Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Power Rankings 9/27

Sorry for the delay, loyal followers. A new schedule and a wicked bout of allergies have rendered me fairly useless. Never fear, for the show must go on! And your favorite podcasting duo will be up and posted tomorrow night for your enjoyment. No gimmicks with this week's Power Rankings, but each team will be followed by their biggest weakness through 3 weeks. Remember, it's still very early in the season and what you think you know now may not be what you think 14 weeks from now!

1. Green Bay Packers: (NC) biggest weakness - Indifference: The Pack are clearly the class of the NFL through 3 weeks, but they've let lesser teams hang around a little too much.

2. New Orleans Saints: (+1) biggest weakness - Defense: That Who Dat? offense is dynomite and getting better as they work in Ingram into the mix, but they are an all-or-nothing defense that scares me.

3. Baltimore Ravens: (+3) biggest weakness - Consistency: Starting with Flacco, the Ravens can look awe-inspiring at times, and at times can look aw-ful!

4. New England Patriots: (-2) biggest weakness - Pass Defense: No pass rush plus a weak secondary is how you get beat by an upstart Bills team. Better watch out with the Raiders up next.

5. Houston Texans: (-1) biggest weakness - Red Zone Offense: Really miss Arian Foster inside the 20. Cost them against the Saints. Big statement game this week with the Steelers coming to town.

6. Detroit Lions: (+5) biggest weakness - Right Tackle: Looks like the Lions might finally crack the playoffs after the "Lost Millen" decade, but the revolving door at RT scares me, and should scare Stafford.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers: (NC) biggest weakness - Age: Struggling with a hapless Colts team does not inspire confidence. Old teams tend to get old quick, and hurt.

8. Chicago Bears: (+4) biggest weakness - Offensive Line: Jay Cutler gets his butt kicked every single week and he doesn't help his line by hanging on to the ball too long. Also, Roy Williams is terrible!

9. San Diego Chargers: (-1) biggest weakness - Passing Attack: A surprising choice, but Rivers has been very inconsistant, trusting his receivers a little too much. Must cut down the turnovers.

10. Buffalo Bills: (+4): biggest weakness - Youth: The story of the year so far in the NFL. A team full of guys nobody else wanted coached by a guy nobody else wanted. Must learn to take the next step together

11. New York Jets: (-6): biggest weakness - Running Game: Thus far, Shonn Greene has not answered the bell and LT is getting long in the tooth. Can't rely on Sanchez and defense, as the Raiders clearly showed.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: (+6) biggest weakness - Offensive Line: While not terrible, their line is inconsistant and causes the offense to go into hibernation for long periods.

13. Atlanta Falcons: (-4) biggest weakness - Left Tackle: Sam Baker and the rest of the O-line has been getting dominated, and Matty Ice has been been shaken and foamy for most of the early season.

14. New York Giants: (+1) biggest weakness - Injuries: Not only did they lose half their defense before the season started, now their holding open tryouts at WR. But winning is the ultimate salve.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: (-5) biggest weakness - Offensive Line: Vick can complain to the refs all he wants, but the guys in front of him are the real culprits. The LB core is a close second in weakness.

16. Oakland Raiders: (+9) biggest weakness - Secondary: It's really too bad they couldn't bring Nnamdi back, because that might be the only thing between them and the playoffs.

17. Dallas Cowboys: (-1) biggest weakness - Injuries: Rob Ryan's defense looks scary good even with a makeshift secondary, but can't afford any more injuries on offense.

18. Washington Redskins: (-5) biggest weakness - Talent Level: Shanahan has this motley collection of guys playing way over their head, and I'm afraid reality is coming soon.

19. Tennessee Titans: (+1) biggest weakness - Kenny Britt Injury: Losing their big play guy for the season is a huge blow. Too bad for a team had just started to get it rolling

20. Carolina Panthers: (-3) biggest weakness - Defense: Cam has been amazing, but winning is about more than one player. Losing 2/3 of your starting LBs really hurts.

21. San Francisco 49ers: (+7) biggest weakness - Alex Smith: I honestly think the Niners would be better off if Harbaugh donned a uniform and QBed this team.

22. Arizona Cardinals: (-3) biggest weakness - Size: The Cards just seemed undersized at all aspects of the game. Gotta figure out something on offense besides Fitzgerald deep.

23. Cleveland Browns: (+1) biggest weakness - Run Defense: Before the season, I questioned who would play DE in their new 4-3 scheme, now the entire DL is MIA.

24. Cincinnati Bengals: (-2) biggest weakness - Pass Offense: With their best WR out for the season, another about to go to big-boy jail, and a rookie throwing to a rookie, gonna be a tough year.

25. St. Louis Rams: (-2) biggest weakness - Injuries: The schedule makers screwed the Rams before they even had a chance. Their one easy game of the first 8 is this week, if they can field a team.

26. Minnesota Vikings: (NC) biggest weakness - Coaching: When you blow 3 straight double-digit leads in a row, the man at the helm must be called into question. McNabb and Frazier.

27. Seattle Seahawks: (+5) biggest weakness - Tavaris Jackson: Finally won a game because of their insane home crowd. Too bad they don't have much to cheer about.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars: (+1) biggest weakness - Offense: When your entire offense is a weakness, that's a problem. Blaine Gabbert will get trial by fire, or rain like last week.

29. Miami Dolphins: (-8) biggest weakness - Tony Sparano: When the owner didn't want the coach to begin with, and the coach didn't want the QB, not a recipe for success.

30. Denver Broncos: (-3) biggest weakness - Coaching: John Fox killed any chance for the Broncos to win by making stupid macho, go for it on 4th down decisions.

31. Indianapolis Colts: (-1) biggest weakness - Missing Peyton: While putting up a valiant effort on Sunday night against Pittsburgh, an entire team built on a man getting stem cell surgery is just bad.

32. Kansas City Chiefs: (-1) biggest weakness - Everything: The only thing left is to see what happens first, Todd Haley gets fired or the Chiefs win a game. I'm betting on the former

No comments:

Post a Comment