DD's Power Rankings, Pre-Week 4

[DiamondDave]

Well... 3 weeks down in the season, and things are shaking out a bit more. Ratings will still be volatile, as it is in every early season. Who knows how many more big gainers and big droppers we'll see after the week 4 games??!?? Take a look and if you disagree, post your rankings and tell us about it....

1) Patriots - 3-0 and rolling steady. Their average per game is right at the total # of points they have given up in all 3 games. Tough tests ahead, but right now they look more impressive than anyone.
2) Colts - 3-0 and winning some close games. Closer games than what they should have been. The offense is not really firing on all cylinders, but we all know that will change.
3) Cowboys - 3-0 and showing that they may be this year's offensive juggernaut. The Big Tuna looks to have been spot on about Romo. Now Owens comes out and says he is helping 'coach' Romo. Is that a good or a bad thing?
4) Steelers - 3-0 and the defensive rock to Dallas' offensive force. Efficiency at QB, solid power running, and stifling defense. Better than I thought they would be so far.
5) Packers - 3-0... I know, I know, I know. I cannot believe I have them here either. But not only is Favre looking good forcefully willing this offense to produce, but the defense is not bad either. We'll see how far they can go without a true running game though.
6) Texans - 2-1. Losing and moving UP??!!?? Yep... Played VERY tough without Johnson, which was impressive. Shaub threw the INTs, but his completion% was great with more limited weapons. The defense faired well against Indy. Anyone else realize the AFCS has only lost inside their division?
7) Ravens - 2-1 and winning UGLY. This was going to be an impressive win until they somehow let the Cardinals back into the game late. Billick must reassess how he handles the offense with a big lead and hope teams don't take offensive tips out of how former MVP Warner pwned the vaunted Ravens D.
8) Titans - 2-1. Still not a lot of offensive yards, but the defense is looking good. The defense sealed the game but you can almost see leadership and guts oozing out of Vince Young.
9) Panthers - 2-1. Yes, I know it was only a win against the horrible Falcons but the running game looks to be able to do better and that means there is something else to rely on on offense besides Steve Smith. They rush the ball 35 times and keep an advantage in TOP, and they will generally win, even if they let Harrington pass for more than 300.
10) Seahawks - 2-1 while beating a Cincy team that was expected to be and do better. Their last minute heroics by Hass move them up the board. Now they have to find a way to not have their opposition outgain them and prevent the need for the last minute come-from-behind victory at home.
11) Jaguars - 2-1 and in showing how impressive the AFCS is, all 4 teams I have in the top 11 at this point. They finally scored some points, but 12 rushes by Gerrard is not the way they are going to get it done in the future. Holding DEN to less than 300 total yards and forcing them to go away from their strength (running behind that O-Line) shows they were able to dictate the flow of the game.
12) Broncos - 2-1. The highest ranked team on my list to actually drop from a higher standing. Leading the AFCW, surprisingly at this point, even without very impressive performances. No Elam K to seal a victory for them this past week. Travis Henry needs the ball 20-25 times a game, or they will continue to drop.
13) 49ers - 2-1 and I cannot really drop them much lower. The offense is still sputtering like an 82 year old with emphysema on top of mesothelioma, but this past week they had a bit more of an excuse against the powerful PIT defense. As Gore goes, so goes this team. And if Gore gets held under 100, odds are this team is going to lose.
14) Bears - 1-2 and dropping like Marvis Frazier against Mike Tyson. The problem seems to be centered around 1 thing, Rexie. Is it time to pull the plug? Not according to the leadership of this team. If they are determined to live and die by Rexie, they may want to invest in a tombstone now.
15) Bucs - 2-1 and where the hell did this defense come from? They're not going to cause many lights to burn out on the left side of their score total on the scoreboard, but if the defense keeps up they will be in a lot of games. They have to be marked on the schedule now as a team that is not going to be an pushover.
16) Redskins - 2-1 but if you lose to the Giants, you have to drop. In the past, Gibbs used to be the one to make great second half adjustments. Now opponents seem to be the ones who are able to adjust to Gibbs and control after intermission.
17) Chargers - 1-2 and looking as bad this year as they looked good last year. It is not the talent or the will of the players. IMHO it falls on Norv. The offense may be about the same in the playbook, but Norv's playbook seems to read more like Curious George than a masterful playbook.
