NFL Season is up and coming. Updated my power rankings but didn’t change any insight. Updates are as follows:

32.Cleveland Browns: The problem with the Browns is they can’t seem to get a good coach. They had Romeo Crennel last year and somehow they downgraded to Eric Mangini! With their lack of a running game, a poor defense, and an improved division, I see the Browns being worse than last year. It will just be too much pressure for whoever is playing quarterback.

7/5 Update: I changed them due to the division and schedule they will play in.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: The media and fans are going to find out how good Matt Cassel really is. Obviously with me putting Kansas City here means I don’t think he is very good. Honestly, I think they would have been better off with Tyler Thigpen at quarterback. The loss of Tony Gonzalez and the drafting of Tyson Jackson is all the more reason I think the Chiefs will compete for that #1 draft pick next year.

30. Oakland Raiders: Al Davis continues to ruin the Oakland franchise. Darius Heyward-Bey before Michael Crabtree? I don’t get it. I guess Tom Cable will probably get fired after this year because Al is expecting a Super Bowl. I could honestly see the Raiders being the worst team in football, but their division is pretty weak with the Chiefs, Raiders, and Broncos all in the same division. Somebody’s gotta win those games right?

29. Detroit Lions: The Lions got the face of their franchise in Matt Stafford, and even got a LT in Jansen. I think the Lions could do better than expected this year.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This was a toss-up between the Rams and the Bucs, but I chose the Bucs because of the schedule they play. They play the NFC East, plus play in one of the toughest division in football. They reloaded their entire roster with young players that need to develop. They have a new coaching staff and management. They will be a good franchise in a couple of years but they just need some time to develop.

27. St. Louis Rams: The Rams had a good off-season besides getting rid of Tory Holt. They filled needs in the draft and once that they fix the defense and develop their young players they should return to being a playoff contender. One more year of drafting high should help this team. Plus, playing the NFC West always helps.

26. Denver Broncos: Wow.  The Broncos had quite possibly the worst off-season of any team ever in the history of the NFL. They traded away Jay Cutler. They signed free agents that made no sense. And they traded away Jay Cutler (I know I said it twice, its worth mentioning twice). Once again these teams could be the worst teams in the NFL, but they play each other twice and they aren’t all going to be ties.

25. Buffalo Bills: When I first saw the Bills acquire Terrell Owens I figured them as a sleeper. But soon after they completely killed any hope of that by having one of the worst drafts. They traded away a very solid LT in Jason Peters, passed on Orakpo (in my opinion the best NFL ready DE in the draft) for Aaron Maybin (who will need time to develop at only 20 years old), and Marshawn Lynch is suspended for the first 4 games of the year. Combine that with a very tough schedule and I just don’t see this team doing very well. Sorry Buffalo fans, you may want to prepare for the move to Canada.

24. San Fransisco 49ers: I do understand how good of a job Mike Singletary did last year, but the NFC West got better this past season. Plus, the 49ers’ quarterback is Shaun Hill. If they can somehow find a equal balance of just the right amount of touches for Frank Gore and Shaun Hill, I think this team could do well. Only problem is the fact that they also play the AFC South in which they could lose all 4 of those games.

23. Washington Redskins: The Redskins win the prize for “stupidest and most expensive” off-season acquisition of the year by picking up Albert Haynesworth. Daniel Snyder continues to turn into his role models of Jerry Jones and Al Davis, but without the Super Bowl rings. But, he did have a top 5 talent in the draft fall into his lap at 13 and didn’t screw it up. I guess he isn’t all that bad yet. The Redskins just don’t scare me offensively and I think Haynesworth will miss some games causing that defense to fall apart too. Playing a tough schedule will not help that cause.

22. Tennessee Titans: From Haynesworth’s current team to his previous. I really don’t think the Titans will be that good because of their increased strength of schedule and that Kerry Collins is 36. We all saw the way the Titans defense played without Haynesworth, so Jeff Fisher and co. better have a good idea of how to shore that up. The AFC South is a much improved division and I think the Titans finish in the bottom of it.

21. NY Jets: I do think the Jets will be good in a couple of years behind that good offensive line and the defensive mind of Rex Ryan, but just not this year. I think they will be really good at times, and really bad at others. If they can continue to run the football and get solid production from Mark Sanchez, this could be a totally different story. I just think Sanchez needs a year or two to develop before he makes a difference.

20.Miami Dolphins: I just think the Dolphins will return to mediocrity this year. I mean Chad Pennington is their quarterback! Plus I’m seeing Ronnie Brown probably getting hurt this year and their pass defense is still a little shaky until they prove me otherwise. I see the Patriots dominating this division again like they did the last time Tom Brady was healthy.

19. Green Bay Packers: If the Packers weren’t switching defenses, I’d move them up a lot higher than this. But switching defenses (even though they did amazing in the draft) will take more than 1 year to be successful. Aaron Rodgers and that offense will win them games, but I just don’t know how many without that defense not holding onto the leads it gives them.

18. Cincinnati Bengals: If Andre Smith can perform like he was originally projected to do, I think the Bengals could be a nice sleeper team this year. Only problem is that Cedric Benson is their starting running back. Their defense is very underrated and if Carson Palmer can come back and be injury free, this team could make a sleeper run to the playoffs.

