Rank and file

I figured since the NFL season is now about a third of the way done, it was as good of a time as any to rank the 32 teams. The problem is, due to some busy schedules- and the fact I really only started to care about teams not named the Bears earlier this week after baseball ended- I really haven’t seen as many team as I would have hoped. Regardless, based on what I have seen, plus what I’ve read elsewhere, here are how I see the NFL as of right now.


Go join a college conference

By far, the worst teams are the RAMS, LIONS, BENGALS, RAIDERS and CHIEFS. The sad part about this though, is that all five of these teams have at least some talent. Torry Holt and Steven Jackson, Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams, TJ Houshmandzadeh, Darren McFadden, Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez. One thing to notice though; all of these are offensive players. These five squads are going to stay in the league’s basement until they develop some D. Solid quarterback play might be helpful also.


Not looking so good

Coming into the season, expectations were high. But so far, the TEXANS, SEAHAWKS, and BROWNS haven’t been as good as advertised. They each still have a chance to turn it around- the Texans play four of their next five in Houston, and both Seattle and Cleveland play in winnable divisions- but that 180 needs to start right now. A good sign is that each of these team’s luck can’t get any worse than it was in the season’s first month.

Lost in space

By far the biggest grouping of team’s are those that have showed promise, but for some reason don’t reflect that in their record. The EAGLES, VIKINGS, PACKERS, SAINTS 49ERS, JETS, DOLPHINS, RAVENS JAGUARS, COLTS and CHARGERS all are .500 or worse going into week six. For some of these teams (Baltimore, San Fran and Miami), this is a step forward. But for the Super Bowl contenders in the group (Philly, Minnesota, Jacksonville, Indy, and San Diego) this is obviously not the start they wanted. For each team there’s a different reason as to why their record isn’t as good as they wish, from questionable QB play (Vikings) to a weak offensive line (Colts) to poor defense (Jaguars). The good thing for these teams at least is they have some wins on the board and have enough time left to legitimize themselves.

Good, but not sure how good

At this point of the season, most fans would be happy with just having a winning record. And that’s why right now, I think the fans of the BEARS, PANTHERS, BUCS, FALCONS, CARDINALS, PATRIOTS, and BRONCOS are pleased. But like the teams above, they still have some questions. Carolina is 4-1, but has been extremely lucky so far, and have yet to dominate a game vs. a decent team. Denver has the same record, but has allowed an astounding 130 points thus far, tied for third most in the league. And then there’s New England, who obviously have to figure out how dangerous they can be with Matt Cassell at quarterback. I could see these teams all playing late into January, but at the same time, it wouldn’t be a shock to see them sitting at home.

On the cusp

Even if a team’s record is good, that doesn’t mean they’ve had an easy time. The COWBOYS, REDSKINS, BILLS, and STEELERS each have only one loss thus far, but have had to fight for their good record. Washington won back-to-back division road games, and the Steelers are playing with an offense that looked like it just walked out of the Emergency Room. I’ve been impressed at one time or another with all these teams, but they’ll all have to keep it up in the back part of their season.


The top two

Only two un-defeated teams remain in the NFL right now. Which means that the GIANTS and TITANS are, right now, the best the league has to offer. Can they keep it up? I don’t see either team challenging last year’s Patriots team for a 16-0 regular season, but I like both of these teams to do damage deep into the playoffs. New York has been there before, have a balanced offense and a strong, aggressive D. Tennessee has some exciting skill players (rookie RB Chris Johnson is the real deal) and their defense is probably the best in football. Too bad the Giants and Titans don’t square off this season…at least in the regular season.



Week six picks, and for some reason I like a lot of road teams. Winners in bold

Detroit at Minnesota

St. Louis at Washington

Oakland at New Orleans

Miami at Houston

Cincinnati at New York Jets

Chicago at Atlanta

Baltimore at Indianapolis

Carolina at Tampa Bay

Jacksonville at Denver

Dallas at Arizona

Philadelphia at San Francisco

Green Bay at Seattle

New England at San Diego

New York Giants at Cleveland

Last Week: 8-6
Season to Date: 39-35