As you know, Myles typically compiles the NFL Power Rankings on a weekly basis and then I provide running commentary throughout.
Last week, Myles threw down the gauntlet and challenged me to rank the top 15 teams in the NFL, after which he would edit and provide commentary.
In my effort to provide you with the best Power Rankings possible, I obviously obliged.
So here I am, and for at least one week folks, you will actually get objective and rational analysis about the best teams in the NFL. In addition, I have ensured that my Week 12 Power Rankings are far better than anything ever produced by Big MB by decorating them with pictures of Shakira.
Enjoy.
[Big MB's Editor's Note: Since I've noticed Jerod has inserted his own note no doubt trying to steal my thunder of editing him, I'll just go ahead and steal his...
I'm sure he will no doubt make an attack on my love for my Colts and Saints, who without question are the two best teams in the league. Go ahead Jerod here's your moment.]
[Jerod's writer's note, written before Big MB took over guest-editing duties: And let me just steal a little bit of Myles' thunder real quick before he even has a chance. The reason why my rankings will be more rational is that I am a Browns and a Dolphins fan, rather than a Saints and a Colts fan. Every ranking Myles has ever done this season has been influenced by his Saints and Colts fandom. I understand that my teams are insignificant, and thus am able to judge the other 30 teams based solely on objective analysis. So just remember that every time Myles tries to use my teams' combined six wins against me.]
1 – New Orleans Saints (10-0)
2 – Indianapolis Colts (10-0)
The Saints get the edge here because I can’t look at their last four games and say they had a very legitimate chance to lose all of them. With the Colts, I can.
So congrats to the Colts for being 10-0, it’s a great achievement, but it’s not quite as impressive as the Saints’ start because of how narrow the margins of victory have been.
The Colts are one Kris Brown field goal and a half-yard away from losing the Houston and New England games and being 8-2. They are dealing with injuries throughout their defense and Peyton Manning seems wholly dissatisfied with how the offense is going right now.
This is an outstanding team, and there is something to be said for winning close games, but this has been nothing like the 10-0 start the Patriots got off to a couple of years ago, en route to their 16-0 season.
As for the Saints, they are dealing with injuries in their secondary as well, but have a much more in-rhythm offense right now than the Colts do. The emergence of Robert Meachem almost seems unfair; does Drew Brees really need another offensive weapon?
We’ll find out a lot about New Orleans this week against New England. It won’t have the history of Patriots-Colts, but could be just as entertaining of a game.
[Big MB's Editor's Note: I agree with everything you've said about both of these teams, but where you are wrong is this: Winning those close games like the past three or four games for the Colts, are what set the really good teams apart from the great teams. The Colt's defense came up big TWICE against the Ravens, both in a 1st and goal stand, then an interception by Gary Brackett that saved the potential game winning field goal that may have been kicked.]
3 – Minnesota Vikings (9-1)
Ho-hum, another week, another blowout victory for Minnesota. Brett Favre continues to play outrageously well, Adrian Peterson remains his consistently excellent self, and the Vikings’ defense continues to stymie inferior offenses, as it should do.
One area for concern is that the Vikings haven’t really beaten anyone: the Browns, Lions (twice), 49ers, Packers (twice), Rams, Ravens, and Seahawks are the Vikings’ victims. The Ravens are okay and the Packers are playing better now, but I still feel like there are some unanswered questions with this team.
We’ll get some answers over the next three weeks with a divisional game against Chicago and then two tests against teams that would currently be in the playoffs (Arizona, Cincinnati). I think the Vikings will go 2-1 over that stretch, and then we’ll have a much better idea of exactly what we’re dealing with in Minnesota.
4 – New England Patriots (7-3)
Despite three losses, I would not be surprised to see them go into New Orleans and beat the currently undefeated Saints. There are a lot of teams sitting at 7-3 right now, but none of them can touch the Patriots’ on offense. Now that their early season stumbles are beyond them (a la Indy last year), this Patriots team is ready to have a strong second half.
[Big MB's Editor's Note: And you want to call me out for unfair coverage?
One paragraph for the Mighty Patriots?
