What about Bob?

1. Giants (12-4) (1): I am not counting the loss to the Vikings. Just not gonna do it, since the Giants obviously didn’t play the entire game to win. They were on top last week, and that’s where they stay to end the season.

2. Titans (13-3) (2): I’m not going to make the win over the Colts on the final weekend – a meaningless game for both teams – so the Titans stay at No. 2. They can state their case for the top ranking on Feb. 1 in Tampa.

3. Panthers (12-4) (4): Panthers nearly blow it against Saints, but pull it out in the end to clinch the No. 2 seed and the all-important bye week.

4. Stillers (12-4) (3): Stillers pound Browns into submission one more time, but Big Ben’s noggin gets scrambled in the process. The Stillers believe he’ll be okay for the playoffs. He has an extra week to recuperate.

5. Colts (12-4) (5): Colts on a roll going into the playoffs with nine straight wins. They’re at the red hot Chargers to start things off.

6. Falcons (11-5) (6): Amazing job done by first-year coach Mike Smith to get the Falcons into the playoffs with a rookie quarterback and a rebuilding team.

7. Ravens (11-5) (7): Ditto for first-year coach John Harbaugh.

8. Patriots (11-5) (8): Bill Belichick does one of his best coaching jobs ever, but the Patriots are still on the outside looking in.

9. Dolphins (11-5) (9): Chad Pennington as MVP?

10. Iggles (9-6-1) (14): Looks like the Iggles might not be done with Donovan McNabb just yet.

Continue reading "Power Rankings: Giants start and end No. 1 " »

1. Giants (12-3) (2): Big Blue secures No. 1 seed in NFC playoffs with massive OT win over streaking Panthers, thanks to Derrick Ward.
2. Titans (13-2) (4): After lame effort on road the week before in Houston, Titans score impressive home win over Stillers to get top seed in AFC.

3. Stillers (11-4) (1): Rare lapse for defense prevents Stillers from wresting No. 1 seed from Titans. A playoff rematch, perhaps?

4. Panthers (11-4) (3): Panthers are all over Jints in first half, but once Steve Smith was shut down in second half, everything changed. Wouldn’t be surprised to see teams meet again in January.

5. Colts (11-4) (5): That’s eight straight wins for Peyton & Co. Now that’s the way to go into the playoffs. Our Giants-Colts Super Bowl prediction is still very much alive, although Colts will have to do it the hard way as a wild card.

6. Falcons (10-5) (6): Doesn’t Matt Ryan know that rookies aren’t supposed to win on the road and secure a playoff spot? Evidently not. Take a bow, sir.

7. Ravens (10-5) (8): Ditto for Joe Flacco.

8. Patriots (10-5) (10): If the Patriots make the playoffs in a year that Tom Brady went down in the opener, does Bill Belichick deserve consideration for Coach of the Year honors? Duh …

9. Dolphins (10-5) (12): If the Dolphins make the playoffs in a year that Chad Pennington took the reins of a 1-15 team, does Tony Sparano deserve consideration for Coach of the Year honors? Duh …

10. Cowboys (9-6) (7): Good news for Wade Phillips. Jerry Jones has said he’ll be back next season. Even if the Crowbars don’t make the playoffs.

Continue reading "Power Rankings: Jints back on top ... Jets ... um ... not" »

Damn those Detroit Lions! They locked up the No. 1 draft pick already, so everyone else in the un-power rankings sweepstakes is playing for the right to wildly overpay for who the deem the second, third, fourth and fifth best college football players that have never proven a thing in the NFL yet.

This just in: Every underclassman in college just decided to stay in school one more year.

Continue reading "The Week 16 NFL un-power rankings" »

The Colts nearly ruined those pesky Lions' quest for negative perfection. But thanks to that Peyton Manning fella, Detroit remains defeated through 14 weeks, which also pretty much guarantees the No. 1 draft pick for a city struggling with more than just a really bad football team.

Have a look at our weekly un-power rankings, which looks at the bottom of the NFL in 2008 / top of the NFL draft order in 2009.

1) Detroit Lions

Record: 0-14
Strength of schedule: .563
Last Week's ranking: 1

2) St. Louis Rams*

Record: 2-12
Strength of schedule: .522
Last Week's ranking: 4

3) Kansas City Chiefs*

Record: 2-12
Strength of schedule: .522
Last Week's ranking: 5

4) Cincinnati Bengals

Record: 2-11-1
Strength of schedule:.571
Last Week's ranking: 2

5) Seattle Seahawks

Record: 3-11
Strength of schedule: .509
Last Week's ranking: 3

6) Oakland Raiders

Record: 3-11
Strength of schedule:.529
Last Week's ranking: 6

7) Cleveland Browns

Record: 4-10
Strength of schedule: .567
Last Week's ranking: 8

* Rams hold the advantage over KC right now because of a worse divisional record.

Continue reading "The Week 15 NFL un-power rankings" »

1. Stillers (11-3) (3): These things aren’t pretty, but when you beat Ray Lewis’ defense on the road – even by 13-9 and even with a controversial replay reversal – it’s impressive stuff. Steelers have played a brutally hard schedule, and seem to be getting better as the season goes along. Memo to BBiB!, Black N Gold and the rest of Steelers Nation: Happy now?

2. Giants (11-3) (2): Before Bob Mantz accuses us of taking hallucinogenic drugs before doing this week’s rankings, hear me out: We’re actually taking a page from Mantz’ own “unique” method of Power Rankings. Why keep the Giants No. 2 after losing on the road to Dallas? Because we think they’ll beat Carolina at home on Sunday night and go into the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 1 seed and thus the team to beat in the postseason … ok, resume use of the term “know-nothing moron.”

3. Panthers (11-3 (4): Another huge effort at home against an admittedly flawed Broncos’ team. Now the stage is set for a winner-take-all-for-the-No. 1-seed matchup at Giants Stadium.

4. Titans (12-2) (1): Teams never look good playing out the string after clinching the division, even against a far weaker divisional opponent.

5. Colts (10-4) (5): That’s seven straight after a narrow escape against the winless Lions. Injury issues are still there, though. RB Joseph Addai (shoulder) and Bob Sanders (knee) are crucial to their playoff chances.

6. Falcons (9-5) (8): Falcons still alive after crucial OT win at home against the Bucs.

7. Cowboys (9-5) (11): After Terrell Owens throws an emotional hand grenade inside yet another NFL locker room, the Cowboys respond with a big effort against the Giants. We’ll see if they can keep it up in remaining games against Bal’more and Philly.

8. Ravens (9-5) (7): Ravens play woulda-shoulda-coulda after heartbreaker of a loss to Stillers at home.

9. Buccaneers (9-5) (6): Their fate rests with the injured calf of Jeff Garcia.

10. Patriots (9-5) (9): Matt Cassel throws for a career-high 4 TDs as New England keeps pace in stirring AFC East race.

Continue reading "Power Rankings: Stillers on top, Cowboys climbing " »

Our Power Rankings, of course. But at least it's a start.

Mantz, who does not have an Ivy League education, contrary to our previous assumption, plucks out some interesting double entendres from what he refers to as our Weak 15 Power Rankings.

True to form with the satiric nature of his blog, Mantz finds plenty of interesting phrasings that surely a twisted mind like his - or 505 - would come up with. Well done, Mantz.

Bob Mantz' super-duper Power Rankings are out, too. He puts a lot of time and effort into this, so please take a look. Notice the clever comments and the fact that he ignores every team once he gets to No. 18. (If you'd like to leave a comment for Mantz, click onto the "comments" section on his blog ... oh, wait. He doesn't have a comments section.)

Remember, if you'd like to comment - and we encourage ALL comments, as long as they're clean - please put an e-mail address under your name before posting.

1. Titans (12-1) (2): The train keeps on rollin’. After upset loss two weeks ago to Jets, Titans back on track and on the way to No. 1 seed.

2. Giants (11-2) (1): A momentary glitch, or a sign of things to come? We’ll give the defending champs the benefit of the doubt and choose the former. For a more definitive answer, tune in on Sunday night in Big D.

3. Stillers (10-3) (3): You’ve got to be good to be lucky. In Sunday’s comeback win over the Cowboys, the Stillers were both.

4. Panthers (10-3) (6): Holy Crap(honso) Thorpe! 299 rushing yards against the Bucs? Whoa. Big challenge for Panthers now is winning on the road. They’re unbeaten at home.

5. Colts (9-4) (8): That’s six wins and counting. Home to Detroit, at Jacksonville and home to a Titans team that might not need the win in the finale, and the Colts might win out.

6. Buccaneers (9-4) (4): How often do you see this defense get pushed around like they did last night? Answer: not very.

7. Ravens (9-4) (9): Ravens are in the hunt in the AFC North, but we see Ray Lewis, Joe Flacco & Co. as a wild card team. ‘Specially if they lose at home to the Stillers this weekend.

8. Falcons (8-5) (5): Matt Ryan can’t close the deal in N’Awlins.

9. Patriots (8-5) (11): Huge day for Wes Welker as the receiver keys New England’s comeback in Seattle to insure three-way tie atop AFC East.

10. Dolphins (8-5) (14): The classic example of a well-coached team that doesn’t beat itself.

Continue reading "NFL Power Rankings: Panthers surge, Giants, Jets fall" »

1. Giants (11-1) (1): At some point, the Plaxico Burress situation has to have some effect on this team … or does it? Jints pound ‘Skins a day after Burress shooting incident.

2. Titans (11-1) (3): After lay-up win over Lions on Turkey Day, Titans are home to Cleveland and then at Houston before finishing up at home to Stillers and at Indy. That wounds like 13-3 at worst.

