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Thursday, September 08, 2011

Week 1 power rankings

I haven't done them in a while, but I think I'll bring back the power rankings this season.

Here are my top 10 and bottom 10 NFL teams as we head into the season.

1. Green Bay - The champs until somebody proves otherwise.

2. Steelers - The AFC champs were thisclose to being the Super Bowl champions last season.

3. San Diego – The new kickoff rule will help the Chargers greatly.

4. Atlanta – Julio Jones gives them another receiving threat.

5. N.Y. Jets – Somebody needs to tell Rex Ryan he hasn't won anything yet.

6. New Orleans – Everyone is forgetting about the Saints.

7. New England – May take a slight step back.

8. Philadelphia – Not sold on the Eagles.

9. Baltimore – The Ravens aren't as good as they were last season.

10. Houston - Should win the AFC South in a walkover. Matt Schaub is the only returning starting QB in the division.


Bottom 10

23. Minnesota – What was it about Donovan McNabb's play last season that didn't make the Vikings feel he was washed up?

24. Washington – Mike Shanahan came back for this?

25. Cleveland – The Browns are improving, but still have a way to go.

26. Tennessee – How many games will Matt Hasselbeck play?

27. Buffalo – Getting better, but slowly.

28. Seattle – Hard to believe this team was in the playoffs last season.

29. Denver – Bad defense that did little to get better.

30. Jacksonville – Curious move cutting David Garrard.

31. Cincinnati – Too many rookies at key positions, particularly on offense.

32. Carolina – Little talent anywhere.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure if it's fair to say Denver's defense did little to get better. They've got Doom back healthy and took the guy thought to be the best pass rusher in this draft. They also play in the weakest division in the AFC.

Agree with most of your other rankings/assessments.

Anonymous said...

Disagree on Pats. I know Suh pushed around their O-line in preseason, but if Brady is upright they're going to put up 30ppg again. Defense just has to be decent and they get the other bye (Steelers or Chargers get the other one).

No playoffs for Jets or Ravens.

Weird crappy team "lucks" into wild card at 9-7 (like the 2006 Chiefs, etc.), maybe Denver or Cleveland.

Anonymous said...

i wouldn't be so quick as to put the Titans as the 7th worst team in the league. that team basically gave up in the second half trying to deal with the young/fisher/moss three headed monster.

i see them as an 8-8 team in a weak division (without manning). if they over achieve a bit, then they are a potential wild card team, imo.

datruth4life said...

Dale,

Do you think Keenan Lewis, Curtis Brown & C. Allen is an upgrade over what the Steelers had at CB this past year? Also, do you most teams trying to spread this D out to attack it rather than trying to establish the run?

Dale Lolley said...

Teams can try to spread the Steelers out, but quite frankly, not everyone has the talent to do it. There are only a few. You'd better have a great QB.
Realistically, you think Cleveland spreading the Steelers out would make a difference? How about Cincinnati?

Kevin said...

I'd like to see the Ravens try and spread out the Steelers D, that would be hilarious

Only a few teams can do that successfully against the Steelers. Maybe only Green Bay and New Orleans

Patrick said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Patrick said...

Kevin - NE doesn't come to mind first? they've been doing it to the Steelers for almost 10 years and drafted the blueprint.

Dale Lolley said...

Actually, Cincinnati drafted the blueprint at the end of the 2001 season with none other than Dick LeBeau as head coach. Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski, a former Steelers WR coach, spread the Steelers out in a 26-23 OT win over Pittsburgh with Jeff Blake at QB.

New England and Oakland copied it in 2002.

Kevin said...

Pat - NE did come to mind but they don't really have good receivers anymore but ya them too

Point is if people think the steelers d is figured out and can be beaten by any team that spreads it out, that's laughable

Anonymous said...

dale,
i do think cleveland spreading out the steelers will make a difference for them this year. mccoy has shown the ability to run that type of offense. they have a decent RB and their WR/TE's are better this year.

i'm not saying cleveland is great, far from it. but anytime they are able to get william gay on the field is a positive for them and a negative for the steeler's defense.

Anonymous said...

seriously u clowns are worried about Cleveland spreading us out?

LMAO

Anonymous said...

go ahead and laugh it off.

that team is getting better. and don't forget they're the same guys that last season beat the pats and saints (something the steelers couldn't do) and took the jets to overtime (a game they should have won).

Anonymous said...

McCoy is decent but their receivers suck and Oline not too good

you are an idiot for worrying about them when we dont play them for 13 more weeks

Anonymous said...

first of all, i didn't bring cleveland up, dale did, and i responded to it.

second, the greater issue being discussed was regarding teams that can or cannot spread out the steelers. any team that tries to spread them out experiences success. the browns have specifically shifted their offense in that direction.

third, i am not "worrying" about the browns right now, only illustrating that they have potential and will be utilizing a philosophy that traditionally beats the steelers.

now, if you want to debate any of those while show some type of knowledge, by all means go ahead.

otherwise, your juvenile name calling is boring and a waste of space.

Anonymous said...

Thing is, if in the future he is given better receivers, McCoy is the kind of player that can dink and dunk us down the field ala Brady

I know that's a big comparisson, but the guy has talent, and it's certainly not an impossible task

but yeah, that day is still far ahead. They are rivals, but I wish McCoy a lot of luck, and hopefully he is the spark that brings back the rivalry

Patrick said...

I'm really worried about facing St Louis

Patrick said...

That cinci game was John Kitna by the way Dale