The Cream of the Crop, Pt. 2: Ranking the NFL's Offenses

Unfortunately for St. Louis fans, the Rams do have the worst offense in the league. Last year, they were ranked 27th the league in total offense.

This offseason, they lost Torry Holt, who was Marc Bulger's target. The Rams also lost veteran tackle Orlando Pace. Jason Smith was selected with the No. 2 pick, but can he fill the void?

Just too much pressure on Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger to do it all.

No, not the Lions! Yes, they are here at this spot. I'll give them this. The offense has two solid playmakers in Calvin Johnson, and Kevin Smith in the backfield. Brandon Pettigrew also joins the team as a playmaking tight end.

Two questions though. Who's the quarterback and where's the offensive line? Matthew Stafford is most likely not to start the season, giving the reigns to Dante Culpepper. Sure, he lost some weight, but could he be like his old self?

The offensive line still hasn't showed it will make any improvements, which will lead to another rough season for the Lions.

The Kansas City Chiefs had a busy offseason—new GM, new head coach, new quarterback. Matt Cassel came off the career of his life with the Patriots, one that some say was deserving of being a Pro-Bowler.

You brought in an offensive mastermind in Todd Haley? What's the problem? Simple: you parted ways with Tony Gonzalez. Gonzalez was your most productive target all these years, even last year, when the Chiefs had the No. 24 offense.

With him gone, will Dwayne Bowe be able to play like a top wide receiver? Just too many holes to be convinced of KC this season.

The Browns faced a season where all their quarterbacks faced season-ending injuries. The season also occurred where Braylon Edwards had the most dropped passes in the entire league.

Cleveland comes into this season with a quarterback controversy between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. Who will obtain the starting job heading into the season?

I see Quinn getting the job, but if Anderson gets the job, trouble could be happening. Donte Stallworth has also had his legal troubles. Will it affect him on the field?

The Jaguars come off a disappointing season in which no clicks were found within the offense. Coming into the season, the Jaguars took the highly rated tackle Eugene Monroe with their selection.

They passed up both Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin for Monroe. Wait a minute, who do they have to throw to? The wide receiver core stands as one of the worst in the league.

With no answer there, Garrard is still going to have a tough time to throw a ball to a good target. More pressure will be stacked against Jones-Drew to get it done with the absence of Fred Taylor.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had one of their more disappointing seasons last year, a season that led to the firing of Jon Gruden. With Raheem Morris now running the show, and with Jeff Garcia out, a battle for the starting job between Byron Leftwich, Luke McCown, and rookie Josh Freeman.

The Bucs, however, don't have the greatest core of receivers, as they lack a No. 1 target. I believe Leftwich will win the job and do his best, but the offense will still be towards the bottom of the league.

The 49ers selected Michael Crabtree in the draft, a major need in the offense. Being the 23rd ranked offense in the NFL last season, they needed to improve the weapons.

They have Crabtree and Davis, they should be able to put something together. Oh wait, no quarterback! The battle between Shaun Hill and Alex Smith says it all. Hill has showed that he doesn't have the greatest arm to sling it down the field.

Smith, one of the bigger draft busts in recent memory, has no experience as well. In conclusion, another rough year for the 49ers offense.

The Oakland Raiders shocked the NFL world in this years draft, when they selected Darrius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin. The speedy wide receiver will bring a new look to the Raiders offense directed by Tom Cable.

JaMarcus Russell returns, hoping to improve on his season. The silver and black also signed Jeff Garcia to bring some competition. The offense will show improvements this year, especially if the offensive line steps up it's game.

However, they are still a bit too far from getting over the edge as a trustworthy offense.

The Denver Broncos encountered on one of their worst offseasons. The head coach drove their young quarterback Jay Cutler out of town. With Cutlers strong arm, the Broncos had the number two offense in the league. Their new quarterback? Kyle Orton.

He showed he could have some potential as he did with Chicago. Josh McDaniels hopes he can accomplish what he did with Matt Cassel last season. I just don't see this happening.

They have a wide receiver who, with questions about his discipline, might not fit with his coaches' style. Hopefully this can worth out for the Broncos.

The Tennessee Titans come into this season with Kerry Collins still as their quarterback, and Vince Young still watching from the sidelines. The young playmaking running back Chris Johnson returns to the offense. Free agent Nate Washington signs with the team.

