Pyper's Power Rankings - Week 4

[PYPER]

PYPER’S POWER RANKINGS

Congratulations Detroit! The good news is that your team won a game. The bad news is that none of you actually got to see it. The NFL’s greed machine is despicable. They build their stadiums with taxpayer money while denying those same taxpayers any equity in those stadiums and then jack up the prices so that only the super wealthy can attend their games. Then, when they don’t sell out, they black it out from the home team’s market so nobody can watch it on television. Somebody needs to remind the NFL that this country is in a serious recession and two of the hardest hit areas have been Detroit and Jacksonville. It’s times like these that the league needs to put aside their greed and support the communities in which they exist. Will they? No, of course not. They’re the NFL. Arrogance and greed defines their very existence. But when are the fans going to say enough is enough? The NFL is literally raping the public and pissing all over their fan-base and no one even seems to care. Well, I care and that is why I no longer pay for DirecTV’s football package. The NFL will get no more money out of me until they replace their strategy from one of exploitation to one of collaboration. The NFL and its fan-base are partners. One can’t exist without the other. If that partnership doesn’t start to become mutually beneficial, the demise of the NFL will occur faster than anyone recognizes. Ok, end of rant. Let’s get on with the rankings.


32) Cleveland Browns (0-3, Last Week: 31)
When it rains, it pours and in Cleveland we’ve got a full-blown monsoon. It took Head Coach Eric Mangini all of two weeks to completely lose his football team and that’s probably being generous as there were bad signs dating back to early in training camp. Fining grown men over $1700 for a $3 water bottle will do that. A wise man once said, ok, I really don’t know if the dude was wise, but somebody once said if you’ve got two quarterbacks then you really have none. Never has that been truer than in Cleveland where Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson combined to throw four interceptions. In fact, during their last nine games, a stretch that dates back to last season, the Browns have scored just one offensive touchdown. That’s a stat that would even embarrass the Detroit Lions.
(Next Game: Cincinnati)

31) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3, Last Week: 29)
Last week I said “Ehhh…..I’ve got nothing.” Apparently, the Bucs have even less. Tampa Bay was dominated so thoroughly by the Giants that their fans have been flooding the phone lines requesting that the league blackout the rest of their season.
(Next Game: at Washington)

30) Kansas City Chiefs (0-3, Last Week: 28)
Disappointing effort put forth by the Chiefs in Philadelphia. I thought they would be competitive. They weren’t. It doesn’t get any easier this week for the Chiefs as they host Eli Manning and the rest of the G-Men.
(Next Game: New York Giants)

29) St. Louis Rams (0-3, Last Week: 30)
The longest losing streak in the NFL now belongs to the Rams who have now lost 13 straight games dating back to last season and 30 of 35 dating back to 2007. But don’t let the final score fool you. The Rams were competitive against the Packers. The score was only 23-17 until Green Bay pulled away in the 4th quarter. That bumps St. Louis ahead of Tampa Bay and Kansas City who were both annihilated in their respective games. RB Steven Jackson ran for 117 yards in the loss and if he keeps playing with that effort, eventually the Rams will start winning some games they’re not supposed to.
(Next Game: at San Francisco)

28) Washington Redskins (1-2, Last Week: 23)
No team plays up or down to the level of their competition better than the Washington Redskins. This week they snapped Detroit’s 19 game losing streak and later in the year they’ll probably beat somebody ranked in the top 5. I guess it’s only appropriate for a team that represents Washington D.C. to be fickle and wishy-washy. I’m just waiting for one of the players to yell out “LIAR!” during one of Coach Zorn’s press conferences.
(Next Game: Tampa Bay)

27) Detroit Lions (1-2, Last Week: 32)
“We not only got the monkey off our back, we got King Kong off our back,” said Lions owner William Clay Ford. “I’m hoping that this gets us over that hump and gives us a winning attitude.” That makes two of us. QB Matthew Stafford actually looks pretty good, well, he actually looks like a doofus but for a doofus he’s a hell of a quarterback prospect. Now go to Chicago and give Cutler and the Bears hell.
(Next Game: at Chicago)

26) Oakland Raiders (1-2, Last Week: 25)
So much for the Raiders becoming more competitive this season. They were thoroughly dominated by the Broncos. The Raiders finished the game with 42 net yards passing and only about 130 overall. I find it amazing that a guy like JaMarcus Russell is starting in this league while a guy like Brian Griese can’t find a job. Not that he would want to play for Oakland anyhow, but I’m just saying. Poor Richard Seymour. I feel for you brother. And when they franchise you next year, I’ll feel for you too. You deserve better than that but, oh well, at least you’ll get paid.
(Next Game: at Houston)

