Week Four NFL Power Rankings
Updated September 25, 2012
32. Cleveland Browns (0-3)
The power rankings were a total headache to do this weekend. It is very hard to tell at this point which team is better than which. However, one thing I am sure of, the Browns belong at 32 still. You can basically write the book on Brandon Weeden now. Put heat on him and he will make mistakes.
31. Miami Dolphins (1-2)
Its right back to the bottom for Miami. They showed me a lack of intangibles and grit by their inability to close out the win against New York. I am not sure they can beat anyone without Reggie Bush having a stellar game; which he was until leaving with an injury. They better pray its not serious.
30. New Orleans Saints (0-3)
Yep, its this bad in New Orleans. Besides the coaching issues they have two big problems. Their offense has taken a step back, and their defense is incredibly slow. Watching Curtis Lofton and company try to chase Jamal Charles was comical. An extensive article on these topics is coming this week.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)
The Jaguars did not show me much in that win. The Colts were the better team for the most part on Sunday but got beat on one 80-yard touchdown. They have Maurice Jones-Drew running well again, which helps. However, we have seen they can only win five or so games with him running at top form, hence why he did not get a new contract.
28. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
Pretty much what I just wrote for Jacksonville applies here. The Colts have some pieces but they are in a long rebuilding process. You cannot give up that 80-yard TD when the win is within reach and MJD cannot trample you all day. The Colts defense has a ways to go still.
27. St. Louis Rams (1-2)
That was a very disconcerting loss for the Rams. This was the first time all season they looked like a bottom feeder team. Will they rebound or is this a sign of things to come? Lets remember they probably have only one player starting on their offensive line that would play on any other team.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-2)
That was a totally pitiful display. Dallas was underachieving as usual, but the Buccaneers still could not capitalize. It is time to really worry about Josh Freeman as he made some throws that a fourth year “franchise quarterback” should never make. To make matters worse they lost a piece of their strength when defensive end Adrian Clayborn was lost for the year.
25. New York Jets (2-1)
Darrell Revis. Without their best player, and one of the best in the league, this team is cooked. He erases one player from the offense and is essentially adding a 12th man to their defense. His injury changes everything over there. Lord knows their offense is not ready to pick up the slack. You could even tell Rex Ryan knew it while he tried to say how other player’s roles would change/needed to step up. This team is in serious trouble.
24. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
It was a complete disgrace to lose like that at home in primetime. There have been reports that Cam Newton is seeing a “mind coach”. What is a mind coach? I think I should offer my services as a mind coach. I could tell Cam that he needs to not put a towel on his head and cry like a baby when he stinks it up or do his celebrations when he is being blown out as well as anyone else. See? Start signing my checks please Mr. Newton.
23. Oakland Raiders (1-2)
That was a very impressive win for Raider Nation this week. Carson Palmer probably played his best game as a Raider and Darren McFadden ran well for the first time all year. That is the winning formula for this team. If they can maintain those two’s level of play they can be competitive. If not? Well at least they are used to losing.
22. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)
There is a gigantic difference between 1-2 and 0-3 and the Chiefs are an example of that. In the second half of the game Sunday we finally saw a glimpse of the team I touted as a sleeper team all summer. Jamal Charles is the key. If they can get him going like they did on that day, then they can hang with good teams. Now we must wait to see whether we look at this game as a launching point, or an aberration.
21. Washington Redskins (1-2)
When I am right I am right big-time. I published an article on how the injuries to the Redskins defensive front seven would expose an atrocious secondary on Thursday (http://backyardbanter.weebly.com/week-32.html) and lo and behold, they proved me right on Sunday. The Redskins have scored more points than anyone thus far, but they have given them all right back to other teams as well. Expect more stinkers from this team.
20. Tennessee Titans (1-2)
Big rise from the Titans, and I already feel weird about it. The Titans had five 60+yard touchdowns in their defeat of the Lions; including a special teams lateral and a catch by Nate Washington in which he reached around the defender and snagged. That leads me to think this was a fluke type of victory. I will probably regret putting them this high, but like I said, power rankings were a headache this week. In other news: Chris Johnson still stinks and continues to make excuses for it.
19. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)
Now here is a team I am growing more impressed with. Jared Allen finally had a dominant game and we can see how that makes this whole team better, but the real story is Christian Ponder. He is completing an incredible percentage of his passes and even used his underrated athleticism to pick up yards on the ground. He is really showing me something.
