Here’s how I see things 1-32 in the NFL with nine weeks in the books:

1. New Orleans Saints (8-0)
Nobody should be surprised that the Falcons and Panthers gave the Saints issues at home the past two weeks. After all, Atlanta and Carolina are familiar with New Orleans since they play them twice a year. The real story is how the Saints never panicked when they got down early and outplayed both the Falcons and Panthers in the fourth quarter.

2. Indianapolis Colts (8-0)
The Colts have the eighth best defense in the NFL, which is rather remarkable given that starters Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson haven’t played much at all. Dwight Freeney has terrorized opposing quarterbacks this season.

3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1)
Heading into the second half of the season, the only question I have about these Vikings is whether or not Brett Favre will stay healthy enough to lead this team deep into the playoffs. Last year, he couldn’t and the Jets tanked in the final month of the season.

4. New England Patriots (6-2)
We’ll get a great idea of how good this Patriots team is this weekend when they travel to Indianapolis to take on the undefeated Colts. Bill Belichick better figure out a way to get Dwight Freeney blocked so Tom Brady can build off the momentum he has created the past three games.

5. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)
I get the feeling that people keep waiting for the Bengals to cave and sink back to reality. Those folks will be waiting a while because this team is underrated, not overrated. A win this week in Pittsburgh and everyone will be believers.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
Jon Gruden hit the nail on the head when he said on Monday night that the Steelers close out games better than anyone in the league. One of the rare times they didn’t close out a team was earlier this season in Cincinnati, when the Bengals beat them on a last-second touchdown. They’ll get a chance to avenge that loss this Sunday in Pittsburgh, as well as take a one-game lead in the AFC North if they can pull off a win.

7. Denver Broncos (6-2)
I’m not ready to suggest that Denver is overrated or will start to freefall, but it is a little troubling that they’ve played two good teams the past two weeks and were beaten soundly in both contests. It’s time for Josh McDaniels to prove that he can make adjustments and Kyle Orton needs to take better care of the ball when his team is trailing.

8. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
Given all their talent, I want to believe that the Cowboys have turned the corner under Wade Phillips. But this isn’t the first time in the past couple years where they’ve stringed together a couple of good outings to get people to believe. Their win in Philadelphia was awfully impressive, but they need to prove that they can sustain their momentum.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)
The Eagles had an opportunity to make a statement at home against the Cowboys last Sunday night and failed. Hopefully Brian Westbrook will return soon, because Philly’s offense can look stagnant at times without him.

10. Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
Michael Turner started hearing the words “one-year wonder” being tossed around a couple weeks ago and didn’t like it. He’s responded with two 150-plus rushing performances and has looked like the back he did last year. It’s a good thing too, because Matt Ryan hasn’t played well since Atlanta’s win in San Francisco four weeks ago.

11. Arizona Cardinals (5-3)
The Cardinals’ win over the Bears was one of the more complete victories of the season for any team. Now if they could only figure out how to win at home…

12. San Diego Chargers (5-3)
What a great final drive by Philip Rivers and the Chargers’ offense in New York last week. Norv Turner still needs to figure out how to generate a running game, but all of a sudden San Diego is right on Denver’s heels again in the AFC West.

13. Houston Texans (5-4)
The Texans shot themselves in the foot last Sunday in Indianapolis too many times to count. But they proved that they can hang with the best in the AFC and that will give them confidence moving forward.

14. Baltimore Ravens (4-4)
There’s no doubt that the Ravens are a good team. They were just beat by a better one last Sunday in Cincinnati.

15. New York Giants (5-4)
Has the Giants’ coaching staff lost faith in Eli Manning? They didn’t allow him to test the end zone once after their defense intercepted Philip Rivers late in the fourth quarter last week and set the offense up with great field position. Tom Coughlin and company seem to be playing not to lose these days.

16. Miami Dolphins (3-5)
It’s apparent this season that the Dolphins don’t have enough talent to beat top competition, but that hasn’t stopped Tony Sparano’s squad from battling week in and week out.

17. New York Jets (4-4)
Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez and the Jets need to find where that swagger is that they played with the first couple weeks of the season. Maybe they located it during their bye.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4)
What a game for Mike Sims-Walker last week: Six catches, 147 yards and one touchdown. He’s put together a solid season thus far and is starting to make a name for himself.

19. Green Bay Packers (4-4)
It’s almost like Dom Capers’ defense takes every other week off. How the hell do they allow Josh Freeman and the Bucs to rack up 38 points on them last week?

20. San Francisco 49ers (3-5)
The 49ers need a good showing against the Bears on Thursday night if they want to get back into the race in the AFC West. Alex Smith has played pretty well for them, but wins are what matter most in this league.

21. Chicago Bears (4-4)
There’s no team in the league that gives up quicker than the Bears do when they face a double-digit deficit at halftime.

22. Carolina Panthers (3-5)
The Panthers gave a great effort last week in New Orleans, but in the end turnovers killed them. Injuries are starting to mount up for this team, but a win this Sunday at home against the Falcons will keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

23. Seattle Seahawks (3-5)
Good thing Seattle’s defense intercepted Matthew Stafford five times last week, because the offense tried to give the game away early.