3. Stillers (9-3) (4): Major thumping of Patriots on the road leaves no doubt that Stillers are ready to make a meaningful playoff statement. Can’t wait for Stillers-Titans Dec. 21.

4. Buccaneers (9-3) (5): They don’t always win pretty, but they usually win. Huge one against Saints at home, proving once more that good defense beats good offense.

5. Falcons (8-4) (7): When is Matt Ryan gonna realize he’s a rookie and he shouldn’t be winning games like this week-in and week-out? Another one in the books, as Falcons beat Chargers in Chilkoot Land.

6. Panthers (9-3) (8): Panthers win track meet at the Tundra, as DeAngelo Williams scores four TDs, including the game winner late in the fourth quarter.

7. Jets (8-4) (2): That was a tough one, people. Denver’s defense is awful, but gets the best of Favre. Jets’ defense has troubles of its own.

8. Colts (8-4) (6): Peyton Manning has a clunker, but defense – and the Browns – bail him out in Cleveland.

9. Ravens (8-4) (10): See remarks above about Matt Ryan. Change name of opponent to Bengals.

10. Cowboys (8-4) (12): Pokes starting to hit their stride with Tony Romo back in the saddle. (No Jessica Simpson remarks!)

Continue reading "Power rankings: Jets stumble, Cowboys climb " »

Since "Islander505" is attempting to singlehandedly turn the Newsday.com website into an Internet cash cow, we figured we owed him something for his troubles. Before heading to Sunday's Cardinals-Giants game in Glendale, he dropped off a calendar of the "Tempe 12" and asked that we share this with our readers. Well, we picked out the most modest pic we could find. We hope this also addresses any concerns our own "tenn tom" might have about our state of mind these days. (At the moment, I am listening to yesterday's "Song of the Day," however. The "Killing Me Softly" remake is terrific. Maybe I'll break out the Yanni standards next.)

Enjoy the Power Rankings.

BBiB! you've got one hour to make corrections.

Can't wait to see what kind of back-patting Bob Mantz has in store when his chemically-altered rankings come out.

Incidentally, Neil Best's disturbing fascination with all things Mike Francesa seems to have quieted down today. He offers a TV angle to the Jets-Giants surge in today's newspaper.

1. Giants (10-1) (2): Giants have their way with Cardinals’ defense, as Eli outplays Kurt at the scene of Manning’s greatest NFL moment.

2. Jets (8-3) (6): This is getting really, really interesting, isn’t it? Looks like Bob Mantz’s Transcendental Meditation Power Rankings aren’t so wacky after all.

3. Titans (10-1) (1): Guess this had to happen sooner or later. Titans were just not playing their best the previous three weeks. They paid for it against the Jets.

4. Stillers (8-3) (4): Big one coming up on Sunday in New England. Rumor has it Glauber Nation's resident Iron Man triathlete Black N Gold will jog to Long Island’s North Shore, swim across the Sound, and bike the rest of the way to Foxboro to see his beloved Stillers.

5. Buccaneers (8-3) (5): Bucs toy with Lions after Detroit gets early lead. At 8-3, the playoffs are easily within their grasp.

6. Colts (7-4) (8): That’s four in a row for Colts, who could be on the way to eight in a row. Up next: at Cleveland, home to Cincy, home to Detroit, at Jacksonville. They finish the regular season at home to Tennessee.

7. Falcons (7-4) (12): Tremendous effort by gritty Falcons, who thump Panthers at home in huge NFC South battle.

8. Panthers (8-3) (3): Uh-oh. Jake Delhomme experienced some soreness in his surgically reconstructed elbow against the Falcons.

9. Patriots (7-4) (9): Seems like it was only a few weeks ago Bill Belichick was being roasted for not having an adequate backup plan in the event of an injury to Tom Brady. Matt Cassel had his second 400-yard passing game in a row.

10. Ravens (7-4) (10): Safety Ed Reed has a monster day against Eagles’ struggling offense. Reed probably earned another trip to Hawaii off this game.

Continue reading "NFL Power Rankings: Giants-Jets in Tampa!!! " »

Ok, BBiB! and HockeyBob: You've got two hours to make corrections.

Btw, check out La Monica's post on Kurt Warner and weigh in on whether you think he's a Hall of Famer. I have to think about this one. Until this year, I'd say no, because he didn't dominate over a long enough period of time. Now, I'm not so sure.

1. Titans (10-0) (1): Kerry Collins leads impressive second-half comeback against Jags to keep Titans unbeaten in advance of Sunday’s home game against the Jets. Looks like Boland might have his work cut out trying to concentrate on the game. Btw, Boland live chat at 11 a.m. today. Be there.

2. Giants (9-1) (2): So much for the Ravens being able to contain the Giants’ running game, which churned out 207 yards and two TDs in a 30-10 walkover.

3. Panthers (8-2) (3): Panthers struggle a bit to get past Lions, but maintain one-game lead in NFC South.

4. Stillers (7-3) (4): So, did you have the Steelers to cover? :-)

5. Buccaneers (7-3) (5): Terrific effort against the Vikings at home, as ever-efficient Jeff Garcia leads the way to keep Bucs within striking distance of Panthers and stay in control of wild card race.

6. Jets (7-3) (12): Maybe Brett Favre was getting a little carried away when he put his win over the Patriots at or near the top of his list of big games, but his excitement was understandable. Jets take huge step in beating arch rivals on road in prime time.

7. Cardinals (7-3) (11): Long-suffering Cardinals fan Chicago Norm still has his doubts, but Cardinals are getting ready to sell playoff tix.

8. Colts (6-4) (10): That’s three wins in their last four games for a Colts team still hanging in despite injuries and early-season suckiness. (Can I use that word? … Well, I just did. That’s been a goal of mine for quite some time now.)

9. Patriots (6-4) (6): After losing to Jets at home, another big AFC East game for Pats: on the road against the 6-4 Dolphins.

10. Ravens (6-4) (7): Ray Lewis & Co. succumb to the elements: Earth, Wind and Fire.

Continue reading "Power Rankings: Jets surge; Iggles, Bears stumble" »

1. Titans (9-0) (1): Sorry, just can’t pull the trigger on moving the Titans out of the top spot. Can’t penalize them for beating a solid Bears team on the road and staying unbeaten. Big day for Kerry Collins as Bears shut down Titans' vaunted running game.

2. Giants (8-1) (2): T Rock believes the Giants are No. 1, but what do you expect from a homer beat writer? Maybe we’ll get the definitive answer about which team is truly No. 1 in February in Tampa.

3. Panthers (7-2) (4): Panthers hold serve against Raiders, even though Jake Delhomme has a miserable game. Hey, it happens.

4. Steelers (6-3) (3): Can’t drop Steelers too far even though they lose a tough one at home to Indy. This team is still very dangerous, especially when Big Ben can stay away from the interceptions that killed him against the Colts.

5. Buccaneers (6-3) (5): How good are the Bucs? We’ll get a better idea on Sunday at home against a Vikings team whose defense is finally starting to look good.

6. Patriots (6-3) (9): Pats get it done at home against Buffalo to set up battle for first on Thursday against Jetsies.

7. Ravens (6-3) (10): Rookie QB Joe Flacco keeps getting better. Duh …

8. Falcons (6-3) (12): Rookie QB Matt Ryan keeps getting better. Ok, I’m scuffling. What can I tell you?

9. Redskins (6-3) (7): Redskins heal up on bye and get ready for huge home game against Cowboys.

10. Colts (5-4) (15): Massive win for Colts in Pittsburgh, where they haven’t won since the days of Earl Morrall. (True story: Was listening to someone the other day refer to Morrall and pronounce it Mor-Al, with the accent on Al. I’m old.)

Continue reading "Power rankings: Titans still No. 1" »

We'll be coming out with the Power Rankings later this morning. But there is one issue for which I need your assistance.

Titans are Giants. Who's No. 1?

I've had the Titans there since the Giants lost in Cleveland last month, but I'm not sure now. If the teams were to play today (the right-here, right-now scenario that BBiB! loves so much), I'm thinking the Giants win. So I admit I'm leaning in that direction. But if there are enough impassioned pleas - along with well-constructed reasons - on why Tennessee should remain No. 1, I will listen.

In the meantime, Giants running back Derrick Ward has apparently taken note of all these Power Rankings, because he's ticked the Giants aren't No. 1. Here's what he said on The Monty Show this morning on Sporting News Radio:

"I mean hey, you're gonna have to talk to the writers because I don't think they believe that still. I mean we're always the underdogs, we were the underdog against the Eagles so... and we see how that turned out. We can only worry about what we do and what we do is run the ball, and then we pass the ball. Everybody knows what we're going to do, so we've just gotta continue to keep gaining those yards rushing, and open up the pass game and come out with a win on Sunday."

So I think we know where Ward stands on the matter.

1. Titans (8-0) (1): Titans not at their best against Packers, but it’s good enough for OT win and another expected e-mail from Mercury Morris’ publicist that he’s available for interviews. (Evidently, Morris still talks trash about unbeaten teams, even though last year’s Patriots one-upped his ’72 Dolphins.)

2. Giants (7-1) (2): You could make a case that the Giants are the best team in football, but the fact is they stumbled against Browns and Titans have remained perfect. Who’s quibbling, though? If you’re a Giants fan, you’re loving this.

3. Steelers (6-2) (4): Stillers beat Redskins, but see Big Ben aggravate shoulder injury. The good news: Byron Leftwich looked terrific in his place. Now Steelers hold their breath awaiting MRI. No evidence that Roethlisberger's injury was related in any way to concerns about Redskins cheerleader warmups.