However, will the wide receiver core be able to step up like last year. Will Collins play at the good level he was able to achieve? To many questions that need to be answered, especially after being the 21st ranked offense a season ago.

The Buffalo Bills are looking to rebound after an 08 season that was filled with highs and lows. The team brought in T.O from Dallas, who they hope can be a key contributor to Lee Evans.

Trent Edwards was solid as their quarterback last season, and will be the starter heading into the season. The running game will be solid, but how will Lynch play when coming back from his suspension this year?

Also, with Owens involved, he will want the ball most of the time, which could lead to many in-complete passes in a clod windy city like Buffalo.

The New York Jets almost achieved a playoff berth last season under Brett Favre before collapsing. Now with Favre out of town, a quarterback battle has arrived. This time, it's between Mark Sanchez and Kellen Clemens.

The good news for the Jets is Leon Washington has returned, and still believing that Thomas Jones will be here for opening weekend. The bad news is at the wide receiver spot. Will Jerricho Cotchery play as a number one wide receiver?

Will Dustin Keller's play up to his potential as he did last year? And most importantly, the quarterback position. I'm getting a feeling that Clemens might get the job, and I'm not greatly sold on him at this point.

The Chicago Bears made one of the biggest trades in their history by acquiring Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos.

Cutler, the main reason for Denver's No. 2 ranking in offense last season, comes to Chicago where offense is needed. His strong arm surely improves their 26th ranking in offense last season.

Rookie running back Matt Forte looks to have another successful campaign. Yet, the offense still has no No. 1 target at wide receiver, and until that happens, the Bears offense can't roll much higher.

The Cincinnati Bengals had the worst offense in the league last season. How could they jump up 13 spots? Well, Carson Palmer is back. When Palmer is healthy, he is a potential top five quarterback in this league.

Having him healthy is key to a season where they are looking to near 500 at least. They still have Chad Ochocinco catching passes and Cedric Benson who was successful toward the end of the season.

The question is the line. Some adjustments were made via draft and free agency, which does include top line man Andre Smith.

The Seattle Seahawks look to rebound from rather what was a long season. A team filled with injuries, veteran leader Matt Hasselbeck is back and ready to lead the squad back to the playoffs.

The Seahawks jump to this position besides having the offense healthy, the signing of TJ Houshmandzadeh gives them a No. 1 threat who is always going to have a productive outing. Watch out for the Hawks!

The Redskins head into the season by trying to head back to the playoffs within a competitive NFC East. The Skins tried to make an acquisition for a new quarterback, such as Cutler or Mark Sanchez via draft. Jason Campbell is looking to have a great season in his contract year.

However, I need to see it to believe it. Because no moves to the offense were made, they are staying about in the same spot as how they finished last season.

Coming off their Super Bowl win, the Pittsburgh Steelers must make adjustments to the offense. In particular, the offensive line. I do see the line improving after their dreadful performance the past few seasons.

Big Ben will look to improve on his game, while Santonio Holmes receives his confidence he needed in becoming a top wide receiver in this league.

The Baltimore Ravens had one of the more surprising seasons in the league, the offense especially. Joe Flacco groomed as the franchise quarterback, while having a successful running game.

The Ravens did not bring in a top wide receiver like everyone expected. However, they selected Michael Oher in the draft, who is really going to help solidify the running game and more protection for Flacco. Joe Flacco will have a successful campaign in his second season in the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins had the greatest turnaround in modern NFL history, going from 1-15 to 11-5 and reaching the playoffs. Chad Pennington, who earned Comeback Player Of The Year Honors, returns to lead the offense.

Ronnie Brown returns in the backfield, while Ted Ginn Jr. hopes for a breakout season. My only question is whether the Wildcat will be as successful now with everyone having a year to scout and practice it.

If so, the Phins will move up in the list as the season goes along.

The Vikings' is offense is still heavily involved around Adrian Peterson, with no questions asked. Bernard Berrian was a solid target for Tarvaris Jackson last season.

However, what is holding them from being a top ten offense is the quarterback. Jackson, nor Rosenfels will be able to carry the Vikings to a Super Bowl. I'm sure they will open up Favre with open arms whenever he chooses.

The Giants head into the 2009 season with a plan; a plan that doesn't involve Plaxico Burress. The G-Men did struggle last season after losing their top wide receiver, and didn't have the greatest amount of time to make changes.