24. Tennessee Titans (2-6)
Vince Young has found his confidence again, folks.

25. Buffalo Bills (3-5)
Maybe Trent Edwards can spark the Bills’ offense this week. Or not…does it really matter?

26. Washington Redskins (2-6)
You can tell that Jim Zorn has no control over his players when DeAngelo Hall and Albert Hanyesworth are mixing it up with their opponents on the sidelines when they’re getting their ass handed to them.

27. Detroit Lions (1-7)
Learn from that performance in Seattle, young Matthew Stafford.

28. Oakland Raiders (2-6)
Enjoy whatever time you have left in Oakland Tom Cable, because your time is quickly running out.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7)
It wasn’t a perfect performance, but Josh Freeman showed some real poise in his first career start last week. Hopefully he can build off that and learn some things this year.

30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7)
Outside of forgetting to cover Mike Sims-Walker, the Chiefs’ defense really didn’t play that bad last week in Jacksonville.

31. St. Louis Rams (1-7)
Let’s see if the Rams can build any momentum after compiling their first win before their bye last week.

32. Cleveland Browns (1-7)
This might be cruel given the state of our economy, but somebody got fired for putting the Browns on Monday night football this year right? Given how bad they were last year, it’s absolutely inexcusable for this crap team to be on prime time television.

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/11/2009-nfl-power-rankings-week-10/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/04/2009-nfl-power-rankings-week-9/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/04/2009-nfl-power-rankings-week-9/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:41:52 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=28279

Here’s how I see things 1-32 in the NFL after eight weeks in the books:

1. New Orleans Saints (7-0)
The Saints have the most balanced offensive attack in the NFL, have been a more aggressive and opportunistic defense under new coordinator Gregg Williams and are off to their best start in franchise history. There is a lot of season left, but this team has a Super Bowl-feeling about them.

2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0)
I don’t know if the 49ers necessarily laid out a blueprint on how to stop Peyton Manning and the Colts, but they at least showed how to contain the potent Indy offense for four quarters.

3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1)
I bet Brett Favre and Jared Allen wish they could play the Packers every week, because they’ve owned Green Bay in two games this season.

4. Denver Broncos (6-1)
Teams always learn more from losses than they do wins, so it’ll be interesting to see how Josh McDaniels and his coaching staff adjusts heading into Monday night against the Steelers.

5. New England Patriots (5-2)
We’ll see what kind of team the Pats are over their next five games: vs. Miami, at Indy, vs. the Jets and at New Orleans. Is Tom Brady back to his usual self or did he just benefit from putting up outrageous numbers against two bad teams in the Titans and Bucs the past two games?

6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)
The Bengals should be fresh coming off their bye, but they face two opponents in the Ravens and Steelers in the next two weeks that are looking to avenge losses to Cincinnati earlier in the season. Can the Bengals at least earn a split to stay atop the AFC North?

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
The Steelers are feeling good after beating the Vikings two weeks ago and then getting Week 8 off. But they travel to Denver and then host Cincinnati the next two weeks, so we’ll see whether or not their record isn’t just a byproduct of facing bad teams like the Titans, Lions, Browns and the ever-inconsistent Chargers.

8. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
Wade Phillips’ defense is starting to do a better job of creating turnovers and getting pressure on the quarterback. In the Cowboys’ last two games, they’ve racked up five takeaways and seven sacks. It’s no surprise that Dallas won both of those games and they’ll need more of the same when they travel to Philadelphia on Sunday night.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)
What an impressive win last Sunday as the Eagles thumped the Giants in every facet of the game. Can they do it again this week in another big divisional test?

10. New York Giants (5-3)
I don’t know what to make of this team – are they suffering from injuries or have the last three weeks been the norm? To date, the G-Men only have one win against a winning team, which came in Week 2 against the Cowboys. Their four other victories came against the Redskins, Bucs, Chiefs and Raiders. Yikes.

11. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)
If the Falcons can combine their offensive effort from the first half on Monday night, with their defensive effort in the second half they’d be one hell of a football team. But at this point, I think this team is going to continue to suffer some growing pains on both sides of the ball.

12. Baltimore Ravens (4-3)
The Ravens obviously figured out a few things during their bye week, because they looked like a different defensive team Sunday then they had in their previous three games (all losses). But they have a rough five-game stretch coming up, which includes games against the Bengals, Colts, Steelers and Packers. Their only gimmie is a Week 10 date with the Browns.

13. Arizona Cardinals (4-3)
Just when you think the Cards are ready to turn the page and build some momentum, Kurt Warner throws 17 picks in a loss to a bad Panthers team at home.

14. Houston Texans (5-3)
The Texans’ defense has played better of late, even if the stat sheet doesn’t suggest it. But they’re going to be tested this Sunday in Indianapolis and you know Peyton Manning will want to atone for only scoring 18 points against the 49ers last week.

15. San Diego Chargers (4-3)
The Chargers are like a poor man’s Steelers in that they find ways to win sloppy games, yet aren’t as talented as Pittsburgh to get away with it every week. How San Diego only beat the Raiders by eight points last week is staggering.

