NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Did Mike Singletary Leave 49ers At The Back?
NFL power rankings are back just in time for the final week of the regular season.
I feel bad to see Mike Singletary get fired. I wish the 49ers would have given him another year, and I also think they're delusional to have expected a playoff berth. This wasn't a team built for a long playoff run anyway, and for Singletary to have kept them within reach of the postseason for so long speaks volumes. I admire his character, though, and especially loved seeing him take on some of these egomaniacs.
As far as the rankings go, I will say this: Dallas is about to plummet, and so is San Diego. I've also got to drop Jacksonville, even though I predicted the upset on Sunday. How many of you all think Atlanta is the top team in the NFC still after Monday night's loss to New Orleans? I think there's just a sliver of difference between them, the Saints and the Eagles. What do you all think?
There's lots to discuss, and plenty to point out. I missed my week away, but it's time to jump back into it and offer up my latest rankings.
Debate, discuss, leave me comments, let me know your opinions:
Time To Focus On 2011
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32. Carolina Panthers (2-13)
Previous ranking: 32
If they don't pick Andrew Luck, it makes sense to go with A.J. Green. As far as the next coach? Why not give Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell a shot here.
31. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11)
Previous ranking: 31
The same team that lost 10 straight finished with 371 total yards on Sunday and held Philip Rivers to one touchdown. Where had that been all season?
30. Denver Broncos (4-11)
Previous ranking: 30
The to-do list: 1.) Start Tebow, 2.) Make a smart hire with your next coach (Brian Billick anybody?) and then 3.) Go draft Patrick Peterson.
29. Arizona Cardinals (5-10)
Previous ranking: 29
I'm still scratching my head from some Cardinal fans who told me they have an answer at quarterback for the future. Really. I'm not making this up.
28. Minnesota Vikings (5-9)*
Previous ranking: 28
Imagine how amazing tonight's game with Philadelphia would be if Minnesota had actually been playing like everyone expected at the start of the year.
27. Houston Texans (5-10)
Previous ranking: 27
Sounds to me like Texans fans are just wanting an excuse to protest. This one's simple: Fire Gary Kubiak, and go after Bill Cowher. The end.
(*) - playing tonight
Work In Progress
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26. Dallas Cowboys (5-10)
Previous ranking: 20
Owner Jerry Jones says he already has a process in place for hiring his next head coach. It seemed like interim coach Jason Garrett had the edge, but did the loss to Arizona put that in jeopardy? Watch what happens in Tennessee. If Jeff Fisher is let go, I grab him in a moment's notice.
25. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
Previous ranking: 19
Great note on Pro Football Weekly's website about how wide receiver Brandon Marshall apologized to the defense, saying "all year they played their hearts out; they played together. They played like a unit's supposed to play."
24. Detroit Lions (5-10)
Previous ranking: 26
Okay, Lions fans, let's assume A.J. Green's off the board. Do you then want a shutdown corner, or another defensive lineman in the draft?
23. Cleveland Browns (5-10)
Previous ranking: 25
Eric Mangini said he hopes he can return next year. Team President Mike Holmgren said there's a lot he will consider besides just the team's record. I could be wrong, but I think Holmgren makes a call to Tampa and guages Jon Gruden's interest. If he turns it down, then Mangini stays.
22. Tennessee Titans (6-9)
Previous ranking: 24
If I'm Donovan McNabb, this would be a great place to land in 2011. That may get one last good season out of Randy Moss, too.
21. San Francisco (5-10)
Previous ranking: 22
Yes, the 49ers moved up with a loss, but that's what happens when Dallas and Miami play like they did. In other news, looks like team president and CEO Jed York is going to ask his uncle, former team owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., about how to fix this trainwreck. Wise move on York's part.
20. Buffalo Bills (4-11)
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Previous ranking: 21
It's almost like New England gave the Bills a head start with Rian Lindell's 26-yard field goal then went, "Okay, that's enough." After that it was 34 unanswered points, and the jarring end to Buffalo's little win streak.
"You can’t play a good football team and play like that and give yourself any kind of chance," coach Chan Gailey said. "That was turnovers, penalties, not stopping the run, every bit…everybody on the whole team, all of us take the blame for that."
Appreciate your frankness, coach. Now what are you going to pick in the draft?
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19. Seattle Seahawks (6-9)
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Previous ranking: 23
Crazy to think a team with a sub-.500 record is playing for a division title, but that will be the case Sunday when Seattle faces St. Louis (7-8). Charlie Whitehurst (pictured) is going to get the start at quarterback, but coach Pete Carroll said Matt Hasselbeck (lower back strain) hasn't been ruled out.
"The MRI results were not such where he doesn't have a chance. They were very hopeful that he has an opportunity to get back, but we won't know for days," Carroll said.
18. Oakland Raiders (7-8)
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Previous ranking: 17
If I'm Oakland, I make sure and re-sign tight end Zach Miller in the offseason. Miller missed a game back in October due to injury and hasn't fully recovered, but has had four catches in each of the last two games. He also has been the team's go-to guy among receivers.