4. Panthers (6-2) (3): If Panthers don’t get to 8-2, shame on them. Up next: Oakland and Detroit.

5. Buccaneers (6-3) (9): Fabulous comeback win in Kansas City, although you could argue the Bucs shouldn’t have been in position to stage a miracle comeback in the first place against a brutal team. Then again, this is the NFL, and strange things happen.

6. Eagles (5-3) (6): Shhhhhhh. Donovan McNabb has quietly enjoyed a renaissance season. We’ll see if it’s good enough Sunday against the Jints at the Linc.

7. Redskins (6-3) (5): After 4-1 getaway, Redskins now 2-2 in their last four, including weak effort last night against Stillers.

8. Bears (5-3) (12): Rex Grossman saves the day in place of the injured Kyle Orton, as Bears hold off upset-minded Lions.

9. Patriots (5-3) (7): Gritty effort in Indy, but Pats can’t put away Colts. Instead, they watch former New England kicker Adam Vinatieri win it with a late FG.

10. Ravens (5-3) (16): Joe Flacco continues to improve, as Ravens keep within striking distance of Stillers in AFC North. Ravens at Texans in game that was re-scheduled because of Hurricane Ike.

Continue reading "Power Rankings: Jets, Ravens up; Bills, Broncos down" »

Blogger Bob Mantz was apparently hoping someone would pick up on his "unique" Power Rankings, because when we referred to the somewhat bizarre order, he essentially responded: Bingo!

Bob apparently thinks the existence of and subjective nature of Power Rankings are somewhat questionable, even though they've become a big hit among readers. So he has in essence poked fun at them by coming up with what he says is a super-duper-extra-special-quasi-scientific method of selecting the order.

I believe if you dig deep enough, you'll find a hat and 32 pieces of paper each week. The way he picks them out is the way they appear.

I'm pretty sure Boland accused us of doing the same in a snide comment he made on our rankings this week.

One disturbing development out of all this: Mantz is attempting to co-opt our own Islander505 and enticing him with an unpaid internship on his blog. I assume I505 will think twice about this, especially after Mantz receives our cease-and-desist letter, which will include a signed affidavit from I505 that indicates his exclusivity to the Newsday blogs.

One of Best's frequent commenters, Bob Mantz, has his own blog, filled with interesting tidbits.

But none more interesting than his own NFL Power Rankings, which add new meaning to the word "different." Oh, they're different, all right. As in hallucinogenic different.

The Blitz' power rankings, he writes, are "based on a unique formula that looks at results, upcoming schedule, and injury."

Here goes:

1. Tampa Bay
2. Chicago
3. Philadelphia
4. Carolina
5. NY Giants
6. Baltimore
7. Pittsburgh
8. Arizona
9. Dallas
10. Green Bay
11. Washington
12. New Orleans
13. San Diego
14. Buffalo
15. Minnesota
16. Cleveland
17. Miami
18. Jacksonville
19. Indianapolis
20. Atlanta
21. N.Y. Jets
22. New England
23. Houston
24. Denver
25. Seattle
26. St. Louis
27. Oakland
28. San Francisco
29. Cincinnati
30. Kansas City
31. Detroit

Now, I'm pretty sure Bob knows there are 32 teams in the NFL, and I'm almost positive that he neglected to put the NFL's only unbeaten team atop the rankings, because the Titans are the only team missing from the rankings.

Even so, they're pretty ... uh ... interesting, perhaps understood only by one Islander505, who might be able to sift through the haze and add some semblance of logic to these.

Perhaps Bob can offer some himself.

(Memo to Blitz: We really do enjoy your stuff, and you seem to be a young, hip blogger, so please take our posting as a means of spreading the word about your product and increasing page views.)

(AP Photo)

1. Titans (7-0) (1): If you weren’t convinced by the Titans’ 6-0 start, then perhaps Monday night’s win over perennial AFC South champ Indy did the trick. This race is over.

2. Giants (6-1) (3): Old-time football as Giants pound Steelers in the Burgh. As hard-hitting a game as we’ve seen in a long time.

3. Panthers (6-2) (7): Jake Delhomme is a lock for comeback player of the year.

4. Steelers (5-2) (2): Steelers’ leaky offensive line still a problem, but there’s no shame in losing to the defending Super Bowl champs. This is still a very, very good team.

5. Redskins (6-2) (4): Redskins nearly guilty of overlooking Lions in advance of Sunday’s huge one at home against the Stillers on Monday night.

6. Eagles (5-3) (10): Brian Westbrook is as valuable to his team as any single player in the NFL.

7. Patriots (5-2) (8): Another solid job by the Pats against a rejuvenated Rams, albeit one without star running back Steven Jackson.

8. Cowboys (5-3) (9): Cowboys’ defense shines through against Bucs at home in a pivotal game. Up next: Giants on the road. Not an easy task without Tony Romo. In fact, it could be former Jets backup Brooks Bollinger in the saddle.

9. Buccaneers (5-3) (5): Back to three yards and a cloud of dust for Jeff G. and Co.

10. Bills (5-2) (6): Bills find out Dolphins are a much-improved team. We’ll see if they take it out on the Jets Sunday in Buffalo.

Continue reading "Power rankings: A Giants-Titans Super Bowl?" »

A massive Monday night win for the Patriots over the reeling Broncos has the Belichicks making a bold move up in the rankings, while another calamitous loss for the Cowboys sees the Pokes plummet some more as their freefall continues.

Remaining at No. 1 after a dominating performance against the hapless Chiefs are the Titans.

Ordinarily, we'd put a picture of Kerry Collins or Chris Johnson or Albert Haynesworth up to honor the team's achievements. But due to the backlash of the Jeremy Shockey pic in a previous post, we'll try and balance things out accordingly and stop giving some of our readers the creeps.

We also offer a new thingamajig that La Monica told us to use that will somehow bump up page views. I have no idea how it works. Just click on the "buzz" button and some cool things start to happen. (Prediction: Islander505 will pick out "cool things start to happen" line and offer some psychadelic riff from two time zones away.)

1. Titans (6-0) (1): Jeff Fisher put fake cheese and mousetraps in some players’ locker a few days before the Chiefs’ game. The message: Don’t take the bait and overlook a bad team. The Titans obliged and blew out the Chiefs to remain atop the rankings.

2. Steelers (5-1) (2): Big Ben has never, ever lost in the state of Ohio. That’s 11-0 and counting in road games against the Bengals and Browns.

3. Giants (5-1) (3): It wasn’t always pretty, but the final outcome is all that counts. Giants hold serve against Niners and now embark on brutal stretch that includes nine straight games against teams .500 or better.

4. Redskins (5-2) (4): Redskins avoided second straight home upset loss by outlasting the pesky Browns.

5. Buccaneers (5-2) (6): With the quarterback situation now resolved, and with the defense looking like it did in the Super Bowl days, the Bucs are very much alive in the NFC equation.

6. Bills (5-1) (9): Good team here, people (you too, NKR!). Good team. Bills contain erratic Chargers to extend their lead in the AFC East. Trent Edwards is a very reliable quarterback.

7. Panthers (5-2) (7): Panthers smoke the Saints at home to keep pace with Bucs.

8. Patriots (4-2) 16): In a word: wow. Matt Cassel does his best impersonation of Tom Brady as the Patriots obliterate the Broncos.

9. Cowboys (4-3) (5): It’s chaos, I tellya. That’s three losses in their last four games as the Pokes are in freefall. Tony Romo’s pinkie can’t heal fast enough, but that’s not the only issue in Big D. How about a defense that got smoked by the Rams.

10. Eagles (3-3) (11): Brian Westbrook says he’s just about ready to go. Could mean all the difference when Iggles come off bye against Falcons.

Continue reading "Power Rankings: Patriots up, Cowboys down" »

Lots of changes at the top as three NFC East teams lose and the Falcons continue their stunning early-season performance. About the only thing we can count on these days is Detroit losing; and even that was a close call on Sunday.

I see BBiB! is up bright and early trying to influence our poll. And in this case, we agree with the lad that his Steelers should move up after all the NFC East carnage over the weekend.

1. Titans (5-0) (2): Titans kick back and relax on bye week and emerge as NFL’s only undefeated team. It should stay that way on Sunday, since they’re at the Chiefs.

2. Steelers (4-1) (5): Steelers also get a week off after huge road win in Jax. Now it’s off to Cincinnati for what should be another win. Unless Ryan Fitzpatrick suddenly turns into Carson Palmer, the Steelers have no excuses in this one.

3. Giants (4-1) (1): A dismal day for the NFC East, starting with a 35-14 whipping in Cleveland for the defending Super Bowl champs. They haven’t looked that bad in a long, long time.

4. Cowboys (4-2) (4): Not only do they lose to the Cardinals on the road in OT, but they lose Tony Romo for a month with a broken pinkie and Felix Jones for at least a week or two – maybe longer – with a hammy.

5. Buccaneers (4-2) (9): It’s Jeff Garcia’s job to lose after a huge win over NFC South rival Carolina.

6. Panthers (4-2) (6): So much for that five-game winning streak in Tampa.

7. Redskins (4-2) (3): Evidently, the ‘Skins were reading their press clippings, because they lost at home to the previously winless Rams.

8. Broncos (4-2) (7): Repeat after me, Jay Cutler: Never, ever brag that you have a stronger arm than John Elway.

9. Bills (4-1) (8): Trent Edwards looks like he’s ready to roll after recovering from a concussion. Big one at home against the Chargers on Sunday.

