Seth Maberry
11/17/08
"NFL Power Rankings: Week 11"
1. Tenneessee Titans- They beat an underachieving Jacksonville team on Sunday. Very loseable game next week against the red hot Jets. However, the game is in Nashville. It will be interesting to see just how good the Titans are.
2. New York Giants- They are looking very dominant. They faced a team in Baltimore who was on a roll, and shut them down. Their defense and offense are playing at the highest level right now. Easily the best team in the NFC...and maybe the NFL.
3. Carolina Panthers- They beat the NFL's doormat Sunday, now it gets tough. Two out of their next three are against division opponents (Atlanta this coming weekend, and Tampa Bay in three). They are good, but how good? We're about to find out.
4. Arizona Cardinals- I keep saying that I'm a big believer in the Arizona Cardinals. Old man QB Kurt Warner is having a heck of a comeback year, putting up MVP type numbers. There was an SI article written the other day about Warner's HOF chances. Can they ride this to a deep playoff run?
5. New York Jets- Gettins some revenge on the Patriots in Foxborough Thursday made me think they were good enough to jump Pittsburgh, at least for this week. Big test next week @ unbeaten Tennessee.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers- In a snowy Heinz Field, the Steelers gutted out an 11-10 win over San Diego. Pittsburgh has a chance to prove where they rank among the AFC's best when they play New England in a couple of weeks followed by a tricky game with Dallas.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Solid win over Minnesota Sunday. They have an easy game with Lions followed by a game with the Saints, then it's the showdown with Carolina, presumably to see who will win the NFC South.
8. Indianapolis Colts- The Colts contiuned their upward climb with a victory over the Texans. It was closer then it probably should've been, but thats ok. The Colts have caught fire after their slow start. It may be too late to catch Tennessee, but they are still in the middle of the wild card hunt.
9. New England Patriots- The Pat's played a tough game with New York on Thursday (I hate the NFL Network). I still think that even without Tom Brady they are among the AFC's elite. Next week they can get some revenge when the play the Dolphins in Miami.
10. Dallas Cowboys- I had these guys at 16th last week. Is this to much of a jump for a team that was sliding and only won one game to right the ship? Perhaps, but this was a good win on the road against their arch-rival Redskins. Maybe Tony Romo is that important.
11. Denver Broncos- Another team that jumped up in my oh- so important rankings. Back to back wins has to mean something though. At 6-4, they are starting to pull away in the piss-poor AFC West.
12. Washington Redskins- The Skin's took a tough loss to Dallas Sunday night. However, they are still 6-4, and still playing in a tough division. I think they are still a good team.
13. Miami Dolphins- THE DOLPHINS! The team that just one year ago went 1-15 finds themselves at 6-4 and second (they have the tiebreak with the Pat's) in the AFC East. They get the Pats at home this weekend. New England is better now, so this will be a benchmark of where they are at.
14.
Seth Maberry
11/10/08
"NFL Power Rankings: Week 10"
1. Tennessee Titans- It was close against Chicago, but good teams find a way to get it done. The defense was again spectacular, and the offense was able to do just enought to get it done.
2. New York Giants- Solid win on the road in Philly Sunday night. The Eagles gave it a good effort, but New York is just plain good. The next three weeks aren't any easier with games against Baltimore, Arizona and Washington. However, New York is good enough to go through it pretty good.
3. Carolina Panthers- They beat a bad team Sunday in Oakland, but Carolina has played well all year. At 7-2, they are in control of the NFC South.
4. Arizona Cardinals- Perhaps I'm to high on the Cardinals, but I just think they are a legit good team. They did struggle to beat a terrible 49ers team Monday night, but have still been explosive on offense, and the "d" came up big at times. If they can eliminate the mistakes and penalties, they should be fine.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers- They are still one of the top tier teams in the AFC, they just happened to run into a pretty hot Colts club. They should easily make their way into the playoffs.
6. New York Jets- Boy, the Jets sure rocketed up these rankings. After a so-so start, they have really began to put it together. They are now tied with the Patriots atop the AFC East standings. The upcoming game with the Pats will be huge.
7. Washington Redskins- No sense punishing a team for not playing, even if it was a bye week after a tough loss. The big rivalry game is next week against Dallas.
8. New England Patriots- The Pats knocked the Bills out of a tie for the AFC East lead, and sit tied with New York. As I said earlier, the ball game with the Jets will go a long way in who wins this division.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- At 6-3, the Bucs are tied for second in a division that is giving the NFC East a run for their money as far as talent is concerned. This team is very good and plays hard. They should be right in the thick of it the entire second half.
10. Baltimore Ravens- Rookie QB Joe Flacco and the Ravens continue to impress. They are now tied with the Steelers for the division lead. The defnese continues to impress and the offense is really beginning to play VERY well.
11. Atlanta Falcons- They showed Sunday that they have no intention of folding in the second half. Another team led by a rookie QB, Atlanta has been playing at a very high level. The NFC south race is going to be very interesting.
12. Chicago Bears- The Bears lossed Sunday, but played well against a very good team (Tennessee). This may be a steep drop for this team, but at 5-4, they've been inconsistent like most of the NFC north.
13. Indianapolis Colts- Indy is starting to put it together posting back to back wins over quality teams like New England and Pittsburg. Their next three football games are very winnable, and that should get them right back into playoff and even division contention.
14. Philadelphia Eagles- Again, this could be a steep drop for a team that lost to a good team on Sunday. They had multiple chances to win but just couldn't quite get over the hump. However, they are still a good team. The NFC East is going to beat each other up, and its going to be a matter of which team can stay out of the cellar and be right there for a wildcard spot.
15. Minnesota Vikings- Big win over the Packers on Sunday to pull them into a tie with Chicago. Novmeber 30 they play the Bears. A team that started with playoff aspirations, but then crashed has now found a way to battle right back into it.