17. San Diego Chargers (8-7)
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Previous ranking: 8
The San Diego Union-Tribune has reported that coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith are returning in 2011. President Dean Spanos told the paper he remembers when the team hovered at .500 from 1996 through 2003, but admitted "we're still short."
"The easiest thing in the world is to start over. Who the hell do I go hire?" Spanos asked in the story. "Blow the whole thing up? We're a pretty good team, but we have to make the right moves. We've fallen. It could have been our draft picks or our free-agent moves. But we have a good core, and I don't care what anybody says. I'm not afraid to make changes. If I thought it was warranted, I would do it. We have a good foundation here."
Anyone else really convinced with what he's selling?
16. Washington Redskins (6-9)
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Previous ranking: 18
ESPN's Matt Mosley points out how Washington was playing without 13 opening day starters in Sunday's game with Jacksonville. Beating New York would leave Washington at 7-9 and give them plenty of momentum entering the offseason, he said.
"At that point, (coach Mike) Shanahan can focus on drafting or trading for a franchise quarterback. (And by the way, the Eagles have another quarterback they'd listen to trade offers for)," Mosley writes. "But something tells me that Shanahan wants to draft a quarterback he can mold from the start. He openly covets Sam Bradford, so he'll be looking for a similarly talented player. And I can't say that I see anyone in this draft with that type of potential."
15. St. Louis Rams (7-8)
8 of 22
Previous ranking: 16
A fascinating note entering this weekend's game with Seattle: The Seahawks allowed 26 touchdown passes all season, and had 11 interceptions entering their game with Tampa Bay. Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman? He finished with five touchdown passes.
Got to like Sam Bradford's chance, especially after completing 71 percent of his passes and throwing for 292 yards against San Francisco.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-7)
9 of 22
Previous ranking: 10
Is Jack Del Rio on the hotseat? The Jaguars coach came out and defended his staff on Monday following their 20-17 loss to Washington.
“We are absolutely squeezing the most out of this football team," he said on the team's Web site. "We are an achieving football team. It’s not being portrayed that way but we have (achieved), despite being right in the middle of a rebuild."
Players came out and supported him in the Florida Times-Union.
"I think it’s unfair to have the coach on the hot seat,'' guard Uche Nwaneri said. "The coach can only do so much to prepare a team to play football. People think replacing the coach is an automatic solution to fixing a team’s problems. Players playing well fixes a team’s problems."
13. Indianapolis Colts (9-6)
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Previous rating: 15
Indianapolis can clinch the AFC's No. 3 seed with a win over Tennessee on Sunday, and Kansas City loss to Oakland. The Colts would also secure their ninth straight postseason appearance, which would match the all-time NFL record for consecutive postseason appearances. Dallas set the mark from 1975-83.
One other note: Indianapolis has struggled all year running the ball, and has ranked near the bottom of the league, but had 191 yards rushing against Oakland.
12. New York Giants (9-6)
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Previous rating: 7
Threw out this question with a story the other day about the worst collapses in NFL history: Would you put this Giants team in the discussion? It's pretty shocking to think this team is going to miss the playoffs. I wonder if Tom Coughlin will still keep his job, too.
"This is a team that came up small at the worst possible time," Matt Mosley of ESPN.com writes. "And when your star quarterback is throwing interceptions at an alarming rate and your head coach is grasping for answers, it seems like there could be change in the air."
He absolutely nailed it. Standing pat would not be a wise move here.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-6)
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Previous rating: 13
I saw this while scanning around the Internet, reading about the weekend's games: This is from Pro Football Weekly, "If we don't make the playoffs, it doesn't matter if we're 3-13 or whatever we are, the season is considered a failure," quarterback Josh Freeman said. "That's our mentality and that's what we're working for."
I agree with the Web site, too. This is exactly the kind of leader you want going forward.
10. New York Jets (10-5)
13 of 22
Previous rating: 11
Yes, they did lose to the Bears (who will be above them), but the Jets got some help too from losses by the Giants and Chargers.
Despite the questions I have about this team, I do agree with Rex Ryan's reversal in regards to starting Mark Sanchez this weekend. At this point, teams need as much momentum as they can entering the playoffs.
"Obviously, his health is the No. 1 priority, but the fact that he’s in such a groove right now … we’ve got to look at it as week goes on," Ryan told the New York Post. "My first thought (Sunday) was to not even play him, but we’ve got to look at honing in (for the playoffs). I’m in that fine line, because he is hot right now and we can’t afford for him to take a step back. We need him to stay at this level."
9. Kansas City Chiefs (10-5)
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Previous rating: 14
The Chiefs have clinched a playoff spot, but there's still one goal remaining with Sunday's home game against Oakland. One more win, and the Chiefs would finish perfect at Arrowhead this season.
