My NFL Week 18 Powre Rankings: We Are The Champions Edition

My NFL Week 18 Powre Rankings: We Are The Champions Edition
M.D. Wright
12.30.08

These are basically playoff rankings, but teams that are in the playoffs are not necessarily going to be ranked higher than teams that missed out. For instance, the Patriots were 11-5 and missed the playoffs. A 9-7 Dallas team also missed the playoffs.

1. New York Football Giants. Even ESPN said it (but had them ranked 2nd?); the Giants are the best team in the NFL.

2. Tennessee Titans. The Titans will be a tough out; but it is REQUIRED for me to say every week: KERRY COLLINS IS THEIR QUARTERBACK. AND VINCE YOUNG IS THE BACKUP RIGHT NOW. REMEMBER THIS. They will NOT win with either one of those guys.

3. Indianapolis Colts. No one wants to face these guys. They ended the season with a very impressive 9 game winning streak over a plethora of playoff-bound teams.

4. Baltimore Ravens. They are rolling right now. Ed Reed is the Defensive Player of the Year, in my book.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers. If Roethlisberger can't play (unlikely he will miss the game) Leftwich is no dropoff in any regard. I still don't fully respect them.

6. Carolina Panthers. Showed vulnerability against a terrible defence on Sunday. They are extremely happy they won that game and didn't have to start the playoffs on the road. They're nearly unbeatable at home (although Atlanta can, and most likely will be the team playing them there -- and can beat them there).

7. Atlanta Falcons. The Fulcons are going to be a tough out also. They're playing well at every level on both sides of the ball.

8. Miami Dolphins. What a turnaround. They have a tough game vs. Baltimore to start the playoffs, however.

9. New England Patriots. You reap what you sow.

10. Philadelphia Eagles. The Iggles are wildly inconsistent. They can beat ANYONE and BADLY, and lose to anyone the same way.

11. San Diego Chargers. WATCH. OUT. They looked like THE Chargers from last year.

12. Minnesota Vikings. The jury is still out on young Tarvaris.

13. Houston Texans. Watch out for these guys next year. Seriously calling for them to win 10 or 11.

14. Arizona Cardinals. They have to right their ship QUICKLY, because they did not finish the second half of the season playing good football.

15. New York Football Jets. Firing Mangini should help them. If Favre is healthy, he MAY have one more round left in the barrel, but much CB Kerry Rhodes says, he has to be 100% into it; he can't come in half-heartedly.

16. Chicago Bears. Naming Kyle Orton as their starting QB for next year is odd. They really need to draft or obtain a GOOD free agent QB for the first time in their history.

17. Dallas Cowboys. What a mess. These guys weren't the most talented team or the best team like people said. Not in 2007 (New England) and DEFINITELY not this year (NY Giants), they are the best THEATRE (and I don't even care to see/hear it) in the NFL however.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What a collapse. Jon Gruden is SO overrated. He only won that Super Bowl because Tony Dungy had built that team and Gruden just held the steering wheel so they wouldn't off into the ditch. He's done absolutely SQUAT in six years since.

19. New Orleans Saints. They are what their record says they are (8-8, .500).

20. San Francisco 49ers. Expect them to challenge Seattle and Arizona for the NFC West next year. Seriously. Singletary is the man for that job.

21. Denver Broncos. Does the Shanahan firing help them?

22. Washington Redskins. I think they are getting old/battered at the absolute worst-possible positions.

23. Buffalo Bills. The Chargers owe them Rolexes or something.

24. Green Bay Packers. They avoided losing to the Lions; and I think they'll win 9 or 10 next year after addressing the defence.

25. Oakland Raiders. Will Al finally step out of the way and let Cable coach this team?

26. Jacksonville Jaguars. I think they will bounce back next year, but only if Jack Del RIo is gone.

27. Cincinnati Bengals. Well, they finished the season strong (3-0) after starting slowly (1-11-1).

28. Cleveland Browns. Cromeo got fired, so did Phil Savage. What a train wreck. They have too much talent for this.

29. Seattle Seahawks. I am not sold on Jim Mora. But their fans are. We'll see.

30. Kansas City Chiefs. Herm has one more year to fix this mess and get the team into the playoffs or he's gone. Larry Johnson is likely out of there.

31. St. Louis Rams. They are not going anywhere quickly.

32. Detroit Lions. I really do believe if the Lions draft wisely and pick the right free agent(s), they can win 8 or 9 next year. They were a 7 win team last year that was on their way to winning 10 before the bottom fell out.