10. Colts (3-2) (14): Now that’s the Peyton Manning we’ve come to know.

Continue reading "NFL Power Rankings: NFC East slips, Falcons rise" »

(Ranking, team, record, last week's ranking)

1. Giants (4-0) (1): That 44-6 win over Seattle might have been their most dominating performance since the 2000 NFC Championship Game.

2. Titans (5-0) (2): You knew it was going to be ugly against the Ravens’ brilliant defense. But in the end, Kerry Collins got it done to keep the Titans unbeaten and keep Vince Young on the bench for the foreseeable future.

3. Redskins (4-1) (3): No more waiting for the Redskins to come back down to earth. They’re legitimately good.

4. Cowboys (4-1) (4): Now the Cowboys know how the Giants felt when the Bengals took them to OT a couple weeks ago. Dallas nearly blew it against the winless Bengals.

5. Steelers (4-1) (6): Hats off to Big Ben for a fine performance under difficult circumstances on the road in J’ville.

6. Panthers (4-1) (8): Carolina fattens up the record with a blowout win over hapless Kansas City.

7. Broncos (4-1) (10): Finally, the defense does something worthwhile. Broncos win a nailbiter over Bucs.

8. Bills (4-1) (5): Our beloved NKR took delight in seeing the Bills go down in Arizona. J.P. Losman did nothing once Trent Edwards went down with a concussion.

9. Bears (3-2) (12): Bears clobber Lions in Detroit, as Kyle Orton has his way against a pitiful defense.

10. Buccaneers (3-2) (9): Brian Griese or Jeff Garcia? It all depends on how quickly Griese heals up from elbow and shoulder problems he suffered against Denver.

Continue reading "Power rankings: Giants still No. 1, Eagles fading fast" »

1. Giants (2-0) (1): Giants obliterate Rams in fourth quarter, as offense wakes up and Justin Tuck takes an INT to the house. Jints have allowed just 20 combined points in their first two games.

2. Cowboys (2-0) (2): Fantastically entertaining game against the Eagles, although I’m not sure Wade Phillips would agree with that assessment, considering the Cowboys didn’t do very well on defense. Tony Romo looked sensational against the Birds.

3. Steelers (2-0) (3): Big Ben & Co. survive the gusty winds of Cleveland Stadium to grind out their 10th straight win over the Browns.

4. Panthers (2-0) (6): Another fourth-quarter comeback win for Jake Delhomme. Who needs Steve Smith anyway? The All Pro receiver comes back from suspension this week. We’ll see if it screws up the karma.

5. Eagles (1-1) (4): For most of the game, Donovan McNabb looked like his old self. Except at the end, when he was overpowered by the Cowboys’ pass rush. Even so, there’s still a lot to like about this Eagles team. For those of you counting at home, that’s three NFC East teams in the top 5.

6. Colts (1-1) (9): Did Peyton Manning save the season with a second-half comeback win over the Vikings? Maybe that’s going a little too far, but Colts could ill afford an 0-2 start.

Continue reading "Power rankings: Broncos, Packers climb; Saints fall" »

Check out ESPN.com's power rankings this week. It is downright weird.

Example: Panthers beat the Chargers on the road. Panthers are ranked 12th; Chargers are ranked third.

Another example: Bears beat Colts on the road. Bears are 15th; Colts are 8th.

And you get on my case for keeping the defending champions who won their first game at the top spot? Sheesh.

1. Giants (1-0) (1): Giants defense looks terrific in opener against Skins. Offense so-so. With Cowboys and Eagles also winning, the NFC East looks as good as advertised. (Memo to BBiB!'s co-workers: That shriek you just heard was BBiB! screaming at his computer after seeing that we kept the Giants - the defending Super Bowl champions who won their first game - at the top of the rankings.)

2. Cowboys (1-0) (4): Cowboys stomp an underachieving Browns team on the road to start off what they hope will be a Super Bowl run.

3. Steelers (1-0) (6): Willie Parker dazzles, Ben Roethlisberger sizzles, and the defense sparkles against Texans at home. (I promise not to use those dorky adverbs any more this season.) I assume Black N Gold is a happy man right now. As we suggested yesterday in the Monday Memo, BBiB! was at the game and will surely find something to complain about.

4. Eagles (1-0) (8): To anyone who suggested the Eagles ought to trade Donovan McNabb during the off-season, please go away.

5. Saints (1-0) (10): Drew Brees was on his game, and so was the Saints’ defense. New Orleans handles Tampa in pivotal Week 1 NFC South matchup.

6. Panthers (1-0) (14): Wow. Just wow. Jake Delhomme stuns the Chargers with a touchdown pass on the final play in San Diego. Condolences Chilkhoot.

7. Bears (1-0) (17): Give the Bears their due. They beat the Colts on the road behind rookie running back Matt Forte, new quarterback Kyle Orton, and a defense that looked more like the Super Bowl version of a couple years ago.

8. Chargers (0-1) (5): I’m not panicking on the Bolts, Chilkoot. You shouldn’t either. At least not. They started off slowly last year and got to the AFC Championship Game. Even so, they blew this one against a Panthers team they should have beaten.

9. Colts (0-1) (2): Peyton Manning looked like a quarterback who didn’t play in the preseason. No such simple explanation for the defensive collapse.

10. Bills (1-0) (19): The Bills have been touted as a potential surprise team. They sure looked like it against the Seahawks on Sunday. With Tom Brady down for the count, the AFC East could be Buffalo’s for the taking. Still early, though.

11. Broncos (1-0) (16): Mike Shanahan can’t get enough of crushing the Raiders. Did you see that devilish grin on his face last night? And did you see that look of chagrin on Al Davis’ face as his Raiduhs proved once again they’re the most dysfunctional organization in pro sports?

12. Packers (1-0) (22): No matter what you thought about the Brett Favre soap opera in Green Bay, you had to love Aaron Rodgers enjoying his first-ever Lambeau Leap in the Packers’ huge opening night win against Minny. Even Favre must have gotten a kick out of that one … well, maybe not.

13. Patriots (1-0) (3): The Patriots have suddenly become the most fascinating team in football now that TB is gone for the year. Do they collapse with Matt Cassel at the helm? Or do they still manage to compete? I say it’s too early to write them off entirely.

14. Titans (1-0) (14): Vince Young is down for a few weeks with a knee. Kerry Collins looks like a better quarterback anyway.

15. Jets (1-0) (15): Brett Favre aced his first test in green-and-white, and the defense bare-knuckled it down the stretch. Huge one on Sunday at home against the Pats. Man, is this stuff intriguing.

16. Jaguars (0-1) (9): Jags just weren’t ready to play against the Titans. Awful pass protection, dismal running game add up to opening-day loss against AFC South rivals.

Continue reading "Power rankings: Without Tom Brady, Patriots plummet" »

It's time.

With only two days before the regular season opens, here are the official Glauber Nation power rankings.

They will be a weekly feature every Tuesday. Check back for the weekly NFL Monday Memo as we recap the week's events. And we'll also trot out a "What To Look For Guide" (hopefully we'll have a better name for it; then again, we didn't pull the trigger on a new blog name, mostly because we've thoroughly enjoyed checking out your suggestions) each Friday.

Here goes, people.

It's show time. One of the most widely anticipated weeks in sports is here. Can already smell the fresh-cut grass in the air:

1. Giants: It’s fashionable to write off the champs, but until someone beats them, they’re still the champs, no? Loss of Strahan and Umenyiora definitely hurts, but they’re still an elite team.

2. Colts: Peyton Manning still at the top of his game. Defense led by Bob Sanders and Dwight Freeney is top shelf.

3. Patriots: Is there a better money quarterback than Tom Brady? Don’t think so. There have been some foot problems during the preseason, but he'll be out there, no doubt.

4. Cowboys: Pokes are loaded up for a Super Bowl. Anything less, and Wade Phillips might say bye-bye.

5. Chargers: Shawne Merriman doesn’t want to miss a chance at a Super Bowl, so he’s playing on a bum knee. Offense with Rivers and L.T. is almost as good as it gets.

6. Steelers: Big Ben is rested and ready for a big year.

7. Seahawks: ‘Hawks hope to send Mike Holmgren into retirement with a special season.

8. Eagles: Donovan McNabb says the Eagles are the team to beat. We’ll see what the Giants and Cowboys have to say about that.

9. Jaguars: Can David Garrard & Co. pull off a repeat of last year’s playoff run?

10. Saints: Drew Brees now has Jeremy Shockey in the fold, but it’s the defense that will decide whether N’Awlins is for real.

11. Browns: After 10-6 near miss last year, Browns feels it’s time to break through. Monster schedule, though. Won’t be easy.

12. Titans: Vince Young is good enough to get to the playoffs, but he's got plenty of competition in a brutally competitive AFC South.

13. Vikings: With an improved Tarvaris Jackson back at QB and Jared Allen rushing the passer, this could be the year the Vikes break through for the NFC North title.

14. Panthers: Jake Delhomme is back, but Steve Smith misses the first two games with a suspension. And John Fox’s job is on the line.

15. Jets: Brett Favre has certainly brought plenty of excitement. But it won’t be easy getting to the playoffs, not with New England in the division and a bunch of competition for the wild card.

16. Broncos: If the Broncos don’t make the playoffs, then it’s time to take a long, hard look at Mike Shanahan.

Continue reading "Week 1 power rankings" »

The off-season power rankings started the day after the Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, but they'll all meaningless now that Brett Favre is back in the NFL. So we'll provided an updated version (wait, we haven't done any off-season power rankings) in short order.

We've got a busy travel week planned, so we're not sure when it will run. But be sure to check back frequently, if for no other reason to provide page views in my pathetic attempt to catch up to Best).

And if you have any teams you think should be placed higher or lower than you might expect, let me know.

