Sluss's 2007 AFC Rankings (Week 5)

Sluss · #1 10-09-2007, 03:49 PM

Last Week's Rankings
Things going a little more to chalk this week in the AFC. Not alot of movement except for the Broncos who take a big nose dive.

1.New England Patriots (5-0)::The Pats continue to roll. Tom Brady has all of the time in the world & Sammy Morris fills in for Maroney well. The real scary part about this team is that they just got Harrison back this week, Seymour is on the way. It really is just amazing when you think about it. They are only getting better. They head to Dallas this week. However, I think the AFC is so much better than the NFC this game might not be close. Next Week @ Dal 

2.Indianapolis Colts (5-0) : With some teams there are a few players that if they get injured the whole team gets out of rhythm. For the Colts it is only Peyton Manning. They showed they could fill in all of those spots this week. Gonzalez filling for Harrison with 6 catches. Kenton Keith showing what I have always said. The Colts could put a monkey at RB and he could roll through people. Of course now that I think about it a monkey would be hard to bring down. Maybe the Colts could bring in a monkey. Next Week: Bye 

3.Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1):And the Steelers return after last weeks abomination. The Seahawks are not the world's best road team. They are still though a solid team that will be going to the playoffs and the Steelers D just crushed them. They probably shouldn't have been shut out, but the domination was there no matter how you shake it. Najeh Davenport takes over as the Mike Alstott for a new generation.Next week: Bye 

4.Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1)(up 1) :The Jags seem to have found their groove. Running the ball and controlling the clock. Holding the ball over 13 minutes longer than the Chiefs. Jacksonville plays the fastest games. I swear that game was over in two hours Sunday. Even without Meester at center they dominated the line. When they are running the ball that well they cement themselves into the top tier of the AFC. The defense shut down the run and made it tough to throw to the outside. They don't win pretty, but they can make a 10 point lead look insurmountable. Next Week vs. Hou 

5.Tennessee Titans (3-1)(up 1): An interesting test game out of the Titans this week. This was probably the first week where Tennessee was the monster favorite in the eyes of the public. Towards the end of last year when they were rolling off wins nobody really believed in them. The first three games of this year a lot of people where not convinced. This was the week though when they were going to get taken in suicide pools across the country. And they didn't respond great. They turned the ball over a ton. They were having trouble getting their running game going and Vince Young struggled. While the defense was making stops they looked a bit out of sorts as well. And even the usually solid special teams suffered. Mentally changing form the underdog to the favorite is extremely difficult and the Titans first shot at it wasn't the best. They did still come out with a win and that is what they do best.Next Week @ TB 

6.Houston Texans (3-2)(up 3):The Texans are not winning real pretty right now. Of course they are without their two best receivers, and their starting running back. Matt Schaub has really played great. They have had injuries on defense as well and have battled through them. Kris Brown was a monster this week. These aren't your slightly older brother's Texans. In past years this type of injury build up would have led to a losing streak. Now they have got themselves in position to make a run when they get some guys back healthy. Just how tough will it be in that division? Next Week @ Jac 

7.San Diego Chargers (2-3): The Chargers at least showed they still have all of that talent they are supposed to have. A nice drive to start the game, then the fumbled kick off return and TD really sealed this game. Sounds early, but the Chargers have a great front running team. With Tomlinson to run the ball and the burner just rolling through the mop up duty. Plus the defense was able to rush the QB because of how much they were going to pass. A big win they really needed. And now with as bad as the Chargers have been this year, with a victory over the Raiders this week they could head into their bye in first place in a really bad AFC West. Next Week vs. Oak 

8.Baltimore Ravens (3-2)

ear god was this game ugly. The Ravens defense basically just shut down the 49ers except for two plays, that led to the one TD they gave up. The offense couldn't get out of their own way. Just a real ugly terrible win. The Ravens will take them, but their offense has been plagued by poor play calling and execution all year. Next Week vs. St Louis 

9.Denver Broncos(2-3)(Down 5):Off to a bye to lick their wounds. The Broncos are a team that when they get behind are going to struggle. Especially without Javon Walker, Jay Cutler struggled to get a passing game going. And after getting down 14 points real early they were unable to run the ball like they want to. They also need to solve their run defense. With those two corners there is no way that the middle of the field should be as open as it was on Sunday. With the Travis Henry distraction and their run defense this team needs to figure out a lot this bye week. Next Week Bye