"There are all different things that are motivation," coach Todd Haley told the Kansas City Star. "The No. 1 thing for us, our team and what we’re trying to get done is to finish this quarter strongly at home to keep that advantage in our favor.
"We’ll do some of the things we’ve been doing that have been real positives for us, which is go up (to Arrowhead) and practice, which we’ve done Friday of every home game this year. We’ll do it again Saturday. That’s the motivation we need and our guys need, and that is to finish this quarter by reaching our goal."
8. Green Bay Packers (9-6)
15 of 22
Previous rating: 8
Before I hear it from Packers fans, let's keep in mind: You beat a Giants team that was just one spot ahead of you in my last ratings. I also can't put you ahead of Chicago, either, and am not going to drop Atlanta this low. I do think the NFC playoffs though will be anyone's guess.
I do think Michael Lombardi, however, was spot on with his assessment of Green Bay.
"The Packers are the team no one wants to play if they make the postseason, especially with Aaron Rodgers under center," he writes on NFL.com. "Rodgers is amazing and he along with a defense that makes the opponent fight for every yard is a great combination come playoff time."
7. Chicago Bears (11-4)
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Previous rating: 12
It's easy to criticize Jay Cutler, and talk about how many times he gets sacked, but I'll give him plenty of credit: He finished with three touchdown passes Sunday against the Jets, an impressive feat considering New York had allowed only two touchdown passes of 20-plus yards all season. Cutler had three in one game for 20, 25 and 26 yards.
6. Baltimore Ravens (11-4)
17 of 22
Previous rating: 6
Ravens coach John Harbaugh sounded off about rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle, who was arrested recently for drunk driving. Those who are sensitive to criticism may want to head onto the next slide. Here's the entirety of what was carried in the Baltimore Sun:
"He’s got a track record for making really poor decisions," Harbaugh said Monday. "He knows that. That’s a problem."
The paper notes that it's not Kindle's first problem away from football. At Texas, he was arrested for DUI in July 2007. Two years later, there was a one-car accident and he left the scene after damaging a building.
"If he wants to achieve things in football and life, you’ve got to make good decisions and you’ve to do the right things," Harbaugh said. "You’ve got to earn that trust. He’s not off to a good start in college or the NFL right now."
5. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
18 of 22
Previous rating: 3
Laughed pretty hard when I saw the comments from Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell about the NFL postponing the game with Minnesota because of snow.
"My biggest beef is that this is part of what's happened in this country," Rendell said. "I think we've become wussies."
"We've become a nation of wusses. The Chinese are kicking our butt in everything," Rendell added. "If this was in China do you think the Chinese would have called off the game? People would have been marching down to the stadium, they would have walked and they would have been doing calculus on the way down."
I don't see what the Chinese have to do with the discussion, but I think Rendell does have a point.
4. Atlanta Falcons (12-3)
19 of 22
Previous rating: 2
I can't put it any better than how columnist Mark Bradley did in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"The Falcons tripped over their moment," he wrote of Monday night's loss to New Orleans. "This isn’t to say they can’t have moments still, but they couldn’t handle this one."
"If you’re going to be a champ, you have to show you can beat a champ. The Falcons had already taken down the reigning champs once this fall, but that was in Week 3 in the Superdome when not many people thought this team would be 12-2 on Christmas. That was a case of a rising team slipping up on an established power. Monday night was different: It was a match of peers, a prime-time convocation of two of the NFL’s finest."
3. New Orleans Saints (11-4)
20 of 22
Previous rating: 5
The situation for the Saints is simple: They can't get any worse than a fifth seed for the NFC playoffs. Chances are they will likely hit the road and face the NFC West champion, which will be either the Rams or Seahawks. New Orleans can also get the No.1 seed and home-field advantage if it beats Tampa and Atlanta loses to Carolina.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4)
21 of 22
Previous rating: 4
Players know there's plenty to play for this weekend at Cleveland. Win, and they are AFC North champs. Lose, and Baltimore beats Cincinnati, then the Ravens get the division title.
"It’s a big week," nose tackle Chris Hoke told the team's website. "Last year we went up there and got beat. We have to make sure we prepare every single moment we have. It’s going to be a tough, hard-fought game. We have to go there and take care of business. If we go there and do what we do and play Steelers football, everything will be fine."
1. New England Patriots (13-2)
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Previous rating: 1
I always do like reading transcripts of Tom Brady's weekly radio show. He always sounds off about a variety of topics. That was no different thisweek when he was asked about the MVP race.
"My feeling, as always, is the most valuable player award in a team sport, to me that doesn’t make a lot of sense," Brady said on WEEI radio. "I can understand you have a most valuable golfer or something like that. Michael Vick is a great player, and he’s the best player for that team. He fits what they do well. Peyton Manning fits what his team does well.
"Unfortunately, it’s really a quarterback award, not a lot of other great players get that recognition, which they probably should. There are so many great players in the league. You know, I guess it’s something they have to do. The only award I ever cared about is a Super Bowl ring."
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