Happy New Year to one and all. Enjoy the day.

1. Patriots (16-0) (1): Who ever thought we’d see a 16-0 team in the era of free agency and the salary cap? Bill Belichick pulls off the improbable run with a comeback win over his old Giants team.

2. Colts (13-3) (2): Colts jayvee team loses to Titans, but Indy is still the biggest threat to the Pats’ Super Bowl hopes. Or should we say that the Pats are the biggest threat to the defending champion Colts.

3. Cowboys (13-3) (3): Cowboys play out the string and lose to Washington, but they’re still the favorites to come out of the NFC.

4. Jaguars (11-5) (4): Jack Del Rio rests starters against Houston, realizing that bigger prize awaits with wild card road game in Pittsburgh.

5. Packers (13-3) (5): Packers complete wondrous regular season with win over Lions. Now we’ll see if they can make it to that long-awaited NFC Championship Game against Dallas.

6. Chargers (11-5) (6): Maybe the hottest team going into the playoffs. But as Charlie Chilkoot and the rest of Charger Nation understand, winning in January isn’t always in the cards.

7. Steelers (10-6) (7): Steelers rest up for playoffs in losing meaningless game at Baltimore. Now we’ll see if Big Ben & Co.. are up to the task.

8. Seahawks (10-6) (8): Is this Mike Holmgren’s last dance?

9. Giants (10-6) (10): Tom Coughlin plays his starters against the Patriots and gives us one of the year’s best games. Now we’ll see if there’s any hangover in Tampa on Sunday.

10. Buccaneers (9-7) (9): Bucs’ defense is their strong suit, but they know they’re in for a tough afternoon with Brandon Jacobs running at them.

11. Redskins (9-7) (11): Feel-good team of the playoffs. Joe Gibbs and Todd Collins combine forces to give Washington an improbable playoff berth.

12. Titans (10-6) (12): Titans barely get by Colts’ second-stringers, but it’s good enough to get into the tournament. With Vince Young and Keith Bullock hurting, might not be a very long stay.

13. Browns (10-6) (14): The long and tortured history of Browns fans takes another painful turn as Cleveland is ousted from the playoffs because Tennessee beats a Colts team wholly uninterested in playing to win on Sunday night.

14. Eagles (8-8) (15): Andy Reid insists Eagles will be contenders again in ’08.

15. Vikings (8-8) (13): Vikings had it all there for the taking. Two-game losing streak to end the season dashes their playoff hopes.

16. Texans (8-8) (17): Plenty of reason for optimism in Houston moving forward.

Continue reading "Power Rankings: Final Answer" »

1. Patriots (15-0) (1): History is upon us. Pats about to become first team to go 16-0 after becoming first team to go 15-0. Beating Giants will be a layup, considering Big Blue will almost surely rest some players.

2. Colts (13-2) (2): Are you betting against the Colts in the playoffs? Don’t. At least not yet. They’re playing well enough that you have to think they’ll give the Pats a run in the AFC Championship Game.

3. Cowboys (13-2) (4): Cowboys have homefield advantage for the playoffs, which could mean all the difference in whether or not they make a Super Bowl run.

4. Jaguars (11-4) (5): This is the last team anyone wants to face in the playoffs. Great running game. Great defense. Mistake-free quarterbacking. A terrific combination in January.

5. Packers (12-3) (3): Brett Favre goes belly-up in Chicago, and the Packers lose out on homefield advantage throughout the conference playoffs.

6. Chargers (10-5) (6): Bolts are hot at the right time. They’re one win away from getting the No. 3 seed.

7. Steelers (10-5) (7): They win the division, but they lose Willie Parker for the playoffs. A terrific season all-in-all, but can’t expect much in the playoffs.

8. Seahawks (10-5) (11): Lay-up win over reeling Ravens expected. Even so, problems with the running game will ultimately cause problems in the playoffs.

9. Buccaneers (9-6) (8): All Jon Gruden is thinking about is how to beat the Giants in the first round of the playoffs.

10. Giants (10-5) (13): Giants face unbeaten Pats, but the bigger issue is how Tom Coughlin uses his starters. Memo to Tom: Hardly use them at all.

11. Redskins (8-7) (17): For the first time since Joe Gibbs returned to the sidelines, the Redskins looked like the well-oiled machine they were when he won three Super Bowls on his first go-round. One more win over the Cowboys, and they’re in the tournament.

12. Titans (9-6) (14): With narrow win over Jets, Titans now control playoff fate. A win over a Colts team likely to rest its key players is all that stands in the way of a postseason berth.

13. Vikings (8-7) (9): Minny chokes at home to Redskins, who take Vikings’ playoff fate out of their hands.

14. Browns (9-6) (10): Derek Anderson has had a spectacular season, but he came up small in a big-game scenario with four picks against Cincy.

15. Eagles (7-8) (16): Eagles thump Saints on the road. Too little, too late.

16. Saints (7-8) (12): All Sean Payton wants for Christmas is a defense.

Continue reading "Power rankings: Pack falls, Skins rise" »

Plenty of action at the top and bottom of the rankings, thanks to a bunch of upsets.

Emily G. and her dad thank all for the birthday wishes.

On to the gridiron!

1. Patriots (14-0) (1): Rest the starters now that homefield advantage is in the bag? Not a chance. Bill Belichick knows you don’t take your foot on the gas now.

2. Colts (12-2) (3): Colts were vastly undermanned against Raiders on the road because of injuries, but they continue to show the resilience of the champions that they are. Impressive effort, gentlemen, even if it's against the lowly Raiders.

3. Packers (12-2) (4): Brett Favre surpasses Dan Marino in yet another statistical category (passing yards) as Packers magical season rolls on.

4. Cowboys (12-2) (2): Haven’t been many hiccups this year, but losing to the Eagles at home was one of them. A bunch of injuries, too. We’ll see how Pokes respond. Maybe Tony Romo will respond by telling Jessica Simpson to stay away from games. She's bad luck, I tell ya! (Btw, someone please tell Newsday Knicks beat reporter/blogger Alan Hahn that Simpson is off the market.)

5. Jaguars (10-4) (6): David Garrard is terrific, and so is the Jags’ running back tandem of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.

6. Chargers (9-5) (11): Chargers clinch the division and look like they’re getting hot at the right time.

7. Steelers (9-5) (5): Suddenly, the defense is a sieve. That loss to the Jets really did something to this team.

8. Buccaneers (9-5) (8): Bucs clinch the division – and a sure contract extension for Jon Gruden – by wasting the pitiful Falcons at home.

9. Vikings (8-6) (9): Adrian Peterson to the rescue … again. Vikings still have issues at quarterback, but the running game is spectacular and the defense is emerging.

10. Browns (9-5) (12): Looked more like an Indians score, but 8-0 win over Bills in snow-swept Cleveland was sweet nonetheless. Romeo Crennel is one of my contenders for Coach of the Year.

11. Seahawks (9-5) (7): Seahawks’ Achilles heel is the running game. It was awful against the Panthers.

12. Saints (7-7) (15): Saints are still in it thanks to another fine performance from Drew Brees and a solid effort from Reggie Bush fill-in Aaron Stecker.

13. Giants (9-5) (10): How do you make Eli Manning put the ball up 52 times in the kind of wind that swirled Sunday night? Ridiculous.

14. Titans (8-6) (13): Man, these guys play some ugly football, but it’s still good enough to hang around the wild card race. Jets coming to town on Sunday.

15. Texans (7-7) (16): Is there a quarterback controversy brewing now that Sage Rosenfels hasn’t missed a beat in Matt Schaub’s absence? Not with all that money the Texans have invested in Schaub, but Rosenfels sure makes things interesting.

16. Eagles (6-8) (21): Defense shines in upset in at Dallas. Brian Westbrook not too shabby either with 144 yards from scrimmage.

Continue reading "Power rankings: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes" »

1. Patriots (13-0) (1): If the 1972 Dolphins aren’t worried about the Pats equaling their historic mark, then they’re in denial. Outside of a cataclysmic run of injuries – i.e. Tom Brady – how in the world can the Patriots lose their last three (Jets, Dolphins, Giants)? Giants, maybe, but only if they have something to play for on the final weekend. Even then, it’s iffy, unless the Pats rest players. And that ain’t gonna happen, folks.

2. Cowboys (12-1) (2): Tony Romo engineers another thrilling second-half comeback in Detroit, as the Pokes erase deficits of 20-7 and 27-14.

3. Colts (11-2) (3): In 2 ½ quarters, Peyton Manning throws four touchdowns as the Colts smash the woebegone Ravens, whose defense is a shell of the 2000 unit that won the Super Bowl.

4. Packers (11-2) (4): Brett Favre’s streak lives on and Ryan Grant is the toast of the town as he rolls for 156 rushing yards and a touchdown. Bet the Giants wish they had him now.

5. Steelers (9-4) (5): Maybe the Jets did the Steelers a favor a couple weeks back. By beating Pittsburgh at the Meadowlands, they let Steelers fans know that their team is good, just not great. The Patriots simply reinforced that fact with Sunday’s blowout win at Foxboro.

6. Jaguars (9-4) (6): Don’t think I’d want to be playing the Jaguars in the playoffs. They may not be in the Colts’ league – at least not yet. But give them a return match in Indy, and things might change. At Foxboro? Not quite. Still, a formidable opponent.

7. Seahawks (9-4) (8): They’re getting on the kind of roll that helped them get to the Super Bowl two years ago. Still not quite in the Cowboys’ class, but pretty darn close.