17. Dallas Cowboys: The only way the Cowboys are this good is if they run the football. They have a very lazy offensive line that only likes to run block and an offensive coordinator that likes to pass the ball. Well if the offensive coordinator can realize that he has 3 very good running backs behind that physical line, the Cowboys could do very well. I’m betting Jerry Jones interferes and demands them to pass it to his new man-crush, Miles Austin.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars: Just want to let everyone know that we are know entering the “Teams that can Make the Playoffs” section of my Power Rankings. Any team from here on out I believe has a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. Anyways, the Jaguars  upgraded their offensive line in a huge way and replaced Matt Jones with Tory Holt. I’d say that is a nice upgrade for them. David Garrard will have time to throw the football and be effective again, MJD will be able to torment defenses, but their defense concerns me. If they can work out their secondary somehow, they should be in good shape to make the playoffs.

15. New Orleans Saints: Same story, different year. The Saints have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL but until they somehow get some defense, they will continue to not win a Super Bowl. Drew Brees is coming off a huge year and with the emergence of Pierre Thomas, I think the Saints could possibly win the NFC South. They need to have their defense step up though.

14. Chicago Bears: The Bears did everything they could in the off-season to get better. The key to being a playoff border team and winning their division and being one of the best in the NFC is Orlando Pace. If Pace can stay healthy, the Bears should be successful. But I really think Jay Cutler will struggle because he won’t have talent surrounding him in Chicago like he did in Denver. Plus, Ron Turner is calling the plays for the Bears. They also have questions in their secondary as well.

13. Minnesota Vikings: The only difference between the Vikings and the Bears I could see was their defense. The Vikings defense is very good, and they have a very effective offensive with Adrian Peterson. The Bears I haven’t seen yet, so I can’t really judge how Jay Cutler will do. I think if the Vikings either a) get Brett Favre, or b) start Sage Rosenfels, they will do better than last year.

12. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals went out and drafted Beanie Wells to help out their running game and I thought that was very smart. Relying on a 38 year old’s arm right after a contract extension could be fatal. Now that they can control the ball more with Wells and Hightower running it, it will open up looks for Fitzgerald, Boldin (unless he is traded), and Breaston. Remember though, teams who lose in the Super Bowl usually struggle the following year.

11. Carolina Panthers: I dropped the Panthers solely on the belief that Julius Peppers won’t be there. If he is there, they are a top 7 team. But as long as Jake Delhomme is the quarterback, I can’t put my faith in this team. I do think they will run the ball more with Jonathon Stewart getting more of the carries this year. Their offensive line is still very good.

10. Seattle Seahawks: This team could be scary because that they weren’t really that bad last year because of talent. They were bad last year due to injuries. Now that they have TJ Housmanzadeh, Aaron Curry, and a healthy Matt Hasselbeck, they should be ready to make a run this year. They all know their window is closing soon and they should make a run now.

9. Houston Texans: The Texans seem to be making better and better moves every year. Last year they stole Steve Slaton. This year they had a very good draft addressing the defense and the offensive line. If they can keep Matt Schaub healthy, they will be a very explosive offense combined with a very underrated defense. This team has all the makings of a playoff run.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Just to let you all know, we have now entered the “Can win the Super Bowl” section of these Power Rankings. The Falcons greatly improved by acquiring their biggest need at tight end with quite possibly the best tight end to ever play. Plus, he is determined and wanting a Super Bowl ring. Giving Matt Ryan another weapon is just another reason this team could win the Super Bowl. As long as the Falcons don’t  overuse Michael Turner, I think the Falcons could be very dangerous.

7. Indianapolis Colts: Picking these last few spots is very hard. I took the Colts here because their division is probably the toughest top to bottom. Plus with a new coaching change and the loss of Peyton’s favorite target Marvin Harrison could lead to some timing issues. The Colts had a very good draft and I see them being able to make a run for the Super Bowl (pretty much like every year).

6. Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens practically stole Michael Oher at the #23 spot, thanks to the all of the general managers that don’t know how to draft. It is funny that the same teams are consistently in the hunt for the playoffs and the same teams are always drafting in the top 10. Poor management leads to that. The Ravens lost their defensive coordinator but helped their offensive line and kept the core of their defense intact. This team doesn’t have a ceiling if Joe Flacco plays well.

5. Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles were also another team that made great moves in the off-season and in the draft. This team upgraded at almost every need offensively and barring the health of their defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson, will always have a good defense. This team could easily win their division and conference but there is always Andy Reid to screw things up. It isn’t his fault he thinks about food more than football…

4. San Diego Chargers: It is pretty sad when you look at LT as a fantasy sleeper when he is still getting drafted in the top 10. This team stormed into the playoffs last year and get their defensive leader back in Shawne Merriman this year. I think this team could end up with the best record in the NFL due to the rest of their division completely forgetting how to manage a football team. This could finally be their year.

3. New England Patriots: What a difference Tom Brady makes. If Tom Brady is healthy, the Patriots are one of the top 3 teams in the NFL. But if he isn’t, I don’t know where that leaves them. The Patriots have upgraded their defense with veterans and even acquired Fred Taylor to help the run game. I see this team completely destroying their division again if Brady is healthy. I can’t put them above the Steelers because the Steelers are the champions and haven’t downgraded at any major positions.

2. NY Giants: The Giants could have been completely satisfied with their roster, but instead went out and acquired more depth for their already deep team. If they can somehow get an elite WR, this team will be scary good. If one of the two rookie WRs performs well, this team will be very good and ready to make that Super Bowl run.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers: Like I mentioned above, I can’t put anyone above the Steelers until they prove me wrong. I’ve always judged power rankings this way, and I always will. The Steelers had a great draft and didn’t lose anyone that wasn’t replaceable. A match-up I’d love to see is their defense v. the Patriots offense. It would truly be something fun to watch. Maybe we will get to see it this year?

Don’t agree with something? Leave a comment on how you feel!

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