You said more about your pathetic Browns and Dolphins in the intro, and they don't even BEGIN to belong in any conversation about top 15 teams.]
5 – San Diego Chargers (7-3)
Why the Chargers over the other non-Patriots teams sitting at 7-3? Easy: Philip Rivers.
I think Rivers is one of the five most underrated players in the NFL, mainly because he has yet to take the talent-rich Chargers to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Rivers, he happens to be in the same conference as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Ben Roethlisberger, who don’t leave many opportunities for anyone else.
Will this be the year Rivers breaks through? I don’t know. But it should be the year that people finally start respecting him as one of the best QBs in the league.
[Big MB's Editor's Note: I still don't get the Philip Rivers phenomenon.
I'm not saying he's not a good QB, because he is. What I am saying is that I can't figure out how this team always starts out terribly and everyone talks about Turner's job being in jeopardy, and then out of nowhere, they are once again a powerhouse in the making...]
6 – Arizona Cardinals (7-3)
Once again, the QB breaks the tie with the rest of the teams sitting at 7-3. I know that Kurt Warner left the Cardinals’ Week 11 game, but it appeared to be more precautionary than anything. As long as this guy is the signal-caller, with his experience and playoff prowess, you have to love the Cardinals.
Mix in Beanie Wells and an emerging running game, and the Cardinals have an offensive attack that can rival any in the league.
Somehow the Cardinals are going under the radar again this year, but they seem to have turned a corner and stopped being such a Jekyll & Hyde team. I know this: no one in the NFC is going to want to draw this team come playoff time.
7, 8, 9, 10 – No one. There are six very good teams in the NFL and not another one that deserves to be in the Top 10.
[Big MB's Editor's Note: WHAT!?!?!?!?!?
You want to talk about not having stones?
What the hell. This must be the ultimate cop-out.
"Not another one that deserves to be in the top 10"????
I'll agree that the first six are WAY better than seven on, but there still has to be a 7th best team. Grown a set and figure it out!]
11 – Philadelphia Eagles (6-4)
12 – Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
What!? The Eagles over the Cowboys? How can that be? The Cowboys won at Philadelphia earlier this year?
Yes, they did. The Cowboys also have scored 14 points in their last two games and now have December looming, which is when they typically falter. Until the Cowboys prove something to me in the season’s final month, I can’t rank them over a team coming off of a great late season run in Philadelphia.
Once again, it comes down to the QB. Until Tony Romo proves he can win a big game, I’ll take Donovan McNabb any day of the week.
[Big MB's Editor's Note: For once, we completely agree on something. Dallas struggled against the Redskins.
Wait.
Let me say that again.
Dallas beat the Redskins by one point with a late touchdown.
And I've been saying this for a few weeks now....December is coming.]
13 – Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)
14 – Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4)
If Pittsburgh hadn’t lost to Kansas City last week, I would have ranked them over Cincy. How the Bengals could go into Oakland and just give away that game is inexcusable. For a team that has supposedly “turned the corner” that was a decidedly old-Bengals performance there in Week 12.
I think the Steelers will be the better team heading into the playoffs, assuming Ben Roethlisberger is healthy. I guess it’s just the trust factor, and until I see Cincinnati put a full season together I am going to have a hard time trusting them.
Their two-game sweep of the Steelers keeps the Bengals on top for now. The question is, which team is the real Bengals: the one that swept Pittsburgh or the one that took a dump last week in Oakland?
[Big MB's Editor's Note: It was a terrible week for the AFC North as all four teams lost. Here's the real question though....
Was Pittsburgh's loss a sign of perhaps a KC team that may start to become dangerous with newcomer Chris Chambers catching Cassel's passes?
Or, are injuries catching up to the former World Champs?]
15 – New York Giants (6-4)
16 – Green Bay Packers (6-4)
I really feel like the teams after the Cardinals all come in two-team tiers. I give the edge to the Giants in this tier for a couple of reasons:
- I trust Eli Manning more than Aaron Rodgers.
- The Giants O-line is better.
- I trust Tom Coughlin more than Mike McCarthy.
- The Giants have lots of recent championship experience; the Packers do not.
