Too excited to wait, too excited for an intro, here is the initial 2010 Power Rankings for this here National Football League Season.
(putting this in parentheses so it doesn't count as an "intro": the teams are broken into tiers).
Tier 1: They Won't Make the Playoffs, or Your Money Back
32.) Buffalo Bills (6-10)
Their starting QB is a mess, their coach is a retread from 11 years ago. Their top two running backs are injured. Their best defensive player retired after a fiery exit from their team. I feel bad for the Bills, but they truly do stink. They are in a tough division, and a division that, luckily enough for them, draws the two northern divisions (not easy). That is a recipe for Jake Locker.
31.) Denver Broncos (8-8)
Yup, the Bills are bad enough for me to not make the Broncos the worst team in the league. Josh McDaniels should personally give Chan Gailey a footie just for that distinction alone. Somehow, they gained a spot from my mid-summer rankings AFTER losing their best defensive player for the year. Lucky for them, they are in a bad division, so McDaniels has a 2% chance of keeping his job, instead of the customary 0%.
30.) St. Louis Rams (1-15)
Since I'm sick of pointing at the negatives of teams, here is a positive: Sam Bradford looked great. Granted, the Pats defense is not exactly the greatest test a rookie can take, but he was poised, showed great accuracy and poise in the pocket. Sam Bradford seems fully recovered from that surgery, and seems smart and tough enough to front this long-term rebuilding project.
29.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)
They are building a nice defense. Sadly for them, they have a little bit more work to do on that offensive side of the ball. Price and McCoy will make it hard for teams to run all over them, and Tanard Jackson and Sean Brown will keep plays in front of them, but that middle part of the defense needs work. Josh Freeman was a tad overrated, which is scary since he wasn't that good to begin with.
28.) Kansas City Chiefs (4-12)
This is out of respect to Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel as co-ordinators. Without them, this team is at least #30. They have very little talent. Their last two top-5 d-liners are awful and were vastly overrated. Matt Cassel is not any good, and their coach was smart enough to put their best player (Jamaal Charles) in his very hellish doghouse. I know it is cyclical, but how are both Western divisions this bad. How is this possible?
27.) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
Their offense will keep them in at least 10 games, but David Garrard is not the best clutch quarterback, and Jack Del Rio (who has stolen time from borrowed time) is a complete mess late in games. Maurice Jones-Drew will keep them in relevance fantasy wise, which puts them in a better position than some other teams (*cough* Denver *cough*).
26.) Seattle Seahawks (5-11)
I have always had a soft spot for the Seahawks, mainly because Holmgren is a Walsh guy and Matt Hasselbeck is one of the few truly class people in the league. Because of this, I have always been a 'Hawks apologist, noting that they have the talent. However, their talent just cannot stay healthy, and the current players probably never will. Now, if they trade for Vincent Jackson, they can probably contend in that division, but I still doubt the Chargers trade him.
25.) Cleveland Browns (5-11)
In 2008, the Bengals won their last three games of the season, and parlayed that into a 10-6, division-title season. In 2009, the Browns won their last four games of the season and.... will not win their division. They might not even win the five games they did last year, but they have shown some fight and heart. Mangini can coach defense, and that is what they need to steal some game.
24.) Detroit Lions (2-14)
I like Matthew Stafford. I still contend he will have a better career (purely as a QB) than Mark Sanchez. Megatron is finally healthy again. He is dominant, the heir apparent to Andre Johnson. Jahvid Best is a dynamic talent as a running back. Their defense is still in shambles, but I liked their moves for Corey Williams and Kyle Vanden Bosch. They'll be really good in 2011. Mark it down now.
Tier 2: They Might Make the Playoffs if Things Break Their Way.
23.) Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
Exit Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Karlos Dansby and Antrell Rolle. Enter stability and a solid organization. With Warner gone, we can finally see that the Cardinals are truly one of the best run franchises in the league. Of course, their QB isn't great shakes, but that will change, because I doubt Whisenhunt will keep Leinart on another year if he fails. The Whiz has built a solid team, with great young players like Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Beanie Wells and, obviously, Larry Fitzgerald. Because they are in a bad division, they have the ability to still win that division.
22.) Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
They are in the same boat as the Cardinals, with a big downgrade at QB, but with the headline-grabbing QB gone, the team can now reveal a solid organizational base beneath the QB. The Eagles have a stable of young players who can all play, and even drag up the level of Kolb as he inevitably goes through the first-year doldrums. To me, this smells of the 2008 Packers, a gifted, talented team that goes 6-10 with its first-year starter QB.
21.) Oakland Raiders (5-11)
Yes, I am serious. They can make the playoffs. San Diego will not be that good again, and the Raiders were a 5-11 team with JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski. Honestly, every move they have made this offseason has made sense. From adding good players like Henderson and Campbell, to good gambles like Kamerion Wimbley (who looked rejuvenated in the preseason), to a solid draft, they finally have the makings of a league average team.