18. Buffalo Bills (2-1)
Back to back wins for Buffalo, and no coincidence, Ryan Fitzpatrick has had no interceptions in those games. When he holds onto the ball, their defense and running game give them a chance to win. Luckily for the Bills, C.J. Spiller’s injury does not look serious. If they can get him and Fred Jackson rolling at the same time for a change, look out.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
Bengals’ MVP: Jay Gruden. This guy is coaching his way into a top job week by week. His innovative play calling gives this team a chance to be good despite, what I view as, subpar overall talent. Imagine if he is a head coach again before his brother, Jon. Wouldn’t that be a funny story? In other news: rookie wideout Mohamed Sanu has a rocket arm. That play was unbelievable!
16. Detroit Lions (1-2)
I have been very disappointed in the Lions this season. They got beat by the Titans because their defense stinks. They have a ton of money tied into their front seven, but it is proving to be not good enough to prevent their secondary from getting beat like a drum week in and week out. Matt Stafford suffered an injury but it is not believed to be serious.
15. Denver Broncos (1-2)
Two weeks, two extremly uninspiring starts for the Denver Broncos. It is clear that Peyton Manning can give them a chance to come roaring back every week, as they have come close to doing the past two weeks as well, but counting on that is foolish. It woud be best if they would cease spotting other teams 20 point leads.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
Finally the Eagles did not escape their turnovers with a victory. Andy Reid hinted at a possible QB controversy Monday and then quickly recanted today. We shall see if Big Red goes down swinging with Vick or makes a last ditch attempt to salvage his job with Nick Foles, provided it gets worse from here. This defense is stellar and LeSean McCoy is an underutilized monster, but something is missing from this team. Now if you just substitute LeSean McCoy for Brian Westbrook, doesn’t that line sound like a summary of most of Reid’s tenure as head coach?
13. San Diego Chargers (2-1)
That was a really ugly defeat for San Diego, but I cannot say I am surprised. I wrote last week that I was “not impressed with who they have beaten” and I wanted “to see them play a good team”. Well they did, and look what happened. I was nice and didn’t sink these guys this week. However, if they keep proving my theory correct, they will fall hard.
12. Chicago Bears (2-1)
Here is another team I moved up reluctantly. I get that they beat up the Rams, but their protection of Cutler, and as a result Cutler himself, looked no better. I am waiting to see a signature win by Chicago before I can say that they have arrived. So far they smashed the Rams and the Colts, and got humiliated by the Packers. Does that sound like a recipe for a good team?
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)
I am still rolling with the Steelers, but I am not rolling with their defense. It was torn up by a Raiders offense that was bogged down in weeks 1 and 2. I kept them this high for one reason, Ben Roethlisberger. If you asked me who has been the best QB this season I would have to say Ben. He has made a ton of difficult throws and performed each week despite less than ideal conditions. He is not the reason this team is losing. He is a total stud.
10. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
Another team I am really not confident in ranking this high. They should have blown out a Bucs team that could not move the ball very well. Gerald McCoy however spanked their interior o-line all day, and will hold this team back come crunch time. Also, after years of stellar production I am beginning to wonder if Jason Witten is done. He once again looked slow and dropped tons of passes. I hope I am wrong, but it does not look good.
9. Seattle Seahawks (2-1)*
Replacement ref fiasco aside, Seattle played a pretty good game against Green Bay. Their defense is amazing and could very well be the best in the league. I cannot think of a better secondary (despite being relatively unknown) and their defensive line is filled with multiple fronts and some scary pass rushers. Russell Wilson, has to be given the chance to win games for this team however. They continue to force him into a conservative game plan. If you trusted him enough to be your starter, trust him to win games already.
8. New England Patriots (1-2)
Another loss for New England. This was another contest with questionable officiating, but it went both ways and harmed the Ravens as well. Frankly, the Patriots just do not look like a top 5 team at the moment and I have to begin t worry about them. They have their issues and, so far, Tom Brady has not been stellar enough to bail them out.
7. Arizona Cardinals (3-0)
I believe in the Arizona Cardinals! This defense is elite and Kevin Kolb is playing the type of mistake free football that could make them a very good team. Ryan Williams also finally showed up to play. My question is what separates the Cardinals from the San Francisco 49ers? In my opinion, not very much does. The only obvious answer I see is one win, in favor of Arizona.
