Posts belonging to Category Power Rankings

AFC East
1. Dolphins – 10-6
Bill Parcells and staff filled the final holes with Brandon Marshall, Karlos Dansby and Koa Misi. They’re ready to take the next step and be one of the surprise teams of 2010.

2. Jets – 9-7*
The Jets made the most noise this offseason, but didn’t actually make many significant upgrades. The defensive front seven is a veteran group, which likely means injuries lie ahead.

3. Patriots – 9-7
As long as Brady’s healthy, the Patriots will be competitive. But there are far too many questions on the defensive side of the ball for the Patriots to be a serious contender.

4. Bills – 2-14
The Bills running game may be the only thing capable of saving them from a 0-16 season. They’re transitioning to a 3-4 defense, which often spells disaster for teams that don’t have the personnel to pull it off.

AFC North
1. Ravens – 12-4
The Ravens aren’t winning just with defense anymore. Joe Flacco and Ray Rice are poised to take the next step to stardom and are ready to make the Ravens the team to beat in the AFC.

2. Steelers – 9-7
The Steelers are facing a likely 1-3 start without Roethlisberger. That will be a difficult hole to climb out of, and anything above .500 should be considered a successful season.

3. Bengals – 8-8
The Bengals should contend for a playoff spot, but it is unrealistic to expect their dominance in the AFC North to carry over from 2009.

4. Browns – 4-12
Assuming Jerome Harrison doesn’t duplicate his Jim Brown-esque performance from the end of 2009, the Browns are going to struggle to put points on the board.

AFC South
1. Colts – 12-4
The Colts are still the class of the AFC South, but the gap is closing. If Anthony Gonzalez stays healthy, they may have the deepest, most talented group of receivers in the league.

2. Texans – 10-6*
We know the Texans can throw the ball, but the key to their season will be the running game. Arian Foster may finally be the power running back they’ve been looking for.

3. Titans – 7-9
Chris Johnson is a beast, but the offense just isn’t balanced enough for him to maintain his level of production from 2009.

4. Jaguars – 4-12
This is the end of the road for Jack Del Rio, and hopefully GM Gene Smith as well who has made one poor decision after another.

AFC West
1. Chargers – 13-3
If Ryan Mathews lives up to expectations, the Chargers offense will be as dangerous as ever – with or without Vincent Jackson and his ego.

2. Raiders – 6-10
Jason Campbell gives the Raiders enough stability at quarterback to at least be somewhat competitive. But if Darren McFadden doesn’t finally live up to expectations it will be another lost season by the Bay.

3. Broncos – 5-11
For the second straight offseason Josh McDaniels helped his Broncos take a step backwards. He could be on the hot seat in just his second year.

4. Chiefs – 4-12
The Chiefs potentially have a dominant running attack. But that won’t be enough to make up for a defense that did very little to improve this offseason.

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NFC East
1. Cowboys – 10-6
The Cowboys three-headed monster at running back should easily be enough to carry them to a division title and potentially deep into the playoffs.

2. Eagles – 9-7*
At times the Eagles passing attack will be among the most dangerous in the league. But Kevin Kolb is prone to mistakes, so there will be some bumps along the way.

3. Giants – 8-8
Without much of a running game, the Giants will have a hard time competing in the NFC East. Manning simply doesn’t have the weapons to carry this team with the passing game.

4. Redskins – 7-9
The upgrade from Zorn to Shanahan alone should improve the Redskins by a few games, but they didn’t make enough changes other than at quarterback and head coach to be a serious contender.

NFC North
1. Packers – 11-5
Aaron Rodgers will put up some gaudy numbers, but the Packers must get more consistent production from Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson if they’re going to contend for a Super Bowl title.

2. Vikings 10-6*
Favre likely won’t duplicate last season’s success, but the defense and the running game are more than enough to carry them into the playoffs.

3. Bears – 7-9
Another sub-.500 finish likely means the end of the road for Lovie Smith in Chicago. Jay Cutler can be a successful quarterback, but not with Devin Hester and Johnny Knox as his top receivers.

4. Lions – 5-11
The Lions are on the verge of being competitive. But they’re still a very young team on offense which means lots of bad mistakes will cost them some games.

NFC South
1. Saints 11-5
The Saints won’t be as dominant as in their magical 2009 season, but the NFC South still belongs to them. The biggest difference from a season ago will be on defense, where they lost some key guys and added no one.

2. Falcons – 8-8
If Michael Turner stays healthy, they’ll compete for a playoff spot. But he missed 5 games a season ago and 28-year-old power running backs don’t typically get healthier as they age.

3. Panthers – 6-10
The Panthers have the most dangerous one-two punch at running back in the league. But they also have one of the biggest question marks at quarterback.