25) Miami Dolphins (0-3, Last Week: 24)
Just when it appeared that the Dolphins had sunk as low as they could go, news emerged that QB Chad Pennington’s season and possible career are over. It’s a sad story for one of the league’s true nice guys. Backup QB and former second round draft pick Chad Henne will take over and attempt to turn around Miami’s season.
(Next Game: Buffalo)

24) Carolina Panthers (0-3, Last Week: 26)
Carolina blew a great opportunity in Dallas to head into their bye week with a little bit of momentum. As it stands, they’ll now be left to ponder what could have been. At 0-3 they are a full three games behind the division leading Saints and it appears that the NFC South’s pattern of a new division champion each season will continue in 2009.
(Next Game: Bye)

23) Tennessee Titans (0-3, Last Week: 22)
The Titans dropped their third close game of the season to fall to 0-3. They had New York on the ropes at one point, scoring 17 unanswered points to come back from an early 14 point deficit. But just as they did last week versus the Patriots, the Jets clamped down in the 4th quarter and Tennessee had no answer. Perhaps the Titans should have heeded my advice. They ran the ball effectively at times (30 rushes, 127 yards, 4.2 ypc) but not nearly often enough. QB Kerry Collins missed on each of his last 13 pass attempts and finished the game with 37 attempts. While certainly a better run/pass ratio than that used by the Patriots, the Titans are a team capable of running the ball 50 times per game. In this game they just needed to run more often than they passed. Especially in the fourth quarter when this game was decided. They didn’t and therefore they head to Jacksonville still seeking their first victory.
(Next Game: at Jacksonville)

22) Seattle Seahawks (1-2, Last Week: 18)
The injury-depleted Seahawks were surprisingly competitive against the Bears but couldn’t hold on in the end. Now they must travel to Indianapolis to take on Peyton Manning and the Colts.
(Next Game: at Indianapolis)

21) Houston Texans (1-2, Last Week: 17)
Abandon ship! Abandon ship! If you were one of those misguided souls who jumped on Houston’s bandwagon, now is the time to jump off. This is a young team that simply isn’t good enough or well coached enough to be legitimate contenders. Simply put, they’re a soft football team. The Texans have the league’s worst run defense, surrendering 190 yards to the Jets, 240 to the Titans, and 184 to the Jags. This might be the defense that makes Oakland’s offense look good.
(Next Game: Oakland)

 

[PYPER]

20) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2, Last Week: 27)
The Jags finally got off the block and won a big game on the road versus a division rival. RB Maurice Jones Drew spearheaded the offensive charge with 119 yards and 3 TD’s. David Garrard who has come under fire in recent weeks managed the game effectively (18/30, 214 yards) and chipped in 29 yards on the ground including a rushing TD of his own. Next week the Jags take on the winless Titans and have an excellent opportunity to not only position themselves as contenders for the AFC South crown but to effectively end Tennessee’s season as well.
(Next Game: Tennessee)

19) Arizona Cardinals (1-2, Last Week: 13)
To think, I was actually looking forward to the Cardinals/Colts game. I thought it would be an exciting aerial display. Needless to say, it didn’t happen. It’s almost as if the Cardinals got their weeks mixed up. They played well on an East Coast trip last week and then put up a stinker this week at home. Go figure. If you like gambling on football games, do yourself a favor and avoid any bets involving this team. They’re sure to screw you no matter which way you go.
(Next Game: Bye)

18) Buffalo Bills (1-2, Last Week: 15)
I really hate dropping the Bills this far because they really played the Saints tough. That was a 10-7 game with ten minutes left in the fourth quarter against the second ranked team in these rankings. In some weeks that type of effort might be enough to move a team up a few spots. Unfortunately for the Bills, many of the teams behind them in last week’s rankings won. At 1-2 the Bills are in a tough spot. They’ve got a HUGE divisional game coming up down in Miami against a Dolphins squad that is playing much better than their 0-3 record indicates. I’m sure Miami is going to try to pull out all the stops so Buffalo needs to do the same. In many ways, the seasons of both teams are at stake here. I’m expecting nothing less than an all-out war.
(Next Game: at Miami)

17) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2, Last Week: 21)
I called it. I had a feeling the Steelers were going to have their hands full in Cincinnati. All that talk about the Patriots and their exaggerated demise and nobody noticed that the defending Super Bowl Champions are really struggling. A team can only mask the weaknesses of their Oline for so long. Eventually it’ll catch up to them. The worst part for the Steelers is that their tough games haven’t even started yet. It’s hard to believe but the Steelers could actually find themselves at 1-3 this time next week. They host a very good Chargers team in one of many “Must See” games of week 4.
(Next Game: San Diego)

