Sluss's 2007 AFC Rankings (Week 4)

Sluss · #1 10-02-2007, 08:16 AM

In the imortal words of Vince Lombardi, "What the hell is going on out there?" 7 of the top 10 teams from last week's rankings lost. Some we kind of saw coming, some not so much.

1.New England Patriots (4-0):Well everybody got to see it again. The Patriots continue to roll and just make it look like they can do whatever they want. Pound the ball, sure. Hit Randy Moss whenever Tom Brady feels like it, sure. Shut down a passing offense, sure. Shut down a running game, sure. They are really making it look easy. I'm excited for the 1 vs 2 match-up coming up week 9. This week may have shown that any team can lose at any time, but it is going to take a special effort to knock off the Pats. Next Week vs. Cleve 

2.Indianapolis Colts (4-0):Sometimes the Colts offense makes the rest of the league jealous and this was one of those weeks. The Broncos did everything they could to take away Harrison and Wayne. So the Colts just ran the ball and threw it to Dallas Clark. Harrison did miss the second half, but the Broncos kept giving them 7 man fronts and the Colts just kept pounding the ball at them. I'm a little concerned about Harrison, the roll up is never a good way to get a "bruised" knee. Addai's injury is also a bit of a concern. He has never taken the pounding before and he still has to answer to whether or not he can.
Next week vs TB 

3.Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1):What the hell was that? The Steelers went out to Arizona and forgot to get on the team plane. Willie Parker never got started and then never finished. Roethlisberger was all over the field, he hit those two nice passes to Santonio Holmes, but that was it. In between he was lost. I'm willing to give the Steelers a bit of a pass. Whisenhunt and Grimm were obviously going to have the Cardinals well prepared. The Steelers looked like they might have spent some time thinking about how great they are. I said last week the Steelers need to open up with a great start with how tough their schedule finishes. They need to avoid games like this the rest of the year. This statement brought to you by Captain Obvious. Next week vs. Seattle 

4.Denver Broncos (2-2)(up 1): The Broncos almost get the award as the team that lost who looked the best. No Javon Walker and heading to the dome to play the defending champs is a tough spot and the Broncos played well. They ran the ball against an improved Colts run D. Cutler played pretty well. The Broncos did seem to run out of gas in the second half. They looked a bit confused on defense when the Colts adjusted to Marvin Harrison being out and missed some opportunities to get back into the game.Next week vs. SD 

5.Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)(up 2) : What a game against bye this week. The Jags and the Titans really benefited from their bye this week because they didn't get caught in the bizarro world of the AFC this week. I almost put them ahead of the Broncos, who they did handle pretty well. But I still want to see those Jags show up for a few games before we start talking about them in the top 4. Next Week:@ KC 

6.Tennessee Titans (2-1)(up 2) :Outside of the top two, the Tennessee Titans are the only team in the AFC that has given the same performance every week. Right now that puts them in good shape. Like I have said before they don't have all of the talent in the world, but they are good up front on both sides of the ball and play hard every week. Next Week:vs. ATL 

7.San Diego Chargers (1-3)(down 3) : I don't know what to say about the Chargers than what has already been said. Just a complete and total coaching break-down. Norv Turner is really trying to make his brother look good. Phillip Rivers is struggling and not giving the ball to Tomlinson the entire second half was pretty much what got Marty fired after that playoff game last year. Their secondary is getting exposed. It has never been real good, but when teams are able to stay unpredictable and the pass rush can't pin their ears back they get exposed. Next week @ Den 

8.Baltimore Ravens (2-2)(down 1) : Another AFC North team that forgot to get off the bus. The Ravens defense looked like they thought the Browns would just lay down for them and boy did they looked shocked early on. So far the Ravens defense has looked exploitable and McNair has looked like his mileage is showing. Some decent runs out of Willis McGahee, even though most of it was because the Browns didn't even defend the run after the first quarter. The Ravens panicked after the early surge from the Browns and McGahee finishes with 15 carries, McNair finishes with 53 attempts and the Ravens are not built to win like that. Next week @ SF 

9.Houston Texans (2-2)(up 1):The Texans played with most of their offense hanging out with the trainer and not on the field. For a team that plays in the AFC South this is a real bad sign. They are going to have much tougher games and when it comes down to the final week of the year and they are a game out of the playoffs this is going to be the game they wish they had back. Poor performance out of the defense wasting Matt Schaub playing his heart out. If it wasn't for the whole AFC playing poorly this week the Texans would have dropped. Next Week vs. Mia 

10.Oakland Raiders(2-2)(up 2):Just a great rushing performance out of the Raiders. The thunderstorms before the game made the field a mess and just mucked up both teams pass attacks. Culpepper was not as smooth in the offense as I'm sure Kiffin would have liked. However, with a week off this week he can work with the first team a bit more and might be able to be effective against some of the better teams they will be playing after their bye.Next Week: Bye 

11. Cincinnati Bengals1-3)(down 2) :The Bengals are starting to lose it. Marvin Lewis going nuts in the locker room after the game. They go on bye this week with their heads between their legs. They come back with games @ KC and vs. NYJ. Winnable games if their head is on straight not so winnable if they have lost it and then the season slips away again. Next week: Bye 