16. Dallas Cowboys- Again, no punishment for not playing. A win Sunday against the Redskins will go along way in seeing just how serious the Cowboys are about getting out of this funk and getting back into the playoff race.
17. Buffalo Bills- Consecutive losses have knocked the Bills into third in the AFC East. The losses have also proved that Buffalo has a little ways to go if they want to compete for a whole season at the top.
18. Miami Dolphins- The difference between this years team and last years is like night and day. At 5-4, they are only ONE game out of first in the East. No one thought they would be this good. The schedule still lends itself to winning the next couple of weeks.
19. Denver Broncos- They looked a little better to the small audience they played for, since the game was on the lovely NFL network. However, defensive struggles still loom large. The Chargers are creeping up.
20. San Diego Chargers- Could San Diego be starting to get it together? I'm still not sure, because while Sunday's win over the Chiefs was a win, it was ugly. It took them stopping a two-point conversion to beat a sorry team. However, in a terribly weak division, they are still in it.
21. Green Bay Packers- The Pack are sliding. The loss to the Vikings wasn't good as far as the division race is concerned. I still think they can be a playoff team, but they are going to have to work out some issues in the coming weeks.
22. New Orleans Saints- The Saints took it on the chin at division rival Atlanta Sunday. They still have a good offense, but with injuries piling up that may not last. They need to get back on track, and suddenly Sunday's trip to Arrowhead doesn't look like a cake walk anymore.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars- The Jag's won, but big whoop. It was against the Lions. However, the road doesn't look easy ahead, as they play Tennessee next week. It's been tough so far for a team with playoff hopes...
24. Cleveland Browns- Hello Brady Quinn. He looked better then Derek Anderson did in a losing effort Thursday. Perhaps, just maybe, Cleveland may be on the up slope.
25. Houston Texans- This team was supposed to be better this year, yet here the sit 3-6. That was a tough loss to the Ravens, in which they gave up 41 points. It's time to start looking ahead to next season.
26. Seattle Seahawks- I give them the benefit of the doubt, because they have QB Matt Hasselback returning next Sunday. If this team can begin to get healthy, they may have a lot to say about the NFC playoff picture...not that they'll get in, but as far as what they do to other teams.
27. San Francisco 49ers- They played one of their better games of the year against Arizona on Monday. If they can show that kind of fight and grit all season, Mike Singletary may have a job permanently, that is if he can keep his clothes on.
28. Kansas City Chiefs- I know they are 1-8, and a couple other teams ranked below them have slightly better records, but the Chiefs last three games have showed promise. They will win again this season.
29. St. Louis Rams- Well, the Jim Haslett magic is gone. The Rams got KILLED by the Jets 47-3 Sunday in what may have been their worst performance of the year. This team is really hurtin right now.
30. Oakland Raiders- Not a good football team. Al Davis is crazy and the team has no promise. Something's gotta give in the bay area.
31. Cincinnati Bengals- One win, and it won't be an easy task to get number two. I don't know what happened to this offense.
32. Detroit Lions- The countdown to anti-perfection: 0-9.
11/9/08
Seth Maberry
"Chief's Showing Life in Series of Tough Losses"
For Chief fans everywhere, Sunday's loss to the Chargers was hard to swallow. For the majority of the season, Kansas City's losses have been ugly, however the last three games, KC has showed fight and grit. The problem is, all three games have been losses, tough losses. They lost to the New York Jets 28-24 in New York. Then, it was a heart-breaking 30-27 loss to the Buc's in Kansas City in OT. Today, it was a 20-19 gritty, gutsy loss to the Chargers in San Diego. The Chiefs tied the game with 23 seconds to go, and opted to go for two then the tie, since they were on the road. The conversion attempt fell apart, and the game was over. It was a gutsy performance by guys like Tyler Thigpen, and heck even coach Herm Edwards himself. Tony Gonzales played his heart out and was clearly dissapointed following the loss. While I know these games have been tough to take, the team has showed promise. At 1-8, this season is (and has been for a long time) over. However, these young guys have begin to come together. The old saying goes, you lose big, then you lose small, then you win small then you win big. Eventually this close losses will turn into close wins, and eventually there will be a contender in Kansas City again.
NFL Power Rankings Week 9
Seth Maberry
11/4/08
2. New York Giants- This team is good, very good. They crushed the Cowboys 35-14 in Dallas on Sunday to move to 7-1. They may be the best team in the NFL, but as I said, Tennesse is #1 until they lose. In the meantime...watch Brandon Jacobs. It's a treat.
3. Pittsburg Steelers- Great win Monday night on the road against a really good Redskins football team. This team's defense is stellar, thus making them a serious Super Bowl contender. If their offense can find consistency, they'll be a tough out.
4. Carolina Panthers- These guys have really been a surprise as to how good they really are. After beating Arizona a week ago last Sunday, they moved to 6-2. They can score, and they can stop people. That's a pretty succesful formula for success in the NFL. They should be 9-2 after their next three.
5. Arizona Cardinals- To most of you, its probably insane to see the Cardinals this high. However, their offense is, in a word, explosive. They crushed St. Louis on Sunday, and now have a pretty substantial lead in the NFC West. I think they can hang with anyone
6. Philadelphia Eagles- Philly is back after a couple of solid wins in a row, and it helps that they have Brian Westbrook back. Next week is the biggie against the Giants. We'll be able to see how good they really are then.
7. Washington Redskins- I didn't drop the 'Skins very far, though their offense was putrid against the Steelers. They failed to capitalize on early Pittsburg mistakes and couldn't really recover after 23 unanswered by the Steelers. Still, they should be in contention for a wild card spot until the end. Not to mention, I think at the moment, there's a significant drop off between this team and the rest.
8. Chicago Bears- The Bears find themselves at 5-3 and first place in the NFC North. The next two weeks for Chicago will be a real gut check as they have games against unbeaten Tennesee, and Green Bay, who are the biggest threat to Chicago in this division.
