Thursday, October 12, 2006

NFL Power Rankings

I think the phrase "Power Rankings" is so freaking cliched. So I'm taking nominations for a new name for weekly NFL rankings, ideally a little more ironic or clever. It can be a play on "Power," but it could also be something else. Put them in the Comments section, along with your usual mockery/ridicule of my latest rankings:

1. Bears
2. Chargers
3. Colts
4. Pats
5. Bengals

6. Eagles
7. Broncos
8. Ravens
9. Seahawks
10. Falcons
11. Rams
12. Jags
13. Saints
14. Panthers
15. Vikings
16. Giants
17. Cowboys
18. Steelers
19. Redskins
20. Chiefs
21. Bills
22. Jets
23. 49ers
24. Texans
25. Dolphins
26. Cards
27. Packers
28. Browns
29. Bucs
30. Lions
31. Titans
32. Raiders

Comments Debate: Everyone seems to agree that the Bears are No. 1. So: Who is your No. 2 (and why)?

39 comments:

Aly said...

Broncos are the second best team in the league. They have a great defense, a great coach, a decent qb, a good running game, a great o line, and decent wrs including offseason aquisition Javon Walker. I mean the Chargers are good, but Mike Shanahan can outcoach Marty anyday.

Brian in Oxford said...

You forgot the Broncos, Dan....they mailed it in against St. Louis in week one, but have dominated since. (including the Pats, unfortunately).

It may sound a little CFB, but who have the Colts beaten, exactly?

Steve said...

Zach, since when is San Diego on the east coast?

Deathwatch Conundrum said...

If the nothing else the Broncos should be ahead of the Patriots

BLUE said...

Maybe he just has a coast bias, teams closer to the coast, although then that leaves out Chicago. I'm so confused. Maybe we should have a playoff system to sort all of this out at the end of the season.

BLUE said...

I am a broncos fan, and I agree with the #7 ranking. I don't care who they've beat, or who they have on their team, the bottom line is can anyone imagine Jake Plummer holding up the Lombardi trophy...anyone...anyone...bueller.And I'm a Jake fan.

kirby077 said...

Why is everyone so high on the Eagles? Let's see, they have beaten the Texans, Niners, Packers and the Cowboys and lost to the Giants. The only legitimate win there is the Cowboys one. And if the Cowboys (specifically Bledsoe) didn't play one of the sloppiest games I have ever seen, they could have won and almost did.

Brian in Oxford said...

time for freky j
to break out the ladder rankings, then.

William Joseph said...

I haven't given this all that much though, but at first glance, drucifer's rankings of the top 10 seem pretty much right on.

William Joseph said...

Oh, and I also agree with the A.S.S. name

William Joseph said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
William Joseph said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Christian Thoma said...

drucifer,

Never surrender. #27 Packers play #26 after the bye and then #25. The Packers will earn their way higher.

(Heck, beat the Bills after that, and the Pack are 4-4)

CorrND said...

I think you have to go with the Colts at #2. They're not playing all that well and they're still undefeated. How can you argue with results?

Christian Thoma said...

Whoops, it's #25 then #26. Point is still legit.

Matt said...

PHI, SD, and BAL all have had pretty easy schedules so far. JAC has played a pretty brutal schedule and with a break or two against IND could be 4-1, so I'd give them consideration. For now, I'd have to go with DEN. They're D looks legit and I expect their O to get back to average. If they can get home field, they'll be tough to beat (even after last year's debacle in the AFC championship game).

Anonymous said...

The only rankings I really disagree with are the Broncos (too low) and the Jags (too low, for now). I don't even know if it's worth stating why, although the Broncos did spank the Pats, and Plummer be damned, that defense has a better chance of bailing him out week in and week out than say, oh the Ravens bailing out McNair.

But hey, if anyone wants to put my Bengals up that high, it's okay with me.

