FOOTBALL RANKINGS (WEEK 2)

September 23rd, 2011, Friday

MY Football Power Rankings
(Thru Week Two)

Not a lot of changes at the very top with both the Packers and Patriots chalking up a couple of wins, but there was a few drops in the middle with a disappointing performance from the Ravens and the Bears. Of course the Bears did have a much more difficult matchup against the Saints, but they still looked awful.

Looking over my rankings, the Rams are certainly the best looking 0-2 team, but they need more production from their running game if they are going to get in the “W” column. The Panthers are clearly the most interesting 0-2 team with Cam Newton at the helm; they could also be the most dangerous because of Newton’s incredible playmaking ability. He just needs more help from his defense (58 points in two games is too much). The Chiefs are without a doubt the worst team in the league at the moment; ineffective offense and a defense with more holes than a pair of shredded Levis from the 80s.

A couple of teams that grabbed my interest are the Titans and the Giants. With all the injuries surrounding the Giants in the tough NFC East, they along with the Cowboys look like they could be the odd men out; really the Redskins with the Eagles? Everyone seems to be conceding that with the Colts down (and likely out), the South is there for the Texans to win; what about Tennessee?

There’s a lot to follow and keep up with in the coming weeks, so who can really make heads or tails of anything? I am a far cry from one, but I offer my take on how I rank the teams through two weeks;

My Rankings (Week 2)

1. Green Bay Packers (2-0): The champs keep rolling along, although it took them a little while to get going in week two against the Panthers. The offense looks high octane, but the defense again showed a few holes in the secondary that will need to be filled.
2. New England Patriots (2-0): The Patriots handled the Chargers with relative ease last Sunday, but their secondary will be severely tested this week when they travel to face the Bills
3. NewOrleans Saints (1-1): A nice decisive win over the Bears is exactly what the Saints needed to bounce back after their week one loss to the champs.
4. New York Jets (2-0): You can try, but it seems futile to try and keep Rex and the boys out of the mix when talking about Super Bowls and the best. It was only the Jaguars, but it was still an impressive looking win.

5. San Diego Chargers (1-1): They lost to the Patriots on the road; not many teams will be able to keep it as close as the Bolts did. After the tough loss the Chargers will get a bye week with the Chiefs coming to town.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1): So much for a “Dream Team”, a tough road loss to the Falcons hurts less in the standings, than the painful experience on the field. The Eagles better find a way to protect Vick much better, or the only dream they will find is in their sleep.
7. Baltimore Ravens (1-1): There’s no question their loss on Sunday was a big oops, but before we start downgrading the Ravens let’s see how they respond. We also need to keep an eye on theTitans as well.
8. Houston Texans (2-0): They are off to a nice start, but they need to beat someone before we start believing they are the real deal; first test, this Sunday against the Saints.
9. Atlanta Falcons (1-1): The Falcons bounced back with a nice win over the “Dream Team”, so you know that deserves some merit. After their stumble in week one, the Falcons showed a little more life, but the passing game still needs work going forward.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1): It was an impressive win last Sunday with the shutout, but let’s not get carried away, it was only the Seahawks. The Steelers will have a great opportunity to continue this momentum, when they scrimmage with the Peyton-less Colts this Sunday night.
11. Dallas Cowboys (1-1): It was a nice comeback win for the Boys, but it was also a costly one. With Romo, Austin, and Bryant banged up, this is where they might peak (at least for a while).
12. Detroit Lions (2-0): It’s time to start giving the Lions some respect. It’s not about who they beat, but more about how they beat them. This team looks good and you know they are hungry.


The rest of the league

• Buffalo Bills (2-0)
• Chicago Bears (1-1)
• Washington Redskins (2-0)
• New York Giants (1-1)
• Oakland Raiders (1-1)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)
• San Francisco 49ers (1-1)
• Arizona Cardinals (1-1)
• Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)
• Cleveland Browns (1-1)

• Denver Broncos (1-1)
• Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
• Tennessee Titans (1-1)
• St. Louis Rams (0-2)
• Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
• Carolina Panthers (0-2)
• Miami Dolphins (0-2)
• Seattle Seahawks (0-2)
• Indianapolis Colts (0-2)
• Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)

TUESDAY FOOTBALL NOTES

December 28th, 2010 Tuesday

Tuesday Football notes

The Underrated Chiefs Take the West
While no one was talking about the chances of Kansas City winning the West, but rather focused and enamored with the Chargers chances the Chiefs went ahead and ended all speculation by wrapping up the division (of course the Bolts did not do themselves a favor losing in Cincinnati). The Chiefs did it in the style that has worked for them all season; a solid ground attack and a quarterback who limits his mistakes. On Sunday Matt Cassel continued his error-free play passing for over 300 yards and throwing three touchdowns with no turnovers. The Chiefs lead the NFL in rushing this season averaging 167 yards per game, while quarterback Matt Cassel has thrown 27 touchdowns this season with only five interceptions. Not a lot of people are talking about the chiefs chances, but they seem to have a very good formula that could get them very deep into the playoffs.

