NFL Rankings- Week 13

[BigServer1]

Back to the banter...And a New #1... Rankings etc.

The playoff contenders:

#1: Chargers- Merriman is back with 6 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. LDT continues to run over everyone, and Philip Rivers continues to impress. Their two losses are by 3 points each to playoff caliber teams (KC and Baltimore), and they are peaking at the right time.

#2: Colts- The concern with the Colts is the run defense, and the inability to play well against the 3-4 Defense. The good news is that Peyton Manning is good for 21-28 a game, so the Defense doesn't have to be great.

#3: Ravens- Best overall Defense in the NFL, and McNair is an accurate passer who can run a successful vertical offense. They lost to the bengals, but they only allowed 13 points to a very potent offense.

#4: Patriots- Despite a mediocre showing from Brady and the Pats against Detroit, they are a lock to win the division, and it's hard to bet against Brady in Janurary.

#5: Cowboys- Romo is 5-1 as a starter with the highest passer rating in the league, they just beat the division rival Giants in Jersey and Gramatica can make kicks. I like this team to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

#6: Bears- It pains me to put them this high but the Defense and Special Teams are too good to overlook, and they also clinched their division this week (sad but true) That being said, if Grossman plays like this in the playoffs they have no chance of winning a single game. You can't throw for 34 yards and have 3 INTs against a playoff team.

#7: Bengals- Okay, so I'll take my foot out of my mouth now and admit that I had given up on the Bengals when they were 4-5. The Offense is clicking, the Defense was a late touchdown away from a second straight shutout, and with the losses of Denver and KC, the Bengals got the help they needed to get a wild card berth. No one is going to want to draw the Bengals in the playoffs.

#8: Saints- Brees is a stud, everyone in America wants them to win this year, and we finally saw what we expected from Reggie Bush. Four TDs and 131 receiving yards... Mario who?

#9: Seahawks- Going into Denver and winning is tough, no matter who Denver's QB is. The Hawks are the team that no one is talking about and they have the most playoff experience in the NFC.

#10: Jets- They're going to the playoffs, so get used to that idea. Eric Mangini has few challengers for coach of the year.

#11: Broncos- At least their loss this week was to a good team. Cutler has a ton of potential and he will improve so that puts them ahead of...

#12: The Chiefs- If you lose to Cleveland in week 13 you're in trouble. If you knock out the Browns QB and get beat by backup Derek Anderson (a product of the state of Oregon...) and his size 17 feet, you don't deserve a playoff spot.

#13: Jaguars- Up and down, up and down...they won this week so I can only expect them to lose to an upset Colts team looking for revenge.

#14: Falcons- Vick did fine, and the Falcons won...no middle fingers either, all in all a pretty good week for Atlanta.

#15: Eagles- Who knew Jeff Garcia was still any good? The Eagles now hold a tiebreaker over the Panthers, so we could be seeing a McNabbless Eagles team in the Postseason this year.

#16: Giants- How do you spell Self Destruction? G I A N T S. Coughlin is gone at the end of the year if this team doesn't win at least 3 of 4 and make the playoffs.

#17: Panthers- So much talent, but Jake Delhomme is looking more and more like Rex Grossman each week...

#18: Titans- They're up this high because of Vince Young. Cool, calm, collected and winning games from the pocket. He had a better passing day than Peyton Manning, by throwing 2 TDs and 2 INTs (Manning with 1TD and 2 picks). He's a tall, athletic, pass first guy who can burn Defenses with his feet when his WRs are covererd. The Titans aren't a playoff contender, obviously, but Young is 5-4 as a starter on a team that many people thought would go 4-12. I can't wait to see what he grows into.

The Pretenders:

#19: 49ers- Frank Gore is a great runner and Alex Smith is making nice progress. Look for this team to make a playoff run in the next couple of years.

#20: Dolphins- With the loss to Jacksonville their faint playoff hopes are dead, but the Fins should have a fun time the rest of the year playing the role of spoiler.

#21: Bills- They played the Chargers tough this week, and held LDT to 2 touchdowns. That's something, right?

#22: Steelers- Wow. You beat Tampa Bay...You want a cookie? You're the defending champs, and you're 5-7. Next...