9. New York Jets- The Jets really catapulted into this position after their win over the Bills on Sunday. At 5-3, they are in a three way tie atop the AFC East standings. They are still inconsistent, but have a pretty easy game with the Rams this week before taking on New Engalnd with a shot to avenge their earlier loss.
10. New England Patriots- The loss to Indy Sunday doesn't hurt them to bad. I think in the end, they may be the best team in the AFC East, but I found it hard to rank them ahead of New York when the Jets won and the Pats lost. Matt Cassel is starting to come into his own, and they should be right in the thick of things in the AFC all second half.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Good come from behind win against Kansas City on the road Sunday. Not sure they should have gotten themselves into that early hole against such a bad team, but they did pull out the win. Don't look now, but the NFC South is a pretty tough division.
12. Baltimore Ravens- Last week I said that the Ravens were the worst team in the NFL with a winning record. My aplogies. Their defense is incredible, and incredibly...Joe Flacco and company can score points. It'll be interesting to see this AFC wildcard race shaping up. Heck, they can still catch the Steelers and pull a stunner.
13. Atlanta Falcons- The Falcons are quietly having a good year down in Atlanta. After shutting out Oakland 24-0 on Sunday, they are 5-3 and right in the thick of a division title race in the NFC South. Matt Ryan and Co. are actually for real. In three weeks the Panthers come to Atlanta. That will be a big game.
14. Buffalo Bills- Tough loss for the Bills to the Jets Sunday, but the good news is, they are still in a tie at the top. Next week @ New England will be a huge game for the Bills. A win and they are right there, and it would be a good way to rebound after a couple of tough losses in a row.
15. Indianapolis Colts- Good win for the Colts over the Pats on Sunday night. Petyton Manning seemed to find his rhythm and the return of Bob Sanders the last couple of weeks on D really helped out. They still have a shot at redemption and making the playoffs.
16. Dallas Cowboys- Wow. 35-14? The "most talented team" in the league is really struggling right now. I'm not sure if wonder boy Tony Romo will be able to fix all of these problems. This team as a whole will be a very interesting second half storyline to watch.
17. Green Bay Packers- Valiant effort at Tennesee Sunday. They took the Titans to overtime before losing. Their next two games will be very important in their division race with games agasint Minnesota and Chicago.
18. Miami Dolphins- Two wins in a row against some good teams and Miami is 4-4. Not only that, but their next two games are very winnable; home games with Seattle and Oakland. It may be a streach to think playoffs this year, but next year, they should be a force. And hey, you never know, they will definatley have a lot to say about playoff races down the streach and they themselves may sneak in. 9-7 is convievable.
19. New Orleans Saints- Much needed bye week for this team. They have a huge game at Atlanta this week in a game that very well could decide whether or not they have a playoff shot. They still have a good offense, but they still can't stop teams on defense.
20. Denver Broncos- This team started 4-1. They are now 4-4. The Bronc's are reeling and need to find an answer. A game at Cleveland could be good, but you never know with the Browns. However, take solace Denver fans...your team is still atop a horrific division.
21. Minnesota Vikings- Solid win over Houston Sunday, and now they need to do it again vs. Green Bay this weekend. If they can pull out a win, they still have an outside shot at keeping their dwindiling playoff hopes alive.
22. San Diego Chargers- Nice time for a bye week for this team. Just last week I said it was over, but when you look at it, it's really not. Crazy as it seems, at 3-5 they are still right in the middle of a playoff race. A game at home with a bad Chiefs team could be just what the doctor ordered to get this team going again.
23. Houston Texans- They showed a little fight in their loss to Minnesota Sunday. This teams biggest problem is they can't win on the road. 0-4 vs. 3-1 at home. They have the ability to score points, but they lack any sort of consitency on defense.
24. Cleveland Browns- Sunday just really put an exclamation point on how the season has been going for the Browns. They blew a massive lead to get beat 37-27 by the Ravens. With each week, they are proving that last season's 10 wins as a fluke.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars- Another team with lofty pre-season expectations that has really fallen off. Not a good sign losing to the previously winless Bengals. Next week they travel to Detroit to play the winless Lions. They had better watch out, because the Jags are reeling and the Lions are capable of breaking out and having a big game at some point.
26. Cincinnati Bengals- There are a handful of teams that have won two games as opposed to the Bengals one, but all of them lost Sunday in ugly fashions. Cinci's offense was too good to be held down long, and their d finally got it done. Finally a W for this team.
27. San Fransico 49ers- They are here because they are the only two win team that didn't lose Sunday, and thats because they had a bye week which means more time for Coach Mike Singletary to run around with his pants down. It doesn't get easier coming out of the bye with a game Monday night @ Arizona.
28. Seattle Seahawks- Of the remaining two-win teams, Seattle had the least embarassing loss. Thats not saying much being as they lost 26-7. I'm blown away by how much the Seahawks have underachived in a WEAK divsion (def. the worst in the NFL, maybe in all of sports). This team's next three are tough...they're staring 2-9 right in the face. Wow...they were picked to go the Super Bowl?
29. St. Louis Rams- It seems some of that Jim Haslett magic has run out. After a home loss 34-13 to a team that has been pretty bad on defense (Arizona) wasn't a good sing for the Rams. Most expected them to lose, but to score more then 13. It's time to start looking towards next year in St. Louis.
30. Oakland Raiders- They got shut out by Atlanta, therefore they earn the lowest spot of the two-win teams. It's not easier for a while as their next three are games against Carolina, Miami and Denver.
31. Kansas City Chiefs- They are now just a stones throw away from the bottom. In other words, they are a Lions' win away from the worst team in the league. I'll say this, they've showed fight the last two weeks in close losses, so maybe they put together a few wins down the streach.
32. Detriot Lions- Good chance to get their first win against a reeling Jacksonville team this week. Until then, here they rest. The are very, very bad.