12.Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)(up 2):And now if the Chiefs can just get every team to try and hand them the games they will do well. Week 2 the Bears tried to give it to them in the second half. Last week the Vikings did give it up in the second half, this week the Chargers gave it away as well. Sometimes when you see a trend like this it has to do with the coaches making great adjustments in the locker room. I'm not sure if I can give Herm that much credit right now, but the Chiefs have played much better in the second half these last few weeks. I can't stop raving about Dwayne Bowe. He has been a beast and this week Larry Johnson was even able to grind out the game. Next Week vs Jac 

13. New York Jets (1-3)(down 3): This week's winner of toughest game to watch. Just a terrible game by both teams. The Bills are missing 3/4 of their team to injuries, the Jets have no such excuse. Too many mistakes out of Pennington who couldn't throw an incomplete pass all day. Only five balls of the 39 he threw hit the ground. Constantly throwing 6 yard passes on third and 8 doesn't get it done all the time. A real bad pick in the fourth quarter that put the Jets down 10 and then the pick at the end of the game gave Buffalo the win. They could never get Thomas Jones going as the offense spun it's wheels all day long. Next week @ NYG 

14.Cleveland Browns (2-2)(up 1):The Jekyll & Hide Browns continue their trip through the NFL. Expect them to bite some times throughout the year. They had a good game plan against the Ravens to start and then once the Ravens adjusted they could go nowhere. It didn't matter as the Browns put up a nice upset and Derrick Anderson gets closer and closer to getting the Scott Mitchell deal. Look good now. Sit down for Brady Quinn, let your contract expire. Every team in the NFL looks to give you money. Sounds like a good deal to me.Next Week @ NE 

15.Buffalo Bills (1-3)(up 1):This team should have had a better deal this year. They play good football, they are just undermanned. Nice job getting a win this week, but when they do get wins this is the way they will do it. UGLY. Get some of their young guys experience hope everybody comes back healthy and look to make a run next year. vs. Dal 

16.Miami Dolphins(0-4)(down 3):Wow does Nick Saben look like he made the right move. The Dolphins look like last year's Dolphins. They can't stop anybody on defense and Ronnie Brown looks good while their QB just can't get it done. I guess in two weeks the 0-6 Dolphins will welcome the Patriots to town who will come in as 16 point road favorites and the Dolphins will beat the pants off of them. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] Next Week @ Hou

stormstarter28 · #2 10-02-2007, 10:59 AM

I hate to argue with other people's power rankings, because I know how difficult they are to compile, but I disagree with a couple of these.

The Chargers look absolutely awful. Ranking them 7th doesn't make much sense to me, especially when they look a lot like the Bengals who you have at 11. Getting stomped on by the Chiefs at home really showed how bad Norv Turner is.

The Browns HAVE to be ahead of the Jets.
Beating the Bengals/Ravens>>>>>>Beating the Dolphins

Other than those issues, I like the rankings.

AquaSwing · #3 10-02-2007, 11:00 AM

Denver is too high but I can't think of a team other than the Jags and maybe The Titans that should be higher. put Denver at 6 and move the other teams up.

BTW, who fires Marty Schottenheimer and hires Norv Turner? Sounds like a front office that wants to lose.

mmbt0ne · #4 10-02-2007, 11:02 AM

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Denver is too high

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Assuming Sluss does his like PF, the first 4 teams are the division winners regardless of actual power rankings.

Needle77 · #5 10-02-2007, 11:07 AM

I feel like this upcoming week will sort out a whole lot of things.(as will each week after [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ). The Texans are looking to bounce back against a bad Dolphins team, Chiefs and Jags square off, Ravens need to stop their slide, and a Denver vs SD matchup that could be a tell all of the AFC West.

tolbiny · #6 10-02-2007, 11:12 AM

The Ravens are too high. Their two wins were very unimpressive against a Jets team w/o pennington, and needed a last second field goal to beat the Cardinals. The Texans look better if they get Johnson or Green back from injury. The Browns below the Jets right now as well? The Browns have serious playmakers on offense, have given up 1 sack the last 3 games, and were a blocked FG away from being 3-0 in those games. Their D is thin, but passable for a 5-11 or 6-10 team. The Jets lone win was a squeaker against the worst team in the league, and lost last week to the team you have ranked 2nd worst.

I want to drop the Bengals as well but can't think of a team to put ahead of them. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

PokerFink · #7 10-02-2007, 11:27 AM

New week, same comments. Broncos too high*, Chargers too high.

*Unless you use the divisional stipulation that I use, but I don't think you do.

prohornblower · #8 10-02-2007, 12:30 PM

Browns too low, Chargers too high.

tdarko · #9 10-02-2007, 12:41 PM

Why do divisional leaders have to be 1-2-3-4? That doesn't make any sense to me, a team doesn't earn any points b/c their division sucks balls. The team earns its power ranking based upon how good they are and if a second place team in a division beats the piss out of a division leader (and is just flat out better) then there is the proof. I am am not saying that has happened--just my example.

kyro · #10 10-02-2007, 12:43 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Why do divisional leaders have to be 1-2-3-4? That doesn't make any sense to me, a team doesn't earn any points b/c their division sucks balls. The team earns its power ranking based upon how good they are and if a second place team in a division beats the piss out of a division leader (and is just flat out better) then there is the proof. I am am not saying that has happened--just my example.

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Because that's how he's doing his rankings dummy. The same way PF does the NFC rankings.