16. Green Bay Packers (4-3)
Before their loss to the Vikings, I was ready to jump back on the Packers-are-a-sleeper-contender bandwagon. Now I’m back on the, who-the-hell-has-this-team-beaten?…bandwagon.

17. Chicago Bears (4-3)
The Bears’ victory over the Browns last Sunday was one of the more unimpressive 30-6 wins I’ve ever seen.

18. Miami Dolphins (3-4)
Holy sh*t, somebody found Ted Ginn Jr.

19. San Francisco 49ers (3-4)
If the Niners had anything resembling an offense in the second half last week, they would have probably beaten the Colts.

20. New York Jets (4-4)
Does anybody watch the demeanor of Mark Sanchez when he makes a poor decision? It’s like watching a little kid make a mistake in a Pop Warner game: He sulks, he hangs his head, he’s looking for someone to help cheer him up. Toughen up a little, Mark.

21. Carolina Panthers (3-4)
Even though I’m not a fan, I must admit that John Fox’s teams never quit. Just when you think they’re ready to concede the fact that they’re a bad team, they go to Arizona and beat a pretty good Cardinals squad.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4)
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that the Jags lost last week in Tennessee. Jack Del Rio has a young team on his hands and inconsistency is going to be a theme in 2009.

23. Buffalo Bills (3-5)
Holy sh*t, somebody found T.O.

24. Seattle Seahawks (2-5)
I think a Jim Mora-coached team will always be an unprepared team. He just isn’t a good enough schemer to help his team overcome their limitations.

25. Washington Redskins (2-5)
Apology not expected, Daniel Snyder.

26. Tennessee Titans (1-6)
Wow, now there’s a shock – Vince Young comes off the bench and provides a spark. I realize VY isn’t the answer in Tennessee, but at least that team showed signs of life. Jeff Fisher made that move two weeks too late.

27. Oakland Raiders (2-6)
Al Davis might as well make it 2-for-2 in firing head coaches in the middle of the season the past two years.

28. Detroit Lions (1-5)
If you threw any kind of money down on the Rams or Lions this week, I must question your sanity. And if you’re Detroit, how the flip do you lose to St. Louis at home? Ah yeah, Calvin Johnson didn’t play…

29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6)
Let the Jamaal Charles era begin in KC.

30. St. Louis Rams (1-7)
Congratulations to Steve Spagnuolo for earning his first win as a head coach. I checked with the NFL and yes, it still counts even though it was against the Lions.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7)
Well, let’s see what you’ve got, Josh Freeman.

32. Cleveland Browns (1-7)
The Browns have to have the worst offense in the history of the league. I’ve never seen a team so inept and the funny thing is that Derek Anderson was supposed to be an upgrade over Brady Quinn in the passing game despite his penchant for throwing interceptions. If Cleveland goes 1-15 and Eric Mangini isn’t fired, then I’m calling shenanigans and the behalf of George Kokinis.

Here’s how I see things 1-32 in the NFL now that seven weeks are in the books.

1. New Orleans Saints (6-0)
Considering they gave up 34 points last week, it would be easy to assume that the Saints defense didn’t play well. But it was actually Drew Brees that allowed the Dolphins to jump out to a 24-3 halftime lead with all the turnovers he had. Credit Sean Payton for not abandoning the run and getting away from his game plan despite the early deficit.

2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0)
The Colts continue to feast on bad teams, as they blew out the Rams in St. Louis last Sunday. But they’ll get a couple of decent challenges from their next four opponents: 49ers (or maybe not considering how overrated Mike Singletary’s team now looks), Texans, Patriots and Ravens.

3. Denver Broncos (6-0)
It’s amazing how this team continues to be underdogs week after week. Despite being undefeated and facing an opponent that has lost three straight, the Broncos are 3-point underdogs at the Ravens this Sunday. Something tells me Josh McDaniels wouldn’t have it any other way.

4. New England Patriots (5-2)
I’m not overlooking the fact that the Patriots absolutely demolished two bad teams the past two weeks. But I’m also not going to overlook how comfortable Tom Brady seems in the pocket again.

5. Minnesota Vikings (6-1)
Why Brad Childress decided not to use Adrian Peterson more in those final six minutes on Sunday is beyond me. Brett Favre shouldn’t be attempting 51 passes in a game unless it’s a blow out and the Vikes need to throw to get back into it.

6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)
Any lingering doubts about whether or not the Bengals could put their home loss to the Texans in Week 6 behind them were erased once they scored their fourth touchdown of the first half against the Bears. What a season Cedric Benson is having.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
This hasn’t been an overly impressive team through the first seven weeks of the season, but the Steelers always have a knack for making their opponents look really bad on Sundays.

8. Arizona Cardinals (4-2)
This may be a little high for the Cardinals, but I can’t force myself to rank them below the Giants after their impressive win last week in East Rutherford. There’s a lot to like about this Cardinals team right now: They’re playing well defensively, their offense is starting to get into a rhythm and Beanie Wells is even showing potential in the running game. ‘Zona is once again the team to beat in the NFC West.