Seth Maberry
10/27/08
NFL Power Rankings Week 8
1. Tennessee Titans- The Titans really cemented themselves as the best team in the NFL with a win over division rival Indy on Monday night. Their defense is fierce and they scored 31 points. They now have a 4 game lead in the AFC south.
2. New York Giants- The Giants got a huge win over the Steelers on Sunday. New York is for sure the NFC East's best team, which is saying something considering the toughness of that division. The next two weeks are inter-division games against Dallas and Philly.
3. Carolina Panthers- Carolina is all alone in first place of the NFC South. After a hard fought win over a pretty good Arizona team, Carolina has proven that they are for real, not only for real, but the south's best team. The next three are very winnable so they could be 9-2 very easily.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers- I only dropped them one spot, because they played a good game against a really good Giants team. They are for sure the class of the NFC North, and I still think perhaps the AFC. They should win this division very easily. The just need to find a way to score a few more points.
5. Washington Redskins- Big game coming up against Pittsburg. I think we'll know a lot more about the 'Skins after that game. Right now, they have a really good chance to garner a wildcard spot in the NFC playoffs. Right now, Clinton Portis and Co are playing pretty well.
6. New England Patriots- Don't look now, but the injury plagued Pats are in first place...AGAIN. They beat the Rams on Sunday to move to 5-2 on the season and are in a tie with Buffalo. The next three games for New England will be a great barameter of how good they are. A game @ Indy, followed by divsion games against Buffalo and New York.
7. Dallas Cowboys- I put the 'boys here, simply because they have already beaten Green Bay this year, and because the Bills lost to the lowly Dolphins. It helps they beat a pretty dang good Tampa Bay team, in Tampa. The offense still struggled though, but if the D can play that well, they should be able to stay afloat in the playoff race until the return of Tony Romo.
8. Buffalo Bills- They lost to the Dolphins. Not a game they probably should've lost. However, Miami is improving and it was on the road. The Bills I think are a very good team, and can really prove themselves @ New England in a couple of weeks.
9. Green Bay Packers- They had a bye wee this week, which is very good for them. That gives them an extra week to prepare for that awesome defense down in Tennessee next week. That'll be a big game for the Packers. They've played inconsistent this season, so we'll see what happens.
10. Arizona Cardinals- They played a tough game on the road against a very good Carolina team and refused to go away. I think that Arizona should win the NFC west if they don't pee down their leg. They have a pretty potent offense, so they at least should be able to outscore people if the defense should begin to falter.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Tampa couldn't score against Dallas. They couldn't really do anything against them, and the game was at home, against a team that was really in a panic. However, they still are 5-3 with a pretty good D. If the offense can find some consitency, they should be in the race until the end.
12. Philadelphia Eagles- Philly came back with a roar Sunday, winning against a pretty good Atlanta team, and the game wasn't really that close. Brian Westbrook is back, so loo, for the Eagles to begin to surge right back into the thick of things in the NFC.
13. Chicago Bears- They beat Minnesota a week ago Sunday, and have an easy game coming out of a bye week this coming Sunday vs. the Lions. So, they should be 5-3 heading into the game with the Titans. Both teams have a good D, and Chicago proved they can score. That game should be a good game prior to heading into the showdown with the Packers.
14. Denver Broncos- I put them here, because I think in a head to head match with any of the other teams I considered (Atlanta, Baltimore, Jets) i think they would win. They are still pretty good on offense, contrary to what they did in New England, but their defense has been average at best, terrible at worst. However, they are in the AFC West. They would have to try pretty hard to lose this race.
15. New York Jets- They struggled to beat KC on Sunday, but that was one of the better games the Chiefs have played all year. At 4-3, the Jets still have an outside shot at the playoffs, and I never count out a Brett Favre led team. However, they are going to have to find some sort of consitency to stay competitve the rest of the year.
16. Baltiomore Ravens- I think this team is the worst team in the NFL with a winning record. They've been somewhat of a surprise, though. As it turns out, their offense can at time score points. Thats a great improvement, that along with the rapid maturit of QB Joe Flacco. Their D is still strong, so they'll have a lot to say about that AFC playoff picture the second half of the year, including their own.
17. Atlanta Falcons- The best first half story took a tough tumble Sunday falling to the now healthy Eagles. The next game is vs. Oakland and very winnable, so they should be 5-3, heading into a tough streach against the Saints, Broncos, and Panthers. Just how good are they? Thats yet to be determined.
18. New Orleans Saints- This offensive is explosive. The problem is, any offense playing against them is also explosive. They've clawed their way to .500, and have a chance to get back into the playoff race over the next few weeks. The sched sets up nicely against Atlanta and KC the next two weeks.
19. Indianapolis Colts- This is not a spot Colt's fans are used to seeing their team at. The couldn't find any sort of rhythm Monday night against Tennessee. Their offense has shown signs of their old self at times, but it wasn't good seeing their D give up 31 point to Tennessee. It'll be interesting to see if they can get going, because it grows late for the 5 time NFC south champs.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars- They lost to the Browns on Sunday and have fallen to 3-4. The good news? The next two games the play are against teams who have a combined record of 0-15 (Bengals, Lions). The week after that, they have a tough, tough game with Tennessee. The Jags had high hopes to start the year, but its gonna be tough to rebound, even with the games the next two weeks.
21. Cleveland Browns- After a rough start, the Browns are now 3-4. I'm just not sure which Browns team we've seen is the real one. If its the one we've seen the last few weeks, this team could crawl back into the playoff hunt. However, the next three are no cupcakes. With home games with Denver and Baltimore and a road game to Buffalo, they could be 3-7. But, if they play like their capable of, they could be more like 5-5 at the end of that time.
22. Miami Dolphins- Good win against Buffalo Sunday. They have really been good at times this season, but they've also played pretty bad at points this year. Ironically, the can beat teams like the Patriots and Bills, but they can't beat the Texans. Two of the next three are very winnable. It would be quite odd to see this team 5-5 through ten games, considering what we saw just one year ago.