#2? Until the Colts lose, I can't see how you place any team with a loss over an UNDEFEATED team. How would people take it right now if Notre Dame was still ranked 2nd in the college polls. Just saying.

TJ said...

I like that little double-space bump you put between 5 and 6, but I think you missed the oppurtunity to put a triple/quadruple space between 31 and 32. Without it, I think you are completely overrating the Raiders. I'm about 99% serious right now--I mean it. They suck to a level that is just... well, it's impressive.

Mega said...

"Shanoff Selections"

"Week (#) Ladder"

"Rankings Quickie"

"Dan 'He Hate Me' Shanoffs Picks"
(I think Shanoff should be the new He Hate Me- LMAO)

I agree with the rankings for the most part. Bears are #1, thats all I care about.

J-P said...

Titans after the packers? At least the titans are showing signs of life and VY has a pulse. The same cannot be said about Favre.

Then again, at that level, does it really matter?

CMFost said...

#2 - would be the broncos other then week one they have beaten the Ravens, Chiefs and Patriots pretty tough schedule and a good team.

#3 - Philly - hte offense is clicking the defense is good and they would be #1 or 2 if not for the meltdown against the Giants

#4 - Patriots - Just when you count them out they get better. They will be the #1 when the season ends. They are good now and 10 weeks from now Brady should be insync with his receivers.

Aitch said...

Here are my top 10 on the gridiron totem poll...

1. Da Bears. They have proven it on both sides of the ball. Combine that with their remaining schedule and it's hard to imagine any team knocking them from the top spot (no NFL team will ever be undefeated again.)

2. The Broncos Doing it almost entirely with the D. They had a lazy outing vs. the Rams, otherwise we'd be talking about them at 4-0

3. Chargers MartyBall is working. At 3-1 and having outscored opponents 103-36 thus far, they get the nod at 3

4. The Colts Yes they are undefeated, but they have looked shaky in at least 2 of their 5 wins. They should have demolished the Titans, and they didn't. They've scored 135 this season, but allowed 100. That should concern any Colts fan

5. The Pats Belichick once again has proven he is among if not the top coach in this game. The Pats blowout of the Bengals showed that no one schemes better on D than the Pats' coach. A few shaky games in the division lower them on my ranking however.

6. The Eagles McNabb is on the top of his game and Stollworth is probing to be the biggest offseason move in the league. They haven't had a very tough schedule, but have put most of their opponents away convincingly.

7. Ravens Again it's all about the D. The Ravens are playing with that same formula that won them the Superbowl in 2000. McNair has not looked spectacular, but has come through in the clutch when needed, loss vs. Denver not withstanding.

8. The Seahawks They are the only team in the league with a winning record despite being outscored this season, a result of the dismantling by the Bears. Otherwise, the bears have performed well and Deion Branch should start to make an impact as he has had more time to learn the system

9. The Bengals

10. The Saints Showing some love for AMerica's adopted team.

Go ahead everyone, rip me apart. lol

Ingrid and Jim said...

You have the Raiders WAY too high.

Roge said...

Ummmm... Zumaya is out due to a "sore wrist". He's day-to-day.

How big of an impact does this have on the ALCS?

Anonymous said...

I think it would be cool if you'd invert the rankings, then call them the "Loser Rankings".

Just think of the momentary thrill all those guys in Oakland would get from seeing their name at the top of a list!

gvoll said...

Gotta be the Broncos (as much as it pains me as a Pats guy...). It's an easy chain: Colts BARELY beat the Jets and Titans, they don't count. I haven't seen the Chargers enough (east coast bias). The Pats hammered the Bengals. And the Broncos knocked up (yes I said it) the Pats and found.a.way.to.win. over the Ravens. Done and done. For now anwyay.

Anonymous said...

Dan you need to put up a college football thread so I can start bitching that ESPN is once again doing it all for the $$$$.

Just found out that Next week's OSU game will only be on ESPNU, with no local coverage. Great since the only way to get ESPNU in town is to own a dish!

