Ian's Week 4 Power Rankings

This week's power rankings were a little too easy to compile. There are 5 undefeated teams, and while they might not be the best 4 teams in the league, they are at the top of the league right now at this point in time, and thus at the top of my rankings.

Top 5

They were first last week and after beating up on the Chiefs, hold on to the top spot.

How impressive were they against the Jets? We knew their offense wouldn't do much, but Pierre Thomas had a hell of a game on the ground and their defense was stellar.

Indy does what Indy does, and that is not losing games they're not supposed to lose. They are one of the best teams in the league at beating up on bad teams.

How long until Brett Favre's arm goes? We're betting on 3 weeks against the Steelers.

Is Denver that good or is Dallas that bad? Can't argue with Kyle Orton's ability to get it done when it counts though. A little luck doesn't hurt either.

Just Missed: Baltimore Ravens

Bottom Five

St. Louis has been shut out in 2 out of 4 games. Ouch. There is no doubt this is the worst team in the league. At least the Browns can score.

Cleveland is the Pittsburgh Pirates of the NFL.

At least they get to play Cleveland this year.

Josh Johnson over Josh Freeman? And they fired John Gruden...why?

They aren't the 5th worst team in the league, but this is me calling them out for their pitiful showing against Jacksonville.

Just Missed: Carolina Panthers

Ian's Week 3 Power Rankings

We're still at least a week or two away from me having enough data to use my ranking system for the Power Rankings. So once again, you're stuck with my opinions.

Top 5


They were at the top last week, and there's no reason not to keep them there. They're playing some really good football right now.


As much as it pains me to say, yeah, Baltimore is that good. Their defense is still solid (despite having holes in the secondary) and Joe Flacco has emerged as a legitimate NFL quarterback.


They struggled to beat the Bills but still got it done. Pierre Thomas had a great game on the ground to make up for Drew Brees' lackluster performance. Big test this week against the Jets.


Boy, that was an impressive victory over Tennessee. The difference between the Jets and the Steelers right now is that the Jets are playing to win every down. The Steelers are playing not to lose. In one-possession games the last two weeks, the Jets defense has been blitzing the crap out of the opposing offense. And what do you know, they're 3-0.


Indy had an impressive win out in the desert on Sunday night. Their offense is starting to click and when that happens, their front 4 can just pin their ears back and go.

Just missed: Minnesota Vikings

Bottom 5


They finally showed some life on offense this week, but they still can't stop anyone, leaving them at the bottom of the pack and leading the race for the #1 pick.


They're not far behind the Rams for the worst team in the league. Eric Mangini's team hates him.


They'd better beat the Redskins in a few weeks because they're certainly not going to beat the Giants or Dallas the way they're playing.


This was a tough call between #3 and #4. Tampa gets it for (barely) have a semblance of a defense. Benching Leftwich was a bad move.


Yes, I know there are still 0-3 teams that didn't make the list, but Washington gets the honor this week. How long will Jim Zorn have his job for? His next 3 opponents are 0-9. He has to win all 3.

Just Missed: Miami Dolphins

Ian's Week 2 Power Rankings

This is a relatively short Power Rankings post this week. Grad school and the G-20. Wooo.

As some of our long-time readers may remember, I developed a mathematical scale for Power Rankings last year. Basically, it's a simpler version of the stuff some NFL stats sites (like Advanced NFL Stats) do to rank teams. Unfortunately, I need at least 3-4 weeks worth of data to be able to work with, so for now, you're stuck with my opinions.

Top 5

They disposed of a decent Dallas team this week and have moved to 2-0 in the hardest division in the NFL. The questions about their passing game are evaporating before our eyes.

Joe Flacco is tearing it up. Their defense is questionable. This is a team just waiting to get upset.

Their offense is on fire. They proved themselves against the Eagles offensively. The defense still has some holes.

They're running well, Matt Ryan has been efficient, and the defense has been playing stellar. It's a deadly combination in Atlanta right now.

Do I think they're the 5th best team in the league? No. However, I give them the honor this week after they knock off the Pats.

Just Missed: Indianapolis

Bottom 5

Is there any doubt who the worst team in the league is? 7 points in 2 games? Vomit.

Did they really go 10-6 two years ago?

19 and counting but they're still not the worst team in the league.

When you can't beat Oakland, you've got problems.

I can understand getting shredded by Dallas, but Buffalo?