23. Minnesota Vikings- They lost a tough one to Chicago two weeks ago. They're 3-4, and it doesn't get any easier. For a team with playoff hopes prior to the season, things have really gotten ugly quick, and this trend could continue, especially with recent injuries to the team.
24. Houston Texans- After a winless start, Houston has really started to put some things to together. They've won three games in a row and while they probably won't be in the playoffs, the future is still bright in Houston. I know people were thinking that they'd be better this year, winning somewhere between 7 and 9 games, but digging that early hole will make that tough.
25. San Diego Chargers- It's over. I don't understand how they continue to lose football games but they do. I said they'd go to the Super Bowl, and that couldn't be more wrong. It's simply mind boggling. Their probably actually better then a couple of teams listed above, but the simple fact that they should be much better made me put them here. Unreal.
26. St. Louis Rams- They were a very trendy pick after good wins the last couple weeks. Honestly, they played very well against a good Patriots team on the road, and Jim Haslett has this team playing with some fire. When Stephen Jackson comes back, the Rams could have a lot to say about what the NFC playoff picture looks like.
27. Oakland Raiders- They aren't good, but they've at least beat a team thats in my top 20 of my power rankings, which is better then the wins of the teams below them. On and unrelated note...Al Davis is crazy.
28. Seattle Seahawks- They crushed the 49ers on Sunday, and are at least showing some fight now. As this team gets healthy, they should start to win a few more games, but they are in to deep a hole to think about anything big this year.
29. San Fransisco 49ers- For a short while, 9ers fans caught a glimpse of hope. They were 2-1 and began to think that in a weak division, they just may be able to make the playoffs. How wrong they were. The Mike Singletary era has begun, and its not going to be fun for a while.
30. Kansas City Chiefs- Will they win a road game all season? Doubtful, as the had a pretty good chance to this last Sunday, only to squander it. They showed glimmers every once and a while, but its so few and far between. Hell, they may not win another game all year. Perhaps they should begin to focus on getting the top pick in the draft. However, for them to do that, it would have to mean that these next two teams could win.
31. Cincinnati Bengals- They are now 0-8 and could very well be 0-11 after their next three. Eventually, they should be able to accidently win a home game.
32. Detroit Lions- They won't ever be able to even accidently win anything. This team is the Chiefs biggest threat to getting the top pick next year. The anti- 1972 Dolphins are now 0-7 and counting. Won't this be fun?
10/26/08
Seth Maberry
What We Learned in the NFL This Sunday
I haven't written this column in a while, due to my busy schedule, but now I have time to write again. After watching a lot of NFL football today, I saw a few things that jumped out at me.
1. The Rams were a very trendy pick this week, coming off back to back wins against good teams. However, in the loss today on the road against a still good Patriots team, I think they showed that they are truly getting better. They lost 23-16, but showed a lot of fight and grit in a hard fought game that really came down to the wire. Jim Haslett has done wonders in just 3 games as head coach for this football team.
2. Panic has been avoided (for a while) in Dallas. They beat Tampa Bay today, and that for the moment saved their season. They are now 5-3 and still in the playoff race, and were able to right the ship on the road against a really good team. Thats good news for a lockeroom that just one week ago was in disarray.
3. The San Diego Chargers are in trouble. After many people (including myself) named them the pre-season AFC favorites and all they've down is lose. They made it a game today before falling to New Orelans 37-32. The ironic thing about this loss, is that the Saints were also team that had dissappointed all season, after having lofty pre-season expectations.
4. The NFC East is back on track. The best division in the NFL proved it again, as the division as a whole went unbeaten. The Cowboys and Giants both beat very, very good football teams (the Buccaneers and Steelers respectivley). Heck, even the Eagles beat a pretty good team in the Atlanta Falcons. The 'Skins also won, beating the lowly Lions. All teams in this divsion are above .500. Thats pretty good.
5. Joe Namath has no idea he's old. I saw an interview with him on CBS during the Chiefs-Jets game and he still looked every bit like he was trying to live up to his nickname "Broadway Joe". He had his hair dyed blond, and very dark sunglasses on. He spoke to the reporters very laid back, yet still had a little bit of that cocky air that he's always had. One thing is for certain though, when it comes to football in New York, Joe Namath is still #1 in the heart's of the fans.
NFL Power Rankings
Seth Maberry
Seth Maberry
10/20/08
1. Tennessee Titans- I was a little skeptical of Tennessee because of their offense, but their D is only giving up 11 points a game....and they're the only unbeaten team left in the league.
2. New York Giants- The defending champs are playing very good football. Eli Manning is starting to look like his older brother, and the rest of the team is really coming together. It's amazing to think about that a year ago people were calling for Tom Coughlin's job.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers- Big Ben and the boys are the favorites in the AFC North right now, and maybe even the AFC as a whole. The Steelers are rock solid on D, and can score the football on offense. With Willie Parker getting healthy, look for Pittsburgh to stay strong.
4. Buffalo Bills- Perhaps the most surprising of the bunch, the Bills continue to roll on with just one loss. I don't know how it happened, but Trent Edwards and guys like Marshawn Lynch are making the offense formidable, while the defense has been superb.
5. Carolina Panthers- The Panthers have the most potent offense in the south at the moment, what with the struggles of the Saints. As for the defense, they've been a little vulnerable at times, but if they can just play pretty good, the offense can score.
6. Arizona Cardinals- The Card's continue to score boat load's of points with that Kurt Warner led offense. Don't look now, but the D is playing good too. In a weak NFC West, the Cardinals are the for sure favorite at the moment.
7. Washington Redskins- Are they now the second best team in this division? The way the Cowboys are playing right now, the answer to that is yes. The have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and the offense behind Çlinton Portis is getting the job done.