8. Buccaneers (8-5) (7): Bucs hope Jeff Garcia comes back this week.

9. Vikings (7-6) (9): They’re the Jaguars of the NFC – the team that no one wants to face in the playoffs. Even with Adrian Peterson having an off day (14 carries, 3 yards), they smacked around the hopeless Niners for their third straight blowout win.

10. Giants (9-4) (10): They win ugly, but they win. Give this team a little confidence on offense, and maybe Tom Coughlin gets his first playoff win for the Giants.

11. Chargers (8-5) (11): Still not believing in the Chargers just yet. They’ve won three straight, but we still say they should be better. Now a few players nicked, including Philip Rivers and Shawne Merriman.

12. Browns (8-5) (14): Romeo Crennel beats former assistant Eric Mangini, as the Browns’ improbable playoff run continues.

13. Titans (7-6) (12): Still a young team. Even so, they could have and should have put away San Diego with a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.

14. Bills (7-6) (15): Give Dick Jauron credit. His defense has had a ton of injuries, and he’s going with a rookie quarterback. But the Bills are still alive in the playoff race.

15. Saints (6-7) (16): No Reggie Bush? No problem. At least against the Falcons. Saints roll in Hot ‘Lanta and keep their playoff hopes alive, albeit barely.

16. Texans (6-7) (20): Sage Rosenfels wins the battle of the backups against the Bucs.

Continue reading "Power rankings: It'd be an upset if Pats DON'T go unbeaten" »

1. Patriots (11-0) (1): A nailbiter against the Eagles, but the Pats do just enough to stay unbeaten. We’ve gotten so used to the blowouts, but don’t forget, this is the way they used to beat teams in their three Super Bowl seasons. They were rarely as dominant as they’ve been this year.

2. Cowboys (10-1) (2): Cowboys feast on Jets on Thanksgiving Day, and now it’s on to the Game of the Century against the Packers at home on Thursday. The game will go a long way toward deciding homefield advantage in the NFC playoffs. Which could go a long way toward deciding who goes to the Super Bowl.

3. Packers (10-1) (3): Brett Favre has lost his last eight against the Cowboys in Dallas, so he suggested to coach Mike McCarthy that perhaps he’s not the best one to talk about what it’s like to play in Big D. Good advice. Then again, the last time the Packers played in Dallas was 1999.

4. Colts (9-2) (5): Peyton Manning looks more like himself in Thanksgiving night win. Then again, he was playing the junior varsity in Atlanta. Now it’s on to the big boys against Jacksonville at home.

5. Jaguars (8-3) (4): What I like most about David Garrard is he doesn’t turn the ball over. I assume Jack Del Rio likes that, too. Now we’ll see if it’s good enough to beat the Colts in a game that could decide the AFC South title.

6. Steelers (8-3) (6): Never seen anything quite like this one. With monsoonal rains pelting a newly sodded field, the Steelers get a field goal in the final seconds to beat winless Miami 3-0. Unbelievable. Honestly, I don't know if the Patriots could have scored more than three points last night on that surface.

7. Browns (7-4) (8): The Browns are getting better by the day. Now we’ll see if they can win on the road in Arizona and stay within striking distance of the Steelers.

8. Buccaneers (7-4) (10): Bucs hope Jeff Garcia’s bruised back won’t keep him out against Saints on Sunday.

9. Seahawks (7-4) (9): Had it not been for Gus Frerotte’s fumbled snap on fourth and goal from the 1, the Seahawks might be licking their wounds from a colossal upset in St. Louis. Instead, they get the win and take a decisive step forward in the NFC West race.

10. Giants (7-4) (7): Eli Manning at his worst with four picks, three of which were returned for touchdowns and the other that set up another TD. At Chicago on Sunday. Not easy.

11. Chargers (6-5) (12): All’s well again in San Diego, where the Chargers thumped the Ravens. Then again, it could be catastrophe next week, the way this team has been all season.

12. Saints (5-6) (18): Drew Brees is back in business after a two-game slump, and the Saints are alive again in the wild card race.

13. Eagles (5-6) (17): Andy Reid says Donovan McNabb is his guy once he’s 100 percent. Question is: Who determines when or if he’s 100 percent?

14. Bears (5-6) (22): If the Bears beat the Giants at home on Sunday, this is going to be one hell of a wild card race.

15. Broncos (5-6) (11): Broncos nearly pulled it off in Chicago, but their decision to kick and punt to Devin Hester proved disastrous.

16. Titans (6-5) (14): Vince Young does a whole lot of nothing against the Bengals’ awful pass defense, and Tennessee suffers a major blow in Cincy.

Continue reading "Power rankings: Saints on rise again, Lions in freefall" »

1. Patriots (10-0) (1): Eagles, Ravens, Steelers, Jets, Dolphins, Giants. Can any of these teams remaining on the schedule beat the Patriots? Not if New England keeps playing like this.

2. Cowboys (9-1) (2): So this is what it’s like when Terrell Owens decides to concentrate on football and not the other nonsense. Four more TDs on Sunday ties Bob Hayes’ single-game franchise record.

3. Packers (9-1) (3): We keep talking about Brett Favre, and that’s all well and good. But it’s Green Bay’s defense that’s every bit as good as the offense.

4. Jaguars (7-3) (6): Jags smack Chargers at home and pull to within a game of Colts. If the teams played today, Jacksonville would win.

5. Colts (8-2) (5): Give credit to the Colts for hanging in, but these injuries are really starting to take a toll.
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6. Steelers (7-3) (4): How do you lose to the Jets?

7. Giants (7-3) (9): Giants do just enough to get past Lions on road. Hardly dominating, but you never apologize for a win, no matter how ugly.

8. Browns (6-4) (13): One of the strangest endings to regulation you’ll ever see. Phil Dawson’s kick goes off the upright, caroms off the curved poll holding the crossbar and is initially called no good. Then the officials reverse the call, and Cleveland then wins it in OT. Holy smokes.

9. Seahawks (6-4) (14): Matt Hasselbeck one of the hottest QBs in the game. He’s hurting with a rib problem, but is expected to play at St. Louis.

10. Buccaneers (6-4) (11): Bucs go into Atlanta and thump punchless Falcons. Looks like they’re a safe bet to win the NFC South now that New Orleans is stumbling again.

11. Broncos (5-5) (18): The Broncos have losses of 44-7 and 41-3 this season, leaving Lance to ask us to just put the Broncos out of their misery already. But right here, right now, they were good enough to pound Tennessee at home to move into a first-place tie in the AFC West. C’mon in off the ledge, Lance.

12. Chargers (5-5) (7): Up one week, down the next. That’ll get you 8-8. Not acceptable after a 14-2 record last year. Marty Schottenheimer, where have you gone?

13. Lions (6-4) (10): Jon Kitna says the Lions were the better team, even though they lost to the Giants. Okkaaaaaayyy.

14. Titans (6-4) (8): Still a ways to go for Vince Young, who makes some electrifying plays, but needs to concentrate on the basics – like not throwing interceptions – a lot more.

15. Texans (5-5) (21): Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are back, and so are the Texans, who beat New Orleans at home and keep their playoff hopes alive.

16. Cardinals (5-5) (22): Love what Ken Whisenhunt has done with this team. After losing three straight, the Cardinals have won two in a row and are right in the thick of the NFC West race and the wild card hunt.

Continue reading "Power rankings: The Browns?" »

(We had a couple of wacky rankings last week that led to plenty of great comments, so we figure that the combination of jet lag and general stupidity will lead to a few more this week. But hey, at least we offer a couple more tidbits from our journey to London below. If you just clicked onto the Power Rankings, hit "main" at the top and you'll see the London stuff. Cheers! BG)

1. Patriots (8-0) (1): Are the Patriots too good? Bill Belichick now taking heat for running up the score on Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs. In fact, he’s been accused of running it up the last several weeks. We'll see if Indy has a thing or two to say about that on Sunday.

If you want to weigh in on whether Belichick was write or wrong running up the score, state your case.

2. Colts (7-0) (2): So much for the trap game scenario. Coming off huge Monday night win over Jags, Colts pound Panthers a week before they take on Pats in what figures to be the best game of the regular season and perhaps a preview of the AFC Championship Game. (Note to all my grammar teachers: I know, that was a run-on sentence. I've still got a little jet lag, ok?)

3. Cowboys (5-1) (3): Massive stretch coming up for Pokes after a bye week: At Philly, at the Giants, home to the Redskins before facing the Jets on Thanksgiving. If the Cowboys are gonna stumble, this is where it happens. But at least Tony Romo gets his dough.

4. Packers (6-1) (7): We’ve made this request of Brett Favre before, and now we’ll make it again after some more of his Monday night magic, this time in OT against the Broncos: Please, do not retire. Ever.

5. Giants (6-2) (4): They hold serve against the winless Dolphins across the pond, and get a week off to contemplate their six-game winning streak. Then it’s home to the Boys in a huge NFC East game.

6. Steelers (5-2) (5): Big Ben never loses when he plays NFL games in the state of Ohio. He chalked up another one against the Bengals. (Memo to Black N Gold and Big Ben Is Back: Go ahead and start whining about us putting the Packers ahead of the ‘Lers.)

7. Chargers (4-3) (8): Chargers look like they’re back. All the way back. After dealing with the massive wildfires in southern California, San Diego returns home to rout the Texans.

8. Jaguars (5-2) (6): Somehow, some way, the Jags find a way to beat the Bucs on the road with QB David Garrard out of action (ankle). Quinn Gray does just enough in relief, but it’s the ball-hawking defense that deserves the credit in thisone.

9. Titans (5-2) (9): Vince Young comes back, but is not quite the conquering hero. Had only 42 passing yards in beating the Raiders in a clunker. It’s LenDale White who steals the show with 133 rushing yards.