16) Chicago Bears (2-1, Last Week: 20)
No one is more disappointed by Jay Cutler’s turnaround than me. I find myself routing against Cutler more than any other player in the league. I enjoy watching him throw picks but my biggest thrill is when he gets sacked and drilled into the ground. The more often we get to see that bewildered look on his face, the better. What can I say? I just don’t care for the guy. As such, I’m not finding his last two games nearly as enjoyable as his first one. Now he’s got an excellent chance to reel in his third straight victory. Is there no justice in this world?
(Next Game: Detroit)

15) Green Bay Packers (2-1, Last Week: 19)
The Packers took care of business against one of the league’s weaklings to set up the much anticipated matchup with former QB Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. It’s too bad the league didn’t schedule this first meeting to be in Green Bay. Even so, it’s another “Must See” game in week 4.
(Next Game: at Minnesota)

14) Atlanta Falcons (2-1, Last Week: 5)
The Falcons seemed to get exposed a bit in Foxboro so the early bye might not be the worst thing in the world for them. They need to take advantage of their opportunity to regroup and come back strong in week 5. So why did they fall so far after losing at Gillette Stadium? Simple. A close inspection of their resume of wins revealed that they have yet to beat a team who has won a game. Their two wins came against the winless Dolphins and Panthers who are a combined 0-6 on the season.
(Next Game: Bye)

13) Cincinnati Bengals (2-1, Last Week: 16)
I’d like to take a moment to bask in my prognosticative glory. I predicted Cincinnati would finally end their hex against the Steelers. Aren’t I wonderful? Now the Bengals must travel to Cleveland to take on the worst team in the league with a shot at 3-1 riding in the balance. If not for a fluke play against the Broncos, the Bengals would be undefeated with one of the most impressive resumes in the league (Denver, Green Bay, Pittsburgh). The Bengals should win easily at Cleveland but I must remind myself, we’re talking about the Cincinnati Bengals here. Nothing is ever easy for this team. If the Browns go 1-15, their one win would come against the Bengals. That’s just the way things are. I can totally envision the Browns pulling off the upset. That’s not a prediction but maybe it should be.
(Next Game: at Cleveland)

12) Denver Broncos (3-0, Last Week: 12)
The Broncos are a tough team to rate. They’re 3-0 and their defense is playing great and I want to give them credit for that. Denver has only given up 16 points (1 TD, 3 FG’s) on the season but let’s not forget who their opponents were. Now that those easy games are out of the way we’re about to find out what kind of team Coach McDaniels has in the Mountain West. Check out Denvers’ schedule over the next six weeks. They’ve got the Cowboys, Patriots, Chargers, Ravens, and Steelers coming up. Only their bye in week 7 provides them a reprieve. My gut tells me that they’ll be fortunate to win one game in that stretch but if they should do better than that then we must start to consider this team a legitimate contender.
(Next Game: Dallas)

11) Dallas Cowboys (2-1, Last Week: 11)
Where do I rank the Cowboys? I don’t feel like I’ve got a good feel for them yet. They hung 31 points against a good Giants defense last week and then played a defensive struggle this week against Carolina. Even without injured RB Marion Barber they ran for over 200 yards, the second straight week they’ve done so.
(Next Game: at Denver)

 

[PYPER]

10) San Francisco 49ers (2-1, Last Week: 8)
Heartbreaking loss for the 49ers but even in defeat, this team showed that they are for real. San Francisco is for real. Injuries withstanding, this team is going to be in the thick of the playoff chase and beyond all season. This game will hurt all week but its good that they have a very winnable game on tap next week against the Rams. The sooner they can get the bad taste of this defeat out of their mouths, the better. As Head Mike Singletary declared after the game. "You have nothing to be looking at the floor for!" Singletary yelled, "You didn't steal anything! You didn't do anything wrong! OK? We're going to get better! We're going to get there! We will see them again in the playoffs, all right? You hold your head up!" Hopefully the 49ers don’t go to sleep on the Rams, they’re a team that’s capable of an upset if they’re not taken seriously.
(Next Game: St. Louis)