9. New York Giants (5-2)
The Giants are who we thought they were: An injury-riddled team that is going to have to battle some tough opponents over the next couple weeks to stay afloat in the NFC East.

10. Dallas Cowboys (5-2)
If the Cowboys can play with the same intensity, focus and determination every week as they did last Sunday against the Falcons, they’ll have no problem making the playoffs. I swear the Dallas players thought it was the Super Bowl with how they got up for Atlanta.

11. Atlanta Falcons (4-2)
The Falcons’ secondary woes were on full display last week in Dallas, which isn’t a good sign considering they take on the Saints next Monday night. Offensively, Atlanta has to figure out a way to get Michael Turner going; he’s averaging a full YPC less this year (3.4) than he was last year (4.4). The rushing lanes aren’t there like they were last year, and neither is Turner’s explosion.

12. Green Bay Packers (4-2)
Give the Packers credit for not getting caught looking ahead to their game this Sunday against the Vikings. They went into unfamiliar territory last Sunday in Cleveland and beat the piss out of a bad Browns team. Now they need to prove they can beat a team with a winning record.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2)
The offense wasn’t that impressive Monday night outside of playmaker DeSean Jackson, but the Eagles’ defense played like a unit on a mission. Will Witherspoon already looks like a solid addition at linebacker.

14. Baltimore Ravens (3-3)
It’s time to find out whether or not the Ravens ironed out their issues over the bye. This team needs to play better defensively if it wants to stay in the playoff hunt – especially in the secondary.

15. New York Jets (4-3)
Rex Ryan did exactly what he needed to do last week: Take pressure off of Mark Sanchez and allow the ground game and defense to win in Oakland. Well done, Rex.

16. Chicago Bears (3-3)
It doesn’t get any uglier for the Bears than it did last Sunday in Cincinnati. This team has major defensive issues (the injuries certainly don’t help) and they still can’t figure out their rushing woes.

17. Houston Texans (4-3)
They nearly let one get away last Sunday, but the Texans deserve credit for hanging on in the fourth quarter and winning back to back games for the first time all season.

18. San Diego Chargers (3-3)
The Chargers needed that kind of win in Kansas City last week. Maybe it’ll lift them to a second half run.

19. Miami Dolphins (2-4)
Put the game away, Miami! Put it away! What a monumental confidence builder that would have been had the Dolphins beat the Saints last week. Either way, the Fish was again proved that they’re going to be a tough opponent from here on out.

20. San Francisco 49ers (3-3)
Everyone sipped the 49ers Kool Aid a little too early. Hopefully Alex Smith can spark the lifeless offense like he did last week in Houston and get this team back on track.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)
Check out some of these opponents the Jags face in the second half: Titans, Chiefs, Bills, 49ers and Browns. This could easily be a 8-8 team, which would be a major accomplishment given how young it is on both sides of the ball.

22. Buffalo Bills (3-4)
The Bills’ hapless offense needs to thank the defense for handing them golden field position the past two weeks. What a great effort Buffalo’s D has given.

23. Seattle Seahawks (2-4)
Everyone keeps talking about how good of a coach Jim Mora is. Well, we’ll find out, because he could never make any adjustments in Atlanta when things started to go wrong and I highly doubt he figured anything out during Seattle’s bye week. That said, this team does have a rash of injuries to deal with, so maybe he deserves a reprieve this season.

24. Carolina Panthers (2-4)
The Panthers had a golden opportunity vs. the Bills last week to get back to .500 and build some momentum heading into the second half. Then Jake Delhomme threw an interception…then another one…then another one…

25. Washington Redskins (2-5)
It wasn’t Sherman Lewis’ fault that the Redskins lost to the Eagles on Monday night. The players just need to execute better.

26. Detroit Lions (1-5)
Hopefully Matthew Stafford is healthy and ready to go this week, because he offers the Lions (and their fans) a little bit of hope for the future.

27. Oakland Raiders (2-5)
Hey, there’s the JaMarcus Russell we’ve all come to know and love.

28. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6)
What a brutal effort at home last week by the Chiefs but hey, at least they don’t have to worry about their former productive running back taking pot shots at their head coach for his lack of NFL playing experience. Oh, oh – nor do they have to worry about their running back making homophobic slurs via Twitter. Yep, at least they don’t have to worry about that…

29. Tennessee Titans (0-6)
If Jeff Fisher sticks with Kerry Collins and the Titans continue to lose, he’ll be on the fast track out of Tennessee. Bud Adams wants to see himself some Vince Young and, like, now.

30. Cleveland Browns (1-6)
The Browns couldn’t score a touchdown if the ball was marked inside the red zone every possession and the defense played with five players.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7)
The Josh Freeman era is about to start in Tampa Bay, although unless he plays defense he’s not going to help this team out much.

32. St. Louis Rams (0-7)
The only good service the Rams have done this season is trade Will Witherspoon to Philadelphia.

Here’s how I view things 1-32 after five weeks of NFL action:

1. New York Giants (5-0)
The G-Men didn’t suffer a letdown against the Raiders last weekend and Eli Manning didn’t appear to be slowed by his foot injury. The Giants will now get their biggest test of the year this week: A road trip to New Orleans.

