Before you think I’ve gone off the deep end, these rankings are not simply based on record.
They are based on who I think the best teams in the league are, as of now, based on record, injuries, style of play and schedule.
As you will see, I catapulted the Indianapolis Colts into the Top 3. I believe they are back after being down and out. Are they the third best team in the league? That stats say no, but I say, you don’t want to play them in January.
Also, as you will see in the “barely honorable mention” category, there are some “good” teams who aren’t in the top 10.
Let me know you thoughts.
Here it goes …
1. New York Giants (8-1).
No frills. Just simple power football. They’ve beaten Pittsburgh (21-14), Dallas (35-14) and Philadelphia (36-31) in succession. They have not suffered the Super Bowl hangover most franchises outside of New England suffer. Again, they don’t do it with style points. They do it the easy way, which is by owning the offensive and defensive lines.
2. Tennessee Titans (9-0).
They’ve earned this spot with three decent wins over Indianapolis (31-21), Green Bay (19-16, OT) and Chicago (21-14) the last three weeks. Beating the Bears without Kyle Orton isn’t anything super, but they showed they can come from behind to win. Kerry Collins has thrown for only 5 TDs. If that number doesn’t increase semi-dramatically, somebody will catch them.
3. Indianapolis Colts (5-4).
I’m a believer. I’m a believer in that Bob Sanders might be the best player in the league. Remember, this happened during their Super Bowl run. When he returned from injury, their defense became great. Peyton Manning is winning games on the other side of the field. The only concern is their running game. The thing is the Patriots could’ve put them out of their misery two weeks ago, but failed. That win for the Colts, when they were outplayed, may have changed everything.
4. New England Patriots (6-3).
A win on Thursday night cements my feelings about this team. Losing Adalius Thomas is going to be interesting. He was their most versatile defender. But he wasn’t anything great. The Patriots can run the ball as well as they’ve run it since the Super Bowl season in 2004. Like the Giants, they can play the power game. Their weakness is in the defensive backfield. They could have had Ty Law but opted to wait him out and he wouldn’t wait any more.
5. New York Jets (6-3).
If they win on Thursday night, they will win the AFC East and for the first time in a long time they will be legitimate contenders. I just don’t see it just yet. They crushed the Rams (47-3), but that was no big deal. The Rams are officially dead. After the Patriots they play the Tennessee Titans, in Nashville. We will see how good this team is. I believe they play two good games but lose both. By the end they may linger in the top 10 and squeak into the playoffs. Brett Favre is officially under the microscope. This is why they brought him here and paid him $12 million. To win these games.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3).
There is no love with this pick. The Steelers have been utter disappointments. I believed they were the best in the AFC, yet they couldn’t beat the Giants or Indianapolis at home. Win at least one of those games and we look at them differently. Still they are tough. They are no gimme. They just aren’t anywhere near you dad’s Steelers.
7. Tampa Bay Buccanneers (6-3).
They are moving up through attrition. They didn’t play yet they go from eighth to seventh. Why? Because this NFL season is as mediocre as it gets. Are they better than the Eagles? Maybe. The Bears? A coin flip. I just don’t know what to make of these guys. They lost to Dallas without Tony Romo, which we thought was impossible.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4).
In another division, they would be 6-3 and up higher. But they are in the NFC East and they are officially disappointing. They’re healthy and appear ready to make their move to the elite, but always find a way to falter. Donovan McNabb is good. He just isn’t great enough. You can’t fault the offense in a 36-31 loss, but too many times McNabb’s poor accuracy down field cost them. The play-calling on third and fourth down at the end of the game was mind-boggling. I love their defensive pressure. But that’s all I love about this team.
9. Atlanta Falcons (6-3).
It’s time to give these guys a little love. They beat the you-know-what out of the Saints, which really needed a win. That tells me something. Matt Ryan is obviously for real. But the most impressive aspect of this team is its ability to run the football when teams know they are going to run it. They are at 157.8 yards per game, second only to the Giants. That allows Ryan some great play-action opportunities. They play host to Denver and Carolina the next two weeks. If they are 8-3 they might be a top five team.
10. Chicago Bears (5-4).
As I’ve noted several times before here, with Kyle Orton, they are a good team. With Rex Grossman they are not a good team. With Orton scheduled to return I’m in favor of these guys being a playoff team that pushes the Giants in January. But before we put the cart before the horse, they have to beat the Packers in Green Bay this Sunday. The Bears have three straight road games (Green Bay, St. Louis and Minnesota). I am predicting, with Orton there, they win all three.
Barely honorable mention:
11. Arizona (6-3) … This might be my biggest misstep. We will see.
12. Baltimore (6-3) … I like Joe Flacco. I don’t love him just yet.
13. Washington (6-3) … Must win in Dallas.
14. Dallas (5-4) … Must beat Redskins.
15. Carolina (7-2) … Might be the worst 7-2 team ever.