10. Lions (5-2) (13): The Lions are halfway to making Jon Kitna’s once outlandish prediction of double-digit wins come true.

11. Seahawks (4-3) (10): Mike Holmgren gave the Seahawks the entire bye week off. Let’s see if they’re rusty when they take on the Browns on the road.

12. Panthers (4-3) (11): David Carr gets his job back by default. Vinny hurts an ankle, and Carr is back at QB. Not that it makes much difference, because he couldn’t do much of anything against the Colts’ ever-improving defense.

13. Chiefs (4-3) (16): Chiefs-Packers on Sunday, which is a much bigger game for both teams than might have appeared at the start of the season. Herm Edwards vs. Mike McCarthy. Not quite Hank Stram vs. Vince Lombardi in Super Bowl II, but we’ll take it.

14. Saints (3-4) (23): Don’t look now, but Saints have won three straight and are right back in the NFC South race.

15. Buccaneers (4-4) (14): Jeff Garcia hadn’t thrown an interception the first seven games. Then he served up three against the Jags as Tampa blows a golden opportunity to beat a Jaguars team without Garrard.

16. Redskins (4-3) (15): Ouch. Joe Gibbs absorbs the worst beating of his career in New England. But the schedule is kind to coach Gibbs. Skins are at Jets on Sunday.

Continue reading "Power rankings: Saints rise ... Jets almost rock bottom" »

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (7-0) (1): History in the making?

2. Colts (6-0) (2): Peyton Manning & Co. do their part to make sure Colts-Pats on Nov. 4 is battle of the unbeatens.

3. Cowboys (5-1) (4): Cowboys recover from home drubbing to Pats and hold serve against Vikes.

4. Giants (5-2) (7): Giants’ defense best in the business at rushing the passer. Eli Manning getting better by the week.

5. Steelers (4-2) (3): Black N Gold won’t be puffing his chest about the Steelers this week. Not after losing shootout in Denver. Big Ben is Back won’t be talking trash, either … but we are glad he’s back.

6. Jaguars (4-2) (5): Jags not only lose to Colts – badly – but may lose QB David Garrard a week or two with a sprained ankle.

7. Packers (5-1) (6): A huge one awaits Pack after a bye week: at Denver on Monday night.

8. Chargers (3-3) (8): Chargers forced to move practice to Arizona because of smoke from southern California wildfires. They come off bye to face the Texans at home.

9. Titans (4-2) (13): No Vince Young, no problem. Kerry Collins and kicker Rob Bironas combine to beat Texans on the road. Bironas leads the way with eight field goals.

10. Seahawks (4-3) (15): Now that’s more like it. After dispiriting loss at home to Saints, Seahawks come back to thrash division rival St. Louis. The defense smokes Marc Bulger on his return to the lineup from broken ribs.

11. Panthers (4-2) (11): Vinny T. or David Carr? John Fox not saying which QB plays against Indy. Then again, the way the Colts are playing, it probably doesn’t matter.

12. Broncos (3-3) (19): Broncos come off bye rested and ready and get the offense going against what was supposed to be a dominant Steelers unit. As Black N Gold and Big Ben Is Back will tell you, it ain’t so dominant.

13. Lions (4-2) (16): Jon Kitna is 4/10ths of the way there to coming through on his prediction of double digit wins this season.

14. Buccaneers (4-3) (9): Jeff Garcia turns the ball over twice, and the Lions cash in both times for touchdowns. Now it’s home to Jacksonville.

15. Redskins (4-2) (14): Ugly, ugly win by Redskins, who do just enough to get past mistake-prone Cardinals at home and hover near Giants and Cowboys.

16. Chiefs (4-3) (17): Chiefs have beaten the Raiders nine straight times. Man.

Continue reading "NFL Power Rankings: Giants keep movin' on up" »

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (6-0) (1): Enjoy watching Tom Brady, folks, because he’s having a career year. Five more TDs against the Cowboys, and the Patriots are making it awfully tempting to think they can go unbeaten this year. Still a long way to go, though.

2. Colts (5-0) (2): Colts get well-earned week off to heal their bumps and bruises. Won’t be easy, though. They’re on the road at resurgent Jacksonville.

3. Steelers (4-1) (4): By virtue of the Cowboys’ loss to the Patriots, combined with a spotty effort the week before against the Bills, we bump up the Steelers one notch even though they didn’t play. They’re take on Denver on Sunday.

4. Cowboys (5-1) (3): Back down to earth for the Cowboys, who talked a better game than they played against New England. Now the Pokes are talking about a rematch, which could only happen in the Super Bowl. As former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells would say at a time like this - relax, ok?

5. Jaguars (4-1) (5): David Garrard hasn’t thrown an INT yet, and he’s working on four straight games with a rating of 100.0 or better. Huge one at home against Indy on Sunday.

6. Packers (5-1) (6): It was downright ugly at times, but the Packers will take the win over the Redskins. A week off for Brett and the boys. .

7. Giants (4-2) (8): No wonder Tom Coughlin's feeling younger these days. That’s four straight for Big Blue, after they dispose of the pitiful Falcons on the road. This one looked like an interesting matchup before Michael Vick got himself in trouble. It turned into a yawner.

8. Chargers (3-3) (14): If they keep playing like they did against the Raiders, the Chargers will enjoy the kind of success we expected of them in the first place. LT runs wild and turns back into a fantasy football scoring machine.

9. Buccaneers (4-2) (9): We’ll resurrect a quote from Bucs coach Jon Gruden, who says this of Tampa’s 37-year-old quarterback, Jeff Garcia: “I learned a long time ago from [former Vikings coach] Bud Grant that every coach that is alive needs three things. He needs a loyal dog, he needs a faithful wife, and he needs a heck of a quarterback. Finally, we've got a guy that is really giving us good, consistent play.”

10. Ravens (4-2) (10): Kyle Boller comes to the rescue in place of the injured Steve McNair and beats up on the hapless Rams. Brian Billick says McNair is still his starter, but we’re wondering if all these injuries are getting to the point where he’ll once again consider retirement.

11. Panthers (4-2) (15): Vinny Testaverde gets off the couch and into the huddle, and stuns the Cardinals in the desert. Panthers’ season lives on … if just barely.

12. Texans (3-3) (11): Matt Schaub & Co. get waxed in Jax.

13. Redskins (3-2) (13): Very sloppy effort in Green Bay. Redskins look just above average to us.

14. Titans (3-2) (12): Vince Young hurts his quad, and Kerry Collins can’t do the job in relief against Bucs.

15. Seahawks (3-3) (7): What the hell is wrong with these guys? At home … in prime time … against winless New Orleans … and they give us that? Guess it was a bad omen when an NBC overhead camera nearly came crashing down on the Seahawks during a first-half timeout.

16. Lions (3-2) (16): Jon Kitna licks his wounds during the bye week after a thumping in Washington. Now it’s home against Tampa.

Continue reading "Power rankings: Giants, Chiefs on rise; Jets, 'Hawks sink" »

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (5-0) (1): What’s wrong with the Patriots? For the second week in a row, they couldn’t score more than 34 points. 

2. Colts (5-0) (2): Injuries to five starters against a solid Bucs team? No problem. Colts romp, as understudies excel.

3. Cowboys (5-0) (3): omg … can you believe what you just saw? Six turnovers by Tony Romo … and the Cowboys still win?!?!? Can’t get away with that next week at home against Pats.

4. Steelers (4-1) (5): In rematch of Super Bowl XL, Steelers leave no doubt about who’s the better team. They smash listless Seahawks 21-0 at Heinz Field behind methodical offense and punishing D.

5. Jaguars (3-1) (8): Ok, so it was only the Chiefs, and it wasn’t pretty. But it was on the road, and the Jaguars did what they had to do. Excellent defense, combined with solid running game and adequate quarterbacking might add up to playoffs.

6. Packers (4-1) (4): Brett Favre throws two critical picks against Bears, and Packers’ unbeaten season is no more.

7. Seahawks (3-2) (6): What’s it gonna be, fellas? Up one week, down the next … that usually ends up to be a .500 team.

8. Giants (3-2) (14): Giants look dreadful in first half against Jets, but pour it on in second and use powerful 1-2 punch of Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward to crush Jets’ D. Rookie CB Aaron Ross comes up with two key picks in second half.

9. Buccaneers (3-2) (7): First Cadillac Williams, now Michael Pittman. Bucs are running out of runners.

10. Ravens (3-2) (10): Man, is this offense painful to watch. They can go up and down the field, but they can’t punch it in. End result on Sunday: 9-7 yawner over Niners.

11. Texans (3-2) (12): Kris Brown kicks 5 FGs and the Texans hang on in what’s turning out to be a better than expected AFC South.

12. Titans (3-1) (13): Five turnovers usually means curtains, but Titans overcome the mistakes and get by punchless Atlanta at home.

13. Redskins (3-1) (19): Shades of things to come? Jason Campbell looks like the real deal as ‘Skins roll over Lions.

14. Chargers (2-3) (25): We’re gonna move these guys up a good ways this week, but only on the belief that they can put the myriad problems of the first month away and start playing like a team with this many stars should play.

15. Panthers (3-2) (16): Jake Delhomme is done for the season. With David Carr at QB, not sure if Panthers can recover.

16. Lions (3-2) (9): Lions’ dismal streak continues. They’ve never, ever beaten Redskins in Washington. Btw, the Lions’ defense is atrocious.

