NFL Power Rankings, but Still too Early to Tell

As I was surfing the net yesterday, looking for any football related news that mattered (no offense, Greg Spires to the Raiders is not too interesting), I found the newest NFL Power Rankings.

Sure, it's never too early to think about next season, but to honestly evaluate teams is another thing altogether.

1. New England Patriots—Of course the Patriots are first. I know they got beat in their final game, but I would be hard pressed to find someone who thinks they will no longer be in the mix. They suffered a key loss in Asante Samuel, but the Patriots always find ways to recover.

2. San Diego Chargers—The Chargers will have an easy road to the playoffs because the AFC West has gone from a highly-competative division to the mirror image of the NFC West's "someone please win the division."

They have been on the verge of greatness for the past three years, and barring injuries in the playoffs, they may have gone all the way last year. The loss of Michael Turner will prove to be bigger than they thought, but still not enough to hold them out of the AFC Championship game.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars—Normally the Colts would have been in this spot, but with the recent allegations against Marvin Harrison, they could be falling furthur than expected. The Jaguars are one of the league's most improved teams in the offseason.

Fred Taylor is admitting that his time is short, which means he may run harder, and David Garrard does not make mistakes. A new receiving corps will definitely help, and the loss of Marcus Stroud will not be noticed too much with the addition of two of the draft's best DE's and Derek Landri's improved play at the end of last season. There may be a new Division Champ in the AFC South.

4. Dallas Cowboys—Do not buy into the hype that Tony Romo doesn't have his head in the right place. He is a good QB with a good supporting cast. The reality with this team is that the window is closing. They are one bad season away from a TO explosion, and bringing in Pacman is not going to help their team cohesion. Regardless, they still appear to be the best overall team in the NFC.

5. New York Giants—They had a great season, but the verdict is still out on Eli Manning. Don't believe me...ask the Giants why they brought in David Carr and drafted Andre Woodson. Plaxico is still the most underrated receiver in the business, and if they switch to a two-TE set, they could be unstoppable. The Giants would normally be one spot higher, but with Strahan mulling retirement, they may as well stay in this spot.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers—An incredible draft, picking up what many would consider the best RB and the best WR in the draft. Big Ben gets the target he desires in Limas Sweed, and they finally get the hard-nosed runningback they wanted in Mendenhall, who adds some insurance to the Willie Parker recovery. I see no reason why the Steelers should not run away with their division, and go deep into the playoffs.

7. Indianapolis Colts—There are other teams I would rather put in this spot, but something about Peyton Manning will not allow me to do it. Peyton is a great QB that could win under almost any circumstances, but now he may have to do it without Marvin Harrison. Last season he held his own without Harrison, but showed many weaknesses in forcing passes. Look for the Colts as a wild card, as they watch the Jaguars take the division.

8. Philadelphia Eagles—I do not believe that the Eagles stay in this spot, mainly due to the Lito Sheppard situation. As long as the Eagles do maintain both Sheppard and Samuel on the roster, with Dawkins at safety, I can't honestly see anyone throwing the ball against them. Sure, there are some holes up front, but they have a defensive backfield full of play makers. Mix that with a healthy Donovan McNabb, and you may be looking at the revival of the Eagles. 

9. Cleveland Browns—Sure they are the Browns, but they are improved. Shaun Rogers was a huge pick up, and some healthy QB-competition will only make Derek Anderson better. There are still some questions about this team, but do not count them out of the wild card race.

10. Minnesota Vikings—If Adrian Peterson was not enough to make this team a contender, they made a huge offseason move, picking up the league's best DE in Jared Allen. The defensive line should allow no rushing yards with Kevin and Pat Williams, and apply plenty of QB pressure with the addition of Jared Allen.

Look for Chad Greenway to reap the benefits of such a great defensive line, and some young corners to benefit from hurried QB decisions. Sidney Rice should start to set himself apart as the teams go-to receiver, which should help whoever wins the QB position.

11. Seattle Seahawks—If they had not won their division last year, they would not be in this position. The reality is that they are a good team in a bad division. There are some quality players on this team, but the window is closing on them. Their defense will win them some games (and most likely the division), but their lack of offense will hurt them.

12. Green Bay Packers—Brett Favre is gone. So starts the Aaron Rodgers era...or maybe Brian Brohm. Regardless of who is playing QB, this team showed it was full of overlooked talent. Their defense should be in the top half of the league again, and depending on how well their new QB plays, they could either run away with the division, or be looking forward to the draft earlier than they expected. 

13. New Orleans Saints—The NFC South is another one of those divisions that no one seems to want to win. Usher in the Saints. The Saints have been a powerhouse on offense, but their true questions are on defense.