8. New England Patriots- Many people, including myself, counted these guys out without Tom Brady. Turns out, we were wrong. They've had some rough games, but now the defense is looking very good, and that offense has too many playmakers to be held down, even without Brady. They've found an identity without Brady, and are looking very dangerous.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The NFC South is a pretty competitive division, and the Bucs are right at the top of it. They have played superb D all year, and now the offense is starting to come into its own behind Jeff Garcia. As they continue to gel, this could be a really dangerous team.
10. Green Bay Packers- Aaron Rodgers continues to look a lot like his predecessor, Brett Favre. The Pack has had no trouble scoring all year, and last Sunday held that high powered Colts offense in check. Green Bay should win the NFC North without much of a problem.
1. Tennessee Titans- I was a little skeptical of Tennessee because of their offense, but their D is only giving up 11 points a game....and they're the only unbeaten team left in the league.
2. New York Giants- The defending champs are playing very good football. Eli Manning is starting to look like his older brother, and the rest of the team is really coming together. It's amazing to think about that a year ago people were calling for Tom Coughlin's job.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers- Big Ben and the boys are the favorites in the AFC North right now, and maybe even the AFC as a whole. The Steelers are rock solid on D, and can score the football on offense. With Willie Parker getting healthy, look for Pittsburgh to stay strong.
4. Buffalo Bills- Perhaps the most surprising of the bunch, the Bills continue to roll on with just one loss. I don't know how it happened, but Trent Edwards and guys like Marshawn Lynch are making the offense formidable, while the defense has been superb.
5. Carolina Panthers- The Panthers have the most potent offense in the south at the moment, what with the struggles of the Saints. As for the defense, they've been a little vulnerable at times, but if they can just play pretty good, the offense can score.
6. Arizona Cardinals- The Card's continue to score boat load's of points with that Kurt Warner led offense. Don't look now, but the D is playing good too. In a weak NFC West, the Cardinals are the for sure favorite at the moment.
7. Washington Redskins- Are they now the second best team in this division? The way the Cowboys are playing right now, the answer to that is yes. The have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and the offense behind Çlinton Portis is getting the job done.
8. New England Patriots- Many people, including myself, counted these guys out without Tom Brady. Turns out, we were wrong. They've had some rough games, but now the defense is looking very good, and that offense has too many playmakers to be held down, even without Brady. They've found an identity without Brady, and are looking very dangerous.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The NFC South is a pretty competitive division, and the Bucs are right at the top of it. They have played superb D all year, and now the offense is starting to come into its own behind Jeff Garcia. As they continue to gel, this could be a really dangerous team.
10. Green Bay Packers- Aaron Rodgers continues to look a lot like his predecessor, Brett Favre. The Pack has had no trouble scoring all year, and last Sunday held that high powered Colts offense in check. Green Bay should win the NFC North without much of a problem.
11. Dallas Cowboys- For a team that started with very high expectations, like Super Bowl expectations, things have come unraveled rather quickly in Dallas. The injury to Romo was a huge blow to this team, and the off field distractions of Adam Jones didn't help either. After losing to the Rams 34-14, its not good in the "Big D" right now. Will Romo start Sunday?
12. Atlanta Falcons- No team has been more of a first half surprise then the Falcons. Apperently Matt Ryan has no idea its supposed to be harder in the NFL then ACC college football. Either that or he's in some kind of trance and thinks he's still at Boston College. Either way, Atlanta has played well, but the schedule now begins to toughen up.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars- The Jag's have played somewhat inconsistently so far this season. They've had some injuries, but are now beginning to get healthy. They should begin to round into form and maybe end up being the second best team in the AFC South.
14. Indianapolis Colts- Well, the lack of having Peyton Manning in camp hurt a little more then most thought it would. Then, just when you thought they were rounding into form, they get blown out by Green Bay mustering only 14 points. They can be good, but they have some work to do.
15. New York Jets- The Favre led Jets are another interesting case of inconsistency. They've showed signs of being good, but Sunday's putrid loss to the Oakland Raiders really was not good for them.
16. Denver Broncos- Wow. Jay Cutler and the Broncos were not good against New England. They couldn't score, and they couldn't defend. Last time I checked, you kinda need to be able to do those things to be competitve. I'm not sure what this loss means for them. I know Cutler was somewhat hurt, but defensively, that wasn't good.
17. Chicago Bears- That was a huge win for them against division rival Minnesota Sunday, but the fact that they gave up 41 points is a little disturbing, considering that this is supposed to be a defensive minded team. Will know a lot more about the Bears in upcoming weeks.
18. Philadelphia Eagles- A bye week for this team was just what the doctor ordered. This gives them a chance to get healthy, especially Brain Westbrook. This is still a very good team.
19. San Diego Chargers- I said this team would win the AFC. I couldn't have been farther off (at least right now). San Diego is more talented then the way they are playing. They're a mystery of sorts. It'll be interesting to see how they play the rest of the year.
20. New Orlean Saints- Another team with high pre-season expectations that have really faltered. They've looked really good at times, but they've been good at giving away games too. The offense seems to be pretty good, but again, defense. Not good.
21. St. Louis Rams- What a jump. Most of you probably think I'm crazy for having them even this high, but after wins against quality teams (Redskins, Cowboys) the team is looking much better. Jim Haslett has done a heck of a job so far.
22. Baltimore Ravens- The Ravens continue to be rock solid on "D", but they are going back to there old ways where they struggle to score. At 3-3 they still have a shot at a playoff berth, but they'll have to fix some things offensivley.
23. Cleveland Browns- This team plays completley different from week to week. They blow out the Giants, but couldn't muster anything against Pittsburgh a few weeks before that. I don't think this team can garner a playoff berth anymore.
24. Houston Texans- The Texans are coming off back to wins and should be able to make it three straight against the winless Bengals. The AFC south is still a tough division, so for the Texans, 7 wins could be a good goal.
25. Minnesota Vikings- Losing to the Bears headed in to their bye week wasn't a positive thing for a team that before the season was talking playoffs. The next three for them isn't easy, they could easily be 3-7 after that strech.
