2011 NFL Awesome Rankings: #1

I tried not to jump the gun and start ranking teams right out of the gate.  I DID do a pre-season ranking and am noticing some BIG TIME problems with it.  Haha, of course, I thought Peyton Manning was going to play ok?  DON’T JUDGE ME!  Now that week four is complete, we are starting to get an idea of who the top teams in the NFL are.  Here is the first JWSBNAR of the year:

1.  Green Bay Packers (4-0):  Yesterday before I wrote this blog, the Pack would have been #1, but Aaron Rodgers decided to go NUTS and score my fantasy team 50+ points.  They are good, kind of like Neo after he found out he was “The One” on the Matrix.  They struggled into the playoffs last year, this year they are the elite team in the NFL.

2.  Detroit Lions (4-0):  I wouldn’t have ranked this team this high last week, but the last two weeks this team has shown the ability to come back from huge deficits.  Thats good, and bad.  Why the big deficits?  The offense doesn’t run the ball that well, but Calvin Johnson makes up for that with his complete badass-ness.  November 24th they take on the #1 Packers, cue Bart Scott (CANT WAIT!).

3.  New England Patriots (3-1):   The loss against the Bills was tough, but this team is definitely a playoff favorite.  Tom Brady is playing lights out, but the defense is a major concern, especially since Jerod Mayo may be out awhile.  If they can keep scoring a lot, they should be fine….but it could be rocky.

4.  New Orleans Saints (3-1):  Quietly having a great season.  The offense, as usual is high scoring and fun to watch.  The key, like it was when they won it all in 2009, is the defense.  They are ranked in the middle of the pack in the major categories, which needs to improve.

5.  Baltimore Ravens (3-1):  What a COMPLETE destruction of the Jets in week four.  The “old” defense scored three td’s and made Mark Sanchez look like a rag doll.  Ray Rice might be the most complete back in the league right now, he does it all.

6.  Houston Texans  (3-1):  Sneaking in just before the beat up Chargers.  The Texans are the favorite to win the AFC South, and are very glad Arian Foster is back.  His 100+ yards against the Steelers was a site for sore Texan eyes.  Houston will have to see how Andre Johnson is after he hurt his hammy this past weekend.

7.  San Diego Chargers  (3-1):  Usually this team is 1-3 in September/October and then gets better in December, but this time its a little different.  Philip Rivers hasn’t been the league MVP like many thought he would numbers wise, but he has been a huge part of his teams early success.  Mike Tolbert and Ryan Matthews have been a great 1-2 punch as well.  Once again, the defense is a top 10 unit.

8.  Tennessee Titans (3-1):  Surprise team of the year so far.  Chris Johnson hasn’t been great, yet, but Matt Hasselbeck has been quite the addition to the Titan offense.  Oh, and remember when the Titans defense was one of the best in the league?  Well, they’re back.

9.  Buffalo Bills (3-1):  I enjoy a good cinderella story just like everyone else, but this team COULD be on borrowed time.  Ryan Fitzpatrick is very early MVP candidate, and the defense has been very  opportunistic.  Tough schedule left, let’s see how they handle it.

10.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1):  The game wasn’t pretty this week against the lowly Colts, but I was impressed with Legarrette Blount.  Dude is big, fast, and mean as a badger.  He is definitely the “best player in the league who once punched a Boise State player on national t.v.”  Josh Freeman is a gamer too.

Just Missed:  Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders

The Bottom Four:
Indianapolis Colts:  Wow, Peyton Manning really IS that good.
Minnesota Vikings:  I thought Donovan McNabb was going to be ok with them this year, I was wrong…so far.
St. Louis Rams:  Sam Bradford is having a bad sophomore campaign.
Miami Dolphins:  Do you think they STILL want Kyle Orton?  They need a defense…ANY defense.