14. Washington Redskins—A great season, but sadly they are in the NFC East. They will be a good team, but will have a very tough time winning their division, or being a second wild card from that division. 

15. Buffalo Bills—The Bills have quietly had a great offseason. Sure Marcus Stroud is old, but he will help one of the league's best defenses stop the run. If they can solidify their QB position, they may be contending for a wild card spot late in the season.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—If there were a requirement for more than one QB on the field at a time, Tampa would be number one. Sadly enough for them, you can only play one at a time. Having said that, their choices in signal callers is not the greatest, just the deepest.

If they can figure out who will be throwing the ball to Joey Galloway, they should make a run at the division. With an aging defense, their rebuilding process begins now. Younger players must get on the field and begin to produce, or it could be back to the Yuckaneers.

17. Houston Texans—Remember early in the season when the Texans were really good? The key to that is healthy players. Dunta Robinson should be returning healthy and Mario Williams could continue to get better, which is scary. Matt Schaub should be healthy and back in his starting role, if not, Sage Rosenfels proved to be pretty reliable. Look for them to break .500, but still no playoff berth.

18. Tennessee Titans—Vince Young is the key for this team. Two years ago they were one game from the playoffs and last year one and out. If Young can become more consistant, maybe they will make it over the hump. If not, get ready for the critics to question Young's ability to play QB.

19. Arizona Cardinals—This could be a sleeper team. I have been saying this for the last three years, but with a returning Matt "prom queen" Leinart, the best receiver corps in football, and the worst division, they are always a contender.

20. Carolina Panthers—The Panthers are good...aren't they? Delhomme will be returning, I am not sure what that means. Some high-school kid stole Julius Peppers uniform and played for him last year.

Regardless, I believe they still have enough of a team in tact that if they stay healthy, they could win the division. It's the staying healthy part I do not think they can do.

21. Chicago Bears—The defense will always make them a contender. The question is, which Rex Grossman will you get this season? Will you even get him if Orton beats him out? Benson proved in the offseason that he can't even break tackles of police officers while trying to resist arrest, so how is he going to break tackles on the field? The good news for Bears fans is that they kept Lance Briggs, and as long as people continue to kick to Hester, that should allow enough offense for a win.

22. Denver Broncos—Jay Cutler needs to have a big year. The Broncos let go of Javon Walker, and their defense is getting older. They picked up Darrell Jackson, which should help the receiving corps, but if this team wants to make a serious run, Cutler needs to live up to the hype.

23. New York Jets—They spent a lot of money to get older players. Sure, on paper they look good, but I remember in years past when the Redskins always looked good on paper. The bad thing about that is, games are won on the field, not on paper. 

24. Oakland Raiders—The Raiders have had a very good offseason. With Deangelo Hall and Nnamdi Asomugha, I don't know if anyone will be able to matchup against their defense. Look for them to make it interesting when teams are fighting for a playoff spot. They could sneak in if Jamarcus Russell can play to his potential.

25. Detroit Lions—The receiving corps should make things interesting, but losses on the defense will prove to be the achilles heel. Jon Kitna is not the answer at QB, and they need to start getting some younger talent to grow with the young WRs.

26. San Francisco 49ers—I would normally put the Bengals here, but with Chad Johnson threatening to hold out, I don't know if I can. Frank Gore should have another good year, and Alex Smith should turn a corner. Patrick Willis should continue to improve, and they could find themselves above .500.

27. Cincinnati Bengals—Chad Johnson will be the downfall of the Bengals. He would leave them with the lack of a true number-one receiver, and the entire team is searching for playmakers.

28. Kansas City Chiefs—The loss of Jared Allen has actually improved this team.  They had a good draft, and have a young core of talent. If Larry Johnson is healthy and someone steps up to play QB, the Chiefs could make it to .500 with the league's easiest schedule (minus the season opener against the Patriots).

29. St. Louis Rams—A healthy Steven Jackson will help, but they still have a ways to go. The defense is improving, and the addition of Chris Long will help. I still don't think this is enough to get them past .500.

30. Baltimore Ravens—This is really a tie between the Falcons and the Ravens. They both have similar problems, but the Ravens just happen to have a few less. They both need a QB, but the Ravens have a few more options than the Falcons. This will be a tough year for the Ravens, but they could still surprise some people.

31. Atlanta Falcons—Let the Matt Ryan era begin. Vick is officially a name of the past (at least for now), and the Ravens can move on. Crumpler has moved to Tennessee, which does not help in the rebuilding process, but hopefully Ryan can give the Falcons something to cheer for.

32. Miami Dolphins—They made some good moves, but not enough. This team is not too far away from respectability, but far enough for this year. Sorry Dolphin fans, you may already be on the clock.