#23: Rams- Kind of sad that they started well and are finishing so poorly. The bright side is they have great recievers and a great young back who they can count on for a long time.

#24: Vikings- I say this every week, but it bears (no pun intended) repeating: Remember when they were 4-1? Yeah, so do I...

The Jokes:

From Bad to Worse: Browns, Texans, Redskins, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Raiders and finally...

#32: The Lions! 2-10 and staring 2-14 in the face. Brady Quinn, welcome to Detroit.

Questions, Comments, Complaints? Let's go...

 

[FitzRoy]

#10: Jets- They're going to the playoffs, so get used to that idea.

If this is true, it'll be mostly because of their relatively easy schedule over the last four games (compared to say, the Chiefs or Bengals). IMO, Denver, Kansas City, and Cincy are better all-around teams than the Jets. I put the Jags at the bottom of that bunch. I wouldn't write Cincy into the Wild Card, either. None of the five 7-5 squads have had a whole lot of consistency, so I'd say it's still a crap shoot.

And as we all know, the wild card is the spot to have in the AFC playoffs, right?

 

[BigServer1]

If this is true, it'll be mostly because of their relatively easy schedule over the last four games (compared to say, the Chiefs or Bengals). IMO, Denver, Kansas City, and Cincy are better all-around teams than the Jets. I put the Jags at the bottom of that bunch. I wouldn't write Cincy into the Wild Card, either. None of the five 7-5 squads have had a whole lot of consistency, so I'd say it's still a crap shoot.

And as we all know, the wild card is the spot to have in the AFC playoffs, right?

Yeah I agree that the Jets have been the beneficiaries of an easy schedule, but 7-5 in the AFC is still good. The reason I have the Bengals in the playoffs is because they hold a tiebreaker over KC, and if they beat the Broncos week 16, they have a tiebreaker over them too. They have won three in a row and seem to be peaking, which can't be said for KC or Denver. The Jags are floundering, and will probably continue to flounder. The Bengals as a wild card would be very, very dangerous...

 

[drakulie]

#5: Cowboys- Romo is 5-1 as a starter with the highest passer rating in the league, they just beat the division rival Giants in Jersey and Gramatica can make kicks. I like this team to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Questions, Comments, Complaints? Let's go...

First off, thanks for another great review. You sure you don't work for ESPN or something? LOL

Wow, you got the boys # 1 in the NFC. I was a bit surprised, but after this weekend, and reading your review--- I think I have to agree. The NFC is a mess right now.

I'm still not too sure about thier running game, although I would not be surprised if Barber wins the starting job, or begins to get more and more carries as the season goes on.

The Bears don't really worry me, but the Saints do. I agree, Brees is looking like a stud, and Bush looked like a 5 year all-pro veteran. If things fall in place for them, with some luck, they could very well represent the NFC this year. That would be a cool story after everything New Orleans has gone thru the last year.

In the AFC, I think the Colts are the team to beat, but they are looking flatter the last 3 weeks.

 

[TennisBatman]

Back to the banter...And a New #1... Rankings etc.

#4: Patriots- Despite a mediocre showing from Brady and the Pats against Detroit, they are a lock to win the division, and it's hard to bet against Brady in Janurary.

The Patriots are on a roll at the moment. Actually, Brady did really well as a QB in the game vs. the Lions. Although they were trailing for much of the game, the really good stuff didn't come until close to the end of the game.

Brady passed 27 of 38 for 305 yards, 0 TD, and 1 INT. The 0 TD stat is deceptive because the RB Corey Dillon ran only for 25 yards but scored 3 TD.
The total run offense produced 79 yards, from several different rushers.

Being able to pass for 305 yards to carry the offense and lead it to 3 TDs, with only 1 INT, is no small feat.

This game really showed some classic Patriots action with Brady at the forefront. Kind of reminds me of the Super Bowl against the Panthers.


Good to know that Vick is back on track. Looks like he can keep up hopes for running-type QBs in the future.


The Titans-Colts game was amazing, by the way. This game could be the defining game for Vince Young this year, considering that the season is almost over for the Titans.