Just Missed: Jacksonville

Ian's Week 1 Power Rankings

One week is already in the books, and if there's anything certain about the NFL this year, it's that nothing is certain. Buffalo and Oakland pushed "Super Bowl contenders" New England and San Diego to the brink. The Steelers played an ugly, ugly game against a good Tennessee team, and managed to pull out a victory. The defending NFC Champs got beat at home by San Francisco.

Top 5

As I discussed last year, I'm a firm believer that the champs are still the champs until proven otherwise. Hence, I came out last year with the Giants on top of my power rankings. The same remains true this year. Even though the Steelers did it in ugly fashion, they got a win that could prove to be big down the stretch in terms of tiebreakers against a very good AFC team.

They didn't play like the second best team in the league this week, but I still believe they are the second best in the league. They got lucky against Buffalo, catching the Bills running the same cover-2 defense twice (and of course, McKelvin fumbling). Can't say much about the way their offense played, since the Steelers offense looked pretty much the same for 90% of the game.

They showed that the loss of No-Catch-ico won't down the passing game, and they still have one of the best running games in the league. Their defense is great, but we knew that coming in. The big factor to determine their success will be the secondary. Will it be able to hold up against teams like Philadelphia and Dallas? We'll find out this weekend.

Was there a more impressive team than Philly this weekend? Carolina was picked by many (but not me!) to win the NFC South. The Panthers looked flat and Philly racked up enough points to take Carolina's running game out of the equation. The question in the city of Brotherly Love now revolves around Donovan McNabb's cracked rib and how soon he can recover. Only one week til Vick.

Too high for an 0-1 team? I don't think so. Who else would I put here? An Indy team that barely beat Jacksonville? A Baltimore team that struggled to beat Kansas City? No, Tennessee is one of the top 5 teams in the league, and they showed it, particularly on defense, against the Steelers on Thursday night.

Just Missed: Baltimore

Bottom Five

I know Detroit has lost 18 straight games. But they played New Orleans. Did any team look as bad this week as St. Louis? They scored no points, gave up 28 to Seattle, and just looked....terrible. Can their Nov. 1 matchup with the Lions come soon enough?

Cleveland actually had a halftime lead against the Vikings. But then the Minnesota coaching staff remembered that they had Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre didn't have to win the game for them. Peterson went ape shit on the Browns defense, including a touchdown run (his 3rd of the game) that proved why he is the best back in the league. Cleveland sucks.

Detroit comes in 3rd to last because, despite their terrible defensive effort against the Saints, their offense actually had a good day (which is more than can be said for the other two). They face 3 of the teams ranked in my "Bottom 5," so don't be surprised if they ring up a few wins this year. Stafford had some issues in his first start, but he will come around. Peyton Manning went 3-13 in his first year. 3 wins for Stafford would be a 300% improvement over the Lions QBs last season.

No one, except maybe Cleveland or Buffalo, is better at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory than the Cincinnati Bungles. Did their offense even play for the first 3 1/2 quarters? Did their defense remember that the game is 60 minutes? Apparently not. Hard Knocks. Pete Prisco is a joke.

I had some options here, but the young Buccaneers get the honor after falling victim to the aerial assault of the Dallas Cowboys. They couldn't tackle, couldn't cover, and just couldn't stop Dallas' offense. Their offense looked mediocre at best, and Byron Leftwich is going to get killed behind that offensive line this year. Who is Gaines Adams?

Just Missed: Buffalo

Power Rankings

Since it's the start of the season, we're going to give you a little bit more with our Power Rankings. In addition to ranking the Top and Bottom teams, we're going to give you our Top 5 units at different positions as well.

Top 5 Offensive Lines
1. New York Giants
2. Tennessee
3. Minnesota
4. Carolina
5. Atlanta

Top 5 Backfields
1. Carolina
2. Dallas
3. Minnesota
4. New York Giants
5. Tennessee

Top 5 Receiving Corps
1. Arizona
2. New England
3. New Orleans
4. Indianapolis
5. Philadelphia

Top 5 3-4 D-lines
1. Pittsburgh
2. Baltimore
3. NY Jets
4. Arizona
5. Green Bay

Top 5 3-4 Linebacking Corps
1. Pittsburgh
2. Dallas
3. Baltimore
4. Miami
5. San Diego

Top 5 4-3 D-lines
1. NY Giants
2. Minnesota
3. Washington
4. Tennessee
5. Philadelphia

Top 5 4-3 Linebacking Corps
1. Tennessee
2. Seattle
3. Houston
4. NY Giants
5. New Orleans

Top 5 Secondaries
1. Pittsburgh
2. Philadelphia
3. Tennessee
4. Washington
5. Green Bay

Top 5 Picks in the 2010 Draft
1. St. Louis
2. Buffalo
3. Cleveland
4. Denver
5. Detroit

Top 5 Super Bowl Contenders
1. Pittsburgh
2. New England
3. Tennessee
4. Arizona
5. Indianapolis

Ian's Week 10 Power Rankings

With the new Bond movie coming out this week, my power rankings take on a James Bond flare.