However, with an offseason and training camp soon to be under their belt, the Giants are prepared. They selected Hakeem Nicks, a strong physical receiver who will play as an open target.

Brandon Jacobs will take a bit more of a load,however, he will still be affective enough to keep the pressure off Manning. They do fall back a few spots, however, until we see how the receivers play in the early going.

The Colts move on this season without Tony Dungy, or Marvin Harrison on their side. I do see Peyton Manning making adjustments with their new coach.

The plan will be easier to follow without Harrison, as they experienced not having him last year. Still leaders of the AFC South, the Colts are looking at another run at the title.

The Panthers head into the season coming off a devastating loss against the Arizona Cardinals. Jake Delhomme must bounce back from a season filled with inconsistency.

Steve Smith is still in town, however, there weren't many adjustments made to the offense. Because of that, I only have them down one spot from last years finish.

With T.O out of Dallas, Tony Romo and the Cowboys don't have to worry about an extra headache. The team returns Roy Williams as the No. 1 receiver.

However, with his share of disappointments, can he fill the role that Owens left behind?

Jason Witten is still here, and the running game I believe will be established, leading to success. Tony Romo must have a breakout season before it breaks loose in Dallas.

With the Aaron Rodgers era beginning last year, I only see improvement from the quarterback. Yes, he still has to work with the talent he is, which does move the offense down one spot.

The Packers are still going to be a top 10 offense while hoping to bounce back from a disappointing season.

I see Philip Rivers continuing to grow and inch closer of becoming a top five quarterback in this league. He has the same weapons as he did last year, which helped produce a top ten offense.

I see a step up in his game which will allow the Chargers to have the division crown in their hand. LT will look to have one more strong season left in him, while Sproles proves that last season wasn't a fluke.

The Eagles once again fall short at the championship game. Coming into this season, Donovan McNabb is ready to go for another season in the NFL, one that might pay off.

In April's draft,the Eagles selected Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. This playmaker adds another target McNabb leads. Alongside DeSean Jackson, and with Brian Westbrook in the backfield, we could see an offense that is ready to lift off in '09.

The Texans could be considered by some a surprise pick at five, but not to me. Matt Schaub is only continuing his performance as a quarterback, and will look to bounce back after facing injuries during the season.

Steve Slaton looks to improve on his good first season as the starting running back. Most importantly, Andre Johnson is ready to become more productive last year. The offense is going to help carry the Texans over .500 for the first time in their history, and near contention.

The Atlanta Falcons were statistically the sixth best offense in football last year. Many people feel Matt Ryan will not be as successful; however, I feel the complete offense.

Not only does he bring back Michael Turner, who had his breakout season as a top running back. The Falcons also brought in Tony Gonzalez from Kansas City. Gonzalez is the most productive tight end in football.

A great weapon added to the attack. The key is Roddy White. If White can improve on his season as a main target to Ryan, the Falcons will soar into the playoffs once again.

The Saints posted up the No. 1 offense in the league. For some people who question if they are top-five worthy, they surely are, even if not No. 1. Head coach Sean Payton is back, along with Drew Brees and company.

Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush will improve on their past season. And as long as the same play book is in place, I don't see why the Saints' offense wouldn't have about as much success as they did last season.

The New England Patriots head into the season with their quarterback alongside them again.

Receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker return, including Laurence Maroney who wants to prove to the organization he can be a true top running back in this league.

If everyone is coming back, how come the Patriots are not number one? What is holding them back? As I have stressed in the past, I am not willing to grant the Patriots No. 1 until I see Tom Brady play all four quarters with the knee. He may be the same as he once was, he may be not.

But just doing it in practice isn't enough. If he is playing close to his level and the offense is dominating, the top spot will be waiting in the wing for him.

The Arizona Cardinals, for now, have earned the spot as the top offense. Before the alarm of homer pick spreads, this does make sense. Larry Fitzgerald, the best receiver in football, along with Anquan Boldin, a legitimate top five receiver, is back again.

Kurt Warner has come back for another year, so that means he still has enough in the tank. James might have been released, but the offense was still successful in the regular season without his presence.

Boldin may want to be traded, but I guarantee he will still play and prove that he is worthy of making a deal for. How long can they hold the spot? They will have to get out right in the gate if they want to keep the spot for the entire season.