You also have to be discouraged, if you’re a Packers fan, by the injuries to Al Harris and Aaron Kampman. You have to credit the Packers for bouncing back from the awful loss to the Bucs. They just may not have enough to get over the hump and get the 10 wins it will take to compete for Wild Card spot.
As for the Giants, this is a team that is struggling to find its identity this season. But there is one thing we know about New York: this team can put on a late season surge, so you better be careful counting them out.
17 – Tennessee Titans (4-6)
18 – Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4)
19 – Houston Texans (5-5)
Name a team that I have not yet ranked that you think would beat the Titans right now. Hell, I think Tennessee would give any of the teams above them on this list a tough game. The truth is that Tennessee is a playing about as well as anyone outside of the top six teams in the NFL. Were it not for their 0-6 start, which does have to be taken into account, this team would be a lot higher on the list.
It’s nice to see Vince Young back and bringing his brand of excitement to the NFL again. And is there a more exciting backfield duo than Young and Johnson from a purely athletic standpoint? Wow.
I’ll tell you this, if the Colts are still undefeated come December 6th, they are going to have their hands full staying that way when these Titans come to Lucas Oil Stadium.
And poor Houston. This is a team that is two field goals away from having a shot to be 7-3. Unfortunately, their usually reliable kicker Kris Brown hasn’t been able to come through in the clutch. Well guess what? Having a clutch kicker is part of winning in the NFL, and the Texans just are not there yet.
They are what they are: a solid team capable of very good performances, but nothing more than middle-of-the-pack.
But wait a minute…how can the 4-6 Titans be ahead of the 6-4 Jaguars? WTF?
I’ll tell you why: the Titans that the Jaguars beat in Week 4 is not the same Titans from today…the same Titans team that beat the Jags on November 1st in Vince Young’s first game back.
Jacksonville is having a cute little season, but they’ve beaten Houston, Kerry Collins, St. Louis, Kansas City, the Jets, and Buffalo. There is not an above average team in that bunch. And don’t forget about their terrible 41-0 loss to…Seattle.
The Jags look like that classic team with a weak schedule that surprises everyone with a 10-6 record (i.e. the Browns in 2007). They may very well finish with a better record than a lot of teams, but it won’t necessarily mean that they are better.
[Big MB's Editor's Note: Wow. You are such a freakin hypocrite.
Four teams from the AFC South? Including one that is under .500?
Jerod, I understand the Titans are playing well but they are STILL 4-6. Meanwhile, with Houston's loss, the Colts magic number has been reduced to just 2 games to Clinch the AFC South, and with a visit to Houston this week, the Colts can all but ice the division.
Just missing the cut: Miami (5-5), Atlana (5-5), Baltimore (5-5)
[Big MB's Editor's Note: You just had to go and mention your Dolphins. Just missing the cut? What cut? Being removed from the NFL?
What's next? Cleveland just missing the cut in the pee-wee football top 100? Keep dreaming. Ricky Williams had a great game, but it won't be a regular occurance, the Fins will fall short of the playoffs.]
Well there ya have it folks.
Our fearless leader has stepped up to the plate and delivered his top NFL Power Rankings.
But, all he proved is that he is nothing more than a Hypocrite, and his stones are seemingly missing in action more than mine were. I left out 14 and 15. He left out seven THROUGH ten.
So if we were ranking all 32 teams, would that mean that the Browns would be at 36 since we are just skipping 7-10? I mean they did give a win up to an injured Matt Stafford. So we rank 32 team 1-36. Makes sense. Jack ass.]
[Jerod's final word, which he gets since he's the Editor: Yes, Myles, I'm glad that you were able to get it through your tiny brain that even though I "didn't rank" numbers 7-10, I still ranked the top 15 teams. I was merely making the point that there is a huge gap between the 6th and 7th best team in the NFL...not copping out and/or being lazy and choosing no one for those spots.
I am impressed with your counting skills, however, because yes, if we went all the way to the Browns, the rankings would go to #36. I figured that might slip by you. But it didn't. I stand corrected...unlike Jay Cutler you do have more than 1/4th a brain.
And now, as a reward for all of the patient readers who made it through our jabbering, below is Shakira's performance from the AMA Awards earlier this week.]
About Jerod Morris