Jingoist said...

S.C.H.M.U.C.K. Ratings

Seriously
Chastised
Humiliating
Made-Up
Conversation
Killer

Anonymous said...

how about calling them "arbitrary listings that don't matter until the super bowl"?

if I had the time I might have tried to spell out A.L.L.B.U.L.L.S.H.I.T. but that's a lot of time for a little laugh.

Anonymous said...

old joke. very old.

Steve said...

Sam, based on that criteria then, the Rams would need to be above both the Patriots and Broncos. Sadly then the Cardinals would have to be above all of them. Sometimes fluky upsets happen.

Fornelli said...

The Feats of Strength Poll?

Christian Thoma said...

How about the 'Momentum Rankings'? That way, people can't argue that an undefeated shouldn't be ranked below a defeated team, because you can easily say 'After taking care of Team Z, Team X has way more momentum than Team Y, despite the early season loss to Team A'

Sean said...

NFL Instant History Ratings

Myles! said...

1. Bears
2. Eagles
3. Broncos
4. Colts
5. Patriots
6. Chargers

Say what you want about the Broncos, 13 ppg doesn't get you in the top 2. As for the Eagles, other than one choke job they've largely dominated superior competition. Good enough for me.

John Paul Manahan said...

Chicago - the bears are the team to beat right now... they're mean, vicious... (in a non-haynesworth way)

Colts - you have to be concerned with how they have played recently.

Atlanta - how long will the option novelty last?

Bengals - defense is a major concern

Eagles - mcnabb as comeback player of the year?

Denver - plummer is the problem here.

San Diego - the powder blue... i am salivating at the prospect of the bears d vs the chargers d

Baltimore - makes you wonder why billick is an offensive genius in minny

Patriots - never doubt bellichick

NYG - eli is coming of age

Jacksonville - sleeper team. i love leftwich...

Seattle - victim of the madden curse, but a surplus of receivers... hmmm....

STL - might win the nfc west just yet

NO - the "wild card" as a team and reggie bush...

Carolina - the nfc's sexy pick is still in the picture... dangerous come december

Minnesota - childress "coach of the year"

Dallas - who won in the TO sweepstakes?

Kansas City - it's the other way around now...

Washington - when will Al Saunders strut his stuff?

Pittsburgh - all downhill since the motorcycle accident

Buffalo - this is for next year, this season is a bonus...

NYJ - if not mcnabb, chad p gets comeback nods (if he remains healthy)

Arizona - really needs OL help

SF - nolan has them in the right direction

Miami - their qb's are sending them on a tailspin

Cleveland - crennel is good. give them time

Green Bay - think post-bart starr pack...

Tampa Bay - gradkowski is the present and future for the bucs...

Houston - hard to believe that david carr's playing well this season...

Detroit - they work hard, they just have an idiot gm

Tennessee - forget this season... it's about VY and Lendale for the future

Oakland - ugh... *gives them the Art Shell face*

mark said...

As a Colts fan, I've gotta say, this season so far has been like one of those weird rock formations out in Utah--you know, the ones that look like an enormous boulder perched on its pointy end, that look absolutely gravity-defying? The ones where you have no idea what in heaven's name is holding it up there and keeping it from tipping over all this time, and the whole time you're under it you're holding your breath that maybe it will pick this exact moment to decide it's tired of being perched there, and roll down and crush you like a bug? Yeah, that's the Colts this year.

They belong down at #4 or so. One of these days Manning, like the pointy end of the boulder, will not do quite enough, and the whole thing will come crashing down. And even though that hasn't happened yet, and may actually never happen this year, the mere fact that it even looks likely, a huge change from the last three years, means that the Colts are not the second-best team in the league right now.

Anonymous said...

festivus.

where's my aluminium poll?

Eric Chase said...

Teams that suck, some that are ok and teams that kick ass!