 

[BigServer1]

First off, thanks for another great review. You sure you don't work for ESPN or something? LOL

Wow, you got the boys # 1 in the NFC. I was a bit surprised, but after this weekend, and reading your review--- I think I have to agree. The NFC is a mess right now.

I'm still not too sure about thier running game, although I would not be surprised if Barber wins the starting job, or begins to get more and more carries as the season goes on.

The Bears don't really worry me, but the Saints do. I agree, Brees is looking like a stud, and Bush looked like a 5 year all-pro veteran. If things fall in place for them, with some luck, they could very well represent the NFC this year. That would be a cool story after everything New Orleans has gone thru the last year.

In the AFC, I think the Colts are the team to beat, but they are looking flatter the last 3 weeks.

Thanks a lot for the kind words, Drak. No, I don't work for ESPN, although it is a bit of a dream job for any huge sports fan...

If Grossman was playing okay, or even bad, I would have the Bears #1 in the NFC, but he has been nothing short of horrible (like Volkls) the past two months. The Cowboys have a confident, stud QB, who showed us this week that he can make some bad decisions and some bad throws, but have the balls to step up and make the big throw in the clutch. Eli Manning outplayed Romo for 58 minutes, but in the last two Romo took over, and the 'Boys got the win. Marion Barber is a BEAST, and he has earned the starting job in my mind, and Gramatica gives them that confidence at kicker that has been missing all year (If not for kicking problems, this team could be 10-2).

I completely agree about the Saints. I have never been a fan of the team, but I find myself rooting for them week after week. After than home opener win week 3 against the Falcons, I think the Saints have become America's team for 2006. Brees is great, and Reggie is starting to shine.

I vascillate between the Colts and Chargers for AFC supremecy, and I feel whoever gets the one seed and home field will go to the Bowl. If the Chargers can keep Philip Rivers at home, and bring everyone out to San Deigo they have to be heavily favored. The same can be said for the Colts and the RCA dome.

Thanks again for the kind words, post again if you feel so inclined...

Later,

Josh

 

[FitzRoy]

Yeah I agree that the Jets have been the beneficiaries of an easy schedule, but 7-5 in the AFC is still good. The reason I have the Bengals in the playoffs is because they hold a tiebreaker over KC, and if they beat the Broncos week 16, they have a tiebreaker over them too. They have won three in a row and seem to be peaking, which can't be said for KC or Denver. The Jags are floundering, and will probably continue to flounder. The Bengals as a wild card would be very, very dangerous...

Well, I'm a die-hard Chiefs fan, so my opinion may be a little skewed.

But honestly, the Browns didn't play like a terrible team. They may be that, but for one game at least, they brought it. I thought the Chiefs were peaking up until they blew that game, so I'm not going to write the season off just yet. That game did hurt, though. It's true that a playoff team shouldn't lose that game. The defense looked like it did a couple of years ago when the Chiefs played the Colts in the playoffs - in that game, the only time KC "stopped" Indy was when they ran out of time at the end of the second quarter. They only stopped the Browns once on Sunday.

Denver is just weird, at this point. Remember a few weeks into the season when they went into New England and basically punched them in the mouth? They looked real, real strong at that point. The Rat seems to have decided that what happened to them last year in the playoffs was basically a best case scenario if he stayed with Plummer, so he gave the ball to Cutler. Whether the Broncos can find their form again all depends on him, but believe me, that's a good football team. I absolutely do not expect Cincy to go in there and take that game.

drak, you must be an NFC guy. Who's your team? And for that matter, what about you BigServer? On the whole, I think you do a very good job with these analyses. They're a good read.

 

[BigServer1]

The Patriots are on a roll at the moment. Actually, Brady did really well as a QB in the game vs. the Lions. Although they were trailing for much of the game, the really good stuff didn't come until close to the end of the game.

Brady passed 27 of 38 for 305 yards, 0 TD, and 1 INT. The 0 TD stat is deceptive because the RB Corey Dillon ran only for 25 yards but scored 3 TD.
The total run offense produced 79 yards, from several different rushers.

Being able to pass for 305 yards to carry the offense and lead it to 3 TDs, with only 1 INT, is no small feat.