6. Green Bay Packers (1-2)*
The Packers got robbed, no way around it and you can read my Monday night recap if you want more of that talk. However, what you also cannot get around is how Green Bay’s offensive line was dominated in the first half. I totally agree with what T.J. Lang originally tweeted, but he could have been just as accurate tweeting “Just got f**ked by the Seahawks d-line. Embarrassing. Thanks a lot Chris Clemons”.
5. New York Giants (2-1)
Finally a full 60 minute thrashing courtesty of the super bowl champs. This was the team I expected to see all year. We are learning that if you count out the Giants it will become their mission to make everyone of us pay for doing so. Now if only they could muster that emotion and energy for 19 games and maybe we would see a repeat champion for the first time in a long time.
4. San Francisco 49ers (2-1)
I am not going to kill the Niners for losing this week, because I think the Vikings have been playing well. However I am glad they lost because all that talk of “the Niners are the best team in the NFL and the second best team as well” spewed out by some of the more less-intelligible members of ESPN is over. No team with Alex Smith is every going to be invincible in my opinion, so I am glad that little phase was squashed quickly.
3. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Great team win by the Ravens, but I am going to dedicate this entire space to the efforts of Torrey Smith. The second year receiver played in this game despite the tragic death of his younger brother just hours before this contest. Honestly I do not know how he even played much less came out and totally dominated. My sisters are my whole world and if anything every happened to them I would not leave my room for weeks, and to see Smith come out there and put up six catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns was truly remarkable. Smith is an inspiration and my whole heart goes out for him for his loss. This will be my favorite story of the NFL season without a doubt, because it just does not feel any better than seeing that.
2. Atlanta Falcons (3-0)
The Falcons whooped up on the Chargers and put to rest any doubt that they are an elite team. Matt Ryan is making his case to be put into the elite rankings and this defense continues to surprise. I can only hope this team keeps it in perspective and remembers that this season means nothing until January.
1. Houston Texans (3-0)
The Texans beat two creampuff teams in Week 1 and 2, but Week 3 presented Peyton Manning. No matter to the Texans as, despite a valiant comeback attempt by the Broncos in the fourth quarter, they defeated their first good team. The final score does not indicate how dominant these guys were for the majority of the game. They thrashed the Broncos for most of the game, but it is tough to contain Peyton for four quarters. I am excited to see this team going forward.
32. Cleveland Browns (0-3)
The power rankings were a total headache to do this weekend. It is very hard to tell at this point which team is better than which. However, one thing I am sure of, the Browns belong at 32 still. You can basically write the book on Brandon Weeden now. Put heat on him and he will make mistakes.
31. Miami Dolphins (1-2)
Its right back to the bottom for Miami. They showed me a lack of intangibles and grit by their inability to close out the win against New York. I am not sure they can beat anyone without Reggie Bush having a stellar game; which he was until leaving with an injury. They better pray its not serious.
30. New Orleans Saints (0-3)
Yep, its this bad in New Orleans. Besides the coaching issues they have two big problems. Their offense has taken a step back, and their defense is incredibly slow. Watching Curtis Lofton and company try to chase Jamal Charles was comical. An extensive article on these topics is coming this week.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)
The Jaguars did not show me much in that win. The Colts were the better team for the most part on Sunday but got beat on one 80-yard touchdown. They have Maurice Jones-Drew running well again, which helps. However, we have seen they can only win five or so games with him running at top form, hence why he did not get a new contract.
28. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
Pretty much what I just wrote for Jacksonville applies here. The Colts have some pieces but they are in a long rebuilding process. You cannot give up that 80-yard TD when the win is within reach and MJD cannot trample you all day. The Colts defense has a ways to go still.
27. St. Louis Rams (1-2)
That was a very disconcerting loss for the Rams. This was the first time all season they looked like a bottom feeder team. Will they rebound or is this a sign of things to come? Lets remember they probably have only one player starting on their offensive line that would play on any other team.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-2)
That was a totally pitiful display. Dallas was underachieving as usual, but the Buccaneers still could not capitalize. It is time to really worry about Josh Freeman as he made some throws that a fourth year “franchise quarterback” should never make. To make matters worse they lost a piece of their strength when defensive end Adrian Clayborn was lost for the year.
25. New York Jets (2-1)
Darrell Revis. Without their best player, and one of the best in the league, this team is cooked. He erases one player from the offense and is essentially adding a 12th man to their defense. His injury changes everything over there. Lord knows their offense is not ready to pick up the slack. You could even tell Rex Ryan knew it while he tried to say how other player’s roles would change/needed to step up. This team is in serious trouble.
24. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
It was a complete disgrace to lose like that at home in primetime. There have been reports that Cam Newton is seeing a “mind coach”. What is a mind coach? I think I should offer my services as a mind coach. I could tell Cam that he needs to not put a towel on his head and cry like a baby when he stinks it up or do his celebrations when he is being blown out as well as anyone else. See? Start signing my checks please Mr. Newton.
23. Oakland Raiders (1-2)
That was a very impressive win for Raider Nation this week. Carson Palmer probably played his best game as a Raider and Darren McFadden ran well for the first time all year. That is the winning formula for this team. If they can maintain those two’s level of play they can be competitive. If not? Well at least they are used to losing.
22. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)
There is a gigantic difference between 1-2 and 0-3 and the Chiefs are an example of that. In the second half of the game Sunday we finally saw a glimpse of the team I touted as a sleeper team all summer. Jamal Charles is the key. If they can get him going like they did on that day, then they can hang with good teams. Now we must wait to see whether we look at this game as a launching point, or an aberration.
21. Washington Redskins (1-2)
When I am right I am right big-time. I published an article on how the injuries to the Redskins defensive front seven would expose an atrocious secondary on Thursday (http://backyardbanter.weebly.com/week-32.html) and lo and behold, they proved me right on Sunday. The Redskins have scored more points than anyone thus far, but they have given them all right back to other teams as well. Expect more stinkers from this team.
20. Tennessee Titans (1-2)
Big rise from the Titans, and I already feel weird about it. The Titans had five 60+yard touchdowns in their defeat of the Lions; including a special teams lateral and a catch by Nate Washington in which he reached around the defender and snagged. That leads me to think this was a fluke type of victory. I will probably regret putting them this high, but like I said, power rankings were a headache this week. In other news: Chris Johnson still stinks and continues to make excuses for it.
19. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)
Now here is a team I am growing more impressed with. Jared Allen finally had a dominant game and we can see how that makes this whole team better, but the real story is Christian Ponder. He is completing an incredible percentage of his passes and even used his underrated athleticism to pick up yards on the ground. He is really showing me something.
18. Buffalo Bills (2-1)
Back to back wins for Buffalo, and no coincidence, Ryan Fitzpatrick has had no interceptions in those games. When he holds onto the ball, their defense and running game give them a chance to win. Luckily for the Bills, C.J. Spiller’s injury does not look serious. If they can get him and Fred Jackson rolling at the same time for a change, look out.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
Bengals’ MVP: Jay Gruden. This guy is coaching his way into a top job week by week. His innovative play calling gives this team a chance to be good despite, what I view as, subpar overall talent. Imagine if he is a head coach again before his brother, Jon. Wouldn’t that be a funny story? In other news: rookie wideout Mohamed Sanu has a rocket arm. That play was unbelievable!
16. Detroit Lions (1-2)
I have been very disappointed in the Lions this season. They got beat by the Titans because their defense stinks. They have a ton of money tied into their front seven, but it is proving to be not good enough to prevent their secondary from getting beat like a drum week in and week out. Matt Stafford suffered an injury but it is not believed to be serious.
15. Denver Broncos (1-2)
Two weeks, two extremly uninspiring starts for the Denver Broncos. It is clear that Peyton Manning can give them a chance to come roaring back every week, as they have come close to doing the past two weeks as well, but counting on that is foolish. It woud be best if they would cease spotting other teams 20 point leads.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
Finally the Eagles did not escape their turnovers with a victory. Andy Reid hinted at a possible QB controversy Monday and then quickly recanted today. We shall see if Big Red goes down swinging with Vick or makes a last ditch attempt to salvage his job with Nick Foles, provided it gets worse from here. This defense is stellar and LeSean McCoy is an underutilized monster, but something is missing from this team. Now if you just substitute LeSean McCoy for Brian Westbrook, doesn’t that line sound like a summary of most of Reid’s tenure as head coach?
13. San Diego Chargers (2-1)
That was a really ugly defeat for San Diego, but I cannot say I am surprised. I wrote last week that I was “not impressed with who they have beaten” and I wanted “to see them play a good team”. Well they did, and look what happened. I was nice and didn’t sink these guys this week. However, if they keep proving my theory correct, they will fall hard.