Diamonds Are Forever
Teams eyeing that diamond-studded ring

Die Another Day

Tennessee escaped their first defeat once again, dodging a bullet in Chicago. The Bears completely shut down their running game, but Kerry Collins did it through the air to bring home the win. Another big day for the defense. They're definitely the best team in the AFC and if they can get through Jacksonville and the Jets, they'll be 14-0 going into their games against Pittsburgh and Indy to close out the season.

The World Is Not Enough

After winning it all, the Giants are determined to prove it wasn't a fluke and that they really are the best team in the NFC. They've been playing some great football and they are the best team in the league right now. Their defense does a great job creating turnovers and getting pressure and their offense is balanced and dangerous. They can play with anyone and they'll be playing in late January once again this year.

Thunderball

Jake Delhomme throws 4 interceptions in a game. You would think this would spell certain doom for this team. There were two reasons it didn't. #1- they were playing Oakland. #2- they have a solid running game. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have combined to form one of the best two-back tandems in the league. Stewart leads the team with 5 touchdowns, but Williams has been seeing the load of carries as of late, and he has excelled. They are playing well on defense, and get another freebie against Detroit this week before a division showdown against Atlanta that could be for the division title.

Man With the Golden Gun

Kurt Warner is gunslinging all over the place for the Whizard of Az. Anquan Boldin has scored in every game he's played. This is an explosive offense that got even better when Tim Hightower replaced the Edge. They're running away with their division and should gain even more breathing room after they beat Seattle this week. Their luster will be tested against Philly and the Giants the next two weeks and we'll find out how good this team really is.

Goldfinger

"He's the man, the man with the Midas touch." As much as I don't like Belicheck, he's done a heck of a job gameplanning without his top 2 running backs and MVP quarterback. New England's win over Buffalo last week put them back in the driver seat in the AFC East. A big matchup against the Jets this week decides who gets the inside track to the division title. Having the easiest schedule in the league is helping them out. They get a rematch against a streaking Miami team next week before Pittsburgh comes to town in a game that might determine the bye in the AFC.

Just Missed: Washington Redskins

Quantum of Solace
Teams that just can't get a break

Tomorrow Never Dies

Or so should be their motto. They need to believe in something right now as they're sitting at 0-9 with no teams left that have a losing record. If they're going to win, they're going to pull a big upset. Playing Daunte Culpepper might give them the best chance to win right now, but Drew Stanton is their future. They need to give Stanton a shot to see if he can cut it, or they should start watching Matthew Stafford film.

Dr. No

They're probably playing the worst football of anyone in the league right now. But their two wins keep them out of the bottom spot. If you want to know what's wrong with this team, it's the cryptkeeper that runs the front office. Like Bond's first adversary, he goes through henchmen faster than people can step forward.

Live and Let Die

Herm Edwards knew this was going to be a rebuilding year. You have to give this team some credit though. They're fighting their hearts out. They've played some very close games lately and you have to think that if the ball hand bounced a few different ways, this team could be battling for a division title. Do I mean that this team is good enough to win the division? No. But the AFC West is so bad that the 5-4 Broncos are in first place.

A View To A Kill

Their stagnant offense comes off their bye week to face three of the top defenses in the league in Philly, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Their games against Cleveland and Kansas City to end the season will have huge draft pick implications. If Cincy and KC both end up 1-14 going into their end-of-the-season matchup, we could see an essential "playoff" for the #1 overall pick. That might be all these fans have going for them.

The Living Daylights

As in what they're getting beat out of them. The gloss of a new coach is wearing off and their insufficiency on the O-line is really showing up. They need to draft new linemen, because these guys just aren't getting it done. We all know Bulger and Steven Jackson (when healthy) can make plays. But when there's nowhere to run and Bulger is under constant pressure. With the offense going nowhere, it exposes their below-average defense to opposing offense who have just been tearing them apart.

Just Missed: Seattle Seahawks