9) New England Patriots (2-1, Last Week: 14)
The nay-sayers all predicted doom-and-gloom for these Patriots vs. Atlanta but once again, New England showed their resiliency following a loss. This is a team that still knows how to win and you can credit their head coach for that. After playing to a relative standoff in the first half, the Patriots dominated the 2nd half. The offense put together long drive after long drive while the defense tightened up and forced numerous three-and-outs. However, the Patriots are far from being “back”, so to speak. The offense continues to struggle to finish drives off with touchdowns. That’s an area that must improve if the Patriots plan on going anywhere this season. This week the Patriots host the 4th ranked Ravens in a game that will be a measuring stick for both squads.
(Next Game: Baltimore)

8) Philadelphia Eagles (2-1, Last Week: 10)
If you’re looking to see a good game, avoid the Eagles. Philly has been involved in blowouts in each of their first three weeks. Twice inflicting them and once on the receiving end. Kevin Kolb rebounded nicely from a shaky outing last week to complete 24 of 34 for 327 yards and 2 TD’s with no picks. Maybe Michael Vick isn’t the QB McNabb should be afraid of. In all seriousness though, the bye comes at a good time for the Eagles so they can get Westbrook and McNabb healthy and back on the field.
(Next Game: Bye)

7) Minnesota Vikings (3-0, Last Week: 9)
Vintage Brett Favre. No, no…not another interception. I meant vintage Brett Favre in a good way. That was an amazing play and one of the reasons following the NFL is so much fun. As long as I’m allowed to forget what greedy bastauds they are, anyway. I found one stat from this game to be amazing. The Vikings held the 49ers to 0 for 11 on 3rd down. Yes people, that’s a ZERO. So, somehow the 49ers were a fluky miracle touchdown pass away from winning a game despite going 0/11 on 3rd down. I wonder if a team has ever won without a single third down conversion. Strange….Oh, yeah, almost forgot. The Vikings kind of have a big game next week. Tune in if you’ve got nothing better to do. Consider this to be one of the 999,999,999 comments you’ll hear this week instructing you to do so.
(Next Game: Green Bay)

6) San Diego Chargers (2-1, Last Week: 7)
The Chargers took care of business against a game Dolphins team to set up a key Sunday Night battle in Pittsburgh. Philip Rivers threw for over 300 yards for the second consecutive week giving him 991 passing yards on the season. The San Diego passing game will look to exploit a vulnerable Pittsburgh secondary that will be without star safety Troy Polamalu.
(Next Game: at Pittsburgh)

5) Indianapolis Colts (3-0, Last Week: 6)
Maybe the Colts aren’t paper tigers afterall. For the first time this season they not only won but looked good doing so. Manning threw 4 TD’s giving him 18 such games in his career which trails only Dan Marino (21) and Brett Favre (20) for the most in league history. Next up are the Seattle Seahawks. Things are shaping up nicely for the Colts. Indy won’t play a team with a winning record until week 8 at the earliest, when they host the 49ers on November 1st.
(Next Game: Seattle)

4) Baltimore Ravens (3-0, Last Week: 4)
Baltimore, like each of the tree teams ranked above them, has a legitimate claim on the #1 ranking. The only knock on the Ravens is that two of their wins came against Cleveland (ranked 32nd) and Kansas City (ranked 30th). They’ll face their second challenge of the season this week as they travel up to Foxboro to take on the Patriots in yet another “Must See” week 4 game. A victory over the Patriots will cement Baltimore’s status as one of the elite teams in the league. A convincing victory could be exactly what they need to vault themselves to #1.
(Next Game: at New England)

3) New York Giants (3-0, Last Week: 3)
The fact that the Giants dominated the Bucs was no surprise. The magnitude that they dominated the Bucs was. Check out these numbers. The Giants out gained Tampa Bay 397 to 86. EIGHTY-SIX! Or how about the first down totals. The Giants had 27 to only 5 for the Bucs. The Giants were 10/16 on 3rd down while Tampa Bay was 0/9. The Giants had the ball for nearly 44 minutes compared to 16 for the Bucs. Tampa Bay was shut out in every way imaginable. Some may feel that I have slighted the Giants a bit by placing the Saints one spot above them. Truth be told, I think the Giants should be #1 but the Jets and Saints have earned their rankings by beating better opponents and will hold it until I feel otherwise.
(Next Game: at Kansas City)

2) New Orleans Saints (3-0, Last Week: 2)
Some may view the Saints victory in Buffalo as a lackluster performance but I say it was the type of win that shows a team’s resolve. The Bills have a solid defense and focused their efforts on containing Drew Brees and the Saints explosive passing game. New Orleans responded by racking up over 200 yards on the ground while also playing some inspiring ball on defense. Terrell Owens was held without a catch, to end a 185-game streak that had been second longest among active players and the Bills only converted 2 of their 14 third down opportunities. That is exactly the type of effort they’ll need next week as they host the top-ranked J…E…T…S…Jets, Jets, Jets.
(Next Game: New York Jets)