20.) San Francisco 49ers (8-8)
It really is all about Alex Smith. If he continues to improve, which isn't as easy at it would seem, they are the clear class of that division. Their defense has the necessary parts to be a top-5 defense in the league, but there isn't much depth there. They need Michael Crabtree to step up, since Vernon Davis cannot possibly have that good of a season touchdown-wise again. The only fear is that Mike Singletary literally "runs" this team into the ground.
19.) Washington Redskins (4-12)
This is probably the most intriguing team in the league. Obviously, there is the McNabb factor. There hasn't been a QB to change teams intra-division like this in years. McNabb will really be motivated to kill the Eagles in those two games. What remains to be seen is that the other teams will be able to kill McNabb because that offensive-line is not all that good. Then there is Haynesworth, who's feud with Shanahan can ruin this defense. Their story will be one of intrigue, but recent developments might make them a playoff longshot.
Tier 3: Solid Teams That Could End Up Between 7-9 and 10-6, 11-5 if They Get Lucky.
18.) Miami Dolphins (8-8)
The usual trend for teams that come out of nowhere one year are for them to fall off a bit the second year and bounce back in year three and stay there for good. The Dolphins might not be as close as the Falcons to perfecting this trend, but if Henne develops, they could be set for a while. Ronnie Brown's injury-prone-ness scares me since Ricky Williams is also not a sure bet to match his 2009 stats. Their defense seems to be built very well, and if Sean Smith and Vontae Davis develop more, they should be a top-15 defense.
17.) Tennessee Titans (8-8)
It is NOT all about Vince Young, it is about how much does Chris Johnson regress? If he regresses about as much as all the other 2,000 yard running backs of recent note this team will probably hover squarely in mediocrity, but if he doesn't, they can be a wild-card team. Vince Young is league average, which is good enough to make the playoffs. Their defense's young lineman need to step up also, which they did sporadically last season.
16.) Carolina Panthers (8-8)
I'll say this: I am 100% sure that, barring injury, Matt Moore will be the starter all year. He has enough Delhomme-ness (circa 2003-2005) about him to make the Steve Smith machine operate well. Their running game is the best in the league, and with more teams building their defenses to stop the pass, that is actually an underrated skill. Their defense will not be horrible, since their Tampa-2 will consistently hold teams to 17-24 points.
15.) Chicago Bears (7-9)
Mike Martz was bad in San Francisco. Fine. But he had the Lions 6-2 in 2007. He had Jon Kitna throw 4,000 yards in back-to-back season, had Marc Bulger as a pro-bowler and of course, there was Kurt Warner. Cutler is easily the second-best QB Martz has coached, so his ceiling is about 4,000 yards, 33 tds. Cutler is smart enough to grasp that offense, and it suits Matt Forte's skills perfectly. Peppers should revive that defense, and what should really revive that defense is having Tommie Harris back, healthy.
14.) San Diego Chargers (13-3)
They were not even 13-3 good last year, and that was with Marcus McNeill and Vincent Jackson playing all year. Even if they both come back halfway through, they are not locks for that division anymore. Philip Rivers is great, but he's not Manning. That defense is also left without a lot of their old playmakers there or healthy. Shawne Merriman is a shell of himself, and Shaun Philips is nearly joining him there.
13.) Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
They had everything break right for them, everything. Good health, great performance, Romo limiting his turnovers, defense playing out of its mind, and yet they were shelled in the divisional round. That was the Cowboys peak. They have a lot of aging players, or at least players that have already peaked. Tony Romo is not going to get any better. Miles Austin oozes regression, and Jason Witten is no longer the dynamic player he has been for the last decade.
12.) New England Patriots (10-6)
Their offense will be solid, as always, but that defense scares me. They have players who are solid, don't make dumb mistakes, and keep the Pats in games, but they don't have a Bruschi, or a Vrabel. They don't have game-changers. It is almost like they built their defense will eleven 7/10s. That won't scare anyone. Brutal schedule also.
Tier 4: Teams That Can Get to Conference Title Games and Not Surprise Me.
11.) Atlanta Falcons (9-7)
They seem to be the epitome of a young team entering its prime. They can be the Colts of the new decade, or at least the Eagles of the 2010s. I feel like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco have kind have switched places. After 2008, Ryan was overrated, but now, Flacco is. Ryan, with less around him, and him being banged up for a bit of last season, ended up with the same record as the Ravens. Their defense still needs more playmakers, but that offense is on its way to being scarily good.
10.) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
I'm guessing that Roger Goodell will reduce Ben's suspension to 4 games, and that will allow the Steelers more than enough time to make up for the Ben-less part of the season. Their defense will probably not be 2008 good, but it is still good enough to drag out a 2-2 record without Ben. Roethlisberger is good enough to overcome the loss of Santonio Holmes. They have Polamalu and Aaron Smith back, and those linebackers are special. Still a class team, and still a good one.