2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0)
The Colts carved up opponents in the first five weeks of the season and now have the bye week to rest up before making a run at the top seed in the AFC.

3. New Orleans Saints (4-0)
A win over the Giants this Sunday will prove that the Saints are the best team in the NFC. Drew Brees and company is well rested, but the Giants have one of the best defenses in the league and will challenge New Orleans from start to finish.

4. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
Everything is working out swimmingly right now for the Vikings. Opponents are still stacking the box in efforts to stop Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre is beating teams with his accuracy through the air. The Vikes’ defense has played great thus far, but the Ravens will test them this Sunday.

5. Denver Broncos (5-0)
After earning a fluke win against the Bengals in Week 1 and notching two gimmies against the Browns and Raiders in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively, the Broncos showed their meddle in wins over the Cowboys and Patriots. This team is legit.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)
The Eagles may possibly have the easiest first half schedule of anyone in the NFL. With wins over the Panthers, Chiefs and Bucs already in the books, the Eagles will take on the Raiders and Redskins in the next two weeks. They better notch two more victories because after they play Washington in Week 7, Philly faces a daunting second half schedule that features the Giants (twice), Bears, Falcons, Chargers, 49ers, Cowboys (twice) and Broncos.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1)
The Bengals have beaten playoff-caliber teams virtually every week and the amazing thing is that they should be undefeated right now had they not allowed a fluke TD to the Broncos in Week 1. And much like Denver, this Cincy team is for realsies.

8. Atlanta Falcons (3-1)
The Falcons absolutely destroyed a good 49ers team last week and it all started up front with the offensive line. Atlanta’s front five gave Matt Ryan excellent protection so he could carve up San Fran’s defense and also gave Michael Turner ample running room. The Falcons have a tough stretch of games coming up, but if Mike Smith’s team continues to play as well as it did last week, then Atlanta will hold strong.

9. Chicago Bears (3-1)
The Bears return to the scene of their most heart-breaking loss of the 2008 season this week when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. Think Lovie Smith’s defense will cover the out route this time if Matt Ryan needs a big completion along the sidelines with the game on the line? Jay Cutler won in Atlanta last year as a member of the Broncos and his current team is well rested after having their bye last week. Chicago will be well prepared.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
Troy Polamalu and Willie Parker are set to return for the Steelers this week, although defensive end Aaron Smith could miss the next three months after he has surgery to fix a torn rotator cuff. While Smith’s loss will be felt, getting Polamalu back is huge.

11. New York Jets (3-2)
Hey – there’s the Braylon Edwards Cleveland fans had been looking for when their team drafted him in the top 5 a couple years back. Too bad he’s now wearing green and white. All of a sudden things are awfully quiet in New York following back-to-back losses…

12. New England Patriots (3-2)
Tom Brady looks out of sync with his receivers and even in the Patriots’ three wins this season, he hasn’t looked himself. He looks like he’s playing with a lack of confidence.

13. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
The Ravens can’t stew over their losses to the Patriots and Bengals too long with a trip to Minnesota on the docket. They need to go back to the drawing board and rekindle the confidence that made them 3-0.

14. San Francisco 49ers (3-2)
Mike Singletary must have thrown up nine times after watching the film of the Falcons’ 45-10 win over the Niners last week. San Fran clearly thought their bye week was one week earlier than they thought.

15. San Diego Chargers (2-2)
The Chargers had a week off to figure out what’s wrong with their defense. We’ll see if Norv Turner’s team ironed out their issues during their bye when they take on the division-leading Broncos on Monday night.

16. Green Bay Packers (2-2)
The Packers better hope that Mark Tauscher can help solve their issues along the offensive line or else Aaron Rodgers won’t make it past Week 10.

17. Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
Don’t sleep on the Seahawks now that Matt Hasselbeck is healthy again. If he can remain healthy, the Hawks are far from finished.

18. Arizona Cardinals (2-2)
The Cardinals blew a 21-0 lead last Sunday against the Texans, but give them credit for keeping their composure and coming up with a huge goal line stand to earn a victory.

19. Miami Dolphins (2-3)
The spark that Chad Henne has given the Dolphins has been fun to watch. Nobody runs the Wildcat formation like Miami does.

20. Dallas Cowboys (3-2)
The Cowboys may have a winning record, but all three of their wins have come against opponents with losing records and two of which (the Bucs and Chiefs) are still winless. Dallas needed a comeback and overtime to beat a bad Kansas City team. Ouch.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)
Just when you think the Jags are going to be competitive this year, they go out and lay a dud in Seattle.

22. Houston Texans (2-3)
Texan fans need to sit down and buckle up because they’re going to be on a roller coaster all season.

23. Carolina Panthers (1-3)
Congratulations to John Fox and his Panthers for earning their first victory of the 2009 season. They had to rally from double digits down against a bad Redskins team to do it, but hey, a win is a win.

24. Detroit Lions (1-4)
Even though they’re 1-4, the Lions have shown more fight in five games this year than they did in 16 games last season.

25. Washington Redskins (2-3)
I guarantee that Daniel Snyder already has a list of head coaching candidates that he’ll interview after the season is over. At the top: Jon Gruden.