1) New York Jets (3-0, Last Week: 1)
Bizzarro World lives on. When I placed the Jets in the top spot it was because their 1st two wins were more impressive than the other candidates. I must admit, however, that I expected their stay at the top to be a short lived one. Tennessee possesses the type of running game needed to neutralize Rex’s complex schemes which are geared more to stop the pass than the run. Tennessee put up a good fight but the game turned on their inability to throw the football in the second half. Kudos to the Jets, they earned another hard-fought victory. That means they get to stay at the top of these rankings, or I guess it’s actually the bottom isn’t it? See, there really is a conspiracy. Even when the Jets are good we put them on the bottom. );p At first glance I think the Saints would appear to be a good match up for the Jets because they are a pass first team. On the other hand, the attacking style of defense can leave it vulnerable to the big play. While Tom Brady and the Patriots didn’t have the accuracy or timing down to take advantage, Drew Brees is currently at the top of his game so stopping the Saints could be a more difficult challenge.
(Next Game: at New Orleans)

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

1) New York Jets

I just puked in my mouth a little bit.

 

[PatsFan24]

it is still early, the jets have a lot of time to **** it up

 

[mayoclinic]

Who cares about week 3 rankings?

Rank us after the SB.

 

[Nitro]

1) New York Jets + Location: Long Island, NY = I've seen enough

 

[hyperpat]

Pyper, nice job. Entertaining stuff. Jets at no. 1 is a bit disgusting, but I think the Saints will put a hurtin' on 'em.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Pyper, nice job. Entertaining stuff. Jets at no. 1 is a bit disgusting, but I think the Saints will put a hurtin' on 'em.

Based on Sunday's gift, we have probably seen the high point of the Jets season. 225 yards of offense?

It's not good to count on two gift punt return fumbles.

 

[QB12]

Who cares about week 3 rankings?

Rank us after the SB.

And we should care about Pyper's rankings because . . . ?

QB12

 

[Gwedd]

Based on Sunday's gift, we have probably seen the high point of the Jets season. 225 yards of offense?

It's not good to count on two gift punt return fumbles.

That may well be. I am almost convinced that the JETS are running wind sprints while the rest of the league is running a marathon. They ought to be concerned about burning through all their energy before the season's half over.....

 

[Rob0729]

If the Jets beat the Saints, then we can talk about the Jets being #1. The Jets still haven't put together a complete game which means they aren't #1 in my book. They have struggled at times in each of their three games.

 

[Garbanza]

I would put the Jets at #3. Giants #1 and the Saints #2.

The Jets defense and special teams are what makes them great. The offense is mediocre. However, defense wins....although I have noticed that teams can run on them a bit. If a team committs to the run, then open up play action....that defense is beatable.

 

[JackBauer]

Not really convinced that the Vikings or Eagles are better than the Pats, but whatever.

 

[JSn]

Nice job, thanks for posting.

I'm only interested in the rankings of AFCE teams, which right now are pretty clear:

Jests*
Pats
Jills
Fish

I think we're seeing uncanny depth in our team right now and we have very strong players coming back from dings as the year wears on, too - Vince, Mayo, LeVoir (and maybe Tate).

I don't think the Jets have this depth and they have numerous game-changers on the team. They lose Keller/Jenkins/Revis, they're up ***** creek.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

That may well be. I am almost convinced that the JETS are running wind sprints while the rest of the league is running a marathon. They ought to be concerned about burning through all their energy before the season's half over.....

The real question is where do teams go from here. Are the Jets capable of elevating or will the tale of the tape tell a different story?

QB's tend to go down after defenses have 6-8 games of film.

when does that fat Jenkins breakdown?

However, next week will be a great test for them.

 

[OrangeJet]

That may well be. I am almost convinced that the JETS are running wind sprints while the rest of the league is running a marathon. They ought to be concerned about burning through all their energy before the season's half over.....

Any marathoner will tell you that training is the longest part of the process, and that sprints can be an invaluable part of it. The Jets are merely training, and doing their wind sprints on Sundays. Their marathon doesn't start until January.

 

[JSn]

Any marathoner will tell you that training is the longest part of the process, and that sprints can be an invaluable part of it. The Jets are merely training, and doing their wind sprints on Sundays. Their marathon doesn't start until January.

I have no doubt the Jets will be playing January.