This game really showed some classic Patriots action with Brady at the forefront. Kind of reminds me of the Super Bowl against the Panthers.


Good to know that Vick is back on track. Looks like he can keep up hopes for running-type QBs in the future.


The Titans-Colts game was amazing, by the way. This game could be the defining game for Vince Young this year, considering that the season is almost over for the Titans.

Yeah I was mainly aiming that at the Pats, as it looks bad to trail most of the game against the Lions (my new worst team, lol...), but Yeah Brady had a deceivingly good game.

I had to defend Vick a bit, as it seems every week people are ready to bench him, so I hope he continues to play well, and I'd like to see the Falcons in the playoffs.

Titans-Colts = Unbelievable. Between the comeback against the Giants, and then the Colts game Young has an impressive resume for a rookie on a "bad team."

 

[BigServer1]

Well, I'm a die-hard Chiefs fan, so my opinion may be a little skewed.

But honestly, the Browns didn't play like a terrible team. They may be that, but for one game at least, they brought it. I thought the Chiefs were peaking up until they blew that game, so I'm not going to write the season off just yet. That game did hurt, though. It's true that a playoff team shouldn't lose that game. The defense looked like it did a couple of years ago when the Chiefs played the Colts in the playoffs - in that game, the only time KC "stopped" Indy was when they ran out of time at the end of the second quarter. They only stopped the Browns once on Sunday.

Denver is just weird, at this point. Remember a few weeks into the season when they went into New England and basically punched them in the mouth? They looked real, real strong at that point. The Rat seems to have decided that what happened to them last year in the playoffs was basically a best case scenario if he stayed with Plummer, so he gave the ball to Cutler. Whether the Broncos can find their form again all depends on him, but believe me, that's a good football team. I absolutely do not expect Cincy to go in there and take that game.

drak, you must be an NFC guy. Who's your team? And for that matter, what about you BigServer? On the whole, I think you do a very good job with these analyses. They're a good read.

I don't think your opinion is skewed at all. That was such a tough loss, especially considering that a one game lead for the wild card was at stake. What's good is that Trent Green looked great, and the hangover from that NASTY concussion looks gone. LJ is amazing on the ground, second only to LDT (I love initials), and the Defense is always good. You are also correct that the Browns played great against them, and no one had ever seen Derek Anderson before, so that played a part in it as well. BUT, KC was up 28-14 in the 4th, and playoff teams can't lose leads like that. That being said, KC is as close to the Wild Card as any of the other 7-5 teams (tiebreaks aside).

Denver is confusing for sure. Best Defense in the league at the start of the year, now they get gashed on the ground, and they're giving up big plays through the air. They beat the Pats, played the Colts tough too, were 7-2 and tied for the lead in the division. Now they drop three in a row and have a rookie starting his first game on a playoff caliber team in week 13? Strange for sure. The rat...that cracks me up, and Shanny does resemble one. I feel like the Cincy-Denver game will be awesome.

I grew up in Seattle, so I have been a Seahawks fan since I was about 13 (ten years have since passed), and I have been with them through good and bad. Super Bowl XL hurt a lot last year, and I don't love the Hawks chances this year either. All in all, I am just a huge football fan. I love watching the games on Sunday, and just about every team has players that I enjoy watching, so I'm happy most of the time.

Thanks for the compliment, I'll keep talking as long as they keep playing...

Thanks again,

Josh

 

[FitzRoy]

Ah, a Seahawks fan. So you know what the AFC West is all about. In a way I miss watching the Chiefs play you cats twice a year - those were always tough games. On the other hand, the schedule somehow seems easier without those two games. I don't imagine you miss the trips to Arrowhead. Actually I guess there was one this year, but it's hard to count considering the enormous state of injuries the Seahawks were in at the time. The Chiefs were lucky to play them when they did.

 

[BigServer1]

Ah, a Seahawks fan. So you know what the AFC West is all about. In a way I miss watching the Chiefs play you cats twice a year - those were always tough games. On the other hand, the schedule somehow seems easier without those two games. I don't imagine you miss the trips to Arrowhead. Actually I guess there was one this year, but it's hard to count considering the enormous state of injuries the Seahawks were in at the time. The Chiefs were lucky to play them when they did.

