My Power Rankings
1) Green Bay Packers
The way the Packers are playing, they have a shot a realistic shot at doing what the Patriots couldn’t do – go undefeated the whole season.
2) New Orleans Saints
The Saints were one of the few teams to hang with the Packers this year. They pose the biggest threat to the Packers chance of getting to the Superbowl.
3) New England Patriots
The only other team that seems like it has a shot of toppling the Packers. Unfortunately, the defense and running game is subpar. But the tandem of Bill Belichek and Tom Brady can never be discounted. Not even the Discount Double Check!
4) Baltimore Ravens
A riddle wrapped in an enigma – that’s what Joe Flacco is. He shows that he has the ability to carry the team on some passes, and the next pass has you scratching your head. With their defense and Ray Rice, this team is pretty darn good.
5) Pittsburgh Steelers
They’d be #4 if they didn’t lose to Baltimore twice. That, and Troy Polamalu might miss some games due to a concussion compounded on to the fact that Ben Roethlisberger is playing with a broken thumb…
6) San Francisco 49ers
This team is full of holes, namely the offensive line. The Ravens showed that the 49ers still need some work before they can really contend.
7) Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo is at his best in November. Will he be his old self in December and January? He will need to step it up to advance past the first round.
8) Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are finally clicking and look like they will grab one of the wild card spots. They will be a tough out in the playoffs.
9) Detroit Lions
The Lions are pretty good, but they couldn’t hang with the Packers in the 2nd half. Megatron and Matt Stafford will have to replicate their first half performance to get past the first round of the playoffs.
10) New York Jets
The Jets are built around their defense. They just have to hope Mark Sanchez can keep up.
11) Philadelphia Eagles
The Dream Team seems like they’re still sleeping half the time. You never know if they will show up.
12) Oakland Raiders
Contenders or pretenders? Still not sure, but they definitely have a strong vertical game with Carson Palmer at the helm. The strong running game doesn’t hurt either.
13) New York Giants
Eli can’t do it all. He needs Ahmad Bradshaw back and quick. His receivers are dropping too many passes for them to make it to the playoffs. And Eli is getting frustrated.
14) Cincinnati Bengals
Andy Dalton has shown a lot of promise. He’s quietly put up a Rookie of the Year performance that’s been overlooked.
15) Houston Texans
A good team in a horrible division – it’s their division to lose, even with Matt Schaub and his backup, Matt Leinart, out for the rest of the season.
16) Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler was finally playing well and then he got injured. Caleb Hanie doesn’t seem to be the answer, but there doesn’t seem to be another option.
17) Miami Dolphins
If it weren’t for their horrible start, the Dolphins would be a playoff contender. Now it’s probably too late for them to come back.
18) Tennessee Titans
I had a feeling since Week 8 that CJ2Kwould be able to at least hit 1K. Now he’s doing that. They’ll need him to win the division.
19) Denver Broncos
Defense wins championships, but Tebowing wins games.
20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A promising young team that just didn’t meet expectations… there’s also the fact that they have to compete against the Saints and the Falcons for their playoffs spot.
21) San Diego Chargers
I think it’s safe to say that this is Norv Turner’s last season coaching the Chargers. It should be AJ Smith’s last season as the Chargers’ GM, but probably won’t be.
22) Buffalo Bills
Lots of promise to start the season, and then they just fizzled out.
23) Carolina Panthers
They are definitely better than last year and Cam Newton has a lot of promise. Now if only the defense could stop the opposition.
24) Minnesota Vikings
Christian Ponder has some promise, but he needs more experience before the Vikings can reach the playoffs again. The division has too many good teams.
25) Arizona Cardinals
After trading for Kevin Kolb, the Cardinals thought their QB woes were behind them. At least they are SLIGHTLY better.
26) Seattle Seahawks
Surprisingly decent defense and somewhat competitive. Just not enough though.
27) Washington Redskins
Quarterback play killed them. And maybe Mike Shanahan’s reluctance to allow Roy Helu to be the primary back after Tim Hightower went down.
28) Cleveland Browns
They were promising, but Hillis being unable to match last season’s effectiveness was definitely tough.
29) Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were decimated by injuries early in the season, and then suffered another blow by losing Matt Cassel.
30) Jacksonville Jaguars
Another team that was done in by poor quarterback play. Their defense was actually pretty good.
31) St. Louis Rams
The Rams were definitely a shell of what they were last season.
32) Indianapolis Colts
No Peyton Manning, no wins. Now we all understand how important he is to the team.