26. Tennessee Titans (0-5)
Vince Young may not solve all of the Titans’ problems, but he would at least provide a spark. Jeff Fisher needs to make a change.

27. Cleveland Browns (1-4)
Cleveland’s 6-3 win over Buffalo on Sunday might go down as the ugliest victory in NFL history.

28. Buffalo Bills (1-4)
This pathetic excuse for a team let Derek Anderson complete just 2 of 17 pass attempts and still win. The Bills are horrible and their near-win against the Patriots in Week 1 is nothing but a distant memory.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5)
At least the Chiefs are showing a little bit of fight. That’s more than I can say about the three teams listed under them.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5)
Even though they lost, quarterback Josh Johnson displayed some good things in Philadelphia on Sunday. Too bad he doesn’t play defense.

31. Oakland Raiders (1-4)
If JaMarcus Russell weren’t a former No. 1 pick and had just an average NFL arm, he wouldn’t be on any team’s roster. Not as a starter, not as a backup, not even as the guy that fetches water for the head coach. He’s that bad.

32. St. Louis Rams (0-5)
Two days after Matt Holliday ripped the hearts out of St. Louis sports fans everywhere, the Rams gain 400 yards of offense and 27 first downs yet still get their ass handed to them. Way to go Rams.

Here’s how I see things 1-32 in the NFL after four weeks.

1. New York Giants (4-0)
The Giants have the deepest collection of depth in the entire league. GM Jerry Reese did an outstanding job adding defensive depth this offseason and it’s paying off following injuries to Kenny Phillips, Chris Canty and Michael Boley. Eli Manning’s foot injury is a concern, but the G-Men look as good as anyone in the league right now.

2. New Orleans Saints (4-0)
Thanks to Darren Sharper and new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the Saints finally have the D to match their explosive offense. Teams are going to find it hard playing inside the Superdome all season.

3. Indianapolis Colts (4-0)
Peyton Manning is playing up to his Pro Bowl-caliber self and the defense looks faster and more aggressive under new coordinator Larry Coyer. Indy is currently the team to beat in the AFC.

4. Minnesota Vikings (4-0)
The Vikings look great so far this season, but the theme all year is going to be whether or not Brett Favre can stay healthy. Last night the Packers took away Adrian Peterson and Favre beat them with some amazing throws. But he also faced zero rush and teams aren’t going to give him that kind of time every week.

5. New York Jets (3-1)
It’s not surprising that a team finally made Mark Sanchez look like a rookie because it was bound to happen. What he does next will determine how good this kid will be and whether or not he can lead the Jets to the playoffs.

6. New England Patriots (3-1)
Something still seems off with the Patriots, but they have a great opportunity over the next couple weeks to rack up three more wins before their bye. Their defense still has holes and they’ve benefited from some questionable calls, but give Bill Belichick and Tom Brady credit for finding a way to get to 3-1 after a lackluster start.

7. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
A couple of calls didn’t go their way on Sunday, but that’s no excuse for Baltimore’s receivers to drop two key passes in the red zone with the game on the line. This is still a very good football team, but the Ravens cost themselves an opportunity to stay undefeated last week.

8. Denver Broncos (4-0)
The Broncos’ offense is still a work in progress, but Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno are a form a nice duo in the running game, the offensive line is solid and Brandon Marshall is a weapon. As long as the defense continues to play as well as it has, the Broncos should overcome their limitations on offense.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
Is Rashard Mendenhall the key to what ails the Pittsburgh running game? If he is, the defending champs are going to be tough to beat from here on out. The offensive line played great against San Diego on Sunday night.

10. Atlanta Falcons (2-1)
Hopefully over the bye, Mike Smith fixed some of the Falcons’ defensive issues that were on display in New England two weeks ago. This team needs to do a better job of applying pressure on the quarterback and stopping the run or else they’re going to continue to have problems against elite teams. Michael Turner and the running game need to get going as well so that Matt Ryan can benefit from a balanced attack.

11. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)
We’re going to learn a lot about Mike Singletary’s team this Sunday when they play a Falcons team coming off a bye. The defense has been outstanding, but the offense had things too easy against a brutal St. Louis team. It’ll be interesting to see how the Niners fair against Atlatna without Frank Gore.

12. Chicago Bears (3-1)
The Bears still have issues in their secondary and injuries have ransacked their linebacker corps. But if Matt Forte can get going, Chicago finally has an offense that can compete with anyone on Sundays.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
Man, do the Eagles have a gracious schedule or what? They opened against Carolina, hosted Kansas City in Week 3 (after facing a tough New Orleans team in Week 2), will host Tampa Bay this Sunday and then are at Oakland and Washington before taking on the Giants in Week 8. Donovan McNabb has a couple of great matchups to get healthy again.

14. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)
The Bengals didn’t look great against the Browns, but that was more because they turned the ball over then because of definiteness on either side of the ball. Cincinnati’s defense is underrated and with a healthy Carson Palmer back under center, the Bengals should be competitive all season.

15. Green Bay Packers (2-2)
This team has major issues on its offensive line. Injuries continue to pile up and Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have any time to make plays. If the O-line can get healthy, Green Bay will compete. If not, my preseason sleeper will continue to fall.