Yeah, I loved those AFC West matchups, but hated watching us get slaughtered at Arrowhead, one of the better home field advantges. This year the Cheifs caught us at a bad time, but if they were to meet again this season, I'd have to go with your Cheifs...

 

[bluegrasser]

The way I see it : The AFC will come down to SD or the Colts, with the Bengals being the dark horse, the NFC ( pathetic ) right now the Cowboys are at the top, but who knows what next week will bring, then Da Bears with the Falcons/Panthers/ being the dark horse - this is at present.

 

[BigServer1]

The way I see it : The AFC will come down to SD or the Colts, with the Bengals being the dark horse, the NFC ( pathetic ) right now the Cowboys are at the top, but who knows what next week will bring, then Da Bears with the Falcons/Panthers/ being the dark horse - this is at present.

I compeletley agree. Sorry about the Vikings...

 

[drakulie]

If Grossman was playing okay, or even bad, I would have the Bears #1 in the NFC, but he has been nothing short of horrible (like Volkls) the past two months.

I agree. Of all people I am going to make a comparison to Trent Difler when he won the Superbowl with the Ravens. If Grossman were playing like Dilfer did that year, the Bears could easily be compared to the Ravens of that year. If you remember, the Ravens "would not permit" Dilfer to lose games for them. They played a high percentage passing game, and only allowed Dilfer to make safe, high-percentage passes. If they continue to put Grossman in a situation where he has to "think" too much-they are done.

I completely agree about the Saints. I have never been a fan of the team, but I find myself rooting for them week after week. After than home opener win week 3 against the Falcons, I think the Saints have become America's team for 2006. Brees is great, and Reggie is starting to shine.

I feel the same way. I wouldn't mind seeing them in the Superbowl, and would definitely root for them. But not if they play the Boys in the playoffs. NEVER!

 

[emcee]

Why spoil a good thing? I like Barber better than Julius Jones, but splitting their carries has worked so far. I hope Dallas doesn't resign JJ...just pick up any other speedster from a draft. Barber is stronger, better pass catcher, better pass blocker, and now he's even making better cuts and moves! JJ at this point is just faster...that's all.

 

[BigServer1]

I agree. Of all people I am going to make a comparison to Trent Difler when he won the Superbowl with the Ravens. If Grossman were playing like Dilfer did that year, the Bears could easily be compared to the Ravens of that year. If you remember, the Ravens "would not permit" Dilfer to lose games for them. They played a high percentage passing game, and only allowed Dilfer to make safe, high-percentage passes. If they continue to put Grossman in a situation where he has to "think" too much-they are done.

Brian Griese could be this teams Trent Dilfer (great example, by the way) but Lovie Smith won't put him in. That 2000 Ravens Defense was devastating, and Dilfer would manage the games on offense. Lovie Smith is ready to "throw" the season away if he A: Keeps Grossy the starter and B: Continues to let Grossy throw deep. The Bears have a pretty good run game (not great, but useable), and I don't understand why they don't use it. If the Bears would run draws and HB zones, then go to a play action pass and throw for short yardage completions, they could have success on offense.

The Bears are indeed 10-2 with Rex at QB, but their schedule has been easy, and they stand no chance in the playoffs if Rex plays this way.

 

[TennisBatman]

Brian Griese could be this teams Trent Dilfer (great example, by the way) but Lovie Smith won't put him in. That 2000 Ravens Defense was devastating, and Dilfer would manage the games on offense. Lovie Smith is ready to "throw" the season away if he A: Keeps Grossy the starter and B: Continues to let Grossy throw deep. The Bears have a pretty good run game (not great, but useable), and I don't understand why they don't use it. If the Bears would run draws and HB zones, then go to a play action pass and throw for short yardage completions, they could have success on offense.

The Bears are indeed 10-2 with Rex at QB, but their schedule has been easy, and they stand no chance in the playoffs if Rex plays this way.

That Bears defense is like a safety net for a circus trapeze artist. Every time Grossman makes a move that causes him to fall off the trapeze, the safety net is there to catch him. And yet he does such a good job of falling down that the spectators are happy anyway.