10.Oakland Raiders(2-2 :The bye week was nice to the first place in the AFC West Raiders. A week of practice for Dante Culpepper with the first team should be huge. This team finishes with a real tough schedule with trips to Tennessee, Green Bay & Jacksonville and Houston and Indy making the trip to Oakland. With some inter division wins the Raiders could still put up a respectable season for Lane Kiffin. Next Week @ SD 

11. Cincinnati Bengals1-3):A bye to try and get Rudi Johnson healthy and maybe even a linebacker or two. The Bengals are not dead yet, but they could be on life support if they don't come out of this bye well. They really want to be at 3-3 when the Steelers come to town week 8. This Week @ KC 

12.Kansas City Chiefs (2-3): A rough game for KC against the Jags. Jacksonville can make most teams in the NFL look bad. The Chiefs still cannot run the ball effectively. Larry Johnson looks very agitated. Damon Huard's injury could be a blessing at this point. Let's see Brodie Coyle. The organization has been big on him and he has sat long enough. I want to see the Coyle/Bowe show.
Next Week vs. Cin 

13.Cleveland Browns (2-3)(up 1): Tough run against the Pats this week. The Browns played New England pretty well. A couple of tipped passes that ended up in the hands of Patriots and a defensive TD at the end of the game mad the margin seem bigger than it was. They have to be worried about the Jamal Lewis injury he has been big for them this year. The interesting thing could be if if the Browns defeat the Dolphins this week, who do you come back from the bye week with at quarterback? Do you continue to hold out hope for a playoff spot and stick with Derrick Anderson or do you start the Brady Quinn era?
Next Week vs. Mia 

14.Buffalo Bills (1-4)(up 1):Some great energy on Monday night in Buffalo. I really like Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch. The injuries on defense are going to keep them down around the bottom. But this is a team on the rise. Give Marv Levy and Dick Jauron credit they look like they could be a year or two away from being a very good team. This Week:Bye 

15.New York Jets (1-4) (Down 2):Wow is this team in disarray. Chad Pennington looked terrible. The defense wouldn't have been able to make tackles in flag football in that second half. Jets fans are getting pretty sick. Not enough Thomas Jones and maybe it is time to end the run that is Chad. Next Week vs. Philly 

16.Miami Dolphins(0-5):The good news for the Dolphins is that Ronnie Brown has really taken to this system and looks like the high draft pick he was. The bad news is that is the only good news. Trent Green is listed on the injury report as Out(death). Cleo Lemon did not put a charge into that team. The defense has been weak. Back to back years of the season ending early for the Dolphins. Next week @ Cle

thac · #2 10-09-2007, 03:51 PM

I was wondering where you'd put the Jaguars.. I've kept refreshing this page. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

TheNoodleMan · #3 10-09-2007, 04:01 PM

Cleveland is too low.

and am I to assume that Oakland is 10?

Sluss · #4 10-09-2007, 04:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]

and am I to assume that Oakland is 10?

[/ QUOTE ]Whoops my bad. Didn't copy it right. Edited.

kyro · #5 10-09-2007, 05:32 PM

My rankings:

Pats
Steelers
Colts
Titans
Texans
Chargers
Browns
Jaguars
Bengals
Chiefs
Bills
Dolphins
Ravens
Raiders
Jets
Broncos

This should make some people angry. Heh.

tolbiny · #6 10-09-2007, 05:46 PM

I don't see how you can even consider having the Bengals higher than the Browns right now. The Browns played the Pats tougher on the road than the Bengals did at home, the Browns beat the Ravens more handily than the Bengals did, and the Browns beat the Bengals. The Raiders and Browns and Chiefs should all be essentially tied for that 11 spot and drop Cinci behind all three of them. Can't argue with the top 5 or the bottom 3.

lastchance · #7 10-09-2007, 05:47 PM

Ravens way too low.

kyro · #8 10-09-2007, 05:49 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Ravens way too low.

[/ QUOTE ]

The Ravens suck. They've won by a combined 13 points against the Cardinals, 49ers and Jets. They have absolutely zero offense.

kyro · #9 10-09-2007, 05:54 PM

Frankly, I do think the Colts are most likely better than the Steelers, but the Steelers victories have been far more impressive than the Colts'. I'm just reporting what my numbers came out as.

Also, it's less of a knock on the Colts as it is props to the Steelers. The Colts are closer to the Pats in my numbers than the Titans (#4 in my stupid rankings) are to the Colts.

kyro · #10 10-09-2007, 05:56 PM

Also, if I was just ranking without doing numbers and doing it subjectively, the Colts would be #2, not #1b.