16. San Diego Chargers (2-2)
I know they made a game of it in Pittsburgh on Sunday night, but for the most part the Bolts got their ass kicked in all phases of the game. The offense can score at will, but the running game has disappeared and there is little fight in the defense. Norv Turner has his work cut out for him.

17. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
The defense is starting to come together after a rough start, but Tony Romo and the offense has regressed the past two weeks.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2)
The Jaguars are starting to look like the improved team I thought they would be at the start of the year. They have a solid quarterback, a great running back and an improved O-line. Can the defense hold up though?

19. Houston Texans (2-2)
I still don’t know what to make of the Texans, who are one of the more maddening teams in the league. One week they look like a playoff team, then the next they’re losing at home to the Jaguars. The offense as the ability to be real good, but the defense is having trouble stopping every team not named the Raiders.

20. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
The Cardinals had a week to stew over their loss to the Colts and figure out where their holes are. Kurt Warner needs to throw the ball vertically more if this team wants to resemble the one that went to the Super Bowl last year and the ground game still needs work.

21. Miami Dolphins (1-3)
Miami has one of the better running games in the league and the defense is still solid. All they need to be competitive is for Chad Henne to limit the mistakes and not turn the ball over like he did against Buffalo.

22. Washington Redskins (2-2)
Jason Campbell has the tools to succeed in this league, but he’s got to get his team into the end zone when they reach the red zone. Either that, or Jim Zorn needs to get more aggressive in his play calling.

23. Tennessee Titans (0-4)
It’s safe to stick a fork in the Titans, because they’re done. Their front seven is fine, but their secondary is horrible and it’s allowing teams to build sizable first quarter leads. Peyton Manning should rip this team apart on Sunday night.

24. Seattle Seahawks (1-3)
It’s unfair to judge Seattle with Seneca Wallace under center, because they’re just a completely different team.

25. Carolina Panthers (0-3)
Thank goodness for the Bucs, or else the Panthers were definitely on a first-to-last mission this season.

26. Detroit Lions (1-3)
I like the Lions – especially Matthew Stafford. Hopefully his knee injury isn’t serious and he can return to the field soon, because Daunte Culpepper just can’t compete anymore. (As well as their defense)

27. Buffalo Bills (1-3)
The Bills no-huddle attack looked good in the first two weeks but now it looks like a dud. Why take a chance on T.O. this offseason if you’re not going to find ways to get him the ball? I understand he’s dropped a couple of key passes this year, but he’s always dropped passes and teams have still figured out ways to use his talents.

28. Cleveland Browns (0-4)
The Browns showed some fight for the first time on Sunday, but just couldn’t pull out a win against the Bengals. The offense looks more efficient with Derek Anderson under center, but how will Braylon Edwards’ recent off-field incident affect this team? If nothing else, hopefully rookie Mohamed Massaquoi can step up like he did last Sunday and give Anderson a weapon.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-4)
It’s going to take some time for this team to adjust to the new 3-4 scheme. They just don’t have the personnel currently on the roster.

30. Oakland Raiders (1-3)
You know, the defense isn’t that bad. But the offense still looks bad under JaMarcus Russell’s guidance and Darren McFadden can’t stay healthy..

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4)
Raheem Morris will need another offseason to build the team he wants, but in the mean time he needs to figure out how to win a couple games.

32. St. Louis Rams (0-4)
The Rams are quickly becoming the 2009 version of the Detroit Lions.

Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.

Offseason Additions: Derrick Burgess (DE/OLB); Leigh Bodden (CB); Chris Baker (TE); Joey Galloway (WR); Fred Taylor (RB); Paris Lenon (LB); Tully Banta-Cain (LB).

Offseason Losses: Richard Seymour (DE); Matt Cassel (QB); Rodney Harrison (S); Heath Evans (FB); Jabar Gaffney (WR); LaMont Jordan (RB); Deltha O’Neal (CB); Lewis Sanders (CB).

Player to Watch: Tom Brady, QB.
After missing virtually all of last year following a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 of the season, Brady is completely healthy again and ready to pick up where he left off in 2007 when he led the Patriots to an undefeated regular season. In preseason, Brady looked like the same quarterback that gives coordinators and defensive backs nightmares, routinely hooking up with receiver Randy Moss and showing no ill effects of the injury. By all accounts, it seems like nothing has changed and considering Brady will be protected by the best offensive line in football, New England is once again a Super Bowl favorite.

Team Strength: Thanks to Brady, receivers Moss and Wes Welker, and the best pass-protecting offensive line in football, the Pats’ passing game will once again be lethal. Will it be as explosive as it was in 2007 now that Brady is playing on a repaired knee and former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is now in Denver? It’s definitely a possibility. Brady is completely healthy and even though Moss is another year older, he still commands double teams and that allows Welker to get underneath coverages and burn defenses once he gets into open space. Plus, losing McDaniels isn’t as crippling as one would think because Bill Belichick does such a great job of grooming his assistants that when one moves on, another one takes his place without missing a beat. New England might not average 37 points a game like it did in ’07, but Brady and company will be feared again.