18) Lions - 2-1 and the lowest of the 2-1 teams, just as they were the lowest of the 2-0 teams last week. Also the 2nd 2-1 team who is being outscored in total points so far this year, much of that because of the Eagles opening a case of airborne whoop-ass. Maybe they were blinded by the yellow jerseys. If so they better hope that trend does not continue when they face GB.
19) Eagles - 1-2 thanks to the complete collapse of Detroit's defense and running game. McNabb came back on a mission after his complaining earlier in the week. He needs that fire if this team is going to continue to rebound.
20) Jets - 1-2 after winning in an unimpressive fashion against a Miami team that should have taken that game (it just appeared like they did not want it).
21) Bengals - 1-2 in a loss to SEA. Offense is still there but the defense that looked so impressive against the Ravens has suddenly remembered that they really are the Bengals defense and not very good. They do not improve until that defense does, and we're talking overall defense (just making turnovers are not going to cut it for this defense)
22) Cardinals - 1-2 and actually impressive late against the Ravens. But that was with Warner and not Leinart. Leinart looked like a scared trick-or-treater and not an NFL QB. Their not going to be able to count on Warner in the long run, so Matty better take some coaching from Kurt as to what he was doing that was so successful.
23) Giants - 1-2 and made sure their season was not done after week 3 (which is what it would have been with a loss to the Skins). This was a different team in the second half and that team must emerge again if they are to win more games in the future. They have a solid find in Ward at RB. IMHO one to watch for the rest of the season.
24) Raiders - 1-2, well well well. Granted it was a battle between 2 teams that will battle again to see who gets a higher draft pick, but the defense did show well against an offense in CLE that thought it was about to really emerge.
25) Chiefs - 1-2 Who would have thought with this team, that the defense would be the better squad? Watch Johnson be the first round fantasy player that fantasy teams can't give away in a trade. Maybe working like a 9 year old boy in a Chinese Nike factory last season, in combination with no training camp was not such a good idea there Larry. Now the horrible passing game can't open up even a little. If not for Gonzalez, this team would be as airborne as a mole.
26) Browns - 1-2, losing and staying put in the rankings? Well.. .not really staying put, just happen to be the beneficiary of other teams showing more bad than they are. Does this team have to have Lewis run for 200 to get a win? They better hope not.
27) Vikings - 1-2 The defense is good, but I said that last week. However, it is about the only positive thing we can say about this team. Well, besides the great job they did drafting Peterson. But with no other help from an offense that looks more like one from a local high school than an NFL team, his magic could disappear when every team puts 8 and 9 in the box against him.
28) Saints - 0-3 but I have to make them the top 0-3 team because of that talent, right? Or should I have thought the other way and made them the lowest because they are still losing with all that talent. Was the deal with the devil that was made last year only a 1 year thing?
29) Rams - 0-3. How the hell can this team be held under 150 yards passing with Bulger, Holt, Bruce, and Jackson? Not to mention 3 damn points? I give credit to an improved TB defense, but that is not the whole story. There is something seriously wrong that needs to be fixed ASAP with this team's offensive playcalling.
30) Dolphins - 0-3 and this week it just looked like they had no will to win. Ronnie Brown ran for 100 and received for 99, but seemed about as eager and enthused about it as a coma patient on his birthday. This team needs a spark to catch, but I guess that is hard to do with having a water mascot
31) Bills - 0-3 and the Buffalo stadium is looking into converting a couple of snack stands into vomitoriums. I thought the Vikings offense was bad, but this may be the worst offense in the league. Is it coincidence that maybe the 2 worst offenses have the 2 most talented rookie RB's? Are they both just too reliant on on those 2 rookies?
32) Falcons - 0-3 and as a positive you could say Harrington looked alive. Possibly because he needs to show something with the Leftwich signing. The rest of the team looks like they have already been read their last rights.

[DiamondDave]

Yahoo's rankings are out
NFL power poll: Look at the Packers go - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Notable differences Yahoo has:
BAL above GB at #5
JAX and DEN above SEA