Brady and Patriots Seal Home Field
It was just another Sunday for the Patriots and business as usual for quarterback Tom Brady and his bunch. Facing the Buffalo Bills in week 16, their opponents were no match for the Patriots explosive offense on Sunday. The Patriots posted another 30-point effort (34 on Sunday), it was their 10th time this season scoring 30 or more points in a game and the seventh straight time. Tom Brady was brilliant once again throwing three more touchdowns in the win on Sunday to bring his league-leading season total to 34. With just four interceptions all year long Brady has been near perfect and if his defense starts to get on a roll (just three points allowed and seven turnovers on Sunday) the Patriots could be invincible.

Niners End Singletary Run in Frisco
It seemed before he even stepped off the plane coming home from St. Louis, the Niner’s head coach Mike Singletary was out of a job. After a disappointing road loss to the Rams in a game that was filled with miscues, insubordination, and more of what has put what should have been a playoff team on the outside looking in, Singletary was relieved as the head coach. It was always going to be a difficult position to hold when you consider the rich history of this organization. Singletary inherited a team that was a long way away from being what they once were and in his short tenure they just not make any significant strides closer to being what they had hoped they could be. Singletary was 18-22 as the head coach and perhaps his biggest mistake was most evident down the stretch; he stayed with Alex Smith longer than he should and in the most important game of the season he went to a well (A. Smith) that had dried up long ago.

The Notable Injuries from Week 16

Perhaps the biggest injury news coming out of week 16 has to be the limping Michael Vick against the Minnesota Vikings in the first Tuesday football game since the 1940’s. Down the stretch of the Eagles week 16 loss, Vick was seen limping noticeably as he tried to lead the Eagles back late in the 4th quarter. His status remains in the air for week 17 since the Eagles have the division all locked up.

The Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (ankle) could miss practice all week according to some reports. Johnson has by far been the team’s biggest threat in the passing game all season and with the team riding a three-game winning streak there’s no question they would like him available on Sunday. The “no practice all week” move could just be a more cautious approach or if it’s because of the severity of the ankle injury his availability could very much be in question. His status will be better known later in the week as more reports surface.

In Monday night’s tussle with the Atlanta Falcons the Saints running back Reggie Bush left the game early with a shoulder injury. X-rays on Bush’s collarbone taken on Tuesday revealed a strained SC joint, something that it is believed he would be able to play with according to the NFL Network. With the number one seed still within grasp, it would be hard to imagine Bush not being out there on Sunday, if he’s healthy enough.

By David Ortega

FRIDAY FOOTBALL FIXX

December 17th, 2010 Friday

Friday’s Football Fixx

Chiefs Hanging On By A Cassel

The Kansas City Chiefs have been riding in first place since week one, but with the Chargers coming on lately their stronghold could be in jeopardy. Last week the Chiefs suffered a major let down against the Chargers without the services of quarterback Matt Cassel (appendectomy). They could be facing the same prospect this week on the road against the Rams, as Cassel is officially listed as a game-time decision. There is a glimpse of hope for Chiefs fans though, according to ESPN Cassel practiced Friday and was able to make some throws with “more velocity.” Although his status won’t be known until Sunday, it does sound like there is a good possibility he could start. Without Cassel, the Chiefs (2-5 on the road) will be hard pressed to sneak out a win in St. Louis; something they can’t afford with the Chargers breathing down their necks.

Fading Jets Face Another Big Test

After losing two straight, the Jets (9-4) find themselves in a difficult spot having to travel to Pittsburgh to face another big test. Two weeks ago on Monday night against the Patriots, the Jets failed miserably in their first big test. This week against one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses (15.2 points allowed/ranked 2nd), the Jets struggling offense is going to have to find some answers quick. The Jets offense has not scored a touchdown in its’ last eight quarters and the Steelers defense has only allowed three in its’ last four games. Quarterback Mark Sanchez has been a big source of the offenses struggles; he’s only completing 44 percent of his passes and no touchdowns in his last two starts. If Sanchez and the Jets (5 turnovers in their last two games) don’t get things cleaned up quick, another loss could leave them on the wrong side of the playoff picture.