12. Chicago Bears (2-1)
Here is another team I moved up reluctantly. I get that they beat up the Rams, but their protection of Cutler, and as a result Cutler himself, looked no better. I am waiting to see a signature win by Chicago before I can say that they have arrived. So far they smashed the Rams and the Colts, and got humiliated by the Packers. Does that sound like a recipe for a good team?
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)
I am still rolling with the Steelers, but I am not rolling with their defense. It was torn up by a Raiders offense that was bogged down in weeks 1 and 2. I kept them this high for one reason, Ben Roethlisberger. If you asked me who has been the best QB this season I would have to say Ben. He has made a ton of difficult throws and performed each week despite less than ideal conditions. He is not the reason this team is losing. He is a total stud.
10. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
Another team I am really not confident in ranking this high. They should have blown out a Bucs team that could not move the ball very well. Gerald McCoy however spanked their interior o-line all day, and will hold this team back come crunch time. Also, after years of stellar production I am beginning to wonder if Jason Witten is done. He once again looked slow and dropped tons of passes. I hope I am wrong, but it does not look good.
9. Seattle Seahawks (2-1)*
Replacement ref fiasco aside, Seattle played a pretty good game against Green Bay. Their defense is amazing and could very well be the best in the league. I cannot think of a better secondary (despite being relatively unknown) and their defensive line is filled with multiple fronts and some scary pass rushers. Russell Wilson, has to be given the chance to win games for this team however. They continue to force him into a conservative game plan. If you trusted him enough to be your starter, trust him to win games already.
8. New England Patriots (1-2)
Another loss for New England. This was another contest with questionable officiating, but it went both ways and harmed the Ravens as well. Frankly, the Patriots just do not look like a top 5 team at the moment and I have to begin t worry about them. They have their issues and, so far, Tom Brady has not been stellar enough to bail them out.
7. Arizona Cardinals (3-0)
I believe in the Arizona Cardinals! This defense is elite and Kevin Kolb is playing the type of mistake free football that could make them a very good team. Ryan Williams also finally showed up to play. My question is what separates the Cardinals from the San Francisco 49ers? In my opinion, not very much does. The only obvious answer I see is one win, in favor of Arizona.
6. Green Bay Packers (1-2)*
The Packers got robbed, no way around it and you can read my Monday night recap if you want more of that talk. However, what you also cannot get around is how Green Bay’s offensive line was dominated in the first half. I totally agree with what T.J. Lang originally tweeted, but he could have been just as accurate tweeting “Just got f**ked by the Seahawks d-line. Embarrassing. Thanks a lot Chris Clemons”.
5. New York Giants (2-1)
Finally a full 60 minute thrashing courtesty of the super bowl champs. This was the team I expected to see all year. We are learning that if you count out the Giants it will become their mission to make everyone of us pay for doing so. Now if only they could muster that emotion and energy for 19 games and maybe we would see a repeat champion for the first time in a long time.
4. San Francisco 49ers (2-1)
I am not going to kill the Niners for losing this week, because I think the Vikings have been playing well. However I am glad they lost because all that talk of “the Niners are the best team in the NFL and the second best team as well” spewed out by some of the more less-intelligible members of ESPN is over. No team with Alex Smith is every going to be invincible in my opinion, so I am glad that little phase was squashed quickly.
3. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Great team win by the Ravens, but I am going to dedicate this entire space to the efforts of Torrey Smith. The second year receiver played in this game despite the tragic death of his younger brother just hours before this contest. Honestly I do not know how he even played much less came out and totally dominated. My sisters are my whole world and if anything every happened to them I would not leave my room for weeks, and to see Smith come out there and put up six catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns was truly remarkable. Smith is an inspiration and my whole heart goes out for him for his loss. This will be my favorite story of the NFL season without a doubt, because it just does not feel any better than seeing that.
2. Atlanta Falcons (3-0)
The Falcons whooped up on the Chargers and put to rest any doubt that they are an elite team. Matt Ryan is making his case to be put into the elite rankings and this defense continues to surprise. I can only hope this team keeps it in perspective and remembers that this season means nothing until January.
1. Houston Texans (3-0)
The Texans beat two creampuff teams in Week 1 and 2, but Week 3 presented Peyton Manning. No matter to the Texans as, despite a valiant comeback attempt by the Broncos in the fourth quarter, they defeated their first good team. The final score does not indicate how dominant these guys were for the majority of the game. They thrashed the Broncos for most of the game, but it is tough to contain Peyton for four quarters. I am excited to see this team going forward.
