the Giants? What sense does that make Florio????
I'm curious how the Eagles got a veteran receiver in the draft this year.
Simple_Simon
Your name suits you very well. You are simple minded!! Bengals fan here. After reading the power ranks and lots of posts, I agree with some and disagree with others. Yes the bengals could be 0-5. Yes the broncos are 5-0. I am proud to say our only loss is to a team that is undefeated. (there are no fluke plays in the NFL---stuff happens) I do not know that we will make the playoffs or even finish over .500 this year. The bengals have broke my heart way to many times to buy into them this early in the season. With that being said, your picks have got to be the most outlandish post on here. The DOLPHINS! @ #6 in the AFC? The Steelers, and Ravens both make the top 6 but not the bengals? (whom the beat) And lets get one thing straight....Carson had the same injury Brady had, he came back in less time, and has not been the same since, Pats D is garbage and the offense will not find its rhythem this year bcause Brady is playing timid and not right in the head due to the hit he took last year in KC. I respect steeler fans and ravens fans posts. I understand we had a lot go our way to win the games against you that we did win.(However I will take them and am very proud to say we beat both teams that were in the AFC title game last year) I do not think we deserve the top 5. BTW-Manning brothers are the smartest and most efficent QB's in the league, using what they have to win games, and deserve the #1 and #2 spot respectively.