Colts Season Could Come Down to Sunday

The struggling Colts got back into the win column last Thursday against the Titans, but even with the win they are still looking in from the outside at the playoff picture. Over the past several weeks quarterback Peyton Manning has had his struggles with interceptions (11 in three games), but last week he bounced back throwing two touchdowns and NO interceptions. The win last week broke a three game slide by the Colts and now sets up a huge rematch with the Jaguars on Sunday. The Colts dropped their first meeting on the road with Jacksonville back in week four, but this week they meet at Lucas Oil Field. Manning has typically had success at home against the Jaguars (4-1 in his last five starts at home against the Jags), but they have typically been close matches. At 7-6 and a game back of Jacksonville, Peyton Manning and the Colts can ill-afford to lose this one.

Just my views.

By David Ortega

MY POWER RANKINGS (WK 3)

October 1st, 2010, Friday

MY NFL Team Power Rankings
(Week Three)


Here’s this week’s look at my top 10; not a lot of changes from a week ago. The Falcons creep into the top 10 at number eight with an impressive road win over the Saints. Sure they beat the Saints, but let’s not forget Hartley’s missed field goal that should have ended the game. Nonetheless, the Falcons scoot and the Saints drop. The Packers also fell on Monday night to what is starting to look like a strong Bears team. With Da Bears, the Steelers and Chiefs also remained undefeated with impressive wins last weekend. The Colts and Saints do not look quite as dominant as they did a year ago, but then again when we look at our top 10 here, everything really isn’t quite what is appears.


Here’s how they rank;

Top 10

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0): Without Big Ben, the Steelers look like they just might be cut above the rest. A bruising ground game and punishing defense, sounds like the familiar ingredients to a championship recipe.
2. Chicago Bears (3-0): The Bears made huge strides on Monday night with a big home win over their divisional rivals, but this season still has a long way to go. Let’s not start hanging any championship banners, they still have to travel to Minnesota and Lambeau.
3. Green Bay Packers (2-1): The Packers did everything to give Monday night’s matchup away except hand the game over on a silver platter. Regardless of how much talent Green bay has, they will never overcome two turnovers, 18 penalties, and surrendering a punt return for six.
4. New Orleans Saints (2-1): The Saints have been walking the tight wire all season, averaging just 21 points per game and forcing a mere five turnovers in three games. Last season the Saints averaged over 30 points per game and recorded 39 takeaways; not quite the same as a year ago.
5. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0): It’s hard to just on this band wagon just yet, with two wins over the Browns (0-3) and the sinking Niners (0-3) that’s not saying a lot. They do have their season opening Monday win over the Chargers, but San Diego is not looking like much right now either. We’ll have to wait and see how the Chiefs do when they hit the road.
6. Indianapolis Colts (2-1): The Colts have officially rebounded from their week one embarrassing 34-24 loss to the Texans, with back-to-back strong performances for victory. In their last two wins, Manning and company have outscored their opponents 65-27.
7. New York Jets (2-1): The Jets have now got their ships flying straight with another strong division win this past Sunday. Led by the Sanchise, the Jets handled the Dolphins last Sunday night and looked strong in doing so; a huge improvement from week one.
8.Atlanta Falcons (2-1): The Falcons and their quarterback Matt Ryan just keep showing everyone why they are a team to reckon with. Their only loss this season came on the road and at the hands of the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers and they only mustered three field goals in that game. Since week one, they have scored 68 points, including eight touchdowns.
9. Miami Dolphins (2-1): Despite the loss at the hands of the Jets, Tony Sparano has his troops playing and acting like winners. They look strong on both sides of the ball and they will continue to get better as the season progresses. The AFC East is far from being decided.
10. Houston Texans (2-1): The Texans suffered a tough loss last week to a winless Cowboys team, but a team that was much better than their 0-2 record. The loss exposed a few chinks in the Texans armor; a poor pass defense (ranked last in the league), no pass rush, and poor pass protection (11 sacks allowed this season).




The Rest of the league

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
• New England Patriots (2-1)
• Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
• Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
• Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
• Tennessee Titans (2-1)
• Minnesota Vikings (1-2)
• Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
• Seattle Seahawks (2-1)
• Arizona Cardinals (2-1)
• San Diego Chargers (1-2)
• Washington Redskins (1-2)
• Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)
• Denver Broncos (1-2)
• Oakland Raiders (1-2)
• New York Giants (1-2)
• St. Louis Rams (1-2)
• San Francisco 49ers (0-3)
• Carolina Panthers (0-3)
• Detroit Lions (0-3)
• Cleveland Browns (0-3)
• Buffalo Bills (0-3)