There are a lot of teams in the NFL who have changed their starting quarterback this season. The Cowboys, the Titans, the Broncos, and the Cardinals, to name a few. In some cases, it was a tough choice, but the results were favorable. For the Bears, they can afford to experiment with their choice of starting QB, but didn't give it an honest try. Now with only 4 games left to play, it reaches the point where the backup QB is at a disadvantage from lack of practice. So even if the backup Griese was the better choice after all, it's really hard for him to prove that he's the better one.

 

[FitzRoy]

That Bears defense is like a safety net for a circus trapeze artist. Every time Grossman makes a move that causes him to fall off the trapeze, the safety net is there to catch him. And yet he does such a good job of falling down that the spectators are happy anyway.

There are a lot of teams in the NFL who have changed their starting quarterback this season. The Cowboys, the Titans, the Broncos, and the Cardinals, to name a few. In some cases, it was a tough choice, but the results were favorable. For the Bears, they can afford to experiment with their choice of starting QB, but didn't give it an honest try. Now with only 4 games left to play, it reaches the point where the backup QB is at a disadvantage from lack of practice. So even if the backup Griese was the better choice after all, it's really hard for him to prove that he's the better one.

I think case with the Bears is different than those other teams. Their defense does afford them the ability to survive crappy QB play, but there's another factor that's seperate from that. The Cowboys, Titans, Broncos, and Cardinals all went with the young, talented, QB-of-the-Future type: Romo, Young, Cutler, and Leinart, respectively. Going with those guys may be with the short term in mind, but they're essentially long term moves. I don't think you'll see the Cowboys trying to give the ball back to Drew Bledsoe ever again; ditto Jake Plummer.

The Bears' backup is Brian Griese, who is older than Grossman and has essentially been a failure at the NFL level as a starter (at least, by most standards). I think Lovie Smith is going to see if Grossman can play through this bad streak, perhaps learn from it somehow. Basically, they absolutely need to figure out if this is a guy that they can go with as the QB to try and win a Superbowl during the next few years while the defense is young, together, and at its peak. They need to figure out if Grossman is that guy, or if they have to get someone else, because one thing that's almost a certainty is that Griese is not going to be that guy either. Giving him the ball might get them further into the playoffs...maybe. I'd say probably not. But either way, it will not definitively answer the question about Grossman, and that's the most important thing for the Bears in the long run.

 

[TennisBatman]

I think case with the Bears is different than those other teams. Their defense does afford them the ability to survive crappy QB play, but there's another factor that's seperate from that. The Cowboys, Titans, Broncos, and Cardinals all went with the young, talented, QB-of-the-Future type: Romo, Young, Cutler, and Leinart, respectively. Going with those guys may be with the short term in mind, but they're essentially long term moves. I don't think you'll see the Cowboys trying to give the ball back to Drew Bledsoe ever again; ditto Jake Plummer.

The Bears' backup is Brian Griese, who is older than Grossman and has essentially been a failure at the NFL level as a starter (at least, by most standards). I think Lovie Smith is going to see if Grossman can play through this bad streak, perhaps learn from it somehow. Basically, they absolutely need to figure out if this is a guy that they can go with as the QB to try and win a Superbowl during the next few years while the defense is young, together, and at its peak. They need to figure out if Grossman is that guy, or if they have to get someone else, because one thing that's almost a certainty is that Griese is not going to be that guy either. Giving him the ball might get them further into the playoffs...maybe. I'd say probably not. But either way, it will not definitively answer the question about Grossman, and that's the most important thing for the Bears in the long run.

Good point...the decision can be viewed from the standpoint of the team's
overall future. However, another way is from the standpoint of the fans,
who are itching for another run at the Super Bowl, and yearning for the days
of Walter Payton and the Refrigerator.

Seeing that the defense has played so incredibly this year, it seems to many
that the Bears only need to make a few adjustments--namely at QB-- to their offense, in order to have a complete Super Bowl-bound team. But without these adjustments, the Bears still have some holes which can make them vulnerable offensively
(an oxymoron?) against some of the stronger teams.