26. Miami Dolphins- I think its time for a new offensive strategy to employed. Teams are starting to figure out the wildcat. If they don't come up with something else, they'll be losing games at a pace similar to last season (if thats possible).
27. Oakland Raiders- They got a win against an ok Jets team Sunday, so thats a positive. However, they're only other win was against Kansas City. They really haven't shown an ability to do much on either side of the ball.
28. San Fransisco 49ers- They fired Mike Nolan. That was a bad call. They won't be any better without him, and in fact they may end up being worse. They had hope prior to this season, but that hope included Mike Nolan.
29. Seattle Seahawks- They just can't buy a win. People were not only calling this team a playoff contender, but a Super Bowl contender. Now, they only have one win, and that was against the Scott Linehan led Rams.
30. Kansas City Chiefs- The only reason they're ranked ahead of Cincinnati is because they at least have a win. Only one, but it's still a win. However, I'm not sure they'd beat the Bengals in a head to head match-up. It would be something to see though, well not really.
31. Cincinnati Bengals- They are better then the Lions, I think.
32. Detriot Lions- Zero wins, 'nuff said.
10/19/08
Seth Maberry
"The Rams!?!"
Ladies and gentlemen, the St. Louis Rams are now, cough, in the playoff hunt. In the weak NFC West, the Rams are now in the thick of a division title race. After todays 34-14 romping of the Dallas Cowboys, the Rams under new head coach Jim Haslett are showing some fight and promise. Since taking over the reigns in St. Louis, the Haslett led Rams are 2-0 with wins over very good football teams (Redskins, Cowboys). I know their overall record isn't great at 2-4, but in this divsion thats right in the middle of it. With San Fransisco losing to the Giants, the Rams have pulled into a tie, two games behind the idle Arizona Cardinals (4-2). If, and I know this is a HUGE if, the Rams can manage to split with the Cardinals and Seahawks, and maybe, just maybe sweep the 49ers (sorry Ben), the Rams have a shot at winning this division. I mean, seriously, 8-8 could mean playoffs in the NFC west. Steven Jackson will have to be a huge part of the offense, as he had 160 yards on the ground today, and he left the game with an injury. So a lot will depend on the severity of this injury, but if he can stay healthy, who knows what can happen. The return of Leonard Little seemed to boost the defense today, so who knows? Like I said, 8-8 could mean playoffs in one of, if not the weakest division in the National Football League.
Who Is The Best Team in the NFL?
Seth Maberry
10/18/08
Coming into tomorrow's NFL action, I would like to stop and take a look at the league as a whole as we near the halfway point of the season. First off, I would like to address the issue of who the best team is. By record, its the Tennessee Titans who are 5-0 and playing stellar defense. However, they struggle at times on offense, mightly struggle. Are they really the best team? I peronally don't think so. Coming into the season, I gave the nod to the Dallas Cowboys as the best team, but I've changed my mind after watching them multiple times. I think its the New York Football Giants. They are so complete. Eli Manning is becoming a man(ning) and maturing before our eyes, and the rest of the offense can score points very easily. Defensivley, they are playing great football and keeping teams out of the endzone. Just disregard the fluke in Cleveland last Monday. A few other teams to watch are the Pittusburg Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, and the Denver Broncos.
I still think the NFC East as a whole is the best division in football and I believe will get three teams into the playoffs (Giants, Cowboys, Redskins). The Eagles are the best 2-3 team in the NFL and could very easily challenge Washington for that playoff spot. The AFC south is also very good with the colts appearing to get on track and the Jaugaurs starting to turn up the jets too. And of course, the unbeaten Titans are in that divison. Keep your eye out for the NFC south as well. The Panthers seem to be playing the best overall, but Atlanta, Tampa Bay and New Orleans are all getting healthier and playing well and are all legit playoff contenders.
Most surprising team thus far: Atlanta Falcons- Who woulda thought that Matt Ryan and the offense would be this good this quickly. They are 3-2 and look more and more for real.
Most dissapointing team: San Diego Chargher-Thought by many to be a Super Bowl team...
9/29/08
Seth Maberry
Didn't See This One Coming
Well, I'll confess, I didn't not see this win for the Chiefs coming. On Sunday, the Chiefs beat the Broncos 33-19 behind a solid outing from Larry Johnson, and a very effcient performance by Damon Huard. Johnson had 198 yards and two scores on 28 carries, while Huard was 21 of 28 for 160 yards and one touchdown. More importantly, he wasn't picked off. Another key stat from the game was in the turnover margin. Denver turned the ball over four times, while KC only turned it over one time. However, this win doesn't mean that all is gonna be magically better in Kansas City from now on. The Chiefs were actually outgained 446-370 in total offense for the game. Turnovers doomed Denver. The quarterback situation is still a mess and the offensive line is very young, and is still learning on a game by game basis. Still though, perhaps the Chiefs aren't quite as bad as we first thought. If they can keep someone at quarterback and stick with them, they have enough playmakers to at least be competitve. WR Dwayne Bowe had 7 catches for 85 yards in the game, and TE Tony Gonzalez can still get it done. Larry Johnson proved that he can still have big games and can be a difference maker, and the defenese only surrendered 94 rushing yards to Denver, which is something they had struggled with coming into the game. Even with the signs of life showed by Kansas City on Sunday, I think 5 or 6 wins is where this team is gonna max out for this year. They may not even when that many, but they showed that they are capable of sneaking up on a few teams. As the season goes on, we'll learn more about this team. This is still a young, rebuliding football team, and this game was one tiny bright spot, in a much broader, more difficult learning expierence called the National Football league.
9/23/08
Seth Maberry
NFL Week 3 Lessons
1. The Chargers are still the favorite in the AFC West
After two games, everyone was beginning to count out the Chargers, but keep in mind they lost two games that were more or less stolen from them. In week one, the Panthers got a miracle touchdown pass to win the game. In week two, there were some bad calls that kept them from winning (against the division leading Broncos). On Monday Night Football, the Chargers looked very dominant beating the Jets. They cannont be counted out.