9.) New York Jets (9-7)
Not buying all the hype, but if Revis comes back (and this ranking has Revis playing at some point) they are the class of that division, by a hair over the Patriots. I actually like the Tomlinson deal, and putting him behind a good offensive line (which the Chargers were not) will revive something. I like getting Santonio Holmes as another option for Sanchez. And then there is that defense. If Cromartie plays half as well as he did in 2007-2008, they have the second best cornerback tandem in the NFL.
8.) Minnesota Vikings (12-4)
Sidney Rice's injury really does hurt them. They have a tough schedule, and navigating the early part of that only became harder. I trust Brett Favre to not revert to his turnover-prone-ness. What I still love about the Vikings is that defensive line. Pat Williams isn't as good as he once was, but Ray Edwards emergence late last year can make up for that, and by making his presence more meaningful even help Jared Allen. If they can tread water without Rice, they can be scary headed into January.
7.) New York Giants (8-8)
I like them, I like them a lot. People seem to have written them off, forgetting that they were 5-0 to start last season. Sure, their defense went to hell after that, but Bill Sheridan was a schmuck. They seem more varied and stable and hungry on defense with Perry Fewell as the coordinator. What makes me intrigued is that Fewell made the far less talented Bills defense good. He can make the Giants one quite good. Eli Manning is now a top-6 or 7 QB, and he has the weapons to take another step further, and he is money late in close games, which can't be said for Rivers, Rodgers or Romo.
6.) Houston Texans (9-7)
This might be high, but if they had a good kicker last year (and Neil Rackers does qualify as good) they would have been 11-5. If they had better fumbling luck (which it will be hard for them not to) they would have been 12-4. Schaub to Johnson continues to amaze, and their defense gets better every year. What really makes me feel confident they will make the playoffs and win a game in those playoffs is Owen Daniels' making a full recovery from his ACL tear. He was on an all-pro pace before his injury, and with him, the Texans were 5-3.
5.) Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
They are getting a little too much hype. Boldin is still an injury-prone receiver, their secondary is still in shambles (especially with Reed's injury), and their pass-rush is still secretly average. However, they are still one of the toughest outs in the league. They do have a swagger that allows them to be in every game they play. The only problem they had was that they lost most of those games. If they learn how to close games, they can fulfill their lofty goals, but they have work to do to learn how to close close games.
Tier 5: The Super Bowl Favorites
4.) Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)
I rode them last year and got thrown off in the Wild Card round, but I loved their offseason. TO will not act out with his buddy Chad right next to him, and Carson knows how to handle headcases. Carson looks healthier than he has been in the past two years, and I like the development of Bernard Scott as a change-of-pace back. None of this compares to that defense. PacMan can be a great slot-corner, and Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph will always limit big plays in the passing game. If Rivers and Maualuga can stay healthy, they have a great young twosome at LB. Their d-line can shuffle in and out players who can all get a rush and all hold their blocks and stuff gaps. Antwan Odom looks to be healed fully. They are really, really good on defense.
3.) Green Bay Packers (11-5)
They are also getting a little too much hype, but in an NFC that seems to be tightly packed at the top with a lot of good teams and few great ones, that might be enough. The Packers have the offense that will always explode on bad teams, but they do struggle at times to consistently score on good teams, which forces them to play catch-up one too many times (see the Vikings games and the playoff game against the Cardinals). Their defense will probably regress a bit as Charles Woodson probably won't have that season again. They are still, top-to-bottom, the most talented team in the NFC.
2.) Indianapolis Colts (14-2)
Throw out the preseason with this team. They are 4-21 in the preseason since 2005, and 65-15 in the real season in that time. Here is what we know about the Colts: They are healthier than they have been in a while. All reports have Jeff Saturday and Dallas Clark back for Week 1. Gary Brackett's x-ray came back negative. All of that pales in comparison to Bob Sanders being healthy and being all over the field. Anthony Gonzalez seems to have gotten his slot job back and is excelling. They are deep, talented, and hyper-motivated. Not many Super Bowl runner-ups have been established teams. Established teams that lose the Super Bowl (Seahawks in 2005, Packers in 1997, Titans in 1999) seem to do pretty well the next year, and Manning will be haunted by that Tracy Porter pick until he throws another ring on that finger.
Tier 6: The Champs ('Nuff Said)
1.) New Orleans Saints (13-3)
They are the champs, so they get top billing. I will say this though: They seem way too enamored and caught up in their success. The book tours, the ongoing parties (with another parade coming on opening day), the media appearances. The Saints seem a little too happy with themselves right now, and they should be. They are the champs and gave a great sense of accomplishment and happiness to that city that so badly needed it. However, in the NFL, you need to forget the past, and I feel the Saints haven't exactly done the best job of that.
