2011 Preseason Power Rankings
1. New England
2. San Diego
3. Pittsburgh
4. Philadelphia
5. Green Bay
6. New York Jets
7. Baltimore
8. New Orleans
9. Atlanta
10. Kansas City
11. New York Giants
12. Chicago
13. Indianapolis
14. Houston
15. Miami
16. Dallas
17. Tampa Bay
18. St. Louis
19. Detroit
20. Carolina
21. Tennessee
22. Cleveland
23. San Francisco
24. Minnesota
25. Oakland
26. Seattle
27. Denver
28. Cincinnati
29. Jacksonville
30. Washington
31. Buffalo
32. Arizona
The Five Favorites (elite/no obvious weakness)
1. New England: I think I pick the Patriots every year, and to be honest, I feel like they should have 6 titles under Belichick. Will they get #4 this year?
2. San Diego: I keep waiting for it to be SD’s year. Maybe it finally is. They were one of the best teams in the NFL statistically last season and they didn’t even make the playoffs.
3. Pittsburgh: Always have a shot with Steeler defense and Big Ben.
4. Philadelphia: Much hyped but with good reason. Vick has to stay healthy obviously. For that matter, so do Jackson, Maclin, and McCoy.
5. Green Bay: Defending champs have what it takes to repeat. MVP candidate QB and super defense.
The Four “Other” Favorites (capable of winning it all/weaknesses apparent)
6. New York Jets: Defense is elite. Quarterback and head coach? I don’t think. But you actually don’t have to have all of those things to win the championship (see the 2000 Baltimore Ravens).
7. Baltimore: The defense is older but still strong, and they are now strong on offense as well.
8. New Orleans: They can only have better luck with injuries this season. Brees and the offense will put up points, but can the defense find the magic of 2009?
9. Atlanta: A trendy pick, but will my team take another step forward or take a step back?
Two that could be Dangerous (good teams that could contend under right circumstances)
10. Kansas City: They made huge strides last season, but now they have to prove it wasn’t a fluke.
11. New York Giants: This season the G-Men are getting crushed by injuries at the start of the season rather than towards the end. If they ever get healthy they could be great. We know the sort of run this team is capable of putting together.
Great and Terrible Trio (teams with obvious strengths and obvious weaknesses)
12. Chicago: You can bet that the defense will be among the best. On the other side of the ball, the offensive line is still a major question mark, they are very limited at the skill positions, and you can’t count on QB Jay Cutler.
13. Indianapolis: Well, maybe the Colts don’t even fit this category anymore, as Peyton is going to miss at least some time due to this neck issue. Everything obviously depends on his ability to play. As long as they have Peyton, they’ll have one of the better offenses in the NFL. If they don’t have Peyton, than they’re totally screwed, as the defense is highly suspect, the special teams play is perhaps the worst in the league, and the coaching is a zero.
14. Houston: We certainly know that the Texans have the offense to contend, but they’ve yet to field a defense that has been anything but awful.
Three More Decent Teams (could contend; should at least be okay)
15. Miami: The Dolphins are a good defensive team and they have a solid offensive line. Now they just need the skill players and a QB.
16. Dallas: With Romo healthy and some of the distractions gone, this team could surprise. Talent still there.
17. Tampa Bay: The Bucs might take a step back before taking another step forward, but they’ve gotten back on track quicker than many expected.
Middling Masses (could be better or worse than expected; probably just average)
18. St. Louis: Hard to say how far along they are in the processes, as their division is simply pathetic.
19. Detroit: There’s a buzz about this team. I’ll believe it when I see it.
20. Carolina: They were easily the worst team in the NFL last season, but they won’t be this season.
21. Tennessee: They need to rebuild but Chris Johnson is a stud and they could have done worse than Hasselbeck.
22. Cleveland: Approaching decency, which is actually good for this franchise.
23. San Francisco: Started over with Jim Harbaugh and there is some talent on the roster.
24. Minnesota: The window closed but Adrian Peterson is still there.
25. Oakland: Finishing .500 felt like a monumental achievement. Now will they take the next step or fall back to the realm of the losers.
Yeah, These Guys Suck (teams with little talent who should struggle to avoid a losing record)
26. Seattle: One of the worst playoff teams in the history of the NFL. And now they’ve lost their QB.
27. Denver: They should be better, but the pressure to do something with Tebow could cause problems.
28. Cincinnati: It just doesn’t feel right for the Bengals to be anything but laughing stalks. With the Palmer vs. Brown standoff showing no signs of letting up, it should be another lost year in the Jungle.
29. Jacksonville: Serious contenders for worst franchise in the league. They don’t seem to know what they’re doing or what they’re trying to do.
30. Washington: It’s stunning how bare the roster is. They’re almost going to have to start from scratch, and I don’t know if that’s what Mike Shanahan is good at.
31. Buffalo: There are some signs of life, but the Bills are not quite ready to contend for mediocrity.
32. Arizona: Without question Kevin Kolb is an upgrade at the most important position. Now Fitz becomes relevant again too. However, this team wasn’t just one player away. The team that flashed so quickly to reach the Super Bowl disintegrated almost as quickly. Seriously, did they make the Super Bowl? They did didn’t they. Still hard to believe.
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