Continue reading "NFL Power Rankings: Giants continue climb; Broncos fade" »

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (4-0) (1): Could you ever have imagined that we'd be talking about Randy Moss as an MVP candidate? Say what you will about the guy, but he has been the difference maker for the Patriots, who haven't scored less than 34 points in a game so far.

2. Colts (4-0) (2): Colts go through September perfectly, but doesn’t it feel like the defending champs are under the radar? Injuries may begin to take a toll though. Joseph Addai, Marvin Harrison, Bob Sanders, and Rob Morris are hurting.

3. Cowboys (4-0) (3): Memo to defensive coordinators: You want to keep Terrell Owens under wraps, then look for Patrick Crayton to do the damage, like he did Sunday against Rams.

4. Packers (4-0) (5): Brett Favre takes over first place in career TD passes. More importantly, Pack in firm control in NFC North after spotless September.

5. Seahawks (3-1) (9): ‘Hawks always seem to struggle in San Fran, but not this time.

6. Steelers (3-1) (4): Ben Roethlisberger might have been too consumed with beating his old offensive coordinator, Ken Whisenhunt. Instead, the Cardinals rookie head coach gets the better of his former pupil.

7. Buccaneers (3-1) (17): Nice performance in Carolina, but a costly one. Bucs lose Cadillac Williams for the season with a knee injury.

8. Jaguars (2-1) (10): After week off, Jags visit a Chiefs team that suddenly looks more dangerous after road win in San Diego.

9. Lions (3-1) (19): Jon Kitna is 3/10ths of the way there in making good on his prediction of double-digit victories this season.

10. Ravens (2-2) (7): Is Ravens’ defense living in the past? Cleveland makes Baltimore pay for ineffective blitzes.

11. Broncos (2-2) (11): No matter the quarterback, the running back or the defensive formation, Mike Shanahan just can’t find a way to beat the Colts in Indy.

12. Texans (2-2) (8): Matt Schaub goes back to Atlanta and hopes to give his old fans a look at what they’ve been missing. Instead, Joey Harrington steals the show.

13. Titans (2-1) (18): After further review, we had the Titans too low last week.

14. Giants (2-2) (23): Back-to-back wins over Redskins and Eagles put Giants back in it. A dozen sacks against Donovan McNabb, and the possibilities of this defense look dynamic. Let’s see if they can keep it going.

15. Bengals (1-3) (14): Bengals are 6-11 in their last 17. No defense, people.

16. Panthers (2-2) (6): No Jake Delhomme. No chance.

Continue reading "NFL Power Rankings: Giants up, Jets down" »

Plenty of movement at the top, thanks to yet another string of upsets. Pats look Super to us. Cowboys starting to make us believe … a little, anyway. Jets get a break in the schedule. Giants have turned into a break in the schedule for whoever they play.
Read on. Rip us if you must. We listen, Black N Gold. We pay attention, Craig.

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (2-0) (1): Patriots haters now refer to the coach as Bill Belicheat. Say what you want about him getting nailed by commish Goodell last week, but you cannot deny that this is the best team in football right now. They pounded a very good Chargers team on Sunday night.

2. Colts (2-0) (2): Tony Dungy told his players there’d be games like this in 2007. When you’re the defending champs, you’re not always gonna be at your best. Case in point: Colts’ 22-20 nail-biter over inferior Titans team.

3. Cowboys (2-0) (8): Another nice performance by Tony Romo, who will cash in big-time with a few more now that he’s in the final year of his contract.

4. Steelers (2-0) (6): The early-season schedule is soft – they’ve beaten Cleveland and Buffalo – but the Steelers are using the same formula that won them the Super Bowl two seasons ago. Great defense, excellent running game, and efficient passing from Big Ben.

5. Chargers (1-1) (3): Mistake No. 1 by Norv Turner: Hiding the playbooks from the Patriots for fear Belichick’s staff would steal them. Please. You think with all the scrutiny on Belichick now that he’s been nailed that he’s gonna try something this soon? Chargers no match for Pats at Gillette.

6. Broncos (2-0) (13): Two last-second wins via field goals. Not a bad way to start off in Jay Cutler’s first full season as the starter. Great move by Mike Shanahan for calling timeout a split second before Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 52-yarder through the uprights in OT. On the re-kick, Janikowski hit the left upright.

7. Bears (1-1) (9): The boo birds were out in force to greet Rex Grossman, who threw two more picks on Sunday. Good thing for the Bears it was only the Chiefs, who don’t scare anyone these days.

8. Texans (2-0) (17): Most improved team of the early part of the season. Texans have stability at QB with Matt Schaub, and their defense is now better than good.

9. Panthers (1-1) (4): If Panthers underestimated Texans, they made a massive mistake. Schaub completed 20-of-28, and even though Jake Delhomme had three more TD passes, the Panthers had just seven second-half points.

10. Ravens (1-1) (11): Kyle Boller actually looked decent against the Jets, so it looks like the Ravens were justified in signing him to a one-year extension. He’ll hit the bench again once Steve McNair is healthy, but don’t be surprised to see Boller figure in later this season.

11. Bengals (1-1) (5): Chad Johnson had a brilliant game with 209 receiving yards and two TDs. But the Bengals defense might have trouble containing St. Anthony’s High.

12. Seahawks (1-1) (7): There’s something about playing in Arizona that always seems to bring out the worst in the Seahawks.

13. Packers (2-0) (23): Man, how long has it been since we’ve seen the Packers make an early-season statement like this. They might have gotten lucky beating the Eagles at home in Week 1, but they were nothing short of dominant against the pitiful Giants.

14. 49ers (2-0) (24): Niners still far from being a complete team, but they are definitely making strides. They take advantage of Rams mistakes and win what could be a key NFC West matchup in St. Louis.

15. Lions (2-0) (20): Jon Kitna saved the day after going back into the game despite suffering what he called the worst concussion of his career. We’re not fans of this kind of macho stupidity, and neither is the NFL brass. Then again, Lions fans aren’t complaining about 2-0 getaway.

16. Redskins (2-0) (25): The Redskins are an exceedingly boring team to watch … but at 2-0, no one in Washington is complaining. Up next: Giants at home.

Continue reading "NFL Power Rankings: Giants plummet, Redskins on rise" »

A wild ‘n wacky Week 1 is in the books, and we’re ready to break out the Power Rankings, which will be a weekly event every Tuesday.

As with the early part of every season, there are upsets galore that threaten to throw Power Rankings into complete disarray, but it’s our job to sift through the rubble and rank teams appropriately. For instance, just because the Lions won and the Bears lost doesn’t mean we put Detroit ahead of Chicago. After all, the Lions beat an inferior Raiders team, but the Bears lost to a superior Chargers team.

Anyway, here goes. Fire away if you disagree. (And, oh, yes, you will disagree on some of these. I guarantee it.)

1. Patriots: Why would the Pats even think about stealing defensive signals when they’ve got a team this good. They blow away the Jets and stake their claim as the preseason Super Bowl favorites.

2. Colts: Colts looked every bit as good as the team that won it all last year. They thumped the Saints offensively, and they looked even better defensively than last season.

3. Chargers: Not perfect by any means, but the Bears are about as good a defense as any out there. What we liked most about the Chargers was their adaptability. With LaDainian Tomlinson shut down in the running game, the key play was Norv Turner calling for Tomlinson to throw an option pass for a touchdown.

4. Panthers: Does this look familiar? Smothering defense that contains the high-powered Rams’ offense, a strong running game, and a resurgent performance from Jake Delhomme. That’s what turned the Panthers into a Super Bowl team in 2003.

5. Bengals: They forced the Ravens into five turnovers in a huge AFC North game in Cincy, and Carson Palmer did the rest.

6. Bears: Some folks thought Bears-Chargers was a sloppy game, but we thought it was more like a playoff game than anything else. Two heavyweights slugging out with great defenses. Rex Grossman couldn’t overcome San Diego’s D, but they are a tough team that will be there in the end.

7. Steelers: They beat up on the jayvee team in Cleveland, but they did it with the formula that helped them win the Super Bowl two years ago.

8. Seahawks: Shaun Alexander runs for 105 yards and a touchdown, as the Seahawks beat what was supposed to be a much-improved Bucs team.

9. Cowboys: We still have our doubts about the Cowboys long-term, but you can’t argue with an impressive offensive performance against the Giants. Then again, the Giants’ defense was absolutely atrocious, so we’ll have to see a few more performances like this out of Tony Romo before we’re ready to anoint the Cowboys.

10. Saints: Saints would love a do-over against the Colts, but we suspect it wouldn’t be that much different. Big problem here is the New Orleans secondary, although the fact that they couldn’t run against the Colts was a disturbing sign as well.

11. Ravens: Way, way, waaaay too many turnovers against the Bengals. And with Steve McNair’s groin injury acting up, Jonathan Ogden’s toe threatening his season and Ray Lewis suffering an apparent triceps injury, things suddenly look dicey in Baltimore.

12. Eagles: Philly just wasn’t ready to play in Green Bay. Plain and simple. Sure, Donovan McNabb was coming back from a knee injury, but this should have been a better effort, no question.

13. Broncos: Gritty last-second win over Bills shows Broncos can be a factor. Travis Henry gives them a legit running game for the first time since the Clinton Portis days.

14. Rams: Shoddy effort on opening day against Panthers. Steven Jackson only 58 yards rushing. That just won’t cut it.

15. Giants: Eli Manning’s shoulder problem will be the determining factor as they move forward. That and a defense that couldn’t stop a high school quarterback.

16. Bills: Forget about the last-second loss to the Broncos. Bills are praying for the health of Kevin Everett, who suffered what is likely a paralyzing neck injury.

Continue reading "NFL Power Rankings: Pats on top, Giants and Jets are not" »