4. Buccaneers – 2-14
Raheem Morris might be in over his head in Tampa. They have no running game, a questionable passing attack and a patchwork offensive line. Points will be hard to come by for the Bucs.

NFC West
1. Seahawks – 9-7
If Matt Hasselbeck stays healthy, they’re the team to beat in this division. Justin Forsett, Julius Jones and Leon Washington give them a deep running attack which should keep them in every game.

2. Cardinals – 8-8
The Cardinals lost more talent than anyone this offseason, but they may have the best front office in the game and have reloaded. There are still plenty of question marks, but don’t expect them to revert back to the inept Cards of old.

3. 49ers – 8-8
The 49ers defense will keep them in the mix in the NFC West, but there are too many questions on offense. Can Frank Gore and Brian Westbrook stay healthy? Can Alex Smith continue to improve? Do they have a No. 2 receiver?

4. Rams – 4-12
A healthy Steven Jackson should keep the Rams competitive in most games. But inexperience at quarterback means they’ll lose a lot of close games.

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Wild Card
Ravens over Jets
Dolphins over Texans
Cowboys over Seahawks
Vikings over Eagles

Divisional
Ravens over Colts
Chargers over Dolphins
Cowboys over Saints
Vikings over Packers

Conference Championship
Ravens over Chargers
Cowboys over Vikings

Super Bowl
Cowboys over Ravens

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MVP – Aaron Rodgers
Defensive Player of the Year – Jared Allen
Offensive Rookie of the Year – Ryan Mathews
Defensive Rookie of the Year – Eric Berry

Post Mini-Camp Power Rankings

1.
Joe Flacco is ready to take the next step. Their offense should be among the game’s best, and their defense is still among the elite.
2.
All the pieces are in place for trip to the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
3.
If Ryan Mathews makes an immediate impact, they could be the team to beat.
4.
The Packers success could depend on the offensive line’s ability to protect Aaron Rodgers… and his ability to protect himself.
5.
Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning, but they did very little to get better this offseason.
6.
Assuming Favre returns and stays healthy, another deep playoff run is a strong possibility.
7.
The Jets added so many new pieces, but you have to wonder how it will all gel together.
8.
2009 was a storybook season. The odds of all the pieces falling in place again are slim.
9.
They’re a contender as long as Brady is around, but their defense has lost a lot over the last few seasons.
10.
Matt Ryan is ready to join the league’s elite, but can the defense hold up their end of the bargain?
11.
If the Titans can pick up where they left off, they just might be able to challenge the Colts in the AFC South.
12.
On paper the Steelers should be a contender. But how much will losing Roethlisberger for four games hurt?
13.
The Giants 2010 season will depend on Brandon Jacobs’ ability to bounce back, or Ahmad Bradshaw’s ability to step up.
14.
It’s playoffs or bust for the Texans this year. Gary Kubiak is fighting for his job.
15.
The Seahawks may be the most improved team in the game. But there are still a lot of question marks on offense.
16.
The Bengals will have a hard time duplicating last year’s success in one of the toughest divisions in football.
17.
The Cardinals lost an awful lot – on both sides of the ball – but they’re still a legitimate contender in the NFC West.
18.
The ‘Skins will probably show flashes of being a contender, but they’re too old to keep it up for an entire season.
19.
The Eagles will probably show flashes of being a contender, but they’re too young to keep it up for an entire season.
20.
The 49ers have done their best to surround Alex Smith with talent. This year may be his last show.
21.
The Panthers have the best backfield in the game, but their quarterback situation is just too much of an unknown to predict success.
22.
The Lions have a legitimate NFL defense for the first time in years. Can the offense do their part?
23.
The Dolphins have a very young defense which is bound to have its ups and downs throughout the year.
24.
Cutler isn’t as bad as he looked in 2009, but their receivers are. Mike Martz can only do so much to fix that situation without any talent.
25.
The Broncos have decided to rebuild. It may cause frustration in the short term, but it was the right decision for long-term success.
26.
With one major bust out of the way (Russell), Darren McFadden now needs to do his part to prove he isn’t another one.
27.
If Jamaal Charles picks up where he left off, the Chiefs could be dangerous. But can the offensive line do their part to help him out?
28.
The odds of Jack Del Rio making it through the year are not good. David Garrard likely won’t last long either.
29.
If Jake Delhomme bounces back, the Browns could be respectable. If he doesn’t, it’s gonna be a long year in Cleveland.
30.
The Rams are headed in the right direction, but Sam Bradford can only do so much as a rookie.
31.
The Bucs have some intriguing weapons on offense, but for every great performance will be more than a few rookie mistakes.
32.
No quarterback. No offensive line. Only one respectable receiver. But hey, at least they’ve got three running backs!