2. The NFC East is AWESOME
Two teams in this divion are unbeaten. The other two teams have one loss. However, the two teams with one loss (Redskins, Eagles) lost to teams inside the division. The divsion as a whole is unbeaten against the rest of the league. The Eagles got a statement win over a good Pittsburg team without Brain Westbrook, while the Cowboys beat a good Packer team on the road in Green Bay. The Gaints continue to cruise along under the Radar, and the Redskins have won two straight.
3.Suprise teams are for real
The teams I'm talking about are mainly the 49ers, Buffalo Bills, and Denver Broncos. San Fransisco finds themselves in a tie for the division lead after three weeks. Coming into this season, no one so that coming. The Bills are alone an undefeated in first out east and Denver is still leading the AFC West. This trio of teams were way off the radar coming into this season, but have to be considered in the thick of things in their respective dvisions now.
4. The AFC South is wide-open
This could be said about more then one divsion in the NFL this year (at least through three weeks), but the divsion that was supposed to be among the best is struggling right now. The Tennessee Titains have played the best football so far while the perrenial favorite Colt's have struggled. The Jaguars were winless until they beat the Colts on sunday. Even though the Texans haven't played very well so far, they aren't out of the race yet. Its tough to say that Tennesee is gonna continue their great play, but who knows. We'll know a lot more in a few weeks.
5. No Tom Brady? Yes, there is a problem.
Just when I was going to proclaim that with or without Tom Brady the Patriots were the team to beat in the AFC East, they get trounced at home by the DOLPHINS 38-13. They are still 2-1, but that loss last week is not a good sign. The offense hasn't played well yet, but until Sunday, the defense had been solid. But, they couldn't stop the lowly Dolphins. I still think this team has enough playmakers to make the playoffs, but if the Bills continue there surprising great play, they may dethrone the Pats as division champs.
9/21/08
Seth Maberry
Early Sunday Thoughts
1. The Chiefs Are Still Bad
If there was one game the Chiefs had a shot at winning this season, it was this one. I know it was on the road, but it was against the lowly Atlanta Falcons. But, oh well. It didn't matter to the Chiefs. They went about their business losing the game 38-14. It was their worst defensive performance of the season, but of course with the same old, terrible offense (led by superstar Tyler Thigpen). It's bad in KC.
2. The Buffalo Bills really are the favorites in the AFC East
With Miami pounding the Patiorts 38-13 today, the Bills are the early favorite out east. The Bills are 3-0 following their come from behind vicotry over the Oakland Raiders 24-23 Sunday afternoon. The Bills are the only unbeaten team in their division and right now have to be considered the favorite. The only question left is how many games can they win if they keep putting themselves in an early hole?
3. The NFC East is the best divison in the NFL
This division has four legit playoff contenders. The Cowboys are the most talented team in the divison as the proved last week beating divison rival Philly in a shootout. This week the 'Boys are on display against a very good Green Bay Team. Meanwhile, the NFC West favorites, the Cardinals got beat by the Redskins this afternoon. The Skins were picked last by most football experts in the divsion, even though they are coming off a playoff apperance. The Eagles have a chance to make a statement today against in-state rival (and a very, very good) Pittsburg team. The New York football Giants beat Cinci 26-23 in overtime to reamin unbeaten. No other division has teams like the East.
9/14/08
Seth Maberry
The state of NFL football in Missouri is, in a word, terrible. It stinks. I fee like I wasted the majority of my Sunday afternoon by flipping back and forth between the St. Louis Rams game and the Chiefs/Radiers game. Both looked absolutley horrible. I'll start with the Rams.
You knew the Rams were gonna be terrible after week one. They lost 38-3 to the Eagles in Philadelphia last Sunday and failed to convert a third down attempt. None. Notta. They didn't convert a third down until the second quarter of the game today, and that was by divine providence. The Eagles were able to do anything they wanted. Not only were the Rams horrible on defense (522 yards to the Eagles), they were even worse on offenese. If my third down stat didn't boggle your mind, check out this: the Rams gained only 166 total yards during the game last week. Today, not much better. They fell 41-13 to the defending Super Bowl champs, the New York Giants. The Rams mustered a grand total of 201 yards as opposed to the Giants 441. They are getting beat on both sides of the football. They are allowing big plays at an astonishing rate, while hardly making any progress while they have the ball. It's panic time in St. Louis. When you look at the rest of the schedule, there is not one football game you can look at and say, "St. Louis will win this one". They have to get better, fast.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the state, its not going much better. In week one, the Chiefs were playing on the road at New England. In the first quarter of that game, Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard sacked the Patriots MVP quarterback, Tom Brady. The hit forced Brady from the game (later we learned for the season) yet Kansas City failed to win the game, falling 17-10. The team's pass defense hasn't been horrible, giving up around 200 last week and just 55 to Oakland today. However, the run defense hasn't been great giving up over 100 to New England in week one and 300 today to the Raiders. Even still, the Chiefs "D" has still been able to keep teams from scoring a boat load of points giving up 17 points in week one and 23 in week two. So, the blame falls on the offense. The team doesn't have a quarterback. Starter Brodie Croyle is injured, but even still doesnt look like he's the answer. Damon Huard looked okay in the game today before leaving the game with and injury. So, it fell onto the third stringer Tyler Thigpen. Thigpen completed just 14 of 33 passes for 151 yards and one touchdown (he was also picked off once). The Chiefs are gonna have to settle on one guy when they all get healthy, because as the old saying goes "if you have three quarterbacks, you have none". You can't win at this level with that fluid of a situation at QB. Oh, and by the way...the Chiefs have now lost 11 games in a row. Wow. This is gettin ugly.
My advice to a fan of either of these two teams; watch something else! These two teams are gonna frustrate you to no end.