Potential Weakness: The Patriots secondary isn’t a weakness per se, but teams will definitely try to beat them through the air this season. That’s because it’ll be extremely hard to run against New England’s stout front seven. The Pats will have two new starting cornerbacks this year, although both players are well traveled, especially Shawn Springs, who signed in the offseason after spending the last couple years in Washington. Springs has a hard time staying healthy, so watch for Terrence Wheatley, Jonathan Wilhite or rookie Darius Butler to get a shot to start sometime this season. On the other side, newcomer Leigh Bodden is familiar with New England’s scheme after playing under former Cleveland head coach (and former Pats’ defensive coordinator) Romeo Crennel, so he should be a good fit despite his troubles in the Cover 2 last year in Detroit. At safety, Brandon Meriweather has a ton of potential but must be more aggressive when coming up to defend the run. Free safety James Sanders is steady, although his potential is maxed out.

Outlook: If you’re looking for differences between this year’s version of the Patriots and the one that went 16-0 in 2007, you won’t find many. Brady is completely healthy and as long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, this team is going to light up the scoreboard again this year, with or without a top rushing threat. No offensive line works better together as a unit then the starting five of Nick Kaczur, Stephen Neal, Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins and Matt Light in New England. The Patriots traded longtime defensive stalwart Richard Seymour, but also acquired Derrick Burgess from the Raiders in order to boost their pass rush and Adalius Thomas will once again aid in that area as well. Former Defensive Rookie of the Year Jerod Mayo will again be the rock in the middle of the Pats’ defense.

After missing the playoffs last season despite winning 11 games, it’s probably safe to say that Belichick is on a mission again this year. With his multiple Super Bowl-winning quarterback back under center, New England isn’t going to miss a beat and while the Steelers, Chargers, Ravens, Colts and Titans are going to challenge them in the conference, the Patriots are the favorites to represent the AFC in Miami this season.

2009 Prediction: First, AFC East.

Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.

Offseason Additions: Shaun McDonald (WR); Keiwan Ratliff (CB).

Offseason Losses: Bryant McFadden (CB); Jamel White (RB); Larry Foote (LB); Nate Washington (WR); Byron Leftwich (QB), Anthony Smith (S).

Player to Watch: Lawrence Timmons, LB.
While defensive teammates Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley, Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton will receive more accolades heading into the season, Timmons will be one of the reasons why the Steelers will be even better defensively in 2009. Timmons replaces Larry Foote at the inside linebacker position next to Farrior and immediately provides an upgrade in the pass-rushing department. Foote was primarily used as a run-stopper on first and second downs, but Pittsburgh will make Timmons an every-down linebacker and exploit his speed and quickness in order to cause havoc in opponents’ backfields. Timmons could become a star in the NFL very soon.

Team Strength: If the Steelers win the Super Bowl again this year, it’ll be because they have one of the fastest and most ferocious defenses in the entire league. Pittsburgh returns 9 of its 11 starters on the defensive side of the ball this year and at least one of the new starters (Timmons) is better than the player he’s replacing (Foote). Polamalu continues to be the backbone of the Steelers’ defense, although he wouldn’t nearly be as good as he is without the rest of his teammates executing their jobs to perfection. The heat-seeking missile posing as a NFL safety gets to roam around the field at will and use his excellent athletic ability because he knows that the 10 other guys will always be where they need to be. In turn, that allows defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to draw up schemes that constantly suffocate opponents’ running games and get consistent pressure on the quarterback. From Poloamalu and Ike Taylor, to Harrison, Woodley and Farrior, to Smith, Hampton and Brett Keisel, the Steelers defense is the most star-studded unit in the league.

Potential Weakness: Not many people realize that the Steelers won the Super Bowl last year despite having the 23rd overall rushing game. Willie Parker gained only 791 yards last year and a measly 3.8 yards per carry and part of that was because the Steelers’ offensive line didn’t gel until late in the season. Parker needs to stay fresh throughout the year and in order to do that, 2008 first round pick Rashard Mendenhall needs to return to health after breaking his shoulder in Week 4 last year. If Mendenhall can cash in on some of the ability that made him a first round prospect, then the Steelers are going to have a decent 1-2 punch in their backfield and their weakness will actually turn out to be a strength.

Outlook: Besides the play of their outstanding defense, the main reason the Steelers won the Super Bowl last year was because their offensive line gelled. The unit was viewed as a potential weakness earlier in the season and it wasn’t until it became a cohesive unit that Pittsburgh reached its full potential. Now it appears that the Steelers don’t have any weaknesses, outside of maybe a running game that fell flat last season. But this team doesn’t even have to have a dominating rushing attack to get back to the Super Bowl, because as long as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stays healthy, then he’s going to put the Steelers on his shoulders and deliver in the clutch like he has so many times before.

The Patriots, Chargers, Colts, Ravens and Titans all have reason to believe that they’ll emerge in a tough conference and make an appearance in Miami. But the defending champs are improved and barring injury, they’re going to be incredibly tough to beat come January, especially if they can nab home field advantage.

2009 Prediction: First, AFC North.